A New York Times bestseller!”Has everything you’d want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale.” – Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things“Absolutely spellbinding.” – Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval and LegendaryIn a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers … Legendary
In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.
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. 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.
more
Has everything you’d want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale: a finely-drawn fantasy world, a heroine rarely seen in fiction, and a tortured hero with a secret. I have only one complaint: I wish the sequel were already available!
Absolutely spellbinding. A Curse So Dark and Lonely expands on all the beloved themes of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to create an intensely original retelling: one full of fierce new characters, wicked magic, and wondrous amounts of heart. Brigid Kemmerer doesn’t just tell a story, she builds an entire world that you will never want to leave.
I confess Beauty & the Beast is a favorite fairy tale of mine, so I’m pretty hesitant about retellings … but Kemmerer KILLED IT with this one. It was clean and compelling! A very satisfying read!
Absolutely fabulous! Loved everything about this story: the language, the imagery, the depth of the characters, and the slow burn of affection. Anxiously awaiting the next book
A absolutely fabulous retelling of beauty and the beast!!! I friggin adore this writers storytelling,she writes with such detail that I felt like I was their with all of these characters and their surroundings. I love any heroine that is flawed in some way it makes them more real to me. Harper has cerebral palsy that has affected her leg but despite this disease she has a heart of a lioness and is one hell of a fighter! And she doesn’t make it easy on this beast. Rhen is our beast and he unknowingly slept with a mage witch who cursed him to become a beast who not only killed his family but most of the people in his kingdom and until a woman falls in love with him this will continue every season. But their is one who has stayed at his side grey his one and only man of arms,the rest have either been killed or ran. It’s grey’s job to abduct women and bring them to rhen so that hopefully one will fall in love him,but it hasn’t worked yet. Grey is a fabulous character and I loved his interaction with both Rhen and harper. And even the truly evil heartless bitch lilith is a compelling and interesting villian you just love to hate! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great fairytale. Until next time,happy reading you all!
I couldn’t get this creative, suspenseful take on ‘Beauty and the Beast’ out of my head.
Kemmerer has spun a fantastic twist on the classic beauty and the beast tale where the beauty is NOT the beautiful girl chosen for the prince, the beast is on a fast-track to destroying his own kingdom, and breaking the curse won’t save everyone.
I admire Harper for her incredible spirit and heart, and Prince Rhen is a great deuteragonist to set off their differences in character. Despite his flaws (and the boy has some, let me tell you), I felt for him and came to love this beast-princeling.
The last third of the book ramped up the action and stakes to the highest degree. The set up for book 2 is magical, and the ending took me entirely by surprise.
Not a bad read but I found it to be too much of a slow burner. Still an enjoyable read but just not my cup of tea personally.
You know the story of Beauty and the Beast, with its cursed prince seeking redemption through love. Brigid Kemmerer reimagines the tale with world-jumping adventures. This YA (young adult)/ NA (new adult) title is told in alternating chapters by its lead characters, Rhen (the cursed Prince of Emberfall) and Harper (a young woman with a lot of problems in her own home of Washington, DC, where thugs seek her absent father, shake down her protective brother, and her mother is losing her battle with cancer.)
Harper is a cool character. When she witnesses an apparent abduction in progress, she charges in to help, armed with a lead pipe left on the roadside. The would-be attacker snatches the feisty heroine and whisks her to the Kingdom of Emberfall where it’s hoped she’ll be wooed by the cursed Prince Rhen. However, Harper doesn’t take being kidnapped well, and despite some difficulties because of her Cerebral Palsy, she escapes their confines. She learns of the troubles of the kingdom, witnesses the cruelty of Lilith (who cursed and tortures Rhen), and comes to admire the Prince and his complex Guard (and kidnapper) Grey. Harper’s compassion, spirit, and insite make her a likeable and compelling character. She charms Rhen, Grey, and the kingdom.
The end of the novel switches to a different character’s Point of View which promises a sequel, though the book stands well on its own. Some of the scenes, including Lilith’s glee-filled torture and the ravages of war, pack a grim punch, but the novel includes humor, bravery, and sweetness. I look forward to reading this book’s sequel with my own little Prince and Princess (who teared up when she realized Harper had Cerebral Palsy – just like her!)
