A Curse So Dark and Lonely

4/5 stars

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

A Curse So Dark and Lonely was an absolute delight to read! This novel is a wonder Beauty and the Beast retelling that follows Harper who lives in Washinton D.C. and has cerebral palsy. Her family has been dealing with some issues including her mom having cancer and living on deaths door and her brother having to deal with the aftermath of their dad's dealings. While she is dealing all of this Harper is stole by a man named Grey when she sees him trying to take a girl. Grey then takes her instead and teleports them into a fantasy like world. Grey is a guard for a prince named Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Rhen is cursed by a enchantress to keep repeating the autumn of his 18th year until her curse is broken. This curse also turns him into a monster at the end of each season causing him to destroy his kingdom and even kill his own family. The only way to break the curse is to have a girl fall in love with him which is why Grey takes girls from our world. Harper is then thrust into a world of poltics and war strategies as the prince attempts to sway her into loving him.

I loved the characters in this novel so much. Rhen was honestly such a cute little bean and Harper was badass. Harper really defied the stereotypical role of women especially those who are disabled. I believe the cerebral palsy representation in this was accurate from what I've heard from people with the condition and it didn't define her which I really liked.She stood up for herself against people of power and did what she felt was morally right even if it risked her. There is also a guard named Grey who I also really liked. He was very complex and that developed over the course of the novel.

The atmosphere of this book is quite strong. There is explanation on how travel is able to occur between our world and Rhen's world. I think this really makes sense when adding in the fact this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I really was able to see how this book had similar ideas to the original story but it wasn't glaringly too similar.

The plot progressed quite well and I felt the pacing was very consistent all the way through. The last chapter really had me shook a little bit and there is a plot twist at the end that leads well into the next book while not leaving an unsatisfying cliff hanger. The romance is also there but not overwhelming. Also there is a slight hint at a love triangle but it's very subtle.

The writing was quite basic but not in a negative way. I feel like the writing made it feel like Harper was telling the story which made sense since it was 1st person. It wasn't super descriptive and was more like an average person talking. This really was contrasted in the dialogue specifically with Rhen since he spoke much more formal due to his prince status. The difference in their speech really showed how different Harper is then the world she was brought into.

Overall this book was really fun! I'm excited to read the sequel and see what happens to these characters.

I'm DNFing at the 42% mark. I just don't care about what's going on, I gave it a bit but it never grabbed me and at this point I would rather try to find a book I'll enjoy than push through a book that I'm not interested in.
It felt like it was trying to be a new ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses' to me, and I enjoyed that way more, right from the start. Not for me; not terrible but I did find it a bit boring. Maybe I'll give it another try in the future.

I rarely give two star ratings but unfortunately i was pretty disappointed in this read. It was a slow moving start. it didn't pick up till about 200 pages in. I was bored and though i can appreciate the main female not being a picture perfect “princess” that is the only thing I can like about this character. Rhen was interesting and thats all i can say about him. It felt repetitive between the two perspectives example of this is that we get rhen's perspective and thought process and then rewind now its harpers turn talking through the scene and thought process. I feel a dual perspective story line is fine but when scenes are repeated or feel repeated after just reading through in the other person i get bored. I have a feeling I'm an outlier in how I feel about it as booktube really hyped this book series up but I'm glad I powered through read it and its done. Sadly i went in thinking this was going to be an amazing beauty and the beast retelling but it really fell short for me.

i thought i would enjoy this book, but i was mostly just bored and disappointed. i think i would have liked it more if i didn't read tons of fantasy books, this book just doesn't compare to others i've read

the only thing i liked about it was that the main character (and author) have cerebral palsy, and i liked how that was included in the story. definitely read the authors note if you ever pick this up

rather than that everything else felt very ok, i actually enjoyed the 100 pages tho those were exiting

2.5/5 stars

Did I read a different book then everyone else? I am seeing a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews and I'm so confused.

The same thing happened with [b:Defy the Night|50022883|Defy the Night (Defy the Night, #1)|Brigid Kemmerer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620924420l/50022883.SY75.jpg|71638471] so maybe Brigid Kemmerer just isn't for me.

