I'm actually giving this book 4.5 stars, I really loved this book! If you love Beauty and the Beast, and you love re-tellings then this is a book you should definitely read. It is however a bit darker than the original story, which is what drew me in more (I also recommend all of Christina Henry’s books if you want dark re-tellings).

I really liked how fierce the main character Harper was, and how she would never let people define her by the fact she has Cerebal Palsy. I really liked the friendships she developed with Grey and Zo. For me, Rhen was a bit harder to like at the beginning. Typical Prince taking what he wants to try and break the curse he brought on himself. But as the book went on and he opens up more to Harper I began to fall for him, hell he should’ve kidnapped me, I could have broken his curse (I’m joking, the kidnapping part was a huge part of me not liking Rhen and Grey in the beginning). Freya was an absolutely perfect character in my eyes; she not only brought up and looked after her own child, but also took in her sister’s children – she is the unsung hero of this story.

Basically overall I loved this book and after THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!! I need a sequel like yesterday. My mum absolutely adores Beauty and the Beast so I’m going to make her read this too as I definitely think she will enjoy it too.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is an absolutely incredible fantasy novel. Fantastical, thrilling, unique, and so very cleverly plotted, I was entranced from the first page to the last. I love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing and all her books, so I knew I would enjoy A Curse So Dark and Lonely, but I was totally blown away. This Beauty and the Beast retelling is the very best retelling of this, my favourite, fairytale I have ever read - and I have read a few. It is clever, original and, well, I’m seriously impressed.

Harper is barely scraping by. Her mother is sick and needs treatment they can’t afford and her brother is being forced to work as a violent debt collector to pay off their own debts. Workings as a lookout for her brother one night, Harper intervenes when she sees a man carrying an unconscious women. The man and Harper both receive a shock - he with a blow to the head and Harper when he magically transports her to another world. Commander Grey has done everything he can to help Prince Rhen break the curse that binds them both. While Harper wasn’t his ideal choice as the last maiden to attempt to break the curse, she continues to surprise them all with her caring heart and determined and independent ways, especially when Rhen’s kingdom is threatened by external forces.

What can I say about A Curse So Dark and Lonely except that I loved everything about it. While the basic threads of the fairytale are consistent - cursed prince needs a girl to fall in love with him - everything else is unique and cleverly twisted to feel like an original story. A Curse So Dark and Lonely reads more like a modern epic fantasy than a simple retelling, with action, looming wars, political intrigue, a fantastical beast, and layered, complex characters.

Harper has to be one of my new favourite heroines - strong, brave, caring and independent. Harper has Cerebral Palsy which gives her some physical challenges, but it never slows her down much or stops her racing headlong into dangerous situations to defend others. She is clever, and while she isn’t sure she can help Rhen break the curse in the traditional way, she has no problem plotting with him to help defend his kingdom. Rhen himself, his curse and the mix of grief, guilt and anger he feels about his actions and powerlessness to break the curse, all bring further complexity to the story. I also loved the addition of Grey. Rhen’s lone remaining solider and protector; I loved the stoic role he plays.

Then there is the romance. Oh, my gosh!!!! I don’t want to give too much away, but let me say I think it will surprise you. The best part about the romance is the parts that are not there. Harper’s intelligence and independence mean she does not fall blindly in love, have her head turned by empty words, nor get roped into something she doesn’t fully feel. What she feels, what Rhen feels, is complex. Trust me. It’s brilliant.

A surprise twist at the end means this series is set to continue in a very intriguing way. I can’t wait to continue the story of these characters and the kingdom of Emberfall. I love what Brigid Kemmerer has done with this fairytale and can’t wait to see where she takes it next. I highly recommend this book for fairytale and fantasy lovers and fans of strong protagonists.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a modern day re-telling of Beauty and The Beast. Its set in two worlds – DC in our own world and a fantasy otherworld called Emberfall. We follow Harper who is a young girl with Cerebral Palsy living in DC with her chronically ill mother and her brother who has had to work for a local enforcer/dealer/bad person in order to keep the family afloat after their father split on them.

Harper is transported to Emberfall after she stands up for a young girl when waiting for her brother. She’s thrown into a fantasy world where she has to find her feet. We are introduced to Prince Rhen, Grey and Lilith and we find out that there is a curse on the kingdom and on Rhen and Grey. I won’t say too much about the details of the curse because this is where the book brings in a slight twist and I don’t want to spoil it.

