“My father once said we are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately loose — 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.”

I’m a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, that’s why I’ve been wanting to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely from the moment I first read its synopsis. Then I realised that at the heart of this story is a protagonist with cerebral palsy — and my desire to read this book grew all the more, because there are so few books in the YA genre that feature any kind of representation for disorders and disabilities. So I went into A Curse So Dark and Lonely with somewhat high expectations — and they’ve been met, mostly.

I think one of the best parts of reading this book has been the writing. Brigid Kemmerer has a kind of seemingly effortless writing style that makes it easy to get lost in the story. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is fast-paced and adventurous, the first few chapters flew by without me noticing and I read this book until late in the night, finding myself unable to put it down. The themes of the book emphasise just that: the characters travel around the kingdom, there are battles and fighting — overall, Emberfall, the fantasy world most of the story is set in, is one of the most vivid parts of the book.

“Words spoken in the dark in the middle of the night always feel so much heavier than they would at any other time.”

If you’ve followed me for a while now, though, you might have noticed a bit of a trend: that what I love most about books, about reading, are the characters. So that’s why, even though I enjoyed the story of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and even though I read it incredibly fast and found it to be an immensely fun experience, I still didn’t love it. Because I couldn’t really connect with the characters.

Let’s start with Harper. She’s one half of this book, really, as it’s written in equal parts from her and Rhen’s POV. Harper has cerebral palsy — a neurological disorder that impacts movement. In Harper’s case that means that she has a limp and often experiences moments of pain in one of her legs. I truly applaud Kemmerer for her portrayal of Haper and the way she lives with cerebral palsy — she’s brave, fierce even, and she doesn’t back down; the first time we meet her she’s shivering in the cold streets of Washington, DC, yet doesn’t hesitate for an instant before saving a girl from being kidnapped even though her only weapon is an iron bar — if that’s not bold, then I don’t know what is. But she also annoyed me at times and she was constantly described as “not like other girls”, which is a particular trope I’m not in the least fond of. An example: as soon as Harper is brought to Emberfall, it’s stated that the girls who were supposed to break the curse before her were all interested in pretty dresses and jewellery, but Harper is different. She knows how to ride a horse and is afraid of nothing. I’m sorry, but descriptions like that are just really not my thing.

Rhen is the other half of A Curse So Dark and Lonely. He’s the prince of Emberfall, but he was cursed to relive the autumn of his eighteenth year again and again until a girl falls in love with him, thus breaking the curse. Rhen is arrogant half of the time and self-pitying the rest — but he has a lot of character development (on that note I should mention that Harper has a lot of development, too). At first I didn’t like him at all, but during the course of the book I learned more about what was beneath the surface and understood more about his character and his behaviour. I saw that he made a lot of sacrifices and that maybe his arrogant demeanour was at least in part a protective behaviour.

I must say, overall I liked the side characters better than the protagonists. There’s Grey, commander of the Royal Guard and all that is left of the soldiers who were supposed to watch over the prince. I liked the dynamics between him and Rhen and also between him and Harper — he’s a good friend to both of them, even though he was the one to abduct Harper in the first place and bring her to Emberfall. Then there’s Freya, who becomes somewhat of a motherly figure to Harper, and she is just the kindest person. There’s Jake, Harper’s brother, and his boyfriend, Noah, who are the sweetest couple and I wish we’d seen more of them!

“It is not the moment of passing that is the most important. It is all the moments that come before.”

That brings me to the one thing that really bothered me while reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely: the story line of Harper’s mother. She has cancer, something that’s mentioned often throughout the story, something Harper seems to suffer from a lot — at first. Later, it’s just treated as a motivator for her, and towards the end of the book, even less than that. As someone with a personal connection to this topic, this made me both angry and sad. Obviously, that is another thing that’s completely partial to me, but I feel like I must give it as a reason for rating A Curse So Dark and Lonely the way I did.

Overall, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a fun first book in an exciting new fantasy series. It’s easy to read and very captivating, the plot is engaging and I found myself reading well into the night, because I didn’t want to put it down — it’s a very enjoyable book and great for fantasy fans who are in the mood for a fast-paced story. That being said, I couldn’t really connect with the two protagonists and since that’s key for me to love a story, it fell a bit short.

There is blood under my fingernails. I wonder how many of my people I’ve killed this time.

It should come as no surprise to literally everyone that when I found out there was another story coming out inspired by Beauty and the Beast I knew instantly that I was going to read it. A Curse So Dark and Lonely follows Prince Rhen, cursed to relive the same season over and over again trying to find love or else turn into a monster when the season comes to an end, and Harper, a girl from DC who gets dragged between worlds to the cursed castle of Emberfall by mistake. But Harper has no time to be wooed by a Prince, her mother is ill and her brother needs her help and nobody - not even a powerful witch - will stop her trying to get home.

This early in the season , the other girls would sit by the hearth and gaze at me over crystal goblets, while I’d pour wine and tell stories with just enough devilishness to make them blush.

If I put a crystal goblet in this one’s hand, she’d likely smash it and use the shards to cut me.

There’s always an element of ‘is this Stockholm syndrome?’ to Beauty and the Beast retellings and explorations. Harper is taken against her will to a world she does not know and which she cannot leave until the end of the season and - if the monster finds her - may not leave at all. Rhen, however, accepts her initial insistence that she’s not just going to magically fall in love with him and despite his own hopes to the contrary he doesn’t constantly pursue her romantically trying to change her mind which is definitely a point in his favour. Also, unlike most retellings, Rhen is mostly very honest with Harper regarding the curse. Yes he is a Prince, yes he was cursed and the way the curse is broken is to find a girl who loves him. Yes there have been other girls, no they have not always lived. The relationship between Rhen and Harper, and their negotiations with one another, are a great dynamic that I very much enjoyed reading. Rhen’s loyal guardsman Grey is a wonderful addition to the cast of characters, all of whom are complex beings with their own motives and mannerisms.

