I adored A Curse so Dark and Lonely! Brigid has given readers a fresh take on Beauty and the Beast retellings and I'm honestly living for it. The characters, world and plot are incredibly well written, I couldn't put it down. A full review will go up on my blog soon.

Oh wow I did not expect that ending.

This is not your conventional girl meets boy and falls in love tale. This is real, true. What you can be sure of is that the characters won't fall in love easily, or that may not even happen at all. It's a complete original retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The beast here is not gentle and kind like depicted in the real fairytale, this is a true slaughtering, terrifying and dangerous beast. The amount of terror and death it causes surprised me. It's definitely not your aw but the beast is so cute story.

Harper has cerebral palsy. And I love how it is not seen as a weakness for her, but as something that's part of her. And oh wow did the author write a strong female character! I hadn't read of such fierce female empowering in a while. Nothing can stop Harper.

And the commander was a very intelligent twist to the story. His friendship with Harper raises questions and we as readers become confused with the possibility.

There are only 2 reason I do not give it 5 stars:
1) the evil enchantress seems more to me like a mad woman instead of a evil being with a reason to be Evil, I like villains you can relate to (for example Maven from red queen, the darkling from shadow and bone). This woman worked on who knows what that drives her. Made no sense to me.
2) I like some more romance, more chemistry and spicyness . This was very very slow burned and dry for my tastes. But this is a rather personal opinion. (less)

I absolutely loved the book, definitely reading the following books in the series. The writer is one of my favorite ya, fantasy writers I know i can rely on having a qualitative content read I will enjoy.

With the release of book two I decided it was high time I got round to this Beauty and the Beast retelling.
This time round our Beast is Prince Rhen, cursed to relive his eighteenth year time and time again. The only thing that will save him is to have someone fall in love with him. Unfortunately, over the three hundred plus seasons Rhen has tried this it has failed. When he turns into a monster Rhen has killed his family and is, slowly, destroying his people.
Our Beauty is Harper, a young girl from DC. We first meet her as she’s looking out for her brother, desperately hoping they can do what is needed to pay off their father’s debts and keep their mother safe. When Harper sees a man attack a young girl in the street she pursues him...and before we know it Harper is spirited away to Emberfall.
Not off to a good start the two characters are prickly towards each other from the start. Each has their own situation to try and resolve, and in our minds there’s a focus on the curse. However, their characters certainly play a huge part in the choices they make and how this impacts on them.
Rhen’s commander, Grey, is a great character from the start. Spirited but strangely loyal, he also develops a close friendship with Harper. At one point I wondered if this would be a cliched love triangle, but the role Grey plays is a much more interesting one.
Over the course of the book we see Harper and Rhen develop their relationship, but also develop as individual characters. We have the manipulative Lilith, the enchantress who has cursed Rhen, and political machinations as those around Rhen try to take advantage of the circumstances.
While the latter stages of the story are, in some ways, quite predictable I was struck by the developments around certain characters that suggest where this might go. I’m looking forward to reading book two soon.

5 Words: Family, survival, strength, power, love.

When you're reading a retelling you pretty much know what you're in for - you know where the story is going to go. Or so I thought, before I read A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. Because this book was full of unexpected takes on the traditional tale. And I loved it.

I loved the back and forth between the worlds, how it brought the differences into even starker contrast. I loved the difference in danger, the meaning of words and actions.

I think one of my favourite things about this book was Harper. She's a delight to read. I loved her tenacity, her drive, the way she worked towards her purpose but was still so unselfish. She is generous and kind and such a Hufflepuff, I loved her. Harper has cerebral palsy, but it doesn't define her, and I loved how she called out anyone who assumed she was weak because of her disability. YES, YOU GO GIRL. It definitely does not define her.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely is beautifully written. I picked out so many quotes while I was reading, and I pretty much want all of them as prints. I loved the pace, the slow release of secrets, the slow burn romance building in the background, the intense ending. But this book isn't just romance - it's political intrigue and magic and danger. And it's an addictive read, I couldn't put it down.

I'd recommend A Curse So Dark And Lonely to anyone who enjoys fantasy books, and I can't wait to read more of Brigid Kemmerer's books, and to read on in this fantasy series.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is, without a doubt, one of the best fairytale retellings I have ever read.
The opening line “There is blood under my fingernails. I wonder how many of my people I’ve killed this time.” immediately drew me into the story, and I absolutely devoured this book.

