Cover Image: A Curse So Dark and Lonely

A Curse So Dark and Lonely

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Member Reviews

Thank you Bloomsbury for the review copy!

I've only read Brigid Kemmerer's contemporary books before so I was really interested to read her first fantasy. Really enjoyed the book overall and will definitely be checking out the sequel!

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When another book box supplier suggested I read this book and stated 'it was the best thing I have picked up all year ', I was instantly dubious . Not being a fan on retelling type stories, I read through this book with a critical attitude and quickly found myself falling in love with this book myself. On my recommended must read list....this is a book you dont want to miss out on !
Thanm you for allowing me to review this title .

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Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault/Threats, Abelism & Suicide.

Writing:
This was an interesting twist to a classic. I love that this was turned to portal fantasy, which added another layer to the story. The world was well developed and very creative. I really enjoyed being in this world and discovering more about it through the book. I can’t wait to learn more in book 2, A Heart So Fierce and Broken!

This book is multi POV following Rhen & Harper and was done really well. It was very easy to distinguish between the 2 POVs. I’m also glad this book was multi POV rather than just following Harper or Rhen. This book was the best seeing both sides, both characters struggles and the truth from both sides.

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”
– Freya (A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer)

Plot:
This book is very suspenseful & adventure filled. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the book which kept the book very interesting. It was hard to put down and was a very easy and quick read.

“My father once said 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 fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”
-Rhen (A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Birgid Kemmerer)

As many of you know, I am not a huge romance fan, but as this is a retelling. I knew from the start that there would be a romance & who it would be between so when it came to pass I didn’t mind it. It was well done compared to most YA romances.

Characters:
Our 3 main characters are Rhen, Harper & Grey. My favourite out of the 3 is actually Grey, who while plays a major part is a side character. All the characters are fierce, loyal & determined to do what is right. Grey especially is extremely loyal to those that he trusts. He is also quick witted & brave to a fault.

Also I really enjoyed the disability rep (Cerebral Palsy) in this book! There are very few books I have read that have MCs with disabilities in the physical realm. So it was interesting to see this in the book. It never stopped Harper from braving what needed to be done and she shut anyone down that doubted her ability because of it.

“Failure isn’t absolute. Just because you couldn’t save everyone doesn’t mean you didn’t save anyone.”
-Harper (A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

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Thank you to Bloomsbury for my copy of this via Netgalley. I also got a copy of this in my February Fairyloot box. I ADORE Beauty and the Beast so I was stoked to get a special copy of this from Fairyloot. I flicked between the netgalley copy and the Fairyloot copy.

I was a little scared to read this just in case it was terrible and ruined BATB for-Evermore. However, I had nothing to worry about. This book was AMAZING! It was different, yes but I loved it. The chapters are told from alternating points of view with the characters name after the chapter number to let you know who's POV you are reading.

Harper is a strong character. Despite her cerebral palsy, she is determined not to be a victim. She is brave and confident but also stubborn as hell. She made a great Belle. I loved her chapters so much.

Rhen is 'The Beast'. In this retelling, Rhen isn't a beast all the time. He only turns into a beast near the end of the season. Rhen has done everything he can to protect his people but the kingdom is in real danger. I really loved Rhen from the beginning. He was damn easy to fall for. I so wanted things to work out between Rhen and Harper. I also loved his relationship with Grey. Grey has been there for him since the curse began and he has never given up.

I really loved the ending of this book and I CANNOT wait for the next book

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I think this book was more of a 3.5 than a 4 star read but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I think I’m used to more action packed fantasy novels but I loved how this was based on Beauty and the Beast, one of my favourite Disney movies. I loved the characters, especially Harper and Rhen, who just seemed to jump off the pages. I rooted for them so much and just wanted everything to end happily. There were a couple things I didn’t expect in the plot and was pleasantly surprised by.

I really enjoyed the writing style and how the world was built. While it wasn’t vast, I could picture everything thanks to the descriptions. As for pacing, it felt a little slow in places, which I think is why it took me so long to read, but I flew through the last 20% of the book. Overall, this was an enjoyable read for me.

