REVIEW: The Cursed (Coven of Bones #2) by Harper L. Woods

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My Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

The Cursed is the sequel to The Coven and picks up exactly where the previous book left off—mid-scene, with no recap. If you don’t remember how The Coven ended, you’ll want to have it nearby because this book assumes you do. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t remind us of last names or house affiliations, which makes it frustrating when trying to place characters, even with the table at the front of the book. Adding to the confusion, the author frequently references past events—like what Charlotte did to Willow’s father—without offering any reminders, forcing readers to dig back through the first book.

Continuity issues were another major problem. Characters seemed to teleport between actions—one moment Willow was walking, and the next she was suddenly being carried. Even more frustrating, several characters underwent unexplained name changes. Ziva from book one is now Nova, Itar has become Itan (except for one brief slip where Margot calls him Itar again), and his nephew Ilan has inexplicably turned into Iban. These inconsistencies felt careless and made for a jarring reading experience.

Despite all this, I kept reading—probably out of sheer determination to see how it all ended. I enjoyed The Coven well enough, even though the writing wasn’t the strongest. At least it had a coherent plot, which is more than I can say for The Cursed. This book felt like a messy, disorganized sequel that lacked the polish and structure needed to make it engaging.

From what I’ve heard, the next book will focus on Margot, but after this experience, I won’t be continuing the series.

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