Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books Database
  • Main
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Articles
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Browse
    • Activity Feed
    • New Books
    • Upcoming Books
    • Advanced Search
    • Book Reviews
    • Genres & Tags
  • Wall
    • Community Wall
    • Recent Messages
    • Recent Topics
    • Hot Topics
    • Popular Topics
    • Search
  • Challenge
    • Reading Challenge
    • Book Trivia Quiz
  • Sign In

A Curse So Dark and Lonely

The Cursebreaker #1 / 3 ✓
by Brigid Kemmerer
A Curse So Dark and Lonely (The Cursebreaker #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
not yet rated

This lush retelling of Beauty and the Beast features a kingdom in peril and a heart-stopping romance — perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Prince Rhen is cursed. He spurned the wrong woman and is now forced to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year until he can convince another to love him. His fate would be bearable, but at the end of every season, he transforms into a dangerous monster. After his subjects learned to fear the castle on the hill, Rhen sent Grey, the last member of his guard, to find young women in other worlds.

Harper is cursed by reality. Her father left and her mother is losing her fight with cancer. When Harper sees Grey abducting a woman from the streets of D.C., she intervenes, only to get sucked into Rhen’s world. Now, Harper is trapped. But when Harper proves to be more than just another girl to charm, Rhen realizes he can do more than break the curse... he can save his kingdom once and for all.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves
Updated 04/10/2025
Category: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Young Adult
Release date: January 28, 2019
Join the Ongoing Discussion
Start a New Topic (Visitors Welcome)
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Brigid Kemmerer

Brigid Kemmerer

In the ever-expanding realm of young adult fantasy and contemporary fiction, few authors balance emotional intensity with magical intrigue as gracefully as Brigid Kemmerer. Her stories don’t just build worlds—they carve out spaces where flawed, fierce-hearted characters can wrestle with love, loyalty, and the weight of their choices. Whether it’s a cursed prince in an enchanted land or a high schooler grappling with trauma, her protagonists always carry one thing in common: raw, aching humanity.

Read more ...

Kemmerer didn’t come to storytelling through grand design. Her path to writing was shaped by a love of complex emotions and the quiet power of empathy. Growing up in the U.S. (she now lives in Maryland), she was drawn to stories where people battled not just dragons, but their own inner storms. That fascination with emotional nuance pulses through every novel she writes.

She first gained widespread attention with Letters to the Lost, a contemporary YA novel that tackled grief and connection in a deeply resonant way. But it was her breakout Cursebreaker series—beginning with A Curse So Dark and Lonely—that vaulted her into the spotlight of fantasy readers. A modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the series took familiar tropes and breathed into them fresh urgency, with a heroine who has cerebral palsy and refuses to be defined by it, and a prince who is anything but perfect.

Kemmerer’s work stands out not because of flashy magic or explosive plot twists—though she writes both with skill—but because she never loses sight of what makes a story stick: characters who feel real, even when they’re navigating enchantments, betrayals, and kingdom-sized stakes. Her books often explore the tension between duty and desire, vulnerability and strength, making them a favorite among readers who crave both romance and substance.

Despite her success—bestseller lists, international translations, and a devoted readership—Kemmerer remains refreshingly grounded. In interviews, she often speaks about writing as an act of emotional exploration, once noting, “I write the stories I needed when I was a teenager.” That clarity of purpose has made her a powerful voice in young adult literature, offering both escape and reflection in equal measure.

Brigid Kemmerer writes fantasy with heart and contemporary fiction with bite. In every world she builds, there’s a thread of truth—sometimes quiet, sometimes painful—that reminds readers they’re never alone in what they feel.

The Cursebreaker

The Cursebreaker consists of three books — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (The Cursebreaker #1)
not yet rated
A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker #2)
not yet rated
A Vow So Bold and Deadly (The Cursebreaker #3)
not yet rated


Back to Top
  • Risingshadow
  • Browse
  • Brigid Kemmerer
  • The Cursebreaker
  • A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2025 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

Privacy Policy