BOOKS | Review: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

Name: A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: January 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, retellings

Pages: 450

Rating: 4/5

This review contains vague and non-specific spoilers.

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 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.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been 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.

- From Goodreads.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken was a good follow up to the first book in the Cursebreakers series, A Curse So Dark and Lonely. It expanded the world and developed the characters that did not get as much focus in the previous book.

Although I did enjoy the new perspectives, and it was interesting to read from Grey's point of view since we did not get to in the first book, I was a little sad we did not get more from Rhen and Harper. I understood why it was important to focus on Lia Mara and Grey, but it was unfortunate we did not get more of Harper and Rhen since I loved them both so much in the first book.

I did love the romance between Lia Mara and Grey. It had a nice, slow build up and it was very soft and sweet. They definitely complimented each other well and it was very compelling to read about their feelings for each other and the difficulties they faced because of those feelings.

The plot twist at the end of the novel was definitely unexpected,but I wonder if the implications of it will make the third book feel a little repetitive. It was a good twist but I wonder if it will make it feel like that characters are facing problems they should have already overcome in the first book. I think I might have preferred a happier and more wrapped up ending for this book with a new conflict then presented in the next book, but I understand that leaving this book on a cliffhanger and leaving more room for conflict will make readers look eagerly towards the next book and will make the start of the next book more exciting.

Some parts of the ending were very satisfying though. I was glad with the actions Lia Mara took as they felt like the right choice for her character growth and what she did was hinted at earlier in the book so that felt very gratifying.

Overall, while it took me a while to get through the book and I questioned some of the choices made throughout the story, I thought it was well-written and followed up well on the events of the first book. It left me excited for the third book and hopeful that things will wrap up well for the characters in that one.

BOOKS ¦ Review: A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Name: A Curse So Dark And Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date published: 2019
Rating: 4/5

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.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.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.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.

- From Goodreads. 

A Curse So Dark And Lonely was a really fantastic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It managed to use the basic foundations of the fairy tale to create a unique story of its own where the characters felt new and the plot felt unpredictable. I was always eager to find out what happened next and to see more of the characters.
The world building was fascinating and it was interesting to see them venture beyond the isolated castle and interact with minor characters such as the subjects of the kingdom. It felt like a realistic world and I will be excited to learn and see more of it.
The slow build up of affection between Harper and Rhen felt believable and I was definitely rooting for their relationship and for the two of them to be together by the end. They were both likeable and understandable characters and I enjoyed both of their perspectives as I cared about them both. I also thought it was great to see the inclusion of a character with cerebral palsy, as I do not think it is something I have read before, and I think reading about how Harper lived with her condition helped me to learn more about a disability I was not so educated on, and I also think it added more depth and realism to the story. Grey was also a brilliant character who felt like an excellent addition to the story.
As well as that, the writing was also wonderful to read, it was very good at evoking emotion and there were also a lot of humorous moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud as I was reading.
The only part of the book that I did not love so much was the ending. It left me feeling slightly unsatisfied as I was hoping for something more wrapped up. I understand that there is a sequel, and there was somewhat happy ending that was certainly hopeful, but I felt like the characters had worked so hard for a completely happy ending and I felt let down when they did not definitely get one. However I did love the book overall and I will be looking forward to reading the next one.

UNBOXING ¦ FairyLoot: Dark Magic - April 2019

Dark Magic is a really fascinating theme, and I am always interested to see it explored in fiction, so I knew this would be an exciting box from FairyLoot, with lots of beautiful items and an intriguing book, and I was definitely not wrong! This was a brilliant box, and I have listed each item below, with the shop or creator that designed it.

The Darkling (from the Grisha trilogy) tote bag, with lettering by KDP Letters and art by morgana0anagrom.

Six of Crows tarot cards by Emmilinne.

Philosopher's Stone soap by Pretty Suds. 

A Curse So Dark And Lonely pin by Literary Emporium.

Children of Blood and Bone notebook by Stella Bookish Art. 

Mister Kindly (from Nevernight) tea strainer by FairyLoot.

A Darker Shade of Magic book sleeve by Monolime.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne, exclusive signed edition with blue sprayed edges, author letter and character art by niru. 

Fairyscoop booklet, bookmark and spoiler card with theme art by Taratjah.

I really enjoyed unpacking this box and I think I'll love making use of the items, especially the Mister Kindly tea strainer, since I've been wanting a cute one for ages. I'm also really excited to read Nocturna, the plot sounds so thrilling!
If you want to find out more about FairyLoot, you can find their website here. If you got this box too, let me know what your favourite item was in the comments below, or if you've already read the book, tell me your thoughts!

UNBOXING ¦ Fairyloot: Beast & Beauty - February 2019

Beauty and the Beast is probably my favourite fairy tale, and it's been my favourite Disney movie ever since I can remember, so naturally I was so happy to hear that Fairyloot's February theme was Beast & Beauty. This was a really beautiful box  that made me so happy when I opened it, and I'm really looking forward to reading the book and seeing how the story is retold. I've listed each item below, with a link to the shop or designer that created it.

Wall tapestry, by Sweet Sequels.

Tumbler, by Taratjah and KDP Letters.

Ceramic trinket dish, by Drop And Give Me Nerdy.

Enamel pin, by IceyDesigns.

Roll-on perfume, by Little Heart Gifts.

Belle print, by Lorena Lammer.

Bookmarks

A Court of Thorns and Roses tarot cards, by Emily Haynes.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely character art print by Kayleigh with letter from the author on the back.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer with signed book plate.

I honestly adored this box and everything in it, but if I had to choose, I'd say my favourite items in the box were the trinket tray and the wall tapestry, I love the designs of both of them! If you want to find out more about Fairyloot, you can visit their website here.