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!

I am so glad I got to go back to this world! This was just as fun as Faebound and I loved the characters just much.

As expected, the pacing was brilliant, keeping the action going and ensuring you're engaged on every page without losing any details. I liked the introduction of a new character and am glad we got chapters from his POV.

I did see the reveal to the mystery coming and was shocked it took them so long to work out but I didn't see the very last reveal coming at all and now I need the final installment immediately.

I have no regrets about ordering three special editions of this book now.

I was a little nervous about starting Cursebound as I devoured Faebound. While I thoroughly enjoyed the second book in this wonderful trilogy, I didn't find it gripped me as much as the first. I found the pacing rather slow and the story predictable in terms of more family members being revealed as behind murders etc. I do think some of the main characters have more depth to them now and I hope this continues in book 3! The realisation that the Obeah were once human was a perfect plot twist to end the book on. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc, and of course thank you to Saara El-Arifi for creating this wonderful world.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 02.18.25

"Love can be enough, as long as the other person chooses it too."

* Cursed Destiny
* Found Family
* Morally Grey Characters
* LGBTQ+ Rep
* Disability Rep
* Soul Bonded Animals

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi, is the second installment in the Faebound Trilogy. There’s a quick recap before diving into the further depth of the world and character. I loved the expansion and depth added to the world. As well as, bring more to the table with the characters. I feel like they really got to shine and is setup for the final installment. The plot was engaging and some intensity. However, there are times I found it predictable.

I am excited to see what direction she goes in for the final installment. I don’t want to say much more so that there isn’t spoilers but if you enjoyed the first book, I feel you’ll enjoy this one too.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC!

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Saara El-Arifi, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Cursebound in exchange for my honest review.

This book honestly surprised me. I enjoyed Faebound and from that book alone I knew I would enjoy this series. However, what i did not expect was to love Cursebound even more. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster and there were several plot twists that I did not see coming. A few I figured out but it is rare even one surprises me with how much I read so being taken by surprise several times was shocking to me. This is no simple second book it stands on its own and is even better the book one. The character development? Outstanding. The actions the characters took made so much sense to me and at the same time allowed for them to grow as they learned from their actions. The plot? Tremendous. It is fast pace and makes it so you simply want more and more. I read this book in one sitting which I NEVER do for fantasy books. I do appreciate that tje author was able to leave me desperate for book three without a massive cliffhanger. It helps with the book hangover slight. Just slightly though. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all lovers of Faebound - this book will not disappoint. And if you haven’t read Faebound? Read it then come back and read this book because it’s worth it.

What Saara El-Arifi does well is craft a rich, beautiful, Afro-Indian inspired, diverse world. However, Cursebound fell short for me in many of the same ways Faebound did. The characters continued to read flat, lacking depth, and I didn’t connect with any of them. I still fail to understand or feel the chemistry between any of our love interests. They all felt lack-luster and shallow. We do get a new point of view, Alder, but, as with the rest, I just didn’t connect with him at all.

Much of the plot felt “gimmicky” and unbelievable, and the magic system continued to rely on prophecy, as in Faebound, and the characters continued to either figure it out within sentences, or far after I, the reader, knew the answer. Same holds true for the big baddie (our characters spend the few days this book covers trying to uncover a murderous plot, missing every clue along the way, which had me screaming) and the cliffhanger ending. Let’s just say the foreshadowing wasn’t so subtle. It isn’t bad by any means, it just wasn’t my favorite.

The LGBTQI+, POC, and disability representation in Cursebound is spectacular and for that, and the lovely world we were immersed in, 3 stars, and I will be continuing the series.

Thank you Del Rey and Netgalley for the eArc.