I'm feeling very...meh about this sequel. There were aspects from the first book that carries into this one that I really enjoyed, but I am ultimately feeling like this suffered pretty heavily from middle book syndrome.

Lets start with what I love: the animal companions, the world and lore, the romantic relationships between characters. I really enjoyed all of these aspects in both the first book and in this sequel, I adore Lettle and Rayan, and I enjoyed seeing them working through how their relationship has needed to change and shift given Rayan's new position. I love Furi and Yearn together, despite their little toxicities (lol). I love the lore between elves, fae and humans, and the way Lettle's seer abilities intermingle with all of this. There is a lot of "prophecy" involvement and I am still really excited to see how it all shakes out despite the frustrations I have with this book.

I think I am frustrated about pacing and certain storylines feeling abruptly dropped, or in some cases feeling like they've arrived out of left field. I'm a bit disappointed with how swiftly the Salawa-Yeeran relationship was put to rest, especially given how central it felt in the first book. I am similarly disappointed with how poorly fleshed out the lightless conflict felt, at least at first, because it did come together better later. Its not exactly that the overall prophecy storyline was dropped, because things did progress well in the direction of it being further developed. It just felt... clunky and hard to figure out what the characters were caring about most overall.

I will still continue this series, because I am invested in the lore and the characters. I think this just wasn't quite to my tastes as far as pacing and plot development. Thank you to Del Rey and NetGallet for this eArc!

I loved faebound and read it in a day so was worried if this one would manage to be as good or would suffer from second book syndrome. I didnt need to be worried at all it was amazing.

Yeeran has left to return to her home and share news that might end the war, but in doing so has left behind her new found love in Furi, and her sister Lettle, who is now a consort to the new king.

The yearning in this book was exceptional. and made up for any on page lack of romance with pure passion and emotion. We also learnt so much more about the world and the lore here, and it really built on the fantasy world El-Arifi was crafting in Faebound. Cursebound is a captivating follow-up that carves out a fresh direction within its world, unveiling unexpected depths that left me stunned and eager for the next installment in this enchanting fantasy series. In this second novel, El-Arifi sharpens her focus on world-building, deepening established character dynamics and expanding the lore. The addition of new characters brings fresh energy to the narrative, adding layers of complexity to the turmoil within the Fae and Elven realms.
Furi and Yeeran are characters I absolutely need more of and their shared fury, unwavering resolve, and intense passion have long held them together, but now, those very forces might fall short of bringing them what they truly seek. The way this books ends has my jaw-dropping and I already need answers from the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the advance copy to read.

I was so excited to get back into this realm after loving the first in this series. This did not disappoint, at all.

I would highly recommend for any fantasy lovers, the book is steeped in world building, great characters, found family and suspense.

Cursebound was the much anticipated second book in the Faebound trilogy and it did not disappoint. I'm already impatiently waiting for the next book. I can imagine this will be a popular read for the season!

Considering that this is the second book in the trilogy, Cursebound didn’t feel like a filler book. The story picks right up from Faebound and I found myself hooked. I really enjoyed how the story goes in between the perspectives of the two sisters and some other characters including the nomad Alder. The prophecies intertwine well with the plot and I need the third one ASAP, especially after the reveal at the end, which makes so much sense especially if I was to reread the books. I am very interested to see how the series will end and tie everything together.

love
- the queer rep
- the importance of families
- the lore being built over and over


disliked
- how obvious the assassins were
- how quickly people die and how OFTEN
- too much happened too quickly at the end

Many thanks to Random House Publishing for this E-ARC. Thankyou so much for giving me the oppournity to review the second book in the Faebound series.
Rating- 3.5/4 stars
(E-ARC)
I read Cursebound back In December last year and when I saw this on NetGalley I knew I had to apply and request this book. I was really happy to see that I had been approved. It was lovely to see a recap at the start of the story which was really helpful. It was great to have a recap as it had been a few months since reading the first book. It was also a clever way to include it by using it as a entry in Lettle's journal. The second book really picked up during the second book but I still had some problems.

