In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.Find the heir, win the crown.The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has … that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.
Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Grey may be the heir, but he doesn’t want anyone to know his secret. On the run since he destroyed Lilith, he has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?
The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.
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I was pretty excited about Grey getting a POV in this because he was my favorite in the last book! Now, I was sad at first that we wouldn’t be getting much from Rhen or Harper, but I will say, I really liked the new addition of Lia Mara! She was strong in so many ways!
Oh man, so some crap goes down in this book that I wasn’t too pleased about concerning Rhen. Some of his actions were, WOW! But I won’t give any spoilers. Also, Harper made me irritated as well. I still don’t understand why Jake wasn’t that concerned about his sister either. But that’s okay because Grey’s and Lia’s POVs had me all in, and I was fully emerged in this story! I just really loved their dynamic together. To me it felt more real than Rhen’s and Harper’s did in the last book. Also, I loved Iisak and Tycho so much!
There are some interesting twists and wonderful dialogue. And that freaking ending! I seriously just need the next book already, because I’m very curious to see how everything is going to play out!
I loved this book!!! I even loved it more than the first book.
If you read my review to book one you know that Grey was always my front runner and I liked him more than Rhen. So that alone was great but for the book to be so fucking epic was even better.
It had me swooning and crying, happy, and sad tears. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. Like last book we get a lot of twist and turns and surprises which I enjoyed. But I think what I enjoyed the most, besides Grey was, that we get the world expanded. We learn so much more about Emberfall and neighboring kingdoms and customs.
We don’t get much if Harper and Rhen , which for Rhen is good, I really, really hated him this book, even at the end of it all . Harper stayed true to her character.
I loved the relationship Grey and Jake had, and how it progressed to get there. I also enjoyed Tycho a lot.
Lia Mara was fantastic as well, I really liked her from the beginning and she really, really is the perfect match for Grey.
Overall epic book, better than book one, The ending…. Some things I saw coming a mile ahead other things really took me by surprises. The ending was torture and I can’t believe we have to wait till the end of 2021(according to GR) for the next book.
I rate this also a full 5
Amazing cross between an epic fantasy and a legendary romance.
This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! I definitely recommend it to everyone who likes Fantasy, Fairytales, Adventure and Romance. It surprised and delighted me in that it was not any sort of retelling. Though I did think A Curse so Dark and Lonely was one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast, even better than the Disney versions, since it dealt with a genuine beast that killed people.
A Heart so Fierce and Broken was truly a continuation of the original story, after curse was broken. It focuses on the character of Commander Grey instead of Rhen and Harper, though they both make appearances and we see what “Happily Ever After” looks like in the Kingdom of Everfall. I think readers will find it interesting to say the least.
Commander Grey was such a wonderful character in ACSDAL, he had sworn his life to the Royal family and to Rhen in particular. In doing so he had to detach from all his family and to forego any future family that could possibly ever be used against him to get him to turn on he royals or the Kingdom of Everfall. Even so, the evil mage Lilith still took his 9 sisters and brothers one by one while trying to get him to turn against Rhen.
Grey was always loyal to Rhen and then to Harper as well. He and Harper became great friends, and when he disappeared they both thought he was dead. In AHSFAB, Grey is still the noble and formidable warrior, but also intelligent and relentless in his drive to do what he thinks is right. He is still loyal to the Kingdom and to Rhen despite everything he has learned and gone through. Grey is a true Hero.
He meets some wonderful characters and they journey together throughout the majority of the story. Brigid Kemmerer is an excellent writer and makes each of the characters come to life. I could picture each one of them and though they start out as strangers and foes, the travelers become united and even friends. The love interest Lia Mara, is one of them.
Lia Mara is the firstborn daughter of Karis Luran of Syhl Shallow which is over the mountains from Emberfall. If you remember from ACSDAL, Karis Luran is the bloodthirsty Queen whose forces tried to invade Emberfall when she thought the royal family was gone and the Kingdom was at its weakest.