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I love retelling books and as a guilty pleasure, I've always liked beauty and the beast. I liked this book but didn't love it as I just felt like different parts of the book were missing such as the romance.

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First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn't end up reading the e-arc and purchased the book when it came out because I have trouble reading pdf-files.

I was in a huge reading slump when I started read A Curse So Dark and Lonely but I couldn't put this book down! I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters and I'm always drawn to retellings and Beauty and the Beast ones are my favourite.

Brigid Kemmerer's writing style is really captivating and got me hooked from the very first chapter. There are two main character Harper and Rhen who get their own point of view. I hope to read more about Grey soon, another interesting character we meet right at the beginning of the story. Harper is a very strong female character and even though her weaknesses are explored it does not diminish her in the least.

The magical elements were amazing. I wouldn't mind living in that enchanted castle, I especially liked the kitchen (food just magically appears!) and Harper's room.

The book has some surprising and interesting twists and an incredible ending!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a fun and captivating retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I adored it! So excited to read the sequel! I highly recommend this book and I gave it 5 stars! And that in combination with a spectacular cover!

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To start this, I should inform you that I absolutely love Brigid Kemmerer‘s books and Beauty and the Beast so I was very excited when I heard that Brigid Kemmerer was writing a retelling. I simply had to get my hands on it and read it – because I was absolutely sure I would love it. Fortunately, once again, Brigid did not disappoint and I can not recommend this book more. It is a light fantasy but it has everything about Brigid‘s writing that I love; most importantly being strong, relatable, and incredible characters that you cannot help but fall in love with with. Coupled with a very strong, moving plot and a brilliant backstory, it is difficult not to thoroughly enjoy this book. It will take you on a true journey and will end with you wanting to return, time and time again – I know I do!

While this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, it is also very different from the tale that we all know and love – (the Disney version!). In this book, our heroine has been kidnapped against her will, and is aware early on that to break the curse she must fall in love with the Prince. A hard feat considering she has been stolen from the world she knows and loves. On top of that, the curse in this story is also very different. Instead of being banished and becoming a monster for life, Prince Rhen is only a monster during one season. The rest of the time he is a “human”, and it is in this state that he must try and get the females that are brought to his castle, to fall in love with him. When he fails, he turns into a monster and does unfortunate damage on innocent bystanders. Damage that does not reverse when the seasons change – something he found out far too late. The final piece of this plot is simply that this season is set out to be Rhen’s last. If he cannot convince Harper to fall in love with him, he will be doomed to spend eternity as a monster.

It is a wonderful, well-thought out and incredible plot that just works incredibly well. I devoured the story easily and just absolutely loved the journey that the book takes us on. From the integral plot, to the little subplots and details that are thrown in, this book is truly worth the read. I don’t want to say too much as I do not want to spoil the book for those willing to read it but lets just say that I am very much looking forward to the next book and that I am 100% invested in this story and its characters. Which is another reason that I absolutely loved this book. Brigid Kemmerer just has a way to create amazing characters that you cannot help but become engrossed with. She writes their emotions in a way that hits you with your very own emotions. Good or bad, you simply cannot help but invest in her characters.

So, obviously, I absolutely adore this book and think it is one of my absolute favourites. Though I may always have a soft spot for the Storm series! If you’re looking for a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, intense and emotional rollarcoaster of a fantasy read then I highly recommend giving this book a read! It will take you on a true journey and will give you new characters to love and cherish. I cannot speak more highly of this book and everything in it. There are just so many things about it that I could talk about – but I don’t want this review to be too long – so instead I am just going to repeat that you really should give this book a read if you haven’t already. Especially if you love Beauty and the Beast but want something that is just that little bit more.

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(Sorry for the late review and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC)

4,75/5 Simply awesome.

I have read many retellings of The beauty and the beast, but I have to say that I've loved this story from the beginning till the end.

Both the story and its characters have kept me hooked. So much so that I had read the book in just two days.

Briggid has given a touch of originality to the story and has created some very complete, strong and courageous characters, who do not let themselves be overcome by obstacles, but with a fragility that makes them very human.

