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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Everyone loves a lost girl, no one more so than the kingdom of Ever. The kingdom still mourns the Princess Who Was Lost decades ago, still demands justice for her.
Ever is slower to save the princess who still have a chance of being rescued.
Five years ago, a young witch named Reagan cursed all of Ever's princesses with the Spell of Without. Jane has not been able to eat anything since that day. Her sister's curses all began on their thirteenth birthdays. Nora can't love, Alice cannot sleep, Grace can't remember and soon, on her birthday, Eden will be without hope.
Ever is as it always was with the royals on their side of the mote and their subjects at a safe distance, their queen trapped in a glass box, and their princesses suffering. When Reagan forces the girls out of the castle for their one chance to break the Spell of Without, Jane begins to wonder if the way things are is really the way things have to be--for either the princesses or their subjects.
A princess without a curse on her is an ordinary girl. And no one cares about an ordinary girl. A witch without her spells is just a girl alone in the woods. And no one wants to be a girl alone in the woods. But as Jane and Reagan come closer to unraveling the spell before it becomes True, both girls will realize there is much more to Ever, its secrets, and themselves than either of them realized in Ever Cursed (2020) by Corey Ann Haydu.
Ever Cursed is a standalone fantasy. Despite the relatively short length, there's a lot to unpack with this one particularly in the context of the political climate (post 2016 US election) that may have helped to inspire it. Alternating chapters focus on Jane and Reagan's first person narrations. It's not a spoiler to say that something is rotten in Ever and Haydu, throughout the story, confronts the deep-seated misogyny and rape culture in the kingdom including discussions of sexual assault and a scene of attempted assault.
Jane's narration is, appropriately, very focused on her mortality. The Spell of Without has carved her down to nothing and, should the spell become True, will have fatal consequences for herself and for Alice who is physically incapable of sleep. Readers with a history of disordered eating should pick this one up with caution and read the content warning Haydu includes at the beginning of the book before proceeding.
Ever Cursed is an interesting examination of what it means to be an ally and to be complicit. Both Jane and Reagan have to unpack the privilege they’ve had in being able to look away from the day-to-day problems in Ever while focusing on their own (more personally pressing) problems of being royals and witches. Jane in particular unpacks what it means to benefit from years of her family being in power and abusing that power even when she herself is not complicit.
These conversations about privilege are important ones to have while dismantling white supremacy and male privilege however combining them with a fantasy setting where the consequences are very real instead of allegorical doesn't always lead to ideal handling of the material. Because of how the Spell of Without works, the idea of complicit privilege distills to children being punished in a very literal way for their father's transgressions. That another young girl (Reagan) is the one meting out this punishment in order to see the king suffer in retaliation for her own mother's pain adds even more complexity to this conversation and exposes the deeply internalized misogyny at Ever's center.
As a feminist allegory disguised as a fairy tale, Ever Cursed is very successful. As a feminist fairy tale it is less so. The world building is thinly sketched and sometimes haphazard with fantastic imagery (witches wearing cumbersome skirts for ever spell they cast so that they always carry the consequences) that doesn't hold up to any internal logic.
Ever Cursed has the bones of a truly sensational story that ultimately would have benefited from a bit more length to give proper space to both the world building and its characters; a fascinating if sometimes underdeveloped picture. Recommended for readers with an equal interest in feminism (or feminist theory) and fairy tales.
Possible Pairings: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Ever is slower to save the princess who still have a chance of being rescued.
Five years ago, a young witch named Reagan cursed all of Ever's princesses with the Spell of Without. Jane has not been able to eat anything since that day. Her sister's curses all began on their thirteenth birthdays. Nora can't love, Alice cannot sleep, Grace can't remember and soon, on her birthday, Eden will be without hope.
Ever is as it always was with the royals on their side of the mote and their subjects at a safe distance, their queen trapped in a glass box, and their princesses suffering. When Reagan forces the girls out of the castle for their one chance to break the Spell of Without, Jane begins to wonder if the way things are is really the way things have to be--for either the princesses or their subjects.
