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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

After reading the first book in this series I was excited to see more of this world be developed in Cursed and I was not disappointed. The book just gets darker and darker as it goes along and for me I loved this as I didn't know if we would get a happily ever after like so many fairytales. I won't spoil it and say if we did get that or not as you need to read this book to find out how this story ends.

I think Meyer did an incredible job of building this world, the characters, the lore and the action. This one had so much action, but most captivating was Serilda's character arc over the two books. I look forward to seeing what Meyer's next re-telling will be.

4.5 ⭐️

<I> ‘For every great story has a little bit of truth in it, and a little bit of make-believe’ </I>

I adored the this. A truly brilliant ending to this duology, filled with adventure, love, heart ache and plot twists.
Marissa Meyer has a very beautiful and descriptive writing perfect for story telling, and this was such a fab retelling. I enjoyed Serilda’s character and the love she had for the children, the ghosts and Gild, and I really enjoyed her storytelling abilities and how she learnt more about herself. I think this story was wrapped up really nicely and it will stick with me for a little while.

This is a conflicted opinion again from me regarding this duology and I find myself coming out in the 3's again, which makes me sad. There's things I love about this duology and a couple of issues that override the love which I've outlined below.

I liked:
The characters, from His Grim to Serilda, Gild, the children and more
The storyline was strong
I liked the darkness and gore that surfaced regularly

I struggled with:
The overly long, convolutions of what is a solid plotline in the main
Deep description
Both of these issues made it a very pacey read

The struggles are exactly what I felt with book one when I was hoping to be lifted into a more steady and straight forward pacing.

Thank you to Faber Childrens for the eARC.

Firstly l’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍❤️ Please be aware that the below has spoilers for Gilded but I’ve been vague about Cursed ❤️✨

Picking up from where Gilded finishes, Serilda is trapped in a loveless engagement to the Erlking with him faking to the whole of his court. Serilda is still going along with the charade to protect the children, as well as Gild, who she is completely in love with as well as being pregnant with his child. Thinking the long game is to bring his love back the Erlking adds another curveball and starts collecting Gods…Can Serilda save the Gods, break Gilds curse and rid the world of the Erlking once and for all?!

I LOVED this book guys!! It’s fantastic, it’s what I expected and so much more ❤️❤️ Marissa Meyer played me right and I’m not embarrassed to say that I cried quite a lot at the end of this book ❤️❤️ I love Gild so much, for me he’s the heart and soul of not only Cursed but Gilded as well, any page he’s mentioned just makes me smile!! He’s so cheeky and loveable!! I’m also a little bit partial to the Erlking…I guess I’m drawn to the darkness as well as the light 😏😏

Cursed is so so brilliant, so so heart-wrenching and so so moving. Please please add this duology to your TBR, this book is epic!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the perfect sequel to Gilded! It was so amazing and I fell right back in love with the world and the characters and I’m so sad that it’s over.

A new book review this way comes, and today it’s the stunning sequel to Gilded, it’s Cursed by Marissa Meyer.

I adored the first book and it had me fully enveloped into the world and anxious for the sequel to find out what would happen, so I was excited when I finally got the chance!

The events take place straight after the end of the first book and you spend the majority of the book trying to work out 1) how Serilda is going to get out of it and 2) what is the Erlking up to?

There was definitely a part of me that worried that we would see a love triangle but happily this was not the case.

One thing that did bug me was an extension of the miscommunication trope in that Serilda didn’t tell Gild he was the father and other than to extend the length of the story I’m not sure it was worth including.

I loved the ‘children’ and the moments Serilda spent with them were very cute and endearing. It was nice to get to know them a little better after the first book.

I do think the book could have been a little shorter, there were times where it seemed that we the reader were just waiting for stuff to happen and rather than a time jump.

Without spoilers it’s hard to explain the rest of the book but I will say I enjoyed the new female character and would have enjoyed more time with her.

Overall I enjoyed the book but I think the first book tips it, with some editing this could probably have been one large book rather than two though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for my advanced reading copy.

[Actual rating - 3.5/5]

(Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

This series is such an imaginative retelling of the classic Rumpelstiltskin story filled with spooky vibes. I loved the magic and lore of this world. All the legends and fairytales were so interesting to read. And the world-building was excellent, full of depth and folklore that helped create a great atmosphere.

I really liked all the characters but Gild was definitely my fave, as he was in the first book. He’s cocky and mischievous but would do anything to help the ones he loves. I really wish we had gotten to learn more about his backstory. It's something that is spoken about throughout both books and whilst we get told little things here and there as the characters reveal secrets and make discoveries, there is still so much we don’t know. It just seemed a bit of a letdown, especially how no one remembering Gild or his family is such a big part of the book.

There were some pacing issues and chapters that just seemed to drag on and on as well as some time jumps that confused me a little. Also, the ending was a little rushed with a few plot holes as well as leaving me with so many questions.

Overall, it wasn’t as good as the first book. Whilst I loved the folklore and the creative re-imagining, the pacing was an issue and there was a lot of unnecessary filler that just dragged chapters on and on.

(4.5 Stars)
I was so excited for this sequel to ‘Gilded’ because Meyer is the modern queen of reworking fairytales. I definitely enjoyed that this second instalment felt like a complete novel and not a bridging story in the middle of a trilogy, which tends to be so common within the fantasy genre.
Without any spoilers from the first story, this is the continuation of Serilda, a young woman who has a gift for storytelling and Gild, a spirit bound to the dark castle ruled over by the Erlking. Both of them are fighting against the threat of being bound by the curse that will settle after the night of the Endless Moon. The Erlking has his own dark motives and scheme to get back the woman he once loved and will sacrifice anything to get what he wants.
I loved the rich atmosphere and vividness that Meyer always writes with and the story flows effortlessly and despite the complexities of a fantasy world the book reads so elegantly. I’m a total sucker for a creepy fairytale and this is an incredible example of that; a perfect winter read for a dark and cosy night.

