I really shouldn't have read this sampler because now I'm even more excited to read this book! I like that Marissa Meyer subtly summarizes what happened in the last book so you know the most important parts going forward. After reading this, I have so many predictions of what may occur and which direction it will take. Alas, I will have to wait until November to get the whole story, unless NetGalley has a full version of 'Cursed' soon!

Oh, I loved this and I'm so excited to read the rest of this one! Definitely just enough to get a good taste of what's to come and have me thrilled for it.

Gilded was a five star read for me and I absolutely loved it, I’ve been patiently waiting for the sequel Cursed since then. But reading this sampler had me laughing, smiling, and scowling at the return of the characters and the world. I’m very curious as to how Serilda will survive, and explore being a forced bride, a mother, and a captive. It was odd seeing how the Elder King acted now, he seemed much more relaxed I guess. Even his vows did seem oddly romantic so there’s another thing I’m curious to see evolve in the full book.

Thank you so much for this sample!
I’m definitely going to go back and reread Gilded before November. Only 6 chapters but I’m already hooked right back into Serilda and Gilds story. This book I can already tell is going to be a heavy hitter for this years releases. I mean only 6 chapters and I’m itching to devour this read. Plus don’t even get me started on the cover, have you seen anything more gorgeous. I’m so excited to see what twists and craziness Marissa is going to throw at us with Cursed.

This was great and I was left wanting more of the story! The writing, as always with this author, was pretty great. Can't wait for the full book.

Book 2 of the series - Read book 1 before grabbing this beauty:

Lets start off with that cover. THAT COVER! This book is already pure seduction just with that cover alone. Dark, broody, and vampy vibes are a shot straight to the heart of dang near anyone in my circle, so this book would obviously be a best seller with my people.

Next order of business:
Macmillian!?! What a tease. :'( This sample was just enough to drag us in and get us hooked only to kick us out to the patio chairs and hang a sign barring entry until NOVEMBER?! How are we going to wait for FOUR months?

The cliffhanger from book one was killer. But after this sample, I'm actually starting to wonder if that was really the big deal we all thought or if it was just a foreshadowing of how this series will be going forward.

Excited for the next installment......Ending of Gilded left you curious to see what will happen next......

Cursed was already on my list of most anticipated reads for the year, and this sampler has me even more excited to read the full book! I love the spin Meyer put on the Rumpelstiltskin and Goblin King stories in Gilded, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how everything plays out in Cursed.

This sampler was just 6 chapters, but it immediately pulled me back into the story of Gild and Serilda, and I wanted to keep reading! It picks up right where Gilded left off, and I'm very excited to see what happens next in their stories.

Thanks so much for this sample! I can't WAIT for this book to come out. We already know Marissa Meyer is a master at fairytale retellings, and one element that I loved in the first book that I'm happy to see in this one too.. is story time. I absolutely love fairytales within a fairytale. I am so excited to see where this one goes!!

I absolutely love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. It was her debut book but I would argue it is her most compelling work - she had such an intimate and clear command of her characters, all eight of the main ones, as well as the main villain. I mention it because I have been saddened that her later books have a disconnect with the characters, we never really get to know them and Cursed (as well as its predecessor Gilded) suffers from that oversight.

I know that the gang of kids Serilda cares for are important to her emotional arc and motivations but I won't lie, I don't care for them. Not a single one. The fact they're all ghosts in this castle doesn't really fill me with a sense of urgency. The most interesting character in this duology is Gild himself, our nameless prince, Rumplestiltskin lead. I don't think Meyer is making full potential of this character, much like Jest in Heartless, he is kind of drifting around, unsure of how to help Serilda escape the Elderking. He can only offer some pranks and it feels like a hollow counterpart to Serilda's machinations to free them all - no that Serilda is a compelling heroine. Also the baby plotline, ugh. Not exactly thrilled to see that one through.

I know Meyer did a lot of research for this retelling but even with just the six-chapter sampler, I find myself underwhelmed by the general world, its premise, and prose. I might be wrong, there's still more to the book that I will read once it's out!

i did not realize that this was the sequel to gilded and since i havent read it, sadly i wont be able to read & review this one either!

Cursed picks up right where GILDED left off the the first chapters that I got to read were a fitting sequel to the previous one. Looking forward to see how the story goes! Thank you to Publisher for the ARC of the sampler.

I enjoyed reading Cursed and found it easy to follow as someone who has not read book one. What makes this rendition of Rumpelstiltskin different are the paranormal elements such as the corporal ghosts and the love dynamic between Gild and Serilda. People who have read book one would care about the developments in the couple's relationship in this sequel. However, I've only read a sampler of the story, so I cannot speak to the ending. Despite that, a lot happens.

Con: Every once in a while, there would be an idea or similar sentence repeated pages later. But since this book is coming out in November, I'm sure they've cleared this up.

Meyer's books are becoming a bit formulaic, but the ya crowd continues to enjoy. We will buy and suggest to the Cinder readers; the 12-15 year old girls who want romance with an "edge"

This "Cursed" sample made me even more excited to continue on with the series.

I'm so interested to see how Serilda continues to handle pregnancy and hiding it from Gild, as well as her tenuous relationship with the EarlKing. Can't wait for the rest to come out in the fall.

Love the beginning with the fairytale, Meyer as always is a creative genius and it seems she's putting her magic touch to yet another beauty. The King seems to be a ruthless creature but perhaps no match to the scheming of Serilda and with the help of Gild. Can't wait to read the full book when I get the chance.

#cursed #marissameyer
#netgalley
I’m so sad this was only a sample! I am dying to read the rest of this book! This series is amazing! From the first page I was hooked! I need to know what happens next! November can’t come quick enough!!

The start of "Cursed" is more sedate, overdescriptive at times, and with more quiet scenes than you'd have been expecting from how "Gilded" ended. En route to the Erlkönig and Serilda sealing their fate on the day of the Winter Solstice, something is bound to happen, she hopes, but so far nothing seems to be going to happen to throw a wrench into the Alder King's schemes. He and Serilda are keeping up a farce for the benefit of the whole of Adelheid, and it's not clear whether the court is buying it or not, and since nobody's helping her, Serilda is resigned.

Oh, but something does happen on the grand day! Will it ruin the Erlking's precious plans? We don't know! The sampler cuts offp at the right moment to leave you itching for more, and now we'll have to wait till November to find out.

I have to say, though, that after this sampler I'm starting to second-guess the Erlkönig's endgame. What is that bastard truly up to? Suddenly, his desire to have his lady Perchta back sounds way too simple, too neat, too straightforward. There has to be something more devious, more warped, he must be hiding a trump card up his sleeve or something. The way he acts towards Serilda in certain scenes is a bit unnerving. Dare I say the thought of a redemption arc has crossed my mind? It might not happen, but you can't blame me after certain scenes! Marissa Meyer could make him a more layered villain perhaps, at the very least, because until now he's been a bit one-dimensional in his wickedness. Time will tell, and publication time couldn't arrive fast enough.

I read Gilded last year because I heard so much about it, and am so happy that there will be a sequel. This one picks up right where the previous book left off, and is gorgeous and such a tantalizing tease that November seems very far away. Thank you for an advanced copy of this sampler!

What an amazing sampler! I was completely drawn into the world of Cursed. This sampler picks up right where Gilded left off. I loved seeing Gild and Serilda again, as well as the mysterious Erlking. The writing is beautiful and vivid. The wait for November feels long, but I know it will be well worth it! I can't wait to read the full installment. Thank you to Marissa Meyer, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Netgalley for a free sampler in exchange for honest feedback.