Synopsis
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.
Thoughts
I am so excited for the release of A Curse So Dark and Lonely in 2019. I absolutely adore retellings and I don’t think I’ve read very many Beauty and the Beast retellings. It sounds like it’s going to be a fast-paced and beautiful read. I’ve read a few books by Brigid Kemmerer – Letters To the Lost and More Than We Can Tell. I loved them both so I’m really excited to see what she does with this dark fairy tale. I also think the cover is absolutely stunning and I’m so desperate to read it. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is coming January 29th 2019 from Bloomsbury Children’s.
One of the things I really adored about this book is the way that Joanne Harris writes this series. Loki is of course a trickster, he’s mischievous and scheming and that really comes across in the narrative. It’s very much like you’re sitting down with Loki and he’s regaling you with his greatest feats. I loved seeing things from his perspective and watching as he managed to worm his way out of every situation.
The story follows a family who live in an everlasting winter. The scene is set beautifully and the icy landscape is lushly described in the book. I could almost feel the icy winds and see the frozen forest that Mila and her family live. The story definitely felt reminiscent of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and if anything that made me love this book even more.
Challenge 1: Read a book with orange on the cover
I decided I would for once in my life complete a series and read the last book in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. I really enjoyed Always and Forever Lara Jean, it was just as sweet and lovely as the other books and it really was a great end to the series. I’m definitely going to try and pick up more books from Jenny Han in the future. This one got a 4 out of 5 stars.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has really touched my heart – it’s such a sweet and cute story and I think it’s wonderful that it’s getting so much recognition at the moment – recognition it really deserves. Lara Jean is a really fantastic character, she’s so adorable, she lives in her head spending more time imagining things than living them. She’s relatable and shows an immense amount of character depth in this book.
Middle grade normally isn’t the kind of book that I read but this sounded like such a fascinating read that I couldn’t resist. After racing through it in a single sitting I am now desperate for more of Cassidy and her best friend Jacob.
The Bibliophile Chronicles 