What a great and EPIC sequel!! Marissa definitely knows how to write epic fantasy novels that keep me at the edge of my seat. The last 30 - 60 minutes of the read (85% onward) and especially at the end I had no clue how it was all going to wrap up and was really starting to question whether the story would end the way I wanted it to!

I enjoyed Cursed even more than I enjoyed Gilded, because in Gilded we saw a lot of world building, scene setting and slow burn getting to the main climax of the story, and in Cursed we got to pick up right in the action. It was a journey and I very much liked that the duology took place in over a year as there was a lot that happened and it made the character building/evolution possible. I also found the writing and pacing a lot nicer in Cursed, although I missed some of the flowery language and all of Serildas stories that were told in Gilded.

I said it in my review of Gilded and I’ll say it again - Marissa is truly the very BEST in my opinion when it comes to fairy tale retellings and backstories and I absolutely adored this fantastical, reimagined tale.

4.5 stars rounded up! Thank you very much NetGalley for the complimentary copy - all thoughts and opinions are my own. ♥️

Thank you Netgalley and publisher Faber & Faber for providing me with an copy for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book Marissa Meyer has a way of capturing her audience and brings you on an amazing adventure. This retelling of Rumpelstiltskin an absolute delight I was drawn into the story and didn't stop reading until the very end, I love retellings of fairytales and Marissa Meyer has a way of making it fresh and new I love her previous books and this was just as amazing great read for the Autumn and Winter season, I will definitely be ordering it for my library and recommending it to friends.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Atmospheric and enchanting
Interesting characters and world.

Marissa Meyer has a gift for teasing out details to traditional fairy tales making them her own. There were a few twists in the plot that made this an engaging read, though the ending felt a bit lacklustre. Any fans of retellings will love this book.

I loved the first of this duology so I was thrilled to get a chance to read and review this book, and it more than lived up to my expectations.

The situation gets darker and more difficult than in the first book, and at times I genuinely worried for the outcome, but just like in the first book it was pulled together beautifully.

I raced through this and absolutely couldn't put it down!

I really enjoyed this, the plot was fun, I liked the romance, and the ending was action packed and exciting!

I’ve been looking forward to this so much , I absolutely adored Gilded and was awaiting its sequel with baited breath and I was not disappointed at all. Gilded was fantastic and had such incredible world building and a great plot, that I didn’t think it could be equalled but Cursed completely meets the mark! Setting the scene not long after the ending of Gilded, this book has so much magic and excitement to keep you hooked, it’s a wonderful duology and I'm sad it's now over! Recommended by me thoroughly

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

After exploring a more traditional retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin tale in the first book in this duology, Meyer moves away from this more in this latest book (apart from perhaps the ending). Serilda and Gild are strong, sympathetic characters, though I would have liked more of the village characters to make a reappearance. The twist about Serilda's parentage is well done and the narrative does draw you along to the final conclusion. However, I didn't really find myself rooting for anyone and wouldn't be tempted to read again.

Synopsis: The sequel to Gilded – Serilda and Gild want to break their curse but the cost of doing so may be higher than they can pay.

CW/TW: Violence|Murder|Sacrifice|Animal Death|Child Death|Imprisonment|Others may be present.

Rep: Sapphic side characters (very minor)/MLM side characters(very minor)/NB side character (They/Them).

Cursed, by Marissa Meyer is the sequel to Gilded. I’ll keep this review brief because this is the sequel and conclusion to this duology and I don’t want to spoil anything for you!

But, Cursed is an impressive conclusion to this duology. As with book 1, I absolutely loved this retelling/take on Rumplestiltskin! It was a dark and compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Meyer’s writing is beautiful and captivating. We follow Serilda, as the MC and main POV, and again get a dark and twisty retelling infused with Serilda’s own stories. I adored Serilda’s tales and how they came together to play a role within the primary plot – they were engaging and beautiful to read and I enjoyed piecing together the hints that came through them.

As this is the conclusion to the duology we finally get to see how everything comes together and plays out! I loved how Serilda and Gild tried to break their curses while also slowly realising the Erlking’s true motives and goals. We got to see more mythical creatures, more prophetic magic, and we learn much more about the Gods themselves. I was truly captivated from start to finish with this story and I loved every dark twist and turn it took.

While this is a retelling of Rumplestiltskin it is also very unique. I really loved how Meyer played, distorted, and fleshed out the Rumplestiltskin story in a way that kept us intrigued and also surprised at some of the twists and turns that came about! Meyer truly dives into the magic in this book in more ways than one and it was delightful to see. This book has the charm and nostalgic feel of a fairytale while also maintaining a fresh and dark streak that kept me invested and surprised.

Aside from the plot, it was fantastic to see how the characters grow over the course of this book. Particularly, in relation to each other! Watching the relationships change and grow, watching the characters develop and make sacrifices – it was all wonderfully done and I ended up loving all of the characters in this story!

This is a very brief and vague review because I would hate to ruin how this story comes to an end! But I will say that this book was a fascinating take on such a beloved tale and I truly enjoyed every minute of it.

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley from Faber and Faber in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!*