I read Ever Cursed in two days, in a total of four sittings. I don’t often read books about witches and princesses but the cover definitely attracted me to this one and the angle was quite refreshing, which is why I could not put this book down. If you are looking for a refreshing story about witches and princesses, commenting on magic and royalty, this is the book for you! Let’s take a look at the synopsis first then dive into my thoughts and book aesthetic.
The Princesses of Ever are beloved by the kingdom and their father, the King. They are cherished, admired.
Cursed.
Jane, Alice, Nora, Grace, and Eden carry the burden of being punished for a crime they did not commit, or even know about. They are each cursed to be Without one essential thing—the ability to eat, sleep, love, remember, or hope. And their mother, the Queen, is imprisoned, frozen in time in an unbreakable glass box.
But when Eden’s curse sets in on her thirteenth birthday, the princesses are given the opportunity to break the curse, preventing it from becoming a True Spell and dooming the princesses for life. To do this, they must confront the one who cast the spell—Reagan, a young witch who might not be the villain they thought—as well as the wickedness plaguing their own kingdom…and family.
Told through the eyes of Reagan and Jane—the witch and the bewitched—this insightful twist of a fairy tale explores power in a patriarchal kingdom not unlike our own.
Content Notes (mentioned in the book): sexual assault and past trauma.
Themes in Ever Cursed
Ever is a kingdom with 5 princesses, cursed by a witch. As each princess turns 13, the Spell of Without executes and the princess loses something. For Jane, it is her appetite; she cannot eat, has not eaten in five years. For her sisters, it is their memory, love, and sleep. On the day of the 13th birthday of the youngest sister, the witch that cursed them arrives to help them break the spell, give them one last chance to undo their suffering and change the royal ways. Narrated from two point of views, those of Jane (the eldest princess) and Reagan, the witch that cursed, I enjoyed everything about this book!
On Power and Responsibility
There are a number of instances of power interwoven in this story – the qualities of a queen and king, the influence that comes as a witch and the consequences of casting spells. In this story, every time a witch casts a spell, she gains a skirt around her waist. The skirt is based on the spell that was cast and it is a reminder of the burden and responsibility of making that wish. I found the physical manifestation of choices very intriguing. So often magic is cast with no further proof than the reason to caste the magic but in Ever, the witches never forget. It is a reminder that the spell is more than the skirt and what it is meant to do.
“A spell is like an infection, Reagan. It gets to everyone nearby. It can spread through a kingdom. Making the whole place diseased.”
Excerpt from Ever Cursed
Reagan cursed the Princesses in her anger and to get revenge. It was not a good decision and now she has to live with it or reverse it. This is a Young Adult book and the witch was only 13 when she cast the spell. Now she is 18 and once she turns 18, the spell will become a true spell with no possibility to reverse it. I liked that spells casts under a certain age have that property. Those rash decisions should have the opportunity to be revisited. So much can change in five years and maybe a new understanding will be reached?
On Stories
Ever has history with the witches, and the witches are connected to the princesses. Sometimes history gives rise to fiction and a section of the population has to fight stereotypes and misconceptions.
We are trying to prove we are not who they think we are, she said the day I cast the spell. What have you done, but shown them their stories of us are right?
Excerpt from Ever Cursed
Five years after the spell, Reagan and the princesses work together to undo the spell. And through this partnership, they learn the true history behind the stories. At the same time, they also take the chance to work together and remove the animosity between the witches and the rest of the kingdom.
On Growing
Princesses always have people at their beck and call. I loved that this story challenged that notion and led both Reagan and Jane, the oldest princess, to reflect on their privilege and their choices. They also challenge the rules in Ever, the things they have been told growing up. They rethink their roles in the world and to each other.
I felt that both Reagan and Jane matured through this story. They belonged on enemy lines and they were forced to work together for the lives of their people, and for what the kingdom of Ever stands for. Whether it was confronting the truths about themselves and how people see them or the anger that festers in their hearts, Ever Cursed is a beautiful story about friendship and growing together.
I loved how Ever Cursed elaborated on the concept of royalty, the stories that different groups of people tell themselves and the history which is the truth. I loved this story and look forward to reading the author again.
** Ever Cursed is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
If you are interested to read another neat take on witches, check out A Witch in Time!
Banner Photo by Breno Machado on Unsplash
Fab review – I loved your whole post and you’ve convinced me to go and add this to my wishlist 😁
Thank you! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it! 🙂