A fascinating take on Beauty and the Beast, this book was intriguing and enthralling, keeping me hooked right until the very end. I loved that despite being a 'love story', this book explored different kinds of love - love for family, self love, love for one's country - and made it clear that they were just as, if not more, important as the main characters' romantic love for each other. Being able to see the situation from both of the main characters' point of view gave an additional dimension to the story, and both characters were well rounded and likeable - no annoying Mary Sues here! Overall I really hope Kemmerer continues this series because I can't wait to read more!

➽ <b>The main characters all felt very authentic</b> I also liked seeing their dynamics together, even if only Harper and Rhen got main POV's. Apart from the romance, I also liked seeing Harper and Grey become friends, their interactions definitely were among my favorites! But I also liked the complicated relationship between Grey and Rhen, because he's the only guard left and has a lot of responsibility. I found it interesting that Grey is loyal, but mainly out of duty to his prince and even 300+ seasons together have still kept a distance between them. They were toeing the line between professional and a friendly relationship (I REALLY want them to become friends, not sure how realistic that is in the sequel, but they need to hug). In the beginning, I was thinking this would become a love triangle situation, but in the end, it didn’t turn out to be this way and I see Harper and Grey more as best buddies!

<b>Harper</b> is a fierce girl from DC who has cerebral palsy. She's been through a lot in her life, as her mother has cancer and her brother got in trouble with some debt collectors, ever since their father went off. Harper never had it easy, so she is a born fighter and not ready to give in. She's very determined, but also empathetic, as she genuinely cares for helping people. She's definitely a new force in the kingdom and tries to help Rhen's subjects even though this isn't her world. In the end, she grows a lot more confident, as she's out from under her brother's constant protection and has to fight back alone.

<b>Prince Rhen</b> is the cursed prince and I felt really sorry for him. You can tell that he used to be arrogant and downright mean but 300+ seasons of punishment, grief and blood have worn him down and left him resigned. He's not as bad as he appears in the beginning and I liked seeing his struggles with taking back his kingdom, after abandoning it and trying to prevent a war. He's still not perfect, but a much better person than he seemed to be before! I do have a soft spot for him, especially as he genuinely cares.

<b>Grey</b> is my favorite character and Rhen's only remaining guard. He can be very stoic and come across very distanced, as he is strongly bound to duty and obeying orders. However, he has a good heart and a lot of softness beneath his armor. He could be a great friend, because Grey is very loyal and only has everyone's best interests at heart. Obviously, I was immediately taken by him, because you see a lot of vulnerability beneath his role as a loyal guard and how he played with Freya's kids was plain adorable.

➽ <b>I liked the original aspects of the retelling.</b> There are a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings out there already, so I thought that A Curse so Dark and Lonely provided some great original twists on the plotline, while still staying faithful to the source material. I liked that the romance storyline didn't overtake the entire story and instead was more subtle, yet still a theme, as the curse haunts Rhen. We also see the consequences of the curse and Rhen's self-imposed isolation. Harper is helping Rhen in trying to get the kingdom back in order as it's threatening to collapse under an impeding war and poverty as he's been absent for such a long time. I liked that the book focused on Rhen owing up to how his situation has influenced his kingdom and Harper's dedication in helping people that technically aren't even her own. Furthermore, I liked the idea of the different seasons of Rhen trying to break the curse, only for them to be reset and Grey having to take a girl from the real world every time. This makes it a little bit of a portal Fantasy, as Grey can cross over worlds in order to take the girls to break the curse.

➽ <b>I appreciated that the romance wasn't insta-love</b>. I feel like that's always a risk when it comes to a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but A Curse so Dark and Lonely managed to critically discuss the kidnapping part that always starts off the story. Harper isn't thrilled to be abducted into a completely new world by dubious strangers, so she's on guard and calling out Rhen, as she knows more girls were taken before her. I liked the way their relationship progressed, as Harper isn't ready to blindly trust Rhen and instead demands answers from him, as what got her into this was trying to protect another girl. The romance develops slowly over time and is more of a slow burn, a trope that I always like. Through working together and getting to understand each other better, Rhen and Harper grow closer together and challenge each other's views. They definitely had great chemistry and banter, so I enjoyed reading about their romance, especially as it was so well handled. <spoiler>I also liked that in the end their love isn't what broke the curse, or rather it's likely that Grey killing Lilith is what stopped it. That <b>makes the end of the retelling less of a cliché in my opinion and doesn't fall into portraying love as the ultimate solution</n> to everything. It also made sense, as Harper says she'd like to slowly get to know what it would be like to be with Rhen.</spoiler>