“I have cerebral palsy,”she says quietly. “Do you know what that is?”

Kemmerer writes wonderfully, and her descriptions of the cursed castle, the monster and of Emberfall as a whole were gorgeous. I love a well-described fantasy novel and this definitely checked that box! It was also the first fantasy novel I’ve read with a protagonist and female love interest who has a condition affecting her mobility. Harper’s cerebral palsy is an integral part of who she is, she has been prevented from doing things her entire life by her disability, by the brother who can’t help but see her as weaker because of it. She walks with a limp, she cannot master the graceful elegance of many a fantasy heroine, but she carries a dagger at her waist and in her eyes and will not hesitate to cut short any attempts to degrade or belittle her. I found so much to admire in Harper, and I think she’s a fantastic character who I very much want to read more of. Rhen and Grey are quite the pair in their own right, and Rhen’s growth throughout the book, his hopes to save his Kingdom and his people even if it cost his own life, really do pull at the heartstrings. Then there’s Grey, the farm boy turned Royal Guard whose loyalty knows no limitations and whose ability to take down assailants is near legendary. I would not want to fight scary Grey and his throwing knives. Then we have OPENLY GAY CHARACTERS WHOSE SEXUALITY IS JUST ACCEPTED BY THEIR LOVED ONES AND THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL.

“Are you truly so tired, my dear prince? Do you wish for me to end your torment?”
“Yes, my lady.” My voice is barely a whisper. The words are a plea. A prayer. Even if the end to my torment means the end of me, it would mean an end to the suffering my people have endured.

This novel took the isolation and hopelessness of the Beauty and the Beast tale and gave it new life. It took the cursed Prince into the kingdom he abandoned, and had Rhen and Harper search for ways to end the curse that wouldn’t just result from an unlikely love story. Whatever they feel, they want it to be real, and the people of Emberfall must come first to their monarch even as his humanity is at stake. I was approaching the end when I realised that this was going to be a series and I need to read the rest RIGHT NOW PLEASE. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading future installments.

Overall rating: 5 books out of 5

A Copy of A Curse So Dark and Lonely was provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A long time passed since I read a retelling and my mouth dropped open when I was approved for this title. I wasn't expecting sure, just sitting in front of my mails and waiting for being reject. But I was approved!

First thing I need to note down is that what I got at the time (still in 2018) was a draft. Some time later, I noticed that Netgalley probably updated with a more complete work. Anyway, what I'm going to review is what I read and I think there have been maybe none to little changes (saying this after reading some reviews).

Even if from one part this book didn't surprise me, in the end I realized how I kinda got invested into it. Maybe it happens to other readers too, but sometimes I read a novel and... the novel is okay, Not bad, not good. But there's something, maybe a character or maybe the world, that keeps getting back to you and you go on for that. This was the case.

Because let's be real: Harper and Grey and precious, even if sometimes I wanted to punch him.

Definitely Harper saved the novel. I loved her so much and how her character was handled. I cannot speak for the disability rep, but I felt like the book did a good job at showing how she could do things while everyone underestimate her? On the other side, maybe the mention of it could have a little more present? But I won't express much more on it, I prefer to leave such discussion to people who have such disability.

Anyway, another important thing about Harper, is that the whole plot could have led to the tropes of her "being not like the other girls", but it didn't. Not once I read of her putting down the other girls that came before while Rhen clearly does. And I don't want to forget about the fact that Harper helps people!

She does not dwell on waiting or "should I do that or not?". She acts. She 's genuinely good and altruistic. I really love character like that, even if they put themself in danger most of the times. May not be the best tactic way to act but at least they do not left other people to die. I feel like this type of character are usually not well seen by many readers, which is very sad.

Grey was also precious even if there are things of him that I could delete without too much thoughts. One side of me understand the position but the other has its doubts. I would love to dig further about his character but I cannot say more because of spoilers.

Harper's brother doesn't spark for being the best, but he was also tangled inside dangerous things, really stressed and other messes. I can understand. Also, about him, the story feature a m/m relationship! It didn't have much screen but there are good chances that him and his companion will take a major role in the second novel. I really hope so.

But Rhen... do we really need Rhen?

The first time I read about him, with his high cheekbones, I rolled my eyes so hard. New young adult books need a bit of improvement when it comes to male description. But aside from this, which is a pretty superficial detail, other things really rubbed me wrong with him.

In the novel while the story progress, Harper does some consideration on him and all of those are true. I feel like Rhen needed to hear more of this and that Harper deserve better.

While his behaviour can make sense because of what happened, he was an asshole most of the time: starting from the way he treats Harper, how he sometimes consider the past girls, how the punish Grey because he's being petty... the list is long.

It was kinda embarrassing to watch how sometimes Harper, an Earth girl, was more competent about his reign. Like yes, Rhen posses a series of skills Harper doesn't have, but surely he lacks of initiative. Many and many things could have been organized to keep the reign safe, but Rhen did not.

Yes, I understand the various obstacles related to the curse, but how we say in Italy "morto un papa se ne fa un altro". Okay, in this case we're talking about popes, but the concepts still stand. No matter what, once a king is dead, you make another. Other things don't work very well for me, especially about the reign. If the king is out, no one hear a thing from the royal family since a lot of time, how does a reign keeps going on? Why other noble, important or rich figures didn't take the power in certain zones? How the civilians still go on like nothing happened?

I had this kind of thoughts for the whole novel. I never saw the villain posing an actual stop to any tries of reconstruct the kingdom, because Lilith didn't really care. She probably knew how things were going. Also, I still doubts that Emberfall's people would so easily goback to a royal family that left many to starve and under invasion. Unless the royal family indoctrinated them.

