Normally I am not a fan of retellings, they tend to be boring, unimaginative, and predictable. A Curse So Dark and Lonely was none of those things. This story and its characters catch the readers interest from the start to the very last page. The plot was well thought out and has you guessing what's going to happen right up to the end.

This is a must read!

I've been closely following Brigid Kemmerer's books since her debut series. She's one of those authors that I will stop drop everything to read from despite my waning interest in YA lately. With every book, she only seems to improve. With A Curse So Dark and Lonely, she takes a stab at one of my favorite fairytales, Beauty & The Beast, and I'm happy to say, she nailed it.

What sets this book apart from other retellings is that the heroine, Harper, is actually from the modern-day United States. She is captured and taken to the kingdom of Emberfall in the hopes that she will fall in love with the Beast and free everyone from the curse that has been plaguing this kingdom. What also sets Harper apart from other Belles is her cerebral palsy. I loved that the author was gutsy enough to have a heroine with a disability at the center of a fantasy novel. Her condition was very much a part of her, but Harper still managed to conquer whatever she faced. She was strong, brave and an absolute firecracker of a heroine. We also get to see how she struggled with the conflict of wanting to go back to DC to save her mother who is suffering from cancer and to save Emberfall. This conflict only became tenser as she began to know the people of Emberfall better. Her inner battle was realistic and had me considering what I would have done had I been in her place. I love it when a book can force me to put myself in a character's shoes.

Prince Rhen, the aforementioned Beast, was also an interesting and complex personality. It was heartbreaking just how much the curse had shattered this guy and I was rooting for him and his happiness very early on. While his Beast form was undeniably intriguing to me as a reader, especially with the different and unexpected forms it appeared to take, it was the emotional toll that it had on Rhen that had me glued to the pages. Rhen was a sweet and honorable guy despite his grueling circumstances and the more we learned about him, the more I liked him. His guard commander, Grey, was also a well-written addition in A Curse So Dark and Lonely. His friendship with Rhen and his growing bond with Harper added an interesting dynamic to the story. I am looking forward to the sequel to find out more about him. A Curse So Dark and Lonely stuck to its roots, but it still managed to come across as a fresh story as the author put her own spin on the tale. The backdrop of the fantasy world, the luscious writing, and the physical (and emotional) adventures the characters went on only served to heighten my enjoyment of the story.

At this stage, I can say with utter confidence that Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors. She writes such spell-binding stories and A Curse So Dark and Lonely is no different. Make sure this one is on your TBRs.

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

We all know the story. A selfish prince gets cursed to a life as a beast, until he can prove he's learned the meaning of true love - and gotten her to love him back. Girl meets beast, girl is beast's prisoner, danger ensues, and girl falls in love with beast. The day is saved.

Except...what if that isn't quite how it happens? What if the man who kidnaps you doesn't look like a beast at all? At least on the outside. And what if the girl is more interested in finding a way back to her family than in falling in love with a prince?

This take on Beauty and the Beast was so fun to read. I really enjoyed a lot of the characters, as well as the little twists and turns deviating from the story we all know and love. If you're picturing Disney princess, stop right there - this book casts a darker light, both on the beast and the "princess". In this retelling, the Beast is forced to relive each season, trying again and again to win a girl's heart. At the end of each season, he turns into a different beast and kills more and more people. But after over 300 seasons, he's reached the end of the road and the last of his chances: this season will be the last girl, and his last shot at saving his people and himself.

Prince Rhen: The Beast. Throughout much of the book, I didn't feel like he'd learned very much from his curse - he still seemed pretty arrogant and self-centered to me. But he did grow on my towards the end. Each season, he tries to get a different girl to fall in love with him, before he turns into a different beast. When he fails, the season starts over again. But this is his last chance.

Grey: The Beast's guard commander. Grey is loyal to a fault, and honestly one of my favorite characters in this book. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shipping him with Rhen, but unfortunately, that didn't come to pass. Each time Rhen turns into a beast, Grey does his best to lead him away from his kingdom so he can't harm any more of his people. He also goes out into the "real world" to kidnap each girl.

