Cursed (Gilded Duology, 2)

Cursed is the sequel to Gilded, the Rumpelstiltskin retelling by NYT best-selling American author, Marissa Meyer. It's the summer solstice, some seven weeks since Serilda has been cursed by the Erlking, her spirit tethered to Adalheid Castle, just as Gild's has been, and the day she is to wed His Grim. She's carrying Gild's baby, due on the Winter Solstice, but holds back that information from the Erlking and Gild both, afraid of the reaction.

Each full moon when the Erlking takes the dark ones out to hunt, Gild and Serilda search the castle for their not-quite-dead corpses although, even if Serilda finds hers, could she free her spirit and leave? While the ghosts of five children so dear to her, killed by the Erlking, are still under his control and prevented from eternal rest in Verloren, she has to stick around, see out the deal she made: marry the Alder King, pose as the happy Alder Queen, hand over the baby at birth.

Except the baby was promised to Gild in payment for gold-spinning…

The conclusion of this tale is just as enthralling as the start, taking several twists in the lead up to a nail-biting climax, before a satisfying resolution and the requisite happy ever after. There's plenty of magic, villainous demons, monsters of all stripe and colour and inclination, and this half features a feisty young self-crowned queen. There are revelations and reunions, shocks and surprises.

Meyer manages to insert humour and heartache, and gives her characters some wise words and insightful observations about human nature and life. Often, Serilda sees her gift as a curse: "Have you been cursed by the god of stories? Does every word out of your mouth somehow land everyone you love in danger?" When she is finally able to make that complaint to Wyrdith in person: "I do understand," said Wyrdith. "Stories are powerful." They threaded their fingers through Serilda's. "What you don't understand is that you have not yet written the ending."

While there is some recap, it really is essential to read the first volume before embarking on this one: assuredly not a hardship. Encompassing two volumes, Meyer's retelling of this folk tale runs to almost a thousand pages, yet the reader is never bored; rather, impatience to learn where the story will next go keeps the pages rapidly turning. So enjoyable, this is Marissa Meyer at her best.

This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.