A Curse So Dark and Lonely (The Cursebreaker Series)

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY was so enjoyable from start to finish! I've been struggling with some YA reads lately so I was afraid that like many others I've read recently that this would fall into a pit of tropes, but this book soared beyond my expectations! Right off the bat, I loved the tone of the book and I think the crossover/connection between the modern world in Washington DC and the fantasy world of Emberfall really made a difference. The readers are able to get a unique twist on this fantasy concept with a modern voice from Harper and that old-world, medieval-type feel from Rhen. You may have heard that A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY is a Beauty and the Beast adaptation and I thought that was done brilliantly! Concepts are taking from the classic fairy tale but still given their own twist. Not every piece of Beauty and the Beast was made to fit this novel and A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY also goes along its own paths, not needing to stick to the concept 100%. What I loved even more was seeing the book's originality lead back to the fairy tale adaptation without realizing we were on that road and I was so impressed seeing things circle back around to the adaption in their own way. I've read a lot of retellings over the years and some stories stick too religiously to the original work so I was really happy to see how expertly the author's original concepts were woven in with the inspiration from Beauty and the Beast. The characters here were just wonderful and they really made this story what it is in so many ways. Harper is strong and fierce but the way that Brigid Kemmerer chose to craft this character was really special. There are so many badass YA heroines out there that get too cocky or are just magically perfect, but Harper felt more like a real person to me than most of those other leading ladies. I loved that Brigid Kemmerer included Harper's cerebral palsy and how it was portrayed as the way that Harper was born and not as a disadvantage or weakness. It was also great to see Harper grow into her boldness, from being a little sheltered by her brother to being thrown into this fantasy world and having to make a name for herself, quite literally. She didn't change in personality but merely let that side of her grow in the proper atmosphere and situation. The reader was able to see that potential in Harper and with her situation in Emberfall and the other people by which she was surrounded, Harper was able to really grow into her confidence and it really felt so natural. Rhen was another fantastic character in so many ways. Harper originally felt that he was a cocky prince but really he had so many levels that unfolded as the book progressed. Readers learn of his remorse for everything that's happened to the kingdom and how much he really took it all to heart. Rhen's challenge in the book seemed to be with his emotions and feelings, having to trust in his heart and let go of some of his overthinking. Being forced to repeat so many scenarios due to his curse, he essentially has ages to plan without growing older and somewhat replaying the opportunity to fall in love to break the curse, he employs different strategies, none of which work, of course, because love can't be won by strategy. Harper and Grey, Rhen's commander, help Rhen learn how to trust his heart and not feel so forced to fall in love. He has to let go before he can really latch on. One of my favorite things about the book was the romance, which doesn't happen often these days. So many people get excited over big love scenes, passionate kisses, and fiery romances. I was all about this gorgeous slow burn romance that took its time and really established those deep emotions! It's not quite a hate-to-love situation but since neither Harper nor Rhen trust each other (naturally), there's quite a spark of mistrust and Harper's brashness also leads to a few spats that have these two at odds in the beginning. I really loved that as well because it's so much more rewarding seeing the two soften towards each other and really piques that curiosity if the two can manage to fall in love. That's the whole point of the book so you assume it's coming and yet there's still the question if that really is what will happen and how they'll both come to believe it. It's so expertly crafted and those quiet, stolen moments were absolutely everything in this book! I love those moments more than anything in books and I think they're some of the most special scenes to read. Finally, there's the fact that this book delivers something of its own with a few unique twists that I did not see coming! I loved the set up for the next book and reading something like this actually made me glad that it's a series whereas usually I'm wishing for more stand-alones. I do think that this book could have been made into a stand-alone if that's what the author had wanted and it would have been beautiful, but I'm also glad that I get to keep reading about these characters, this world, and this beautiful writing for a little bit longer!