Though Lia Mara is the firstborn daughter, she is not the princess in line for the throne. Her mother doesn’t value her like her younger sister Nola Verin, whose nature is more like their mother. Lia Mara is not as small and beautiful as her sister and she is intelligent and caring and does not like bloodshed. While Nola Verin is unfazed by killing others and only to happy to rush into battle.
Harper’s brother Jake and his partner Noah were brought to Emberfall near the end of ACSDAL, it was Grey who brought them with the magic cuff bracelet that he got from Lilith when she cursed Rhen. It was used to go back and forth from Emberfall and Washington DC to get girls for Rhen to try and break the curse.
Grey first used the cuff to grab Harper, then later her brother Jake and Noah who is a doctor. Now that the curse is broken Jake and Noah are stuck against their wishes. They blamed Grey for this, despite the fact that they arc traveling with him.
Another character named Tycho is a teen who ends up as Grey’s sidekick. He is a great character and it would be nice to see him get his own book. The last of the traveling partners is a scraver, a viscous creature that can slice into a person with his claws in the blink of an eye.
“I’m staring down at . . . a creature I can’t identify. It’s somewhat human-shaped, with dark-gray skin, the color of a cloudy night sky. Wings bound with rope sprout from its back, and there’s a length of tail that curls limply along the ground of the cage. It has clawed hands and feet, and a shock of black hair that’s matted with sweat. It’s not moving.”
I loved this book. It was as good or better than the first book. There were several villains and there were definitely som big surprises. Not all of them are good, but it makes for an amazing story. The ending is spectacular, there will be a third book, but it is not really a cliffhanger so much as an ending to one part of the story and the promise of a beginning of another.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I fell in love with the Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer from the very first chapter of the first book. Rhen’s emotions felt so real that I was immediately drawn into the story and it gripped me until its final pages. Before I had finished book 1, I had already ordered book 2. I’m happy to report that – although the book was not at all as I expected – I equally loved this second part!
Although this series started out as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, there aren’t any elements of the original story in this second book. That was to be expected of course: the curse is broken, the Beast is a handsome prince once more and they lived happily … okay maybe not that last part.
What did surprise me, however, was the narration. I had expected the story to be told from the point of views of Rhen and Harper, but only the first and the last chapter are told by them. The other chapters are written from the perspective of Lia Mara and Grey. Grey was a fan favourite as of the start, so it’s not that weird, but still, I personally wouldn’t have minded a bit more quality time with Rhen and Harper.
Nevertheless, once I got over this initial slight disappointment, I devoured the story just as much as I did the first one. Those two are quite endearing: Lia Mara is a strong heroine, without being a cliché. The last thing I need is another 16 year old girl who manages magic better than even the most experienced wizard or wields a sword stronger than any seasoned warlord. Lia Mara is powerful and effective, but in a realistic way. She dares to doubt and fail, she dares to feel. I quite liked her, more than I liked Harper. Grey is quite a pleasant character too. Not as dashing or fairytale prince like as Rhen, but he’s very down to earth and basically a good guy. He reminds me a bit of Fitz from the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. That’s not fully a compliment, because I’ve always been a bit annoyed by the stupid things that Fitz tends to do, but he’s a no-nonsense decent sort of chap.
Thanks to the title, the book had me fearing for my heart the entire time. I won’t deny that it was on the verge of breaking a couple of times, but I got away without any tears. Isn’t that a feat. I was so relieved that book three was already waiting on my desk when I finished it though. I would not have been able to bear it otherwise.
“A Heart So Fierce and Broken” by Brigid Kemmerer is the second book in the Cursebreakers series. This was my most anticipated book of 2020, and I just now finished it in 2021. This book did not turn out how I expected. I was expecting a lot of eventful twists and turns, but that is not how it happened. There was a lot of adventure in the beginning, and then in the middle, it slowed down. Once the book got to the end though, it picked right back up and threw a few big twists at me.
This book focuses more on Grey and Lia Mara instead of Rhen and Harper like book one did. I did not like how this book made one of the characters out to be a monster in some of it when in book one the character was amazing. I feel this could have been avoided if we saw the actions from that character’s point of view, but we did not. That in itself was a big change from the first book. I wish we would have seen more of Rhen’s point of view in this book. I really loved reading about Lia Mara and how she ended up fitting into Grey’s life. Lia Mara was an amazing character to read about, and she kept the book going.