➽ <b>The secondary characters really shone.</b> I was happy to see that Harper developed such a great friendship with Freya and the new female guard, because I was definitely missing some female friendships. I especially liked Freya, she was such a kind woman - caring for her sister's family - and kind of become a little bit of a mother figure for Harper as well! I also loved Harper's brother's boyfriend Noah, he's got medical experience and is a super soft and loyal person, that immediately grew on me! As for Harper's brother Jake, I didn't like him, because he was very patronizing and refused to let see her as a more independent and stronger version instead of the little sister he has to protect. It got a bit better at the end, but still his attitude was a bit aggravating.

➽ <b>I did find Lilith as the villain to be pretty stereotypical.</b> While the rest of the retelling manages to take an original twist, Lilith stays the 'scorned lover who's sadistic and evil'. I hate that trope in general and here it was employed full force. I just didn't see any complexity in her as the villain, Lilith seemed more like a plot device than a fully fleshed out antagonist, so her scenes were my least favorite part to read about.

When i first got accepted for this book i was ridiculously excited. I adore beauty and the beast, it’s always been a favourite story for me, and I’ve read many adaptions recently. However, this one certainly stands out form all the rest! The storyline is far from what I expected, there are many surprises along the way and the characters are multilayered.

This is by far my favourite adaption story ever! If you love the original stories, the disney, or even if you weren’t previously keen, you will LOVE this!

This was a brilliant book! Beauty and the beast retelling are always hit and miss for me but this was definitely a hit! I loved the way there was a perfect mixture of modern day DC mixed in with olden day Emberfall. The constant back and forth between Harper, Rhen and Grey was so much fun to read and you really felt Rhen’s pain about his transformation. I am so excited for the second book in the series.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is definitely a story that sucks you in; it is a page turner full of twists and turns. Overall, I found this book to be a very enjoyable read but not without some faults.

Let’s begin with all the things I did like, because we are positive people and we must look on the bright side first and foremost! After this completely unecessary and uncalled for pep talk let’s jump right in!

🗡️ Harper. Harper is a very interesting character. I am not going to lie, at first I was unsure of my feelings about her, and I can’t wholeheartedly admit that I even liked her, but as I got to see more of her, she kinda grew on me. I liked the fact that she was strong and independent, that she did not waver from her beliefs. Also, I can’t talk with certainty about the celebral palsy representation in this since I’m not an expert, but I really appreciated the fact that the main character has some form of celebral palsy and it is shown in the text. She shows symptoms and she actively talks about it. She is not ashamed of who she is, and it is right that she shouldn’t.

🗡️ Rhen. As the prince/beast of the story he is both charming and dark. This is what I liked the most about him: he is a character who has been bad, has done wrongs and is aware of it. He does not wait for the princess to save him and make him realise he has been wrong; he already knows. So the whole “bad prince realises he’s been an a****le all along because he fell in love” trope is -thankfully- not present in the story.

🗡️ Originality of retelling. Honestly this is the most original twist of The Beauty and the Beast tale I have ever read. I LOVED the fact that it was set in modern time DC; I found the combination of modern and fairytale to be so unique and captivating. It was the best part of the whole book for me. However beware: if you are looking for a retelling that will have roses, talking furniture and huge libraries, you won’t find them in this story. Here you’ll find something more of the sort of weapons, a bloodthirsty enchantress and politics.

Now, on to the dislikes.

🏹 The pacing. God, I am so conflicted on this part. The pacing threw me off so many times throughout the novel, but at the same time there were many times where it was just right ???? I don’t know what happened there.

🏹 Love triangle. In all honestly, this love triangle may not have been very prominent in the story, but God was it unecessary. Why was it there? It is possible that not every male in the story instantly gets enarmoured by the heroine you know. Shocking but there are some rare instances where it happens.

🏹 Tone. Kemmerer lost me a few times with her tone and I couldn’t connect and the way she presented things seemed to me a little emotionless? I don’t know how to best explain it; there wasn’t much feeling and emotion to back up the writing. I think that I had the same problem with another Kemmerer book I’ve read so maybe that’s a me problem?

I received this e-ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

This book was decadent, fierce, enthralling and engaging. I honestly loved it, and I'm so keen for the next book. I adored the character voices and the twists on a classic- including an MC with a disability but letting it define her.

