4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

My obsession with this series continues!

Lettle and Yeeran are finding their place in the fae court after the events of Faebound and with that comes love of their partners and the dangers of those who don't approve of non-fae in fae places.

I really loved this sequel and felt like the middle-book-curse wasn't as strong as in other series. Knowing it'll be at least a year until the final book, I tried to make this story last a little longer. Tried to read slower. But around 80%, I needed to get answers as soon as possible.

The new characters were so fun, especially Alder. I said in my review for Faebound that I'd love a whole book just about Lettle, but now I want a whole book just on Alder. And the twist! I feel like I caught a lot of them, but there was one that caught me off guard. Bravo.

I simply need the finale in my eyeballs asap as possible, Saara.

This was a great second book in the series. The characters from the first book continued to win my heart. Asher was such a refreshing character and I could not wait to read his chapters! The plot I thought was a little predictable but was still a fun time. I still find this world so unique especially the magic and how it works differently for different races. I can’t wait for the next book in this series !I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Loved this!! Recap in the beginning? AMAZING, so appreciated. The new characters? Fantastic. All of the queer love? Absolutely my favorite - I was literally kicking my feet and giggling like a little girl. I think I liked this one more than the first book!! The writing, the pacing, the PLOT TWIST at the end all made for a very enjoyable book!

Thank you so much to Del Rey for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Saara El-Arifi's Cursebound is a worthy successor to Faebound, delving deeper into the intricate world and complex characters introduced in the first book. This installment delivers a compelling blend of political intrigue, romantic entanglements, and magical exploration, keeping readers hooked from beginning to end.

El-Arifi's strength lies in her ability to craft multifaceted characters with compelling motivations. Yeeran and Lettle continue to evolve, facing new challenges and making difficult choices that test their loyalties and resolve. The introduction of new characters, such as the enigmatic Alder, adds further layers of complexity to the narrative, leaving readers eager to uncover their secrets.
The world-building in Cursebound is even more immersive than in its predecessor. El-Arifi expands upon the rich tapestry of Mosima, revealing new territories and cultures that further enrich the reader's understanding of this vibrant world. The intricate political landscape is also explored in greater detail, with alliances shifting and betrayals lurking around every corner.

While the pacing is generally brisk, there are moments where the narrative slows down to allow for deeper character development and exposition. This is not necessarily a flaw, as it allows readers to fully invest in the characters' journeys and appreciate the nuances of the plot. However, some readers may find these slower sections less engaging.

The romantic relationships in Cursebound are as passionate and tumultuous as ever. Yeeran's connection with the Queen of the Fae is fraught with obstacles, while Lettle finds herself drawn to a mysterious stranger. These romantic entanglements add an emotional layer to the story, further fueling the reader's investment in the characters' fates.

The ending of Cursebound leaves readers with a tantalizing cliffhanger, eagerly anticipating the final installment in the trilogy. El-Arifi has masterfully woven together a complex tapestry of magic, politics, and romance, leaving readers craving more.

Overall, Cursebound is a captivating continuation of the Faebound series. With its well-developed characters, immersive world-building, and compelling plot, it is sure to please fans of fantasy and romance alike. While the pacing may be uneven at times, the overall experience is highly enjoyable.

I really love the world this series has created! Faebound was one of my favorite reads last year and I was so excited to dive into Cursebound. While I felt the middle bit was a little disjointed and not as engaging, the last third of the book was a real hit for me. I wish we got to be with Yeeran more but I loved the new POVs we got as well! Look forward to the next installment!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Cursebound was a PERFECT follow up to book one, and I loved every minute of it. I think Ms. El-Arifi did a beautiful job creating such an intricate world and characters you actually have an invested interest in. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

Saara El-Arifi does it again! I always worry that book two won't live up to book one however this was so so good!

Thank you NetGalley and Inklore | Del Rey for this ARC Copy!

I was so excited to get back into this world and I was so relieved when the very first chapter is an entry from Lettles journal with a quick recap of everything that happened in the first book. I wish more authors did this so you really feel immersed right back into the world before the story even begins.

