You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
The characters are hollow, the plot predictable, and the violence puerile; that’s not to say wielding this book isn’t a fiercely good time for Arthur fans and teen readers.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Grief, Death of parent
I really enjoyed this one. A very different take on the King Arthur Legend. The characters were very vivid and enjoyable. I was looking forward to the show on Netflix, but it just didn't cut it for me. I liked the book much better.
Hard no.
Reads like a bad TV show script, which it was probably adapted from. It feels the author only researched soap in times of King Arthur, and who are the persons in the King Arthur legend and how are they related.
The story & characters are 08/15 YA, and it feels like it was just released to make some quick money before the netflix series starts.
Do I even need to say anything more?
Reads like a bad TV show script, which it was probably adapted from. It feels the author only researched soap in times of King Arthur, and who are the persons in the King Arthur legend and how are they related.
The story & characters are 08/15 YA, and it feels like it was just released to make some quick money before the netflix series starts.
Do I even need to say anything more?
More of my reviews can be found on my blog brooklynthebookworm.wordpress.com
I received a finished copy of Cursed from Penguin Books Australia/ Penguin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
I’ve always been one who’s absolutely enthused and fascinated, enamoured even by anything related to the Arthurian Legend, for many years now. So when I heard about Cursed I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t excited, because I totally was! A female lead reimagining of King Arthur, but Nimue, the Lady of the Lake no less, leading the helm. The excitement was well and truly real! Finally, Nimue was to get a story where she’d be able to proclaim herself a strong heroine, one worshipped by her people, the saviour of all her kind, celebrated instead of being feared, perhaps even loved instead of being rejected (as Cursed initially depicts Nimue as feeling). Perhaps we’d get to learn more about the woman behind the myth, who I only really knew as the Lady who arose from the depths of her watery lair to give Arthur the sword of Excalibur, according to some legends.
Initially, I was quite drawn into the world of Cursed. Thomas Wheeler’s portrayal of Nimue was unlike anything I’ve read before, twining in the Fey folk lore which I absolutely loved too, concocting imagery of young fey type creatures that resemble an amalgam of human and creature, their faces resembling human children but then having say antlers, too. I absolutely adored the ferocity that Nimue possessed in wanting to look after her people, fighting off those horrible Red Paladins, who’d often mercilessly beat and kill civilians just to show their supposed toughness and the fact that they thought they could take out Fey kind, thinking they’re some sort of ridiculous abomination!
However, as Nimue’s path to leadership and power supposedly became clearer in Cursed, for me, things actually were portrayed as the complete opposite! Like okay, Nimue’s always fought for her people and been furious at the injustices and cruelty that they’ve faced, which is completely fair and admirable. I wanted Nimue to do well. I wanted her to lead her people, I wanted the Fey Folk to be safe and celebrated!
I just felt like as Nimue was starting to really come into her own, fighting those beasts that were those Red Paladins and fighting for her people, whilst she’s completely starting to lead without influence, realising that maybe she can be the Queen of her people, the Mistress of the magical sword of power.
As Nimue discovers that the noted sword seems to call out to her, she finds herself unable to ignore its hum of bloodlust and consequently, she finds herself yielding it as strongly as any man could, the reader is introduced to a young man who crossed paths with Nimue, one who frankly I think makes her question everything, introducing what was in my opinion, a very questionable romance aspect of the book.
I didn’t quite understand what the Author was trying to present Arthur as, usually he’s presented as a completely bold and brave Knight, one who’s do anything for his Kingdom and his people, one who wouldn’t turn against injustices to the poor and impoverished. Granted, I know this depiction isn’t your traditional Arthurian reimagining, so of course there’s going to be substantial differences. It’s just that the romance aspect between Arthur and Nimue’s felt so unnecessary, with Nimue not being sure at all if she could ever trust him (same, if I’m honest?) but I felt like the romantic aspect of this book was just so back and forth, one minute Nimue’s thinking that he is a selfish, thoughtless young man who can’t be trusted (he turns his back on her!) and then a little later on as Nimue’s trying to bargain for her people’s safety and everything, he comes back and she’s all for it! Like, where’s the consistency?
Thomas Wheeler’s depiction of Merlin was quite curious too. In Cursed, we meet Merlin as a slightly decrepit Sorcerer, definitely a far stretch from the Sorcerer with the endless fountain of wisdom and twinkle in his eye that we know and recognise so well! Granted, this was interesting as a completely brand new take on his character and I just thought that he wasn’t the most strongly depicted, his character often just coming across to me as a cautious voice of reason, suggesting that Uther and Nimue (in different scenes, of course), don’t do anything hasty, even though we all know it will likely happen anyway!