4.5 stars — This was the kind of book that gave me tummy tingles from nerves and anxiety and had me growling in frustration and racing to the bathroom yelling “Dammit, I have to pee!” to my husband because my bladder interrupted my reading time. I think that speaks for itself. 😛 I loved Harper. She was fierce, bold, if somewhat impulsive and reckless. I didn’t mind that she made those missteps, because *I* would make those missteps when presented with a foreign world with completely different rules of living. I think, in the end, that Rhen (and Grey) really appreciated the unique and unfiltered perspective she brought, because she was unencumbered by traditions. I found the dichotomy of being so fierce with her soft heart and lack of stomach for violence to be intriguing. She is faced with this crazy situation, and she is threatened, and sometimes she’s jumping in headfirst attacking, and other times she cannot watch someone with ill intent be killed. It was…odd. It both worked and didn’t work for me. I think if she hadn’t been so attacking at times, I would have understood it more. And I did understand it to an extent, just…something. I did love how we got to see a strong disabled character, who had to deal with those limitations, but it was just a small part of her story, it wasn’t her whole story. Basically it was a perfect diversity story. Rhen was hard to love at first. I felt for his despair and pain, but I also boggled at his inability to see the truth of the entire situation. That he hadn’t even considered the logistics of finding someone to love, it was all just a means to an end. He was an interesting character in that way, because it was hard to like all of him at the beginning. But I think that made his growth and transformation that much more satisfying. It made me connect with him when he started to fall for Harper. It was so hard to see him develop hope only for Lilith to come in and destroy it. Sometimes I wanted him to defeat that better, to give people a bit more credit, to grow just that teensy bit more. And then there’s Grey. I loved him as a character, and I loved how he provided a counterbalance to Rhen. He was fiercely loyal, and incredibly frightening in his abilities. I definitely want to know more about him. I loved the almost friendship he had with Rhen, and I loved the friendship that he formed with Harper, and how he supported her. The romance had amazing parts, and had lacking parts. I loved the way they slowly got to know one another, and trust one another, and I appreciated that so much. And I definitely felt some chemistry between them. But at the same time, I was never quite certain if it was supposed to be a love triangle, or if I was misreading things. I wish it had been slightly more clear one way or the other. The ambiguity didn’t work for me. I, personally, am not a love triangle fan, but I could have tolerated it if I’d known if it was present. I know that sounds weird, but the middle ground was just unsatisfying. Even at the end there were these moments where Harper, Rhen and Grey each individually had these thoughts and memories, and I’m not entirely sure what point that was supposed to be driving home. Maybe I’m just too dense. I like things clear, at least by the end. And even setting aside the weird love triangle that was or wasn’t, the ending with Harper and Rhen wasn’t entirely satisfying for me. I’m not sure if we’ll get more in the next book, but I don’t think so. So I was a bit bummed. I wanted that literary romance ending where I’m gushing, you know? The secondary characters were fantastic. I loved the relationships that Harper developed with Freya and Zo — they made me so happy. I’m conflicted about her brother, Jake, and Noah. I didn’t really like how that turned out…but not sure if that will get more resolution in future books. So yeah…I had a lot of semi-critical things to say, but even despite all that, I was just so wrapped up and enjoying myself that I still can’t help but rate this high. Don’t try to figure me out, I can’t even figure me out.

