Okay, y’all. It’s time to spill the tea…I mean talk about THE CURSED by Harper L. Woods in this week’s read along post.
I want to start with the fact that I challenged myself to read THE COVEN before diving into THE CURSED, since it is a series, and here is where a bit of the tea spills. I wasn’t in love with it. Like, if I didn’t have to read it to get to book two, I would have DNFed it half way through.
Let me explain. I really enjoyed the concepts in book one, all of the set up that makes book two MUCH BETTER than the first. The characters were interesting, a lot of the plot had me engaged, and the cliffhanger at the end was a great way to get me ready (who am I kidding, needy) for book two.
I just wish her editor had been more thorough with the book. I don’t want to blame Miss Woods for this entirely as it is a joint adventure to publish a book. I would know, but the style, the repetitive words and phrases (twice in two consecutive sentences she told us she stood beside Thorne, I mean, come on.) And the general wordiness that made me reread lines or roll my eyes at how unnecessarily verbose her descriptions were, they needed a deft hand to cut them out.
And besides a few childish tendencies from the main character, I enjoyed her attitude most of all.
Okay, but now onto the book that we’re truly here to discuss. Book two, THE CURSED, doesn’t have as much for me to complain about. There are still those overly wordy parts and repetitions, but they’re far less than they were in the first book. So far anyway.
The first quarter of the book was rough, as I was fighting Gray’s pull as much as Willow was. I think she gave in a bit too easily at times, but I also understand she’s not my character. I have to accept her decisions and the acknowledgement she makes about her body wanting him without her mind’s consent soothed some of that discontent.
Gray’s POV helped, too, there are moments when I can truly feel his love for her over his obsessions and possession of her. His fear of her not choosing him is powerful. I particularly liked the bit on page 83, when he got upset over Willow breaking down in front of her friends when he wanted to be the one to hold her as she cried.
He does get that chance right before our page cut off, showing how separate the two of them are from the others around them. It’s a good note on leadership and how that keeps them from being peers. That’s why they need each other. It’s cute. And touching. I liked it.
It also brings together the alone or loneliness theme throughout the first book and the first half of this one. As Willow tells Leviathan on her way to put the dead to rest, “I’m always alone.” Gray reflects similar thoughts, and when Gray comes to help her is a great turning point in the story. Perfect for the halfway mark of the story.
And finally, I have to say. I love the character trope of having the monster willing to hurt anyone but the one they love. How difficult of a man that makes him. And loving him is all the more difficult because of it.
This is what Gray is. And they have a moment that really, truly touched me because I had this conversation with my own husband recently. Gray gave Willow the green to balance the black magic because it was her best chance for… “Surviving me.” He tells her, “I’m not an easy man to love, Witchling, but if anyone stands a chance of doing it and coming out the other side, it’s you.”
Loving a man who would be considered “not an easy man to love” to so many others makes me want to protect Gray the same way I want to protect my husband, who's the kind of man you either love or hate.
Choosing to love someone and stay with them every day is the most massively vulnerable trust one can give. Bravo, Miss Woods for getting me to feel that with the characters in the moment.
Obviously, there are other bits I love, too, getting revenge on a rapist always makes me happy, but that should go without saying, right?
Anyway, let me know what you think of this book so far—and book one if you’ve read it—and I will see you next week as we finish reading THE CURSED by Harper L. Woods for our weekly read along. See you then!