Throughout Cursed there are illustrations from Frank Miller which accompany the story of Nimue. Often illustrations throughout stories can really school what one reads about across the pages, literally bringing to mind what one visualised as those precious words are ingested. I appreciate art as a form of storytelling immensely, however I couldn’t help but feel the images joining Cursed were just a bit too comical to be believed, not quite capturing the traditional fantastical elements that might have really helped echo this story along!
Within Cursed, it’s hinted that a sweeping, raging epic battle is looming, with armies from opposing sides being gathered in abundance. Treaties were proposed, bargains attempted to be etched, all leading up to what I hoped would be a completely vivid and unforgettable finale. Unfortunately though for me, all the leapfrogging of Nimue’s mind going back and forth as to her destiny and fate and her conflicted feelings about Arthur and not wanting to let Morgana or her people down (speaking of, pretty sure Morgana deserved more of a swan song, she’d shown such devotion to Nimue, even when Arthur was proving questionable!).
Whilst I’m slightly disappointed in Cursed, it’s purely because I consider myself quite the enthusiast of Arthurian Lore, so I found myself definitely having higher expectations for this female lead adaption that just personally for me weren’t met. However, I definitely encourage you to pick up a copy and see what you think! A heartfelt thank you once again to Penguin Books Australia/ Penguin Teen Australia for sending me a copy of Cursed to read and review.
I received a finished copy of Cursed from Penguin Books Australia/ Penguin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
I’ve always been one who’s absolutely enthused and fascinated, enamoured even by anything related to the Arthurian Legend, for many years now. So when I heard about Cursed I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t excited, because I totally was! A female lead reimagining of King Arthur, but Nimue, the Lady of the Lake no less, leading the helm. The excitement was well and truly real! Finally, Nimue was to get a story where she’d be able to proclaim herself a strong heroine, one worshipped by her people, the saviour of all her kind, celebrated instead of being feared, perhaps even loved instead of being rejected (as Cursed initially depicts Nimue as feeling). Perhaps we’d get to learn more about the woman behind the myth, who I only really knew as the Lady who arose from the depths of her watery lair to give Arthur the sword of Excalibur, according to some legends.
Initially, I was quite drawn into the world of Cursed. Thomas Wheeler’s portrayal of Nimue was unlike anything I’ve read before, twining in the Fey folk lore which I absolutely loved too, concocting imagery of young fey type creatures that resemble an amalgam of human and creature, their faces resembling human children but then having say antlers, too. I absolutely adored the ferocity that Nimue possessed in wanting to look after her people, fighting off those horrible Red Paladins, who’d often mercilessly beat and kill civilians just to show their supposed toughness and the fact that they thought they could take out Fey kind, thinking they’re some sort of ridiculous abomination!
However, as Nimue’s path to leadership and power supposedly became clearer in Cursed, for me, things actually were portrayed as the complete opposite! Like okay, Nimue’s always fought for her people and been furious at the injustices and cruelty that they’ve faced, which is completely fair and admirable. I wanted Nimue to do well. I wanted her to lead her people, I wanted the Fey Folk to be safe and celebrated!
I just felt like as Nimue was starting to really come into her own, fighting those beasts that were those Red Paladins and fighting for her people, whilst she’s completely starting to lead without influence, realising that maybe she can be the Queen of her people, the Mistress of the magical sword of power.
As Nimue discovers that the noted sword seems to call out to her, she finds herself unable to ignore its hum of bloodlust and consequently, she finds herself yielding it as strongly as any man could, the reader is introduced to a young man who crossed paths with Nimue, one who frankly I think makes her question everything, introducing what was in my opinion, a very questionable romance aspect of the book.
I didn’t quite understand what the Author was trying to present Arthur as, usually he’s presented as a completely bold and brave Knight, one who’s do anything for his Kingdom and his people, one who wouldn’t turn against injustices to the poor and impoverished. Granted, I know this depiction isn’t your traditional Arthurian reimagining, so of course there’s going to be substantial differences. It’s just that the romance aspect between Arthur and Nimue’s felt so unnecessary, with Nimue not being sure at all if she could ever trust him (same, if I’m honest?) but I felt like the romantic aspect of this book was just so back and forth, one minute Nimue’s thinking that he is a selfish, thoughtless young man who can’t be trusted (he turns his back on her!) and then a little later on as Nimue’s trying to bargain for her people’s safety and everything, he comes back and she’s all for it! Like, where’s the consistency?
