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funsizelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
More tell than show, characters with no sense and too much angst, overacting, and drama that rivals a telenovella....think I'll pass on any further books in this series.
cranberrytarts's review against another edition
3.0
I discovered The Cursed while browsing Audible Escape and decided to give it a go. Shortly after I checked the author's website to see the series had been cancelled by the publisher and no follow up book has been released. This does not end in a cliffhanger, so I continued on with it.
The world was interesting and the early chapters really pulled me in. I enjoyed Rio and Luke, both, as well as the secondary characters. As the story wore on, I became more and more frustrated with the way Rio and Luke both put their heads in the sand and refused to deal with all the questions concerning Rio's past. Everyone but her seemed to know who she was and what was coming, but rather than follow up they both just sort of ignored everything. Plus, the way things were glossed over about Luke's "curse" and how quick both of them were to storm off in a huff was annoying.
I really liked certain aspects of the book, and I would have read another had it been available, but overall this was a pretty underwhelming listen.
The world was interesting and the early chapters really pulled me in. I enjoyed Rio and Luke, both, as well as the secondary characters. As the story wore on, I became more and more frustrated with the way Rio and Luke both put their heads in the sand and refused to deal with all the questions concerning Rio's past. Everyone but her seemed to know who she was and what was coming, but rather than follow up they both just sort of ignored everything. Plus, the way things were glossed over about Luke's "curse" and how quick both of them were to storm off in a huff was annoying.
I really liked certain aspects of the book, and I would have read another had it been available, but overall this was a pretty underwhelming listen.
chelsjulian's review against another edition
2.0
Stalker possessive alpha male saves poor orphan Mary Sue. Blah.
jaclynder's review against another edition
3.0
The Cursed is the first in a new series by Alyssa Day. Here, readers are introduced to an alternate Manhattan, Bordertown – the dimensional fold between the human and supernatural realms. Rio Jones is a bike messenger with no apparent past, but after witnessing a kidnapping she’s thrust into the political dealings of Bordertown. Rio knows there’s only one person that she can trust to help her find the kidnapped girl – the Dark Wizard, Luke Oliver, who just so happens to be the guy who rejected her when she asked him out. The pair team up and discover a much larger concern, one the deals directly with Rio’s unknown past, and may just come at the cost of her life.
Luke Oliver agrees to help Rio against his better judgement. He likes her (really loves her, *sigh*), but he knows he should stay away since he was cursed long ago and he knows that getting entangled with Rio could activate his curse. When Luke learns that Rio’s life is in danger he will stop at nothing to protect her and in the process realizes that he wants to keep her around and will do anything to make that happen. The question is whether the fae or the demons will allow Rio to live past her twenty-fifth birthday.
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with this one. I really liked the premise for this urban fantasy, but in the end I found it difficult to finish the book. What I didn’t like was the pacing, as I found it was up and down constantly; it was ultimately a very uneven reading experience for me. For example, the kidnapping that instigates the plot was resolved quickly but then it was one thing after the other for Rio and Luke to confront and it came off rushed rather than action-packed. Even the relationship between the two of them was uneven and felt off kilter to me.
Full review with read-alikes available here.
Luke Oliver agrees to help Rio against his better judgement. He likes her (really loves her, *sigh*), but he knows he should stay away since he was cursed long ago and he knows that getting entangled with Rio could activate his curse. When Luke learns that Rio’s life is in danger he will stop at nothing to protect her and in the process realizes that he wants to keep her around and will do anything to make that happen. The question is whether the fae or the demons will allow Rio to live past her twenty-fifth birthday.
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with this one. I really liked the premise for this urban fantasy, but in the end I found it difficult to finish the book. What I didn’t like was the pacing, as I found it was up and down constantly; it was ultimately a very uneven reading experience for me. For example, the kidnapping that instigates the plot was resolved quickly but then it was one thing after the other for Rio and Luke to confront and it came off rushed rather than action-packed. Even the relationship between the two of them was uneven and felt off kilter to me.
Full review with read-alikes available here.
classicista's review against another edition
3.0
I will probably read more books in the series, despite all the Mary Sue-age, I didn't hate it.
cleocleveland's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun start to this series. I enjoyed Rio & Luke as individuals and their growing relationship. The story takes place in Bordertown, and area in Manhattan where fae, demons, humans and other races live and work. I really liked the world building here. Although there will always be a place in my heart for your basic vampire story I'm really liking the new trend of having a lot of different supernatural races share space. I can't get into too much without spoilers but the end of this book really sets up the series to continue to explore the differences and politics of the region.
As a couple Rio and Luke are fun. There's some good banter and only a couple of instances of "why don't you just tell him/her". The secondary characters round out their personalities, especially for Rio as she's more outgoing and makes friends more easily. Add in an awesome pet "more than an fox" and I'm sold. While I enjoyed this enough to wish I had read it sooner, I'm also glad I waiting since book 2 is just coming out soon now.
As a couple Rio and Luke are fun. There's some good banter and only a couple of instances of "why don't you just tell him/her". The secondary characters round out their personalities, especially for Rio as she's more outgoing and makes friends more easily. Add in an awesome pet "more than an fox" and I'm sold. While I enjoyed this enough to wish I had read it sooner, I'm also glad I waiting since book 2 is just coming out soon now.
veronica87's review against another edition
1.0
One and a half stars.
Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this book but really, I think it just had too much that annoys me. There was the usual instalove (which I was ready for, this being PNR and all) but it also had one of my pet peeves: a centuries old immortal who has all the maturity of a freshman frat boy. Couple that with superficial characters, a boring plot, and a world that offers nothing new and it's no surpise that I had to force myself to finish it. Of course, the mere fact that it took me so many days to finish what is a very short book should speak volumes about my attachment to it. I'll definitely take a pass on this series as I found nothing interesting or impressive about it.
Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this book but really, I think it just had too much that annoys me. There was the usual instalove (which I was ready for, this being PNR and all) but it also had one of my pet peeves: a centuries old immortal who has all the maturity of a freshman frat boy. Couple that with superficial characters, a boring plot, and a world that offers nothing new and it's no surpise that I had to force myself to finish it. Of course, the mere fact that it took me so many days to finish what is a very short book should speak volumes about my attachment to it. I'll definitely take a pass on this series as I found nothing interesting or impressive about it.
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