I was REALLY excited about this book - I love a good retelling, especially Beauty and the Beast - I was doubly excited when I was granted an ARC via Netgalley! Then the nerves hit, because I've read some bad retellings before But so many positive reviews turned up and my excitement returned. This emotional rollercoaster might have been why I went into this with such high expectations.
But also, It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling so that had a lot to do with it.

For this review I read my uncorrected ARC copy as it was more convenient. But this means some things may have been different, for example; I found one oddly placed passage that I checked and found it had been removed from the final. To be honest it was interesting finding - it was in the wrong POV chapter but the interesting part was that it had been there and had been found and corrected - I liked seeing that part of the writing process, but my point is there could have been differences.

This book has been well received for it's representation as the main character has Cerebral Palsy.
Also for it's mention of Stockholm Syndrome, which is thrown at the Beauty and the Beast story a lot, despite Belle not generally displaying any of the symptoms.

The writing of this book wasn't overly complex which I liked. Not everyone reads to the same level after all and this book felt accessible without being condescending.
However, it DID feature the age old 'not like other girls' myth. It was never spelled out but it was very heavily insinuated. I wasn't happy with the way the book seemed to all that all these 'other girls' had been totally fine with suddenly being kidnapped and taken to a castle in another world and they'd been perfectly happy to spend their time there. I mean, even after receiving the explanation, even the calmest most timid person is going to have been not fine with being there. Ok, after the explanation and a few weeks maybe they'd calm down - just like Harper - but hmmm, really?!

I loved that the curse came from something other than the original reason - but at the same time, the same reason was kept in? This confused me, but this is told in switching first person POV so that's possibly why there seemed to be subtle contradictions that confused me. Actually, these weren't the only little contradictions that frustrated me. They weren't major, but they were there.
The curse ending was great too! Not on script and with room for more exploration.

So far so good, right?
Well, yes. The retelling part was great! The rest, no so much. The storyline had a feeling of being shoehorned into a too tight spot. It had such promise that it never lived up to.
My least favourite part was the forced love triangle vibes. With the love set up from the start - because BatB retelling - it was really annoying, especially as it didn't have any heat! I can understand the setup as the actual thing had a purpose, but carrying it on? I didn't feel it and I just got frustrated with it.
I'm not sure about the set up for book 2 either.
It just...something about the whole thing really wasn't gelling with me. I need a bit of logic to smooth over the magic or I'm not getting it.

What's 300 seasons? 150 years?
Yeah, it was such a great promise and for me it missed.
This is probably why it's taken me so long to write this review!

An interesting interpretation a classic fairy tale - sort of Jekyll/Hyde meets Beauty and the Beast. This book carried me along at a grand pace, even when the action faltered.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely was the Beauty and Beast retelling I've been waiting for. It so perfectly managed to mix a historical/fantasy vibe with the modern world, and the contrast of the two main characters was so entertaining to read. Harper is that kind of uncommon protagonist that really grabs your attention from the moment she's introduced. She has cerebral palsy, but doesn't let that stop her doing bad-ass things. The conversations this creates were wonderful to read, and I'm sure this rep will do a lot for anyone with CP that didn't think they'd ever see themselves in a fantasy-adventure. As far as her character, Harper's drive to go back to her world when she's pulled into Rhen's, but her passion for wanting to help him - eventually! - shows a selflessness that a real princess would be jealous of. I loved her relationship with Rhen as it developed, and I'm glad Brigid Kemmerer took the time with them to ward off any Stockholm Syndrome critique the original fairy tale is cursed with. How they'll grow throughout the series is the main pull to keep reading!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this book, but boy do I wish I'd picked it up as soon as I got it. In one word, fantastic! As a Beauty and the Beast retelling, A Curse So Dark and Lonely has it all - we have a beast, a handsome prince, darkness and anguish, and a feisty heroine. When Harper sees a girl being kidnapped, she tries to intervene and soon finds herself in a mysterious castle, with two guys there, and no one else. Her phone won't work, and there's a whole load of magic, like musical instruments playing by themselves, a bath being perpetually hot, and a fully stocked kitchen, with food all ready to eat, at any time. She soon learns that Prince Rhen and Grey, his sole guard, are all that are left in the castle at Emberfall, and that a monstrous beast ravages the kingdom, and has killed the rest of the royal family. The kingdom is suffering, and rather than lying down and taking what is coming, she fights to get home, and in turn helps to reclaim the kingdom as an enemy nation plots to invade. She is told of the curse, but can't be forced to fall in love to break it, though she is intrigued by Rhen, and slowly falling for him. As the beast, he can't imagine anyone would ever love him, and blames himself for the mistake that led to he and the kingdom being cursed. He'll do anything to break the curse, even killing himself if that would work, but after every 'season' he reappears, good as new, and nothing can hurt him - a fact the sorceress uses to her advantage to torture him whenever she wants.