We follow the story through as Harper tries to find her way home, find her place in Emberfall and get to know Rhen and the discovers the curse.

The Positives:

She feels like a normal girl with a bit of an attitude and sass but with a good heart. I liked her from the start and the growth she shows throughout the story is ace – she goes from this quiet nervous girl who has all these walls up to this bad ass woman who will take on anything you put in front of her.
The representation and diversity. Having a lead character with cerebral palsy, there is also a male gay character and a male coloured character. None of it feels forced or for the sake of having diversity and it works well I think. Obviously, it's worth noting here that I’m a non disabled white woman so my interpretation of this may differ slightly from yours.
The twist to the fairytale. I’ve read a lot of re-tellings over the years but I have to say the way this one was done felt new and unique and it had me intrigued from the outset. Again, I don’t want to go into detail and spoil it for you – mainly because it was such a different way of telling the story, but it definitely had me going ‘wait, what?’
Rhen and Grey – both the characters and the character relationship. I enjoyed both of these characters individually. They were well written and fleshed out. Grey’s story was an interesting one, especially around his feeling of being at fault and his loyalty to Rhen. Rhen was an intriguing character – I felt like we were lead to believe he was quite one dimensional and shallow on purpose (which is a very clever bit of writing) but we find out over time that Rhen is not all he seems. The interactions between the two characters as well drew me in. The loyalty shown to each other and the balance that they have in the relationship I really enjoyed reading.
THE ENDING!!!! ‘nuff said.


The Negatives

Some of the characters felt like they could have had more done with them. Lilith is our Sorceress equivalent and is the person who cursed the Kingdom and Rhen and our villain. She doesn’t feel particularly villainy other than she’s a bit evil and very abusive. Her back story is not what I was expecting. While I understand that its been written that way to reflect the back story of the sorceress in the fairytale but it just fell a bit flat for me.
The pacing – while I really enjoyed this book I did feel like the scene setting and some of the events took too long. It then felt towards the end of the book that it was slightly rushed and the beautiful way of building a scene got a little bit lost in the last 3rd of the book. Without giving a lot away, the final scenes with the monster and the scenes towards the end in DC both felt like they could have done with a few more pages to broaden them out.


Its hard to pick out any other actual negatives. I enjoyed the book and I’ll definitely read the sequel that the author has confirmed (this book is written as a standalone but there will be a sequel), it was just good and enjoyable. It didn’t blow me away, however the uniqueness of the re-telling will definitely mean I recommend it to people.

Overall this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me (rounding up to 4 as it was a positive 3.5)

Firstly thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC of A Curse So Dark and Lonely in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! When I first started this book, I had just finished another Beauty and the Beast retelling and to say it was pretty awful would be an understatement, so I was entering this read with a keen sense of wariness. It turns out, this was not needed in the least, and I realised that I was in for a good ride by about 5 pages in.

This book was simply fun and entertaining with a style of writing that is sophisticated, yet so lovely and easy to read, that I never felt like I was reading a fantasy book, which we all know can be a bit heavy at times. It did take me a long time to get through, not by any fault of the book’s, but simply because I wanted to take my time and soak it all in, rather than rush or skim-read. It’s quite a long book from what I could tell reading it, but it never felt tiresome or slow at all. The pacing was fantastic and there was never any ‘slow’ sections, even the climactic part of the novel at the end, was paced so well with the rest of the book, that the flow was really enjoyable.

From someone who suffers from a chronic illness, I love that the author included a character with a disability who was anything but disabled and achieved everything she set out to do, oftentimes better than an able-bodied person. Harper was outgoing, confident, willful and still looked out for the good of others, even when her and her family had been treated poorly by other people, including her own father. While I don’t think I could ever be as brave or confident as Harper, I still found myself able to relate to her and this I think, is vital for maximum reader enjoyment.

Rhen was an absolute sweetheart and I just want to smoosh his cute little cheeks together and find myself a clone of him as soon as possible. He was strong, self-sacrificing and a warrior through and through, yet made of such sweet gentleness that was the opposite of the beasts he turns into, that I would think there would be few who read this book and wouldn’t love him. His relationship with Grey was much like a brotherhood and seeing their friendship grow over the course of the book was also great to watch. Grey was such a great addition to the book that I fell in love with him almost instantly as well, and his gentleness and protectiveness of Harper was sweet to read.

