The most recommended books about curses

Meyer is an exceptional writer who knows exactly how to twist a beloved fairy tale, making it its own story but keeping threads of the original tale that readers love.

Rumpelstiltskin isn’t a commonly retold fairy tale, which is one of the main reasons I loved the first book and needed Cursed as soon as it came out.

Once I started reading, it was impossible to put the book down. Meyer had me on the edge of my seat until the last page – I needed to know how Serilda and Gild’s story ended! 

I found the three sisters in this book were endearing to read. They were always so supportive with each other.

I also enjoyed reading how willing they were to go out to rescue their parents and look for the Everchanging Lights immediately once they find out what happened with the villain, Veronika. The sisters are given some subtle traits to make them feel like distinct people, even if they are related, which I also enjoyed reading.

This book's worldbuilding reminded me of Frozen slightly due to the setting, but with significant changes. There is love interest and the villain is a relative of the sisters. However, it's still a fun, fresh world to dive into.

I enjoyed reading the concept of the Everchanging Lights being the means to defeat Veronika, as well as how you they must find each Light. How each light is found is expanded on in the… show more.

The Ballad of Black Tom rocked my world.

I was already writing stories inspired by H.P. Lovecraft but I wasn’t sure I had a place in the genre. Then Victor LaValle took one of Lovecraft’s most racist works, The Horror At Red Hook, and produced an alternate version.

Black Tom touches on the events of Lovecraft’s original story but tells the tale from the point of view of a black musician named Tommy Tester. LaValle’s reimagining of Lovecraft is a revelation.

He showed me that I didn’t have to be like Lovecraft to write in his world. And LaValle perfectly captures the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, a world that Lovecraft’s racism prevented him from seeing, even though he lived in New York City at the time.

I had to throw at least one fiction book on my list.

Etaf Rum is a Palestinian-American novelist with a talent for revealing difficult truths through beautifully written stories about women. Evil Eye addresses generational trauma, the taboos surrounding mental health care, and the discouragement that keeps women from standing up for themselves.

I love the way the protagonist explores herself and what she really wants out of her life instead of what everyone expects from her. Rum’s characters are relatable and complex, creating one of the best books I read in 2023. 

The Gold-Son is about a teen boy, Tommin, cursed with the need to steal. When the leprechaun, Lorcan Reilly arrives, he tricks Tommin and takes him to the realm of the Leprechauns. The thing I marveled over the most was the description of Tommin’s urge to steal—it was so well written. The author’s writing is lyrical and beautifully atmospheric, and she melds the legends and folklore of leprechauns to craft a tale of a terrible curse, a young love that lasts, and second chances.

This book was so much fun! I can’t remember a time I used “fun” to describe a second chance romance but Erin Sterling delivers. Vivi is left broken-hearted after Rhys leaves town only to return nine years later to wreak havoc on Vivi’s life once again. Did I mention she’s a witch? Or the minor curse she cast on Rhys when he left? As you can imagine, hijinks ensue when these two crash together again. One of my favorite parts of written chemistry is banter and wow the banter in this book is on point. When you aren’t busy rooting for Vivi and Rhys you’re enchanted by the cast of characters that surround them. Cousin Gwen is a riot! One part romantic comedy, one part second chance romance. This was a favorite read of 2021 for me.

This was my first adult historical fantasy (not Young Adult) and I loved it. It’s epic in all ways that matter, with amazing world building, endearing and complex characters, sweeping landscapes and battles, love stories, and it’s beautifully written. This is one of those novels you would binge if it was a show, episode by episode, and wish that you could.   

A bravura performance by a brilliant author with total control of her writing skills and an exhaustive mastery of literary traditions, which she deploys with the panache of Horowitz playing Chopin.

Oates has written a neo-Gothic novel filled with demonic manifestations and overwhelming passions that take place against the background of American society (and Princeton University) with all its salient characteristics and problems in the first decade of the 20th century. 

The novel is also, and not incidentally, filled with wonderful, three-dimensional portraits of major American cultural and political figures of the time—Woodrow Wilson, Upton Sinclair, Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, Jack London, and others. Oates’ emotional range is marvelous, and she can communicate the feelings and psychic churnings of a stiff Calvinist on a pulpit as readily as those of a tremulous young woman in a rose garden.

A funny, eerie, assured, and extraordinarily entertaining work.

When Princess Andaryn’s father gets lost in the woods and returns wed to a mysterious woman with magical power, her life is turned into a nightmare. To save the lives of her six brothers, she agrees to a bargain, swearing to remain silent for six years. In a cruel trick, the wicked queen transforms them into six black swans and Ryn discovers that protecting them will be far more difficult than she ever expected. But she doesn’t need a voice to fight for those she loves and seeing her courage and steadfast determination makes this a book I’ll never forget. This is a beautifully written, richly imagined retelling of the fairytale “Six Swans” or “The Wild Swans” and I loved it. Readers ready to bridge the gap between middle grade fantasy and young adult fantasy will appreciate following Ryn as she grows from powerless young girl to strong young woman.

I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, and Sarah J. Maas writes a skillful blend of fantasy and romance. I’m especially drawn to stories in which the love seems impossible, like that between Feyre and Tamlin. Though the story is inspired by the old fairytale Beauty and the Beast, Maas goes far beyond the original in turns of realistic emotions within a complex relationship.

I’m also a fan of immersive worldbuilding, and in that area, Maas shines. The complex relationships between humans and fae, as well as the numerous fae courts, with their various alliances and hostilities, make an excellent backdrop for what rapidly becomes more than just a love story.

This is one of those books I didn’t want to end. It’s a good thing it’s the first book in a series!