I loved Harper. She was so feisty and fun, and her character growth within the book was astronomical. She suffers from Cerebral Palsy, which leaves her with a noticeable limp, and she believes this is a failing of hers, but won't let it stop her when others are in danger. She often jumps in the way of others who are suffering, which works to the advantage of her and Rhen when she masquerades as a Princess from an unknown kingdom, engaged to Rhen, and helps to bolster and boost the morale of the whole kingdom, who have been left feeling forgotten and abandoned by their monarchs. From the girl at the beginning of the book who only wanted to get home to her brother and sick mother, she finds herself really caring for the people, and even would give up seeing her family for the last time, if it would help everyone she's come to care about.

Rhen was such a conflicted character, broken inside and at a loss of what to do. After killing his family - not his fault, he was the beast at the point - he closes down the borders to the kingdom, hoping it would protect everyone. Instead, it leads to five years of hard struggles, and when he realises that was his fault too, he sort of wants to curl up and scream. He only has Grey as his companion, even then he doesn't understand why Grey remains, but he does. His growth was amazing throughout this book too, going from a scared young prince, who made the mistake of sleeping with the wrong women, to a strong and just ruler, was phenomenal. I found him the better love interest for Harper, though I know some reviewers like Grey more. I did like Grey's character, and as we learnt more of his back story, he did grow on me, but not as much as Rhen.

The plot was amazing, with a 500 page book feeling like nothing as I flew through it. The one reason I'm glad I've waited until now to read the book is that I haven't got as long a wait for book 2 as I would've had, because that ending killed me, and I need more now! Definitely a book I'd recommend, and I'm in the process of getting Brigid's other books now.

I'm not usually one for fairytale retellings, but this one resonated with me. Particularly impressed with the switching between worlds, which felt pretty seamless.

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy 👌

What a wonderful book!

I have discovered that I don't like retelling. The majority of retelling I have read I haven't enjoyed. But I loved this book.
Kemmerer does a wonderful job of subverting the original story and creating 3 very solid characters that we admire and relate to. Harper, Rhen and Grey are all brought to life on the page by Kemmerer's beautiful writing, and unique voice.

Harper's character growth is phenomenal and I admired her strength and resilience throughout the story; her ability to deal with the cerebral palsy is inspiring and extremely important for other readers to see a powerful role model - offering diversity.

Rhen's narrative felt a little like chocolate: hard outer shell but warm and intimate on the inside. I was impressed by how much empathy I felt for him, even in the end! I think that's mirrored in Harper's feelings for him too.

Grey's wit and dark humour seemed to sparkle from the page and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his exchanges; he brought a little dynamic to the story.

No spoilers. Just read it!

Wow. Just wow. This book was absolutely fantastic and utterly blew me away.

I hadn’t read anything by Brigid Kemmerer before reading A Curse so Dark and Lonely, and I didn’t really know anything about it other than the fact that it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling and it’s received a lot of hype. I have to say that I was definitely not disappointed! This book is incredible! I read it in one day, which I literally never do, and it’s quite a lengthy book at nearly 500 pages long.


It’s so hard to make this review actually coherent because I just tend to babble on and on when I’ve loved a book, but I’ll try my best!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows Harper, and tells the story of a cursed Kingdom. Prince Rhen is cursed to repeat the autumn season over and over, each time courting a new girl stolen off the streets of DC by his commander, Grey, who is able to cross over worlds. Harper notices Grey carrying an unconscious girl, and attacks him to try to save the girl.


Harper is an amazing main character. She’s strong, fiesty and determined, always wanting to help others and do what’s right. She also has cerebral palsy, and this book shines a light on the disability, portraying it as something that is just a natural part of Harper, and it doesn’t stop her from doing anything.


All Rhen needs is one of the girls to fall in love with him and the curse will be broken. But it’s harder than it sounds, as Rhen is doomed to turn into a monster at the end of each season, terrorising his kingdom and family.

The setting of Rhen’s Kingdom, Emberfall, is truly enchanting. The world building paints a complete, beautiful picture of the castle and surrounding lands with an atmosphere of fantasy and fairytale. I was swept into the setting and story right from the first chapter, I immediately knew that I would love this book because the writing style is so easy to read but also beautifully descriptive.