Overall, a fantastic fantasy read that has great world-building, plot, pacing, characters, action, villains and romance that anyone who is a fan of Sarah J Maas, Graceling, Poison Study and just YA in general will love. 5 stars!

You know that I could not get this e arc on my e reader properly… It made it freeze when I tried to open it. So I made a plan to read a 100 pages on the computer daily. I shouldn’t have bothered. I read it in one sitting. All 500 pages.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Of course I know the basic story. Who doesn’t? But I still haven’t read the original book. I need to. Having said that, it is easy to see how this is a retelling. I think it does its best to stand apart. The beast in this book is very different, as is a part of the setting. Harper comes from our world. I enjoyed the world and I enjoyed that the story took place outside of the castle of beast as well.

The world building in itself is solid but it can use some work. How exactly is their world shielded? Was our world and theirs connected at some point in history? And I have questions regarding the witches in this that were mentioned. First to be death. Than not? I also wish that there was more done with certain of the more enchanting elements of Beauty and the Beast, like the music playing. Where in the(original or rather Disney) story the castle is almost its own character due to the inhabitants, it barely plays a role here and I think that was a shame. It could have enriched this story so much. Yet I also understand that the author went for a more realistic route of blood and carnage.

As for the characters, I enjoyed them. Harper is a young girl in a tough situation. A father that left them with little more than problems, a mother that is sick and a brother who has to deal with their father’s demons. Literally. She herself has cerebral palsy, something that has played a big role in her childhood. Her brother treats her as weak, rather having her stand out and guard than fight with him if needed. She can’t fight with her thin arms, right? Yet when she sees a guy dragging a girl with him she jumps right into action. Harper is a fighter. She just doesn’t know it herself. It is something that she discovers throughout the book. And let us be real, not just physically fighting. But also fighting mentally. I appreciated this a lot and for as far as I can tell, as someone who does not have cerebral palsy, the representation is quite accurate.

As for the guys well there is Grey, the guard. Scary Grey. Who isn’t really that scary. He clearly has so much more to him than we get to see here. Crown Prince Rhen is cursed to become a beast every season, die and then relive another season until someone falls in love with him. Quite the set up. Rhen clearly has changed throughout the seasons and I would have loved to have seen more of that change in flashbacks or through Grey. I feel like it wasn’t addressed quite enough.

The ending made me feel a little iffy. It isn’t quite so solid as it suddenly leaves open something. I do think it creates a possibility for a companion novel with one of the characters. But I just wish the ending for this book was a little tighter.

So I really enjoyed this book enough to read it in one sitting. I was completely enthralled as I read it. It certainly isn’t a perfect book by an means though.

A reimagining of the tale The Beauty and the Beast, A Curse So Dark And Lonely is set in a dark world in which a cursed prince is transformed in a bloody vicious beast every season and a girl discovers that only her love can save Emberfall and the cursed monster.

PROS

World Building. In the last few year, many novels inspired by my favourite fairytale have been published, so it's quite difficult for the world crafted to be unique. However, Kemmerer created the medieval-inspired Emberfall Kingdom, a parallel world to our contemporary one. Just like Alice follows the White Rabbit into Wonderland, Harper, a girl from DC, after stopping Rhen's Commander from kidnapping a girl, also finds herself transported to a old-new world where technology has no place. She has to adapt to magic, curses and sword-fighting.

Curse. Who can resist to a good old curse? The Enchantress who cursed Rhen, Lilith, is very present in the story. Not only did she curse Rhen, but she also tortures him physically and psychologically (mention of sexual assault).

Cerebral Palsy. Harper, our Belle, has mild cerebral palsy, which makes her quite functional. Even though some people think of her as a porcelain china doll that can break at any second or try to shame her because of her limp, Harper doesn't allows cerebral palsy to define who she is - and that's such a powerful message.

CONS

I never felt too connected to the story. I thought I'd love A Curse So Dark And Lonely because of its synopsis. There were so many things I loved individually, but I didn't enjoy the whole story as I was expecting to.

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

I love 2 things Brigid Kemmerer and Beauty and the Beast. So having a story done by her that is a retelling of that made me so happy.

What I also liked was the fact that you can see the Beauty and the Beast inspirations but she used it in a very unique way that made it her own. This story even though it is almost 500 pages long I found to read it so quickly because I needed to know what happened.

