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onefineelephant's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
8/10. This book/series really continues to surprise me. It is one of those rare books where at no point am I sure where the plot is going (in a good way) but I am so enthralled the whole time. For reasons other than the book, I was having a hard time getting through the book but every time I opened it and actually started reading, I never wanted to stop. I am gonna be honest, I missed Harper and Rhen but I loved seeing things from Grey's POV. I also wasn't sure how I would feel about Lia Mara, but I ended up enjoying her perspective as well. I somewhat predicted/hoped for what ended up happening at the end of the book with Grey and Lia Mara about Karis Luran (no spoilers) but the very ending with Rhen almost blindsided me fr (again, no spoilers). I am very interested to see what in the world is going to happen in the next book because I genuinely have no idea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Alcohol, Gore, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Vomit and Animal cruelty
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, and Death
purplehulk713's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I liked this book better than the first one, which is unusual because the first book had more magic, and I never really liked Grey in my first encounters with him because I thought he was too stubborn in his loyalty. But that was something that was played upon in this novel—both how and why he acts in that way—which I thought was far more interesting than his initial portrayal, especially since we get to hear his voice as a primary narrator in this book. I loved Lia Mara, and basically every other new important character that was introduced in this installment—Tycho and Iisak are great. Tycho is cute and endearing, and Iisak is funny, dry, and mysterious. But Lia Mara is so so determined yet so insecure (and her toxic relationship with her mother Karis Luran brings out a lot of strong Amity Blight vibes) and from the first chapters that we meet her and hear her views of her mother and sister, Nolla Verin, it’s clearly evident how passionate she is but also so vulnerable and apprehensive. Her role in the climax is epic! She and Grey are excellent foils for each other. I was so impressed by Brigid Kemmerer’s world-building, especially as the characters crossed into Syhl Shallow and they explained things like their matrilineal line of succession, but also the poignancy of the issues she’s depicting with these characters like the best way to achieve peace between two countries, or even mutual respect and civility within one’s own country. Brigid Kemmerer is herself a magesmith for how deftly she is both able to portray these issues as well develop realistic characters to grapple and grow with them. The only reason I rated this book below five stars was that it didn’t have as much magic as I craved, though I cannot remember enjoying a book that discussed diplomacy so much this much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
qrschulte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think I liked this one more than the last one. And again, I called the big reveals.
Things I liked:
- GREY!!!
- Iisak. More of him please
- Jake‘s redemption.
- The romance actually made sense and had some chemistry and a bit of steam.
Things I didn’t like:
- The Lia Mara narrator made the girls sound waaaay younger than they were supposed to be. She also was a bit melodramatic, either with a laugh in her voice or like a swoon teen, which was a little much for my tastes.
- The torture
- The 180 degree flip of characterizations of Harper and Rhen, which I guess is only slightly explained. Especially after Rhen’s character growth in the last book. And Harper being okay with Rhen’s behavior after giving her brother (warranted) shit in the first book? Makes no sense.
Things I liked:
- GREY!!!
- Iisak. More of him please
- Jake‘s redemption.
- The romance actually made sense and had some chemistry and a bit of steam.
Things I didn’t like:
- The Lia Mara narrator made the girls sound waaaay younger than they were supposed to be. She also was a bit melodramatic, either with a laugh in her voice or like a swoon teen, which was a little much for my tastes.
- The torture
- The 180 degree flip of characterizations of Harper and Rhen, which I guess is only slightly explained. Especially after Rhen’s character growth in the last book. And Harper being okay with Rhen’s behavior after giving her brother (warranted) shit in the first book? Makes no sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Body shaming, Murder, Violence, War, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Torture
Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Medical content, Abandonment, and Vomit
Minor: Animal death
katievallin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
inlibrisveritas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Blood
eve_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ The switch to Grey and Lia Mara's perspectives was abrupt. After the intense ending of A Curse so Dark and Lonely, I wanted more insight as to how Rhen and Harper were doing. I wasn't as interested or invested in the other characters until about 100 pages in, and after that I actually liked the narrative better than in the first book.
⁕ A decent chunk of this story occurs when Grey and Lia Mara are traveling. A lot of character and relationship development occurs during these scenes, but it might be rough if you're a more plot-driven reader.
⁕ Rhen's character arc is beyond extreme and frustrating. Again, we don't see things from his perspective in this one, so there's no insight to the stuff that's happening offstage. But I was totally confused by his actions until I finished the third and final book in the series.
⁕ The switch to Grey and Lia Mara's perspectives was abrupt. After the intense ending of A Curse so Dark and Lonely, I wanted more insight as to how Rhen and Harper were doing. I wasn't as interested or invested in the other characters until about 100 pages in, and after that I actually liked the narrative better than in the first book.
⁕ A decent chunk of this story occurs when Grey and Lia Mara are traveling. A lot of character and relationship development occurs during these scenes, but it might be rough if you're a more plot-driven reader.
⁕ Rhen's character arc is beyond extreme and frustrating. Again, we don't see things from his perspective in this one, so there's no insight to the stuff that's happening offstage. But I was totally confused by his actions until I finished the third and final book in the series.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
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For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Gore, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Animal death
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
jlfaith21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the second book in this trilogy, but I think it’s just because I really like Grey as a character. I enjoyed the new characters. You really see the characters struggling with who they are and how they are suppose to fit in the story. I’m excited to see how this trilogy ends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Torture
Minor: Death of parent
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
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