I really want to read the next book, because that ending has left me speechless.

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THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD I CAN'T EVEN.

For the good of Emberfall. For the good of all.

I'll be honest, when I first heard about A Curse So Dark and Lonely I thought, no, not another Beauty & the Beast retelling, but given how everyone was losing their shit over it I thought I should give it ago. Boy, did I enjoy the ride!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely started strong out of the gate and while I admittedly got a little confused initially about what was happening in the world of Emberfall, I quickly found my stride and was 100% committed to going on this journey with Harper, Rhen and Grey (I think I'm crushin' on the Commander).

The book is told from duel perspectives and follows Harper, a girl from DC living with Cystic Fibrosis whose family is caught up in a world of violence and desperation and Rhen, the Crowned Prince of Emberfall who has been cursed to relive the season of his eighteenth birthday over-and-over again until he finds a girl to break the curse. The crux of that curse? At the end of each season, he becomes a monster who terrorises Emberfall with disastrous personal consequences.

I really enjoyed what felt like a new take on the Beauty and the Beast world. Harper isn’t your nice and polite lead, she is a firecracker full of stubbornness, heart and tenacity that gives Rhen and Grey a run for their money. I loved that she was a strong lead and while it may have be spawned out of a need to survive, I felt like by the end of the book her character had developed and inner strength she’d been feigning in the beginning.

In the same vein, Rhen comes across as a bit of a bastard in the beginning however he begins to lean into the more tender parts of his personality as the story progresses and what you’re left with is a true leader, someone I’m excited to explore more in the sequel.

GREY IS THE BEST AND I LOVE HIM SO. THE END.

Kemmerer has done an incredible job of crafting a complex and vivid world that even with all its magical realism, still feels very established in a real world setting. I could easily see the changing landscape, picture the intricate details of the Castle and place myself right in the middle of all the fierce drama. I loved it all.

The only bad thing about reading this book is that the sequel isn’t out so I can’t binge read it and I NEED TO. I JUST DO. Hey Brigid Kemmerer, can you give me that sequel now? I’ll be your best friend. Please and thank you.

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4.5 stars

Prince Rhen of Emberfall has been living under a curse from an enchantress for several years.
His attempts to get a girl to fall in love with him fail again and again, each failure leading to Rhen transforming into a hideous creature. His family dead by his own hand, Rhen lives in the castle with only his guard for company.
Harper's life in Washington, DC isn't easy - her mother is dying from cancer, her father disappeared after getting into trouble with loan sharks, and her brother is doing bad things to get them in the clear. Despite her cerebral palsy, Harper is tough. When she sees a young woman in trouble, she ends up in a strange land with a cursed prince.
Can Harper break the curse?
Will Rhen be able to save his land from invasion?

Where to start?!
I'm a fan of Brigid Kemmerer's contemporary books, so when I saw that she had a Beauty and the Beast (my favourite fairy tale) retelling coming out I was super excited.
I'm so glad that I liked this so much!
Harper was a fantastic protagonist - she was tough, kind and caring. This was the first book I've read with a character that had cerebral palsy and I thought it was handled well.
Rhen was likeable and I felt sorry for him. Grey was another character that I really liked.
I loved Harper and Rhen's relationship, Harper and Grey's relationship and Rhen and Grey's relationship. All their interactions pretty much had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
The romance wasn't over the top, which I appreciated. I thought it was sweet.
The plot was interesting and had some good action scenes. There were some twists I didn't see coming. The scenes with Lilith, the Enchantress, were tense and she was so messed up that I had no idea what she was going to do next.
The writing gripped me straight away and I didn't want to put this down.
The only thing that bothered me was how much Harper blushed, but hopefully some of these were removed for the finished book.
I can't wait for the sequel!

Overall this was a fantastic read that I would definitely recommend.

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(Sorry for the late review!) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Brigid Kemmerer is one of my new favourite authors after reading Letters to the Lost and More Than We Can Tell. I knew that this book would be completely different to those two but I love a fantasy book and this seemed to be perfect for me after reading the synopsis. I enjoyed it so much that it is one of my favourite books of 2019 so far. I cannot wait for Brigid's next book, I'm ready to read anything by this incredibly talented woman.