Harper what I loved about her is she is not an average main character you see in so many other books. The fact she has Cerebral Palsy showed even if you are born different from what society sees as normal you can still be strong and independent. I loved the fact in her normal life she seemed to be treated as not an equal due to her Cerebral Palsy but in her new one she found her self and realised how strong she really was and is.

Rhen I liked as well, but I did feel like something was missing with his character and I am not sure what it is. I think because he was so closed off I found it hard to imagine Harper falling in love with him not only in that setting but with his way of interacting. I know he was like that because of many years of pain and not thinking anything was going to change but it made it hard for the romance to feel authentic.

One thing I didn't realise till the end of this book was it seems to be a series (when I started it I thought it would be a stand alone). If I had realised that to begin with I think closer to the end it would of made more sense why things where happening the way they where. It wasn't till I finished it and I thought wait this can't be the way it ends and I got mad that I found out it was book 1 in a new series.

I ended up rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed it and I am now excited to find out what happens in book 2.

ARC provided by NeyGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a lot of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> retellings this year - it really seems to have been a trend recently - and honestly, I think this is the best one I've read in 2018. Anything that's based on a fairy tale is going to have unsavoury aspects as I've mentioned in my reviews for Beast - a Tale of Love and revenge and The Beast's Heart. I think a lot of authors overlook this and then are sideswiped by readers disliking their books. After all, how could something as timeless as a fairy tale, especially one acknowledged to be a huge favourite with mass popular appeal, not engage the masses? The reason is simple - a fairy tale is not timeless. A fairy tale's themes are timeless. In order to successfully adapt a fairy tale so that a modern audience will engage with the adaptation, the author must address the unsavoury aspects of the original, whether by changing those aspects in a skilful enough way that the reader is on board with the changes, or by running at those aspects head on and calling them what they are. I'm very partial to the Erlkonig mythos for example but I'd never dream of calling it anything but kidnapping!

So starting from the viewpoint that B & t B is a very rapey fairy tale, How does ACsDaL measure up? In some ways, fairly well. Harper ends up in the 'Beast's' clutches far more by misadventure than by design on her part of anyone else's. She is forced to stay when she doesn't want to, but not because the beast is holding her prisoner. Because he doesn't have the power to return her to DC himself. Yes, he locks her in her room but then she does keep lashing out with (pardonable) violence and won't listen to explanations, so she doesn't realise that the surrounding country is dangerous. It's not great but it's not exactly being imprisoned either. (Also while I applaud an MC who lashes out with a tyre iron when it appears she's been kidnapped and a strange man is approaching her, I would like people to consider how we would expect a man to act in that situation where he appeared to have been abducted by two women. Is it alright for him to hit them with an iron bar? Just a thought.)

Harper is probably the best developed character. I ended up quite liking her and I really appreciated that she didn't do stupid things just out of stubbornness. If someone explained why you shouldn't do something, she didn't just tear off and do it anyway (*cough* Feyre *cough*)

The beast is Prince Rhen , who is only a beast when he fails to break the curse at the end of a season. Since he's had 327 seasons, he's obviously not on a winning streak. The curse forces him to take a different form each time and slaughter anyone near him. Honestly, I wasn't fussed about him. He had very little agency, to the point where I wondered why we had his POV. However, I did like the fact that he thought about things Harper said and changed his opinions when wrong. He was also competent at statecraft and politics which was a breath of fresh air. It's not cool to have an ignorant heroine barrel in and take over when she doesn't know anything, it's lazy writing. The author allowed us to see that Harper realised she didn't know anything about rulership and made several gaffes.

Grey, the long suffering elliptical Captain of the guard was an interesting character. I have a horrible feeling given how this ended, that there's going to be some kind of love triangle in the next book though.

Here's the thing about Beauty and the Beast. In the original story, the beauty is NOT kidnapped or imprisoned. She is bargained away by her father or at best, chooses to sacrifice herself for him and her family and their honour. It's a metaphor both for an initially distasteful arranged marriage - 'he's no looker right now but he may turn out to be a prince'. And also for female sexual awakening. So it just doesn't quite work if the beast is not a beast when the curse breaking is supposed to be taking place. I had the same problem with A Court of Thorns and Roses and those stupid masks. Add to that knowing the stakes at the beginning - there's a curse, I need you to fall in love with me - doesn't work for me. I get that it's such a popular tale that it's tricky to reboot, which is probably why it should be left alone for a bit now tbh.