Aside from my many doubts, other things really didn't work well for me: some important revelations threw around, a villain that was wasted, random reigns spouting like some fungus... yeah, things like those along "the power of feelings" cheesy trope.

For reaching the conclusion, I liked this novel and got attached to some characters. I screamed a bit at the ending and I cannot wait to read book two. I have some hopes to see the current possible, semi official ship crash down sorry not sorry. What happened was foggy enough to leave an interesting space for more exploration about relationship and feelings. And also something a bit more serious, like war?

A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a reimagining of the classic Beauty and the Beast with much darker themes. In this novel the 'beast' is forced to live the same Autumn season over and over, each time a new girl is stolen away to the court and held as prisoner in hopes of breaking the curse. And each time more and more chaos and bloodshed ensues.

I was intrigued to find out that this is set in modern times. Where 'the belles' are taken from our world and taken to another land. The protagonist Harper is from the states, DC to be precise, and comes from a hard life, where she helps her brother care for her sick mother. Harper also has Cerebral Palsy, which is amazing representation in itself, however there is even more wide representation in terms of the characters sexuality and race. For example Harper's brother Jake is gay and has the most wonderful relationship with his boyfriend. I can't speak for how well done the representation is specifically because I can't personally relate to these circumstances, however from what I've read in this book I would say that I think the author took care in making sure everything was written delicately and also truthfully.

'We are not always presented with the choices we want, but choices exist nonetheless.'

We have multiple perspectives weaved into the novel, and our other protagonist is obviously 'the beast', which I loved because most retellings I've read in the past don't delve so much in to the beasts thoughts and emotions. This took the story to a whole new level and I loved Rhen's point of view. Each season Rhen starts off physically as the man he always used to be and slowly progresses into a different form of monster, losing all humanity and killing anything that gets in his path. In addition I adored this very unique and much darker take on the tale and thought the author did an excellent job at bringing it to life.

The only problem I really had with this was that at times the writing seemed slow and at certain points overly drawn out, however I do see how this made the plot seem much more well developed and put together in the long run. And the action and faster pace in the second half of the book certainly made up for this.

I loved how the romance in this is so realistic and well done, again it felt like such a unique take on the original tale. I believe there is going to be a sequel and if that's the case I'm very excited to see how Kemmerer continues to develop the relationship further and drives forward the story from where it leaves off at the end of this book.

Overall I loved this unique take on one of my favourite stories and am thrilled to say that I'll continue reading whatever Brigid Kemmerer puts out because she constantly makes me fall in love with her characters and she can without a doubt write fantasy just as well if not even better than she can write contemporary!

Content warnings: Abduction, death, murder, gore, torture, abuse, attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, talks of suicide, cancer, and ableist comments. (All of these things in my opinion are addressed well and confronted in the story, but please do be aware that these are present themes going into this book.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(All quotes are subject to change upon publication)

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury UK for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lately, we've been getting so many retellings in YA and I'm living for it. I love a good fantasy retelling and I am particularly invested in Beauty and the Beast ones as it was my favorite tale as a child. Unsurprisingly, the similarities between this story and other ones based on the same fairytale, are plentiful. That being said, it's not something that bothers me at all. Rhen is self-absorbed and narcisistic in the beginnig of the book and the interactions between him and Harper are exactly what you would expect. I quite enjoyed this and I'm interested in reading more from the author.

I enjoyed this one, i liked the pace and the writing. The characters were good and overall enjoyed my time reading. I think the authors fans will be happy she is back. I would continue the series eventually, am happy i was given the chance to read an advanced copy.

Harper Lacy is used to life throwing difficulties her way; though with her mother dying, and her brother in danger, her cerebral palsy isn't going to get in the way. When Harper is kidnapped, she finds herself inside of a castle seemingly in a different time, and soon learns she's in a whole other word entirely. Trapped in the city of Emberfall, held captive by the Crown Prince Rhen and his royal guard, Harper learns of a curse that befell this land... and how she must be the one to stop it. But Harper isn't the type to fall in love with a kidnapping, arrogant Prince, and the more she sees of Emberfall, she realises there's a lot more at stake than a curse and the threat of a monster that's ripped apart families and villages.

From the very beginning, there is so much more to Harper than what meets the eye. Her confidence, beliefs, strength, and bravery are tested countless times throughout the novel, and every step of the way, she surprises the reader with how quickly she can adapt. To put it blatantly - Harper makes fear and pain her bitch. As a younger sister, she's put into the box of "weaker" and "incapable", and for a time it appears she fits the role. Harper describes her brother, Jake, as a dumb jock however it's clear his view of Harper is borne of love and worry. There's not a moment throughout the story when Harper considers allowing cerebral palsy to slow her down. She speaks out about it several times throughout the novel, though it is never any more than a hindrance to her.
​
As the girl dragged to Ironrose Castle kicking and screaming, Harper is a constant source of awe to Rhen and his guard, Grey. Though she's caring, she's not stupid. Harper thinks strategically. Like a warrior, she knows and understands pain and she uses it not only to her own advantage, but to those who cannot save themselves. Despite the secrets uncovered throughout the story, and the ever worsening hardships she, Rhen, and Grey must endure, Harper is a quick learner, unwilling to leave anyone behind to suffer - including her mother and brother back in DC. While the pressure of the curse thickens with each passing day, and the stakes increase as she does not fall for the Prince, Harper stays true to herself. She is unwilling to be courted like the countless others who failed to break the curse, but instead throws her efforts into helping the people of Emberfall - those who already suffer from effects of the curse. ​​ I cannot express how refreshing this was to read!