I was worried that this book would suffer from middle book syndrome and I felt like it may fall into that category in the beginning but around the 2/3's mark I dropped right into the story fully and absolutely devoured it. The twists were twisting and the new character who is introduced in this book is honestly my new favorite, I can not wait to see where the story goes from here. I love how the representation in this world is so natural and beautify done and the love stories are full of realistic struggles.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi is a mixed third and first person multi-POV epic fantasy continuation of Faebound. When Yeeran leaves Furi, Lettle, and Rayan behind to return to her homeland, she finds her former lover getting ready to wage war. Meanwhile, Rayan accidently takes poison that was meant for Lettle and an undercurrent of resentment towards Lettle among the fae is revealed. A Nomad named Alder arrives and might have the secrets to finally ending the curse.

While the previous book felt more like a romantic fantasy because of how strongly Furi and Yeeran’s budding romance and Rayan and Lettle’s will-they-won’t-they finally reached the tipping point, this book feels more like a political fantasy. Both are definitely epic in scope and explore the world mixing fae, elves, and humans, but there is a bit of a subgenre shift. The original two romances do get time to shine and so does a brand new romance between Alder and Golan, a member of Furi’s court, but the real star of the show is how all of the revelations from the previous book are playing out in the larger world and how that works out politically.

Of the three romances, I am still the biggest fan of Rayan and Lettle’s and I think that has to do with how much trust the two show each other and yet there is a big secret between them with the prophecy from the first book. Lettle is so afraid of hurting him and their devotion to each other, their willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the other safe, is one of my favorite things to see in a romance. I cannot wait to see how their romance is wrapped up in the third book because I hope they get their happily ever after, but I’m not sure exactly how it’s gonna happen.

Faebound was about how the fae have not really disappeared from the world and are still around but in hiding. In Cursebound, we now have a bit more focus on humanity and where humans went plus more information on the obeah and the Lightless, the fae whose obeah were killed before they could become faebound. There’s short interlude chapters between each part that gives a bit of information on what happened and how we got to the point that humans are completely missing from the world, but it’s still a mystery on what exactly happened. We get a few other hints in the broader narrative, but the big reveal seems to be saved for book three.

I would recommend this to fans of Faebound, readers looking for more political fantasies with multiple romance arcs, and readers looking for an epic fantasy trilogy that is Sudanese and Ghanaian inspired that also features elves and fae

💙✨Cursebound✨💙
-Saara El-Arifi
🎈Happy Release Day!
ARC Review:
5/5⭐️

*Spoiler Free*
-The continuation of Faebound continues in book two Cursebound. The story continues to follow Yeeran and Lettle as they face different paths in hope of breaking the curse on Misoma, facing war, experiencing heart breaking tragedies and uncovering plans of deceit. Cursebound is full of unexpected plot twists and cliff hangers. The world building in the Faebound series is phenomenal and throughly intricate. The series features LGBT representation. The book is an easy to understand read and a beautiful fantasy novel.

-Thank you @netgalley for the EARC this was truly a great read!!

Review link:
https://www.instagram.com/empire_of_tbr?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi - publish date 18th February 2025

We pick up where we left off from Faebound. We follow Yeeran back to her homeland to try and prevent a war. Lettle remains in Mosima struggling with her ability to see prophecies and be accepted by the fae, especially the Lightless. Rayan is trying to settle into his new role as King of the fae and Furi is angry and upset about pretty much everything!

One of my criticisms of the last book was that we didn't have a Furi POV. Given how important the Fae were to the story, it was frustrating we didn't have any fae POV. So I was thrilled that Cursebound finally has a Furi POV! In turn we also get to hear from her obeah.

We get a very interesting new character and new POV but I'm not going to spoil it for anyone. All I can say is they are a welcome addition.

Our favourites return - Golan, and Pila. We see more beautiful world building as we follow characters both inside Mosima and outside.

There are twists and turns in this book that will keep you interested, there are elements of betrayal, love and a little dash of spice!

It was slow to start but having now finished this book I can see exactly what it was doing - setting us up for book three. War is coming!

It has set things up brilliantly, all the pieces are in place on the board and book three will be when Saara moves them.

I love the job that Saara has done with this book as second books in trilogies are so hard to write but I feel like we have got more insight to the fae, the curse and also the characters (including the obeah).