Generally I quite enjoyed this despite that. I found Harper engaging. The style, though loose, was easily accessible. What knocked the rating down for me was the world building which was a bit sparse, Harper's largely unexplored back story which felt a bit thin, and Lilith who was a very one note villain. The mechanics of the curse left a lot to be desired too. I know a lot of people felt the book improved towards the last third but I went the other way and started enjoying it less. I really didn't appreciate a 'Frozen' type finale, not because I wanted romantic love to conquer all but because I felt it really wasn't well done. However it's a fast, easy read with some real gems of humour sprinkled throughout and two or three great characters. If you love retellings of fairy tales, give it a whirl.

By far the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I’ve read.

Prince Rhen, heir to Emberfall, is cursed. Cursed to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over until he finds a girl to fall in love with him. At the start of each season his only remaining commander Grey is sent to fins another girl to bring back to the castle in the hope they will fall in love with Rhen before the end of the season when Rhen turns into a vicious beast, thus making the cycle repeat itself. This one seemed easy, but not anymore.
For Harper Lacy nothing has ever been easy. With her father gone, mother dying and brother struggling to protect them from loan sharks, Harper is used to things being difficult. But when she prevents Grey taking a girl, she finds herself transported into Rhen’s cursed world. All she wants to do is return home to her mother before it’s too late, but with enemies storming Rhen’s lands harming his people and no way to get home, Harper finds herself playing princess and helping defend the people. When all is said and done, will she want to go home after all?

A Curse So Dark and Lonely contains many strong connections to Beauty and the Beast, but it also has many new additions. There is no talking furniture or Gaston or father figure convincing a village he’s crazy. Instead you have a willing and loyal Commander in Grey, a malicious and scheming sorceresses with Lilith and two completely separate worlds; Rhen’s and Harper’s.

I loved the fact that the two worlds were separate. It sucked you in more and made you feel more connected to Harper who was seeing and hearing everything with fresh eyes and ears just like you are. The story is expanded. It isn’t just about breaking the curse or falling in love, there is so much more at stake and I loved that. I think one of the reasons I’ve never gotten into Beauty and the Beast retellings that much is because they tend to focus heavily on the curse and the romance, whereas Brigid Kemmerer gives you so much more than that. It makes it easier to care about the characters and follow the story. You don’t just want them to break the curse for Rhen, you want them to break the curse for the people.

The sorceresses, Lilith, who placed the curse is also a more central villain and she is loathsome. It’s a small addition but it makes a huge impact to the story. Her appearances remind you of the curse, since Rhen isn’t a beast throughout the whole book, and remind you of the stakes. She’s unpredictable, but you know she wants to and will cause pain which gives her appearances impact.

The story has great elements which is only amplified by the characters. I adored Harper. She’s fierce, intelligent, competent and strong in her own way. She doesn’t beat around the bush and calls Rhen out if she needs to. It never feels as though there’s a power struggle between the two of them. They have their spats, but he never tries to lord over her or treat her like she’s incapable. I can’t comment of the cerebral palsy rep, but it was nice to some representation of it in YA since I haven’t seen it before.
Rhen was a great Prince. He’s very likeable. He doesn’t lock Harper away and answers the questions she has, but you can constantly feel the strain he’s under due to the curse. It’s like there’s a countdown clock going on in his head until he turns into a beast and it weighs on him. I like that Kemmerer did this and had Rhen be human for a lot of the book. It actually made me feel more sympathetic towards him and allowed you, as the reader, to see him as more than just a beast. You really learned who he is.

I loved how we also have Grey. It felt a little A Court of Thorns and Roses at the beginning because there was three of them and Grey and Harper started getting along before Harper and Rhen. But it was nice. You could tell that Grey and Rhen had been through a lot together and despite Rhen being the one cursed, Grey still suffered too.
It actually helped split things up in the beginning before things get all political and war-bound. Instead of just having the male and female characters awkwardly trying to move around each other you had a buffer and it worked really well.

Honestly, everything in this book worked so well. The separate worlds made the differences more distinguished and it helped Rhen’s world seem more magical and large. I thought the plot was great and the pace never slowed for me, it was constantly moving. Things did pick up at about 80%, but it never lacked momentum. I loved the friendship that formed between Grey and Harper and the relationship with Harper and Rhen. I liked that Harper and Rhen weren’t “in love” at the end, but they clearly had love for each other. It came across more sincere and realistic and nothing seemed forced.

