Where do I even begin with A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY?

I'm a huge fan of "Beauty and the Beast" and when I got approved to receive an ARC of this novel, I simply felt so very lucky.

This contemporary retelling of the all-time-favourite fairy tale is simply UNPUTDOWNABLE! It's fast-paced, exceptionally well-written, with much darker themes than the original, well-known story, and unique, unforgettable characters.
The narration is beautiful and for a reader like me, who adores descriptions, this novel is such a wonderful treat!

I absolutely adored the multiple points of view, as they allowed me to get a general perspective and get to know the characters in depth.
The love story felt so very realistic and I truly enjoyed the unique take in the original tale. Also, I recently found out there's going to be a sequel, so I do look forward to seeing how Harper and Rhen are going to evolve as characters.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to everyone who loved the ACOTAR series, by Sarah J. Maas, as well as THE CRUEL PRINCE, by Holly Black.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Abduction, death, murder, gore, torture, abuse, attempted sexual assault, talks of suicide, cancer, and ableist comments.

In this retelling of the well-known Beauty and Beast story, Harper, a troubled teen, is pulled from her hometown of modern-day Washington DC and thrust into the land of Emberfall. The land is ruled by Rhen, a prince who has been cursed to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over until his finds love. At the end of each ‘season’, a monster terrorises Rhen’s country, killing his own people. Rhen and his only companion, loyal Commander Grey, are losing hope that the curse will ever be broken. At first, the sullen and wilful Harper seems unlikely to be the land’s salvation, but as it becomes apparent that Emberfall is threatened by more than just the monster, Harper can’t help but care for the fate of her new home. However, her feelings for Rhen are not so simple.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the three main characters and the chemistry between them. There’s plenty of tension, angst and hints of deeper feelings. Rhen at first doesn’t seem a very complex character, but gradually, the layers of his character are unfolded. Harper is an admirable, strong character. She is affected by her cerebral palsy during some of the action of the story but the condition does not define her. It was refreshing to see a strong main character affected by a physical disability and I thought it was sensitively portrayed. My favourite character is the enigmatic and stoic Grey and I enjoyed his interactions with both Harper and Rhen.

This story contains an interesting mix of a traditional fantasy land with brief glimpses of Harper’s modern urban hometown. I was enchanted by the world of Emberfall and the mystery and magic of the curse. I would definitely like to read more about these characters and their world.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley months ago, but I was kinda scared to read it because I know that there's going to be a sequel and I really didn't want to wait well over a year for the next book! I also read some reviews before reading this book and a few of them say that this book is similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass! I haven't read that book, which I think made me enjoy this book more! I'm also not a fan of retellings and this book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling! I tried to keep an open mind, and after reading, I can say that I enjoyed this book! It did take me a few chapters to get into the plot, but I then became very invested to find out what was going to happen next and how the plot was going to end! The plot also had some action scenes in it, which added a lot, and some romance too! The romance was slow to develop, which made me really happy because there was no way it could have been instant love lol! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Rhen was the main male character, and in this book, Rhen was the beast and had had a curse put upon him! I did feel for Rhen because he was the prince of a kingdom and he didn't have a lot of people surrounding him! His curse was also hard for him to deal with and he carried a lot of guilt because of it! Rhen also cared a lot about his love interest and his feelings for her developed as the plot did! He was protective of her too! Harper was the main female character and love interest of Rhen! She was sort of portrayed as Belle in this book! I loved Harper in this book! She was a strong character and she grew a lot! Harper also had a disability, but she didn't let this hold her back and she still kicked some ass when she had to! Harper also cared a lot about her mother and her brother and she just wanted them to be happy and together! This made it difficult for her in this book because she was in a brand new place and she had to adjust quickly! I loved that this book was written from both Rhen and Harper's point of views! I was hoping that it was going to be written from dual point of view after I read the synopsis, so I'm really glad that it was! It helped me connect and understand Rhen and Harper more and it allowed for more things to happen in the plot, especially as they were both going through their own situations and didn't spend every minute of the plot together! I now can't wait to read the next book in this series! I will now have to wait a year for it to release lol, which I tried to avoid, but judging by the title, it's going to be worth the long wait! I'll definitely be reading it and this author has another release this year too! The cover for this book is absolutely perfect for it! I loved it as soon as I saw it and I'm really happy that the UK covers looks the same as the US one! It matches the feel and what happens in the book too! Big thank you to Brigid, Bloomsbury, and Netgalley for an ARC of A Curse So Dark and Lonely!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which weaves together modern day life and life from a different world. I love all of the fairytale retellings around lately, it adds a piece of homely nostalgia to a new story.

Harper, our main character, is a strong-willed individual with a tumultuous home life and a passion for fighting injustice. It was really nice reading about a MC with a visible and prominent disability (cerebral palsy), who refused to let herself or anyone think of her as any less competent in any task, because of this. I enjoyed reading Harper's transition into a fearless, commanding young woman. Harper is granted an agency which females in these types of stories often aren't, she is told about the curse up front (although not the part where Rhen is the actual monster) and is allowed to figure out how she feels about that and is encouraged to pursue where she felt she needed to go.

Rhen, the "beast" with the curse, was not as fully fleshed out as I would have hoped, but I did like the fact that he developed into a person that he thought deserved not only Harper, but his kingdom.

Grey is the Commander of the Royal Guard and Rhen's loyal subject. His friendship with Harper is probably one of my favourite parts of the story. It's rare for a story like this, with characters like these, to not turn into a love triangle - but I am so glad that it didn't. Platonic opposite-sex relationships are something that are sorely missing from popular books.

I found this story to be quite engaging and the ending was left on enough of a cliffhanger to justify a second book, which I am interested in seeing how it develops and what the end result will be.

*thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Highlights

the world

the romance

the beast 

Overall

I got totally engrossed into this book pretty quickly. I loved Harper as the main character and I really loved Rhen as the prince. 

This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Normally I don't like to read retellings because since I know the original story I should know what happens in the retelling too. Assuming the author stays true to the original story. Which in theory you don't know before you've read the retelling 

The Story

In this retelling of The Beauty And The Beast, we follow Harper and Rhen. It's a dual perspective and we start off with Harper. She lived in DC with her brother and her sick mother. 

