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annamickreads's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, when I finished, I had a really difficult time placing this book. I didn't LOVE it, but I didn't hate it. I'm extremely enthused at the prospect of more Arthurian mythology-based writing, and when I heard this was going to be a Netflix series, I was intrigued.
Nimue, famously known as the Lady of the Lake who bestows Arthur's sword, is the protagonist of this novel. Smattered throughout are characters who are familiar to us (Arthur, Merlin, Morgan, Gawain, etc.) in significantly new circumstances and characterizations. Yet, as much as the story is Nimue's, it's like reading Game of Thrones without the smut or complex backstories. Gory battles rage everywhere, and the biggest defining character trait we get of Nimue is her recklessness that always seems to pay off (somehow). Actually, a lot of her success is repeatedly pointed out to being due ONLY to the sword she carries.
I genuinely hope that the transition to Netflix gives Nimue more of an arc, because the biggest takeaway I had from this novel was that Nimue's (albeit mostly deserved) sense of vengeance led to her downfall.
Nimue, famously known as the Lady of the Lake who bestows Arthur's sword, is the protagonist of this novel. Smattered throughout are characters who are familiar to us (Arthur, Merlin, Morgan, Gawain, etc.) in significantly new circumstances and characterizations. Yet, as much as the story is Nimue's, it's like reading Game of Thrones without the smut or complex backstories. Gory battles rage everywhere, and the biggest defining character trait we get of Nimue is her recklessness that always seems to pay off (somehow). Actually, a lot of her success is repeatedly pointed out to being due ONLY to the sword she carries.
I genuinely hope that the transition to Netflix gives Nimue more of an arc, because the biggest takeaway I had from this novel was that Nimue's (albeit mostly deserved) sense of vengeance led to her downfall.
baileys_bookstagram's review
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book. It was impossible to put down and when I absolutely had to I picked it up even just to read a page any chance I could get. Nimue is an amazing character, everything about her I loved from the start of the book. I really enjoyed the twist on King Arthur and the Knights of the round table and how certain characters were ‘revamped’. I honestly don’t know how to give this book a review except that I recommend it 100% and have no doubts that most people will love it as much as I did. There are twists and turns, a lot of violence (maybe some people won’t like that but I thought it made the story that much better). Super excited to see the Netflix series down the road and can’t wait for the second instalment and see what’s going to happen next.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.
katiewithhats's review
3.0
Much better than the Netflix series, yet different enough that they sort of hold their own. That is all.
tatibri's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
danne789's review against another edition
3.0
It's a fun King Arthur story, but it started to drag for me at the end to the point where I just skimmed the last 100 pages to get it done.
beccakatz's review
3.0
This book had a lot of potential and then just did nothing with it. The characters were a mess. The magic that could have been really interesting to explore became a deus ex machina instead. And the ending was abrupt. I’m pretty bummed because it could have been a really cool story.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
I went into Cursed with some trepidation. I'm mildly obsessed with the Arthurian legends, so I have a high bar for retellings. And Cursed is going to be a Netflix series, which is already in production before the book is released, so I was a bit worried this would be just a novelization of the show. But I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
Cursed is a very loose retelling of the Arthurian legends. There are characters named Arthur, Nimue, Lancelot, and Merlin, but these versions are far from the originals that we know from the legends. The story centers on Nimue, a young fae girl whose village is destroyed by the Red Paladin, monks who are on a mission to destroy the fae people. She escapes with a sword and tries to follow her druid mother's dying order, which was to take the sword to Merlin. She joins forces with Arthur, a young mercenary, and they soon find themselves pursued on all sides by people who want to the sword.
Cursed is a fun, fast-paced story, with a memorable main character. Nimue is very different than in the the original legends. She witnesses the massacre of her village, and she's filled with survivor's guilt and a thirst for revenge. She's thrust into a situation she never wanted and she's forced to grow up quickly. If you're an Arthurian purist, you may not enjoy this book, because Arthur is not the star of the show, but I definitely recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Cursed is a very loose retelling of the Arthurian legends. There are characters named Arthur, Nimue, Lancelot, and Merlin, but these versions are far from the originals that we know from the legends. The story centers on Nimue, a young fae girl whose village is destroyed by the Red Paladin, monks who are on a mission to destroy the fae people. She escapes with a sword and tries to follow her druid mother's dying order, which was to take the sword to Merlin. She joins forces with Arthur, a young mercenary, and they soon find themselves pursued on all sides by people who want to the sword.
Cursed is a fun, fast-paced story, with a memorable main character. Nimue is very different than in the the original legends. She witnesses the massacre of her village, and she's filled with survivor's guilt and a thirst for revenge. She's thrust into a situation she never wanted and she's forced to grow up quickly. If you're an Arthurian purist, you may not enjoy this book, because Arthur is not the star of the show, but I definitely recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
animelanie's review against another edition
3.0
Arthurian legend retold with more girl power, lots of battles and sword fights.
Part of my Book Reviews for ReadPlus.
Part of my Book Reviews for ReadPlus.
moreliajoy's review against another edition
I love the setting and the magic, and the conflict kind of feels like Castlevania. I can't give it one star because I like the idea behind this book too much, so 1.5 I guess? Otherwise, it felt too forced and gory, and the main character is being corrupted in a way I don't like. It is written by a male author to give a female perspective on this classic tale and fails at making her feel human. The sentences feel choppy especially through an audiobook, and the flashbacks jolt the reader around. DNF %25
akjohn90's review against another edition
4.0
This was alright. Wanted to read the book after watching the show. Don't like how they ended the book right in the middle of the story and there doesn't seem to be another book in the series.