A princess without a curse on her is an ordinary girl. And no one cares about an ordinary girl. A witch without her spells is just a girl alone in the woods. And no one wants to be a girl alone in the woods. But as Jane and Reagan come closer to unraveling the spell before it becomes True, both girls will realize there is much more to Ever, its secrets, and themselves than either of them realized in Ever Cursed (2020) by Corey Ann Haydu.
Ever Cursed is a standalone fantasy. Despite the relatively short length, there's a lot to unpack with this one particularly in the context of the political climate (post 2016 US election) that may have helped to inspire it. Alternating chapters focus on Jane and Reagan's first person narrations. It's not a spoiler to say that something is rotten in Ever and Haydu, throughout the story, confronts the deep-seated misogyny and rape culture in the kingdom including discussions of sexual assault and a scene of attempted assault.
Jane's narration is, appropriately, very focused on her mortality. The Spell of Without has carved her down to nothing and, should the spell become True, will have fatal consequences for herself and for Alice who is physically incapable of sleep. Readers with a history of disordered eating should pick this one up with caution and read the content warning Haydu includes at the beginning of the book before proceeding.
Ever Cursed is an interesting examination of what it means to be an ally and to be complicit. Both Jane and Reagan have to unpack the privilege they’ve had in being able to look away from the day-to-day problems in Ever while focusing on their own (more personally pressing) problems of being royals and witches. Jane in particular unpacks what it means to benefit from years of her family being in power and abusing that power even when she herself is not complicit.
These conversations about privilege are important ones to have while dismantling white supremacy and male privilege however combining them with a fantasy setting where the consequences are very real instead of allegorical doesn't always lead to ideal handling of the material. Because of how the Spell of Without works, the idea of complicit privilege distills to children being punished in a very literal way for their father's transgressions. That another young girl (Reagan) is the one meting out this punishment in order to see the king suffer in retaliation for her own mother's pain adds even more complexity to this conversation and exposes the deeply internalized misogyny at Ever's center.
As a feminist allegory disguised as a fairy tale, Ever Cursed is very successful. As a feminist fairy tale it is less so. The world building is thinly sketched and sometimes haphazard with fantastic imagery (witches wearing cumbersome skirts for ever spell they cast so that they always carry the consequences) that doesn't hold up to any internal logic.
Ever Cursed has the bones of a truly sensational story that ultimately would have benefited from a bit more length to give proper space to both the world building and its characters; a fascinating if sometimes underdeveloped picture. Recommended for readers with an equal interest in feminism (or feminist theory) and fairy tales.
Possible Pairings: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
I didn’t have any expectations of this book, I picked it up because it had a pretty cover and a sort of interesting synopsis but it wrapped me in the plot and the characters and I couldn’t put it down. It was a bit of a political piece turning the kingdom upside down to break the spell but also a piece about finding yourself, about going through tragedy and building from it, about learning the truth and about found family as well as blood family. I was constantly surprised by the story, things changing constantly in ways I hadn’t expected, it kept me on my toes and I highly recommend.
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i wanted to like this book. i thought it had an interesting premise, magic system, and world building. I saw what the author was trying to accomplish but it felt clunky and overly preachy. the “character development” felt forced and entirely too quick and the resolution felt entirely too neat for the story they were trying to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu was a fun, on the nose fantasy novel and I devoured it. It was funny, had a unique magic system, and interesting characters. This was definitely a story using fantasy archetypes to make its point, but I honestly loved it all the same. I thought the names of locations were comical, and while it did annoy me at first I think it prevents distraction from the overall message of this story. I also love that the author provided a message at the beginning of this book for anyone who may be triggered by its contents, though I will add that there is nothing too overly graphic. Overall I really loved this book and the message(s) it held regarding grief, healing, power and forgiveness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. We first meet the princesses 5 years after the family was cursed by the Spell of Without, where the princesses each live without a piece of themselves: without food and drink, love, sleep, memory, or hope. The witch that cursed them is about to turn 18 and the spell becomes permanent. This book mainly features Princess Jane, whom has been unable to eat or drink for 5 years, and Reagan, the witch that made it happen. I really enjoyed bits of the world building. My absolute favorite was the consequences of using magic. For each spell a witch casts, they gain a new skirt that is permanent-they can never take it off . The bigger the spell, the heavier the skirt. I also appreciated the diversity throughout the books.
