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
Funny, romantic, great characters! Would read everything she’s written
• •
: A Curse So Dark And Lonely
: Cursebreakers #1
: Brigid Kemmerer
: 4.5/5
I had a hard time in the beginning to get into the story, so that took me some time. However, once I really got into the story I enjoyed it a lot! It was an interesting take on a retelling and I wasn’t expecting some of the twists and turns. Harper was such a fun and strong character and I especially like the character development that Rhen went through. I loved how their relationship grows and it was amazing to read. That said, Grey stole the show in my opinion. I just fell in love with him as a character, so much dedication and his strength is really admirable. I also loved his friendship with Harper. I enjoyed the ending that they got, but I know there will be more. I am curious to see what the next book will be about. 100% recommending this book, especially to those who love a good fairy tale retelling.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
My Rating:
Type: Trilogy. Book -1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Magical World,YA
Primary Characters: Grey, Rhen, Harper
Narration: Limited third party
This book was suggested to me by several fellow readers in different reading groups. After reading burb I thought it’s time to pick this as I have been gushing over fantasy characters for a while now. This book was strange for me. I didn’t hate this book, but I also sort of didn’t like it.
As blurb says, it looks like beauty and the beast retelling, but author has added her own touch to this. Harper is having a cerebral palsy and her life in DC is not an easy one. When a turn of events brings her to a parallel world of Ember fall, she is faced with a different set of difficulties.
Prince Rhen of Emberfall is cursed. Guard commander Grey is confidante, last warrior standing at the palace with Prince Rhen. I loved Grey, more than I liked Rhen. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between the trio. I found grey to be infinitely more interesting, sexy, and intelligent than Rhen. Harper is a strong willed, extremely smart girl. She tries everything to make Emberfall better and It’s not easy to break the curse.
There was so much lacking when it came to its world-building as well as the character development. The mixture of urban and high fantasy worlds along with the protagonist’s cerebral palsy representation just didn’t sit very well with me. I liked the atmospheric setting, the flawed characters, the representation, however the combo wasn’t so good. The action in the last part of book was way better than I expected.
The ending was good, cliffhanger was developed well but I still have second thoughts to read the second book.
It is a good book and just because I had problems with it and didn’t like it, doesn’t mean it should be same for you. Go ahead, read it and let me know your thoughts
Follow me
https://meander23.com
https://instagram.com/meander_read_roam/
A fun read!
This is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling and I really enjoyed it. You almost sort of forget that it’s a retelling, actually. It’s YA, and I’m not often in the mood for fantasy, but when I am, I like to be swept along in the story, which is what happened here. Just a really fun escape, with a strong-willed heroine who I could cheer for, and some handsome leading men that I won’t ruin things by telling you too much about. For mom friends: some language and references to past indiscretions by the youthful prince, but I’d feel fine about handing it to a teen reader.
This is one of the better Beauty and the Beast retellings I’ve read. I liked the pace of it and the switching back and forth of viewpoints. I believed Harper was a teenager (which is rare these days in YA fantasy) and I liked how modern she was and her process of learning to trust the men and fit into this new world. I loved Grey. Definitely my favorite character. I’m excited to know that book 2 centers around him. Exciting story, easy to read. Left me curious to know what happens next. Solid fantasy fairy tale for reader 12 and older.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely (The Cursebreaker Series Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Brigid Kemmerer
A darker retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this story pulled me in by my heart. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite of fairy tales, and thankfully, Ms. Kemmerer doesn’t disappoint.
The heroine, Harper, is sucked into a different universe where she meets the Beast, Prince Rhen. The Prince and his guard are caught up in the season of his 18th birthday, the season he seduced and dropped the enchantress Lilith.
Rhen sees the end of the tunnel as this will be the last season he will have to suffer through. If Harper can’t break it, he will be given the peace of the grave.
Harper is an interesting character. She is a strong woman who suffers from Cerabel Palsy, whose brother is trying to pay off the loan shark his missing father is in debt and whose mother is dying of cancer. With all that, a trip to a medieval dimension where she might be killed by an invading army or be torn apart by the mysterious monster stalking the castle.
With a bit of luck and a bit of nerves, she might be able to break the curse.
Harper and Rhen share most of the narration duties. We can see the changes of character by their own words. Harper starts of afraid and frustrated. Rhen begins apathetic and completely done with the curse that caused him to repeat the same few months hundreds of times.
Harper, to whom nothing has been easy, is exactly the medicine the prince and his country need. She brings him to his people; he has been avoiding them while he wallows in the late summer to early fall of his 18th year. It is she who gets him to finally be the prince he was meant to be.
There is a love story, but, there are also two heroes who are attracted to the steel-spined Harper. This leads me to believe that there will some kind of conflict between the prince and he guard. It is a clean romance, where the clothes stay on, and where ‘true love’s kiss’ takes almost the whole season.
The characters were the best piece of this book. Their internal dialogues draws the reader in, because it is so similar to what most of us hear in our own heads.
I’ll be chasing down a print copy and probably the whole series because this will definitely be a re-read to be on the shelves of my favorite books.
4 stars out of 5
https://smile.amazon.com/Curse-So-Dark-Lonely-ebook/dp/B07CVFRJ8N
I liked this book. It was an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast. I think the author did a decent job of world building and made the heroine very believable. By the climax of the story I do feel the writing loosened and at the point where the H and h are supposed to get together and you get a sense of closure for that part of the storyline, because this is a series, it kind of ends abruptly and leads into the next book. So you feel unsatisfied with parts of the story because it is set up to not necessarily be a cliffhanger for every aspect of the story and yet that is exactly what you get. I’m not sure if I’m reading the next book.
