Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Series: Cursebreakers #1
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Published: January 29, 2019
Pages: 484
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Source: Ebook

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. 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 constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? 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.

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MY REVIEW

There is so much to love about this book. This story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that really stands on its own. It's delightful!

This book really transports the reader into the story where they can live in it alongside the characters. It's very atmospheric and has a totally real feel to it. I liked that it was high fantasy with bits of our world tucked into it. Though it didn't explicitly state it, the reader is led to believe that they are parallel realities. Which really boasts so much originality in terms of the world-building. I really felt connected to this world while exploring the pages of this story. 

When it comes down to the plot I was really impressed. I felt that it highlighted the best key elements that are prevalent to the Beauty and the Beast tale while still keeping everything else totally original and clever. All of the original concepts really made this retelling feel fresh and innovative. Everything just flowed so nicely and the story was so compelling that I was kept on the edge of my seat. I became so invested in the story and I enjoyed the twists that I didn't see coming. 

The characters grew on me early on in the story. I felt such an innate connection to the characters from the very start. Harper's character was so memorable. I loved how feisty and fierce she was. She truly stood out to me in a big way. I loved her cerebral palsy representation and I applaud the author for it since I haven't seen it before in young adult fantasy. It was very empowering. Rhen was a perfect little tortured hero. I really liked that the author didn't intentionally paint him in a holier-than-thou light. He was a very flawed character that felt so very real. Grey's character jumped out at me from the very start. He is a duty-bound character that is just too damn sexy. He was cool-headed and clever and you couldn't help but love him. I actually think that he might be my favorite of the bunch. I also enjoyed the side characters. Especially Jake, Noah, and Zo. What's amazing about this book is that all of the characters are so well-developed with distinct personalities that jump off the page. 

I enjoyed the romance for the most part. It was a slow-burn affair and I really liked the way that the romance forms. It felt very natural and uncomplicated. I did feel like the romance kind of copped out at the end though. He is all but confessing his dying love for her and she is all "I don't know" about it. I mean, come on! She totally knew! She risked her life to save him and she "doesn't know"? I'm not buying that. I just needed her to reciprocate his love and she didn't really do that in the end and it broke me a little. 

Overall, this is probably the best retelling that I have read in a long time. There are so many retellings floating around and they can start to bleed together but this book really stands out from the rest in such a positive way. I am so eager to read the next installment of this series. I am so ready for more!

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2020 READING CHALLENGES

- Beat the Backlist Challenge
- Literary Escapes Challenge

Check out my 2020 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This is a retelling that I really enjoyed. What retellings or reimaginings are your favorites? What are some stories that you would love to see a retelling or reimagining of?