You all know how much I love a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so I have no clue how it took me this long to pick up A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. Once I finished this, I went directly into the sequel, so stay tuned for that review on Thursday!
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| Pub Date: 1-29-19 YA - Fantasy |
Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall, holds a dark secret: he was cursed by an enchantress to relive the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over again. The only way to break the curse is for Rhen to find someone to fall in love with him. As a young arrogant prince, Rhen figures this would be easy, but at the end of each season, he turns into a dangerous beast and destroys everything in his path, including his family, his townspeople, and the occasional potential love interest. Now, entering his last season, Rhen is more desperate than ever to do whatever it takes to break the curse.
Life hasn't been kind to Harper and her family. Her father left leaving his loan sharks to come after her family forcing her brother to work for them to pay off his debts, her mother is dying of cancer, and she's constantly being handled with kid gloves due to her cerebral palsy. When she tries to prove that she isn't some damsel in distress by trying to save someone from being attacked on the DC streets, she's sucked into Rhen's world. The longer she stays in this enchanted world, the more she comes to understand what's at stake, and she's willing to help however she can. But there are darker forces at hand than just a prince's curse, and it may take more than Harper has to offer to save Emberfall from ruin.
I can't believe it took me this long to get into this series, but I'm hooked! I usually love any Beauty and the Beast re-tellings, and this one was no exception. I liked Harper and how independent and strong she was. She may have a handicap, but she never once let it define or hold her back from anything. Rhen was complex and I think grew the most throughout. He started sort of resigned and by the end was willing to fight to the very last for his kingdom and people. I also enjoyed all the secondary characters, especially Grey and Freya. My only slight issue was I found the beginning a bit slow, but considering all the world-building in this, I understand it was needed to ease you in. So, if you're into action-packed re-tellings, strong characters, and subtle romance, definitely check this out.
Rating: 4/5
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