Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite fairy tales. Not that I’d fancy being kidnapped to break a curse, but there is a romantic notion to it. Now it has been creatively re-imagined in A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Brigid Kremmerer concocts this luxurious fantasy where a perfectly imperfect young woman must save a kingdom from a monster that is terrorising the villagers. A young woman who becomes a force to be reckoned with, driven by her love of family and longing for home. With a riveting romance and a hell of a villain, it was a wild ride from start to finish. Despite the fact that the story is a standalone, there will be a sequel, that I’m very excited to see in the future.
To start, Prince Rhen is cursed. Every season he must convince a young lady to fall in love with him, otherwise when the season ends, he will become a monster hell-bent on the destruction of Emberfall. Over time, he managed to destroy his family, castle, and any hope of falling in love. Enter Harper Lacy, a young woman in present day D.C. whose life hasn’t been easy. Her father has skipped town, leaving her brother to take care of her and her dying mother. Despite being underestimated for her cerebral palsy, she’s become a survivor in her own right. A survivor who is thrust into Rhen’s world when attempts to save someone from becoming a victim. Entrusted to break the curse, Harper and Rhen begin to realise that breaking the curse may not save Emberfall from ruin.
The story draws you in from the beginning, a flurry of action told from the dual perspectives of Rhen and Harper. Tensions are high as Harper ends up in an unknown world, and her bravery is admirable if at times a little dangerous to herself. Kremmerer’s descriptive storytelling brings the kingdom of Emberfall to life, a cold kingdom bereft of anyone but Prince Rhen and Commander Grey. Readers will get to know these characters intimately, and everyone will finish the story with a favourite. Though there isn’t much I can say without giving away too much of the plot, it’s one of my favourite retellings of Beauty and the Beast to date. There are some darker themes, subtle undertones of abuse that might make some readers weary. These themes give the story more substance, bringing it outside of a simple fairy tale and into one of human survival mentally and physically.
Although I cannot speak to the authenticity of Harper’s cerebral palsy, Kremmerer does note that it can affect people differently, and with Harper, it is manifested as a limp. I thought the way that this was addressed was very well done and more than once it is emphasised that while she had a physical limitation, it was not something she considered a weakness. Overall, Harper was my favourite character, with her fiery spirit and strong will. Though I enjoyed Rhen, I loved Grey a little more. There was something passionate about his actions, showing true care for Rhen and for Harper.
The romance is tender and burns slowly throughout the book, culminating into something sweet and focused on a relationship of trust. What makes it even better is that it doesn’t fall into traditional tropes that might happen in a fairy tale retelling. It was one of my favourite aspects of the book, the fact that it wasn’t love at first sight.
If I had anything to complain about, it is the fact that I wanted more. At around 500 pages there’s already quite a bit of story to go through, but I found myself flying through it fairly quickly. I need that sequel, and hate that I’m going to have to wait for it! I am rating this story 10/10, for bringing Harper, Rhen, and Grey to life in such a way that felt adventurous, thrilling, and makes me long for more.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely is now available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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 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.
I loved this book soooo much! It’s an awesome retelling! I definitely wanted more like you