I was gifted this book from a TikToker and I could not be more pleased. First of all, in my job, I work with special needs children. I also volunteer with them on my off time. So, imagine my surprise and delight when there is a character with Cerebral Palsy in this book. I am loving that sort of inclusion! Let’s see more and more of that in our books, movies and TV shows! Other than that amazing fact, I also found out that this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and what reader among us doesn’t love Beauty and the Beast? I love the way this author changed things and created her own world and story out of this classic.
One thing I really love about this story, is how strong Harper is. A female character with this strength is such a positive role model for our young women, but especially when you add in the other difficulties she faces. I found it very endearing that she put others ahead of herself and stopped at nothing to help those in need. Another very important lesson for our young people to learn.
This author is gifted in writing villains as well. I hated the enchantress almost immediately and that hatred grew and grew with every visit she made to the prince. The prince, on the other hand, is a character who saw great growth throughout the book. He improved upon himself and learned from his mistakes, creating a person the reader could begin to really root for. I also really loved the character Grey.
I’m very glad that I was gifted both the first and second books in this series, as I wanted to begin book two as soon as I’d finished the first, and you will too! Now that I’ve begun book two (and am already immensely enjoying it,) I can only hope to get a copy of book three before I finish!
I love a book that provides a solid story that transports you to another world. This one does that literally. This was one of those books that I kept glancing down at my percentage read to see how much was left because I just didn’t want it to end. I’m currently reading the second book in the series and enjoying it just as much.
An interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast that’s refreshingly self-aware. Couldn’t put it down.
I figured I would like this, but I didn’t expect to be as intrigued as I was. I read it in a couple sessions. It probably would’ve been only one, but I had to go to sleep eventually. If I still gave out half stars this would be 4.5.
So normally, I’m not a big fan of portal fantasy. It’s because I don’t like how people seem to just forget their previous life. Ms. Kemmerer specifically goes against that. And I got the most emotional when Harper was sad about her mom and brother. Plus, there were stakes there: should she stay or return home, etc.?
Harper, Rhen, and Grey were all great characters. Harper has CP, but it doesn’t define her. And she really comes into her own in Emberfell. She learns how to be a strong independent person. Rhen is damaged, but really cares about his people. Grey was equally developed even though he doesn’t have a POV. His character was explored well through his actions and interactions with Rhen and Harper.
While I like all the characters, there wasn’t a particularly distinctive voice for Rhen and Harper. If you’re writing in a POV it should be unique-alternatively you could write in 3rd person.
The romance was well-done. It was paced perfectly-not too drawn out or too slow. And it was only one aspect of this story.
I ended falling in love with this world and the characters. I’m definitely eager to read more and I need to know what happens to Emberfell.
I loved this book. The characters are incredible, the world is as big as it needs to be, and the story keeps moving. I’ve not read a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I’ve liked this much. I knew the basic of the ending, yet I still couldn’t put this book down.
The story of this “re-telling” of Beauty and the Beast is very well written and did not ruin or misinterpret the original. I thank the author for how well she executed this story.
This fantasy story features a fictional country of Emberfall, where Prince Rhen is stuck in a curse of turning into “a monster” until he finds his “one true love”.
Bring in Harper. A normal girl who lives in Washington DC, when one night she is taken into this different fantasy world.
At first, Harper treats Rhen as her prisoner and they do not get along for at least the first quarter. Until Harper learns more truths about Emberfall and the curse, does she start to understand Rhen.
They then work together to help Emberfall not fall to the nasty queen of another nation, and in this process – find they come best friends and start to like each other. However time is running out. Will love find them before that time doesn’t exist?
It ends perfectly but unfortunately I felt the action was missing. This author definitely can write romance but personally I think she struggled with action scenes.
I feel like my 14 year old self would have loved this book, but unfortunately my 30 year old self only liked it. Was a bit too “teen / young adult” for me.
With that in mind, 3.5 Stars.
I’ve read this book four times now… and was very much looking forward to revisiting Emberfall before the last book in the trilogy released. It never fails to captivate me.
With so many ratings and reviews already out there for Curse, there’s little for me to say that hasn’t been said. It captures that perfect balance needed for a creative retelling, offering fierce and steadfast characters, gripping action and unwavering hope for success.
I remember the first time I read it, thinking it was a standalone book, and then being absolutely beside myself when I learned there was more to the story, with its sequel’s release still months away.
I remember meeting Brigid Kemmerer, listening to her speak to a roomful of students about her process in building these incredible worlds, watching the room soak it all in. She is as lovely a person as her words are on the page. Her signed books from that day hold a special place on my shelf.
Though I’ve held onto many quotable moments from the book, my favorite remains, “I am always surprised to discover that when the world sees darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.” Considering the state of the world right now, it’s held true for me for so many reasons.
With the final book in the series releasing this week, I’d encourage anyone looking to lose themselves in a clean, enthralling fantasy story to dive right in.
Reread to prepare for the third book, and I still love Harper and Grey! My opinion towards Rhen is slightly soured, but I have belief that my tortured boy will come back better!
Really enjoyed it, the main character is probably one of my new favorites for sure! Looking forward to future books!
Very full of angst. It could have been better, written more maturely, something. Having the magic woman be evil was a little twist, as was having the beauty be neither beautiful nor a paragon of everything virtuous. I liked this story OK, but I keep putting off reading the sequel.
A Beauty and the Beast retelling I never knew I needed. Harper, Rhen, and Grey are like the best trio ever.
Great book!!!! A different fairytale………. 🙂
I mainly enjoyed this book for the twist on Beauty and the Beast, which I found imaginative and fun. I also loved the representation that Harper provided. However, I felt that the characters were a little bland. They certainly had moments when I thought, “Okay, here we go,” but then that was often the end of it. It’s possible the character development is coming in book 2 since it is a series. Although my feelings are a little lukewarm, I do recommend it to younger YA fans.