Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi
Will I read the final book in the trilogy?
Hey friends,
I’m back again with another review for a book/series that left me with some serious mixed feelings, Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi. Will I read the final book in the Faebound trilogy? Let’s jump into the synopsis first.
Warning: The summary may contain spoilers for Faebound.
Synopsis: They’re no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now two elven sisters are each bound by shackles of the heart—the sequel to the national bestseller Faebound, hailed as “a devastatingly romantic and breathtaking fantasy” (Tasha Suri).
United by war.
Betrayed by destiny.
Cursed by love.
Yeeran was born for war but is unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the fae, to return to her homeland, only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae.
Left behind, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm. When a stranger appears in the city, Lettle is convinced he’s the key. But the Fates that once spoke to her have fallen silent.
Can Lettle and Yeeran discover the secret behind the curse—and unite these two worlds before they destroy each other?
My Thoughts
These books have so much potential to be great fantasy reads. Yet, for me at least, it continues to fall short in the most important ways.
After reading Faebound last year, I wasn’t as enthusiastic about many elements of the story, including the plot and plot development. However, I was invested in some of the main characters and certain aspects of the worldbuilding— I’m still not sure how I feel about the creatures/characters called Obeah in this world, which is what ultimately led me to push forward.
It ended up being an okay continuation of where Faebound left off. We get to explore more of the world, we’re introduced to a few new characters, and we discover just how expansive the plot and storylines are.
However, this only felt engaging in certain respects and significantly less engaging in others.
The magic system still confuses me a bit. And where I thought I had an understanding of the world and its history, a few of the minor and major reveals sprinkeled throughout left me with more questions than answers.
Speaking of, I’m not gonna lie, I am over the way certain elements, characteristics, and portrayals unravel in this story. I think where we’re meant to feel some level of impact akin to a gut punch, the execution feels… lackluster.
Overall, I believe and can see how and where this series could be excellent. But it continues to fall flat for me. Whether or not I plan on finishing the series… currently I’m at this strange crossroads of “got to see it through my boy” and “ain’t nobody got time for that” lol