I was quite engrossed in Faebound and at times I was unable to put it down. There was multiple povs throughout the book where we saw characters from the first book and new povs from new characters such as Alder. The pacing was good and did more feel like a filler book. The second book in fantasy books often are fillers book but this added more content and set more problems up. I did feel that the dialogue was forced at times especially when the scenes were often repeated. For example, you would see a scene from one character point of view and then the same scene would be repeated. For most chapters, you were reading the same scene. I did enjoy the multiple povs that were presented throughout the novel. I really enjoyed Alder's and Golan point of views.

It was interesting to see what happened after the events of Book 1. Lettle was a lot of fun this time around and how she was coping with her diviner abilities. There was a lot of romance in this book and you could see the established romance between the characters. I did feel that the romance felt flat- it felt super underdeveloped which I think was partly due to the mistrust and the miscommunication that the characters practically had to each other. The romance I felt would have been better if the characters were more developed and there was not as much miscommunication. I don't know. I did however love one of the side characters romance (both weren't underdeveloped) which I would happily take a novella of these two. Although I guessed on some of the things that happened in this book (sixth sense with fantasy books) I was really shocked at some of the twists during Faebound. The twist at the ending shocked me. I was not expecting that and left me with questions and answers.

I feel so conflicted about this series where I find some elements amazing while others lack for me. The world building was outstanding once again. The author shines when it comes to world building and really knows how to make you feel immersed in this world. It also has amazing disability, queer, non-binary and POC representation. Like mentioned before, the characters do feel underdeveloped. I felt like the ages of the characters did not match the age or the way they were acting in this book. Too much miscommunication and very stupid decisions.

I am worried how everything will be able to be resolved in the next book as I feel there is so much to wrap up. It makes me wonder if the next book will be a lot bigger than the first two if there is going to be a third book. I did enjoy this book but there was things that made me question yet I still enjoyed it at the same time.

While elements of the plot felt obvious, it was still a good second book in the trilogy. Which can often be challenging. There was good pacing and the characters were likeable. I really enjoyed the deeper dive into the Lightless and, after discovering the author has a degree in African Studies, I could see the parallels of the Lightless’s treatment as “second class citizens” and how Black individuals has been historically treated.

This is a vastly diverse book and it’s incredibly refreshing to see the gender fluidity and use of personal pronouns so seamlessly throughout!

Really looking forward to seeing how it all ends!

eeeeeeee I love this so much more than the first one and can't wait for the epic finale. The first book that I read was on audio and I got this one on ebook, so I am not sure if that played a part in me enjoying this one more. I will say that the voices in my head still matched the audio of the first book, it was just so well done on audio. Since it is a second book, I can't say too much without giving away the plot of the first BUT I loved the mystery here and the twist. I really can't wait to uncover more of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Faebound walked so Cursebound could RUN! There was a lot less world building in this book and a lot more mystery/danger/love/fitting all of the pieces together. The ending was *such* a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next one! Highly highly recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy, is new to fantasy, and/or loves diverse representation all throughout the book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this advanced copy!

The second instalment in the Faebound series, Cursebound, is an intense and immersive sequel that keeps the momentum going while expanding on the world and political intrigue introduced in the first book.

We continue to follow Yeeran and Lettle’s POVs, with a few new perspectives woven in, making for a layered and engaging narrative. The setting remains as rich and vivid as ever, with fantastic world-building that adds depth to the story. The political intrigue in this instalment was incredibly compelling, adding extra tension and stakes to the plot.

While romance had potential, I felt the love interests could have been more developed. I wanted to feel the connections and the emotional depth, but it didn’t quite get there.

One notable aspect of Cursebound is its strong LGBTQIA+ representation. It was great to see so much diversity, though it sometimes felt like a lot to take in all at once.

This was a strong entry for a middle book in a series that didn’t fall into the usual second-book slump. The story remains engaging, and I can’t wait to see how things unfold in book three!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for an eArc of this book; my thoughts and opinions are my own.

For not having read the first book in this series, I was very easily able to pick up the story and distinguish all of the characters. Very well written and I will be running to grab the first book.

This has quickly become one of my favorite fantasies. The world the author as created is phenomenal. Not only is she a woman of color, but she has lgbtq representation. The characters are intriguing and the world building is spot on. The plot twist. Wow. I can’t wait to read more!!

My only regret in reading this
book is that I need to
wait for book 3.

The story had a lot of unique
elements which I loved.

