I really wanted to love this book because I love the Arthurian legend and think the idea of a gender bent retelling is a great one. Unfortunately I struggled to get into the story and didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. It's still a solid read but not the epic reading experience I was hoping for. I definitely still plan to watch the Netflix adaptation though. I could actually this working much better in visual form for me than it did in written form.

I don't hate this book, but I'm not really raving about it either; I suppose you can sum it all up with just a heavy sigh.

I suppose we've got from dystopias, to high fantasy, to lots and lots of retellings. In this case, it's an Arthurian retelling, choosing to take the story from the perspective of Nimue. This COULD have been a phenomenal concept: you're talking about the woman who essentially becomes the famous Lady of the Lake. She once imprisoned Merlin in a tree for being a creep and horny and inappropriate.

But you won't see any of that. You won't even see a lot that's derived from Arthurian myth and legend, especially not in the details. It's more of a smashing of numerous fantasy tropes we've seen a million times all together into one books that takes a potentially interesting female protagonist and turns her into a terrible leader and even worse martyr-like character come the end.

There's so much that someone could do with Arthur myth -- and there's plenty of great takes on it out there. This just isn't one of them.

This young adult fantasy is a retelling of the King Arthur lore focusing on the Lady of the Lake character. Nimue, presumably the Lady of the Lake, has the Sword of Power unknowingly thrust upon her after the Red Paladins invade her village. As she fights for her fellow Fey folk and seeks understanding of her true role in all of the chaos, she will find friends from all walks of life, enemies that burn with hatred against her very name, and an adventure that spans across many landscapes. Many of the notable characters from the Arthur legend can be found in the pages of this story, just not as easily spotted as the obvious exact naming of Arthur or Merlin.

I personally enjoyed this story and thought it was an interesting twist on the King Arthur legend. The descriptions of the various landscapes were captivating, the embellishment of the atmosphere was engrossing, and the details of the battle scenes were intense. All typical ingredients that I usually find in a good fantasy. While I wouldn't describe this as an intensely intricate fantasy, sometimes I had to focus a little harder on differentiating between the Fey folk with the various titles or references to some of their tribes. Nothing incredibly detailed or hard to follow.

Overall, I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the book and would recommend to readers interested in young adult fantasy or in Arthurian lore. It wasn't as captivating as I had hoped, but I would still be interested in seeing how the story progresses after the end of this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I was very interested in this book when I heard that actress Katherine Langford was developing Cursed, by Thomas Wheeler, into a show on Netflix. After reading this novel, which is an origin story of the Arthurian Lady of the Lake, I am all in! With compelling characters, and an action-packed story, I loved this sweeping fantasy.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Nimue, who has a deep connection with The Hidden (a magical force), has always been an outcast. Her abilities create fear among most people and so she yearns to leave her small village for a fresh start. But fate steps in. Suddenly, she has the Sword of and is tasked with delivering this to Merlin the Magician.

I loved Nimue's journey from a girl who's only concerned with herself, to a young woman willing to fight and sacrifice for her people. She was fierce, brave, and heart-breaking in her yearning to connect with others.

I was also fascinated by Merlin. He begins as a man who's glory days are long over. Instead of the mentoring future kings, he's a con artist who is drunk most of the time. Finding out how this came to be was really captivating.

There are also appearances by several of the characters who will be central to the Arthurian legend. Gawain, Percival, Lancelot, Morgan, Arthur, and many others create a promise of further adventures.

Story:

The story begins with a raid on Nimue's village and never lets up. Besides Merlin, many others are ruthlessly pursuing the sword. There is Father Carden, a sadistic priest who sees it as his mission to "purify" anyone who stands in his way with torture and death. King Uther Pendragon, who's legitimacy to rule is tenuous, seeks the sword to seal his claim to the throne. The Viking Ice King, who also has a claim to the throne, jumps into the fray, as well.

But it's Nimue who has the sword and she's not afraid to use it to defend her people, the Fey. As she cuts down her enemies with ease, one begins to wonder who is in control: Nimue, or the sword. Can she wield the weapon and remain untouched, or will this unbridled power drive her insane?

As the various forces close in on Nimue and her friends, the tension rises to a fever pitch.

Warning: Graphic scenes of torture (especially considering this is a YA book).

