elnade 's review for:

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi

4.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It is amazing the difference that a reader can make in whether or not you enjoy a book. I listened to the first book in this series, Faebound, and really struggled with it mostly because of the reader. But I still liked it enough that I picked up the second book, this time in print. But I kept putting it off, mostly because of the mixed feelings I had for the first book. Then the other day while looking for an audiobook to listen too, I found this one on one of my lists still, and I thought maybe I should check it out and then split it between reading and listening. But then I noticed that this was a different reader which I was all in for giving a chance. And I am so glad I did. I ended up listening to the whole thing and really enjoyed it.

Nicole Lewis just really clicked for me for this story. She does a great job with changing her voice and accent for the different characters. Her pacing was also nicely done, and she conveyed the different emotions of the characters very well, especially Lettle’s. I would definitely listen to her again and hope that they use her for the next book.

Yeeren and Lettle are two very different people even though they are sisters. They both have their struggles in this book and at times are at odds with each other, but isn’t that what being sisters is about? They still had each other’s backs and helped each other through the tough times. I really enjoyed watching them grow and accept each other in this book.

We are introduced to a new narrator in this book, Alder, who is a nomad that Yeeren meets in the forest, while traveling to her homeland. I really like Alder and thought he was a great addition to the cast, mostly because he becomes a love interest for Golan, one of my favorite secondary characters. Alder is going to have a major role in this story, so it was nice that we got to see things from his point of view.

The pacing of this story was a bit better this time as was the dialogue and the writing. The world building was solid too. There were some surprises and twists to the story as well which I always appreciate. I actually thought this was a better story than the first one, although that just might be because of my issues with the reader. I thought this was going to be a duology, but there must be another book coming, because there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end.

I am glad that I decided to give this new reader a chance as I really think it helped me enjoy this second book a lot more. If you are looking for an exciting high fantasy book, that focuses on fae and elves, has a great cast of characters, interesting world building and some romances, then this is a series you want to add to your TBR.

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