Honestly, I know this book is YA, but it felt so juvenile for me. Like it would have been better as a middle grade series, the characters aged down a few years. the entire thing where Harper convinced an entire coutry she was a princess from a different country they never heard of??? What even??? How stupid are the citizens of Emberfall to believe that??? I can't. My eyes hurt from rolling so much.

Everything that happened in the book was just sooo convinent tbh. Her brother dating a doctor? Meeting into a man that used to be in the army and having him join the guard? The entire county of Emberfall not doubting their obviously ridiculous lies? Lol. There was no problem solving skills found anywhere in this book.

Anyways, I'm still gonna binge the rest of this series bc I'm trash for buying books and already own books #2 and #3.

Things I liked in this book:

Spoiler
- The opening scene: Harper attacking Grey with a tire iron. Gooood!

- The amount of times they tried to make Harper a damsel in distress, but she kept running away from the trope.

- She ran away thrice!

- Harper slapping Rhen and the POV changing to Rhen :D

- Grey. Everything about Grey.

- The character interactions between Grey, Rhen and Harper were nicely written. Especially liked the card game conversations.

- The POV change for the monster.

- The healer's concubine :)

- The curse wasn't actually broken by the cliched trope (Well, it was unclear but I'd like to think it wasn't a 100% broken because of sacrificing yourself for your love thingy).

- The ending was a nice change of pace from all the retellings.

God, it's brutal out here. Yes, another unpopular opinion, I'm on a roll! :')

These characters were so boring. Such one dimensional characters imo. I liked the Monster's POV the most, oops. AND THE ROMANCE?! What in the world was that? I never felt like the characters had ANY chemistry with each other ... And yet the MC's seem to be in a poorly (imo) executed ‘love triangle' of some sort.

The last like 40 pages were decent, twist wasn't that shocking though.

I need to learn how to DNF books when I'm not enjoying them. D:

“Are you prepared to die, Grey?" I demand. "Because that is all that exists at the end of this path. I am sure of it. This was never a curse to be broken. This is a death sentence. The true curse has been the thought that we might find escape.”

I've read a Brigid Kemmerer book before and I very much enjoyed it so I'm disappointed that I can't say the same about this one.

If I could sum it up in a few words I'd say “I don't care for it”. It's great that it features a disabled character but I can't give praise for that alone when the quality is not there. She was still an underdeveloped character who was merely an offspring of the “I'm not like other girls” trope. The prince was no better. He literally sounds like the same prince I've encountered in fantasy books, especially re-tellings. There's nothing particularly compelling about him nor his kingdom.

The world-building is simply underwhelming. And the whole “Princess of Disi” subplot made just laugh out loud which I'm sure wasn't the expected reaction. The only mildly interesting character was Grey and even his character was spoiled because it turns out he's the king's bastard son. He's probably going to get into a crown war with the current prince in one of the future books and they'll get in a love-triangle. If Harper had instead fallen in love with Grey, slayed the monster/prince to save the kingdom, well maybe I would have signed up for that.

I read this in one night and I feel like that says a lot about whether I enjoyed this book or not because it's not exactly short. I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling and this is my favorite one I've read so far.

This could have become a love triangle book, but it didn't, so I was happy about that. In fact, despite the aim of the main characters being falling in love to break the curse, there was very little romance for most of the book, which was fine.

The main issue I had with it was that I didn't really feel very connected to any of the characters except for Grey, and the main joy I find that I get from most books comes from me connecting to characters emotionally. I definitely liked Grey, I found him complex and I know there was more going on underneath the surface. I can't wait for the next book because I want to find out more and I want him to be happy. 💔

Also of note: the main character has cerebral palsy and it was really cool reading a story from her perspective.

