This was an excellent follow up to Gilded! I had a wonderful time with 95% of the first book, but my two main criticisms where how abruptly it ended (just on a chapter break, not even a cliffhanger!) and that the pregnancy felt very weirdly dealt with. I'm pleased to say that the latter issue was corrected really well here; Serilda's attitude to her first-born child felt a lot more believable and consistent with her character this time around! The tone is even darker here, and while this definitely does still feel YA, it's quite a mature one, and very enjoyable for an adult reader. The real strength of this book is its immersion in folklore, and its obvious love of stories. That's what kept me reading through all the angst!

I do think I would have preferred this duology to have been condensed into one longer book, because it would have solved that strange pacing issue between volumes! But Cursed is an enjoyable, pacy read on its own, and the resolution of the story is excellent - I think if I were to reread, and when I recommend it to others, I'll treat it as if it were one story to be read back-to-back. So overall, this is a four star read for me.

I tried, i really tried, but this just didn't capture me in the same way as Meyer's other works. I enjoyed book one but I wasn't sold on the romance as I have been in Meyer's previous works, and I liked the world but I have read more compelling novels including the Fae recently. The Fae are definitely a trend right now and I always like a darker take on them, like Meyer includes in this story but I wasn't sucked in for some reason. I couldn't force myself to be interested in book two. Maybe some other time, but for now I had to leave this unfinished.

I’m not surprised in the slightest that Marissa Meyer has once again delivered an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series. Cursed was a delight to read from start to finish even with all the heartbreak, drama, twists & world changing destruction. I adored that the gods had a larger part in this one and the change to a new castle was a welcome breath and change of pace. I was horrified at the body stealing/baby thieving twist and yet loved the quest to reclaim the body. The authors books never fail to delight and I will never fail to pick up a new one as I know she will take readers on an incredible journey

Marissa Myer is an author i have always adores and i was eagarly awaiting this book since the moment i finished guilded. Myer did not disapoint! Cursed has been my favourite YA read to date!

I enjoyed this. I’m a big fan. The way Marissa writes is just effortless. Fabulous read. Buying for the classroom!

After absolutely adoring Gilded, I was so happy to read this! Many Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So Cursed lives up to the hype of the first book is my first point, which is sometimes the hardest thing for a sequel. The plot was amazing, full of twists and kept me intrigued. The absolute fantastic pacing works well to keep the reader engaged.

The worldbuilding was sublime and masterfully done.
The characters practically leapt off the page. They are all so different, so well thought out and developed throughout it's a joy to read.

Honestly this was one of my highest anticipated releases as a sequel this year and it delivered!

I was a little concerned going into this that I wouldn't remember enough of Gilded, or that I wouldn't enjoy this as much. Well fear not, I found that I quickly remembered the events of book one and that I was so immersed back in the universe I was sad every time I had to stop reading!

Serilda and Gild are so lovely. This is a little more adult, in that it deals with pregnancy and child endangerment (moreso than in the first where it's also a factor). But the writing style and accessibility make it still YA, and Marissa does a great job of touching on these topics without making it seem like they don't belong.

This duology is everything I have come to expect from Marissa's books, and I do feel that fairytale retellings is where she shines. I definitely recommend this. 4 stars.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Gilded and was scared to read Cursed but honestly I ended up loving this one more.

I felt like we got to know these characters more and there was definitely more action that had me hooked! It also wrapped up really nicely which is always a plus when it comes to the end of a duology!

This one starts off right where Gilded ended and I easily fell back into this world, there wasn't a single second that I felt I needed a refresher!

Marissa Meyer is an auto-buy author for me and this book just solidified that she's the Queen of fairytale retellings!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Marissa Meyer is a fantastic fairytale retelling writer. I’m always immersed and pulled in by her retellings and it was no different with this conclusion to Gilded.

Cursed picks up right where we left off, Serilda is pregnant and is being forced to marry the Alder King as he believes her power of weaving straw into gold will be in the child. The Alder King wants needs the gold thread to have the power to capture one of the seven gods so he can have his wife returned to him. Serilda is trapped in the castle along with her Gild, who still doesn’t know the child is his.

SO much happens in this book, and there were a lot of unexpected twists that had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the introduction of some new characters as Serilda and Gild discover more about his past and become determined to figure out how to free themselves and release the ghosts stuck in servitude to the king. It did break my heart that some of the ghosts were very familiar faces from the first book, but it was nice to see them be there for Serilda and it added an extra dimension to the seriousness of their situation.

All in all, this was a fantastic sequel that had me gasping and gripped to the pages determined to figure out what would happen next!