One night as Harper is helping her brother out on "a job" she gets whisked away (#kidnapped) to "the other side" where she meets Rhen the Prince of Emberfall. The beginning is very typical beauty and the beast storyline but as the relationship between Harper and Rhen develop the book forms its own domain away from the original. 

What I liked about this retelling was, in the beginning, it informs us of how this curse is not what the originals story's curse is. Already we as readers know this will not entirely be the same. This curse is a constant repetition of a season and off an event. The original curse was permanent and ongoing without any resets. I like this new version because it made more sense to me. If I were cursed like that I would definitely try an jump off a bridge. 

Some plotlines may have been a bit easy, but at the same time, I was connected to Harper and bought into everything she did and said. It made perfect sense to me.

World Building

We get the most of the world building through Harper as she like us are new to Emberfall. We get thrown into the setting in the first chapter and it starts off small. Firstly its just a few areas but as Harper starts to explore so increased the world building. 

I found the building not too steep and that it had a natural progression which felt to be the right pace. Yes, considering we all get thrown into Emberfall straight away there is a lot to take in, but I felt it was done it a nice and easy manner. 

Magic System

The only magic in this place is from the enchantress Lilith who has laid a curse on the land and heir of Emberfall. I'm not sure how it works but there was mention of a blanket and feeling others along the blanket. It made me think of Poison Study and who the magic of the world wrapped itself around the world like a blanket. You could feel the thug of someone taking too much and you would know if you were the only one there. However, in A Curse So Dark And Lonely I felt that the magic came from essentially bad or angry people searching for revenge. I would have liked to see good people with magic too but maybe it doesn't exist in this world. 

The Characters

Harper is the main character in the book and she is born with cerebral palsy but won't let that hold her back. She is strong-willed and kind. I recognised her from myself and I could relate to everything she did. That is probably how I got so engrossed with this book and how I now still can't think about it. Because I was there, I was Harper. All in all, I liked how she wasn't a dolled up, beauty queen type character. I really enjoyed her being a non-perfect empowered woman who tried to save people.

Rhen is the prince/beast of the story. I felt he was the perfect choice for Harper and I liked to see his side of the Beauty and the Beast storyline. He was a prince sick of the repetition of the curse and can come across as arrogant. But deep down he is kind and lovable and I totally love him!

I'm all for this ship!

Grey is the Commander and Rhen's personal guard, the only remaining guard. Its just him and Rhen in the castle these days and Grey is the one to find the girls for Rhen. I like Grey and found to have a lot of questions about him in the end. 

LGBT+?

Yeah, there is something on the sideline, and it's very cute. 

Writing

I had an ARC from NetGalley and the number of formatting issues was insane and so were the spelling mistakes. At some point it got distracting, but I still enjoyed the content and the book so I managed to look away from the issues. The ARC was said to be a Draft so the final version could be different but I definitely hope the formatting and spelling issues are fixed in the final version.

Apart from that, I enjoyed the writing and felt the pacing was just right. 

Summary

I loved it! 

I totally ship Harper and Rhen 🥰

I have so many questions about how it ends that I can't even mention here because of spoilers. A lot of them involves Grey.

I can't wait for book two!

I don't read fantasy that often. It has to really speak to me for me to pick it up. And that's exactly what happened when I saw the blurb for this on Netgalley. It sounded intriguing, and thankfully, it didn't disappoint. There were two main things that drew me in - the curse, and the fact that the MC has cerebral palsy. I am a sucker for a good curse. Probably because I'm trying to write a book involving a curse myself, so I pass it off as research, but it's turned into a bit of an obsession if I'm honest. And the cerebral palsy - I will always champion books with disabled MCs, as long as they do it well. Kemmerer did it extremely well. Harper's disability is a part of her, but it doesn't define her. It certainly doesn't hold her back. I thought this aspect was a refreshing change from the usual MCs, and was treated with great sensitivity and insight. Well researched, and well-written.

Phew, all that fangirling and I've not even covered the plot. So, it's a new take on Beauty and the Beast. I'm not usually a big fan of fairytale reboots to be honest, but this one was done in a rather marvellous way. The magic is dark and terrible, which is my favourite kind, and the bones of the old story were used rather than the flesh, which makes it original and appealing.

I'm pretty sure there's going to be another book to be had from this story, maybe more, and I bloomin' can't wait for it!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is Brigid Kemmerer’s latest release and is a unique and delightfully told take on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, drawing readers into a bewitching world where danger, magic and romance mingle and two very different individuals find themselves drawn together to prevent a war and cure a curse.

Prince Rhen is the heir to the throne of Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress, Rhen is doomed to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year until over and over again until he can find a woman to fall in love with him. Once a charming and charismatic young man, Rhen believed that the curse would be easy to break, but with each failed year where he turns into a brutal monster at the end, Rhen has all but lost hope. With his family long killed by the monster he can’t control, Rhen has watched helplessly as the kingdom fell into disrepair and his monster ravaged his people. Life has never been easy for Harper Lacy. Her father left long ago, her mother is dying from cancer and her brother works for a mobster in order to keep their family afloat. Despite her cerebral palsy, Harper has always been tough which is why when she sees a woman being attacked in the streets, she steps in to help. Before she knows it, Harper is waking up in a land so very far away from her native Washington DC. Dragged into Rehn’s cursed world, Harper doesn’t know what to think of everything she sees, but as she and Rhen attempt to find common ground, will Harper be just the thing to break Rhen’s curse. Or will forces outside their control see the kingdom doomed forever?

Brigid Kemmerer is one of those authors whose novels I always enjoy. Whether she’s writing contemporary or supernatural YA or now fairy-tale retellings, Kemmerer manages to create vivid and compelling stories. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a prime example of this; darkly vibrant and alluring with likable characters, magic and authentic storyline development. Unfolding through the back and forth perspectives of both main characters, A Curse So Dark and Lonely was a forward moving story that captured my attention from the beginning and didn’t let go until the final page.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely introduces readers to two strong and likable voices in Rhen and Harper. I appreciated the growth both characters undertook throughout the story and felt they were genuine developments that fit the story well without seeming forced. Easy to follow and care about, Rhen and Harper had a compelling relationship that developed steadily over time. Brigid Kemmerer won me over with the lack of insta-love, instead choosing to build on Rhen and Harper’s initial distrust of one another and create a friendship with perfect hints of romantic tension and possibilities.