This book was a bit of a slower read compared to the first book. I wanted this book to be as good as the first one, but it was not, unfortunately. There were a lot of areas that I had to put the book down because it was moving at a slower pace than I am used to. I felt like this was a necessary book because it does move the story along. The end leads me to believe that book three, A Vow So Bold and Deadly, will be as good as the first one.
The world building within this book was amazing. I enjoyed all of the details that she used in the scenes. I loved how Grey and Lia Mara were both really strong characters independently and together. I also enjoyed how book two picked right up where book one ended. This meant we did not miss anything as a reader.
I give this book 4/5 stars. I felt this book was a necessary one to get through and will act as a bridge to book three. I highly recommend Brigid Kemmerer as an author and hope others enjoy her writing as much as I have.
I told you I was going to pick up book 2 immediately.
I was excited to get a Grey book after the teaser in book 1, but I was a little disappointed that we got nothing from Harper and Rhen. After building up all of that tension and giving us those characters, it felt like we were forced into this. I understand trying to separate us from whatever Rhen is dealing with (I’ll avoid spoiling) but it was a bummer to lose out on that.
However, I loved getting the new characters. Lia Mara wasn’t my favorite to begin because she was sort of thrust at us out of nowhere, but she grew into a favorite. I also liked to see Jake and Noah get some page time – though I still feel like they are quite underdeveloped as unique characters and rather exist to serve whatever purpose best fits the plot at the time.
The story dragged a bit with the whole ‘Grey refuses magic’ bit for nearly the entire book, but the story itself (once moving) was rather exciting. Looking forward to the third.
• •
: A Heart So Fierce And Broken
: Cursebreakers #2
: Brigid Kemmerer
: 3/5
Yeah, this book just wasn’t for me. Firstly, I wasn’t able to connect with Lia Mara as the heroine. I had to push through some parts, but I did finish the book since I really wanted to give it a chance and hoped that some things changed that eventually didn’t. I felt like some of the characters personalities were completely different from book one. I loved Grey a lot in the first book, so I was pretty excited to learn more about him. In the end, he just didn’t live up to my expectations. This book missed the mark for me, it wasn’t a bad book at all. It was just that… personally I did not like the direction that the plot took and it affected my overall feelings and enjoyment of the book. That said, the writing was still really good and I felt that there was a relatively good flow throughout the book. Overall, it is a good book, I just wasn’t for me and I won’t be reading the next book.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
I enjoyed this second book in this series very much. Grey is my favorite character, and I liked that the book focused heavily on his plotline. The slow budding of romance was great. As with book one, the characters that are teenagers do read like actual teens. This is kind of rare in YA fantasy. Grey, of course, comes across older because he’s technically lived longer than everyone else due to the curse. I’m very curious to see what happens next. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I thought the voiceover actor that narrated Grey was terrific.
The series I fell in love with from the first book continues with this volume which focuses on Grey and a new character, Lia Mara. I liked Grey from the first book, but I was surprised to find how much I liked Lia Mara as well. I was also surprised to find how much I would lose faith in Rhen.
One thing I do wish, is that we’d gotten to see more of Harper in this book, but I see why we did not. I’m hoping we get to see more of her again in book three. Lia Mara was a great female lead in her place though. I love that, like Harper, she was raised believing she was less than and through the course of the events in the book, she learns that she is more than capable. Other than Lia Mara, I really loved the addition of Tycho.
There is also magic again in this book, but a very different kind of magic than was in the first book. I love that the author is exploring the differences of how we use our abilities… proving that it truly is our choices rather than our abilities that show us who we truly are. I also think, that while not everyone probably caught this, but there is a lesson here in what fear can do to a person. I think the changes we see in Rhen are due to Fear more than anything else.
There is an incredible cliffhanger at the end of this book, and I’m kicking myself that I did not buy myself book three when I saw it in the bookstore the other day. I’ll be rectifying that mistake as soon as possible!
