A Curse So Dark and Lonely Archives

Book Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Feb 2, 2019

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 496
Publish date: 29 January, 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
ISBN: 9781408884614
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU –

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

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

A Curse So Dark and Lonely:

I received an e-arc of A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer from Bloomsbury Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve been really excited about A Curse So Dark and Lonely for quite some time now. I’ve really enjoyed reading Brigid Kemmerer books in the past and this one was calling out to me. And then I found out it featured a protagonist with a disability, I knew I needed to read it. And I am so glad that I did. This has to be one of my favourite YA fantasy novels. It’s got everything that I love and I literally could not put it down.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely follows Rhen who has been cursed to repeat autumn the year he turned eighteen over and over again. He thought that if he only had to repeat those months it was fine, but what he didn’t expect was to turn into a monster – a monster that kills anything and anyone in its path. And the only way to break the curse – is to fall in love.

Then Harper arrives. She has no idea where she is or how she even got there. All she wants to do is get back home, to her sick mother and her brother that’s in trouble. But the more time that she spends with Rhen, the more she realises everything isn’t what meets the eye. Harper isn’t like other girls, but Rhen isn’t like anyone else Harper has met. Just as Rhen sees a little hope, powerful forces not only stand against Rhen but the hope of Harper and his people.

Lukas Neasi

If you haven’t thought about picking this one up yet – do! This story influenced by the beauty and the beast is heartbreaking, to say the least. But it is also captivating, enchanting and I just couldn’t put it down. Both Harper and Rhen are both fascinating and tantalising characters. The plot captured me from the very first chapter and just kept me going and going.

Harper has to be one of my favouriote female protagonists ever. Her voice seized me from the very start. I was able to connect with not only Harper’s voice but also the worries that she has throughout A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Harper has no idea what is going on when she falls into Emberfall but makes the most of it. She stands up not only for herself but what she believes in. While at first, the idea of Emberfall flabagasts her, she slowly falls into the world like a pro. I adored that she was quick on her feet and didn’t let anyone stop her. Harper just took everything and went with it. One of the things that I loved about Harper, was that she didn’t like her disability define her. It wasn’t brushed aside and it didn’t let it stop her.

Rhen, oh my gosh, my heart could not handle him. I could feel all his pain and gosh it was a lot. I am not going to lie, I cried a bit throughout the book. And a lot of it was because of all the pain that Rhen felt. It just broke me. I wanted to just hug him. Rhen feels so guilty about everything that happened, that it tore him apart. He didn’t believe that he deserved to be happy, let alone a life. And that is what really got to me. He tries to be this Prince, a King. But deep down he is in so much pain. He tries to hide behind a persona, but throughout A Curse So Dark and Lonely it’s broken down and the reader is able to see how much Rhen is hurting.

Cederic X

The romance – holy – I think Rhen and Harper are climbing up my favourite OTP list. These two together, just yes, please. This has to be one of my favourite slow burn romances – ever. Rhen and Harper don’t particularly like each other at the start of A Curse So Dark and Lonely. But as the novel goes on, they start to confide in each and really understand who the other is. One thing I have noticed about Bridge Kemmerer knows how to write a beautiful and perfect slow burn romance. And it shows again in this novel. At first, Rhen doesn’t know what to think of Harper, but like Harper herself, as the novel goes on, he gets to really know her. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to see what more happens between these two and gosh I need it.

One of the main pulls for me towards A Curse So Dark and Lonely was the fact that there was a protagonist with a disability. I don’t have cerebral palsy, so I am not going to comment on if the representation was perfect. But from what I know and understand about it, I think it was a great start. Like I said before, I really enjoyed that while Harper did have cerebral palsy, it didn’t stop her. It might slow her down, but she found ways to do things. It just made me happy to have this badass female disabled protagonist, that didn’t really need a male to save her.

Another thing I loved about A Curse So Dark and Lonely was the relationship between Rhen and Grey. These two warmed my heart. The reader knows that Rhen doesn’t want to get close to anyone. He has hurt people and that has really played with his mind. But Grey has started the whole time. Grey has been with Rhen through thick and thin and it really came across on how much he did care. He wasn’t just there because it was required to.