Harper: Our "Belle" character. Except this princess comes from the city, and has been living with CP her whole life. She's not won over by the pretty palace, and she's tough as nails. I really enjoyed Harper as a main character, and I loved the CP rep. I think it's so important that this book never took the course of "curing" her CP with magic. Her disability was a central topic in the book, but it was never taken away.

"'I was born this way,' she'll snap, 'and I'm going to die this way, so teach me to work around it.'"

One of my biggest complaints in this story is that Harper's home life was more of a side story. As much as she fought to get back to them, I wanted more glimpses into her old world. These characters and their storylines weren't developed enough for me. Before Harper was kidnapped, she lived in DC with her mother, who's dying of cancer, and her brother Jake. Throughout the story, we get to meet Jake (who I really strongly dislike) and discover that he's gay and dating a black boy named Noah (who I want MORE OF because I loved him).

My other big complaint in this book was the villain. Enter Lilith: the woman who cast the spell on Rhen and his kingdom. Her reasoning for the curse is revealed partway through the book, and honestly it was pretty weak. I felt like she was basically evil without a good cause, and was mainly used a plot device. A world so dark deserved a better villain.

"This was never a curse to be broken. This is a death sentence. The true curse has been the thought that we might find escape."

Unfortunately, I never really shipped the romance in this book. I couldn't really get past the whole kidnapping thing, and I was really shipping two completely separate relationships other than the one I was SUPPOSED to be rooting for. Harper seemed too smart for Stockholm Syndrome, so I couldn't buy into it either.

HOWEVER. I did have a blast reading this book. I am such a sucker for all things Beauty and the Beast, and this was no exception. Even though the end twist was predictable, I still was living for it, and I will definitely be reading the next installment. This book had a ton of rep, and I loved Harper and Grey - I can't wait to see more of them.

Ultimately, this book is about choices, and fighting for what you want, no matter what cards you get dealt in life. It's about not giving up, and learning from your mistakes. If you love fairytale retellings with a darker spin, this book is for you. I hope you love it as much as I did.

"I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light."

A Curse So Dark and Lonely releases on January 29, 2019.

*All quotes are taken from an ARC and are subject to change prior to publication.

An awesome, contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a headstrong Belle character. Harper is taken from our world into a magical world in hopes to break a curse set upon a kingdom and its Prince. Due to a tough life, Harper is not a damsel in distress sort of girl. Once she comes to terms to being in a magical world, she asks to be taught to fight and takes the lead on helping the cursed kingdom fight back while learning to trust the cursed Prince. Ends in a cliff hanger! Hope that there will be a second book!

I adore Brigid Kemmerer's writing. She always has a unique flare unlike any other in any genre or sub-genre she writes and that makes her one of my most anticipated authors for each new release.

When I saw a twist on a classic fairytale we have all heard and many, me included, love, I was All. In.

This was so riveting. I was hooked from the very first dark chapter and was eager to know more as the story and the tale slowly unfolded. I loved Emberfall! The mystery, the legends, the lore, the curse. So dark and delicious and yet so alluring.

I truly couldn't get enough. And let's talk about that ending! I am so very excited that this tale, this story, isn't over. That we will be getting a sequel and from one of my most favorite characters no less. I truly am so pleased with the way Kemmerer twisted and turned this tale into something completely unique and all her own.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next release.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! ♥

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

Okayyyyy, folks. I’m sitting here trying to figure out how exactly I should approach this review. On one hand, as you can see, I gave it four stars. Obviously that means that I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, it was SUCH a great new take on a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and the writing sucked me in from page one. However….the ending?????? I just don’t even know where to begin on that so I’ll try to leave any ranting for the very end AFTER I talk about all of the lovely things in this book!

First of all, this is my very first book by Brigid Kemmerer and I can say with certainty that I will be picking up another one of her books in the near future. I realllllly liked her writing and as I said earlier, it sucked me immediately into the story.

