I really loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely, so I was looking forward to reading this one, although a bit apprehensively. This book was different, but I still enjoyed it and will be reading the next one.

This was a fantastic book however, there were times this book wasn’t exactly everything I had hoped it would be. I really loved to LOVE this book just for what it was and how it was written but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen the way I wanted it to.

I was struggling to read the book by the third/forth chapter—I give time to most of these books because I am not exactly “the perfect” YA audience, I’m 27. So I wanted to give it a loving embrace and hope that I loved it just as much as my YA audience would. So now let’s get to the important stuff, I didn’t see a lot of character development in the text itself. It seemed to just be there from one book to the next without giving us any context as to why, how, or anything like that. The characters just jumped from one personality to the next without any true growth. I don’t like this. Kids don’t like this. They want to see why characters have changed, why plots changed, etc. But it just wasn’t here.

I am also not a POV person when it comes to my books because I truthfully just cannot keep up with it. It bothers me. It has nothing to do with the person writing the book but just me. However, the character differences from book one to two did NOT help with the POVs here. It was actually a detriment to this style of writing. Blegh. Sorry. I apologize.

Now when it comes to the actual writing of the book, it was excellent. Brigid is an amazing writer and can get you into a world of anything with her writing. She writes in the perfect paces, when things are crazy her writing gets more frantic and fast, when her story gets a little bit more sad or soft, her writing slows down and makes you melt. She attracts even the worst of readers and even the best of readers. I can’t complain here. The characters themselves grew too quickly and without any of it in the text, so that is like I said before, upsetting. Because we don’t get to know why. But the characters are written exquisitely otherwise.

Brigid wrote a fantastic novel here but it could have been better had she slowed her characters development down—or at least put it in text.

I was so excited for the follow up to a Curse So Dark and Lonely. I loved the character Grey and was so excited to see more from him. This book made me love him even more and I loved the introduction of Lia Mara. Brigid writes such excellent strong female characters. I can’t wait for the next one.

Amazing book. A lot of people talk about "middle book syndrome" but this didn't have that at all. I loved this book even more than the first one! I am very excited for the third (and final?) book in this series. I am in love with Brigid Kemmerer's writing in both YA fantasy and contemporary!

Trying to protect someone from the truth can be a full time occupation. Good continuation of the series and lead up to the next book.

This book destroyed me!!! Brigid has made a sequel that made my heart soar! The only thing I wish was in there was more Harper and Rhen! Grey and Rhen's relationship development tore me to shreds!!! The way Rhen treated Grey broke my heart and made me so mad I can't wait for the sequel!