I absolutely cannot wait for book three but of course it's going to be one hell of a wait!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Grouo for the arc read of this book. This review is my own personal review of this book.

Cursebound takes place immediately following the events in Faebound with Yeeran leaving to go warn her old lover (the cheiftan) of impending threat and Lettle struggling with her divination lacking connection to the fates. With discontent brewing inside Mosima, and the threat of war outside Mosima, the storylines are interconnected but are well thought out on their own. Cursebound introduces new characters (which quickly became a favorite), increases tension amongst romantic characters, highlights character growth, and even includes a new romantic storyline without it becoming the main driving force while also including elements of political discourse and the realm of emotions. Cursebound delivered a great story, moving along the series, expanding on fantasy concepts, and being a quick moving book without feeling like many factors are left out. I recommend this book/series to any fantasy lovers out there!

This made for a quick, enjoyable read with thanks to so much of my issues with book one being dropped.

Some of (one in particular) the new characters in this book felt like a good addition and hopefully, book three will pay off everything nicely. This one new character in particular is by far the most interesting and likeable addition to the world.

The characters still feel juvenile (?)/ shallow but I guess I’m used to that now and in my choosing to ignore those elements of their character development, it did make this book a more pleasurable read. Unlike book one where I went from DNF to forcing myself to complete it months later, with this one, I found myself missing the world a bit after the book was over. I’m actually looking forward to book three. I’ve even recommended it to friends - which I couldn’t do with book one.

Bring on book three!

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi
5🌟

This book is PHENOMENAL! I just couldn't put it down.
The further you advance, the more the plot thickens. I found myself liking Little more and more, her character development was brilliant.
The story gets more and more intriguing, getting you totally hooked, and that cliffhanger! If you've ever read Saara El-Arifi before, you know how mind-blowing her cliffhangers are, and she did not disappoint!
Faebound was my favourite read of 2023 and good luck to any future book to dethrone Cursebound from my favourite read of 2025!

Faebound introduced readers to a world inhabited by elves locked in a Forever War, ages after the passing of both fae and humans. But Yeeran, an elf commander exiled from her home by her chieftain and lover, soon discovers that the fae are still alive, if not well: bound by the last of the humans to an idyllic prison. Now the lover of the fae queen Furi and bonded to the catlike obeah—magical beings sacred to fae but hunted by elves—Yeeran finds herself entwined with the fate of the fae.

Cursebound is the second book of the trilogy, placing Yeeran and her seer sister Lettle at the center of political turmoil. There is unrest among the Lightless—fae unbonded to an obeah and thus lacking fae magic—as their situation renders them second-class citizens among their own people. As attempts are made on Lettle's life, the sisters attempt to navigate the intersection of prophecy and politics. Equality among the fae is just one of their goals: they also seek to break the curse of human magic binding the fae to their home. The appearance of Alder, a Nomadic elf with an affinity for obeah and a tendency to speak a strange language when sleepwalking, could change things for the better. But the four factions of elves, once at war, have set their sights on the fae, meaning time is running short.

Faebound, for all its excellent worldbuilding and stunning characters, occasionally showed its hand a little too much when it came to Lettle's prophecies. Rather than making the audience feel clever, it sometimes left Lettle looking a bit slow. Fortunately, El-Arifi has stepped up in Cursebound, striking the exact right balance between reader awareness and character discovery. Some threads can be picked up on and chased down; others will leave the reader guessing right up until the tense moment of discovery. El-Arifi also manages to do something few writers can: create tension from lack of communication without it feeling contrived. All the main characters suffer from the same fear of honesty, leading to a deluge of poor choices; but they are also caught in their hypocrisy when they confront each other about it, or kick off far-reaching consequences. But what shines most is the setting of the trilogy: a delicately intertwined world of magic, where humans are (for a change) the beings of legend and nothing is ever truly as it seems. Cursebound has set the stage for what will hopefully be an incredible finale.

Cursebound is the second book in the romantasy trilogy written by Saara El-Arifi. Well, I do feel like some of the pacing issues that kept me from falling and enjoying the first book were resolved in this novel, I have new concerns with the second book.