The story: Let’s face it, the story of Beauty and the Best has been redone over and over and over again. In my mind, there are really only so many things you can do to change things up and turn it into a new thing that no one else has ever done before. That being said, I think that this story is a prime example of being that something “new.” Rhen is the prince of Emberfall and is cursed to live the fall season over and over again until he can find a woman to fall in love with him and break the curse. At the end of each season he turns into a horrible beast but instead of just sitting around, moping in the castle, he completely loses himself and a lot of people (usually his subjects) end up dying. His commander, Grey, is the only person he has left with him and is the one who crosses over into our world to find women for Rhen to basically court and try to woo each season. Our main protagonist, Harper, was not Grey’s target. No, she had been out on the street, waiting for her brother to return from doing a dangerous job for a loan shark when she sees this random guy seeming to drug and try to kidnap this woman. Naturally our spunky lead picks up a rusty tire iron and tries to stop that from happening. She is instead taken to Emberfall and the rest of the story ensues.

Characters: Aside from being madly in love with both Rhen and Grey, Harper was my favorite character. She has cerebral palsy which gives her a pretty bad limp but that literally never stops her from doing anything. There were actually a few instances of Rhen or someone else saying something about her “broken body” or how she was “crippled” and she was always the first to remind them that she wasn’t broken, she wasn’t damaged. I don’t personally know anyone with cerebral palsy and I know that there’s a pretty big spectrum of how it can affect your body so it was great getting to read about a main character who has it but didn’t let it slow her down. I hope she was a great representation for those out there that read this that also have the disorder.

Back tracking to the two wonderful men…sigh...they were great. You could tell that Rhen had come a long way from where he started during his first cursed season. He became more selfless, he started to care more about Grey, and obviously about Harper too. Her spitfire attitude also re-awakened in him a sense of duty for his kingdom which is great because I felt super bad for everyone outside of the castle who had spent the last five years feeling like their King and ruling family had abandoned them as they starved and were killed off by a rival kingdom and the monster……Anywayssss he was just very kind and sweet and watching him fall for Harper was a treat. Grey reminded me SO MUCH of Chaol which obviously made me love him right away. That’s really all I have to say about that lol.

Lilith…she was the worst and that’s all you need to know.

Ending: Well, here we are at the end. I decided that I can’t actually rant about anything because that would reveal spoilers and I can’t do that. Maybe I’ll post more on it after the book comes out…..just know that I was not satisfied with the ending. Like part of me ~kind of~ gets what Kemmerer was trying to do but then another part of me was just left SUPER confused. Like I just didn’t get why this certain main component of the book was so important if things ended like they did…I DON’T KNOW. It made me confused/ annoyed enough that I had to dock the book a star but that’s just me. That epilogue on the other hand had me very intrigued....haha yes apparently my thoughts on the end are very jumbled. Overall though, this is a really good book and I need a second book in my life, please and thanks.

Enjoyable and fast paced Beauty and the Beast twist. I will definitely recommend to teens who like fantasy/adventure with a touch of romance.

It has been a long time since I felt compelled to finish a book so quickly. Harper, Rhen, and Grey are three characters that you don’t want to leave. I have never enjoyed a retelling so much either. I was hesitant but gave it a try based other reviews. I am so glad I did. The plot is exciting, the romance perfectly paced, and ending a surprise that, looking back on the story, I should have seen coming. This is a highly recommended book.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. I was swept away immediatly into this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The writing was fantastic and I really enjoyed the characters and their development. I'm not sure how Kemmerer was able to take this well known (and loved) story and make it just as good for me. I am HOPING that there will be another story set in this world. For my friends who LOVE the world created by Sarah J Maas and are looking for something new (and long) to devour, this will be my top suggestion! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Everything about this book was amazing...until the end. I honestly thought this was going to be a 5 star book, which I do not give out lightly, until the last chapter and the epilogue ruined it. With that said it was still a solid read that I greatly enjoyed.

This book is everything a retelling should be- a unique and unpredictable twist on a classic story.

