A Curse So Dark and Lonely Review

Hey all, 

It's been a long while since I posted any kind of book discussion or review. I would like to get back into it because I feel like it is a good way to voice opinions in an honest and wholesome way. 

With this being said, let's get started!

There a few, light spoilers but I tried to avoid giving any major plot points besides the obvious ones. Skip to the end if you want the brief overview. 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Book Rating: 3/5 

I received this book as part of the February Fairyloot box (theme: Beast and Beauty).

I was extremely excited to read this as I love fairy tale retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast. This being said, I personally felt like it fell a little short. This novel follows the  story of a young girl named Harper who has cerebral palsy and a fairly stereotypical fairy tale prince by the name of Rhen. 

Keeping to the original and Disney version of the story, Rhen is cursed to repeat the same season of his life over and over again until he finds someone who truly loves him. Or so he believes. His captain of the guard, Grey, regularly kidnaps girls to attempt to break this curse and to save their kingdom of Emberfall from Rhen's beastly form, which is how Harper comes to meet Rhen. It's a fairly straight forward plot. 

Let's start with what I liked: 

Harper, as a character, was a little refreshing. Her sarcasm and curtness entertained me and I found it relatable. She is resilient and definitely the saving grace of this novel. Honestly she was the only reason I kept reading at some points. 

The world of Emberfall was one that I appreciated. It felt fleshed out and pretty and I really liked the descriptions of the seasons. I could practically smell the autumn air wafting through the castle and could easily visualize the castle itself. The descriptions were gorgeous and immersive. 

I appreciated the humor peppered throughout as well. I liked how some of the characters didn't take themselves that seriously (Harper and Grey mainly). It made me want to follow their stories and continue flipping the page. Humor is definitely a plus for me 100%. 

Grey was another positive point. He felt real and down to earth. If I choose to read the next book in this series, it will be because I want to know more about him. He was a lovable character oozing an aura that screamed veiled intelligence and cunning. By far, the most intelligent character in the entire book.

Now for what I didn't like: 

I'm not going to totally rip the book apart because I know that a lot of people enjoyed the read. I however came away feeling dissatisfied and a little stale towards it.

Rhen in my opinion is a horrible character. I understand that the prince in Beauty and the Beast is arrogant and spoiled but at least he has some redeemable qualities and is considered a dynamic character historically. I kept thinking that Rhen would change, but HE NEVER DID. It was evident through Kemmerer's writing that we were supposed to pick up on a change in his personality and that Rhen was intended to be written as an intelligent and calculating character but he absolutely was not. I found him somewhat dense and shallow even when we were provided with chapters told from his perspective.

There were a lot of points that were just really confusing to me as well. I understand that Lilith tore Rhen apart but at the same time I was confused as to why or even how that contributed anything in the story. The only thing is contributed was a scene of gore that was so extremely out of place because of the juvenile feel I had towards this novel.

Before anyone gets upset that I called this story juvenile, let me explain why I believe it is. 

The first reason is the language and dialogue. Rhen's language especially didn't really reflect a 20 year old's voice in my opinion. I had a hard time imagining any of the characters being over 16 actually. A lot of the conflict seemed petty and laughable, forced even. There just wasn't any chemistry between Rhen and Harper either, making it unbelievable that suddenly Harper would want to be with Rhen. I had an easier time believing in the relationship she shared with Grey because it wasn't as forced and the personalities of the two characters were a lot more compatible. 

I know we were supposed to sympathize with Rhen, but I was more inclined to believe he deserved a punishment because of how he often assumed an almost derogatory tone when talking about women. I found that he often thought of them as objects made to please him rather than human beings. This partnered with the idea that he regularly kidnapped young women and girls just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, making it hard for me to like him even a little bit. 

Kemmerer has a diverse cast true, but honestly we hardly even see them. All we see are Grey, Harper, and  Rhen most of the time with oddly placed gore and deaths. The deaths frequently make Rhen out to be a bit sociopathic and unfeeling. Which is part of the reason he might come off as having a lack of depth. His dynamic is just very, very strange. 

Similarly, we have Lilith, a weak villian in my opinion, who reflects an Ianthe sort of personality if you are familiar with ACOTAR. Ianthe is a weak character as well but at least she has a real reason for doing what she does. Ianthe wants power and wants the priestesses to reign overall. Lilith wants revenge (I think?). I mean if she wanted power all she had to do was kill Rhen? I didn't really understand her or why she was even a character. Again just a lack of depth. 

Final Summary: 

While the book wasn't the worst I've read, it was a little childish and lacked depth. Some parts contained interesting concepts, however, I felt some aspects of the story were a little too close to the original. This story does do a good job of representing a strong heroine who manages to save everyone regardless of her disability. The novel does deal with sensitive topics such as cancer, cerebral palsy, and sexual abuse. I may or may not read the sequel. 