Prince Rhen, at first glance, is the arrogant, selfish, and uncaring character we all know from the story of The Beauty and the Beast. At the time of meeting Harper, Rhen has seen hundreds of seasons go by - each ending in more brutal or heartbreaking ways than the last. He has long since given up hope, and learning that this will be his final season, with only Harper, the girl least likely to fall for him after everything he took from her, to end the curse and free him and his people, Rhen is more defeated than ever. Yet he sees how Harper does not fear him, sees how she cares for his people, and puts herself at risk to help them when even he hadn't dared.

Rhen is tormented by Lilith, the sorceress who ensnared him with her spell all those years ago, and it soon becomes clear that he is not the man he once was. Rhen can be selfish, wreckless, and yet he does not set limits for Harper. He encourages her decision making and doesn't overrule her; he involves Harper in conversations with Grey, and allows her to make orders as she sees fit. While there were many opportunities for Rhen to take advantage of Harper's growing admiration for him, despite everything resting on Harper falling for him, he refuses to jump in at an unnatural pace, or without her expressed permission. Of all things about Prince Rhen's character, this is what speaks volumes of him the most.


Grey, the royal guard and sarcastic friend, is unquestionably loyal. Despite all he's seen and been through with the Prince, despite how little hope is left, he is always ready to serve the crown. While there is a certain amount of mystery surrounding his character, it is impossible not to trust him. Grey is respectful and clever and unafraid of Rhen, and can be a good friend when needed. Throughout the story, Grey is often left playing the mediator between Rhen and Harper, and in those small moments we see snippets of his true self, which I wish I could have seem more of.

Although "real world meets fantasy world" isn't usually a story I tend to enjoy, the atmosphere of both worlds were so wholly different that it was easy to get lost in them both. Personally, it took me more time than usual to settle into the world of Emberfall as we saw it through Harper's eyes, though this was an issue I anticipated beforehand. The world-building and action were immediate, and the more time we spent in Emberfall, and the more we learned of the world and its ways, the more believable it became. While there wasn't detailed description of the setting and surroundings with each passing page, it wasn't hard to conjure a clear image of the scenes. Emberfall itself wasn't unlike other fantasy settings, however - though I have high expectations of the next book to come (if my hopes happen to come true!).


For the first third of the book, I wondered if the writing would have best suited third person in place of first, however the problem seemed to lie in the pacing. For a time, the focus of the story surrounds Harper's disbelief of her travelling between worlds, and her anger at the expectation of her to fall in love with the Prince. While this was essential, there was a lull in the story as as we continued to deal with this, and so it possibly could have been cut short. Beyond this, the story quickly picks up in pace and we begin to see how our characters react in the face of danger (of which there is no shortage). At times, there were a few cheesier lines that pulled me out of the world/story ("you and what army?" will always remind me of Shrek - that's on me!), and yet I can't not commend the author for the reminders that Harper was from Washington, not Emberfall.

As a retelling, this story still stands on its own as original. There were constant surprises and twists, and very rarely was I able to guess at what would happen. Retellings can be a bit of a double edged sword - the author has the pressure of doing the original story justice for those fans going in, while also contending with creating an entirely new story from the original concept. Toward the end of this novel, I was in awe of the originality. This just worked. Any moment of doubt in which I believed I knew where the plot was heading due to the original tale was eviscerated completely each time. The author did an amazing job at weaving mystery and intrigue into her story, and once I was past my own personal hangups, I couldn't put this book down. (In truth, I haven't sat and read over 250 pages in a single sitting in YEARS, so please take this as currency for how much I enjoyed this story).


​Another compliment to this story is that, again, with this being a "real world meets fantasy world" situation, there was never any issue with the logic. The possibility of travelling between worlds wasn't over-explained or given an "easy out", and yet there was never a moment when I thought "wait.. what??". The cryptic intentions with which Harper is transported to this other world was always the focus, and this was something I highly appreciated about the story. Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel - particularly the final 50-60% when there never seems to be a good stopping point for reading. Emberfall became a well-built place within my mind, and I cared for the characters every step of the way. There is also a gay relationship within this story, that I won't spoil, but I must give credit where it is due - this is something I haven't seen enough of in this genre!

The story wrapped up smoothly, transitioning to the end with an electric pace, and no stone was left unturned. Each time our characters faced a villain, enemy, or monster, I truly feared for their safety. In regard to Rhen and Harper toward the end, I can't say much as I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that I was gleeful. As heck. Those characters never stopped surprising me, and I can't wait to see what comes next from them and their world(s), particularly with magic and magic users.
​
Overall, I highly recommend you check this out. As a standalone first book in a fantasy series, it's great, and as a retelling, it's even better!

Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

Characters: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★☆

You have to resign yourself to the fact that the "beast" or prince is a jerk most of the time. He's is a self-absorbed spoiled kid who never grew up and because of his cold-hearted nature has been cured to be a beast and has to genuinely fall in love with someone and get her to love him back before the last petal of an enchanted rose falls to break the curse. Enter Belle, a local girl who is shunned by her fellow villagers for being 'different' aka being a bookworm or an inventor.



Belle's father stumbles upon the Beast's castle and is taken as a prisoner, so Belle gives up her freedom in exchange for her father's release. Together, Belle and the Beast learn that physical appearances are a shallow way of judging people and eventually the curse is broken.



However, in A Curse So Dark and Lonely the ‘beast’ Rhen is sensitive, caring, yet tortured and hopeful for change. He's still a pain in the butt until you get to that growth but that's to be expected with any Beauty and The Beast story so suck it up, princess.



Belle in this story is named Harper. Harper is a strong female lead who happens to have cerebral palsy and is beyond fantastic. I loved how Brigid writing style made was clear about what caused it, how it influenced her childhood and growing up (therapy, surgeries, etc), and what it means for her as an adult.



