Review: Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi

September 25, 2026

Synopsis:

Cursed by love.
Bound by hope.

Yeeran and Lettle are no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now they’re bound by the shackles of their hearts …

Yeeran was born for war but is unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the fae, to return to her homeland, only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae.

Left behind, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm. When a stranger appears in the city, Lettle is convinced he’s the key. But the Fates that once spoke to her have fallen silent.

Can Lettle and Yeeran discover the secret behind the curse – and unite these two worlds before they destroy each other?

Review:

After the first book in the series, I was looking forward to reading this one. As this was a re-read for me, I remembered not enjoying it as much as the first instalment, and unfortunately, that didn’t change the second time around. It felt more like a setup for the finale, introducing a new character (who will become very important) and clearly highlighting that even the best intentions can lead to bad outcomes.

Yeeran’s return to the place where she grew up, sharing the story of the forgotten race and hoping to be welcomed back after her unfortunate departure, felt a little naive. Seeing how she was treated was sad, but I suspected early on that this was exactly how things would unfold. I was never a fan of her former leader and lover. However, Yeeran’s ability to reflect on the differences in leadership, and recognise how some of her own actions contributed to her situation, allowed for some meaningful personal growth.
Lettle was, and still is, the character I enjoy the most. She sometimes overlooks those around her in pursuit of her goals, but overall she isn’t afraid to push back and go after what she wants. When she became the target of an unfortunate situation, I was genuinely concerned for her safety.

At the end of the day, the story shows what people are willing to do to remain in power, and what can happen when the needs of a large portion of the population are systematically ignored. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I am, however, very curious to see how everything comes together in the finale.

🌙 Recension: Cursebound (Faebound #2) by Saara El-Arifi
📚 Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy
📅 Release Date: February 18, 2025
📖 Publisher: Del Rey
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats
💸 Bought
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 350
⭐️ 3/5