I also liked the budding relationship between Grey and Harper. It could go one way – and while I hope it doesn’t. I liked that Grey helped Harper get through all the changes that happened, as well as showing her how to live in this world. Grey was also really well written and seeing him grow throughout the novel was something I loved. And I know there is going to be way more install for him in the next book.

Sebastian Pociecha

Taking about the next book, umm how about that ending. While A Curse So Dark and Lonely was quite intense, the last 50 pages or so blew my mind. Everything was just taken to another level and it just worked. There were some things that were resolved, but then more things came about and I am so not ready for it. Something else that Brigid Kemmerer did with A Curse So Dark and Lonely was really stick with the roots and base of the Beauty and the Beast story, but it such a way that it was fresh, new and was able to draw the reader in.

Overall, I adored A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. I was captivated by the characters, world, and the plot from the very first chapter. Rhen and Harper are fantastic characters on their own, with brilliant character arcs. But together they are like fire and it’s one that I want to keep on spreading. I loved that Harper’s disability wasn’t shoved aside, the reader is also able to see Rhen come to terms with the things that he has done when the monster. If you are looking for a new fantasy book, then pick this one up. With fantastic world-building, character arcs and a plot that just keeps giving, then this is for you.

Have you read A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? What is a recent YA fantasy that you loved? Let’s Chat!

2019 YA Releases Featuring Disability TBR | Part 1

Jan 17, 2019

If you have known me for a while now, you would know that I try to read and promote disability in young adult novels as much as I can. So today I thought I would share some of those on my TBR for this year. And you know what is sad? There isn’t many coming out, that I know of so far. Ely over at Oh Wonderland has put together a full list of disability releases this year. And it’s an ongoing list as well, where she will be updating constantly.

But today, I’m sharing 4 titles that I cannot wait to get my hands on this year. I hope to do another one of these lists when I find more books featuring disability that I want to read. Like always these are in no order.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely #1) by Brigid Kemmerer: From the Brigid Kemmerer books that I have read, I’ve adored. So when I heard she was bringing out a new fantasy, I knew that I needed to get my hands on it. This one is a beauty and the beast retelling with the female protagonist also having cerebral palsy.

Um yes, please! I mean there aren’t many fantasy books with what sounds like a badass, disabled, female heroine. Plus the concept of the ‘beast’ in this one is oh so intriguing.

Impossible Music by Sean Williams: I found this one the other day when I checking NetGalley. And let me tell you, I need it now. This one features protagonist Simon whose life is turned upside down after he has a stroke and loses his hearing. Before the stroke, music was his life, it was everything to him, and now he refuses everything that could assist him with this new way of life.

And then he meets G, who has also newly experienced deafness. Now Simon’s quest is to experience music in a different way. Impossible Music also explores Simon’s connection to the hearing world as well as the girl he meets along the way.

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon: This one sounds like it’s going to break my heart into so many little pieces. Sophie would do anything for Peter, even if it meant giving up one of her kidneys. He means everything to Sophie from best friend to secret crush. So when Sophie finds out she’s a match, there isn’t much to think about. Before the transplant, Peter wasn’t living life to the fullest, and now after his life has changed.

But it isn’t what Sophie or Peter expected. Peter has become more distant, his drawn to guitarist Chase and he is pulling away from Sophie. And when one event changes everything again and is their friendship worth saving.

The Great Unknowable End by Kathryn Ormsbee: I hadn’t heard about this one until I saw it on Ely’s post and now I need it. When Stella’s mum dies and her brother runs off to join the local hippie group Red Sun, she has to drop everything and care for her sister. Galliard has always lived his life with the Red Sun. They accept him for his tics and everything that comes with it. But then he is denied the resident artist role and for the first time starts to think of his life out of the compound.

Then Stella and Galliard met, what follows is something very strange. Red rain, storms out of nowhere and a countdown clock. But no one knows what will happen when the clock hits zero. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that includes a protagonist that has Tourette’s and that makes me so so excited.

And that is it! These are the some of the books that feature YA protagonists with disabilities that I can’t wait to read. I like that there is a range of genre’s here as well. What are some of the books that feature disability that you can’t wait to read? Let’s Chat!