Rhen himself is a far cry from your ordinary prince; tormented and hopeless who had already come a long way from the spoilt, conceited prince be was pre-curse when the novel kicks off. Rhen is controlling of situations and determined, a by-product of his upbringing and princehood. This is something that sees him clash with female protagonist Harper, but his desire to do the right thing for his people shines throughout the novel as Rhen has his eyes opened to the suffering of his kingdom as the novel progressed.

Harper on the other hand is a naturally tough in effortless way. Harper is a modern teenage girl thrust into a fairytale and I felt that her reactions were authentic and genuine. Brigid Kemmerer gives Harper some substance as a sufferer of cerebral palsy and showcases that disabilities in no way mitigate what a person can do. Harper grows in her time in Emberfall and truly begins to come into her own as she faces different circumstances.

The other important character within A Curse So Dark and Lonely is Commander Grey with Kemmerer writing Grey in a manner that you can’t help but like him straight away. I won’t give away spoilers but Grey plays an ongoing role in the novel and is someone I can’t wait to see more of!

With A Curse So Dark and Lonely ending this chapter of Rhen and Harper’s story beautifully, I for one can’t wait to see a sequel and/or companion novel released to expand on the revelations Brigid Kemmerer made at the end of A Curse So Dark and Lonely as I definitely wouldn’t mind getting lost in this entrancing world once more.

I love Beauty and the Beast, it is one of my favourite fairy tales and I have made it my mission to read as many retellings as I can and this one did not disappoint.

In this retelling Rhen a.k.a the Beast, has been cursed to repeat the same season over and over again with the result of him turning into a beast at the end of each season if he can’t find a girl to fall in love with him. This is where Harper comes into the equation as Grey Rhen’s commander of the guard travels from his world into ours and kidnaps her with the hope that she will break the curse. However, in our world Harper’s family is in danger and she will do anything to get home again.

I was a little apprehensive at first with the whole parallel worlds aspect of the story but it actually works really well and didn’t feel to complicated. I overall, plot was also really interesting and I enjoyed this new take on the original fairy tale. It took me a little to get into the story but once I was I really enjoyed it.

I really liked the characters in this. First we have Harper, I really liked her strength and resilience throughout this as well as her love for her family. Harper also has Cerebral Palsy. Our other POV character was Rhen, I really loved watching Rhen’s growth throughout this book and his fight with whether he deserves to be saved or not. And then we have Grey, who is Rhen’s guard commander and the only person left at the castle that Rhen’s beast has not yet killed. He is completely loyal to Rhen and will do anything in his power to protect him and the Kingdom.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

“My father once said we are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately loose — just as a poor hand can win — but we must all play the cards fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”

I’m a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, that’s why I’ve been wanting to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely from the moment I first read its synopsis. Then I realised that at the heart of this story is a protagonist with cerebral palsy — and my desire to read this book grew all the more, because there are so few books in the YA genre that feature any kind of representation for disorders and disabilities. So I went into A Curse So Dark and Lonely with somewhat high expectations — and they’ve been met, mostly.

I think one of the best parts of reading this book has been the writing. Brigid Kemmerer has a kind of seemingly effortless writing style that makes it easy to get lost in the story. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is fast-paced and adventurous, the first few chapters flew by without me noticing and I read this book until late in the night, finding myself unable to put it down. The themes of the book emphasise just that: the characters travel around the kingdom, there are battles and fighting — overall, Emberfall, the fantasy world most of the story is set in, is one of the most vivid parts of the book.

“Words spoken in the dark in the middle of the night always feel so much heavier than they would at any other time.”

If you’ve followed me for a while now, though, you might have noticed a bit of a trend: that what I love most about books, about reading, are the characters. So that’s why, even though I enjoyed the story of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and even though I read it incredibly fast and found it to be an immensely fun experience, I still didn’t love it. Because I couldn’t really connect with the characters.

Let’s start with Harper. She’s one half of this book, really, as it’s written in equal parts from her and Rhen’s POV. Harper has cerebral palsy — a neurological disorder that impacts movement. In Harper’s case that means that she has a limp and often experiences moments of pain in one of her legs. I truly applaud Kemmerer for her portrayal of Haper and the way she lives with cerebral palsy — she’s brave, fierce even, and she doesn’t back down; the first time we meet her she’s shivering in the cold streets of Washington, DC, yet doesn’t hesitate for an instant before saving a girl from being kidnapped even though her only weapon is an iron bar — if that’s not bold, then I don’t know what is. But she also annoyed me at times and she was constantly described as “not like other girls”, which is a particular trope I’m not in the least fond of. An example: as soon as Harper is brought to Emberfall, it’s stated that the girls who were supposed to break the curse before her were all interested in pretty dresses and jewellery, but Harper is different. She knows how to ride a horse and is afraid of nothing. I’m sorry, but descriptions like that are just really not my thing.

Rhen is the other half of A Curse So Dark and Lonely. He’s the prince of Emberfall, but he was cursed to relive the autumn of his eighteenth year again and again until a girl falls in love with him, thus breaking the curse. Rhen is arrogant half of the time and self-pitying the rest — but he has a lot of character development (on that note I should mention that Harper has a lot of development, too). At first I didn’t like him at all, but during the course of the book I learned more about what was beneath the surface and understood more about his character and his behaviour. I saw that he made a lot of sacrifices and that maybe his arrogant demeanour was at least in part a protective behaviour.

I must say, overall I liked the side characters better than the protagonists. There’s Grey, commander of the Royal Guard and all that is left of the soldiers who were supposed to watch over the prince. I liked the dynamics between him and Rhen and also between him and Harper — he’s a good friend to both of them, even though he was the one to abduct Harper in the first place and bring her to Emberfall. Then there’s Freya, who becomes somewhat of a motherly figure to Harper, and she is just the kindest person. There’s Jake, Harper’s brother, and his boyfriend, Noah, who are the sweetest couple and I wish we’d seen more of them!