In this Beauty and The Beast retelling, Prince Rhen is the ruler of the fantasy kingdom of Emberfall and is under a curse where he keeps repeating the autumn of his 18th birthday until he can get one of the women his commander kidnaps to fall in love with him. Rhen also occasionally turns into a beast and terrorizes his people and causes more and more bloodshed each reset. Time outside of the enchanted castle keeps moving and Rhen barely has a kingdom left to rule and there are threats looming. But after three-hundred seasons, this season will officially be the last.



Let’s get back to the inspiring Harper she lives in the DC area and is used to being underestimated by everyone, even her own family, because of her cerebral palsy. Her mum is dying from cancer, her dad is gone and left them in debt, and her brother's in a lot of sketchy trouble. But when she spots what looks like a kidnapping, she rushes over to help she intervenes and is taken instead to Emberfall. Harper's a fierce main character who really drove the story and it was wonderful to see a lead not only be an intelligent female but who had cerebral palsy, yet was never defined by it. Anyway, she's kind of awesome and I loved her.



Brigid Kemmerer manages to put her own fresh spin on a well-loved tale; she tells a story of a fantasy land that lives parallel to our own modern-day world. Brigid writing is incredibly addictive right from the start. There's a really interesting and the world building and the settings are so vividly written. I loved the contrast between Harper’s modern-day DC experience and the fantasy realm of Emberfall. Seeing the protagonist adjust throughout the story and develop as her situation changes make her all the more realistic. Even though the book is told in alternating points of view it remains gripping, addictive and magical. There is a dialogue in this book about feeling accountable for things that you have no control over. Whether that be mistakes that your loved ones are making or the deteriorating health of loved ones. Some things are absolutely out of our control.

Every now and then, you hear about a book being hyped before release and it totally matches those high expectations. For me, A Curse So Dark and Lonely was one of those books. I’ve had it on my Netgalley TBR pile for absolutely ages, but since the book is shortly to be released, I figured it was time to sit down and actually read it. And honestly, I’m a little lost for words. It is everything I wanted in a YA fantasy novel. There’s a good dose of slow-burn romance in there, some brilliant Beauty and the Beast retelling moments in there (let’s be honest, it’s the best Dinsey movie), and the characters are well-developed. Plus, and I feel like a bit of an asshole for even having to mention this in 2019, we get actual diversity in this book.

I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t entirely sold. The story starts out in DC which for me was a bit of a detraction. I get that Harper is a ‘real world’ character who gets thrust into a fantasy world she has to navigate, but for me I wasn’t a big fan of the brief bit of urban fantasy we get. Don’t get me wrong, it can be done well, but I just fell out of love with it a while back. I wasn’t the biggest fan of City of Bones being set in NY, and the weird blend of fantasy and real world in The Hazel Wood also didn’t quite cut it for me. Thankfully, it’s a pretty brief glimpse of DC before we are thrown into the world of Emberfall.

The descriptions here are gorgeous and I fell in love instantly. I liked that the world was revealed in little pieces, and that so much of it remained a mystery. Admittedly, coming straight off the back of reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, there were a few worldbuilding gaps in this book for me, but I didn’t think there was too much of an issue with that. I guess because the characters are isolated in one area due to the curse, there’s a lot of worldbuilding stuff that can be forgiven. Also, we’re getting a book two, so I’m hoping some things will be addressed later.

As for the characters, this is where I truly lost my mind. I was curious to see how another retelling of Beauty and the Beast would hold up, considering the phenomenal success of SJM’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but boy was I wrong to worry. I loved Harper so much. She was so strong and resilient and her kindness totally shone through on every page. I liked seeing her challenge Rhen’s prejudices and general distrust and temper them with bravery and trust. On the flip side, at no point did the character come across as ridiculously naïve either, which was quite refreshing. Instead, Harper is incredibly complex and nuanced. She also has cerebral palsy, which is something I have never actually seen well-written in YA before (although tbf I’ve only read two books that included characters with the disability). It’s very well handled and I can’t commend the author enough for doing all the research before going and publishing this. I liked how some characters responded to Harper’s disability by seeing it as a weakness and tried to compensate by protecting her as though she were a delicate flower, and how Harper never really accepts that. In fact, she’s as damn badass as they come. She climbs out of windows, learns how to throw knives, tries multiple times to escape on horseback and is generally just too awesome for words. But just as her disability isn’t a defining part of her character. It is also something she doesn’t just brush under the carpet. There are moments when she accepts that she sometimes struggles to walk, or gets fatigued quicker than others. And though she doesn’t rely too much on other characters to help her deal with that, neither does she just pretend it isn’t a thing. Like I said, I thought it was really well handled. This is my opinion here though. I do not have cerebral palsy so I’m not sure if I’ve just naively skipped over some stuff others might have picked out (I did read a review the other day that complained about a lot of ablest language from the villains).

The other characters are also pretty cool. Rhen is revealed in stages, and he’s a bit like a Shrek onion because there’s so many layers to him. He’s an easy character to dislike earlier on but he really comes into his own later in the book and the transformation was very sweet. Likewise, Grey was well developed and seemed realistic. He was kind and loyal and made some tough decisions, But I also liked that both he and Rhen were sometimes incredibly selfish and made decisions that would harm others for the good of the kingdom. Not that that’s a good thing at all, but as flaws go, I think that’s a pretty interesting one for a prince and his guard to have. I wasn’t quite so keen on the brother later on in the book, but I think that’s because we didn’t see enough of his character to actually understand his swinging mood changes. Again, I hope this is something that is explored in later books.

There were also several plot twists at the end of the novel. Although I figured out how the plot of this book would end about halfway through, I did find the twist that paves the way for the sequel to be surprising. I’d be curious to know what others thought of that one (though please keep comments spoiler free at least until the book is released).

I will say that this retelling is incredibly dark, and there are several trigger warnings I want to mention for anyone who might be interested in picking up a copy of the book. Obviously, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling there are trigger warnings for abduction and false imprisonment, but also talks about cancer, attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, mentions of suicidal thoughts and torture. That’s a pretty long list, and the content may not be suitable for everyone.

