Review: Cursed

ABL Review At-A-Glance

• Title:  Cursed
• My Rating: 3.5
• Genre:  Fantasy, Retelling
• Author:  Thomas Wheeler, Frank Miller (Illustrator)
• Format:  Hardcover ARC*
• Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Synopsis

Soon to be a Netflix original series!

The Lady of the Lake is the true hero in this cinematic twist on the tale of King Arthur created by Thomas Wheeler and legendary artist, producer, and director Frank Miller (300, Batman: The Dark Night Returns, Sin City). Featuring 8 full color and 30 black-and-white pieces of original artwork by Frank Miller.

Whosoever wields the Sword of Power shall be the one true King.

But what if the Sword has chosen a Queen?

Nimue grew up an outcast. Her connection to dark magic made her something to be feared in her Druid village, and that made her desperate to leave…

That is, until her entire village is slaughtered by Red Paladins, and Nimue’s fate is forever altered. Charged by her dying mother to reunite an ancient sword with a legendary sorcerer, Nimue is now her people’s only hope. Her mission leaves little room for revenge, but the growing power within her can think of little else.

Nimue teams up with a charming mercenary named Arthur and refugee Fey Folk from across England. She wields a sword meant for the one true king, battling paladins and the armies of a corrupt king. She struggles to unite her people, avenge her family, and discover the truth about her destiny.

But perhaps the one thing that can change Destiny itself is found at the edge of a blade.

My Thoughts…

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons, though I did have a few complaints.  First I want to talk about the great things.

The action in this book is utterly compelling.  The plot moves at a very quick pace, with often gruesome scenes of genocide depicted.  There isn’t much time to breath while reading, but there is plenty of events to try and understand.  In that way, the book almost never lets you go.

I also loved an Arthurian retelling focused on a female heroine trying to do good.  Nimue is trying to protect and avenge her people and has a particular set of gifts to aid her.  It seems her destiny, though maybe unwanted, is tied to the Sword of Power just as Arthurs is.  And the person who wields the sword will be King…

I was also a big fan of the style of writing.  I liked how clearly Thmoas Wheeler wrote this book.  His sentences did not attempt to be overly grand or complicated, and considering the subject matter, this is an easy trap to fall into.  Instead, he provided a straight forward, entertaining read that didn’t get lost in its own importance.  It was appropriately emotional and action packed without meandering in lyrical prose.  These are my favorite books to read.

On to the parts I didn’t like….

I was not a fan of the illustration.  I felt it added very little to the feel of the book and actually took away from many scenes.  Sometimes the drawing felt awkwardly placed, breaking scenes up midsentence. Sometimes, the drawing themselves proved inaccurate to the detail just described, for instance, the clothing of the characters or the action taking place. 

In general, this is not a type of art that I would gravitate towards, so it’s not surprising that I didn’t enjoy it in this book.  However, if you enjoy Frank Miller’s artistic point of view, then you would probably love these illustrations and think the book was better for them.

I also didn’t appreciate the depiction of Aruthur.  I don’t feel that a strong, prominent male character has to necessarily be brought down in order for a strong, prominent female character to emerge.  I wanted the Arthur I have grown used to, loyal and honorable, as well as Nimue the Fae warrior. In the end, I didn’t find myself liking or rooting for Arthur unless I added what I know from other stories to his character.

Conclusion…

This was a well intentioned and well written addition to the Arthurian anthology.  I am very excited to watch the Netflix adaption, though I am terrified to see some of the scenes I only read about.

*Special thanks to Thomas Wheeler, Frank Miller, FFBC and Simon & Schuster for a copy of Cursed in exchange for an honest review.