The multi-povs were so well
done, I'm not normally
a fan of so many POVs

I am obsessed with how the author incorporated so much representation without taking away from the book. Sometimes it feels like people are ticking boxes to include things but that was not the case here.


💙 LGBT rep War, Politics,
Elves and Fae.

The first book of the Faebound series? Good. The second book? Even better. I was thrilled with how much more El-Arifi developed the world and the story in Cursebound. Most of all, I was thrilled that the rumblings of injustice and prejudice that were present in the first book ended up becoming featured in the second book, just liked I'd hoped!

This book seemed to go by really fast. There was so much drama! I still wouldn't say the pacing was perfect, but by the halfway point the pacing came together and stayed consistent and exciting the rest of the way through. Regardless, the story was interesting! Again, I had a little annoyance at one romance, because it just happened too quickly (in my opinion). The romances that bugged me in the first book (because I felt they were unbelievable) became more mukti-faceted and faced issues, which I enjoyed seeing.

In conclusion, I really liked it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the e-ARC!

Cursebound is book two in the Faebound series and is a gorgeously written romantasy. The world building was vivid and so well done. I loved the new POVs that were included. The new characters introduced really enhanced and added depth to the story. The overall plot was engaging, with plot twists, betrayal, and multiple romances. This book tackled political topics like class systems and rebellion. I thought the inclusion of the ruling family's response to those issues was also really important. There were multiple romances, but they never overtook the main storyline. Each romance was nuanced and there was plenty of conflict and angst between the characters. I absolutely adored the new romance that was introduced. The obeah continue to be one of my favorite elements of this series, and there was a plot twist related to them that literally shocked me. I can't wait to read book three when it is available.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cursebound is the second book in the series, and let me tell you, there’s definitely been some major improvement since the first one. The world-building feels stronger this time around—El-Arifi has really expanded the setting, and I loved diving deeper into the magic that shape this world. The pacing is better too; while the first book had a lot of slow moments, this one keeps things moving at a more consistent speed, and the twists are definitely more impactful.

That being said, I still didn’t fully connect with the characters like I hoped to. The main character’s motivations are clearer than before, but I still wanted more depth from her and the supporting cast. Some of the secondary characters still feel a little underdeveloped, which is a bummer because they have so much potential.

Overall, I enjoyed Cursebound more than the first book—it’s definitely a step up. If you’re a fan of the series, this one will not disappoint. It’s a solid read, but I’m still hoping for even more in the next one! 3.5 stars.

Cursebound is the second book in the Faebound trilogy - it picks up pretty much after the first book ends. Yeeran has left to warn Salawa that the fae are working with their warring tribe, Furi and Rayan are learning the ropes of being the new King and Queen and Lettle is struggling in her role as seer because she is unable to see prophecies. There is also a new character with his own POV - he is a nomad who stumbles upon Mosima and the core group.

We explore the relationship between the Faebound and the Lightless. The Lightless are no longer willing to stand for mistreatment and have a plan to kill Lettle to make a point to the new royalty

There are some unexpected twists in this story and the story itself is fairly fast-paced.

I do feel like we could have explored more of our main characters - we did learn a little bit more about them but I feel like there is still so much more to learn. I also feel like Yeeran took a bit of a backseat in this book.

This series continues to be very LGBTQIA+ friendly with a good array of couples that are spotlighted in this series

Thank you, NetGalley, Del Rey, and Saara El-Arifi!

I really loved the first 3/4 of Faebound, but I felt myself loosing interest in the last portion. I feel like that fatigued transferred over in my reading of the sequel. I agree with other reviewers that this book felt much tighter, and better written than the first (and the first was good, so that's saying something), so I'm glad that this didn't suffer sophomore syndrome. I think maybe I need to just try again from the beginning which I plan on doing when the final books comes out.
I love that we get an expansion of the world building and especially magic system! After reading this book, it's easier to see that the first book was entirely ground work, and now we're really getting into the tale here.
Can't wait for the third so I can power read the series in a weekend haha!

What an incredible follow up to Faebound! I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone who will listen. There was less romance but I actually preferred that as it gave a chance for us to explore the world and the characters and we ended up with a lovely balance.
I adore the exploration of both fae and elves (which we don't see enough of) and I *gasped* at the twist. Stunning.