In all, I found A Curse So Dark and Lonely an immensely readable and intriguing retelling with many strengths, including the characters and plot. I didn’t find myself rolling my eyes every other page due to the predictability or guessing the ending like I do with most Beauty and the Beast retellings. I adored the characters and felt very attached to their story and I’m very excited that Brigid Kemmerer is going to be writing a sequel. I really hope it’s about Grey – I really want to know more about Grey.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback

I loved this book so mich. Harper annoyed me to pieces at the beginning but she ended up growing on me. Rhen was great, I love him. That ending though!!! I’m obsessed

This one was a huge book. I think it's somewhere above 450 pages.

I really liked the premise and felt the story delivered. The characters and storyline were great. The pacing felt good and it didn't really lag.

It's my first book by Brigid Kemmerer and I'll definitely be reading more from her.

I loved this book so hard. I finished it in a whirlwind of two days (when I was supposed to be writing a report) and I have been recommending it to everyone ever since. Not only is the book cover stunning, but the retelling itself is also unlike any others I have read before.

Instead of our female protagonist, Harper, being some naive, passive, helpless girl, she is strong and smart and embraces her cerebral palsy - refusing to let it hold her back. This is something which I really admired since I had an aunt with cerebral palsy and I know the struggles. Our character, Harper, is stubborn and funny and I instantly loved her devotion to her family. What's more, is that I loved the complexity and depth of Prince Rhen and his steadfast loyal captain of the guard, Grey. There were times when I didn't know who I wanted to ship more Harper and one of the men or the prince and the guard themselves :P Even the novels villain, Lillith, is interesting and I instantly hated her (but only in the way that you love to hate villains in these kinds of stories).

Kemmerer did an amazing job of making me care about the characters and what happened to them. The world building was fantastic and I instantly wanted to live in Emberfall. I especially loved how they took a character from our modern world and transplanted her into a fairytale world - I thought that was really cool.

If you love fairytale retellings, stories with kick-ass females and hunky but smart princes, then you will love A Curse so Dark and Lonely.

"Fall in love, break the curse."

We've got ourselves a main character with cerebral palsy! We've got ourselves a cursed prince! We've got ourselves some good banter! And last but not least we've got ourselves a relationship that actually builds up properly! YAY!

Okay fangirling aside, this book was lovely. The only reason I gave it three and a half stars is because it's not my kind of book. This year I've been reading some retelling and I've noticed that I never give more than 4 stars for them simply because I don't like to know the ending before I even begin with the book.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a spectacular Beauty and the Beast retelling (way better than ACOTAR if you'd judge that book as a retelling, which I didn't so you'll find a higher rating for ACOTAR, don't judge me :) ) I started the book not knowing how many pages it was. I received the e-arc from Netgalley and read this book because I'd been putting off the books I got from Netgalley which isn't fair. Finding out that this book is 500 or so pages was hilarious. It did not feel like 500 pages at all. I flew through the pages of this book so that means the writing was excellent!

Harper is freaking amazing. Bluffing her way through Emberfall and impressing everyone who meets her. Gosh, I love her.
Rhen is so great too. I thought he was way too manipulative at first, but now I quite like him.
Scary Grey was a nice addiction as well. Loyal to a fault, yet also not afraid to have his own opinion, do things his own way.

"Break the curse, save the kingdom."

I have been a big fan of Brigid’s books for a fair few years now. So when I heard she was writing a full on fantasy I was SOLD. I would like to put out there that Beauty and the Beast isn’t my favourite tale for a retelling but oh my, did this book make me think again!!

One of the things I have always loved in Brigid’s previous books is her characters. Again she delivers in this book. Each character is fleshed out and feels real, even when in Emberfall. I felt like I was in both Rhen and Harper’s shoes as we alternated throughout the book. (Dual point of view is always a win for me!) I adored Grey also and the relationships the 3 of them built with each other and everyone around them. I love how there were characters and moments to really make your feelings go to war with themselves.

This book also avoided one of my least favourite things in a fantasy, a world info dump at the start of the book. It read so smoothly and it was great to learn about the world as Harper did. At no point did I feel pulled out of the story because too much information was trying to be squashed in.

The writing throughout the book was flawless. I never felt like a character did or said something weird or that something didn’t make sense. I could believe it all.

