A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
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| Young Adult, Urban Fantasy |
The much awaited sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerers sweeps us back into the kingdom of Emberfall where things are far from happily ever after. The end of A Curse So Dark and Lonely saw the beastly curse on Prince Rhen lifted by Harper, an ordinary girl from the modern world, however, with the threat of a new heir and war with a neighbouring kingdom knocking down their doorstep, they still have a long journey ahead to rebuild Emberfall. And there is still the disappearance of Grey, Rhen's guard commander. Will he be their ally or a new foe?
Non-Spoiler Review
(Cursebreakers #2)
Having discovered that he is the rightful heir to the throne, Grey is desperate to flee from the palace and Rhen. However, when a series of events lead him back into the gates of Ironrose, he must decide where his loyalties lie. Aided by an enemy princess, a loyal friend and a few surprising allies, his decision may spell doom or salvation for Emberfall.
"... my magic brought healing and trust, and that is not a small thing at all."
This book has been a long time coming... meaning that it's taken me months to finish this. Not because of the story but more so because of my reading slump which returned in full force during the previous months of quarantine. But I'm happy (and honestly quite relieved) to have finished this book and have the story finally suck me in. The story picks up a couple of weeks after the finale A Curse So Dark and Lonely with Rhen and Harper picking up the pieces left behind after their confrontation with Lilith, and Grey hiding in a small town after killing the enchantress Lilith as he discovers that he is the rightful and magical heir to Emberfall.
World-Building:
In this sequel, Kemmerer expands the world giving us more insight into the different towns within Emberfall and Syhl Shallow. The expansion of the world was great in establishing the ramifications of the curse on the people of the kingdom, and for showcasing the different cultures of the two very different kingdoms. Personally, the world is quite similar to the typical fantasy worlds, and my favourite aspects weren't the world-building but more so the characters.
Characters:
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| Art by Evilienne |
This book heavily featured Grey and a new perspective, Lia Mara, the eldest daughter of Karis Luran (Queen of Syhl Shallow). This book wasted no time in reminding me why I greatly preferred Grey over Rhen and I loved the progression of his character arc. He started out hesitant to reclaim his birthright given his loyalty and devotion to Rhen and had no drive to oppose Rhen's rule. (Frankly, Rhen does not deserve Grey's loyalty and devotion). However, as the story progressed, Grey not only becomes more comfortable in his role but also in his powers as a magesmith. But what I loved most about his character arc was that the care and humanity he buried deep within himself when he was a guardsman to Rhen finally surfaced. We saw him building relationships with Tycho, a stable boy he befriended while in hiding and a magical (and terrifying creature) who acted as his counsel of sorts. I saw that kindness in Grey in the first book and I'm so happy that he finally let that person out. And you can't help but cheer him on throughout the story. The relationship and confidence he builds are what made this story so much more endearing and immersive.
And speaking of relationships, Lia Mara one of the new characters introduced and the only new perspective integrated within the story. At first, I wasn't completely sold on her given that my standard was Harper, but over time she grew on me. And similar to Grey, I loved watching the growth in her confidence. Both of them grew into their potentials and are still growing. I especially liked how Kemmerer portrayed a healthy and supportive sister dynamic with her and her younger sister, Nolla Verin. So many YA books always tend to pit sisters against together, especially when they are royalty. However, I'm so glad that this book didn't do that and instead it showcased their immense love and dedication to another and I just loved the positive sister representation. And while I do still ship Grey and Harper together, I can accept the pairing between Grey and Lia Mara (and yes this is a spoiler but at the same time it's quite obvious).
Though I did wish that we got to see more of Harper. She probably got only one chapter in this entire book and I really missed her perspective with her wit and bravery. There was a moment in this book where Lia Mara commented that she and Harper could have been friends, and I couldn't agree more. Having more page time with Harper would have definitely improved the reading experience because I just love Harper's character.
A character I didn't love and most certainly back-pedalled for me was Rhen's character. Oh, how he irked me! I swear I hated him more in this book and I wished that Harper would just break away from him. While I can appreciate the discussion on PTSD and its relation to Rhen's actions, it didn't lessen the annoyance I felt at his actions, especially in the epilogue. Nor does it make me want to forgive his deplorable actions. I would personally enjoy witnessing the end of his reign and tyranny, and while I can understand he was doing it for the good of his people blah blah blah... you can't help but always question if it has more to do with his preservation of self. Either the author does a complete 360ยบ with his character arc or Harper leave him, I will not care about his character in the slightest.
Overall what let me down in terms of characters was Rhen's arc and the lack of Harper's perspective. Other than that I quite enjoyed the new characters added and the growth in Jake's character as well. He is not anymore just the annoying, overprotective big brother, and I think Emberfall/Syhl Shallow is starting to grow on him. Tycho and Iisak are great additions to Grey's team and I love the found-family element of their unit. I can't wait to see what's in store for all the characters in the following instalment.
Plot/Story:
The overall plot felt more like a travelling story as we witness Grey and his companions running from Rhen's forces left and right. It felt as though it was more focused on character development which I didn't mind so much as I enjoyed most of the characters. That said, there was little action throughout the overall book so if you're looking for action, this is not the book for you. That's probably what made the first book that little bit better as there were far more battle scenes and high stakes. I do hope that the third (and last?) book has the same level of action and stakes as the first to get that 5-stars from me. I'm honestly crossing my fingers that it will not be a disappointment.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, I was entertained with the story and I loved the characters arcs of some of the characters. Grey was definitely cemented as my favourite character in this series and I quite enjoyed the addition of Lia Mara to the dynamics of the story. I do wish we got to see more of Harper in the next book. Here's to hoping that it will not let me down.
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