“It is not the moment of passing that is the most important. It is all the moments that come before.”

That brings me to the one thing that really bothered me while reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely: the story line of Harper’s mother. She has cancer, something that’s mentioned often throughout the story, something Harper seems to suffer from a lot — at first. Later, it’s just treated as a motivator for her, and towards the end of the book, even less than that. As someone with a personal connection to this topic, this made me both angry and sad. Obviously, that is another thing that’s completely partial to me, but I feel like I must give it as a reason for rating A Curse So Dark and Lonely the way I did.

Overall, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a fun first book in an exciting new fantasy series. It’s easy to read and very captivating, the plot is engaging and I found myself reading well into the night, because I didn’t want to put it down — it’s a very enjoyable book and great for fantasy fans who are in the mood for a fast-paced story. That being said, I couldn’t really connect with the two protagonists and since that’s key for me to love a story, it fell a bit short.

A long time passed since I read a retelling and my mouth dropped open when I was approved for this title. I wasn't expecting sure, just sitting in front of my mails and waiting for being reject. But I was approved!

First thing I need to note down is that what I got at the time (still in 2018) was a draft. Some time later, I noticed that Netgalley probably updated with a more complete work. Anyway, what I'm going to review is what I read and I think there have been maybe none to little changes (saying this after reading some reviews).

Even if from one part this book didn't surprise me, in the end I realized how I kinda got invested into it. Maybe it happens to other readers too, but sometimes I read a novel and... the novel is okay, Not bad, not good. But there's something, maybe a character or maybe the world, that keeps getting back to you and you go on for that. This was the case.

Because let's be real: Harper and Grey and precious, even if sometimes I wanted to punch him.

Definitely Harper saved the novel. I loved her so much and how her character was handled. I cannot speak for the disability rep, but I felt like the book did a good job at showing how she could do things while everyone underestimate her? On the other side, maybe the mention of it could have a little more present? But I won't express much more on it, I prefer to leave such discussion to people who have such disability.

Anyway, another important thing about Harper, is that the whole plot could have led to the tropes of her "being not like the other girls", but it didn't. Not once I read of her putting down the other girls that came before while Rhen clearly does. And I don't want to forget about the fact that Harper helps people!

She does not dwell on waiting or "should I do that or not?". She acts. She 's genuinely good and altruistic. I really love character like that, even if they put themself in danger most of the times. May not be the best tactic way to act but at least they do not left other people to die. I feel like this type of character are usually not well seen by many readers, which is very sad.

Grey was also precious even if there are things of him that I could delete without too much thoughts. One side of me understand the position but the other has its doubts. I would love to dig further about his character but I cannot say more because of spoilers.

Harper's brother doesn't spark for being the best, but he was also tangled inside dangerous things, really stressed and other messes. I can understand. Also, about him, the story feature a m/m relationship! It didn't have much screen but there are good chances that him and his companion will take a major role in the second novel. I really hope so.

But Rhen... do we really need Rhen?

The first time I read about him, with his high cheekbones, I rolled my eyes so hard. New young adult books need a bit of improvement when it comes to male description. But aside from this, which is a pretty superficial detail, other things really rubbed me wrong with him.

In the novel while the story progress, Harper does some consideration on him and all of those are true. I feel like Rhen needed to hear more of this and that Harper deserve better.

While his behaviour can make sense because of what happened, he was an asshole most of the time: starting from the way he treats Harper, how he sometimes consider the past girls, how the punish Grey because he's being petty... the list is long.

It was kinda embarrassing to watch how sometimes Harper, an Earth girl, was more competent about his reign. Like yes, Rhen posses a series of skills Harper doesn't have, but surely he lacks of initiative. Many and many things could have been organized to keep the reign safe, but Rhen did not.

Yes, I understand the various obstacles related to the curse, but how we say in Italy "morto un papa se ne fa un altro". Okay, in this case we're talking about popes, but the concepts still stand. No matter what, once a king is dead, you make another. Other things don't work very well for me, especially about the reign. If the king is out, no one hear a thing from the royal family since a lot of time, how does a reign keeps going on? Why other noble, important or rich figures didn't take the power in certain zones? How the civilians still go on like nothing happened?

I had this kind of thoughts for the whole novel. I never saw the villain posing an actual stop to any tries of reconstruct the kingdom, because Lilith didn't really care. She probably knew how things were going. Also, I still doubts that Emberfall's people would so easily goback to a royal family that left many to starve and under invasion. Unless the royal family indoctrinated them.

Aside from my many doubts, other things really didn't work well for me: some important revelations threw around, a villain that was wasted, random reigns spouting like some fungus... yeah, things like those along "the power of feelings" cheesy trope.

For reaching the conclusion, I liked this novel and got attached to some characters. I screamed a bit at the ending and I cannot wait to read book two. I have some hopes to see the current possible, semi official ship crash down sorry not sorry. What happened was foggy enough to leave an interesting space for more exploration about relationship and feelings. And also something a bit more serious, like war?

A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a reimagining of the classic Beauty and the Beast with much darker themes. In this novel the 'beast' is forced to live the same Autumn season over and over, each time a new girl is stolen away to the court and held as prisoner in hopes of breaking the curse. And each time more and more chaos and bloodshed ensues.

I was intrigued to find out that this is set in modern times. Where 'the belles' are taken from our world and taken to another land. The protagonist Harper is from the states, DC to be precise, and comes from a hard life, where she helps her brother care for her sick mother. Harper also has Cerebral Palsy, which is amazing representation in itself, however there is even more wide representation in terms of the characters sexuality and race. For example Harper's brother Jake is gay and has the most wonderful relationship with his boyfriend. I can't speak for how well done the representation is specifically because I can't personally relate to these circumstances, however from what I've read in this book I would say that I think the author took care in making sure everything was written delicately and also truthfully.

'We are not always presented with the choices we want, but choices exist nonetheless.'

