Cursed by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Cursed in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
Cursed is the much-anticipated conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s Gilded duology, a haunting and magical retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. While this final installment offers a return to the eerie world readers fell in love with in book one, it struggles to maintain the same level of momentum and emotional depth. It’s still worth reading, but it didn’t quite leave the lasting impression I had hoped for.
The Details
The strongest element of Cursed remains Meyer’s signature worldbuilding. The setting is immersive and richly layered, filled with cursed castles, ghostly lore, and a constant sense of danger. Meyer clearly excels at crafting fantasy landscapes that feel both whimsical and menacing. The mythology of the Veil and the Wild Hunt adds an engaging complexity to the story, and the gothic tone is consistently atmospheric.
Serilda, the clever and cursed protagonist, continues to be a compelling narrator. Her voice is sharp, emotional, and believable. She is determined, often to a fault, and her fierce loyalty to Gild and the children she’s trying to save remains admirable. That said, her internal monologues and constant worry begin to feel repetitive after a while. It sometimes feels like the story circles the same emotional terrain without moving forward fast enough.
Pacing is the novel’s biggest issue. The first half drags considerably, weighed down by slow plot movement and extended scenes that don’t add much to the overall arc. Meyer spends a lot of time on Serilda’s guilt and frustration, which makes sense in context, but can become tedious for the reader. There are moments where the stakes feel high, yet the tension doesn’t always land as effectively as it should.
The romance between Serilda and Gild remains sweet, but it doesn’t evolve much beyond what we saw in Gilded. Their chemistry is gentle and comforting, which fits the story’s tone, but it lacks the emotional highs that could have made it more memorable. I wanted to feel their love more urgently—especially considering the life-or-death nature of their situation.
The ending wraps things up in a tidy, if somewhat predictable, way. While I appreciated the closure, some of the final conflicts resolved too neatly. It felt like certain solutions came a little too easily after all the buildup. Still, there are emotional moments that hit the right notes, and Meyer doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of her fairy tale inspiration.
The Verdict
Overall, Cursed is a solid but slightly underwhelming conclusion. Fans of Gilded will still enjoy returning to this world and following Serilda to the end of her journey. However, the uneven pacing, repetitive emotional beats, and lack of major twists hold the novel back from being truly unforgettable. I’m glad I read it—but I didn’t love it.