The only thing I am mad about is that the book is over and I NEED more. Also I need more Grey in my life. He is my favourite character from this book and that ending. OH BOY. I cannot wait for another book in the series!

I highly recommend you check this book out when it releases (or PRE-ORDER it!) and if you haven’t read any of Brigid’s previous books, now is a great time to start. I think of her Elemental often with great fondness. Even if you aren’t into paranormal, I still urge you to give them a try. The characters are to die for.

I really liked A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Not so much in the beginning, in fact I almost DNF’d it three or four times because I just couldn’t get into it! I am SO GLAD I stayed reading it. It is drawing comparisons to Sarah J Maas’ ACOTAR and I would be inclined to agree. It has some great characters, a really interesting premise and plenty of “would they just get it together already moments?” 😂 Plus, it ends leaving the reader wanting more! I genuinely loved this though, and I can’t wait for it to be released to buy a pretty copy for my shelves! Highly recommended.

I'm quite lucky in that each of the Beauty and the Beast retellings I have read has been quite different, all of them taking a different approach to this well-known story. Writing the story from the perspective of the Beast has been done before (The Beast's Heart) but I had not yet read a book that was dual POV between the Beast and the 'Belle' character - in this case, called Harper - and I thought it was a really cool take on the story. The contrast between the two of them is played up all the more when you add in the fact that Harper is brought into the Beast's world from modern-day America. I'm not always such a fan of 'modern day meets fairytale' stories because I think you can get bogged down in setting up the metaphysic between the two and other similar details. In this book, there is a bit of 'it's magic, don't ask too many questions,' but I think that worked to its favour. Harper is a gloriously practical character who, while she doesn't accept the situation in which she finds herself, she does get on with things without holding things up.

I thought that the 'curse' scenario, the idea of a season repeating but the world still moving on outside the castle was truly inspired. In most Beauty and the Beast style stories (or any 'curse' stories really) the world seems to have forgotten the existence of the castle that has been cursed, it languours either in some magical realm or hidden away in the forest. In this book, the world is aware of the royal family, aware of the prince, and also aware that things are not going well for them. The added need to care for the people of the kingdom was a fascinating angle to explore, and it made this so much more than just a copycat Beauty and the Beast. 

I can't speak to the representation of Cerebral Palsy in this book from experience, I look forward to reading reviews from ownvoices reviewers and seeing what they think, but I did like the fact that it was there. Harper is aware of her own limitations, but she is also unwilling to let them hold her back from what she wants to achieve. 

In case you couldn't tell, I had a great time reading this book. It manages to take Beauty and the Beast, a hugely clichéd romance at this point, and turn it into something that had so much power to it, so much weight behind it, this is how you do a retelling. I would highly recommend it as the colder weather continues!

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I think I've just finished my favourite book of the year...

I got this book from Bloomsbury Publishing through NetGalley, and I cannot thank you enough. Your sent me this book in September, I got so busy and I'm sorry for that.

I started the book yesterday night and finished it in the middle of the night. It is how a retelling has to be done. At some point I wanted to cry not because what I was reading was sad just the opposite. It was beautifully written, it was mesmerizing, it was brilliant, magical and so addictive. I wanted to cry because I cared so much for every single character, I cared so much about what was coming next. I felt like I was Harper or maybe someone watching after her, looking to protect her.

This is the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've ever read. Actually this is the best retelling I've ever read. I don't even what to say, where to start except that everyone should preorder this book. I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this book.

This story will make you feel everything that is humanly possible to feel: love, hate, fear, passion. You will fall apart then stand up and hope for the best. You will be on the longest and the best rollercoaster you've ever tried.

The writing style was everything I needed. I ate each word, I eat each sentence, I eat each page... I was dreaming all along the book. It is a 500 pages ebook that I got and I finished it in one sitting. I'm still in that world. I need more. I just need more...

❝We thought it would break you,” he pauses. “It did not. You took action to protect the kingdom. Your first order was to seal the borders. You sent word to each city to govern from within.”
“I do not deserve your loyalty, Grey.”
“Deserved or not, you have it.❞
⠀
Most of you are aware of my love for retellings. And this one left quite an impression.
First of all, I liked the concept behind the heroine’s condition. It always showed her strength, her character and never her weakness. And I liked how much brave she was.
I also appreciated the whole world-building. Two parallel worlds, the one we are used to, and the other, where Beauty and the Beast’s retelling took place. Made of castles, peasants and unforgettable warriors.
The Beast and his alter ego, the beautiful prince Rhen, was an interesting character… But as you must know, my attraction for the other guy has ancien roots. And as it happened with Rhysand from the very beginning, in this novel I was rooting for the obedient and stoic soldier, Grey. I loved, loved, loved how the whole transformation was plotted out and I was more than happy when I found out that the novel didn’t end with the final chapter. It just began 😍.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children's for providing me an Arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts are my own.