We have multiple perspectives weaved into the novel, and our other protagonist is obviously 'the beast', which I loved because most retellings I've read in the past don't delve so much in to the beasts thoughts and emotions. This took the story to a whole new level and I loved Rhen's point of view. Each season Rhen starts off physically as the man he always used to be and slowly progresses into a different form of monster, losing all humanity and killing anything that gets in his path. In addition I adored this very unique and much darker take on the tale and thought the author did an excellent job at bringing it to life.

The only problem I really had with this was that at times the writing seemed slow and at certain points overly drawn out, however I do see how this made the plot seem much more well developed and put together in the long run. And the action and faster pace in the second half of the book certainly made up for this.

I loved how the romance in this is so realistic and well done, again it felt like such a unique take on the original tale. I believe there is going to be a sequel and if that's the case I'm very excited to see how Kemmerer continues to develop the relationship further and drives forward the story from where it leaves off at the end of this book.

Overall I loved this unique take on one of my favourite stories and am thrilled to say that I'll continue reading whatever Brigid Kemmerer puts out because she constantly makes me fall in love with her characters and she can without a doubt write fantasy just as well if not even better than she can write contemporary!

Content warnings: Abduction, death, murder, gore, torture, abuse, attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, talks of suicide, cancer, and ableist comments. (All of these things in my opinion are addressed well and confronted in the story, but please do be aware that these are present themes going into this book.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(All quotes are subject to change upon publication)

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury UK for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lately, we've been getting so many retellings in YA and I'm living for it. I love a good fantasy retelling and I am particularly invested in Beauty and the Beast ones as it was my favorite tale as a child. Unsurprisingly, the similarities between this story and other ones based on the same fairytale, are plentiful. That being said, it's not something that bothers me at all. Rhen is self-absorbed and narcisistic in the beginnig of the book and the interactions between him and Harper are exactly what you would expect. I quite enjoyed this and I'm interested in reading more from the author.

I enjoyed this one, i liked the pace and the writing. The characters were good and overall enjoyed my time reading. I think the authors fans will be happy she is back. I would continue the series eventually, am happy i was given the chance to read an advanced copy.

Harper Lacy is used to life throwing difficulties her way; though with her mother dying, and her brother in danger, her cerebral palsy isn't going to get in the way. When Harper is kidnapped, she finds herself inside of a castle seemingly in a different time, and soon learns she's in a whole other word entirely. Trapped in the city of Emberfall, held captive by the Crown Prince Rhen and his royal guard, Harper learns of a curse that befell this land... and how she must be the one to stop it. But Harper isn't the type to fall in love with a kidnapping, arrogant Prince, and the more she sees of Emberfall, she realises there's a lot more at stake than a curse and the threat of a monster that's ripped apart families and villages.

From the very beginning, there is so much more to Harper than what meets the eye. Her confidence, beliefs, strength, and bravery are tested countless times throughout the novel, and every step of the way, she surprises the reader with how quickly she can adapt. To put it blatantly - Harper makes fear and pain her bitch. As a younger sister, she's put into the box of "weaker" and "incapable", and for a time it appears she fits the role. Harper describes her brother, Jake, as a dumb jock however it's clear his view of Harper is borne of love and worry. There's not a moment throughout the story when Harper considers allowing cerebral palsy to slow her down. She speaks out about it several times throughout the novel, though it is never any more than a hindrance to her.
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As the girl dragged to Ironrose Castle kicking and screaming, Harper is a constant source of awe to Rhen and his guard, Grey. Though she's caring, she's not stupid. Harper thinks strategically. Like a warrior, she knows and understands pain and she uses it not only to her own advantage, but to those who cannot save themselves. Despite the secrets uncovered throughout the story, and the ever worsening hardships she, Rhen, and Grey must endure, Harper is a quick learner, unwilling to leave anyone behind to suffer - including her mother and brother back in DC. While the pressure of the curse thickens with each passing day, and the stakes increase as she does not fall for the Prince, Harper stays true to herself. She is unwilling to be courted like the countless others who failed to break the curse, but instead throws her efforts into helping the people of Emberfall - those who already suffer from effects of the curse. ​​ I cannot express how refreshing this was to read!


Prince Rhen, at first glance, is the arrogant, selfish, and uncaring character we all know from the story of The Beauty and the Beast. At the time of meeting Harper, Rhen has seen hundreds of seasons go by - each ending in more brutal or heartbreaking ways than the last. He has long since given up hope, and learning that this will be his final season, with only Harper, the girl least likely to fall for him after everything he took from her, to end the curse and free him and his people, Rhen is more defeated than ever. Yet he sees how Harper does not fear him, sees how she cares for his people, and puts herself at risk to help them when even he hadn't dared.

Rhen is tormented by Lilith, the sorceress who ensnared him with her spell all those years ago, and it soon becomes clear that he is not the man he once was. Rhen can be selfish, wreckless, and yet he does not set limits for Harper. He encourages her decision making and doesn't overrule her; he involves Harper in conversations with Grey, and allows her to make orders as she sees fit. While there were many opportunities for Rhen to take advantage of Harper's growing admiration for him, despite everything resting on Harper falling for him, he refuses to jump in at an unnatural pace, or without her expressed permission. Of all things about Prince Rhen's character, this is what speaks volumes of him the most.


Grey, the royal guard and sarcastic friend, is unquestionably loyal. Despite all he's seen and been through with the Prince, despite how little hope is left, he is always ready to serve the crown. While there is a certain amount of mystery surrounding his character, it is impossible not to trust him. Grey is respectful and clever and unafraid of Rhen, and can be a good friend when needed. Throughout the story, Grey is often left playing the mediator between Rhen and Harper, and in those small moments we see snippets of his true self, which I wish I could have seem more of.

Although "real world meets fantasy world" isn't usually a story I tend to enjoy, the atmosphere of both worlds were so wholly different that it was easy to get lost in them both. Personally, it took me more time than usual to settle into the world of Emberfall as we saw it through Harper's eyes, though this was an issue I anticipated beforehand. The world-building and action were immediate, and the more time we spent in Emberfall, and the more we learned of the world and its ways, the more believable it became. While there wasn't detailed description of the setting and surroundings with each passing page, it wasn't hard to conjure a clear image of the scenes. Emberfall itself wasn't unlike other fantasy settings, however - though I have high expectations of the next book to come (if my hopes happen to come true!).


