Cursed

The Soulseer Chronicles #2

by Sue Tingey

Able to see ghosts in both the human and daemon worlds, Lucky de Salle is a commodity . . . and a liability. When her best friend Kayla mysteriously disappears, she and her daemon guard stumble onto a secret that makes her even more of a danger to her enemies.

Now, Hunted by Henri le Dent, the daemon who tried to see her dead, and Amaliel Cheriour, the sinister executioner of the daemon court, Lucky has to rely on her wits, her inner strength, her friends and the emerging talents that make her more than she thinks she is.

Genres: Fantasy

400 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2016

About the author

Sue Tingey spent 28 years with a major British bank before leaving the corporate life to work as Practice Manager for an Arboricultural Consultancy. She lives with her husband (and Koi carp) in Torquay, South Devon.

Reviews

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear author, please stop pretending to kill off my favourite characters...thank you....

Ahem

I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy ("Marked") and loved the characters. I didn't realise that I was invested in them until the thought that one of them may have died. They weave their way into your heart and that's a good sign that the book is going to be really good.

This one is much darker than the first. Real deaths, almost deaths, poisonings and much more as Lucky, Jinx, Jamie and the rest continue their search for lucky's kidnapped sister. Now the majority of people are established from the first we can get down to the adventure and enjoy Lucky learning just who she is and what she is capable of. 

It's just an excellent read and I'm really looking forward to starting the final part of the journey

Thanks to Sue Tingley and Jo Fletcher books for the free paperback

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so when I said book 1 was light, I never meant light as in the story is light. And the same goes for book 2. There is darkness, death and danger. But the writing feels light, it's not too long and it's one of those read in a book day.

Oh and there is romance now. And yes I have to confess, there is a triangle, but see, it does not bother me cos there is no triangle. There is never any oh who to choose? See this gal is all, f that, both are mine. And both are hers to do what she wants with. So no triangle, just 3 demon-humans falling for each other. Well, all I say you go girl and go for it.

But this was not a romance book, she thinks about her hotties, but there is no time for romance as her sister gets kidnapped. And someone is after her too. There are assassins to run from. A father growing mad. And the whole she can see dead people thing, and in the underlands that is not a good thing. The dead tell tales.

I enjoyed it and like I said before I read it in a day. Once again it ended with a cliffie that was not a cliffie. Everything is sort of good for now, but you know things will go down in the next one. I am also glad I have the next one so I can find out what will happen.

Hottie demons, evil minions and a fun read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursed picks up the story immediately after the ending of Marked so Lucky, along with her guards, are currently on the run after being accused of treason against her father. Before they can figure out who set them up and go about proving their innocence Lucky discovers that her sister Kayla has been kidnapped by a dangerous cult of assassins. Lucky will do whatever it takes to find her sister, even if that means going back to her father and asking for his help. Court politics are more complicated than ever without Kayla on hand to protect her though and her father soon gives her an ultimatum, bring home her sister safely or go on trial for treason.

This series is just getting better and better, Lucky is growing into her own strengths as a character and starting to come to terms with everything she learned about herself and her background in the first book. She still doesn't love being in the Underlands but she is starting to discover that, like humans, not all daemons are evil and there are daemons she can consider her friends. She was marked by two of the most powerful daemons alive and her attraction to both Guardian Jamie and Jinx the Deathbringer is growing stronger by the day but she's worried about having to choose between the two. Both guys still seem more than willing to share though so I'm still rooting for them to end up in a triad relationship - surely that's the best way ever to resolve a potential love triangle!

I love the side characters in this series, Jinx and Jamie are both brilliant, opposites in a lot of ways but both completely united when it comes to protecting Lucky and keeping her safe. It's hard to say which of the guys I prefer, I like Jinx's sarcastic sense of humour and the way he always needles the others but I also love Jamie's sweeter personality. Jamie comes across as more laid back but he's just as dangerous and anyone who underestimates him won't survive long enough to make the same mistake twice. Pyrites the drakon is utterly adorable but the remaining two guards Mr Kerfuffle and Mr Shenanigans have really grown on me too and the whole group just works really well together.

