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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.
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My Review: 5/5 Stars
I did not think I would love this book as much as I did, but wow! It was really fantastic. A type of Beauty and the Beast retelling, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is filled with so many twists and turns. You may think you know the story, but Kemmerer brings something new to the table. First off, she combines two worlds. Harper is transported to a new world, to the land of Emberfall. Emberfall's Crown Prince is cursed. He repeats the autumn of his eighteenth birthday over and over again, failing to make a girl fall in love with him. By the end of each season, he is transformed into a vicious beast that kills everyone in its path. When Harper lands in this strange new land, or more like accidentally kidnapped, she struggles with her new reality. Another land? Magic? Though it doesn't take her too long to realize she isn't crazy and everything is very much real. Meanwhile, Rhen is tired. He wants to break the curse and save his people. He has given up hope, that is until Harper comes. And it isn't because he believes she will fall in love with him. In fact, he is pretty sure that won't happen. How can he blame her for hating him when she was kidnapped? But Harper brings him hope nonetheless because she inspires him to help his people and fight for them. Threats are coming and he may be cursed, but that doesn't mean he can't help his people in other ways. The form a shaky alliance. I really loved this story. Their romance isn't this rushed, automatic happy ending. It's a building of trust and it is one that will have to continue because this isn't the end of the story. Many things get resolved by the end of the book, but there is much, much more left unsaid and unresolved. I loved the characters and world Kemmerer created. And I seriously cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
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