*I received this book from Raincoast in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: A Curse so Dark and Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
ISBN: 9781681195087
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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. 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. 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.
In this modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a heart-wrenching and fast-paced story of love and friendship that spans between worlds and brings two people together in a very unlikely pairing. Prince Rhen is that hunky fellow with a dark secret. Brooding, regal, and wise beyond his apparent age, he’s the type that every girl falls for. He’s been trying to charm girls for centuries to break his curse and has had no success. In his final chance, he’s lost the will to try to break the curse. Harper is a kick-ass heroine, if I ever saw one. She’s a force to be reckoned with, she’s resistant to all forms of fairytale charm, and she always fights for what’s right no matter the cost. She rises above every challenge in her life and is set to take this world by storm.
This is the first book in a long while that I zipped through. It’s an absolute page-turner. I’d been SO needing something fluffy, but also something with characters I could really get behind. This story is full of freshness and originality. It’s got cool characters, inter-dimensional travel, and a romance that makes your heart just burst with joy! It was such a refreshing take on a tried and true fairytale. The characters, although in a fantasy world, are so relatable and are both really appealing. Their story is tainted by enough fear and darkness to really set the tone of the story on edge and push the reader forward. Once you open this book, you won’t be stopping until you reach the end.
This was my first encounter with Brigid Kemmerer, but I’m totally hooked! Bring on the books! I want to read everything she’s got. I cannot wait to the sequel to A Curse so Dark and Lonely. I’m already counting down the days. I highly recommend this book to any YA fans out there. This book brings me so much JOY!
Worn Pages and Ink 