Cursed really stepped things up a gear in terms of action and danger. Lucky and her friends are all put to the test and some scenes were quite gory. Sue Tingey definitely has a knack for writing the blood and guts moments so I'll admit to being more than a little disappointed that the sexy times ended up being fade to black! There is a lot going on in the world and there were definitely a few twists I didn't see coming so I'm definitely looking forward to continuing the series and picking up my copy of Bound.

[Night-Mere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you think..

After reading Marked, I immediately went to order Cursed - such a great choice...

Cursed was amazing... You really see into Lucky's life and mind with the way Sue Tingey writes... These daemons are just like humans; no worse, no better. In fact, she could be writing of human society for all the aspects that she highlights. In some cases, humans are actually worse than the daemons. They care for and look after each other in ways that humans do not. She is truly a gifted writer. This series may have just moved to my top 5 favorites.

Lucky goes through so much transition in her quest to fit into this world that is now hers. She has trials that would break a lesser character and she manages to handle herself through it all. If I had a choice, I would definitely visit this world because it seems so interesting and real with these strange-to-us beings. They have such a different mindset on certain topics, while not being far different from us.

This is a series I would recommend to pretty much anyone who's into fantasy and mythology. I got so into it that I had to stay up until I finished it. I couldn't put it down to go to sleep - I'm probably going to have to reread it. Hopefully the time between now and whenever Bound (book 3) is published goes quickly!!

[Cabiria Aquarius · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started I admit I was slightly confused as it’s been a while since I read the first but as I read I remembered things and holy hells bells, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways and goodness me I wish I had the third with me. I remember why I loved the first one so much. This was just as good if not better. Lucky grows into herself more and has more confidence and a way about her, she knows who she is and even at the risk of torture won’t keep her sassy mouth shut. She knows no bounds to do what is right and to help those she cares about or even those she would like to think good of but deep down knows is no good. Saves herself not once but twice from a fate she does not wish. Such an intense tale, I wonder what book three has in store.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this ebook for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the first novel, Marked, started off as your typical urban fantasy book (with the protagonist presented as a paranormal exterminator), it quickly descended into mad-cap chaos. Suddenly, you were thrown from the "real world" into the Underlands -- a parallel universe "underneath" our own, filled with demons.

Our second adventure with Soulseer Lucky de Salle remains firmly rooted in the Underlands and doesn't skimp on the action -- or the horror. There were plenty of times that I grimaced at certain passages, but only because they were so well-written, and I was invested in Lucky's well-being.

Lucky and her cadre of sworn bodyguards (Deathbringer Jinx, Guardian James, size-shifting dragon Pyrites, and Mr Shenanigans and Mr Kurfluffle -- two of the most endearing secondary characters in the book) are on the run from Lucky's father's court torturer. They end up at a villa where Lucky's demon sister Kayla is residing, only to find all but her captain of the guard slaughtered, and Kayla missing. And the ones responsible for these acts is an ancient, dangerous sect of demons called the Sicarii. The Sicarii are known for the torture and slaughter of innocents, in order to chain their ghosts to the mortal plane so they can feed off their energy. It's up to Lucky and her bodyguards to put an end to the evil sect, release the trapped souls, and save Kayla.

I loved this installment. The demonic Underlands are more firmly fleshed out, and the action did not disappoint. My one complaint is that while Tingey had no problem describing the evil acts committed by the Sicarii -- especially the cringe-inducing moment where the Sicarii's leader cuts off the tip of Lucky's pinky -- she fades to black on the moment Lucky consummates her relationship with both Jinx and James! Not fair! But such is nitpicky at best. I eagerly await the third novel.

[Oni Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lmaooooooooo. So. Let me be real. As always. Just my opinion.

This is one of those books that cannot make up its mind whether it’s a light read or a little bit more serious. Fantasy or romance? and if it is a romance that sex scene was lame. There is guts and gore but not even a little bit of deetz when it comes to the sex because call me a perv but I’m curious at this point how that worked out. It’s like you’re open enough to write about the whole three of us are life partners thing but mild enough where....Yes I said it. LOL. I’m someone that likes details in EVERYTHING. The fighting, combat, the drama, the friendships, ups and downs and sex. Go hard or go home.