For the first third of the book, I wondered if the writing would have best suited third person in place of first, however the problem seemed to lie in the pacing. For a time, the focus of the story surrounds Harper's disbelief of her travelling between worlds, and her anger at the expectation of her to fall in love with the Prince. While this was essential, there was a lull in the story as as we continued to deal with this, and so it possibly could have been cut short. Beyond this, the story quickly picks up in pace and we begin to see how our characters react in the face of danger (of which there is no shortage). At times, there were a few cheesier lines that pulled me out of the world/story ("you and what army?" will always remind me of Shrek - that's on me!), and yet I can't not commend the author for the reminders that Harper was from Washington, not Emberfall.

As a retelling, this story still stands on its own as original. There were constant surprises and twists, and very rarely was I able to guess at what would happen. Retellings can be a bit of a double edged sword - the author has the pressure of doing the original story justice for those fans going in, while also contending with creating an entirely new story from the original concept. Toward the end of this novel, I was in awe of the originality. This just worked. Any moment of doubt in which I believed I knew where the plot was heading due to the original tale was eviscerated completely each time. The author did an amazing job at weaving mystery and intrigue into her story, and once I was past my own personal hangups, I couldn't put this book down. (In truth, I haven't sat and read over 250 pages in a single sitting in YEARS, so please take this as currency for how much I enjoyed this story).


​Another compliment to this story is that, again, with this being a "real world meets fantasy world" situation, there was never any issue with the logic. The possibility of travelling between worlds wasn't over-explained or given an "easy out", and yet there was never a moment when I thought "wait.. what??". The cryptic intentions with which Harper is transported to this other world was always the focus, and this was something I highly appreciated about the story. Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel - particularly the final 50-60% when there never seems to be a good stopping point for reading. Emberfall became a well-built place within my mind, and I cared for the characters every step of the way. There is also a gay relationship within this story, that I won't spoil, but I must give credit where it is due - this is something I haven't seen enough of in this genre!

The story wrapped up smoothly, transitioning to the end with an electric pace, and no stone was left unturned. Each time our characters faced a villain, enemy, or monster, I truly feared for their safety. In regard to Rhen and Harper toward the end, I can't say much as I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that I was gleeful. As heck. Those characters never stopped surprising me, and I can't wait to see what comes next from them and their world(s), particularly with magic and magic users.
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Overall, I highly recommend you check this out. As a standalone first book in a fantasy series, it's great, and as a retelling, it's even better!

Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

Characters: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★☆

You have to resign yourself to the fact that the "beast" or prince is a jerk most of the time. He's is a self-absorbed spoiled kid who never grew up and because of his cold-hearted nature has been cured to be a beast and has to genuinely fall in love with someone and get her to love him back before the last petal of an enchanted rose falls to break the curse. Enter Belle, a local girl who is shunned by her fellow villagers for being 'different' aka being a bookworm or an inventor.



Belle's father stumbles upon the Beast's castle and is taken as a prisoner, so Belle gives up her freedom in exchange for her father's release. Together, Belle and the Beast learn that physical appearances are a shallow way of judging people and eventually the curse is broken.



However, in A Curse So Dark and Lonely the ‘beast’ Rhen is sensitive, caring, yet tortured and hopeful for change. He's still a pain in the butt until you get to that growth but that's to be expected with any Beauty and The Beast story so suck it up, princess.



Belle in this story is named Harper. Harper is a strong female lead who happens to have cerebral palsy and is beyond fantastic. I loved how Brigid writing style made was clear about what caused it, how it influenced her childhood and growing up (therapy, surgeries, etc), and what it means for her as an adult.



In this Beauty and The Beast retelling, Prince Rhen is the ruler of the fantasy kingdom of Emberfall and is under a curse where he keeps repeating the autumn of his 18th birthday until he can get one of the women his commander kidnaps to fall in love with him. Rhen also occasionally turns into a beast and terrorizes his people and causes more and more bloodshed each reset. Time outside of the enchanted castle keeps moving and Rhen barely has a kingdom left to rule and there are threats looming. But after three-hundred seasons, this season will officially be the last.



Let’s get back to the inspiring Harper she lives in the DC area and is used to being underestimated by everyone, even her own family, because of her cerebral palsy. Her mum is dying from cancer, her dad is gone and left them in debt, and her brother's in a lot of sketchy trouble. But when she spots what looks like a kidnapping, she rushes over to help she intervenes and is taken instead to Emberfall. Harper's a fierce main character who really drove the story and it was wonderful to see a lead not only be an intelligent female but who had cerebral palsy, yet was never defined by it. Anyway, she's kind of awesome and I loved her.



Brigid Kemmerer manages to put her own fresh spin on a well-loved tale; she tells a story of a fantasy land that lives parallel to our own modern-day world. Brigid writing is incredibly addictive right from the start. There's a really interesting and the world building and the settings are so vividly written. I loved the contrast between Harper’s modern-day DC experience and the fantasy realm of Emberfall. Seeing the protagonist adjust throughout the story and develop as her situation changes make her all the more realistic. Even though the book is told in alternating points of view it remains gripping, addictive and magical. There is a dialogue in this book about feeling accountable for things that you have no control over. Whether that be mistakes that your loved ones are making or the deteriorating health of loved ones. Some things are absolutely out of our control.

Every now and then, you hear about a book being hyped before release and it totally matches those high expectations. For me, A Curse So Dark and Lonely was one of those books. I’ve had it on my Netgalley TBR pile for absolutely ages, but since the book is shortly to be released, I figured it was time to sit down and actually read it. And honestly, I’m a little lost for words. It is everything I wanted in a YA fantasy novel. There’s a good dose of slow-burn romance in there, some brilliant Beauty and the Beast retelling moments in there (let’s be honest, it’s the best Dinsey movie), and the characters are well-developed. Plus, and I feel like a bit of an asshole for even having to mention this in 2019, we get actual diversity in this book.