Overall, I’m going to give A Curse So Dark and Lonely a 10/10 stars. I truly loved it, and I practically flew through the book, and I am already itching to purchase a physical copy when it gets released later this month.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a book that was hyped even before the publication date. I know that it shouldn’t, but when a book is surrounded by so much excitement and publication then my expectations go up. To be honest I was blown away by that amazingly beautiful cover and the very intriguing synopsis. Retellings are kind of my thing, but it has been quite a while since I read a decent Beauty and the Beast retelling. So I was hoping that this original take on the story with a heroine coming from our world, could rectify this.
Allthough I had a really good time reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely I wasn’t blown away by the story as some other bloggers are. Don’t get me wrong I understand all the hype and there are multiple reasons why you should read this book and love it. But there are two reasons why I just wasn’t blown away.
But let’s start off with 3 reasons why you should most definitely read this book!
• Diversity
This book is so diverse! Harper, the heroine in the story has Cerebral Palsy. Her brother is queer and has the most wonderful coloured boyfriend.

• Dark
This story is dark. Even darker than the original fairy-tale. I personally loved how dark and real it was. Blood, death, war… it’s all in here. I also liked the fact that Rhen, the cursed Prince has trouble dealing with what his curse contains. He sometimes has very dark thoughts and his suicidal thoughts are touched upon in the story.

• Kick Ass Heroine
Readers of my blog by now know that I absolutely love stong, female characters. And Harper is without a doubt that strong female character I have been missing in many YA fantasy stories. She is strong, fierce and loyal. Even with her cerebral palsy she is ready for action and never settles into the victim role. She was the main reason I kept enjoying the story so much.

But as I said… I wasn’t blown away by the book. So here are my 3 main reasons why I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
• The Romance: Part 1
Yes, two parts on the romance. I have my reasons… keep reading and find out. If you don’t like a good romance story, you will possibly love A Curse So Dark and Lonely. There is almost no romance in the story!

• The Romance: Part 2
I think it is quite hard to talk about this issue with the book without giving away spoilers. But I will just say that I didn’t buy the romance in the end of the book. I felt it betrayed the rest of the story and it was not the ending the overall story was working towards. But maybe that is just me?

• No engagement
It was very hard to get engaged with the story. I really enjoyed the overall story, but I never got an actual connection with any of the characters. The characters lacked debt apart from Harper and Grey.
I could close the book and pick it up days later without missing it and that is never a good sign for a story.

So overall I enjoyed A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Is it worth all the hype? No, in my honest opinion it isn’t. Is it a good Beauty and the Beast retelling? Yes, it is one of the best retellings I have read in a while. (Although maybe that says a lot about the other retellings.) The story is compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses, but really… who made that comparisation? It’s like comparing an orange to a apple. They are fruit and that’s it.
When I started this story I thought this was going to be a standalone… be prepared it is not! I am curious to see where the next instalment is going to go and if it is going to rectify the mistakes of this part of the story.

review will be posted on my blog on 28/01/2019

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book.

I mean, it’s a retelling if my favourite fairytale so I was always going to, but I loved how this included faithful elements that are often not included or handled as well. And I loved the mythology of it all, the mix of modern and fantasy, how it plays out, just everything.

Let’s start with Harper. Princess Harper rocked my socks off. First, I love that she has CF and it’s just a thing that’s part of her, not something that defines her. LOVE. And she’s fiesty and fierce and protective and sometimes a little selfish and just wonderful. She’s not perfect, and that’s why she is, to me. She’s not always seeing the bigger picture (unlike Rhen who can’t see anything but!) and often worrying about her family. Understandable but makes for gloriously frustrating reading when you know Harper and Rhen would understand each other if they could only TALK properly. Lol. My favourite sort of frustration.

And Rhen. Oh Rhen. Closed off and fiercely protecting his people, big hearted, understanding, and also sometimes a little selfish. Heh. I sometimes wanted Grey to smack him round the head lol. But I loved how much he does care about Grey, about his people, and he’s doing what he thinks he can. He’s never had enough time to think about how to solve the wider problems, he just gets handfuls of weeks at a time to concentrate on the main one. I totally get that, but I love Harper coming and making him realise that a little.

Grey is also amazing. And his ending was AMAZEBALLS. I think I may have a thing for these characters just for being so awesome and protective of each other. Grey embodies that so well. And I cannot wait for more.

I desperately need to punch Lilith. So much. I was all over the crazy “why don’t you love me” stuff anyway, but every time she was on page she made it worse. So evil. And I definitely want to find out more about her background and her people. I just hate her motivation, it never feels real to me. To be so self centred or so angry that something didn’t work out the way you want to curse an entire land in that way for that long? Ugh. Just no. But then, I love the way her story works for this version - I have always hated the witch character in Beauty and the Beast, and Lilith is no different, but her curse and how it works makes so much more sense than the traditional.

And then there’s the ending. I’m going to try and keep it spoiler free - I’ve already mentioned Greys part in it which I didn’t see coming and was so good, but also they way Rhen and Harper’s story ended and everything with the curse. Omg. I love this book.

I think it was cleverly ended as well, as I wasn’t sure if we’d get enough resolution, given it’s a series (don’t worry, we do!), or I was worried that it wouldn’t have enough of a continuing on point (it definitely does). Very well done.


Review will be on my blog on 26th Jan

If you're a fan of retellings and Beauty and the Beast then this is the perfect read for you. Harper has cerebral palsy, her mother is dying and her brother is in trouble but when she ends up crossing worlds accidentally to Ember Falls she doesn't let anything hold her back.

Harper struggles stubbornly at first but she puts the people in trouble first. She never lets her CB hold her back and when a chance to go home comes back she falters.

