Title: Cursed
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Fabre & Faber
Pages: 496
Release Date: 8 November 2022
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Hello book lovers, today I'm sharing my review of Cursed, the vividly immersive and gorgeously woven sequel to Marissa Meyer’s spectacular (and bestselling) reimagining of Rumplestiltskin, Gilded.
Synopsis
New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer concludes her young adult retelling of Rumpelstiltskin in this breathtaking sequel!
Serilda and Gild cannot break the curses that tether their spirits to Adalheid's haunted castle. There they remain trapped for eternity. On the night of the Endless Moon, the Erlking means to capture one of the seven gods and so be reunited with his lover, Perchta, who has been banished to the underworld.
But it soon becomes clear that the Erlking's hunger for vengeance won't be satisfied with a single wish, and his true intentions have the power to alter the mortal realm forever.
Serilda and Gild have no choice but to thwart his plans, all the while solving the mystery of Gild's forgotten name, and freeing all the ghosts kept in servitude to the dark ones. As the evil forces gather, it seems only their love is strong enough to sustain them . . .
Review
I was absolutely enamoured of the rich and deliciously atmospheric world building we encountered in Gilded and loved how Meyer expands on it in Cursed. Although it's just as detailed (and vividly descriptive) as the first, the tone definitely felt a little darker with it’s hauntingly bleak and slightly macabre imagery that really reminded me of the Grimm’s original. But what I loved the most was Meyer’s expansion of the lore, delving into the backstories of the ErlKing, Gild and the Gods and just giving us a richer more fleshed out world.
Our loveable protagonist and gifted storyteller, Serilda has really matured since the events of Gilded and watching her progression really highlighted her emotional development from her rash and often impulsive tendencies.
Likewise, Gild’s roguish charm and mischievousness was offset by several nuanced and emotional scenes surrounding the loss of his memories and an unexplainable sense of guilt, which I felt definitely brought new dimension to his character. The chemistry between the pair was still fairly swoon-worthy but I have to admit their dynamics were certainly angstier this time around.
We also get to meet some new characters, several of which were super interesting—some of whom were connected to the secrets and intrigue that Serilda manages to stumble into.
I enjoyed getting to see more of the creatures within the menagerie and the inclusion of Serilda’s folktales really helped to flesh out the backstory of the Gods, beasts and the ErlKing’s nefarious deeds without adding too much exposition to the plot.
Overall, Cursed is another fabulously refreshing, plot twisty and utterly addictive YA fantasy that fans of Marissa Meyer or dark fairytale retellings simply must read! And if you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out the first book in the series, Gilded.
I also wanted to say a massive thank you to Divya (@a_readers_alley) for her TikTok giveaway which allowed me to read one of my most anticipated reads of the year.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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