I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t entirely sold. The story starts out in DC which for me was a bit of a detraction. I get that Harper is a ‘real world’ character who gets thrust into a fantasy world she has to navigate, but for me I wasn’t a big fan of the brief bit of urban fantasy we get. Don’t get me wrong, it can be done well, but I just fell out of love with it a while back. I wasn’t the biggest fan of City of Bones being set in NY, and the weird blend of fantasy and real world in The Hazel Wood also didn’t quite cut it for me. Thankfully, it’s a pretty brief glimpse of DC before we are thrown into the world of Emberfall.

The descriptions here are gorgeous and I fell in love instantly. I liked that the world was revealed in little pieces, and that so much of it remained a mystery. Admittedly, coming straight off the back of reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, there were a few worldbuilding gaps in this book for me, but I didn’t think there was too much of an issue with that. I guess because the characters are isolated in one area due to the curse, there’s a lot of worldbuilding stuff that can be forgiven. Also, we’re getting a book two, so I’m hoping some things will be addressed later.

As for the characters, this is where I truly lost my mind. I was curious to see how another retelling of Beauty and the Beast would hold up, considering the phenomenal success of SJM’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but boy was I wrong to worry. I loved Harper so much. She was so strong and resilient and her kindness totally shone through on every page. I liked seeing her challenge Rhen’s prejudices and general distrust and temper them with bravery and trust. On the flip side, at no point did the character come across as ridiculously naïve either, which was quite refreshing. Instead, Harper is incredibly complex and nuanced. She also has cerebral palsy, which is something I have never actually seen well-written in YA before (although tbf I’ve only read two books that included characters with the disability). It’s very well handled and I can’t commend the author enough for doing all the research before going and publishing this. I liked how some characters responded to Harper’s disability by seeing it as a weakness and tried to compensate by protecting her as though she were a delicate flower, and how Harper never really accepts that. In fact, she’s as damn badass as they come. She climbs out of windows, learns how to throw knives, tries multiple times to escape on horseback and is generally just too awesome for words. But just as her disability isn’t a defining part of her character. It is also something she doesn’t just brush under the carpet. There are moments when she accepts that she sometimes struggles to walk, or gets fatigued quicker than others. And though she doesn’t rely too much on other characters to help her deal with that, neither does she just pretend it isn’t a thing. Like I said, I thought it was really well handled. This is my opinion here though. I do not have cerebral palsy so I’m not sure if I’ve just naively skipped over some stuff others might have picked out (I did read a review the other day that complained about a lot of ablest language from the villains).

The other characters are also pretty cool. Rhen is revealed in stages, and he’s a bit like a Shrek onion because there’s so many layers to him. He’s an easy character to dislike earlier on but he really comes into his own later in the book and the transformation was very sweet. Likewise, Grey was well developed and seemed realistic. He was kind and loyal and made some tough decisions, But I also liked that both he and Rhen were sometimes incredibly selfish and made decisions that would harm others for the good of the kingdom. Not that that’s a good thing at all, but as flaws go, I think that’s a pretty interesting one for a prince and his guard to have. I wasn’t quite so keen on the brother later on in the book, but I think that’s because we didn’t see enough of his character to actually understand his swinging mood changes. Again, I hope this is something that is explored in later books.

There were also several plot twists at the end of the novel. Although I figured out how the plot of this book would end about halfway through, I did find the twist that paves the way for the sequel to be surprising. I’d be curious to know what others thought of that one (though please keep comments spoiler free at least until the book is released).

I will say that this retelling is incredibly dark, and there are several trigger warnings I want to mention for anyone who might be interested in picking up a copy of the book. Obviously, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling there are trigger warnings for abduction and false imprisonment, but also talks about cancer, attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, mentions of suicidal thoughts and torture. That’s a pretty long list, and the content may not be suitable for everyone.

Overall, I’m going to give A Curse So Dark and Lonely a 10/10 stars. I truly loved it, and I practically flew through the book, and I am already itching to purchase a physical copy when it gets released later this month.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a book that was hyped even before the publication date. I know that it shouldn’t, but when a book is surrounded by so much excitement and publication then my expectations go up. To be honest I was blown away by that amazingly beautiful cover and the very intriguing synopsis. Retellings are kind of my thing, but it has been quite a while since I read a decent Beauty and the Beast retelling. So I was hoping that this original take on the story with a heroine coming from our world, could rectify this.
Allthough I had a really good time reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely I wasn’t blown away by the story as some other bloggers are. Don’t get me wrong I understand all the hype and there are multiple reasons why you should read this book and love it. But there are two reasons why I just wasn’t blown away.
But let’s start off with 3 reasons why you should most definitely read this book!
• Diversity
This book is so diverse! Harper, the heroine in the story has Cerebral Palsy. Her brother is queer and has the most wonderful coloured boyfriend.

• Dark
This story is dark. Even darker than the original fairy-tale. I personally loved how dark and real it was. Blood, death, war… it’s all in here. I also liked the fact that Rhen, the cursed Prince has trouble dealing with what his curse contains. He sometimes has very dark thoughts and his suicidal thoughts are touched upon in the story.

• Kick Ass Heroine
Readers of my blog by now know that I absolutely love stong, female characters. And Harper is without a doubt that strong female character I have been missing in many YA fantasy stories. She is strong, fierce and loyal. Even with her cerebral palsy she is ready for action and never settles into the victim role. She was the main reason I kept enjoying the story so much.

But as I said… I wasn’t blown away by the book. So here are my 3 main reasons why I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
• The Romance: Part 1
Yes, two parts on the romance. I have my reasons… keep reading and find out. If you don’t like a good romance story, you will possibly love A Curse So Dark and Lonely. There is almost no romance in the story!

• The Romance: Part 2
I think it is quite hard to talk about this issue with the book without giving away spoilers. But I will just say that I didn’t buy the romance in the end of the book. I felt it betrayed the rest of the story and it was not the ending the overall story was working towards. But maybe that is just me?