I love Brigid Kemmerer. She's one of my auto-buy authors because she never lets me down. Even so, when I first saw this book, I was a little nervous. I don't love retellings, and I definitely am not a fan of Beauty and the Beast. The whole hostage romance, borderline abusive hero, damsel thing always bothered me.

But Brigid took everything I hated about Beauty and the Beast and turned it on its head. Each time I read a scene and started to think "oh here we go with the [insert annoying YA/romance trope]" she did something unexpected and more importantly, she did it well!

I absolutely loved this book and these characters, and I can't wait to see what comes next for them.

I don't even know if I can effectively describe this book. It's amazing and awesome and incredibly accurate as far as Harper's CP goes because I happen to have a form of CP called Ataxic Cerebral Palsy. The way Brigid described Harper's CP and how it impacted certain Scenes really felt accurate to me. I am an avid reader of fairytale retelling and to see someone similar to me in a "Princess" role is an indescribable feeling. I loved Harper to bits and I can't wait until this is released so I can sell it to everyone who walks into my store. I would 100 % recommend this to anyone and everyone.

For this to be such a long book, I managed to read it in one sitting. I don't think I've ever met a character like Harper. She's such a strong-willed character. Her reactions and interactions with the world(s) around her are logical and realistic. She doesn't just accept things as they are. She refused to let others define her solely on her cerebral palsy. She wasn't ashamed of her disability. In fact, she embraced wholly, which enhanced the enjoyment of being inside her head. It was an utterly refreshing experience. I liked Rhen as well and I sympathized with his character arc, but I was not attached to him like I was with Harper. However, the standout character for me was Grey, Rhen's trusty guard commander. Every moment he was on page, I was ecstatic. He was just such a multifaceted individual with all the right qualities. I loved reading about his relationship with Rhen and his budding relationship with Harper.

Kemmerer wrote such an enchanting tale that I am dying to know what happens next with these characters. Bravo!

This book is an ARC from Bloomsbury YA in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of beauty and the beast so the fact that there is another version of this classic tale attracted me immediately to this book. I also love the names chosen for the prince and "belle". Rhen and Harper. This version was a little complex and intense in some areas but the story was still so compelling that is was tough to put down. Our readers will be so excited for the release of this book that we will probably have to create waiting lists.

We will definitely consider this title for our YFantasy collection at our library and that is why we give this book 5 stars.

Go order this book right now!I loved it so much, I plan on reading it again soon!It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast…. To an extent.We have a cursed Prince who lives in a castle away from everyone else, but he doesn’t have any magical clocks and candlesticks helping him out. All he has left is one Commander from his Royal Guard. His castle does clean itself, provides food and has some other magical occurrences going on though. Our Prince is also not a beast for most of the book. How his curse works is at the end of each summer/fall season he becomes a new beast who tears apart loved ones and local villagers. After a bit of terror or if he dies the season restarts back to summer/fall. Those who die at his hands do not return. The only way to end the curse is for him to find someone who will love him and who he can love in return. Over 300 seasons and over 300 girls later and still no luck. Enter Harper, the new kidnapped victim from D.C. brought to the parallel world of our Prince. She has cerebral palsy, but that doesn’t stop her from doing everything she can to run away. She’s not really like Belle from the Disney versions. Harper isn’t really book smart, and I don’t think a fancy library would have interested her enough to stay locked away in a castle. What Harper is though, is one tough and caring chick. Right from the start she tries to rescue a different girl from being kidnapped and ends up the victim instead. During the book she fights with anything she can get her hands on, makes daring escapes, and saves so many people.Did I mention it's written from both Harper's and the Prince's perspectives? Well it is! And that makes it even more amazing!This book follows the Beauty and the Beast formula…. kind of ? I don’t want to give too much away. I will say that there’s that twist at the end of the book that leaves me begging for the next book right now! The author mentions on Goodreads that there’s a second book planed (Thank God).The writing of this book is wonderful and kept me hooked. Even though it’s a longer book (it tops out at almost 500 pages), and there are a few questions that I feel weren’t explained, it is such a quick read it will have you begging for more. The characters are wonderful and I loved them all.I’d recommend this to any teen who loves Beauty and the Beast or who just wants a great Fantasy read! I’m just disappointed I read this book early and I don’t think much in 2019 will be able to compete with this book lol.