Sincerely, 

Becca 

Red

 Red
Red:
Snow fell quietly around her, the flakes stark white against her blood red coat. She couldn’t help but stop and breathe in the frozen air, every breath like a knife to her lungs. Birds twittered overhead and she listened. The snow muted all but still she listened to the soft sounds around her. Her eyes drifted around, until they landed on splotches of red staining the snow. The heads of the crimson flowers just barely reached above the snow covered ground, but still they produced a color rivaling the color of her coat.
 Amazing, she thought, her body still with fascination of the saturated color. A twig snapped behind her, the sound so sharp and threatening against the soft, muteness of the snow covered forest. Immediately, she stirred from her dazed stupor. She did not turn, but her heart pounded, each beat louder and stronger than the last, so loud that she was sure her follower could hear.
With each second that passed, her heart beat grew faster, but her eyes stayed focused on the red flower heads which stayed ignorant of the potential danger lurking behind her. Who is there. The thought pounded through her, echoed by the beats of her heart that reverberated through her skull. She might have tried to speak once or twice but no words escaped her lips. Be quiet, be still. She tried to quiet her breathing, willed her heartbeat to stop pounding. Her legs begged to run, but she stayed planted, the snow still falling, the birds still chirping.

Silver:
What is a young girl doing out here all alone, it’s freezing and it’s nearly dark, he thought to himself, wiggling his chilled, pink, fingers into his pockets. He walked quietly behind her for awhile. Just to make sure she was safe, he thought. When it began to snow, she became harder to see, the only thing being visible her poppy red coat. I just need to make sure she’s safe, for my own sanity. The wind whipped at him sharply, threatening to tear off the maroon scarf he had wrapped tightly around his neck. He shivered. Still, he followed.
She stopped suddenly, then stooped down to look at the heads of the red poppies that just barely rose above the crust of ice beginning to form on the forest floor. He stood behind her and watched as she traced one of the velvet petals with a pink tinged finger. The cold was biting into his skin, but he hardly noticed. He stepped forward, wanting to look so desperately at the flower the girl was running her finger over again and again.
POP.
A stick he could not see snapped beneath his boot. The girl tensed, her finger still touching the bright petal. Time froze. His breath hitched in his throat, a million excuses thrumming through his brain. And yet, she never turned. He relaxed, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
The girl stood up soon enough. Then she turned.
Red:
She wasn’t exactly sure what she expected to be behind her when she finally turned around, but a man certainly wasn’t it. Finally her heartbeat began to lessen and her breath returned to normal.
“How long?”
Her words pierced through the air breaking the silence and setting time back into motion.
“What?” He said, his voice deep and rough like the darkest part of the forest.
“You’ve been following me. How long.”
The words came out like shards of ice, with a sharpness she hadn’t anticipated.
He shrugged calmly, a long smooth gesture.
“Not long, I guess. It’s not safe at night,” he said gesturing to the darkness beginning to fall, “But then again, it’s not much safer in the daylight.”
He smiled, the scarf dropping from his chin. He took a step forward and she took a step back.
“Do you have a name?” He said, looking at her with eyes clear as glass.
“They call me Red, because of my coat.”
There was something about him that made her want to trust him and the words he said, but she couldn’t ignore the unease snaking it’s way into her stomach.
“They call me Silver, because of my hair.”
He pulled a hand from his pocket, and she tensed. But he only used it to remove his hat, revealing hair the color of moonlight and polished silver.
“See?” He offered her a grin, cocking his head which sent silver hair flopping into his eyes.
He brought a hand out to wipe it away and she noticed his fingers  were pink with cold, same as hers.
“Surely, that can’t be your real name.” Red said, thinking that as strange as her name was his was even more peculiar. His grin widened, flashing white in the ascending moonlight.
“I’m more than certain Red isn’t yours either.”
He was right of course, but any girl or person for that matter would be thought a fool to give away something as special as their own name to someone they’ve just met in the woods.

Silver:
His name wasn’t really Silver, but the hair, he thought, made it a believable title. Anyone would have to be completely stupid to give away their own true name to a stranger in the woods, even if she was just a girl. He had to admit that she was clever, perhaps even more so than himself. Well no, no one could be more clever than he. He almost laughed at the thought, and would have if the girl who called herself Red would not have been standing so close to him, eyeing him with eyes as dark as the deepest part of the forest.
Something is not right with her, Silver thought, matching her black gaze.
“I only wish to offer my guidance and protection.” He shrugged, and noticed how Red watched the smooth movement of his shoulders with suspicion.
“I can look after myself, thank you.” She huffed.
Interesting.
“Then I will continue with you as a friend.” Silver thrust his hand out toward her.
Red took it, reluctantly, and shook. Her grasp was firm and confident, and he thought that maybe she could hold her own against the dangers of the forest, at least for a little while anyway. Silently, they began their walk together deeper into the darkening forest.

Red:
To say that she trusted him entirely was a lie. Red thought he seemed too calm, too at ease with the dangers surrounding them. She found him oddly likable, and yet still there was that lingering feeling that he wasn’t quite right. As they walked together, Red’s eyes drifted above her. The moon was fully risen now and bathed the path ahead in a wash of pale light.
A full moon, she thought and looked to where Silver walked. His steps were perfectly in line with hers, easily keeping up with his long legs. She noticed how tall he was then, towering nearly an entire foot above her. He wasn’t bad looking with sharp, angular features and a mouth that was set into a deep pout. She deemed his hair and eyes to be slightly off putting though, thinking their silver color unnatural. He rolled his shoulders like he could feel her staring at him but said nothing.