If I could give it 10 stars I would. Loved it so much and so creative. What a wonderful retelling of a classic fairy tale but became so much more its own.
Loved the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, the twists and turns. Everything about this book is fantastic.
I’m so glad I have the second one on hand and ready to read.
I loved this book! It’s an original retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with characters I absolutely fell in love with. I can’t wait for the next installment!
I read A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY while on vacation at the end of August, and I could not put it down. Once I bought into Emberfall and Harper, the rest was like candy I was addicted to. I loved Harper’s tenacity, and Rhen’s dedication. Grey had me in the palm of his hand. I could really feel how much Kemmerer loved writing this book. There was a lot of heart and soul put into it. Considering how hard it is for me to suspend my disbelief with fantasy (a problem I have lamented in the past), I’d say this was a winner.
This book was soo much fun. I read a couple retellings of “Beauty and the Beast”, but this is one of my favorites. Same concept and lore as the original , yet new, modern, fresh with new twists and new awesome characters.
I loved the mixture of our modern world and the fantasy world. She has done a wonderful job combing these two.
Harper, I loved her even with her disability she never backed down, she never gave up and she fought for what is right to her. She was smart and funny and always tried to take everyone into account . She also thought all her stuff through before she acted…. Well for the most part anyway.
Rhen our poor tortured prince, it was clear early on that he is not all that selfish and arrogant. He cares much and deeply for his people and willing to pay any prize in order to save everyone.
Grey I think he was one of my favorites, even over Rhen , I loved him and his honesty and loyalty not only to his kingdom but most of all friends. I loved most the friendship he had with Harper.
Overall, awesome read and the ending had me begging for more. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book.
I rate it 5
A complete original. So awesome.
There are so many “retellings” of the beauty and the beast story out there and I know the original is a classic but frankly the romantic beauty and the beast story is a bit boring to me. This story was so much more exciting and adventurous.
I liked the fact that Rhen, the Prince with the curse is from the fairytale like kingdom of Emberfall, while Harper is a real girl with cerebral palsy from Washington DC, who mistakenly gets kidnapped to try to break the curse. The book focuses on the curse and the enchantress who put the curse on the prince as well as her reasons so much more than in most retellings I have seen before.
The relationship between Rhen and Harper is important, but not as important as his kingdom and his people which he has tried to protect throughout the time he has been cursed, but he finds out that he really hasn’t been doing it at all. This is book 1 of 3 and now that book 2, A Heart so Fierce and Broken, is soon to be coming out and is available for pre-order, it is a great time to start this series.
https://www.formpl.us/form/283916001
A spectacular retelling of The Beauty and the Beast!!
I devoured this book and it’s phenomenal writing. Strong characters, both male and female kept me wanting more. I’m looking forward to the next book.
A unique and atmospheric young adult version of Beauty and the Beast. It’s a standalone with a strong hook to a different character’s adventures in book two.
Slow burning, big hearted, magical fun! I loved every minute.
Heartwarming, thoughtful, and romantic: Brigid Kemmerer took me on a magical journey with this dark fairy tale about growing up, falling in love, and making impossible choices. I can’t wait to see where these characters go next.
This book is so easy to read, can’t wait to read the sequels!
BRB screaming.
Just… wow. I had no expectations going into this book, and at first glance I wasn’t sure I would be interested in the storyline.
How wrong was I?
Let’s begin with Harper and her incredible fierceness and strength. Not a trained warrior (nor good at it without ever lifting a blade) but determined and absolutely adorable when she gets the hang of it (I loved her little squeals when she shoots an arrow for the first time and her focus with the knives). Loyal and sharp, especially with her cerebral palsy and not backing down. Then we have Rhen, our dark and mysterious Prince and part creature. I was immediately drawn into the story with the first few paragraphs, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt so completely locked into a story from the first page. His journey was incredible. And then we have Grey, who I found a bit hard to understand (lots of words unsaid that fell a bit flat) but grew into my favorite character.
I couldn’t put the book down. I have already opened the second.