The one thing I can't figure out about this is how the characters we loved in book one are becoming villainized. It's definitely an interesting take to see these characters pitted against one another, especially after learning more about them and the ways they hold each other's lives at stake. But actions Rhen took in this book and the way he spoke to Grey just made him completely irredeemable for me, and I almost consider the Cursebreakers series about Grey rather than Rhen at this point. Let’s start with the things I liked. The writing was great and I loved that so much of the book was from Grey’s pov. Grey is the best character in this series and I adore him. I also love his love interest, Lia Mara and I can’t wait to see where that goes. Grey had a great crew traveling with him and I really did love watching them all together and seeing that dynamic.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken Page 1 - Novel80 A Heart So Fierce and Broken Page 1 - Novel80

But anyways this review has gone on way too long at this point, thank you for your time, and Happy Reading Folks. Grey and Lia Mara are deeply in love. Grey respects her intelligence, compassion and tenacity. At the end of A Vow So Bold and Deadly it is revealed that Lia Mara is pregnant with Grey's child. Grey travels through dimensions to find girls for Rhen, so one of them might fall for him and break the curse. I made a moodboard for this book and was planning to write an elaborate review, but I’m so damn conflicted about this installment that I can’t say for sure how I feel about all of it. I think my definition of a sequel compare to this author’s must’ve been vastly different bcs this book was not at all what I pictured a continuation of a series would be like. After sleeping on it for almost two weeks, I think I’m just going to settle for a moderate rating. I feel like this book is an SJM Tower of Dawn sort of book, a little pointless but enjoyable to read nonetheless.Quite frankly, this book felt unnecessary. I would have preferred a direct sequel following Rhen and Harper and just leave it at a duology- or even a standalone. Grey is an interesting character, but part of what made him that was the mysterious and unknown air of him. Having a whole book in his head instantly shattered that perception and left him as a sulky and weak character. In fact, this seemed to be a trend for a few of the characters. AHSFAB showed characters we had grown to love regressing and being villainised, which is a pretty brave move but not one I think made sense for the story. In Forging Silver into Stars, Tycho is in possession of rare magic rings that Grey has forged himself. This shows how much Grey values Tycho as a friend. He also appoints Tycho as the King's Courier and entrusts him with all the royal messages. I tried not to give too much away in this review. And you're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned Harper or really spoken much about Rhen. Well, my dear friend, there is some information that I do not have the privilege to disclose at the moment. Grey and Lia Mara, by contrast, are held up as righteous, even though they (especially Lia Mara) commit some questionable acts. Speaking of Lia Mara, I cannot stand her. She is a clone – an inferior one at that – of Harper. The relationship between her and Grey feels forced (I feel more chemistry between Grey and Harper). Also, what Lia Mara does to her mother at the end of the book is rather glossed over and made to seem like not that big of a deal (but it definitely is a big deal).

A Heart So Fierce and Broken - Bloomsbury Publishing

Yes, you can. You can get out of here just like I can.” He leaves the window to stop in front of me, and when he speaks, his voice grows quiet. “He’s not your warden either. You don’t have to spend your nights waiting up for him.” Little does he know that the heir he is hunting for is Grey. All while this is happening, Grey is undercover in a town hiding from Rhen and his guards because he wants to avoid causing Rhen any trouble. Let's just say, his plan didn't work out.......... This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! I definitely recommend it to everyone who likes Fantasy, Fairytales, Adventure and Romance. It surprised and delighted me in that it was not any sort of retelling. Though I did think A Curse so Dark and Lonely was one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast, even better than the Disney versions, since it dealt with a genuine beast that killed people. I just had to get that out. I can't bear the thought of any of them dying. They all deserve happy endings after all the suffering they've been through, especially Grey and Rhen.Rhen: Rhen was such a great character in ACSDAL and I really disliked his arc through this one, he was pretty much unrecognisable. Lia Mara was born to Karis Luran, the late queen of Sylh Shallow and an unnamed general. She has one younger sister Nolla Verin; they were both raised by their mother in the Crystal Palace. He meets some wonderful characters and they journey together throughout the majority of the story. Brigid Kemmerer is an excellent writer and makes each of the characters come to life. I could picture each one of them and though they start out as strangers and foes, the travelers become united and even friends. The love interest Lia Mara, is one of them. If there is one plus to this book, it is that it allows us to see more of the world beyond Ironrose Castle. The story also moves along at a decent pace, and the book itself is an easy read. Overall

A Heart So Fierce and Broken Quotes - Goodreads A Heart So Fierce and Broken Quotes - Goodreads

Here there be spoilers because I have a lot of feelings about this book and I CANNOT contain them okay? SORRY. And be warned that most of them are not positive - to my own surprise. He sighs, then moves to sit beside me on the couch. I lean my head against his shoulder, and we stare at the fire together. Let's just say this book ended in way that has left me desperate for the next book. D E S P E R A T E. And the worst part is, he's not wrong either. I was acting on emotion. I wasn't thinking about how anyone would perceive my actions. I spent months thinking Grey was dead, and after seeing what Rhen was willing to do in the courtyard, I wasn't going to wait around for him to up the ante. This review is incredibly early, the book doesn’t come out until January 7th, 2020. But I wanted to get my thoughts out into the world and not have to have this on my mind anymore.No point. My biggest reason for not liking this was because essentially.... it's pointless. A Heart So Fierce and Broken basically takes the plot from book one and lights it on fire. Literally, the plot of this book makes the first one feel like everything Harper and Grey went through to help Rhen be "the good guy" was all for naught. Which brings me right to my next point. In general, AHSFAB's storyline was very predictable. I've heard this said by many people about the first book too, but didn't feel so myself. Or if I did, it was only in the sense that I saw the obvious red thread behind it all because .. well .. it is a retelling. I found that comforting if anything, but not boring. And while I was not necessarily bored reading book two (I read this very fast for my standards too. Brigid Kemmerer's writing style is very fluid and easy to read), I knew exactly what was gonna happen next, to a point where I honestly asked myself if it's worth actually reading some of the chapters or if just skimming would be enough.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken: Cursebreaker, Book 2 A Heart So Fierce and Broken: Cursebreaker, Book 2

Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall? Lia Mara is the firstborn daughter of Karis Luran of Syhl Shallow which is over the mountains from Emberfall. If you remember from ACSDAL, Karis Luran is the bloodthirsty Queen whose forces tried to invade Emberfall when she thought the royal family was gone and the Kingdom was at its weakest. It's a no wonder this book was named A Heart So Fierce and Broken. I literally feel like my heart has been broken.💔😭Transition and pacing. One of the things I can say that honestly did not disappoint in this book was the pacing. Sometimes fantasy novels fall into the trap of having a lull in the middle of the story up until the end but this kept me engaged when I was reading it...even if I didn't actually like what I was reading. And the transition from book one to book two flowed super well in my opinion. The author does a great job of recapping book one without ever making it boring or redundant. It took me a while to warm up to all the new characters, but I suppose they were alright. I liked the sort of brotherly relationship between Grey and Tycho. The sisters rivalry between Nola and Lia irked me at the beginning, but I’m glad with how it worked out in the end. My favorite part about the book was definitely seeing how the dynamic among these forementioned characters along with Noah and Jake slowly changed from being hostile to showing a good camaraderie. I loved seeing the transformation in Grey's character arc as well.