The cover for this book is beautiful. The holographic effect on the spine is definitely going to stand out on your bookshelf. On top of that the book comes with an old school attached bookmark.
The book is promoted as “A modern retelling of beauty and the beast” so I spend so much of the book waiting for Harper to discover the library. Spoiler alert – there is no library. I was a little disappointed by this. It feels like the library is as iconic as the dancing dinnerware in the original.
Harper is taken from an alleyway in DC to Emberfall, Rhens world, by Scary Grey – the Princes right hand man. Every season they take a girl who they hope can be the one to break the curse. Harper isn’t happy to be taken. She wants to be with her mom and brother, not in an enchanted castle. She’s different from every other girl. She’s feisty and tries to escape, but ends up helping the residents of emberfall, and making herself the princess of Disi ( DC) to save them.
Rhen has given up on breaking the curse, this will be his last chance to find the one, who must love him back. Harper isn’t interested, but she’s continually surprised by Rhen and his compassion. In turn Rhen is jealous of her blossoming friendship with Grey. Together the three of them try to rally the scared residents of emberfall to fight against the coming invasion. Can they do it before the season ends and the beast appears, and will Harper realise the beast is Rhen? That’s the draw for the book.
I don’t know if it’s because I don’t feel great, or I’m in a bit of a book slump, or if I just didn’t really fall for the book but I just don’t feel it was enough for a retelling. That may be a little harsh – I didn’t not enjoy the story, I just can’t say read it, or buy it. The story is okay, Harper is a good character, but I just didn’t really like her enough to want her to succeed. I found I didn’t care enough. The reader was kept at a distance from the actual emotion and feelings – and I think that it stopped me from feeling part of the book, or even invited In,
A curse so dark and lonely is available now.
One More Chapter 