shaz-imagine-nation

[shaz-imagine-nation]

A Curse so Dark and Lonely : HONEST review

“Not all scars can be seen.”

There’s no denying that there’s a small child inside all of us that can’t get enough of fairytales, this had to be true otherwise you wouldn’t be here reading this review (Ha! Score one for me). And when these old classics re-emerge and combine all we held near and dear in our childhoods, with adult angst and witty romance. My gosh do you have something incredible on your hands.

Now, before we begin, I have something to disclose. I will never NOT love fairytale re-tellings. If there’s one out there, I will read it. (Please leave recs in the comments down below) And yes, before you say anything, I know full well that some of them aren’t good. Sometimes using the word “good” and the title of the book shouldn’t belong in the same sentence.

But you have to understand that I will always be biased. And I have come to terms with that. It’s fairytale stories. It’s my krypronite. It’s my full moon after a werewolf curse. So even when they’re so so so bad, I won’t be able to deny that a small part of me will love it to death. And that is the shame I will live with.

I digress…

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. We all know why I picked this book up. It’s a Beauty and the Beast re-telling with a bit of a twist. And we all know how I feel about fairy tales (*glances at the 3 paragraphs of ramble that began this review*)

Now, while this book might not fall under the more esteemed Beauty and the Beast re-tellings, (I’m looking at you ACOTAR), it still definitely left a lasting impression on this readers soul.

*SPOILER FREE ZONE* (if you haven’t read it yet you’re safe)

A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows the story of Rhen, the handsome crowned prince of Emberfall, cursed to re-live some of his worsed nightmares season to season, while in search for true love to break the evil spell. Yes. It’s basically Beauty and the Beast, but in reverse.

Following the end of another failed season, Rhen’s brooding guard, Grey, sets out to find another suitor to break the curse. Then along comes Harper, our brave, feisty, heroin with a complicated past. Not only is Harper given the perfect “silent suffering” backstory. She also has Cerebral Palsy.

Now, this is the one thing in the book that I wish they elaborated on. I must admit that this is the first time I have met a character with CP in a book, and while it was a breath of fresh air. I do feel that it should have been explained more. Not all people with CP are the same. I felt that there was an opportunity to really raise some awareness surrounding this condition that the book just didn’t dive into.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this book. So before I get into my spoiler section, I’ll leave you with this.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely was a fantastic, easy read. I read a lot, and sometimes I yearn for a fun, easy book to read. This was that book. It gave me everything I could have asked for, from well written sass to a romantic love story. And it was just so gosh darn pleasant to read. It didn’t require a lot of “work” to keep going.

Skip past the spoiler section to see my final rating down below.

*SPOILER ZONE* (proceed at your own risk)

Ooooh boy here we go. Now I’m not going to go over every detail in the book. I’m just going to talk about a few of the things that stuck out to me.

I spent a good portion of this book shipping Harper and Grey. There, I said it. Don’t try deny that you thought about it too. Their dynamic was so refreshing and cute, and really made me think about how the “Beast” from the original tale tried to involve himself in Belle’s world and how she, in turn, learnt about his. I felt that this kind of character building and dynamic was sorely lacking in the Harper x Rhen relationship, and even though we knew they were end game from the start, I can’t help but admit that a small part of me hoped that if Grey also found love it would also help break the curse.

I really loved Harper’s growth throughout the book. I love reading strong female leads. I also believe that this story showed us that it’s so important to focus on your own personal growth, no matter what’s happening in your life. For a good chunk of the book I forgot about Harper’s brother and dying mother. And I think this also helped highlight how this often happens in our own lives. What I’m trying to say is that I’m glad Harper’s story felt real. It was very relatable, to me at least.

I felt like the final battle, when Harper returned to Emberfall, was a bit rushed. I wish we had more development on the monster and how she “tamed” him. I must admit that I loved the few monster perspective chapters, I just wish we had more. Some parts felt a bit hasty and convinient. I really think that there were some opportunities to really make those scenes shine. But don’t @ me! I still really enjoyed it all! I was just hoping for more.

And last. But not least. (I’m ending this review here otherwise I’ll end up writing my own novel on it.) Grey’s final scene was incredible. I cannot wait for the next book! I’ll definitely put my predictions in another post. But for now, I can safely say that I loved that he was the one to slay the evil enchantress (even though we don’t know whether she is dead or not.) So when it’s revealed that Grey might be the true heir and also possess some kind of magical ability, I couldn’t help but do a happy dance. Because now we know that the next book will have a lot of Grey in it, and this reader cannot wait.

My final thoughts. This book was great. It was fun, easy to read, and was just all in all a refreshing new twist on a classic fairytale. So that’s why I’m giving it 🖤🖤🖤🖤 (4/5 hearts).

Thank you for taking the time to read my discombobulated review. Don’t hesitate to check out my blog at https://thatiword.wordpress.com/ for more reviews.

Until then, keep imagining my lovelies 🖤

[shaz-imagine-nation]

🖤 366 days, 366 opportunities 🖤

2020 will be a leap year. This means that the world has given us a bonus day to get all those pesky, “I wish I had more time”, things done.

This is great, of course, for those of us who are expert procrastinators. You see, I am a very productive and occasionally organized person, trapped in the body of someone who likes to nap and read a lot. Throw in some tea and snark on the side and you have the perfect balance! Not too sure what the “balance” is. But it sounded right whole I was writing this. So I went for it.

It’s Saturday the 4th of Jan, I’m currently recovering from a cold, listening to this massive lightning storm outside my window, the same lightning storm that has taken out my power twice. Hey… Maybe the universe is telling me to stop working, and get back into bed and read some books.

But I’m trying to be responsible this year. I’m setting goals for myself and everything. Which is why I settled with starting this first blog post.

So what will my blog be about? To be honest, I have no idea. It actually started in December when my laptop decided it was time for it to die and I posted a rant on social media (as we all do) begging someone to help me fix it.

Have I fixed it yet? No. Have I made plans to fix it. Also no. (Procrastinator, remember?) So instead of being productive. I have listened to the masked humans on the internet and have started a blog. Yeah. It makes total sense.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this blog will just be a 26 year old physiotherapist/photographer/rattery owner/horse riders attempt at writing. Yeah… I busy myself with a lot. Which is why, this year, I need to get all these hyperactive raving squirrels in some kind of row.

And if I don’t… Well then I can assure you that the adventure would have been worth it.

You’ll just have to stick around to find out.

Until then. Keep imagining my lovelies. 🖤