Despite having read Curse so many times, this is only the second time I’ve dived into its sequel. When I first read AHSFAB at its release, it made me so… mad. I know I’m not alone in that. And honestly, it was a true testament to Brigid’s writing that she was able to so thoroughly break my heart after becoming so, so invested in the story and its characters.
I did love the book, I just knew that I couldn’t read it again until I could follow it with whatever was to come next. So here I was, devouring it before A Vow So Bold and Deadly’s release.
I still have faith that these characters that I’ve come to love – both new and old – will find their place. I have faith that there will be redemption… please, let that be so! But I will fully admit, as a new release, with no new book to follow, it was a tough read after the joy and ease of Curse, which I would easily consider one of my all-time favorite novels. The second time through was much better, and newer readers to the series should have no issue with Vow now readily available. (Of course, I say all of that without having read Vow yet and seeing whether or not I’ll be crushed between its pages. We shall see!)
Seriously, Kemmerer knows how to torture me. This book is beautiful. Nothing is black and white, it’s all shades of grey(ha) and I never knew what would come next. All of the characters are unique and the connections between them are not simple, much like in real life.
GAH! There were so many conflicting emotions I had while reading this book. It took me awhile to get into Grey’s and Lia Mara’s POV, mainly because I’d really fallen for Rhen and Harper, and a lot of that magic dwindled between the trio. Buuuttt, that being said, Brigid Kemmerer kind of won me back over with Lia Mara. I’m going to hold off further judgment until the next one comes out, and hope she brings them all together in the last book.
I give this book 3.5 stars because it was well-written but didn’t draw me into the story as much as Book 1 of this series. I was disappointed that Rhen and Harper were hardly in this book. I am hoping Book 3 will feature them more than Lia Mara and Grey. After enjoying A Curse So Dark and Lonely so much, this book just wasn’t as entertaining. I will read the next book because I want to see what Harper and Rhen’s fates will be but I really not interested in Lia Mara or Grey’s fates.
I loved reading Grey’s story, I absolutely love Grey (I now understand the term “book boyfriend”) and completely felt his pain and struggles. I also get why Rhen was so fearful towards Grey.
While this was a great and fun read I did find that it dragged a bit toward the middle and end-ish, but picked back up again in the end with a huge twist; and I’ll be honest I was shocked by the last chapter.
I look forward to the next book because this just got even more intense.
Discover the emotion buried beneath Grey’s stoic exterior and fall in love with his hidden heart in A Heart So Fierce and Broken, the captivating sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely, which will leave you begging for more.
My biggest qualm with this book is what she did to the characters I’d grown to love in the first book. It felt forced and I couldn’t quite get over it. I’ll still read the third to see if it can be salvaged. But I just didn’t feel as invested with the story or the characters in this novel even though I loved Grey in the first book.
A Heart So Fierce and Broken is the highly anticipated sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely that, unfortunately, fell a little flat.
A Disservice to Characters
One of the more significant issues in this novel is that Kemmerer does such a disservice to Harper’s character in those few scenes she is present. Kemmerer took her best character from the previous novel and completely sidelined her. Her fiercely was diminished and she seemed more like a cliché damsel from any fairy tale.
Kemmerer made the same mistake with Rhen, who was made utterly unlikeable in this novel. Not only is Rhen unlikeable, but when the reader looks at his relationship with Harper, it is hard to understand their dynamics. Rhen listens to Harper, or he used to, and Harper, she would always call him out. Now, she seems more like a meek princess, allowing him to take cruel actions against those who would stand in his way. It is hard to reconcile who they are with how the previous novel ended, creating a wedge between the story and the reader.
New Focus
And then there is Grey who has become the central character in this novel. While it Is great to see more on Grey’s personality, his whole dynamic with Rhen, his inability and refusal to just talk to his former friend, it borders on annoying. At times one just wants to grab him by the neck and yell at him.