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book. Its taken me a while to get around to it but it was worth the wait. This was everything i wanted in the sequel. Marissa Meyer can honestly do no wrong. The plot was fantastic, i loved the character development and my gosh the ending had me in tears.

Cursed is such a beautifully written YA fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. Marissa Meyer has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy authors list. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Cursed today.

After reading Guilded the first book in this duology, I was counting down the days until I could read this book. I'm glad to say it did not disappoint. It was such a beautiful ending to the duology but I'm sad to let these characters go. I would definetly reccomend this book for YA as it is slightly gruesome!

Brilliant conclusion to an outstanding work or YA writing. So nice for a fantasy series that you have invested in to finish at what feels like an appropriate time!

After that cliffhanger at the end of Gilded, I was very excited to see how things would play out in Cursed, and I was not disappointed.

Just like Gilded, this book was bloody, brutal and vicious (maybe a bit too much for YA, or maybe I’m just sensitive). The plot was intense and the stakes were high. Everyone & everything Serilda loves is on the line — Gild, the children who had already died once because of their association with her, the town she began to see as home, and of course, her unborn child…which the Erlking has claimed for himself.

I thought this book was well paced, and I enjoyed the reveals behind Serilda’s true heritage, Gild’s family, and seeing the truth behind the Erlkings plan come to fruition.

However, I did find some parts of the book very repetitive — often chapters would have Serilda recapping what just happened previously, or she would constantly think the same thoughts over and over, sort of force feeding the reader parts of the story.

Overall, I do think this was a good sequel and a pretty solid conclusion to the duology, so for that reason I rate it 3.5/4 stars.

A beautiful end to the duology. I couldn’t put it down and Meyer is becoming a firm favourite author!

Following on from Gilded but with a couple of months gap in between, we start Cursed with Serilda being pregnant and about to marry the Erlking through no choice of her own. The stage is set for an epic novel of action and intrigue and a fight for her baby! But at the start of this one, its super slow. Glacial. To a point that I resorted to the audiobook to get through the first 100 pages. I get that there needs to be a semi-recap on the previous novel but maybe pick up the pace just a little. I will say, however that once they hit their second castle and the God of Death does “things” to makes the Erlking mad, it turns back into a rollercoaster.

I really loved the introduction of Gild’s younger sister – she’s a sassy little thing with monsters as companions and I honestly cant help but think of that meme of the cute little girl with the hellhound for a pet. I was honestly torn between whether I wanted to squish her cheeks Pikachu style or arm her with a sword and turn her on my enemies. But I digress.
I also absolutely loathed Perchta. Which meant that I adore her as a character because who doesn’t love a psycho queen puppeting the body of a pregnant woman in order to bring about the collapse of humanity as we know it. She is honestly the epitome of what not to be as a parent and it was thoroughly refreshing to just be able to hate someone for who they are (I don’t remember there being any redemption plot and I am here for being evil simply for the sake of it).

As is true for all things Marissa Meyer, the worldbuilding and ambiance throughout were A+, with the castles taking on a life of their own (we love a queen who makes the scenery into a character). I also really appreciated the effort put into the continuity throughout – while there wasn’t a huge amount of change, it was logical and caused the story to proceed in a way that didn’t pull you out of the narrative. Except for that slow chunk at the beginning but we can forgive it in the grand scheme of things.

Now, knowing this is a duology, did it end in a way that was final. The short answer is yes. If you have read the Renegades series or the entire Cinder series, you will know that nothing is ever wrapped up in a neat little bow. There's always a chance to continue in the future. Here, unless you’re into the Holly Black-esque spinoff ala The Stolen Heir, I feel like most readers should feel happy with the finality of it. It gives a HEA to most characters with an ending that also gives the villains of the piece what they deserve.

Overall, it’s a fitting end to a fantastical retelling. Does the name thing finally come into it (this IS a Rumpelstiltskin retelling after all)? Yes, but it’s not obnoxious in its purpose. With the introduction of new characters and the continued story of old, Cursed scratches the itch for lovers of the happy ever after as well as those who just love to see the villain get what they deserve. I honestly can not wait to see what else Meyer has up her sleeve for future publications.

I thoroughly enjoyed the end to this duology. It is full of twists, turns, villains, heroes and, most importantly, a bold and courageous heroine. A beautiful retelling which I couldn’t put down!

I loved this book just as much as I loved Gilded. Serilda is badass, Gild is so lovable and the Erlking is...a b, kinda like Thanos who thinks he is doing the right thing.

So many secrets are revealed in the book that left me floored.

It's quite an enjoyable read.

Cursed was a good ending to the series; I liked how the plot unraveled and how the relationship between Gild and Serilda blossomed.