A Curse so Dark and Lonely Review!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

Another day, another Tik Tok book recommendation! I am always a little hesitant about books when they are retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast ones, but it had such high praise that I couldn't resist.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows the story of Harper as she is basically kidnapped into a whole new world. Here she meets Rhen and Grey. Grey is a stoic bad-ass who is an insane fighter and very loyal. Rhen is a prince who is stuck in a curse that has really ruined his life. As Harper quickly learns that she is stuck in Emberfall, she makes the best of it by continuously trying to run away. This cracked me up. She wasn't okay with being stuck in an enchanted castle with two hot guys, nope, she had shit to do. As the story progresses, we learn more about Rhen, the curse, and the state of Emberfall. It's a thrilling retelling that pays homage to its roots, but with a fun twist.

“The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”

I really loved this book! It was a fast read for me, I ate it up. I loved Harper. I thought she was quick witted, passionate, and determined. She was refreshing in her role and I'm glad that Kemmerer didn't make her a boring character. Rhen was interesting. I think his past would have been more fun to look into, since they hint a lot to the bastard he used to be. It was fun being able to see his point of view and see his struggle as he deals with the curse and what it has done to him. Grey is wicked cool. The plot twist at the end had me SHOOK and I'm really excited to read the second one, and what comes of him! I liked his way of being neutral yet a calming force for both Harper and Rhen, and I just really liked him! Lilith was the most annoying women on this planet. She was the perfect villian. There was literally no remorse in any of her actions. Like she loved inflicting pain and you could tell. Her entire backstory was also really interesting, and I'm interested to see if we get more of her and her history!

“It is not the moment of passing that is most important. It is all the moments that came before.”

I really liked this book, and I'm excited to keep going with the series. I think that Kemmerer did a great job of making this retelling her own and adding cool twists and turns. I think the characters develop really well and that the plot as a whole is super fun! I would really recommend this book if you come across it!

Overall: 9/10

Pages: 477

Trigger Warnings: death, gore, torture

Spice Rating: 5/10