So I've been excited about A Curse So Dark and Lonely for a while now. Partly because I'm always down for a b&tb retelling, but also because fantasy and Brigid and also ahaha that synopsis omg. But when this beautiful book finally made its way into my hands, it took me a little while to pick it up. Because man, I was intimidated. I've had multiple friends sing this one praises. And while that's a vote of confidence, that is also PRESSURE. I do not do well reading under pressure. But I finally got up the nerve to read this book and my friends--I am ready to join the club in singing A Curse So Dark and Lonely praises because it deserves ALL OF THEM. There are so many things that were done well in this novel, I'm sure I'm going to forget something but I'll walk you through the highlights: - The Characters. Each and every one. They were fleshed out so skillfully. Rhen--both his past, arrogant self and his current, remorseful one. The contradiction between the two. His growth in that time, and then throughout the course of this book itself. Harper--her strength that she always and but only came to realize and harness when put in an out-of-this-world situation. Her cleverness. Her kindness. Her general badassery. And Grey--loyal to no end. Kind. Fierce, but soft when needed. When it matters. Oh, and the most lethal guy in the room. - The Friendships. Okay this was probably what had me most head over heels for this book. Harper and Grey and their beautiful friendship is kind of what I live for now? Their playing cards and him teaching her to throw knives and her trying to stab him and him being like "hey maybe hold it this way for better defense." I'm trash for this. Then there is Grey and Rhen which has layers. They have their past and they have their present and they're connected and close and I am a huge 100% fan. - The Slow Burn. I spend my life searching for well done slow burn romances and ring-a-ding-ding here is one right here thanks to Brigid Kemmerer. Rhen and Harper have so much going on. Honestly, it SHOULD take them time to figure out their feelings for each other, the way things are so intertwined with the state of the kingdom. But when they had their moments...my eyes were GLUED to the page. I devoured those moments. They were beautiful. - The Retelling. This take on Beauty & the Beast was honestly stunning. It's easy for retellings to read in a way that can be kind of stale, at least in part, but this one felt unique and fresh and even when I saw it hitting the beats in the old tale it also had enough originality that I wondered what would come next. Mostly because this isn't JUST a retelling. It's a retelling within another, larger story. And I loved it. - The Execution. When I love a book I either read the whole thing straight through in barely a day or I take my time and read it s l o w l y. This one fell into the second category because I was so enchanted I needed to savor the story. The words. The characters. The world. It was all so well written, I never wanted to let go. It took me about a week to read this book, and it still felt like it passed in the blink of an eye. I miss it already. Overall, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a stunning retelling. Well constructed characters, fleshed out relationships, and so much more made this one that I didn't want to end. And you BET I'm gonna be over here snatching up that sequel the first moment I can. In the meantime, if you haven't given this one a shot yet--you really should. This is one that's not to be missed.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is my first book by Brigid Kemmerer and it was a positively beautiful and amazing read. I pretty much love any kind of Beauty and the Beast retelling and Brigid's is bound to be a favorite for a long time! It uniquely combines fantasy world with our modern real world and I just love that kind of combination. Rhen is cursed. Every winter he turned into a beast, so every fall he sends his guard, Grey, out to bring a girl from our world back with him so he can try to have her fall in love with him and break the curse. He's failed every time the last 300+ years. The enchantress who cursed him, aptly named Lilith, tells him that this will be the last time for the curse. He must either succeed to break the curse or he will remain a beast for all time. ;) Harper is from our modern world and has had a rough go of things lately. Her mother has cancer and is dying, her dad is MIA, which leaves her and her brother, Jake, to try to get to by. Jake has to work for "bad people" in order to pay their father's debts to them. It's when Harper is on lookout for Jake on such job that she witnesses what she thinks is a kidnapping. While trying to stop it she inadvertently brings herself to the fantasy world when Grey decides to take her instead. And so begins our tale as old time. Harper is not too pleased to be in this other world and Rhen isn't too pleased as Harper isn't what he expected. Things are just complicated. But as you can expect, things slowly change over time. Harper shakes up Rhen's life. Her escape attempts end up leading to helping people. Rhen has been slacking in that area for years because of the curse. While it's been 300+ years for him, for his people it's been more like five. Time moves different within the curse. It gets explained rather well early on, so don't worry about any confusion. I had none of that while reading. Soon Harper is helping Rhen to better his kingdom, in trying to do more for the people he's forgotten. In doing so they uncover quite the nefarious plot as a neighboring ruler has their own plans for Rhen's kingdom. But that's not their only problem, Lilith visits frequently. She, as well, clearly has her own plans for Rhen, ones that were centuries in the making. All the while Rhen was subtly trying to get Harper to fall in love with in and break his curse. Though she clearly was having none of it. At first, naturally. Though we all know Beauty and the Beast to be a great love story, this one didn't put such emphasis on romance. It was still there, but I liked seeing it evolve over time. Much like our favorite Disney movie, though obviously it's a longer draw out then the 90 minute movie! I liked that Harper wasn't your perfect heroine either. It's not often that you have a fantasy heroine with any sort of medical issues. I don't know much about cerebral palsy, but I could relate to some of Harper's struggles, as I have an entirely different condition that prevented me from some of the things that she struggled with too. I liked how this one did well to follow the original fairy tale and yet still shine on its own. It was more like Brigid chose to use similar aspects to the story rather than make it a slightly twisted retelling. Like using two different worlds that are parallel. At one point Harper is allowed to return home to see her family, though, unlike Beauty, she longs to return to Rhen, for she is perhaps falling in love with him and wants to help him break his curse. The pacing to this was very ideal. It's a story that isn't really fast paced to begin with, but I felt like Brigid did exceedingly well to keep the story moving. I never felt like things were dragging. although I will admit to getting a little confused with some of the history of Lilith. She had a bit of backstory, but I'll admit I couldn't quite follow it. Though, I was traveling at the time and can easily blame that as the cause. The ending was pretty perfect. Coupled with an epic battle with shocking conclusions, it ended in a way that was just right. I do believe this is a series of some sort. That's all I really know at this point. While we aren't left with any dire cliffhangers, thank goodness, we are left with a pretty revealing revelation. And of course the ever present, what will our characters do next? Because there simply must be a next of some kind. A Curse So Dark and Lonely was my first Brigid Kemmerer book but it certainly won't be my last. It was a magical story that I whole-heartedly loved, even if Harper wasn't a bookworm, tragically. It had all the right elements of a Beauty and the Beast tale and of course the twist and turns of a retelling with an added bit of magic truly made this book a unique and enjoyable pleasure! Overall Rating 5/5 stars

No spoilers in first half I thought this was an interesting version of beauty and the beast. The three main characters each have flaws that are believable and it isn’t necessarily a case of Stockholm Syndrom/love at first fight. If you like adventure/fantasy/romance with a mid evil twist, you’ll like this book. More specifics below. Content Rating:13+ Language: No F words, some uses of h***, d***, G** Violence: Villagers have been maimed/killed by a monster/raiders, characters are both physically and mentally tortured by magic, stabbings, shot with arrows, etc. A room as blood/flesh everywhere, a character has similar flashbacks of murder. A character mentions multiple attempts of suicide. A raider implies a desire to rape someone Sex: No one the page sex—though it is implied a character used to have multiple relations before major events in the book. Infidelity of a character’s family member is mentioned. Mentions of a character’s previous attempts to seduce (not sexual: more by flattery/bribes with material wealth). A secondary character is in a same sex relationship—nothing on the page Drugs/Alcohol: Consumption of wine/ale **Spoilers Below** Overall, I really like the story and characters. I loved that Harper didn’t view her cerebral palsy as a weakness and was feisty/determined. I also liked that she questioned Rhen’s motives and didn’t immediately fall head over heels—and I liked that even by the end of the book, it is something she’s still trying to figure out and isn’t overly dramatic about it. I’m also glad her brother is starting to see her as a capable person as well Rhen’s character was interesting because you can sense he’s on the brink of desperation/giving up. After knowing his back story, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. It was nice to see him start trying to make a difference, even though he knew he likely wouldn’t make it to the other side alive. I thought the idea of him turning into a different beast with each season made for higher stakes. I’m curious what exactly broke the curse in the end. Grey is also an interesting character in that he has been through everything with Rhen and is bound by his word, even when he is released from his oath. I honestly wasn’t sure which way Harper would swing. His revealed heritage will be interesting as well. I bought book 2, but I didn’t realize this is a trilogy (book 3 coming in January of 2021). I usually like to wait until a series is completed before reading, so I’ll probably hold off on book 2 until it’s closer to the series completion. I do know it’s from the perspective of Grey and a new character, so hopefully the new character is likable. I’m still very interested in what happens, but I’d rather only have to refresh my memory on one book.