So, I've read quite a few Beauty and the Beast retellings. I did like this one, but I wasn't fist pumping. My main problem came with Harper... She was just soooo... I don't know! I feel like a lot of times authors have the guys all lovable and then the girls are just hard to like. I did like that Harper was strong despite her cerebral palsy, and she did get more likable as the story went on, but it took a while.

Also a lot of you may not know this movie, but if you've ever seen Mom and Dad Save the World from the early 90s, it was about these parents that go to this new planet. On the planet the people there were basically morons (If you've seen that movie you get like a 1,000 cool points). I felt like the people in Emberfall were kind of like that—they just believed these words coming from Harper, a girl they never heard of, and just all of a sudden accepted that there is another land known as Disi. I just wish they wouldn't have been so gullible, I guess. I would have been like well then show me this place!

Rhen's chapters were perfection! Loved getting to know him and seeing how the curse had affected and changed him. What I would have loved to have seen is a flashback chapter or few pages of how the curse came to him. Yes, we hear about it, but I wanted to seeeeeeeeeee it!

The descriptions were great with lovely word building and writing. And like I said, Rhen was swoon! Grey was a great addition as a side character. He was fierce, protective, and sweet. And I want to learn even more about him. There were several things I predicted along the way which I'm happy when I'm right! And the book isn't a stand alone like I had originally thought, but that's okay. I just hope things go the way I want them to and not in the way I'm dreading they could go. If you want to know what I'm talking about you'll have to read it! I need book two now to get more of this story!!

Rhen puts his hands on my arms and leans in. When he speaks, his voice is very low, very quiet, just for me. “My father is dead, my lady. My whole family is dead.” He pulls back, meeting my gaze, but his voice doesn’t change. “That monster killed them all.”


This book is everything I knew I wanted and needed in my life. And, also, this book is everything I didn’t know I wanted and needed in my life. Yes, it’s a Beauty and the Beast re-telling (the most used and, in my opinion, most successful Fairy Tale retelling) but it was far different than anything I could have hoped for or anticipated.

This is the most reckless thing I’ve ever done.
Wait. No. The most reckless thing I’ve ever done was attack a guy on the street with a tire iron. So I guess this is fine.


In many ways I did long for the more traditional approach, such as hanging out in the castle together, etc., but, from what I can tell, the author was trying to accomplish something far greater for our two heroes and I think it would have came off as boring, comparatively. Now, that doesn’t mean I didn’t want them to have more time together, because I felt that, sometimes, we lacked that. But, as a whole, this book made my feels go crazy and I was on the edge of my seat the entire story.

This feels like the cruelest season of all, to present me with a girl with the fierceness to stand at my side—yet with a home and family she needs to return to so badly.




Every moment was just so beyond addicting, such as it always is with Kemmerer’s writing, but there was something just so cool about her writing a fantasy-a fairy-tale retelling from the woman who creates the most deliciously tortured male leads, like, ever. Declan is a BBF I will NEVER forget, and now Rhen is way up there for me, as well. He was just so alone. My poor lonely soul *tear*.

I give her a nod and turn for the door.
“Rhen,” she calls after me.
I pause in the doorway and face her.
“I’m not going to fall in love with you,” she says. Her words are not a surprise.
I sigh. “You won’t be the first.”




And the dynamics between Rhen, Grey, and Harper? Oh my gosh, words cannot even describe how strongly I fell for this trio. My heart, my soul, and my entire being longed for this story to never end because there could never be enough of their story. For real, though-my biggest complaint with this story??? I. NEEDED. MORE.