• No engagement
It was very hard to get engaged with the story. I really enjoyed the overall story, but I never got an actual connection with any of the characters. The characters lacked debt apart from Harper and Grey.
I could close the book and pick it up days later without missing it and that is never a good sign for a story.

So overall I enjoyed A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Is it worth all the hype? No, in my honest opinion it isn’t. Is it a good Beauty and the Beast retelling? Yes, it is one of the best retellings I have read in a while. (Although maybe that says a lot about the other retellings.) The story is compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses, but really… who made that comparisation? It’s like comparing an orange to a apple. They are fruit and that’s it.
When I started this story I thought this was going to be a standalone… be prepared it is not! I am curious to see where the next instalment is going to go and if it is going to rectify the mistakes of this part of the story.

review will be posted on my blog on 28/01/2019

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book.

I mean, it’s a retelling if my favourite fairytale so I was always going to, but I loved how this included faithful elements that are often not included or handled as well. And I loved the mythology of it all, the mix of modern and fantasy, how it plays out, just everything.

Let’s start with Harper. Princess Harper rocked my socks off. First, I love that she has CF and it’s just a thing that’s part of her, not something that defines her. LOVE. And she’s fiesty and fierce and protective and sometimes a little selfish and just wonderful. She’s not perfect, and that’s why she is, to me. She’s not always seeing the bigger picture (unlike Rhen who can’t see anything but!) and often worrying about her family. Understandable but makes for gloriously frustrating reading when you know Harper and Rhen would understand each other if they could only TALK properly. Lol. My favourite sort of frustration.

And Rhen. Oh Rhen. Closed off and fiercely protecting his people, big hearted, understanding, and also sometimes a little selfish. Heh. I sometimes wanted Grey to smack him round the head lol. But I loved how much he does care about Grey, about his people, and he’s doing what he thinks he can. He’s never had enough time to think about how to solve the wider problems, he just gets handfuls of weeks at a time to concentrate on the main one. I totally get that, but I love Harper coming and making him realise that a little.

Grey is also amazing. And his ending was AMAZEBALLS. I think I may have a thing for these characters just for being so awesome and protective of each other. Grey embodies that so well. And I cannot wait for more.

I desperately need to punch Lilith. So much. I was all over the crazy “why don’t you love me” stuff anyway, but every time she was on page she made it worse. So evil. And I definitely want to find out more about her background and her people. I just hate her motivation, it never feels real to me. To be so self centred or so angry that something didn’t work out the way you want to curse an entire land in that way for that long? Ugh. Just no. But then, I love the way her story works for this version - I have always hated the witch character in Beauty and the Beast, and Lilith is no different, but her curse and how it works makes so much more sense than the traditional.

And then there’s the ending. I’m going to try and keep it spoiler free - I’ve already mentioned Greys part in it which I didn’t see coming and was so good, but also they way Rhen and Harper’s story ended and everything with the curse. Omg. I love this book.

I think it was cleverly ended as well, as I wasn’t sure if we’d get enough resolution, given it’s a series (don’t worry, we do!), or I was worried that it wouldn’t have enough of a continuing on point (it definitely does). Very well done.


Review will be on my blog on 26th Jan

This review will be posted on my blog Foxes and Fairy Tales on January 6 2019.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/arc-review-a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely

I love Beauty and the Beast. I really do. I've read loads of retelling and reimaginings. So, of course, when I saw A Curse So Dark and Lonely I just absolutely had to pick it up.

Beauty and the Beast.

It's a bit of a portal fantasy, with the protagonist Harper arriving in Emberfall from contemporary D.C. This initially threw me a little, but it actually works perfectly with the story Kemmerer is telling. As a BatB retelling, I think the author did a wonderful job. All the classic elements are recognisably there, but with a twist. I adored the spin she put on the ending and the resolution of the curse. It was wonderfully ambiguous and something I'd never seen done before.

At first, I wasn't so sure about the 'Beast' character angle. For most of the book, Rhen is just a slightly arrogant (and attractive) human. I'm always a little more hesitant about this kind of Beast,  because often the heroine ends up overlooking a lot of inexcusable behaviours and, honestly, because I really want to see the author come up with a cool take on the monster. Kemmerer managed to pull this off wonderfully though. Rhen is arrogant but not irredeemable, and the flashes we see of the past seasons and his actions as the beast are dark and brilliant. I really loved the idea of Groundhog Day style 'seasons', and that Rhen becomes a slightly different monster in each. The hints were enough for this story, but I'd love if the author ever went back and wrote some shorts based on past seasons.

Representation.

I've no experience with cerebral palsy (although I'd love to link to some ownvoices reviews if they become available) but it seemed well handled to me. Harper's condition is mentioned when relevant to the conversation or action, but it isn't a defining characteristic. I was really happy to see that my fears were completely unfounded: there's no magical CP cure, and Harper doesn't have CP as a way to solve a plot point. There's also a touch of queer rep from Harper's brother Jake, who features a little more towards the end with his secret boyfriend Noah.

Romance and Continuing the Series.

I was a little baffled by the love triangle. As much as I adored the second love-interest, there are two POVs and it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling so it seemed a bit of a foregone conclusion. But the ending sets up some interesting things which might be developed in the next book, so I'm willing to wait and see how it plays out. I'd also love to see more of the supporting female characters, Zo and Freya, perhaps in less duty-bound roles.

Wow!! What a way to kick of 2019!!!

I got a chance to read this book before the release in exchange for a fair and honest review, and I was not disappointed!

This book is a fantastic story and is definitely one to put on your TBR list! It does have a slight Beauty and the Beast feel to it but only because of the enchanted prince aspect.

The characters are wonderful! They are full bodied and well rounded, you definitely root for them and grow to care for them. Harper is a feisty and independent girl that is a worthy heroine. Prince Rhen is a stubborn so and so but I found myself liking him more and more with each page swipe. Also we have Grey to add to the company, which fills out the equivalent of the “best friend” role to a tee!

The world of Emberfall is richly described and the story weaves seamlessly on. I could not put this book down and loved it so much that I immediately pre-ordered the physical book! I applaud Brigid Kemmerer for her amazing gift and I truly hope that there will be a follow up!!!