A difficult feat, this week’s #spellbooksaturday proved to be a satisfying sequel in a trilogy…
Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
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?
[source: bookshop.org]
I read Faebound last autumn and found it a pretty standard romantasy novel, tropes and all, but liked that it was more inclusive. According to her author’s bio, El-Arifi is “inspired by her Ghanaian and Sudanese heritage,” and I appreciate that she avoids a lot of the pitfalls of popular heteronormative romantasy. While I feel she won’t win accolades for suspense (you could spot every “reveal” a mile off), with Cursebound, she engages in a bit more world-building, clearly setting the stage for the final book of her trilogy (which I will likely read!). Have you read Cursebound? What were your thoughts? Share in the comments!
I have a Bookshop.org list of #spellbooksaturday features for folks to peruse, but in the spirit of transparency, as a Bookshop.org affiliate, I receive a small percentage of book sales purchased through my links. If you find that off-putting, feel free to shop directly through bookshop.org or your own local bookseller! My only goal here is to resist Amazon and the mega-rich.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS SPELLBOOK SATURDAY FEATURE? SHOP THE LIST ON BOOKSHOP.ORG, OR CHECK OUT SOME MORE READING RECOMMENDATIONS…
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