More Rhen and Harper. More Rhen and Grey. More Grey and Harper. More. More. MOAR. I cannot stress that fact enough-I’m starting another book tonight, but my heart remains with these characters, this curse, and the love that might or might not have blossomed between Rhen and Harper. And this is really hard for me to talk about, because I don’t want to spoil anything…so I can’t say why I wanted more. It just….I need it.

Rhen has made it to his feet. “You cannot harm her,” he says. “You swore.”
“I swore not to kill them,” Lilith says. “I swore not to interfere with your attempts at courtship.” She steps closer to me. “That,” she says, “is all I swore.”


And can we talk about that torturous storyline? I’m not exaggerating. I absolutely ADORED when Lilith (I hate her but loved what she brought to the table) came around to bother Rhen. Many of you will call me a sicko, but I was a sucker for the struggles Rhen faced and how Lilith tested his limits and went over his boundaries. There’s something about a character in the worst moments of their life that make a story more candid-and I lived for these moments…for better or worse. And why couldn’t I have gotten that oneeee thingggg I realllyyyyyyyy wanted at the end?! GRR. I kind of did…but it was toned down and boo.

I stay close to Rhen and keep my voice low. “Do people always do everything you want?
“Not always.” He turns to look at me, his expression inscrutable. “Clearly.”


I’ll leave most of the story alone so as not to spoil it, but I want to draw the comparisons between the Fairytale and this book, because I actually found them wonderful. Rhen was the beast, obviously. Grey, I believe, was Lumiere. Lilith had to be a mix of the witch/the mirror. Harper’s brother and mother were Belle’s life (the mother was the father in this case, but she had a true sickness, she wasn’t mad as they said the father was). There was dancing!

Adorable. Harper was clearly Belle (I know, Captain Obvious), and the curse was the same-to find true love to break the curse….but with a HUGE, nasty twist for poor Rhen: Instead of being a beast full-time, at the end of every failed season, he turns into a beast (a different one every time) that ravages those around him and all his people, only to come to after the fact with blood staining his clothes and hands…and everything resets for the next season. Rinse. Repeat. For eternity. Yikes. But no library. That sucked haha.



This story was about Harper making him see what he can do to save his people. It was about finding who you were meant to be, no matter the cost, and it was about a Prince who never could find true love…until a girl called him on his games and demanded more. Sincerity. Love. Kindness.

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.


I loved this book. So much. Is that not clear? There were a few moments that got to me, though, and the one that sticks out the most is this trigger: (view spoiler) And that was the only specific moment it showed-what purpose did this serve? To make me madder? Well, it succeeded. Other than that, I loved what Rhen had to go through, but that bothered me.

A sound chokes out of my throat. I want to weep for an entirely new reason. The burning pain has reached my head, and my eyes begin to cloud with stars.
“You are responsible,” she says, her terrible voice fading away. “You, Rhen. You alone will destroy them all.”


I sometimes thought that Grey and Harper’s relationship got more time developing than her and Rhen’s…and I’m not sure that was ever not true. But his relationship with Rhen was also a big part of the story, and it just showed how truly wonderful Grey was in every way

-he was such a comedic relief that I lapped up in every moment. I wondered if this was going to be a love triangle…and it wasn’t? As time passed nothing arose that worried me in that way, but, in the end, I was thinking-so…was I right?? Did he like her?? That was a bit odd, as well, I will say. And I fear people will say she had more chemistry with Grey, but I am ride or die for Rhen and Harper and it didn’t effect me one bit-I just know how fickle we readers are and I fear this is a reaction I will see from many of my friends or other reviewers. I’ll deny them wholeheartedly, of course, but that doesn’t make it true for anyone other than me.

I step closer, until her skirts brush my legs, and I rest a hand on her waist. “I am inviting you to dance, not dragging you behind a horse.” I sigh dramatically. “Must you look so tortured?”




Okay. This review was not what I wanted it to be at all-this is in part because I wrote my review at work and people kept interrupting me and it made me severely scatter-brained…and partly because I am a bit confused on my feelings toward the end. I. WANTED. MORE. Lol. Clearly.

And this is totally Rhen-Sorry not sorry.