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
"I feel as though the curse never ended. The players simply changed."
AHSFAB has been my number one anticipated release since before A Curse So Dark and Lonely came out so from the second I cracked open the spine to this beauty, my attention never wavered. I was completely captivated by every single word. There was never a dull moment in this story and it made fall deeper in love with Brigid Kemmerer's writing. I keep thinking she's written her best work until the next one comes out. She just keeps solidifying her spot on my Favorite Author List and I love it. After reading this, I can now officially say that this is my favorite book of hers to date. It was Letter to the Lost for a few years until this masterpiece grazed my eyes.
Since this is a sequel in a series, I won't go into the plot too much but all I will say is that it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and honestly, that's all I needed to know to love it with my entire being. Instead of mainly following Harper and Rhen like the first book did, we now follow Grey and a character I will not name due to spoilers. Let's just say that this Unnamed Character completely stole my heart and I can't wait to see more of them! Their witty personality and badassery blew my mind to pieces and I am forever in their corner.
There was also another character we were introduced to that stole my heart as well and I can't get over how hilarious they were.
To be honest, I was hesitant to dive into this one due to the fact that I knew my ship from book one was not going to sail. I got spoiled for that early on and it made me wonder whether I was going to enjoy the rest of the series...
BUT!
I have been set straight and now I will never doubt Brigid again. She wrote THE book my baby Grey deserved and I wish I could reread it everyday for the rest of my days because I miss him way too much.His story line is THAT beautiful and entrancing. Also, this book made me love Grey even more which I didn't think it was possible? I was already obsessed with from the second I met him in the first book but I can't even begin to describe how deep my affection for him runs now... It's insane.
I must mention that my opinion completely changed over a particular character that will not be named. I loved him in book one but this book showed me a side of him I hated immensely so now I take back any kind word I ever said about him. My disappointment and disgust knew no bounds where this character was concerned but I loved the fact that it happened. I am always in awe whenever an author manipulates my opinions over their worlds and this was no different.
This entire book had me reeling from shock and heartbreak. AHSFAB turned me into an epic crying mess. I can't remember the last time I cried this much while reading. It also made me scream in rage. Scream in joy. It made me laugh out loud. SO MUCH. I haven't laughed so hard reading a book in so long and I have the colorful tabs to prove it. This book was more hilarious than I thought it was going to be and I loved every second of it.
Brigid successfully manipulated my emotions every step of the way and I am eternally grateful for it. My emotions haven't been manipulated like this in over half a year. Brigid made me realize that my love for books didn't go away like I thought it did. She made me realize that it had just changed. That realization alone would've made me love this book to no end but every page was full of things to love as well.
After THAT ENDING... Now the next installment in this series is my most anticipated release of my life!!! I need it now! I can't even think straight without it!!! I literally wrote on my notes that "I can't wait for the next showdown!!!!' That basically sums up this series.

8/5 stars!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloomsbury Books, for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* (even though I started it after it was already published lol)

*4 out of 5 stars*
First, I would like to say that Brigid Kemmerer is a beautiful writer. Her choice of words and the way she describes scenarios literally takes me to another planet and the only other authors that have been able to have this effect on me are Leigh Bardugo and J.K. Rowling. I really admire Mrs. Kemmerer's writing style and her ability to create a gorgeous story for the mind of the reader.

Now, into the actual story. The reason why I did not give this book five stars is because I simply just missed Harper so badly throughout this story. If you haven't read this book yet, minor spoiler alert: Harper and Rhen are barely even in it and the whole thing is in Grey and our new character, Lia Mara's POVs. We spent the entire first book with Harper being the main character along with Rhen and Grey's POVs throughout. I rooted for Harper, I loved Harper so dearly. To suddenly switch gears and and Harper not be present hardly at all and Rhen now the enemy was hard for my brain to accept.

I will admit, I kind of wanted Grey and Harper to be together. Don't get me wrong, I love Rhen! However, there was a spark between Harper and Grey in the first book and I was really looking forward to that attraction being delved into in this one. But alas, enter Lia Mara. I can't hate her because truly, there is nothing to hate. She is a strong character and a beautiful person as a whole but dang I just couldn't ship her and Grey's relationship. Their romance annoyed me for some reason I can't quite explain and even in the end, I still just couldn't get into it. *Sigh* I really miss Harper and Rhen and Grey before Lia Mara.

I know it seems that all I have for this book is complaints even though I rated it four stars. Yes, the story line upset me quite a bit. However, the reason why I can't make myself dock off more stars is because as a whole, this story is just wonderfully written. It's entertaining, there are twists and turns at every corner. Even though I struggled with the romance, all of the characters have very well-written development and backstories. Overall, it was a great book. I am very excited (and nervous?) for the final installment in this series. I am sad that I have to wait until 2021 to read it, but please take your time Mrs. Kemmerer!

I actually binge read A Curse so Dark and Lonely before jumping into this one and after loving Harper, Grey and Rhen, in book one, I feel so gutted that I can't say the same for this one!

Just one question? Where was Harper?!?! I needed more Harper/Grey moments and they were so scarce it was sad!

I honestly feel like AHSFaB was a completely different storyline. Everything that the MCs fought for in book one was undone in book 2. So much that I felt like I was reading similarly named characters in a completely different story and I just wanted things to go back.