Will she find her way back to Ember Falls and break the curse? What will become of them all? And who is the true heir to the throne?

I really enjoyed this as a Beauty and the Beast fan, I found it to be a very engaging read and I loved the way it was done, I love Harper's character her determination and loyalty. A really good read I'd read it again.

This review will be posted on my blog Foxes and Fairy Tales on January 6 2019.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/arc-review-a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely

I love Beauty and the Beast. I really do. I've read loads of retelling and reimaginings. So, of course, when I saw A Curse So Dark and Lonely I just absolutely had to pick it up.

Beauty and the Beast.

It's a bit of a portal fantasy, with the protagonist Harper arriving in Emberfall from contemporary D.C. This initially threw me a little, but it actually works perfectly with the story Kemmerer is telling. As a BatB retelling, I think the author did a wonderful job. All the classic elements are recognisably there, but with a twist. I adored the spin she put on the ending and the resolution of the curse. It was wonderfully ambiguous and something I'd never seen done before.

At first, I wasn't so sure about the 'Beast' character angle. For most of the book, Rhen is just a slightly arrogant (and attractive) human. I'm always a little more hesitant about this kind of Beast,  because often the heroine ends up overlooking a lot of inexcusable behaviours and, honestly, because I really want to see the author come up with a cool take on the monster. Kemmerer managed to pull this off wonderfully though. Rhen is arrogant but not irredeemable, and the flashes we see of the past seasons and his actions as the beast are dark and brilliant. I really loved the idea of Groundhog Day style 'seasons', and that Rhen becomes a slightly different monster in each. The hints were enough for this story, but I'd love if the author ever went back and wrote some shorts based on past seasons.

Representation.

I've no experience with cerebral palsy (although I'd love to link to some ownvoices reviews if they become available) but it seemed well handled to me. Harper's condition is mentioned when relevant to the conversation or action, but it isn't a defining characteristic. I was really happy to see that my fears were completely unfounded: there's no magical CP cure, and Harper doesn't have CP as a way to solve a plot point. There's also a touch of queer rep from Harper's brother Jake, who features a little more towards the end with his secret boyfriend Noah.

Romance and Continuing the Series.

I was a little baffled by the love triangle. As much as I adored the second love-interest, there are two POVs and it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling so it seemed a bit of a foregone conclusion. But the ending sets up some interesting things which might be developed in the next book, so I'm willing to wait and see how it plays out. I'd also love to see more of the supporting female characters, Zo and Freya, perhaps in less duty-bound roles.

Wow!! What a way to kick of 2019!!!

I got a chance to read this book before the release in exchange for a fair and honest review, and I was not disappointed!

This book is a fantastic story and is definitely one to put on your TBR list! It does have a slight Beauty and the Beast feel to it but only because of the enchanted prince aspect.

The characters are wonderful! They are full bodied and well rounded, you definitely root for them and grow to care for them. Harper is a feisty and independent girl that is a worthy heroine. Prince Rhen is a stubborn so and so but I found myself liking him more and more with each page swipe. Also we have Grey to add to the company, which fills out the equivalent of the “best friend” role to a tee!

The world of Emberfall is richly described and the story weaves seamlessly on. I could not put this book down and loved it so much that I immediately pre-ordered the physical book! I applaud Brigid Kemmerer for her amazing gift and I truly hope that there will be a follow up!!!

A wonderful retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The story of A Curse so Dark and Lonely is told from two point of views. The story is told by Harper and Rhyn. This makes the story engaging and the reader gets insight into both Harper's and Rhyn's world view. The story begins in DC, but the majority of the story is set in Emberfall. The story is well-written and the world building is amazing.

Wanted to read this as soon as I read the synopsis!
This is an imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which interested me particularly because it looked at the wider political ramifications of a royal family disappearing. The sorceress, Lillith's, motivation seemed a little thin to have lasted hundreds of years, but she was a fearful antagonist. I loved Harper as a character, especially the fact that cerebral palsy is only one of many things about her, rather than being a major plot point. Grey was another favourite although I took longer to warm up to Rhen. The ending seemed to leave a few plot threads dangling, perhaps for a sequel, which I will definitely be reading!
I will be reviewing in more detail on my blog closer to the publication date!

For over three hundred seasons Prince Rhen of Emberfall has been cursed.

He must repeat the season and become a monster until he falls in love. Prince Rhen thought it would be easy, who wouldn’t want to fall in love with handsome prince. The monster destroys everything in it path. It has kill everyone in Rhen family and all but one of his royal guards.

Harper Lacy life has never been easy, with a disability, deadbeat father, a dying mother and an older brother doing anything he to keep a roof over there heads. When on the look out for her brother, she see a girl in trouble and can’t stop herself trying to help. One moment she was in D.C the next she is in Emberfall. 

Harper is now stuck in Rhen cursed world, her only wish is to go home. But when Harper start to realised what is at stake she know she must do something to help.  With her offer to help Rhen start to realise that Harper may not be the girl he wanted but is the girl he needs. This season is going to be different from the rest as this time Rhen has the glimmer of hope. The hope that Emberfall need before it is utterly ruined.







A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that bring more fantasy to this classic Fairytale.

This reimagining is darker than the Disney version, but has so many light moments to balance it out. It clear from the beginning when it opens with the quote;

"There is blood under my fingernails. I wonder how many of my people I've killed this time."
A Curse so Dark and Lonely has a great cast of characters, there are three  main character.

Harper she is 18 years old from D.C who has Cerebral Palsy. Harper is an interesting character as she doesn't do what is expected of here. That is one of my favourite aspects of Harper personality. That Harper body may have been broken but that won't stop her.

Rhen is the Cursed Prince, I started to like him more as a character when he stop acting. When Rhen started living in the moment and not control every situation.

