Propulsive, intricate plotting and intimate first-person-present narration.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A fiercely hopeful exploration of loyalty, perception, and agency in the face of fear, misinformation, and violence.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“With fresh takes on familiar fantasy tropes, plus gorgeous world building, this book spins one intriguing mystery after another as these three memorable voices fight to follow their hearts, despite the odds.” —Booklist
“A glorious amalgam of fantasy and historical fiction. . . . A breathless romance.” —School Library Connection
“This sweeping, romantic epic repeatedly turns the tables on the fantasy tropes that readers might be expecting.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN
“Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale: a finely-drawn fantasy world, a heroine rarely seen in fiction, and a tortured hero with a secret.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A SPARK OF LIGHT and SMALL GREAT THINGS, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“Absolutely spellbinding.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL and LEGENDARY on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“I couldn't get this creative, suspenseful take on 'Beauty and the Beast' out of my head.” —Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of EVERLESS on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“A fast-paced, richly detailed feminist epic.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“This enthralling modern fable champions altruism while illustrating intimacy's relationship with honesty, respect, trust, and consent.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“Fans of Cassandra Clare, Marissa Meyer, or Alex Flinn, as well as any reader looking to sink into a top-notch story with great characters, will want to read this book.” —VOYA, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
“A complex, creative, and compelling reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.” —School Library Connection, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
★ 2022-02-09
As Emberfall and Syhl Shallow prepare a Royal Challenge to promote unity between their countries, the vocally anti-magic Truthbringers conspire to turn public favor against King Grey.
Set four years after Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker trilogy, this timely, nuanced series opener introduces teen narrators Callyn, Jax, and Tycho, whose alternating perspectives navigate moral ambiguities and confront past and present traumas. Baker Callyn and blacksmith Jax have supported one another through many hardships: the accident that claimed one of Jax’s feet, the loss of Callyn’s parents, and the ongoing physical abuse Jax sustains from his father. Pushed to the point of desperation, Jax and Callyn accept a dangerous but well-paid job conveying potentially treasonous messages for the Truthbringers—but after a chance encounter with Tycho, the King’s Courier, the friends realize they’re in way over their heads. Notably, despite widespread distrust of magic, Tycho and others in Grey’s inner circle wear rings of Iishellasan steel that allow them to borrow his power, foreshadowing further revelations about how the magic functions. Tycho also faces scrutiny for his growing friendship with Jax and Callyn, and as the first Royal Challenge approaches, political and romantic intrigue abound. Both primary romances offer a masterclass in organic yet explicit depictions of consent, including a smoldering queer romance that’s profound in its treatment of intimacy with a sexual assault survivor. Major characters default to White.
A fiercely hopeful exploration of loyalty, perception, and agency in the face of fear, misinformation, and violence. (map, character list) (Fantasy. 14-18)