3.5 stars
A Curse So Dark and Lonely was an enchanting Beauty and the Beast retelling with unique twists and characters. It was engaging and addictive, I consumed it. It was extremely easy to read and the emotion written into the story felt so real.

It is told from two POVs, Harper and Rhen. One is a modern day girl with Cerebral Palsy, the other an older prince from a magical kingdom. These characters provided a wonderful insight into the different sides and experiences of learning to trust and love another. It is set in a magical and fictional kingdom called Emberfall but also incorporated modern day America, which I loved. Not many fantasy books can mix the real and the fantasy world and get it right. Harper was a fantastic main female character to read. She stood up for herself, didn't let anyone push her around and was totally badass. She made me laugh and didn't swoon at first site. You go girl. She fights for her family and does what she thinks is right. On the other hand I found Rhen, the main male character, a little hard to connect to, however his emotions and inner monologue were extremely well written. The very few last scenes of his in the book are extremely powerful. He is a gentleman and I like that he is represented in this manner.

Harper's relationships with Grey, Freya and Zo were great to read. Zo and Grey were my favourite characters after Harper. They made me laugh and I found their scenes together to be very realistic. At times I secretly shipped Grey and Harper. This was one reason for my slightly lower rating, I almost thought that the Grey would have been a better love interest, but maybe that's just me.

This book was unique in the fact that it wasn't the singular threat of 'the beast' but also a threat of war from a neighbouring kingdom. It was a nice change and twist from the original story. It was easy to follow and added a little something extra to the storyline. I really enjoyed reading Harper's journey and her love for the people of Emberfall. The villain of the story was kind of annoying, in a slightly evil way. Although I understood her role in the story, her scenes didn't add much for me in terms of interest.

The ending was so good, if a bit predictable. I don't know about everyone else reading this book, but I saw that happening as soon as it was hinted at earlier on. It leaves a few questions in my mind, but overall it was solid retelling.

What I loved:
- Harper - strong, sassy, leader
- Commander Grey - he can woo me any day, be my hero
- Zo and Freya
- An intricate kingdom and threat of war
- Rhen's emotions - they felt so real
- Super easy to read and quite addictive

What I didn't love:
- Rhen's overall character - he was a bit flat, like he was trying too hard
- Jake - I want to poke him in the eyeball
- Villain character - boring
- Length of book - sort of dragged

While I didn't love this book, I enjoyed it very much. The characters aren't your typical Beauty and the Beast characters and I liked this slight twist. If you love retellings, fantasy and really strong female characters this book is for you.

4.5 stars

This novel really surprised me, partly because it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and it isn't one of my favorite fairy tales, so I expected a nice reading and nothing more, instead I liked this story very much!

We're in the kingdom of Emberfall where the royal family hasn't seen for years and the people are convinced that they're escaped abandoning them to their fate to save themselves from the horrible monster that every autumn terrorizes the kingdom by killing its inhabitants. Actually the monster is heir to the throne: Prince Rhen, cursed by an enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year for ages until a girl fall in love with him and break the curse. Rhen is my new crush and he must be protected! At first he may seem arrogant but in reality he really cares about his people and wants to protect them. And then let me tell you ... He's a gentleman!

Harper is the female main characters, and ends in Emberfall while trying to save a girl. In fact she live in Washington and in the novel we understand that Emberfall and our world are parallel. I really appreciated Harper because she's badass but also kind and compassionate but above all she limps because of cerebral palsy. Do you know how rare it is to find such a female protagonist? One that isn't perfect and neither does care to be perfect...

Another thing that I really appreciated is that the romance part isn't rushed. In the beginning Harper and Rhen don't trust each other and this trust is built page after page, they approach slowly and like this they get to know each other.
The epilogue for me has ruined a little bit everything because leave open a story for Gray (the guard of Rhen) a minor character built very well. The author has said that there will be a sequel but this novel can be read as a standalone , so for now I don't know if I will read the sequel, for me this story would be perfect as it is.