[8/10 RATING] [Spoiler-free review]

This was a great book to read! The plot was interesting, and it kept me wanting to know more. I thought that it was interesting having a protagonist with cerebral palsy as well. I do remember being slightly confused at the development of Rhen's personality though. The romance could be a little more developed, but overall this was a really good read! Despite not liking the ending that much (epilogue), I still enjoyed the novel alot. It was written beautifully, and I'm glad I picked it up. No regrets reading this one– I'm on the 2nd book now !

OVERALL: Do try this series if you'd like an original retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with cool things like characters travelling across to the modern world with technology straight from the fairytale world. I thought it was really good!

This Beauty and the Beast retelling has been on my to read list for a long time! I got the audiobook. It was slow at first, hard to get into. I plodded along, listening while getting ready for work. Maybe it was because it's the first book in the Cursebreaker series, the author needed to establish the world and the curse this story takes place in.

There is a hint of the love triangle. It's a slow burn. And the creature doesn't make an appearance until the end.

I've already started the second book and it's better. If this is one your to read list, keep going. The first book is a lot of world building and setting up the second book.

I started this last year, and then put it aside for a bit. I do that. It's rarely a slight against the book, more just I like to skip around and have a variety. I loved the story, the characters, and that the heroine wouldn't be considered by many to be “perfect,” while being perfect for that moment, that situation. I adored Harper's friendships with the people she met, and her brave, empathetic heart. What took the rating down to the 3 – 3 1/2 – zone was that too much was left unfinished. I am fine with a few loose ends in order to set up the next book in a series. A thriller I just read [b:Stillhouse Lake 33128934 Stillhouse Lake (Stillhouse Lake, #1) Rachel Caine https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495714483l/33128934.SY75.jpg 53802245] did that. I get it, I even admire it when done well, and that book did it well. This time, though, I felt that too much was unsettled, and so I felt I didn't get enough satisfaction or bang for my buck. “Fall in love, break the curse” didn't get honored ... or maybe it did? We are set up to not know that in order to, presumably, pick up the next one. The next one that already promised a lot of good stuff without this left dangling. I predict the author was going for a triangle, and I'm not here – there? – for it, to be honest. I'd prefer incredible friendships to be more the norm instead of the exhausting will they/won't they of it all. Eh, maybe I'm wrong about the trajectory.

[b:A Curse So Dark and Lonely 43204703 A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1) Brigid Kemmerer https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574179523l/43204703.SY75.jpg 50519947]Rereading a Favoriteupdated from my 2020 review“A Curse So Dark and Lonely” by Brigid Kemmerer is a book that captured my heart in 2020, and three years later, it still holds a special place among my favorites. There's something magical about reading a book that feels like it was written just for you, and this story did exactly that.In the past couple of years, life has been treating me well, and this newfound happiness has amplified my enjoyment of reading. “A Curse So Dark and Lonely” is a series that I can't help but share with everyone because it left an indelible mark on my literary journey. It was my introduction to Brigid Kemmerer's work, and since that first read, I've eagerly devoured the entire series.What makes this book truly exceptional is the way it seamlessly melds fantasy and the modern world. The cursed Prince Rhen, who transforms into a beast every winter, is a character who has spent centuries seeking true love to break his curse. The enchantress Lilith grants him one last chance to find love, making this season his final opportunity. Enter Harper, my absolute favorite character in the fantasy genre.Harper hails from our contemporary world and has faced considerable hardships, including her mother's battle with cancer and her absent father. What's remarkable about Harper is her resilience in the face of adversity, including her diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. She refuses to be defined by her condition and, in order to make ends meet, her brother Jake works for some rather unsavory individuals to settle their father's debts. It's during one of these risky moments that Harper unwittingly crosses over into the fantasy realm, snatched away by Grey.And so begins a timeless tale of transformation and growth. Harper's initial displeasure at finding herself in this unfamiliar world doesn't sit well with Rhen, who quickly realizes she isn't the typical damsel he expected. Their interactions are complicated, to say the least. However, as expected, over time, they both undergo significant changes. Harper's escape attempts inadvertently lead to her helping others, and this marks the beginning of a remarkable journey.Without revealing too much of the plot, I must say that Rhen and Harper are the most captivating Beast and Belle duo. The story is brimming with so many elements that you could easily lose yourself in it for an entire day. What struck me most about Harper is that she isn't the archetypal heroine. It's rare to encounter a fantasy heroine with medical issues, and as someone with Cerebral Palsy myself, I found her character to be authentic and relatable. The author's research shines through in Harper's struggles, making her a more well-rounded and inspiring character.I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Brigid Kemmerer for delivering the fantasy genre in a way that left me insatiable for more. I eagerly anticipate diving into the rest of the series as soon as life allows. If you're seeking an enchanting journey of love, adventure, and self-discovery, then “A Curse So Dark and Lonely” is the perfect choice. Click the link below and embark on this extraordinary adventure yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Een Belle en het Beest hervertelling! Ik was er van overtuigd dat ik dit boek fantastisch ging vinden.
Helaas, tot mijn ontgoocheling vond ik dit boek niet zo geweldig.
Het idee begon nochtans eens verfrissend nieuw, met het vermengen van de fantasiewereld met onze alledaagse wereld en met een hoofdpersonage met een handicap. Maar uiteindelijk vond ik het verhaal een beetje saai en generisch. Ik heb mij ook mateloos geërgerd aan het gedrag en de uitspraken van het hoofdpersonage. Uiteindelijk vond ik het wel leuk en las het vlot weg, maar een echte impact heeft het niet gemaakt. Ik ga misschien wel het vervolg lezen, maar ik heb geen gevoel van dringendheid om verder te lezen, wat eigenlijk alles zegt over mijn lauwwarm gevoel bij dit verhaal.