Thomas Wheeler’s depiction of Merlin was quite curious too. In Cursed, we meet Merlin as a slightly decrepit Sorcerer, definitely a far stretch from the Sorcerer with the endless fountain of wisdom and twinkle in his eye that we know and recognise so well! Granted, this was interesting as a completely brand new take on his character and I just thought that he wasn’t the most strongly depicted, his character often just coming across to me as a cautious voice of reason, suggesting that Uther and Nimue (in different scenes, of course), don’t do anything hasty, even though we all know it will likely happen anyway!
Throughout Cursed there are illustrations from Frank Miller which accompany the story of Nimue. Often illustrations throughout stories can really school what one reads about across the pages, literally bringing to mind what one visualised as those precious words are ingested. I appreciate art as a form of storytelling immensely, however I couldn’t help but feel the images joining Cursed were just a bit too comical to be believed, not quite capturing the traditional fantastical elements that might have really helped echo this story along!
Within Cursed, it’s hinted that a sweeping, raging epic battle is looming, with armies from opposing sides being gathered in abundance. Treaties were proposed, bargains attempted to be etched, all leading up to what I hoped would be a completely vivid and unforgettable finale. Unfortunately though for me, all the leapfrogging of Nimue’s mind going back and forth as to her destiny and fate and her conflicted feelings about Arthur and not wanting to let Morgana or her people down (speaking of, pretty sure Morgana deserved more of a swan song, she’d shown such devotion to Nimue, even when Arthur was proving questionable!).
Whilst I’m slightly disappointed in Cursed, it’s purely because I consider myself quite the enthusiast of Arthurian Lore, so I found myself definitely having higher expectations for this female lead adaption that just personally for me weren’t met. However, I definitely encourage you to pick up a copy and see what you think! A heartfelt thank you once again to Penguin Books Australia/ Penguin Teen Australia for sending me a copy of Cursed to read and review.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
DNF’ed at 52%. I’m just going to watch the Netflix series. At halfway through I wasn’t invested in any of the characters - except the weeping monk; he was getting relatively interesting. And for a book where it feels like things are constantly happening, you look back, and nothing really happened...
Nimue is a headstrong protagonist in an annoying way, and somehow she’s also not very active in her own fate. Everything she does (up to the halfway point) is because someone tells her to or because the sword is pushing her along. Arthur is also just a meh character, and I felt myself sighing and forcing myself forward every time the chapter focused on Merlin.
I think the concept is excellent, and I bet the series on Netflix is good (at least I hope so), but the book left a lot to be desired for me. The art also in no way contributes the the book’s readability. The colored pictures are beautiful, but they are few and far between, but the black ink drawings feel unfinished, and I just skipped right over them before long.
Nimue is a headstrong protagonist in an annoying way, and somehow she’s also not very active in her own fate. Everything she does (up to the halfway point) is because someone tells her to or because the sword is pushing her along. Arthur is also just a meh character, and I felt myself sighing and forcing myself forward every time the chapter focused on Merlin.
I think the concept is excellent, and I bet the series on Netflix is good (at least I hope so), but the book left a lot to be desired for me. The art also in no way contributes the the book’s readability. The colored pictures are beautiful, but they are few and far between, but the black ink drawings feel unfinished, and I just skipped right over them before long.
A little dash of Arthurian legend, with a sprinkle of Lord of the Rings, and a mishmash of a few other stories, and we have Cursed. I’ve always been a fan of well-known stories with a twist or a complete re-organization of events and characters (a big reason I am a fan of Christopher Pike’s books) and this one proves worthy of this category. I love the author’s intent of highlighting the strength of women and drawing attention to issues currently in modern day limelight. Also the accompanying illustrations are splendid. Well done. I learnt quite a bit from this novel as a writer and my love for the fantastical was appeased. I think the Weeping Monk is my favourite character. I look forward to book two :)
It can’t be denied that Thomas Wheeler is a screen writer, because that’s just what this book reads as. A screenplay.
The prose is juvenile and basic (constantly using words like “well” and “so” and “stuff” and “somehow” and if I have to read the phrase “how dare you” one more time I will scream) the dialogue choppy, and the characters are cardboard cut-outs. The sometimes-third-person- omniscient writing style gave me a headache. Wheeler attempts to use bits of “humor” that plays more like slapstick and would be better received on screen. Characters show up in random places with very little to no explanation as to how/ when they got there. Characters, especially Nimue, don’t seem to feel pain for more than 10ish minutes at a time ( seriously? She had a molar ripped out of her head and only bleed for thirty seconds?? Have you EVER had a tooth pulled? It’s far worse than that!!).