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I liked the idea of a different kind of Beauty and The Beast retelling but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. It wasn't really fantastical enough to be fantasy for me (I need more magic!) but it wasn't contemporary enough to be a pure contemporary, so it sat in this sort of weird in between space where it wasn't doing either well. I also found the romance a bit lacking, though it did improve towards the end. I did love the main characters though, I thought Harper was amazing, seeing a disabled protagonist kicking butt in a fantasy book was brilliant and she was such a fun, feisty, fiery character. I also enjoyed Angry Grey, I loved that he was really a softie on the inside. Rhen fell a little flat for me though, his character didn't feel quite fleshed out enough for me, nor did the main villain Lilith.

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When Harper tries to save someone on the streets of Washington DC she finds herself transported into another world plagued by a vicious monster and a powerful enchantress. Prince Rhen is heir to Emberfall, he has been cursed by an enchantress and in order to break this curse, a girl needs to fall in love with him. Harper has been taken to be that girl. As the two spend more time together, Rhen discovers that Harper is not just another girl to be charmed, and Harper learns that there is a lot more at stake than she realised.

Before I started A Curse So Dark and Lonely I saw so much hype, unfortunately, it sort of missed the mark for me. That isn’t to say that it is a bad read – far from it, it definitely had some entertaining aspects. A charming prince, a moody knight, a powerful enchantress, and a badass protagonist. The character dynamics and interactions were actually the best part of this for me. I really enjoyed the friendships and I thought the romance was decent and I am, and always will be, a fan of the enemies to lovers trope.

What didn’t really do it for me was that the plot itself was a little… stagnant. It focused heavily on characters, which is fine but just isn’t what I’m usually looking for in a fantasy. The world-building was next to none and was just so generic and really not my cup of tea.

Also, sidenote, the main character Harper has Cerebral Palsy.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a charming story with a great cast of characters and if you are a fan of Beauty of the Beast retellings and don’t necessarily want an expansive world, then this is probably a book that I would definitely recommend to check out.

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Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a Young Adult Fantasy/Retelling of Beauty & The Beast and was released on January 29th, 20019 by Bloomsbury Children’s.

I was actually really lucky and got approved for an eARC of this book months ago, however, I kept having issues with it so I put off reading this book until after release. And then another two weeks (for whatever stupid reason) but then I finished reading this in a single day because I needed to know what happens and how the story plays out?

This book is told in dual POV between Rhen, the cursed prince and Harper, the girl that gets kidnapped and brought to the castle to hopefully break said curse. Here’s the thing: while I really enjoyed both of these POVs I actually often found myself wishing we’d gotten another one too: Grey’s!

He’s Rhen’s guard and the only other person still alive in the castle. He was such an interesting character with fantastic moments in the background and I just wish we’d have gotten his perspective on everything that was happening.

I loved the author’s take on the curse that’s placed on the beast and how the beast manifests so much! To be fair, I haven’t read too many Beauty & The Beast retellings in the past but we all know how the story plays out in at least the Disney movie. It’s so different here and I loved it.

Rhen keeps reliving the autumn/fall of his 18th birthday over and over and over and over again, trying to break the curse. Rhen is actually human for the majority of the season and ‘only’ turns into the beast if the curse doesn’t get broken.

Harper, oh Harper. She honestly is filled with so much compassion which does get her kidnapped at the beginning of the book but is one of her strongest characteristics throughout the novel. That, and her badassery. Harper has cerebral palsy but she isn’t going to let that stop her or let you think of her as weak because of it. She’s still capable of a lot and she most definitely shows it.

Overall, I adored this book and these characters and I cannot wait to read book two next year – there were quite a few interesting bits and pieces put down here and I cannot wait to see how they’ll play out in the sequel! I ended up giving this book 4 stars as well and please if you haven’t picked it up yet: DO IT. You won’t regret it, I promise!

