Listen, Linda! Listen!

The story picks up where book 1 left off. Yeeran abandoned everything and everyone to warn the elves. Pila is still my fav.. just can’t beat the banter.

We are introduced to some new characters and get to know some old ones better. The first half of the book was a little choppy and felt somewhat disjointed. But at the halfway mark, everyone returns from their respective quests and the real party begins. *pun intended, you’ll get the reference later*

I’m not trying to give anything away, but the second half makes the adventure all worth it. Still love the whole crew, just would have loved some more character development. I could have easily read another 100 pages and wouldn’t have batted an eye.

Definitely worth the read, the emotions and anticipation! I hope you all take the time to enjoy this one! I’m read for book 3!

Last but not least, thank you to #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroup #DelRey for providing me a copy to review!

This book follows on from right where book 1 ended and I found it fairly easy to remember what had happened and get used to the characters again.

Cursebound expanded on what we'd learnt in book 1 about the world and we also gradually uncovered more secrets and deceptions.

Like book 1 there was some humour in Cursebound. I'm particularly a fan of the Obeah and their sense of humour when talking through the bond, it always makes me chuckle.

This book really builds up towards the end as we finally get the answers we've been looking for. However, this leads to more questions which has made me desperate for book 3!

While this series isn't the most epic or deep, I find it entertaining and the world is fascinating so I had a great time.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for this copy to review.

this is great!! I really really like how the magic world is described, it really makes you feel lile you're there. The romance looks again kinda rushed, almost forced... but it's not a romantasy so we could have expected it. I spent the entire book questioning things and they all got explained in the last FIVE chapters. I think i actually read them without breathing! Can't wait for book three

🩵 LGBTQ+ Rep
🪘 Diverse Characters
🩵 Bonded Companions
🪘 Unique Magic Systems
🩵 Elves VS Fae

2.5⭐️ rounded up.

~ series spoiler-free ~

Unfortunately, this one didn't hit the mark for me, at least not as well as the first book.

While I really do love the representation in this story and world that Saara El-Arifi has created, this sequel just felt like it was lacking some heart.

We start out by following Yeeran and Lettle on some new journeys, but those journeys feel kind of... haphazard. I felt that the plot was a little jumpy, and while I was hoping to feel more emotionally attached to the characters in this second installment, they fell flat for me. I feel like rather than learning from the mistakes made in the first installment, the characters doubled down and made the same mistakes in the sequel. Whereas I was hoping for certain relationships to bloom, they felt stagnant and devoid of feeling. However, there are some wonderful new characters introduced and some twists + turns I didn't see coming. I do really love the Obeahs and their sassy attitudes!

While I appreciate the uniqueness of these books, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the third installment of this series. I found that while there are some big developments and revelations, the characters are too detached from those occurrences that it dulls any impact for me as a reader.

I did want to add that the author gave us a wonderful recap of the first book in the epilogue, and I appreciated this so much!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an eARC of this book!
Cursebound was an excellent return to this completely unique world that El-Arifi has created. She has masterfully been able pull together threads throughout the story to keep the pace action packed and left me chomping at the bit for more. These characters are all so well thought out and complex that it was a joy to get to be within multiple perspectives (and I don't usually say that, it's normally a big pet peeve of mine in fantasy books, but not so here). I can't wait to see how this trilogy will wrap up, the plot twist cliffhanger ending was not one I saw coming!

I didn’t realize this was a second book in a trilogy, nonetheless I had A LOT of fun with it. I wasn’t confused at any point even though I didn’t read the first one and the story flowed very nicely between each chapter. I want to go back and read book one then reread this very badly. Being able to keep up with the story even when not reading book one leaves me with high compliments to the author. The world building is also very well done in this book and leaves me wanting to immerse with the characters and world more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an ARC for review.

I remember reading and hearing criticisms of Faebound when it first came out, with one the main criticisms being that the book takes off at a breakneck pace. Decisions are made rashly, and characters fall in love with each other very quickly. I think one of the best things about this book, Cursebound, is that we start to see the consequences of the decisions made in the first book. Fatal flaws become more apparent, lovers fight, and safety of a character is prized over their autonomy. It felt like a natural continuation of where Faebound left off, and I found myself really enjoying this story.

I will say, I spent a lot of time in the beginning wishing for a glossary. I didn’t reread Faebound before I started this, so a lot of the plot details and character names were fuzzy to me for a while. I didn’t realize until I got to the end of the book that there is a glossary. It wasn’t noted in the table of contents; it also has some plot spoilers noted in it. I wish it had been present in the beginning of the book as a refresher minus the plot-revealing details (side note: I loved that the Rook and Rose trilogy had Dramatis Personae and The Story So Far sections and think they should be more of a staple in the fantasy genre).

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this. I think that people that had issues with Faebound will continue to struggle with Cursebound, but I enjoyed my time with the story and I’m excited for the conclusion.

Sisters pitted against each other, lovers separated. This tense, romantic, and emotionally wrought sequel to Faebound has all the same qualities that made readers fall in love with Yeeran and sit on the edge of their seats to see what happens next. The story is fast paced, lots of twists and action. I couldn't put this book down and devoured it in a matter of days. The writing, the characters, everything will keep readers enthralled and engaged.