I couldn't get into this one. The plot moved along slowly, and at the beginning it seemed like chapters were out of order, making understanding the order of events very difficult. I didn't think the illustrations added anything to the story, and frankly, I found them to be kind of ugly. I still have high hopes that the Netflix series could be good.

Touched by darkness, Nimue has always been the village outcast. When the Red Paladins destroy her village, she manages to escape with a mystical sword she’s never seen before. Realizing the tales of old must be true, she knows she must find the fabled Merlin in order to save her land. Along the way, she meets a man named Arthur, who would rather drink his way through life. Will she find a way to save her land? Will she ever find Merlin? Who is destined to wield the sword? The plot is a simplistic and has a comic book-style feel to it. Characters are brave, straightforward, and are unique. Arthurian folklore is apparent. Fans of Scott Pilgrim, Arthurian retellings, and deep fantasy may enjoy reading this book.
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Please Note: This was a review copy from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster. No financial compensation was received. All opinions expressed are our own.

This book was ok. I was really intrigued are the beginning, especially with Nimue’s parts and I loved the aspect of the Hidden. Unfortunately as the book went on I lost interest. There were several different storylines and the only one I was really interested in was Nimue’s.
I requested this book from netgalley because it is slated to be a Netflix show next year and I thought it would be fun to have read the book before the show came out. It seemed like it was a book written about a show (almost like a script) instead of a book having a show based on it (if that makes sense). I think it will make a better show than a book.
Like I said before, I liked the aspect of the Hidden and it seemed so prominent at the beginning of the book, but it basically stopped being talked about and I forgot it was even a part of the book until it popped back up near the end.
I’m not 100% familiar with the story of Arthur, but I feel like this book wasn’t really a retelling. I recognized the names from the original story, but it seemed like it didn’t follow the original story at all.
Overall it was good enough for me to read the whole thing although it took me probably an hour to read the last 5% just because I wasn’t interested enough to sit down and read it. I think the show will end up being good, so I can’t wait to watch it!

I liked that this was a different take on the King Arthur/Lady of the Lake story, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I know it’s also going to be a Netflix show, and I’m not sure which one came first, but it felt like someone watched the show and was writing what happened as they watched it. I’ll probably still give the show a try, but I felt like the book left a lot to be desired.

This was a good read. It was different than what I'm used to reading but it was a nice change and I'll recommend to friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this to review! I had heard about the book at BookCon, and it sounded intriguing. A King Arthur retelling, gender swapped. Admittedly, I'm only vaguely familiar with the King Arthur story. But this was an enchanting retelling, nonetheless!

I'll start out by saying I can't wait to see the finished copy so I can see the finished illustrations. I think they'll definitely add a lot to the story; a magical element that's missing without the finalized art. As far as I can tell, they supplement the story really well and help to create the atmosphere Wheeler has created in the story.

Seeing familiar characters also really helps to bring the story to life. However, there were times where I found it a tad difficult to follow the story, and I wonder if it would have helped if I was more familiar with the original King Arthur. There were characters that I recognized, but I couldn't remember how they fit into the original. But, they're well-rounded characters that you're cheering for in the end, pulling you into this magical world that Wheeler has created.

After a bit of research, I've also learned that this isn't necessarily a retelling, just telling the story from a different lens. Would I have rathered a female version of King Arthur? Yes, I think so. However, I did enjoy Nimue's story, and her dedication to helping her people. She was the focal point of the book, and she shined throughout. I'm curious about the Netflix adaptation, because the overall book definitely read like a movie. It definitely lends itself to an onscreen adaptation.

There's also a lot of history in the book, which helped me to learn about the time period the book was set in. An overall enchanting story, just a bit different than I expected.

I'm going to be quite honest here, I haven't read any of the original Arthur legends but I know the gist of it from my friend (who, bless her soul, endured all my questions). .

To start off, the author is a screenwriter so naturally this book reads like one which was something I personally wasn't too fond of. I understand it's going to be a Netflix series so it's pretty obvious it'll be like a script, but I don't remember it being advertised as one. Also, this isn't a "gender-bent" retelling of the legend, instead it's being rewritten through the perspective of Nimue. I also want to point out that there are triggers, especially within the first few chapters, so if violence against women triggers you, I would stay clear.