4.5 stars

This is such a beautiful book. I was expecting it to be a cliché, to be honest. But IT WASN'T.
This book has a lot of amazing things in it, starting with the fact that the main character, Harper, is suffering from cerebral palsy. For those of you who didn't know:

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time. Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing, and speaking. - Wikipedia

Harper is among the “lucky” ones, she has a limp which makes it harder for her to walk. But that didn't stop from becoming a badass princess. I love how she overcame her disability and how she becomes a warrior. I admire her so much for everything that she's done, for not giving up on her family just because she met a gorgeous prince from Fairyland (or Emberfall, haha).
At first I really thought that she was going to fall in love with Grey. I wasn't even sure what to expect from this book, but it was a really good retelling of “The Beauty and The Beast” (except it didn't have the huge, gorgeous library the Beast had :( sad reacts only).

Rhen is an arrogant prince who thought that he was entitled to anything and who thought that anyone should bow to him just because he was a prince. That was before Harper arrived in Emberfall and before she made him see things so differently. I loved their relationship throughout the book and how they started to trust each other.

I won't say anything else and I will keep it spoiler free, but if you want a great retelling, be sure to check this book out! I can't wait to read the next one and see what happens, because this one left me with SO MANY unanswered questions.

I love a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This book took that story and made it its own. I loved the representation as the main character has cerebral palsy. I can't speak on the representation personally however I liked seeing it included. Despite this, I have read better retellings so not a fave but deserves to be read.

This is a beauty and the beast retelling with parallel worlds.

I loved this! Not quite enough for 5 stars, but I still really enjoyed it. I loved Rhen's world. I didn't care much about Harper's world. I enjoyed the characters, Grey is my favorite.

The ending killed me! I immediately ordered the next one.

This book follows Prince Rhen, whose castle has been cursed to reset after every season, when a monster comes and terrorizes his lands. To break the curse, he must get a woman to fall in love with him. Every season, his guard, Grey, goes to the “other side” (modern day D.C.) to convince a girl to come back. On one of these attempts, he ends up bringing back Harper. This story follows them trying to save the kingdom.

I LOVED this book. It was such an interesting beauty and the beast retelling. Harper was an incredible heroine, and Grey and Rhen were so supportive of her. The romance was not overdone or insta-love. It was slow and full of challenges. The chapters from the monsters point of view shattered me every time. I mourned are the end for everything lost. And the twist ending had me squealing. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy dark fairy tale retellings.