Cursed City by Kate Golden
Cursed City
by Kate Golden
Published by Berkley
Book 2 in the Harker Academy Series
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?
Genre
Triggers
Violence, Murder, Teacher/Student romance
Before I begin, I would like to thank Berkley Publishing for sending me an arc of Cursed City by Kate Golden, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Before my job at Indigo, I was first introduced to this series by customers. I saw the first book - Half City - purchased when it first released, and the cover and synopsis intrigued me.
It's been on my TBR every since.
Receiving an arc for Cursed City gave me the push I needed to pick it up.
I really enjoyed Half City, but Cursed City was so much better, in my opinion.
Mostly, because I love a misunderstood bad boy, and while our main girl Viv loves her boyfriend Reid, who doesn't love the trope of being forced to spend time with the dark and mysterious brother?
Vampire Diaries anyone? Did anyone really love Stefan, or were we all Damon girlies?
I definitely got those vibes in these books, and I am for it.
I felt like Kate had a good grip on all of her characters. Their different personalities, sense of humors, traumas, flaws ... I even felt like she did a great job writing their ages. These twenty-one year old's talked like one would, despite their hunting capabilities. The demons -even the ones that Viv works with - actually act like demons. They kill. They do bad things. It's not the romanticized supernatural story where the "good" demons only kill the bad guys, and vampires only drink animal blood.
These characters, this world, this setting ... it's dark and gritty, and I appreciated that.
One of the things I loved most about this book, was how much Viv starts to love herself. In Half City, she has an internalized hatred of herself. I loved seeing her grow out of that, and learning to embrace herself - flaws and all.
Cursed City was exactly what I was wanting after finishing Half City. If you are like me, and were wondering if this series would be for you, I suggest you give it a try. If you loved Vampire Diaries (the show ... the books were awful), True Blood, and Zodiac Academy, I honestly think you will enjoy this series.
Coming soon!
Comments