It created tension, yes, but it did something to the dynamics that were so strong in the previous novel; it shattered them. Grey has run away after killing Lilith, keeping the secret of the true heir to himself, changing his name and hiding from his former comrades. Grey’s personality is rather stoic, but as the story continues, he does come into his own. Kemmerer gives Grey dimension; she evolves his character, allowing him to deal with the challenges ahead.
Then there is Lia Mara. Lia Mara is the oldest daughter of Karis Luran, the cold and often cruel queen of Sylh Shallow. Lia Mara is unlike her mother in every way. Where her mother is cruel, she is kind. Lia Mara tries to find a way out of battle, hoping to garner peace without bloodshed. Lia Mara is a thoughtful character who has a strong relationship with her younger sister Nora Vellin.
Final Thoughts
There are some redeemable moments in the story where Lia Mara and Nora Vellin do not let their mother turn them against one another. Their sisterly love allows them to stay united instead of falling into a cliché. Furthermore, at least there is no love triangle here, unlike the opening chapters would have the reader believe.
Ultimately, this novel felt like a filler. It was introducing new characters, but it lost sight of the characters so brilliantly developed in the previous novel. A Heart So Fierce and Lonely lacked in pacing, dragging out some of the plot points, instead of condensing them. This novel lacks in comparison to its predecessor. The plot is not as engaging, and it lost some of those strong dynamics that made the previous novel so good.
This book definitely wasn’t what I was expecting but I loved every moment. This book is told from the perspectives of Grey as well as a new character, Lia Mara, who is the daughter of Karis Luran. We are afforded with one chapter from both Rhen’s and Harper’s perspectives as well. I really loved getting Grey’s perspective in this one since I was longing for it in the last book. While I honestly missed Rhen and Harper’s perspectives, it was refreshing to get other perspectives in this book.
I was really surprised by how much I adored the characters in this book and the relationships that they have. Grey warmed my heart. I loved him so much in A Curse So Dark and Lonely and I knew that he wouldn’t disappoint me in this book. He totally captured my heart. I also fell hard for Lia Mara. I warmed up to her immediately. I loved her personality. I loved getting more of Jake and Noah in this book. Tycho was such a darling. I loved Iisak’s character as well. I loved the dynamic between Grey, Lia Mara, Jake, Noah, Tycho, and Iisak when they were traveling. They became such a unit and I adored their friendships. I also loved the sibling relationship that Lia Mara had with her sister, Nolla Verin. They were both so very different yet loved each other so very much. I felt that the character development was really great. For Grey and for Lia Mara.
I have to applaud Brigid Kemmerer for her storytelling skills. She writes books in such a way that the reader becomes enveloped in the story effortlessly.
The plot of this story is probably going to shock a lot of readers but I really loved it. I think that the author took a big risk in the story and I think that it totally pays off in the end. Granted, we still have one more book to go, but the way that this book plays out is very strategic. An overlying theme in this second installment of the Cursebreakers series is fear and how people react to it. And the way that some of the characters react to their fears in this book is pretty shocking. Apart from the story mechanics, the book has a great flow and definitely keeps the interest of the reader. I never knew what to expect, which I loved!
I really enjoyed the romance between Grey and Lia Mara. It felt very natural where Rhen and Harper’s almost felt a little forced because of their circumstances. Grey and Lia Mara are a perfect match and they have undeniable chemistry with one another. I think that they also bring out the best in each other.
Overall, this is a clever and unexpected sequel that is brimming with political intrigue, betrayal, friendships, and unexpected allies. And with that ending, I am just itching for the final book in this series! I dare say that the next book with surprise us all more than this one has and I am totally on board for it!
I loved it, want more. I’ll read it again on audio. I want the next book, yesterday 😛
I just finished this book on vacation and it was LOVELY. If you loved the first book, be prepared for new and shocking events in this one! I adore the way Kemerer took the story from the first book and turned it on its head. Things I thought I knew turned out to be false or wrapped in secrecy. Grey’s personality deepened and we got to see a new side to him, plus there were some fantastic new characters that really added to the world. And best of all, there was magic… and there were sword fights… and there was kissing and … I won’t spoil anymore. I saved this book for my vacation and I’m glad I did. I’ll have good memories of reading this by the pool and at the beach.