Cursed City

Harker Academy #2

by Kate Golden

Welcome back to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense, where the line between hunter and hunted has never been thinner.

To rescue someone close to her, Viv Abbot must team up with Reid’s violent, unpredictable older brother, Deacon. Her uneasy truce with him offers Viv something Reid never could: the chance to embrace her darkness.

Viv’s mission takes her to the center of Astera’s seedy underbelly with none other than the White Stag as her guide. But when a bounty on Viv’s head puts those she cares about in danger, Viv will be forced to go to lengths she never dreamed in order to protect them.

With enemies closing in from all sides and a ticking clock on her life, Viv must save the Half City from destruction while surviving a betrayal that strikes at the heart of everything she’s fighting for. Because in a world where monsters wear familiar faces and temptation cuts deeper than any blade, making it through her second semester at Harker will take more than skill—it will take everything Viv has left to give. Who can she really trust in a city that thrives on lies?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Academia, Romance

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Kate Golden is the USA Today bestselling author of both The Sacred Stones and Harker Academy trilogies. When she isn’t writing, Kate is an avid book reader, puzzle addict, and game night enthusiast. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their puppy, Milo.You can find her on Instagram at @KateGoldenAuthor and on TikTok at @Kate_Golden_Author.

Reviews

[Lucie V.]

The author told me a while ago that the second book would be released in October, but now it's officially official. 😍😍

ONLY 10 MONTHS LEFT TO WAIT!!!! 🥹

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎]

My expression seeing this on GR: 😱😱😱

My most anticipated release of 2026 hands down no questions asked.

Blonde men supremacy iykyk

[megan ◡̈]

how soon is too soon to start knocking on berkley’s door

[Lia Carstairs]

I WILL BE ON MY KNEES WAITING FOR THIS BOOK. #blondemensupremacy

(also so happy i actually guessed the title right that never happens😭🥹)

[Holly]

My Buffy-loving heart's never been so happy to hear we'll get TWO books from this series in the same year.

[Kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one (Half City) was great but Cursed City was INCREDIBLE!! Half City set us up for so many twists and turns and revelations and surprises for book two! The amount of times I screamed and almost threw my kindle across the room is frightening. Every single one of my notes are in caps because I just couldn't believe what I was reading! And the number of lines I highlighted is more than the lines that are not highlighted. I can't wait to have a physical copy so I can go absolutely feral with my annotating tabs and markers.

*Will post a more in depth review of the actual story and characters etc closer to pub day!

OUT OCTOBER 2026!!

Thank you to Kate for trusting me with an early copy of this amazing sequel!!