A Curse So Dark and Lonely Book Review

A Curse So Dark And Lonely (Cursebreakers #1)
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended For: Ages 15+, retelling fans, Beauty and the Beast groupies, sword & sorcery lovers, those who are always looking for a portal to a fantasy world.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.

Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Luna’s Top Thoughts:

My favorite Beauty & The Beast retelling to date; fresh take while staying true to the essence of the original
Strong, confident, courageous, relatable protagonist with a disability that doesn’t focus on her disability as a weakness
Well-crafted romantic subplot with a very believable build of feelings and tension
Lots of intrigue conflict and very high stakes for protagonist make it an exciting read that hooked me from page 1
Excellent pacing the entire book, never bored yet never overwhelmed or confused

The Review:

I couldn’t wait to write this A Curse So Dark and Lonely book review. Enemies to lovers is my FAVORITE romantic plot trope, which is probably why I never tire of a good Beauty and the Beast retelling. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is the best retelling of this classic fairy tale I’ve ever read. The story is a fresh take on a common story where we find Harper, a young girl who struggles to survive with her brother in the D.C. area gets pulled into another realm. She finds herself stuck in a castle with a grumpy Prince and serious Captain. As she unravels the mystery of why she’s there and the curse plaguing the Prince, she inspires change in the others and grows to care for these people who have randomly popped into her life. The writing of this book was beautiful but not overly complicated. The retelling aspect was tastefully done, and a hundred other compliments I could give, but here are some main points that stuck out to me.

Let’s start with the characters. I adored this protagonist. Harper was spunky, intelligent, oozing compassion and empathy, and had a very strong influence on the plot. I loved how her unique perspective, being from a different world than the other characters, legitimately caused change in the other characters and what happened. She has a disability, that doesn’t stop her from doing what she thinks is right. Her strong connection and devotion to her family make her likable and relatable. I thought the other two main characters, Rhen and Grey were also very well-rounded, well-crafted characters. Each had good development throughout the novel and I loved how we got to know each a little more as the story progressed. Plus, they each brought their own unique flavor to the conflict in the book. Of the two brooding gentlemen in the book, Rhen was my favorite because he felt more complex and like he had more layers to discover, but Grey was still an excellent character.

The plot was stunning. From the beginning there was immense tension and conflict that only increased as time went on. There were real, timely and intense stakes for each character that created a true sense of urgency throughout. The stakes were actually huge for me. I thought they added a lot to the story, and they were very justified and understandable for each character. I also appreciated how stakes either changed in priority or new ones were added. And there was always something noteworthy happening. I honestly can’t think of one time I was even a little bored. There is a good build throughout to a stunning, action-packed, heart-racing climax.

This book features a very slow burn romance, but don’t trick yourself into thinking that means there was no romantic tension. There was lots, but the romance itself is a gentle development, and honestly, I LOVED that. I am a big fan of books that portray love in a more realistic way, and I thought this book did a lot of that.

I loved the world Kemmerer created for this series. There weren’t many detailed descriptions of the setting, but it was rich in details about the culture, the people, and the conflicts the kingdom faces. The magic depicted through the villain and the curse was also fascinating and provided just a little touch of magic.

I also thought this had one of the better endings of books. I was a good combo of satisfying and the “wait! I need to know more!” excitement cliffhangers can bring. It did a good job of tying up lose threads, while introducing new ones to follow in subsequent books.

In summation, everyone should read this book. I already have a list of fantasy-loving friends I want to share this book with. It’s a fast-paced, intriguing story full of characters you’ll fall in love with and at the end you will want to keep reading!