Cursebound is the second installment in Saara El-Arifi's Faebound Trilogy. It swept me back into a unique world full of fantastical beings and political intrigue that kept me hooked into the storyline from start to finish. I absolutely enjoyed all of the action and twists, especially the third act that I am *still* thinking about well after finishing the book. Overall, I enjoyed the world building, magic system, and the pacing of the story that never left me feeling bored. I can't wait for the final book!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Woooow
What I was looking for as the second book..
Magic, fantasy, action packed, revelations, secrets, curses, and the most elaborated and unique world building..
a total page turner

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and publishers for this arc

I really don’t think the recounting of the whole plot from Faebound was needed in the first part of Cursebound. Weird time jumps at the end, making the story hard to follow. The last reveal would have had a way bigger impact if not for Pila understanding Alder. I still feel like it reads more cozy and YA than anything else, but with a sprinkle of murder and smut. The characters read way younger than they actually are both in the way they speak and the decisions that they take. I found one of the killings unnecessary and way too quickly handled and then dismissed. I will probably end up reading the last book of the trilogy when it will be released, but I can’t say I am really excited about it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc!
Ahh I have been waiting for this sequel! I loved the first book of this series; full of the elves/fae, magic, amazing characters, and some fantastic magic set in an adult fantasy, this series has everything I love. Avoiding all spoilers, I ended up liking this book even more than the first as it takes some of my fav elements and expands on them. I loved that we got to see the different perspectives; I would say this book focused a bit on the character development which I liked, with my favs Pila and Yeeran really developing their relationship!
So excited for the last book to release!

firstly thank you to saara el-arifi and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this arc!
this book is the second book to the faebound trilogy and i actually liked this book more than i did the first as the world building was already done which gave more movement to the story and made it much more fast paced.
we got to go with yeeran back to the eleven lands to enlighten her former lover and chieftain of the waning army of the knowledge she had learnt.
this story follows multiple pov’s which keeps you on your toes throughout the whole book going from furi’s, to yeeran’s and to lettle’s you are getting a little bit of everyone’s point of view.
i loved seeing more of pila and yeeran’s bond and how they can communicate and connect with each other as well as furi and yeeran’s relationship once yeeran returns from the eleven lands.
i loved the introduction of alder and his story as well and his relationship with golan. we find out how alder could possibly be the key to helping open the boarder to free the fae.
the ending was slightly disappointing as you don’t get much closer and everything is left in shambles essentially, i will definitely be reading the last book in the series to know what happens!
overall i thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced energy of this book and i rate it a 4 stars!

Another banger from El-Arifi who is an author I'd read the shopping list of. This felt like a lot of set up for book 3 which I'm now desperate for but it was still very fun and I loved the weaving of the politics through the kingdoms, and I'm always down for a prophecy untangling!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for letting me read this book early! All my thoughts are my own.

If you enjoyed Faebound you’ll love this. And there were a lot of positives! I LOVED the “prologue” chapter from Lettle’s perspective, using the diary format to quickly explain the previous book. I wish more series’ did something similar! The whole world is so unique still, and the character progression felt true. But, once again the “twists” could be seen a mile away, and this still felt very young adult with some spicy scenes added. The story is still good! Just keep in mind it’s more of a YA feel than New Adult or Adult Romantesy. 3.75⭐️

“Hope can be a torture or a balm, depending on how you accept it.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Saara El-Arifi, and Random House for providing this arc in exchange for a review!

Just like the first book, Cursebound is a fast paced book (literally I read most of this in one day) with incredible worldbuilding and expansive lore.

However, while this book is written with a fast pacing imo, a lot less happens in this book compared to Faebound, so depending on your preferences could make this one harder to get through.

It’s hard to review a second book in a serious because of course spoilers, so i’ll keep this vague. Saara El-Arifi jumps in right where Faebound left off in this book, but this one explores a bit more emphasis on court politics and inequality within and without Moisma.

My biggest issue with this book was just my apathy toward the characters which i think has alot to do with the writing. The writing leans more on the tell side rather than showing the reader which makes it hard for me to emotionally invest in the characters — like i felt as though i couldn’t get into the moment with the characters because it was alot of “she felt sad because [insert reason]” (this is a bit of an exaggeration bc it is more descriptive than this—like this is an over simplification of the problem, but the point still stands).

On top of my general feelings toward the writing, I found the plot very predictable. Betrayal reveals and other things were like “yeah yeah i saw this coming” rather than being like omg WHAT which was disappointing which made finishing this book very anticlimactic.

Overall, i think Cursebound is a fine book. It definitely suffers the second book slump, but was still interesting even if it was predictable to me. The worldbuilding and lore is what really shines in this series and, of course, representation is top notch with an all POC cast of characters and a queer normative society.

While I found this book to be a bit of a let down after the first, I am definitely going to read the final book in this trilogy, and I think if you’re looking to diversify your reading and/or like more straightforward writing, you should definitely check Faebound and Cursebound out!

Cursebound was an excellent read. I loved the writing and it was propulsive. Great character study. I would read more from this author.

Saara El-Arifi is so great at creating complex. unique worlds. While I think I definitely prefer the Ending Fire trilogy to the Faebound series, I liked this book a lot. It definitely leans more towards romantasy than epic fantasy, and I liked watching the two main romances evolve, the relationship between Lettle and Yeeran, and new characters being introduced into the story.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. I really loved the first book, this one felt a little short for me. There were parts of the book I really enjoyed and other parts that didn’t grip me.

Overall rating: 4.5

Cursebound is the second book in Saara El-Arifi's trilogy, and I was very much looking forward to this sequel and I am so grateful for the gifted advanced copy. I think we see a lot more character development in this one, and while some of the reveals along the way were a bit predictable, I still greatly enjoyed the story. I love that we get more of the world and more answers-- AND THE ENDING?! Perfect! I do think that if you liked the first book you will definitely like this one! Now we wait for the finale!