Disclaimer: I read this as a tandem read with the e-book and the audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Random House audiobook influencer club for the free advanced reader copies. These are my honest and voluntary thoughts and review.

Not to dwell on the past, but I had some issues with Faebound. The characters seemed a little surface level and not very developed. The pacing was also very jerky and entirely too slow in places. I do feel like the pacing issue was resolved in cursebound. I did not have loads of downtime where I became disinterested in the story or it lost my attention. However, the characters still continued to have almost no development or growth, and were very much the exact same character as they were at the beginning of the first novel. By the end of the second novel, I expect there to be some sort of character growth and unfortunately, I didn't see that in the novel.

This book was also highly predictable. I knew who the problem character was way too early in this novel. It became a waiting game of just seeing how they would actually catch the character. And honestly, the big reveal and catch wasn't even that interesting. Very lackluster. The "Easter eggs" hinting at who the culprit was were much too obvious.

That being said there were some things in this book that did make it better for me than the first book and will lead me to continue reading. I really liked the inclusion of Alder. I feel like his story arc is going to do a lot of work to save this story for me. He was interesting and endearing and was pretty much the only character I feel actually grew at all in this novel. I cannot wait to see how his character becomes more of a point in the next book.

I also liked the induction of the start of creating social justice in this world. I hope that continues into the next book which is promising by the ending of this to be more action packed, which I am ready for. A lot of of the action scenes within this novel seems to be over and resolved fairly easily so I'm hoping for some more conflict and resolution that's in depth in the third book. This book set that up for to be a big proponent of the third book And I felt it did that well.

Overall, I can give it a higher rating than the first book which I rated at a three. I give this book a 3.5 because I do feel like it improved on some things, but not enough to give it a higher rating. I will be reading the third book because even though I do have some concerns and problems with this story as a whole, I do find it to be very entertaining and enjoyable while I am reading it at this point. And I do like the improvements were made into the second novel. I am hoping the third is just a knock out of the park.

I had very mixed feelings about Faebound, and I was unsure what to expect from Cursebound. I think El-Arifi really upped her romantasy game in this one, as I enjoyed it a lot more than I did Faebound! The worldbuilding is, yet again, fantastic, and I was so intrigued by what this world had to offer. El-Arifi does a great job of giving you enough information to help you not be confused, but hiding enough information to keep you on your toes. There were a few "twists" that I did see coming, but they were good enough twists that I was excited to see what would come from it. This book has a little bit of second book syndrome, in that the main plot isn't moved forward as much as it should be, and the plot of this book feels slightly inconsequential to the larger picture. But I enjoyed it more than the average second book, and it has me more excited for book three than Faebound had me for book two!

I love Saara, and I will continue reading (and likely loving) everything she writes.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love this series! I love the characters I love the chaos! Pick this up quickly you will not be disappointed 🥰🩷😊

3.5 stars, rounded up

The world-building is amazing and that twist at the end (if you know you know and if you don't know I won't spoil it for you) is perfectly executed.

A new main character is introduced, Alder, and I really liked him. We also get Furi's pov, which was interesting, since she's a very fascinating character.

In terms of the other main characters, I continued to enjoy them for the most part, with the exception of Lettle, who was so incredibly frustrating in this book. It doesn't help that the story desperately wants us to think that she's smart when she really isn't.

Unfortunately, since the book is relatively short and much of it takes place less than two weeks (and a large chunk over the course of four days) the pacing is ridiculously fast. Alder gets integrated into the main group and gains a deep understanding of all of them in the span of just a couple of days. He also falls in love in that time (though I have a theory about that that might make it a bit less bonkers).

There are also very few characters, so as a result the solution to the mystery plot is very obvious just by exclusion. I really think Cursebound would have benefited a lot from being longer, because then it would have more time to juggle the various plot-lines and add red herrings.

I did like this overall, and I would recommend this series if the premise appeals to you and if you don't mind the political intrigue falling on the simpler side in favor of a focus on the romance and worldbuilding. I will definitely be reading the third one (I have to, after that twist).

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, I could not get through this book. Something about the writing style and sentence structure is throwing me off. I feel like there is zero world building and some of the information given is confusing.