I love retelling of fairy tales, and this wasn’t exactly a poor one, but I never fell in love with this book, and I’m struggling to define why. Several things come to mind: 1. Alternating first person, and present tense. It is nearly impossible to get alternating first person voices to sound unique enough; it always feels like both are inside the author’s head. And present tense screams “teen fanfic” to me even when it’s not. So the whole tone sounded amateur from beginning to end. 2. The age of the main characters. 17 and 18 is too young. There’s a real “ick” factor in pairing people off for life at this age (I say, having met my spouse when I was 17 and he barely 19 — yes, I see the irony here — but we *knew* we weren’t ready yet), and an unbelievability to Harper’s sudden world leadership skills (I’ll give Rhen’s skills a pass because he’d been 18 a long time, and he’d been trained to this). Age them up by 3 or 4 years and their roles make more sense. And Rhen’s backstory with Lilith is more suited to someone a few years older as well. 3. The disability. I recognize that Cystic Fibrosis has a wide range of impacts, but this was pointlessly minor and it felt like the author only remembered it when it was convenient. It was as though she realized Harper had no weaknesses had just threw this in so no one would call her a Mary Sue. 4. Harper’s family’s backstory. Medical debt can be crushing and horrific but it doesn’t seem likely to drive a family that was connected enough to use horseback riding as physical therapy into the control of loan sharks. What happened to all their *social* capital? 5. Harper and Rhen. I didn’t like either of them individually very much, and I never really felt the chemistry. I’m not usually one to ship an off-label pairing, but Grey was a better match for Harper, which means the author got something wrong in the characterizations. I didn’t feel like there was any real character development for Harper in the story — skills development, sure, but from beginning to end she was tough and impulsive and, well, never very interesting. Rhen, on the other hand, changed too quickly. I disagree with the reviewers who felt that the plot didn’t really go anywhere; I didn’t read this in a single sitting (and kept having to remind myself to go back and make progress), but every time I read a few chapters, a lot was going on. But it read more like a fantasy written by someone who wanted to check all the fantasy/romance boxes than like a world-built fantasy in its own right.

Like many others, I love Beauty and the Beast and I can’t get enough BatB retellings. This was such an interesting take on the original that it kept the story feeling fresh and new which I appreciated. The setting to this book is pretty neat. It starts out in modern day DC and then our heroine is accidentally transported to another world. Or maybe a world within a parallel dimension. Either way, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Harper ends up in Emberfall, a kingdom in a pre-industrial world. So not only does Harper have to deal with essentially being captive due to the circumstances of the curse, but the weirdness of the cursed castle, and being in a completely unfamiliar world. I felt like the setting was a good choice because, ultimately, it helped with Harper being able to gain confidence and control over her own life. The thing I liked most about this is that it’s a story about a girl coming into her own. By the end of the story Harper is so much more confident then she is at the start. She’s done letting everyone else’s circumstances determine her life path, she’s taking charge, making decisions for her own future. I also loved that she never let her disability get her down. Yes, she has certain limitations, but she’s capable is so many other ways. It’s just something normal for her, part of her life, not something to define her. I think there’s a great contrast there how her brother treats her at the beginning, like she’s incapable, and how Rhen and Grey see her once she comes to Emberfall, that helps her gain this confidence in her abilities. She’s capable and determined right from the beginning, but she doesn’t believe in herself. And that’s what she learns throughout the story. I loved that. Besides Harper, I loved the other main characters too. Grey and Rhen were interesting to get to know. They’re both prickly with soft underbellies but in totally different ways. Grey is so disciplined in everything he does. Rhen gives all appearances of being completely undisciplined but once you get to know him you see how he’s actually very calculated in everything he does–even if it’s to his own detriment. The author is so great at creating emotional connections between the characters and the reader. I love it when I can stand in the character’s shoes and experience what they’re feeling, and this book delivers that in spades. There are so many great moments between Harper and Rhen and also Harper and Grey as they’re getting to know each other. There’s also a lot of those types of moments between Grey and Rhen. Bonding! I love bonding! I feel like there are things about this that should have bothered me, like Harper coming in and suddenly here’s this teenager that’s going to save the world, because there is just so very much of that in YA that I get tired of it after a while. And yet, I didn’t mind it at all because this was all about Harper’s journey. So, kudos for making my usual niggles fly by the wayside with this one. There was one or two small thing that I thought could have been better. One is a reveal later on near the end of the book. Well, it was fairly heavily foreshadowed in my opinion, so it wasn’t really one of those jaw dropping a surprises to me like it could have been. (Also, selfishly, I really wanted the story to go in another direction regarding the relationships but….well.) The other is that I thought the villain was pretty one dimensional. But those were tiny things that didn’t really take away much from my enjoyment reading this. Overall, I really loved this unique retelling of an old tale. 4.5/5 stars.