Fun read. And great ideas. But a little bit too “silly” for me. It’s almost as if this could be a teen book. The only reason it isn’t it because she has two partners and she’s not 16-17. That’s it. There’s more maturity and detail in a lot of the young adult and teen books out there. So meh.

Also, hate me all you want but I’m sick of Jamie. I like him. I want him around. I want them to be best friends and for her to have a shoulder to cry on. But...Although when you finally finish this book, we all know now that she won’t pick one or the other. So I’m kind of over it. Jamie is someone you lose your virginity to and/or becomes and stays your best friend for life afterwards. A lot of girls have had that. But he’s the guy you realize that he’s better off being your best friend and that you love him and don’t want to lose him and in another time or if you didn’t have the guy you need or whatever ...but you’re not in love or should be with them. They don’t help you evolve or grow. They are too protective and want to shield you. That’s just their personalities. They are too perfect and they don’t bring any spice and challenge into your life that we all need. That we need to grow.

I wish she had to pick and that he becomes the bestfriend but I know they are all “destined” to be the trinity yadi yadi yadi so since I ordered the third book before finishing the book to the end and realized they smashed lol I’m not going to read past the third book. I know myself and the series is already dry for me with her weak little choices. She’s a little too soft for my liking. As I said cute read, nice if you’re stressed or don’t have anything else around but I won’t be an avid follower or “ride or die”.

[Amber Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was incredibly difficult to get through, not entirely sure why but I found myself bored. The second half was much better, I began to care about the characters more. It was nice to see Lucky develop a bit more of a backbone.

[Amberwench · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced and predictable, it's still a fun read for the world and humor. Many expressions of emotion, defining what is 'good', and portrayal of intimate relationships without going into graphic details.

[Alaa Salem · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all, the book was good. But I don´t know, something was missing, but I can not say what. Maybe it was just because I was putting off reading in general, but I didn´t get through it as fast as I did with the first book. But I like it anyway.

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok fantasy novel. I find these hard to get into but this one was ok

[Carlie Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cursed is the second book in the Soulseer Chronicles. Before reading it, I wondered if it was going to be one of those awkward, fill-in type books, full of waffle, bridging the gap until the exciting third and final book came along. I’m very happy to say that this wasn’t the case.

The action began early on and continued throughout the book. There were many shocks and surprises which drew me further into the story and I didn’t want to put it down. The narrative was smooth and flowed well. It captured my imagination and I found myself by Lucky’s side, like a shadow.

The plot was inventive with many twists and turns. It was set mainly in the daemon world and gave a greater insight into the machinations that existed there. It was interesting to see how Ms Tingey played the good and evil factions against each other and it made the story all the more creative.

In Cursed, you get to see a great deal more of the landscape and make-up of the world. The descriptors used brought the land of daemon kind to life, painting it gloriously like an artist would a canvas. There was a richness to it which was by no means overdone.

Lucky shone in Cursed. She grew and became a more rounded character, fulfilling her role with aplomb. As she learns what she can do, it brings a new dimension to her character which is both thought-provoking and fascinating. There were one or two areas where she didn’t tap into her emotions as well as she could have done, especially when something devastating happened. Although her feelings were portrayed reasonably well, there wasn’t as much angst as might have been expected given the situation. However, that was just a minor blip for me. Overall, she started to gain increased mental strength, making her character more interesting and relatable.

Jamie showed more of his true colours in Cursed. He was still the nice guy, protecting Lucky, even from herself, but he proved to be not quite as trustworthy. As he became secretive and began to lie to Lucky, even she wasn’t sure if she could trust him at times. However, it became clearer that his feelings for Lucky had grown and he was more protective than ever. Jamie became more fascinating to me in this second book as more of his character was revealed and I look forward to seeing how Sue takes him forward into book three.

Jinx made me laugh. He’s such a cheeky chap with a teasing and provocative side which endeared me to him. Because of how forward he is, in the beginning it’s hard to tell whether he has genuine feelings for Lucky or if he’s just being playful. The answer becomes apparent as the book progresses. The rivalry between him and Jamie is well thought out and comes across well. I also saw more depth to his character. His title of The Deathbringer is well-deserved in this book and it was good to see that side of him. On occasions, he also portrayed a softer side to his nature — a stark contrast to his title — but nonetheless, enjoyable to read.