My love for book one will compell me to finish this series but I was so bummed that my excited was dimmed a bit. I don't know where story will go tbh and my confidence in my MCs is shaken :( *fingers crossed* BK has some tricky cards up her sleeve because I want to love this again!

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY was a refreshing five-star read for me. Needless to say, I waited anxiously for my ARC request of A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN to be approved and nearly had a heartattack at work when I got the approval email. I was very surprised by this book. My adoration for Harper waned, my liking of Rhen depleted, and my love for Grey increased. Harper was reduced to being a love interest to Rhen in her own story. Rhen's character arc did a complete 360, which I disliked very much. I only enjoyed Grey's POV and liked Lia Mara's as well. The worldbuilding was fine. The plot was alright even though I didn't necessarily agree with the author's choices or understand her reasoning for those choices. The epilogue was lukewarm.

Considering how much I adored the first book, I'm very upset how disappointing how this sequel turned out. If it wasn't for my invented interest in Grey's journey, I would've rated this 2 stars.

Grey is my favorite character from the first book,so I was SO excited to read this second book with more of him! I always love any book by Brigid, so this was a slam dunk for me. I love her writing style, and loved this second book in this series. I also liked the addition of Lia Mara to the story. I am always skeptical of new characters to a series, but she fit in nicely. I could honestly write forever about how much I love this series, and I can’t wait to read more!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a powerful sequel to the wonderful Curse So Dark and Lonely. Here Grey is the central character. Once Captain of the Guard and best friend to Prince Rhen, Grey has run off following his discovery that he is the true heir and therefore a threat to Rhen. He tries to hide, but the guard finds him and brings him to the castle as a prisoner. The Prince is confounded by his close friend’s disappearance and is willing to punish him for what he perceives to be a betrayal. Grey is not the only prisoner; they have also captured a young boy who is Grey’s loyal attendant. Grey is protective by nature, whether of the prince or this young boy.

Rhen has other problems. Karis Luran, from a neighboring kingdom, has set her sights on taking the crown from him and her daughter Lia Mara gets between the two. Lia also becomes involved in the tension between Rhen and Grey and she offers to help the former captain and his young charge. Desperate to save the boy, Grey is willing to do whatever he must, despite the unappealing options.

Grey comes into his own here. In book one he was the loyal sidekick but here he shows his personal strength, his protective nature and his attractiveness to a young girl who is trying to keep the peace. He is a likeable, genuine, brave young man who finds himself in an untenable situation. Rhen shows he will go to extreme measures to hold his crown. His actions show a side of him we haven’t seen before and it’s problematic. Turning on the one man who always had his back doesn’t match his behavior from book one.

It is the possibility that power corrupts that haunts this book. Readers will be salivating for the next title to learn if Grey does fight for his birthright, if Rhen continues on this power-hungry trajectory, if Karis Luran is the ultimate winner or if Lia Mara somehow exerts her influence to settle matters.

Kemmerer is an author who writes with equal facility whether exploring the trauma and problems facing teens in the real world or building a fantastical world filled with remarkable characters. She never fails to hold her reader’s interest and her gift for creating memorable characters shines in whatever genre she tackles.

Loved it even more than the first one. I connected with the characters even better than in the first book and loved (and was also horrified) at the darkness in Rhen. This tackled tough decisions in a very realistic way. Excellent.

As a fan of Brigid Kemmerer's first novel in this series, I was excited to see that she had authored yet another book! However, the characters in this book did not speak to me like Rhen and Harper did, and I was disappointed to find that Rhen has become so cruel. While I was glad to see that good had triumphed over evil, I did not enjoy all the magic and fantasy in this book. Overall however, I think Brigid Kemmerer is a fantastic YA author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

After finishing A Curse so Dark and Lonely I was highly anticipating this beautifully covered follow-up and was super ecstatic that I was approved for the e-arc. Unfortunately I find myself saddened and let down. I cannot review this book without spoilers so fair warning.

I'll start with Grey.