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I was so excited for this book, and very unfortunately got to the stage that I accidentally over hyped it all on my own. The first time I attempted reading it something wasn’t clicking, I was a bit disappointed but I know that I am a mood reader, so I put it aside and waited a bit longer. Thankfully this was just a case of not being in the right mood because on my second attempt I was so immersed I felt like I had fallen into Emberfell just like Harper.

I love a retelling and even though Beauty and the Beast is a story that has been retold many times, this book felt fresh and exciting. It has many of the classic elements but weaved together with enough difference to make it stand on its own.

The writing style was easy and infectious I honestly had a hard time putting it down, it is quite a long story but it really didn’t feel like it, especially in the last half of the book when the action really kicks in. The world-building was also great, there was enough information there to paint a full picture, and I always feel like if I can be that absorbed in a book and not have too many questions about the world at the end then the writer has done a good job.

I loved Harper, she’s so resilient, violently pulled into new surroundings, having to deal with an enchanted castle, and with the loss of her brother and mother at a critical point in their lives. She’s the kind of character that you can’t help but fall in love with because even when she is outmatched against an opponent she strives to improve so that she has the edge the next time. She also makes plenty of mistakes that she learns from, she starts to see that having the best of intentions doesn’t always mean that you can act on a whim.

I also loved getting to see the comparison between how she was in her real life compared to Emberfall, you realise how much she has grown as a person, although I was glad that we didn’t spend too much time in DC because I was loving the adventure of Emberfall too much. Another thing to mention is that Harper has cerebral palsy, I cannot say whether her representation is accurate but I thought it was handled brilliantly, she knows her limitations and will set the record straight when she needs to, which for me is realistic.

Harper also has an amazing affect on Rhen, she forces him to see things in another light, you could tell that this attempt to break the curse was so different than the others. This really highlighted the difference in Rhen we see him on full charm offensive the tactic he has used countless times before and then eventually we get to see when he is vulnerable and has nothing left to lose. He really comes into his own when he is pushed out of his fugue by Harper and starts doing his best to help his people.

As much as I loved Rhen, Grey, I have to say was dazzling. He had that silent brooding thing going on and exuded strength and loyalty. There is a bit of a spark between Grey and Harper and that just makes the tension in the story even better because there is obviously so much riding on her falling for Rhen.

There was only one thing that I felt was slightly lacking, the enchantress wasn’t as well developed as she could be, she was vicious but I wasn’t 100% sure about her motivations, but it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book in anyway.

I also can’t believe the ending!! I’m not sure how I’ll manage to wait to find out what happens to them all, I’m so excited already. I highly recommend A Curse So Dark and Lonely but beware you will definitely be left wanting more.

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2.5 stars

Meet Harper Lacy. She's a very, very special girl, ladies and gentlemen. She's resourceful (but she doesn't realise it), beautiful (but she doesn't care about it), and different to all the other girls. It's not because she has cerebral palsy, although she does. And it's not because she likes to ride horses, although that does make her stand out. It's because she. Isn't. A. Shameless. Gold. Digger.

For real, this is the premise: Prince Rhen has been reliving the season over and over again in a twisted curse that somehow worked better when Amarantha delivered it. As you may have realised, he has to get a girl to fall in love with him, so of course he goes about doing it the normal way: sending his henchman, Grey, to kidnap ones that nobody wants from Earth. Somehow, most of them have been happy to take advantage of all the food, dresses and jewels they can get until a few months in when Rhen turns into a monster and kills everyone. Awkward.

But Harper is different, guys. She hates Rhen's guts (I WONDER WHY) and doesn't have time for any of the princess stuff:

For a different girl, the best part of this bedroom would be the closet.

Yes, because that's what every other girl is after, Harper. You are the only one on the planet who could ever THINK there's something more to life than ball gowns and diamonds.

