Righting a Wrong: Keri Arthur’s “Cursed” By Sharon Tucker

by Sharon Tucker

Details on how to win an ebook copy of Cursed, and links to purchase it, at the end of this review.

Of course, one always hates what one wrongs. Jean Anouilh, Becket

It is good to be back in the world of Keri Arthur’s series, Kingdoms of Earth and Air. We last left it at the end of Unlit (March 2018) where the earth itself had been in peril from hostile life forms. With some difficulty, these forces were defeated, but in book two of the series, Cursed(November 2018), we encounter new characters, a new menace, and find ourselves on yet another continent of her world where earth and air magic may be wielded by the adept.

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Setting the tone for the story, a sword fight is just culminating as we begin and the true heir of Divona goes to prison for her victory over the false heir of the kingdom. Her family have kept Nyx subdued and humiliated for twelve years, so waking up in a dank, lightless prison cell would seem to be par for the course. What is new and different is her cellmate, Donal, a highlander guilty of having good times with the wrong woman and faces imminent banishment to the frontlines of their impending war. The highlander offers Nyx a bargain, escape from prison and Divona, to go with him to the front where they can both be of use to their kingdoms and here the worm turns. At last, Nyx may just have a chance to win for once.

Image Source Keri Arthur

Auspiciously begun and what follows fairly swashbuckles. We travel with Nyx and Donal to face a threat that is rendering their earth lifeless and melting everything in their path including stones and city walls. The soldiers, assassins, and leaders met along the way liven the narrative and as the story comes full circle, get ready for a most satisfying conclusion.

Arthur’s stories are full of adventure, action, and satisfying human interplay. The humor is dry and based in her characters’ often-painful experiences where defeat can resolve itself into personal victory. Her characters are people who work toward their goals in a hostile environment and win most of the time. They are all scarred and scared a lot of the time, but they continue down the paths they have chosen, protecting those they love along the way.

Inspirational, is it not?

To enter to win an ebook copy of Cursed, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "cursed,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 19, 2019. If you enter via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

You can find more fantasy reviews in out Fantasy and Fangs section.

You can use these links to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Cursed

Sharon Tucker is former faculty at the University of Memphis in Memphis TN, and now enjoys evening supervising in that campus library. Having forsworn TV except for online viewing and her own movies, she reads an average of 3 to 4 books per week and has her first novel---a mystery, of course---well underway.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.