I have never read a re-telling, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Was the book going to be exactly like the original? Would I be bored since I knew how it all played out? Well, I can excitedly say, that Brigid Kemmerer's retelling of Beauty of the Beast has opened up a can of worms for me. I will most definitely be trying some more re-tellings. Even though we all know the Beauty and the Beast story, there were enough changes in this story that your interest was piqued. I found myself thinking MANY times...."Ok, where is she going with this?" The three main characters were so intriguing and well developed. You just can't help but love all three of them, even though they have their flaws. I found myself rooting for each one at different times. Harper has Cerebral Palsy, which although it was represented, it was NEVER represented as a Handicap. Actually there were times when it would come up in the book and I had to remind myself of the Cerebral Palsy. She was a strong woman and did not let Cerebral Palsy get in the way. She proceeded with life. I think this message is wonderful for young readers. There was no pity party happening for Harper. What an amazing young woman. I'm done having kids but if I wasn't and I had a girl, I would want to name her Harper based on this character and would love telling her the story of why I chose it. Sometimes I feel like her stubborn ways got in the way with Rhen, but that's just the mushy love story lover in me. It was necessary for the book. The exploration of their feelings for one another was not rushed at all, and therefore felt real and genuine. The character of Rhen was written in such a way that you can't NOT like him. Yes, there were times that you just want to punch him in the throat, but very quickly you realize that he has such a big heart and he's just a softy under that facade. It broke my heart to see him so tortured. I was definitely rooting for him throughout the book, and I felt anxious when he would get all "BEAST LIKE" because I wanted him to just be his true self. Grey is the guy want in your corner. Loyal beyond measure, both to Harper AND Rhen without stepping on any toes. I don't think this is a spoiler, because Brigid has mentioned this in her comments, but this was NOT a love Triangle. Even though I read it straight from the horses mouth, I found myself thinking, " are you SURE there isn't a love triangle?" I read this whole book thinking that the love triangle would happen....it never did. I still don't know how she managed to not make it a love triangle. It felt like it was going to be, but she would pull back at the right time. Did I wish it was a love triangle? HECK NO!!!! I wouldn't know who to root for! I just LOVE Grey. He's such a rough around the edges tough guy, but a sweet sweet friend nonetheless. How is this even possible? I don't even know how she was able to portray these characters in such conflicting manners, but she did it, and it was so believable. I just finished this yesterday, but will be rereading it soon. I want to go back to the beginning, now that I know how it all goes so that I can see what I missed, while I was looking out for the love triangle. Can't wait for the second book! January 2020 is so far away! All this just to say, I LOVED the book. I found myself stopping throughout the book and really just taking in what I had just read. It's so beautifully written. This one is staying on my shelf for sure and I can't wait to have grandkids (not anytime soon) so that I can share this retelling with them...and who knows, maybe I can convince my kids to name their daughter Harper ;o)

Me encantó este libro, al ser un retelling nos presenta la historia de un príncipe maldecido y que para romper la maldición debe enamorarse, pero eso no es lo más importante sino lograr salvar a su reino. Los personajes para mi fueron sumamente entrañables y bien estructurados, los adoré; la protagonista es fuerte, valiente y eso me pareció un punto muy bueno. Se lee rápido y se disfruta mucho, lo recomiendo ampliamente si se busca aventura, acción y romance. El producto llegó antes del día previsto y en buenas condiciones, está muy bonito, solo con el inconveniente de que las primeras y últimas páginas no están totalmente bien pegadas y la goma de las demás hojas podría desprenderse al abrirlo mucho.