Speaking of Harper, don't forget her number one personality trait: Complete, utter inability to listen to anyone but herself. Warned not to wander around in a potentially dangerous place? Takes off at the first chance she gets. Told how sadistic the villain is repeatedly, at every turn? Is SHOCKED when the villain is sadistic and evil. I get it, every heroine since Katniss Everdeen has had to be the feisty rebel, but there is a line where proactive crosses into dumb and Harper has way overstepped it. Naturally, she gets by with little more than scrapes and bruises thanks to Kevlar-grade plot armour.

No one stops me. Then again, I don't ask for permission.

Don't forget, she knows how rebellious she is as well.

[image]

For the likes of Harper, there's no such thing as keeping your mouth shut to stay alive. Then on the opposite end of the sad spectrum you have Grey, who's funnily in the running for the greatest, most enthusiastic lapdog I've seen. If Harper's defining trait is inability to take advice or orders, Grey's is that he does nothing BUT take orders. At one point he actually goes off on a monologue justifying Rhen's abuse towards him because he is forever unquestioningly devoted. Somehow, this is seen as a good thing.

"I follow orders," he says equably. "I bear you no ill will."

This is after threatening to cut off Harper's arm. But chill, come on, he was just following orders. He doesn't actually have anything against Harper, really, he was just doing as he was told.

I don't think I have to point out why "just following orders" is so genuinely scary.

Rhen doesn't deserve anyone's unquestioning loyalty, let alone someone as effective as Grey. At his best, Rhen was bland and unforgettable, and at his worst, he's every stereotype of a royal playboy wannabe with too much power and too little empathy.

I hope the three main characters develop somewhat in the sequel, because I can't see anyone choosing to subject themselves to several books of Harper, Rhen and Grey as they currently are, especially with a predictable plot and juvenile world-building. It's not terrible, and there are some interesting bits as well as good disability rep, but everything just works out so perfectly for the protagonist that the story reads like her lucid dream.

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A Curse So Dark and Lonely is set in two different worlds: one, the real world, and the other the cursed land of Emberfall. We don’t spend a lot of time in our world as most of the action takes place in Emberfall, but I liked the way that the two worlds interacted and the fact that we got a bit of an insight into Harper’s world helped her development as a character.

I fell in love with Harper, the central female character who finds herself pulled from her own world and lands in Emberfall, brought to try and break the curse that stalks the kingdom. She is very feisty and challenges Rhen throughout the book which is great to see. In a lot of fairytale retellings I have read, the women can fall into the trap of appearing passive and only really noticeable because they are pretty. Harper also has cerebral palsy, but this is definitely not a thing that she lets define her or stop her from getting straight into the middle of the action. This is a fantastic role model to prove that you don’t have to let anything hold you back, which we always need more of!

Rhen and Grey are almost opposites of each other, as you would probably expect, but they avoid falling into the stereotypical roles that they could easily end up becoming. Both have their flaws and are fleshed out into well-rounded characters that develop and evolve throughout the story. I think that is definitely one of the things that I like about this book is the way that you can see how each character and their different experiences change the characters around them, and none of them end the book the same as when it begins.

I think that the way the main plot was balances with other stories, which made it feel really fleshed out with lots to find interesting. It also really helped with the world building side to this story, as it made this new world we were being introduced to feel very big and well thought out.

I am definitely hoping for an amazing sequel to this book as I finished it and immediately felt the need for more! When this comes out I will be buying an actual copy as this NEEDS to be on my shelf!

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A rather dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast, A Curse So Dark and Lonely focuses on Harper, a girl from Washington, DC who is taken to the fantasy land of Emberfall in order to break the curse on the prince and the kingdom there.

The characters were a bit typical in terms of their basic fantasy roles, but I found it quite refreshing to have a main character with cerebral palsy. I found it interesting to see the parallels between the original tale and the retelling, with a much darker spin on the curse and the villain. However, I also did feel that the book dragged on a little, and would probably have rated it higher if there wasn't as much bulk to the plot.

The ending seemed a bit incomplete, but the author says the sequel is more of a companion novel, so I'm not quite sure where the series is going to go to be honest! But I'm definitely going to be getting the next book to find out.

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
World Building: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4/5

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Gorgeous retelling of Beauty and the Beast, dark and fantastical. Very much enjoyed and would recommend.

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