After the curse remains unbroken for hundreds of seasons, Rhen and Grey are given their final chance, the last season at the end of which if the Curse remains unbroken, Rhen will stay as a monster forever.

Grey takes Harper to Emberfall, and she immediately struggles and tries to run away. Harper is different: none of the girls have ever been less than happy to spend a season in a castle surrounded with pretty dresses and lovely food. Rhen and Grey finds themselves confiding in Harper, seeing her more as a friend and less as a girl to win over to break the curse.
I love the characters so much, some of the moments between Harper, Rhen and Grey are just adorable, some are hilarious and sassy and others just warm your heart. These characters are so well developed that you just can’t help loving them and rooting for them throughout the story.


The plot is very well paced, the balance of action, cute moments and plot twists was perfect, every chapter was brilliant and never boring. I devoured this story so quickly, once you’re hooked there’s no going back!


After finishing this I was astounded but also mad that it was over! Obviously I immediately went to stalk Brigid’s twitter and look on Goodreads to find out if there’s a sequel and THERE IS!! I’ve never been more hyped for a book release as I am for A Heart so Fierce and Broken!

Overall, I absolutely adored this book! It has such great characters that you'll instantly fall in love with and a plot to keep you hooked and reading late into the night! A Curse so Dark and Lonely deserves 5 out of 5 stars!

The retelling of The Beaury and The Beast - and it is working.

Rhen is a prince of Emberfall - and also a beast, cursed by the cruel witch. The spell is easily to be broken - just find the girl to fall in love with you. Ah yes. Many girls lusts after a good-looking, rich guy, right? Yes. But they do not love him. And at the end of every magic-made season, Rhen turns into a beast and and goes for a killing spree. And then the another season starts and he is there at his castle, with his heart broken and his spirit burdened by the guilt, shame and pain even more.
Only his loyal guard Grey knows the truth - but the burden of pain is not easy to bear andd their relationship can be a bit strained.
And this is a last season. If Rhen cannnot find a solution, he will stay a beast forever.

Harper is a modern girl. But not the typical one - as she is suffering the effects of her cerebral palsy, her leg does not work properly. But this also makes her both a fighter and a compassionate person. She is trying to survive in her world of missing father with debts, her brother trying to cover the said debts with the shady works and her mother dying of cancer. So when she sees a strange man taking the girl at night, she acts. Only the man is Grey and so she is taken into the world of Emberfall instead of the previous girl.
And maybe the unplanned choice is the best!

I loved all things Emberfall here. The broken man, who needs just a fierce girl to have his spirit reawakened. Only a spark of hope to start to act like a prince.
I also like that the Harper´s fierceness is not enough. So often we see fierce (read: rude) girls in novels to solve the issues with some shouting and rebellion. Not here. Harper´s heart is good, but she needs (and she quickly does) to realize that her naive resolution also need to backed up with experience, knowledge and healthy self-esteem.

Also the romance works well! Rhen and Harper just belong together.

And I love that this is a clean read. So many YA books are just erotica. Here we finally see a man who values the girl´s trust more than her body.

On the other hand, I dislike Jake, Noah and the modern world parts. I feel that the modern world characters are just (modernly stereotypical) props to serve the story and also their characters seem to be quite spoiled and immature for the life experiences they have had.

But having said all that - this is an YA book to be recommended.

Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall is 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.

Harper is a girl that really hasn’t have an easy life. 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.

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.

Wow, what can I say now that has not been said in previous reviews? This book was really just amazing and I enjoyed every word, every minute.

The structure is very nice. You move from Harper’s story to Rhen and back. This way you really get to know both characters well, but that little bit of mystery remains. The writing style is pleasant, really young adult style. It reads incredibly easily and quickly.
Before I started reading I knew it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and that was (partly) noticeable in the book. Yet it was also a story entirely by itself. Only the basis of the original story has been used and the writer has built a great whole new story around it.

The characters are described so well, so much sympathy is generated for the right characters. But at the same time they are not all perfect. They clearly have their mistakes and these too are well emphasized. This makes it much easier for you to put yourself in the characters and this makes them a more real. And yes, secretly I thought it was really cool that the “bad guy” in this book is the sorceress Lilith, a name that we have lovingly given to our daughter!

All in all, this was definitely my favorite book this year (so far). The second part has already been ordered, even though we have to wait for it for months. And I would really recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and fairy tales, but also just wants to read a good story.