Cursebound By Saara El-Arifi – Book Review

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?

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💭 My Thoughts 💭

Book Review: Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi

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.

Have you read Cursebound? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: MA15+ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Book Details

• ISBN: 9780008597023
• Author – Saara El-Arifi
• Published – 2nd March 2025 (in Australia)
• Series – Faebound #2
• Publisher – Voyager GB
• Format – Paperback
• Language – English
• Number of Pages – 352
• Audience – Adult
• For Ages – 16+