The book was very slow for me. I thought it was going to be fast paced and exciting when I read the blurb, but I was let down quite a bit. The witch was very cruel in her spells (which I understand, emotions are hard to control at 18) but it felt like she never grew up. Even after she accepted that what she did was harsh, it still felt like she was never truly sorry. By the time the plot sped up, the book was nearly over and the ending was rushed.
I didn't hate this book, but I also didn't love it either. I might recommend it to others.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. We first meet the princesses 5 years after the family was cursed by the Spell of Without, where the princesses each live without a piece of themselves: without food and drink, love, sleep, memory, or hope. The witch that cursed them is about to turn 18 and the spell becomes permanent. This book mainly features Princess Jane, whom has been unable to eat or drink for 5 years, and Reagan, the witch that made it happen. I really enjoyed bits of the world building. My absolute favorite was the consequences of using magic. For each spell a witch casts, they gain a new skirt that is permanent-they can never take it off . The bigger the spell, the heavier the skirt. I also appreciated the diversity throughout the books.
The book was very slow for me. I thought it was going to be fast paced and exciting when I read the blurb, but I was let down quite a bit. The witch was very cruel in her spells (which I understand, emotions are hard to control at 18) but it felt like she never grew up. Even after she accepted that what she did was harsh, it still felt like she was never truly sorry. By the time the plot sped up, the book was nearly over and the ending was rushed.
I didn't hate this book, but I also didn't love it either. I might recommend it to others.
I’ve had a lot of trouble with fantasy and books like this recently, but this one I had no problems picking up and getting sucked into immediately. The story itself was so unique and different from most fairy tales, and even how the curses went and how the witches’ magi worked, all of it was so new and interesting. Every time something was tried to fix the original curse, it seemed something else popped in to either take its place, make it worse, or make it more understandable why the witch had made it in the first place.
And then there was the big reveal at the end, the big twist that while I got a tiny inkling of something like that being possible, but only from the clues the author laid down throughout the story, and bits of the synopsis. It was a really, really great twist. There were so many things in that end of the story that really do reflect the world we unfortunately still live in at times as women. And even how easy it is to convince others by things looking good on the surface, them refusing to see what is right under their own eyes at times because of being blinded by what someone wants them to see.
I downgraded on my blog rating to a 4.5 stars, because while I get the symbolism, I don’t like that they had to end up with never-ending daylight, because I love the night, and also that they got rid of the forest. Again, I get the symbolism, nothing to hide the dark things, but forests are good! So, those are my only, probably silly, complaints. Because this book is as beautiful and intricate as its cover!
Review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature.
And then there was the big reveal at the end, the big twist that while I got a tiny inkling of something like that being possible, but only from the clues the author laid down throughout the story, and bits of the synopsis. It was a really, really great twist. There were so many things in that end of the story that really do reflect the world we unfortunately still live in at times as women. And even how easy it is to convince others by things looking good on the surface, them refusing to see what is right under their own eyes at times because of being blinded by what someone wants them to see.
I downgraded on my blog rating to a 4.5 stars, because while I get the symbolism, I don’t like that they had to end up with never-ending daylight, because I love the night, and also that they got rid of the forest. Again, I get the symbolism, nothing to hide the dark things, but forests are good! So, those are my only, probably silly, complaints. Because this book is as beautiful and intricate as its cover!
Review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes