Bumpy Oak Books

** I was provided an electronic ARC of this book by publisher, Simon & Schuster, through NetGalley in return for an honest review.**

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

The team of Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler create a story in “Cursed” where Arthurian legend is retold with sixteen-year-old Nimue in possession of the Sword of Power. Readers follow Nimue in her quest to get the Sword to Merlin, unite the Fey Folk against a corrupt king and church, and get revenge for her fallen village.

I have always been a fan of Arthurian legend, and I can safely say that Miller and Wheeler’s interpretation of the lore was something that felt fresh despite the obvious “chosen one” trope that was employed. Miller and Wheeler developed distinct concepts for each of the Fey clans, and seemed to fully form the various cultures and backgrounds for each of them. The magic system was left mostly mysterious, but still very accessible. These world-building aspects were favorites of mine throughout the novel.

It was very evident from the start that Miller and Wheeler have experience in visual media, as this is the most distinctly visual novel I have ever read. Every scene is clearly and deliberately described in such a way that you are almost reading a screenplay written in prose format. This is such a stark stylistic difference from what is typical for young adult fantasy that it was initially a little disconcerting for me to settle into, but the skill with which it was done was clear throughout. Due to the writing style, I found myself wishing that the novel had instead been published as a graphic novel even though I did enjoy it.

The story itself was relatively fast paced and generally enjoyable. I found the hint of romantic interest to be unnecessary, but was grateful that it was minor enough to not detract from the storytelling. Miller and Wheeler have left many questions unanswered and have given themselves plenty of room for sequels, which seems to be deliberate.

Overall, I found “Cursed” to be interesting and entertaining, and I look forward to the Netflix series adaptation which is already in production.