Nimue herself was flat and boring and didn’t care much for anyone, I didn’t sympathize with her in the slightest. Arthur wasn’t much better until the very end and I never felt their romance even once, there was absolutely no chemistry and they had nothing in common and barely even knew each other! But I didn’t buy any of Nimue’s relationships with any of the characters at all. I wanted to feel sad when Gawain died but I couldn’t because we barely knew him and I almost felt like Nimue’s mourning was insincere?
The world building was clever, Wheeler used elements from the King Arthur story well with twist reveals that I actually really liked. However the way the world was presented and “explained” (though he rarely did that) was inconsistent and at times confusing. Humans hate the Fey, but only sometimes? Fey hate the Humans, but only sometimes? The storyline I felt was all over the place and there were just way! Too! Many! Characters! Every single person, every single HORSE, and every single PUB was named and I lost track of them all.
I thought the final chapter ended nicely until the epilogue screwed it up. If Nimue would have really been dead she could have become the Lady of the Lake (if I’m remembering the stories right?) and given Arthur the sword later on?
And Frank Miller’s art is... terrible? The comic book style doesn’t mesh well with a fantasy novel and most of the time the art didn’t include what was happening in the scene (characters missing/ character’s outfits being different from illustration to illustration/ characters not looking like how they’re described in the novel at all/ etc). Not only was Arthur always a jacked superhero ( despite being described as LEAN and “chicken legs”), whatever outfits he drew Nimue were always sexualized and nonsensical (why did she have laces up her back??? All the way down to her butt crack???), not to mention the weirdly sexual way some of the Fey were squatting in an illustration near the end???
Overall I think the ending reveals and the ending couple chapters pulled it together for me but I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second book. I haven’t watched the Netflix series yet but I have a feeling that will actually be good, because it was clearly what Wheeler had in mind in the first place.
The prose is juvenile and basic (constantly using words like “well” and “so” and “stuff” and “somehow” and if I have to read the phrase “how dare you” one more time I will scream) the dialogue choppy, and the characters are cardboard cut-outs. The sometimes-third-person- omniscient writing style gave me a headache. Wheeler attempts to use bits of “humor” that plays more like slapstick and would be better received on screen. Characters show up in random places with very little to no explanation as to how/ when they got there. Characters, especially Nimue, don’t seem to feel pain for more than 10ish minutes at a time ( seriously? She had a molar ripped out of her head and only bleed for thirty seconds?? Have you EVER had a tooth pulled? It’s far worse than that!!).
Nimue herself was flat and boring and didn’t care much for anyone, I didn’t sympathize with her in the slightest. Arthur wasn’t much better until the very end and I never felt their romance even once, there was absolutely no chemistry and they had nothing in common and barely even knew each other! But I didn’t buy any of Nimue’s relationships with any of the characters at all. I wanted to feel sad when Gawain died but I couldn’t because we barely knew him and I almost felt like Nimue’s mourning was insincere?
The world building was clever, Wheeler used elements from the King Arthur story well with twist reveals that I actually really liked. However the way the world was presented and “explained” (though he rarely did that) was inconsistent and at times confusing. Humans hate the Fey, but only sometimes? Fey hate the Humans, but only sometimes? The storyline I felt was all over the place and there were just way! Too! Many! Characters! Every single person, every single HORSE, and every single PUB was named and I lost track of them all.
I thought the final chapter ended nicely until the epilogue screwed it up. If Nimue would have really been dead she could have become the Lady of the Lake (if I’m remembering the stories right?) and given Arthur the sword later on?
And Frank Miller’s art is... terrible? The comic book style doesn’t mesh well with a fantasy novel and most of the time the art didn’t include what was happening in the scene (characters missing/ character’s outfits being different from illustration to illustration/ characters not looking like how they’re described in the novel at all/ etc). Not only was Arthur always a jacked superhero ( despite being described as LEAN and “chicken legs”), whatever outfits he drew Nimue were always sexualized and nonsensical (why did she have laces up her back??? All the way down to her butt crack???), not to mention the weirdly sexual way some of the Fey were squatting in an illustration near the end???
Overall I think the ending reveals and the ending couple chapters pulled it together for me but I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second book. I haven’t watched the Netflix series yet but I have a feeling that will actually be good, because it was clearly what Wheeler had in mind in the first place.