I loved this book, the edges came a little weird looking but it was fine.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY • • • ⭐️:5,0/5 • • 💬: A cursed prince and his commander repeat the same season over and over again until the curse is broken, unfortunately is not easy for our prince to fall in love and neither is the time when the creature appears. Feeling defeated and getting the news that its his last season to break the curse, his commander brings the wrong girl to try and fall in love with him. But Harper won’t let herself fall for the prince because she feels it’s all an act, that his words are all there to make her fall in love and not actually true. With an imminent war approaching, Prince Rhen decides to not give up easily and protect his people from enemies and from himself, while realizing that his last season brought him love for the first time. What can I say about this book without sounding utterly crazy? I LOVE THIS BOOK. You can give me any Beauty and Beast retelling that I will gladly read, but this one UOU, impressed me and moved in a way I wasn't expecting. I yelled at times and cried on others, it was a crazy ride!

Ich habe mich sofort in das Cover verliebt! Auch der Titel passt perfekt zur Gefühlswelt des Protagonisten. Handlung: Märchenadaption zu "Die Schöne und das Biest". Harper aus dem modernen D.C. wird in das Fantasyreich "Emberfall" entführt, um einen alten Fluch zu brechen. Sie soll sich in Prinz Rhen verlieben, der sich immer wieder nach Ablauf einer bestimmten Zeit, in ein Biest verwandelt und den Tag seines 18. Geburtstages immer wieder durchlebt. Er steckt seit vielen hundert Jahren in dieser Zeitschleife fest, an seiner Seite nur seine Leibgarde Grey. Rhen ist einsam, verbittert und ohne Hoffnung. Kann, nein "will" Harper diesen Fluch brechen? Meinung: So lange will ich dieses Buch lesen. Ich liebe den Schreibstil von Brigid Kemmerer und habe schon einige Bücher von ihr gelesen, jedoch keins aus dem Fantasybereich. Da Diese Reihe nun endlich 2021 übersetzt wird, wollte ich es zuerst auf Englisch wagen. Und ich bin begeistert! Es war definitiv anders als erwartet. Sehr abgewandelt zum eigentlichen Märchen, doch so kreativ und neu! Erfrischend! Die Charaktere haben sich sehr schnell in mein Herz geschlichen, vor allem der Prinz. Ich konnte seinen Schmerz und die Einsamkeit und Hoffnungslosigkeit auf jeder Seite spüren! Obwohl er so verzweifelt nach der Erlösung sucht, zwingt er Harper zu nichts und akzeptiert sein Schicksal! Harper und ihre Familiengeschichte in D.C. haben einen tollen Kontrast in die Geschichte gebracht. Sie war definitiv keine süße Prinzessin, sondern eine toughe, sture und manchmal etwas nervige Protagonistin. An Harpers Stelle wäre ich wahrscheinlich sofort beim Anblick des Prinzen eingeknickt, doch Harper blieb bockig. Die Nebencharaktere haben auch nicht wenig Szenen und besonders Grey wurde toll gezeichnet. Ich freue mich schon auf den 2.Band wo es um ihn geht. Der Plot konnte mich von Anfang an fesseln und hat mich tagelang nicht losgelassen. Die düstere, melancholische Atmosphäre war greifbar, ebenso wie die Emotionen der Charaktere. Das Ende hat mich sehr überrascht und macht Lust auf mehr! Dennoch bin ich mir fast sicher, dass dieses Buch nicht jedem gefallen wird, da die Story trotz großartiger Kulisse im Mittelteil doch eher ruhig bleibt und das dem ein oder anderen zu langatmig sein könnte. Info Nebenbei: Wenn ihr euch nur für die Lovestory interessiert, könnt ihr auch nur Band 1 lesen, da im 2.Band zwar die Grundstory um das Königreich weitergeht, jedoch andere Charaktere im Fokus stehen. Die Lovestory ist in diesem Buch relativ abgeschlossen erzählt. Doch nach dem krassen Ende, wollt ihr weiterlesen, versprochen! Für Fans von "Kuss der Lüge".

Awesome! A great reading. I loved the story, the characters. Interesting, intriguing, entertaining and touching. Pretty good character's development and evolution. I've enjoyed a lot Harper and her relationship with Grey, Then and other characters. She's a great female leader. She's brave besides her fears and can say thank you or I'm sorry and that doesn't make her any less cool, just the opposite. I've already started the next book of this series.