Cursed City, Kate Golden (Review by Samantha Tiernan)

I was scrolling on Tik Tok, and Half City kept coming up from multiple book influencers that I follow. Everyone kept mentioning that it was a 5-star read. I devoured it and was left with a huge cliff hanger.

Let me tell you, I screamed when the opportunity arose to ARC read Cursed City. This book was everything that I was hoping for in a sequel with yet another huge cliff hanger. It picked up where things left off in Half City with way more Deacon time and I’m not complaining.

There was so much character development in Cursed City. Viv continues to search for answers on where Reid is and why he is not looking for her. She really struggled with who she was in Half City but starts to accept the parts of herself that she used to hate with the help from her deviant friends. She is constantly being hunted by the deviants and has dodged their attacks around every corner. Penny, Sophia, Peter, and Elliott continue to help her search for answers on how to get the spell out of her without dying. She forms a connection with Deacon while searching for Reid that was unexpected.

It was fast-paced, addictive, and has a plot that keeps you on the edge. It has such a unique magic system and a slow burn romance that’s not over the top. The tension and the banter had me kicking my feet. It was impossible to put down and was one of my top anticipated releases for the year.

If you loved the Zodiac Academy, Cresent City, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this series is for you. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Berkley | Penguin Random House for this ARC. Both Half City and Cursed City were 5 star reads! Now to just wait for next year for book three to come out!