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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, imprisonment, death, descriptions of blood, torture/whipping, death of a parent, death of a child
"Easy. Choices are never easy. There are good and bad options, but the most dangerous is to not make any choice at all."
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer is book two in the Cursebreakers series. I loved this one just as much as book one, even though this is pretty much where the Beauty and the Beast theme ends. These books are so comfortable to read. I fly through these books and it just feels right when I'm reading them.
This is the Grey book. Last book we didn't get any chapters from his POV, but this one alternates Grey and Lia Mara, the new character from the rival country Syhl Shallow. Grey is definitely my favorite character over all. I always like him better than Rhen, and this book only solidifies that. Grey struggles with the knowledge of the heir and what that will mean for Rhen and Emberfall, and seeks to distance himself from it. Lia Mara is the eldest daughter of Karis Luran, but not the heir to the throne. She struggles with never feeling enough or that she matters in the eyes of her mother, because she has empathy and compassion. She was a great edition to the cast of characters and quickly rose up in the ranks of favorite characters.
The big theme that runs through the whole story is the idea that choices are never easy. Each character has a choice they must make, but none of them are good choices. We also get themes of believing in yourself and standing up for yourself and what you believe in. There is also the concept of understanding that you can change the kind of person you are. You don't have to be one thing. Grey doesn't have to be the weapon the others wield.
I loved our band of characters as we got to know them: Tycho, Grey's loyal young friend who is everything and must be protected at all costs. I literally messaged a friend when he was introduced and told her I'd riot if he dies 😆; Jake, Harper's older brother and irritated himbo grew on me this book; Noah, Jake's gentle doctor of a boyfriend who is the constant voice of compassion and reason; and Iisak, the scraver from the Iishellasa Ice Forest. We got to see some really great growth from this gang and I had many moments where I wasn't sure what was going to happen. A couple of things shocked me at the end, none more so than what we learn in the epilogue 🤯.
Anxiously awaiting book three!
"Easy. Choices are never easy. There are good and bad options, but the most dangerous is to not make any choice at all."
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer is book two in the Cursebreakers series. I loved this one just as much as book one, even though this is pretty much where the Beauty and the Beast theme ends. These books are so comfortable to read. I fly through these books and it just feels right when I'm reading them.
This is the Grey book. Last book we didn't get any chapters from his POV, but this one alternates Grey and Lia Mara, the new character from the rival country Syhl Shallow. Grey is definitely my favorite character over all. I always like him better than Rhen, and this book only solidifies that. Grey struggles with the knowledge of the heir and what that will mean for Rhen and Emberfall, and seeks to distance himself from it. Lia Mara is the eldest daughter of Karis Luran, but not the heir to the throne. She struggles with never feeling enough or that she matters in the eyes of her mother, because she has empathy and compassion. She was a great edition to the cast of characters and quickly rose up in the ranks of favorite characters.
The big theme that runs through the whole story is the idea that choices are never easy. Each character has a choice they must make, but none of them are good choices. We also get themes of believing in yourself and standing up for yourself and what you believe in. There is also the concept of understanding that you can change the kind of person you are. You don't have to be one thing. Grey doesn't have to be the weapon the others wield.
I loved our band of characters as we got to know them: Tycho, Grey's loyal young friend who is everything and must be protected at all costs. I literally messaged a friend when he was introduced and told her I'd riot if he dies 😆; Jake, Harper's older brother and irritated himbo grew on me this book; Noah, Jake's gentle doctor of a boyfriend who is the constant voice of compassion and reason; and Iisak, the scraver from the Iishellasa Ice Forest. We got to see some really great growth from this gang and I had many moments where I wasn't sure what was going to happen. A couple of things shocked me at the end, none more so than what we learn in the epilogue 🤯.
Anxiously awaiting book three!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Torture, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Violence
emily_reads09's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was not expecting the book to almost exclusively follow Grey but I am not mad about it. I think Lia Mara may be my new comfort character. She’s a totally underestimated badass who loves books & I’ve never wanted to be a fictional character more. Plot-wise, I found myself trudging through the book a little, there’s not a lot of twists and turns since the book is definitely more character based. That being said, the plot that exists is pretty good. I did like watching relationships from the first book develop more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Child death, Death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Police brutality, and Murder
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