Other characters also grew in this book, making them much more interesting. The interactions of them with the three main characters added more intrigue and depth to the novel, proving again Tingey’s mastery of character development.

This book is another triumph for Sue and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in book three: Bound.
Highly recommended — a damn good read!

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky de Salle is half demon, half human and currently at odds with her demon father. While she is on the run, she finds out her sister and best friend Kayla has been charged with treason and is currently missing. Taking matters into her own hands, Lucky makes a trek Kayla’s last known location and finds all of her guardsmen dead, except for one. With his help and the help of her own guards, Lucky tries to get to the bottom of everything that is going on and who is responsible for the kidnapping. What she finds is deceit and a mad plot, one that may destroy the world. Will she rescue her sister before it’s too late, or will the fate of her world be changed forever?

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was excited to see the second book up for review at NetGalley. As in the other book, I really enjoyed the characters, especially Mr. Shenanigans and Mr. Kerfluffle. They are just so amusing and fun! The book was also well-written and very entertaining, with a little bit of action thrown in. There is still a romance going on, but I don’t want to say too much and give anything away. On a less positive note, I found some situations to be resolved too easily. For instance, Lucky is kidnapped but gets away quickly and is found almost immediately. These kinds of situations happened a little too frequently to build any suspense. In addition, instead of one steady build up, the book felt like small vignettes. And, like the first book, I found Lucky to be TSTL at times. However, these points were easy to dismiss and not too annoying , and I still really enjoyed this book. 4 ½ stars rounded up to 5. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus/Jo Fletcher Books for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucinda/Lucky has been marked by two different demons. Jinx who was the death demon and James who was a guardian. Lucky thought that she was completely human but recently had been told Lord Beutheyer was her father and she was half demon and had a sister Kayla. There had been an attempt made on Lord Beutheyer life and since Kayla abd her guard had come up missing she was being blamed. Lucky, Jinx, James, and her guard Pyrites- who was a drakon who could grow to be a very large fire breathing dragon that could fly- where out to find Kayla. It had only taken Lord Beutheyer’s guards three days to find Lucky, Jinx, and James, so they better hurry to find Kayla especially since Lord Beutheyer was psychotic and cruel and you never knew what he would do. Without Jinx, James, and Ptrites Lucinda knew she would be lost. The last time Lucinda had went to her own world- Earth- she had only lasted five days alone. So Lucinda returned to the Underlands. Kayla’s seven guards had all been killed the only one to survive was Kayla’s lover Vaybian. Kayla herself had been abducted. Jinx, James, Lucinda and Vaybia were all determined to find Kayla. First Jinx sent a message by a raven to Lucinda’s two guardsmen Mr. Kerfuffle and Mr Shenanigand to come to them to protect Lucky.
I enjoyed this story alot. It dragged a little for me at times but not too bad. I liked the plot also. The characters were good and I also enjoyed them. I loved the way Jinx and James cared for and loved Lucky. I liked the way Jinx and James interacted with Lucky as well as each other. I loved the ins and outs and I recommend.

[Rubixcube · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the second book but not as much as the first.. typical

[Michaela Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the opportunity to review Cursed by Sue Tingey via NetGalley. I really enjoyed it!
We find "Lucky" Lucinda, a half human, half demon princess navigating her way through the Underlands, a mirror world to ours, run by demons. Her sister Kayla has gone missing, and she'll do anything she can to find her. For someone so out of her element in this world, she remains a strong character, regardless of the strength of her companions Jinx and Jamie. A dark force is weaving a complicated web to stand in Lucky's way, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. With the Guardian of Life and The Bringer of Death at her side she will find out exactly who she is, and what she's meant to do in this world she's part of

[Alysa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book.
I felt like it had potential but it just kept missing the mark, from plot and character progression to dialogue.
I love me some demons, I do not love me some of this book.

[Teresa]

* e-Arc provided by Netgalley *

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of the series. Is it wrong that I'm sorry there aren't more details about how Lucky, Jinx, and Jamie spent their time at the lake house? ;^)