A Curse so Dark and Lonely, by Brigid Kemmerer -It has to be missing a couple of pages!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA ISBN: 9781681195094
on January 29, 2019
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Adaptations, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
My rating:
Check it out in Goodreads
Synopsis

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

 

This is what was going through my mind when I finished reading this book:

Surely it’s missing some pages

I can tell you this though: It’s an amazing retelling. And yes, it’s also like you’ve heard. It feels fresh and I do think it brings something new to the table. That’s the magic of retellings. Playing with the concept and the elements and coming up with something entirely new. I feel like this book was building up to that, and then… nothing.

It felt a lot like a roller coaster going up, up, up. You imagine the drop will be this awesome mind-blowing experience. And then… it’s time, but you only drop a couple of feet at a time. None of that exhilarating plunge.

I don’t even like roller coasters.

Only emotional ones in books.

 

What about the characters?

I think they were brilliant. The villain was a tad one-dimensional, and she only showed up when the plot required it so… that’s not good.

But, the ones we see the most are Harper, Rhen, and Grey. And they’re the stars, and I’m 100% there for them. This is why I have so many mixed feelings about this book, even though I lean towards a great reading experience. I could have just gone on and on reading about their interactions.

The romance was definitely more of a trust thing, which was nice.

The story is told in dual POV by Rhen and Harper. I have a hard time deciding which I prefer because both are deep and sound true in your mind. I know it’s good when I find myself wondering the same thing the characters are at a given point. They’re facing so many troubles and they have no idea of how to solve them. Neither do I! I had no idea of how they were going to get out of that mess.

And it was great!

Because it’s boring when you not only know how it’s going to end, but how the characters are most likely going to get there.

This book kept me on my toes.

 

Will I be reading the sequel?

Hell yes!

Supposedly, it’s going to focus a little more on Grey. And I’m not going to lie, he’s my favorite. I have a weakness for characters like him. Mostly silent, with the occasional smile, deadly, but inside he’s a warm cinammon roll. Who cares about clichés?

I hope the story matches his awesomeness. Worse that no Grey story at all, is a story just for the sake of it. So yeah, I’m secretly dreading a sequel that might not have much to say. I’m too excited for it to avoid so we’ll see!

 

[divider]

This book is really hyped! Have you read it yet? Are you planning to? Or are you thinking maybe not your cup of tea?

Related Posts