What happened here? He was so adamant about not wanting the throne that he ran away from Rhen.

He eventually is accidentally caught and brought back to the palace. He and Rhen have a sit down and pretty much affirm their bond of friendship. Then Grey decides that he will not tell Rhen who the heir is because he fears he will be killed. He doesn't trust Rhen which is outside of the character story from book one, which is a whole other issue.

Has no one heard of abdication? You don't want the throne don't take it. Have a sit down conversation. No one has to die. This was unbelievably irritating. I realize without this there would be no story line but that just makes for a poor one in my opinion. Honestly, I would like to believe, even though Rhen was horrible in this book, that he would not have killed Grey. Instead Grey decides to escape with Lia Mara, the unfortunate daughter of Queen Karis Luran and poor Harper replacement, and basically becomes influenced to take the throne and eventually threatens to march on Emberfall. Yet it was Rhen's remark to Grey at the end that, "A friend would have told me. A brother would have told me," that reaffirms my belief that something could have been worked out prior to Grey's brainwashing.

Other disappointments include the disappearance of Princess Harper of DiSi and the character reversal of Prince Rhen. Our strong heroine from book one completely disappears from this book and only serves as a prop to quell Prince Rhen who has made a reversal in character development. Rhen spent book one trying to NOT be a bad guy only to become the crazed bad guy in book two. I'm going to need to know why but I am not sure I want to invest anymore of my time hoping to find out. Also is he that thick that he couldn't figure out Grey was his brother after Grey repeated refused to give him a name? Everyone else figured it out right away. It took Grey's show of magic during his escape for Rhen to realize what was right in his face. Not really king worthy in my opinion anyway.

Overall I did not enjoy this book. I was pretty disappointed in the plot turn.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the first book in the Cursebreakers series and was so excited when I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA. This sequel did not disappoint! I was already a huge fan of Grey as a supporting character in the first book and getting to see him as the protagonist of his own story proved that he was even more wonderful a character than I could have guessed. Lia Mara was an excellent addition to the story. I was particularly drawn in by the idea that she was a firstborn "crown" princess, who wasn't considered good enough to be a queen. And yet, she was so tenacious, while be immeasurably kind; All marks of a truly noble person to me. The other supporting cast of characters were also outstanding. Kemmerer has a talent for creating characters who are deeply flawed and still people you want to see succeed and find happiness. I loved that even while I saw some troubling behavior from beloved characters, I never felt like I was being asked to side with one over another or condemn any one characters actions. There was so much nuance and emotion tied into everyone's behavior. I had a difficult time putting this one down in order to sleep :). I will definitely be revisiting these characters and will likely add a hard copy of both books in the series to my personal shelf. I can't wait to see where the series goes next, bring on book 3!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I reviewed A Curse So Dark and Lonely I struggled to find the words to tell you how much you needed that book in your life. All I wanted to do was shout from the rooftops how it was a book you needed to read ASAP. Honestly though, writing that review was NOTHING compared to finding the words for A Heart So Fierce and Broken. Seriously, this book was pure perfection. I can’t even explain it, but it was somehow even better than Curse.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken starts off essentially when A Curse So Dark and Lonely left off. (If you have not read Curse now is the time to stop reading as spoilers will ensue.) The curse is now broken and the monster Rhen was, is gone. But there is a new problem that has taken shape and it is in the form of the true heir of Emberfall who happens to be the missing Grey. Trying to do the right thing for the good of his country Grey has taken off in order to hide the secret. Rhen isn’t the only one after the missing heir. Karis Luran is on the hunt for him too, but to help further her own agenda. But when Grey unexpectedly meets Karis Luran’s daughter, Lia Mara, he isn’t quite sure anymore who the best ruler of Emberfall will be.