Grey is the last of Then Royal Guard. Grey is the great middle man between Harper and Rhen. He is a character that I would love to find out more about.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is more than just breaking the curse, it about responsibility and what you will do for the betterment of others. Having the added drama of the invading of Emberfall.

A question was asked on Goodreads about if this book is going to be a stand alone, good news a sequel is planned and I can not wait to read it.

My rating for A Curse so Dark and Lonely is 4.8 out of 5

I received a free copy via Netgalley for my true and honest opinion.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In this version we follow a young girl Harper Lacy from Washington, DC. Harper has an absentee dad, a dying mother and her brother forced to be a money collector to keep their family intact for as long as possible. Harper is used to people underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy but she has learnt how to be tough and survive each day.

Our story starts when Harper is waiting for her brother at a diner when she sees a stranger with a woman; she steps in to save the lady but gets transported to this parallel world where magic exists. The strange man's task was to select a woman who might help break the curse on the kingdom. The man in question is Grey, a royal guard to Prince Rhen. Prince Rhen needs to break the curse before the cycle of the season repeats itself. And our story starts.


The story does remind me of ACOTAR a lot.

For example the characters:
Prince Rhen: Tamlin
Grey: Lucien
Harper: Feyre

Harper does acknowledge and repeats that she has been kidnapped and doesn't believe Rhen in his sincerity. That he is much practiced in the art of seduction and faking his feelings to break the curse. This is always the awkward part in a beauty and beast retelling; because these females characters are literally been taken. I think the author did an okay job in not normalising this and acknowledging it is wrong but it just feels weird. (Also, why isn't there a story with the roles changed? The beast is the female and beauty the male?) Rhen isn't an ass like Tamlin but if this book has a second instalment I can see a love triangle coming up. I really liked the character of Grey and Freya! I mean Grey is loyal to a fault and Freya is not only taking care of a newborn but the children of her sister like they were her own.

I can see that this book will be very popular with certain readers and not that popularly with others. If you did enjoy ACOTAR, this is a slightly better version of the first book. While A Court of Mist and Fury was much better, I also feel that this book does have a lot of potential to grow. It would be best to avoid the tropes and try to establish itself seperate from ACOTAR series. If the author every does read my comment, I would say be different and introduce something new. Take risks and don't be a cliche YA book.

I would give this book 3 stars. I didn't hate it or love it. For me its the abduction plotline I can't get over and I get it is a retelling of beauty and the beast but for some reason when retold in novel format it just doesn't work. The Disney movie (cartoon and live action) doesn't appear as disturbing in comparison to when it is retold in a novel format.


Content and trigger warnings for attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, abduction, captivity and thoughts of suicide.

I loved A Curse so Dark and Lonely! It's a beauty and the beast retelling with a difference. I was a bit nervous going in because retelling can be so hit and miss, but I like how Brigid takes the classic elements of Beauty and the Beast and puts her own twists on it.

The review will be spoiler free and there's a content warning at the end. I was sent this book via netgalley for an honest review.





[book-info]



Harper is a teenager who has cerebral palsy. She is high functioning and I can't speak on the accuracy of this representation. If you know more about this or have written a review and are own voices then let me know in the comments and I'll link to you!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is indeed dark, both in the real world where Harper is from and Rhyn's world. Make sure you check out the content warnings as I can see this being difficult for some people.

I really like that the beast isn't, you know, a beast. It gets rid of the whole bestiality aspect which makes Beauty and the Beast a bit hard to swallow usually.

There's also queer rep in the form of Harper's brother, who's relationship is just cute af!

There's some twists in this that will send you reeling and honestly I can't wait to see how the whole thing plays out in the next one!



A Curse so Dark and Lonely is told from two POVs, Harper and and Rhyn. It means you get an insight into how both view the world which makes it really engaging. We spend most of our time in Emberfall, with it beginning in DC and setting up Harper's life.

The world building is brilliant. Emberfall is well developed and I really liked the disparity between the life Rhen led and the life his people led. All the characters and locations were well established and didn't feel like filler.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and the almost love triangle that keeps threatening to poke it's head out.



Harper aka Belle is not what Rhyn was expecting when he sent Grey into DC to capture a new girl to try and break the curse. Harper has had a hard life and has learnt to overcome a lot. This makes her tough as nails despite her disability. However, she is the most caring of them all. Her kind nature gets her into trouble but keeps the story interesting.

Rhyn aka The Beast has his eyes opened by Harper. As I mentioned earlier, I really loved this disparity between his life and his people's, and Harper really opened his eyes to it. He develops quite a bit throughout the book, much like the traditional beast we're used to. I look forward to seeing how he continues to develop.

Grey. He's going to be a favourite for many people, I just know. He's dark and broody, sacrifices his own interests in order to serve Rhyn, what's not to love? I really can't wait to see what happens with his story in the next one!

Lilith is the real evil b**** here. A sorceress who condemns not just Rhyn for his rejection, but an entire kingdom. She is twisted and abusive, you'll love to hate her.

Another notable character is Freya. She adds a bit of light in the darkness, and seems to take up the mantle that the lack of miss Potts and her crew leave.

Full review at: https://jenniely.com/a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely-by-brigid-kemmerer-book-review/

I really enjoyed <i>A Curse So Dark and Lonely</i>. I would even say it is my favourite Beauty and the Beast retelling I have read so far. The book has dual narration by Harper and Rhen. Harper is a girl from Washinton DC, who happens to have cerebral palsy (CP). Rhen is the crown prince of Emberfall. Harper gets accidentally kidnapped to the world of Emberfall and that is where the story takes off.

I found this book so enjoyable especially because Harper is from our world which even let to some funny moments in the book <spoiler>For example, teaching guards to fistbump, the "Kingdom of Disi" I just love that stuff</spoiler>

I recommend this book to everyone who likes fairy tale retellings, slow-burning romances, great male-female friendships, and mystical worlds.