Hot of the heels of reading The Ending Fire trilogy … Faebound felt like a rushed side project that was submitted last minute to the science fair. The building of relationships felt rushed and off kilter compared to those in the first series. The plot itself is solid but also felt rushed to have an outcome for multiple characters. I wanted to DNF but since I had an ARC for Cursebound I wanted to continue. I enjoy that this author recaps events and characters in a prologue which is helpful and saves doing a reread. Yet, Cursebound just wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the journey of the characters. I wish more time was taken to develop this trilogy as it has immense potential.

Something about this series is so easy to read. I find myself finishing them so quickly and only over two or three reading sessions. I enjoy the characters and especially the obeah. I find the world interesting. I do think there is some plot lacking but I am not bored ever.

Cursebound is a brilliant follow up to my favourite read of 2024. Saara El-Arifi does a brilliant job reestablishing her readers in the world of Faebound and getting them situated. El-Arifi does an astounding job at creating multiple perspective and having a consistent flow to the storyline. Cursebound does introduce a new perspective to readers, and honestly probably quickly became one of my favourites.

All in all I would recommend this book, and series. I cannot wait for book three,

La saga sigue la historia de dos hermanas Elfas, Yeeran y Lettle, mientras intentan navegar el nuevo mundo Fae que descubren en el primer libro y desentrañan diferentes intrigas a la vez que intentan proteger a las personas que aman.
Está continuación de la trilogía ha sido increíble y la verdad que me ha gustado incluso más que la primera. El libro está menos centrado en la trama de amor de las hermanas protagonistas, dejando espacio a las intrigas políticas, los misterios de una maldición y una posible guerra a punto de estallar. Lo que más me sigue gustando de la saga son los Obeah. Estas criaturas mágicas, descritas como gatos gigantes con cuernos, son la razón de que la magia fluya por el mundo creado y los Fae tienen un vinculo de por vida con ellos que les permite acceder a esa magia.
Este segundo libro incluye nuevos POV respecto al primero, lo cual no me ha terminado de gustar. En la primera toma, seguíamos solamente a las hermanas. Ahora, en cambio, de incluyen capítulos de otros POV que a mi forma de ver, hacen que el libro pierda un poco de intriga al darse más información. Así el “plot twist” del final no me ha tomado tan de sorpresa, pero sigue siendo muy bueno.

I was so excited to read this as I loved Faebound and I’m so glad that it lived up to my expectations!

Sarra El Arifi is such a talented writer and I really felt drawn in so much I couldn’t put it down. Second books in a series are always difficult but the twist at the end has me counting down the days until book three!

Saara knows how to do sequels!!!!

Cursebound is an excellent follow up to Faebound. The story remains fresh and exciting, with El-Arifi keeping up a strong and steady pacing, introducing new characters and new plot threads. And in my god, the reveals!! I saw a lot of them coming (sometimes literally a page before the character revealed it themselves) and it was sooo good. I was gasping and yelling and closing the book to freak out!!

This book really threw everything in to turmoil and changed up the game and I’m so excited to see the fall out in the third book. SO excited!!

The lore of this book is top notch! Whilst the book at times were slow and needed more to it the intrigue of what was to come kept me engaged. This was a great book 2 and can't wait to read book 3, if there is one.

I have had good time with this series and this book was no exception. I have enjoyed the magic system and the relationships throughout. I'm excited to learn more about this world, especially after the ending of this book.

The second book in the Faebound trilogy is well-paced, focused more on Mosima politics, with new POVs, lots of plot twists and has an underlying theme of betrayal.

If you don’t totally remember what happens in Faebound, don’t worry as there is a recap chapter at the beginning of this book. Love to see it!

I’ve been enjoying reading about fae and elves in a unique setting as well as in a queer normative world in this series. I’m excited to see how all the plot twists will tie up in the final book!

Thank you to Saara El-Arifi, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey, and to NetGalley for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“Cursebound*” by Saara El-Arifi is an electrifying, high-stakes fantasy that pulls readers into a world of dark magic, complex characters, and a spellbinding narrative. From the very first chapter, El-Arifi captivates with her vivid world-building and intricate plot that seamlessly blends rich lore with heart-pounding action.

The story follows a cast of dynamic characters, each with their own compelling motivations and struggles. The protagonist is relatable, and readers will quickly find themselves invested in their journey—whether it’s grappling with the burdens of their own past or navigating the dangerous mysteries surrounding them. El-Arifi's characters are multi-dimensional, and their emotional depth creates a strong connection to the reader.

The world El-Arifi has built is both lush and treacherous, where curses and magic intertwine with every action and decision. The atmospheric writing brings the setting to life, making every dark alley and hidden realm feel tangible. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping you hooked until the very last page.

“Curse bound” explores themes of fate, power, and sacrifice with a complexity that adds depth to the thrilling action. The pacing is spot-on, ensuring that readers are never left to linger too long in one place while still allowing time for emotional resonance and character growth.

With “Cursebound”, Saara El-Arifi has crafted a gripping, immersive fantasy that will leave readers eagerly anticipating her next work. If you’re a fan of fantasy with rich character development, a touch of mystery, and the magic of a well-crafted world, this book is an absolute must-read. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great second installment & I can't wait for the next!

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.