I’m not going to lie, I was a little bias going into this story because Grey was my favorite character in Curse. He was just the perfect mix of everything and I truly was looking forward to his story. But man did I get even better than my expectations. The Grey we got in Curse was only a shadow of the real Grey and I loved him even more. Kemmerer used what I loved about Grey in book one and made him not only more lovable but also more human and flawed and broken. She also gave him a supporting group of characters that truly helped make him shine. And I’m not even talking about his relationship with Lia Mara (THE BEST!!!), but the people he surrounded himself with as a whole. That is what brought this book to life.

Again I am left with the trouble of finding the right words without saying too much but saying more than ‘you need to read this’. It really is so fantastically done. I mean I wasn’t surprised I loved it, but I’m surprised how much I felt I needed it. And you need it too. Make sure this book or series is on your TBR. I for one hope we get lots more books in it!

The first book in the series was strong and this sequel does not disappoint. However, readers should remember that this book focuses on other characters (namely, commander Grey), with main characters from "A Curse..." in the supporting roles. I would call this more of a spin-off than a direct sequel. It is a strong book, and fans of the commander Grey will probably love it.

I’m still pretty over the moon to have had a chance to read this book before its release date. Thanks, Bloomsbury! You’re the best!

I’d read some other reviews of the book early on that made me a little worried about reading A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN. Mostly, I worried that Rhen would end up being painted as this unlikeable character, and I just really like him, okay?! I didn’t want to lose my ability to like him.

No spoilers, though, so I won’t say more than this: I definitely felt my Team Rhen spirit challenged at times. But at the end of the day, I didn’t find this book to be one that forces you to choose between them. That’s certainly not what Grey wants, anyhow.

So, the real story: did I love it? YES. I loved falling back into the story world. I loved the return of characters from A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY. The new characters took a little getting used to– I wasn’t sure if they were going to trample my old loyalties or make me fall in love with them. I do have some new favorites. (Iisak, for instance.)

One of the things I’ve seen discussed a lot with this book is the very feminist rule of Karis Luran and her people. I liked that there were some conversations between Grey and Lia Mara about gender roles and equality, courtesy and independence. The story explored those ideas in a really natural way and showed that a man can be both courteous toward a woman and respect her as an equal.

I also loved the message that cruelty and strength aren’t the only kind of power. We see it in Emberfall as Rhen wrestles to bring his people back to faith in his rule. We see it as Lia Mara wrestles with her own value, because she’s been taught to believe that her mother’s way– cruelty and strength– are the only way to rule over others, and Lia Mara isn’t good at those things. She has the opportunity to appreciate and value her gifting as a strategist, and her strength of will and determination, even if her family or her people never appreciate those things.

While A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN does continue the story of A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, it doesn’t continue with a new re-imagined fairy tale (which is fine… just pointing out the difference). It does leave plenty of room for a third book and lots more adventure with characters I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

If you like strong female characters and strong heroes, definitely add A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN to your list.

I discovered this series through the 2019 Teen Reads winner's list when A Curse Dark and Lonely caught my eye. As one of our YA book club selections, I quickly decided to read the Beauty and the Beast retelling to prepare for our mini Battle of the Books. I fell in love with Emberfall, Ren, Grey, and Harper. I honestly did not think I could love a book more... and then the sequel dropped.

Perfect timing for me, too! I was preparing my case for why Harper faced the greatest struggle as the MC (but I also wanted to know what happened next in her story). When I started A Heart So Fierce and Broken, I expected more of Harper. What I got instead, was a wonderful surprise. This book is all about Grey, and I am so OK with that.

If you are familiar with the series, you know the setting is richly developed and the characters have incredible backstories and growth. What this book does, however, is take you deeper into all of those elements through Grey's story. (I love him.) He is complicated and well developed. So. Many. Layers. If I were to battle it out with this book, Grey would definately have the upper hand for character growth and greatest struggle. I loved seeing him grow into his full potential as well as the support being offered from the new characters (or old characters seen in new ways).

There is also a new character that is pretty great too.

As this story develops, you're left wondering who you are rooting for. Before you cast your judgements, wait for the mic drop moment. It exaplains everything and will leave you itching for the final book.