Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by jersy
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
At first, this wasn't really what I wanted from a Beauty and the Beast story: it lacked the magical, fairy tale vibe and I didn't ship the couple. However, the things it did with the trope, and especially as its own story, convinced me anyway.
This is the first Beauty and the Beast I experienced that isn't just two people sitting in a castle and falling in love. Brigid Kemmerer opens up the world and lets our leads care for the wellbeing of their subjects. There are a lot of interesting characters and while they aren't that deep it makes the world feel like an actual place worth saving. While I didn't love the love interests, I did like our trio as allies and friends. There were a lot of great ideas in the story, both as a retelling and as its own light "lets save the kingdom" story. The parts connected to our modern world were my least favorite part, as expected, but there were only about 20 pages set there anyway.
I really enjoyed this a lot but I don't think I care much for what is set up for the sequel, although I would like to spend more time with the characters.
This is the first Beauty and the Beast I experienced that isn't just two people sitting in a castle and falling in love. Brigid Kemmerer opens up the world and lets our leads care for the wellbeing of their subjects. There are a lot of interesting characters and while they aren't that deep it makes the world feel like an actual place worth saving. While I didn't love the love interests, I did like our trio as allies and friends. There were a lot of great ideas in the story, both as a retelling and as its own light "lets save the kingdom" story. The parts connected to our modern world were my least favorite part, as expected, but there were only about 20 pages set there anyway.
I really enjoyed this a lot but I don't think I care much for what is set up for the sequel, although I would like to spend more time with the characters.