Besides that, the book is written through different points of view and after a while it's hard to tell if they're all part of the same story or not. Sort of felt like they were off wandering on their own and I'm left wondering if they'll get to the same point. The "climax" was a bit underwhelming - when it came to I was just left like "well.. okay then."

However, I did enjoy the illustrations so props to the artist. To end, if you're a fan I would hold off until the series comes out.

This is a fun, fast paced book that just needs a little more. A little more back ground, a little more character development. I enjoyed the book just wished for more depth. I enjoyed the illustrations by Frank Miller. I will check out the series on Netflix. If you like Arthurian legends and fast paced adventures I think you will like this one.

Cursed is a fresh take on the Arthur/Sword in the Stone/Lady of the Lake mythos. Nimue is a Fey, suddenly thrust into a rebellion between Man-Blood and Fey kind. The religious order of the Red Paladins are sweeping through Fey towns, burning their elders at the stake and torturing the survivors that they find. Arthur is a human who feels kinship with Nimue, but not enough to risk his own skin. Nimue picks up allies and enemies on her way to meet the has-been magician Merlin.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I loved it. The characters are well written and it's a story you just don't want to stop. I can't wait to see the Netflix show.

Cursed is an Arthurian retelling.

Overall, I thought the story was well-paced. It was action-packed, engaging, and eventful. I found the last half of the story a lot more intriguing than the first half due to the story-building. It was like everyone was meeting at the same place and battle would soon ensue.

I felt like the story lost a little of the grandeur that we see in our original tale of Arthur. Everyone is a little dumbed-down, or maybe just not as invincible as we are shown. Merlin is a drunk, Nimue is the new Arthur, Arthur is the lovesick dog, and Lancelot is probably my favorite character. The real stars of the show and most relatable were the side characters: Lancelot, Iris, and Morgan. I want to know so much more about those characters than the protagonists. Iris is so interesting!

I'll be honest, probably my biggest complaint is the artwork. I found it a bit creepy :/ And it reminded me of a kid drawing on an Etch-A-Sketch (harsh, I know! But that was what I kept thinking of every time I saw the artwork). I think the story would've been better without it because I felt like I was looking at the same picture thirty different times and Nimue looked like a dude.

There is a lot of potential for more stories, or spin-offs to come from this original novel. I can see a lot of readers being interested in our side characters potentially having a larger role in the series. One thing missing for me was the world-building. We see some description of the characters, but I couldn't clearly picture any of them. I would like to see more description of the dress, landscape, and characters.

Cursed is the story of "coming of age". It is a story of friendship, survival, deceit, and acceptance. Being as the author is a screenwriter, I can definitely see this becoming a popular show on Netflix and the novel gaining momentum in the months to come.

It's been a while since I've read an Arthurian legend retelling and I went into this with so much anticipation. The story itself was original enough in its "unique twist" but the story read like the background of the writer - a screenplay. The attention wasn't as focused on elements that we would normally pay attention to in a fictional novel. The character development on page wasn't overwhelming impressive but I can see how it can translate well to screen. Overall, this book was a mediocre read but I am very excited to see how the story unfolds in a different media.

This story is another Arthurian retelling. And I have to say that I was fairly disappointed in it. It tried to take things from other stories such as the Lord of the Rings and the Throne of Glass series and do something with it all and well for me it just didn't work out all that well. The opening started ok but by the middle I was trying to figure out what in the world this book was trying to do. It does nothing with the time period either. I know this one is going to Netflix and at least for me it seems like this one might come over better on the screen than it did on paper. I will most likely check it out when it starts.

Overall, this book tried to hard to be great.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I really wanted to love this book because the premise seemed really interesting and I love a good Arthurian tale, but I didn't feel all that connected to the characters. I never felt fully interested in the story. This may have been due to the writing style which was very choppy at times.

However, I am excited for the Netflix show because I think it could be a really good adaptation of this story!

I really liked this book. The writing was very witty. It was an interesting prequel to the legend of Arthur which I love.

I did not care for this book. I can usually immerse myself in a story and read for long stretches without interruption, but that was not the case this time. I'm not sure if it was the characters, or the storyline, but I could not finish it.