Week 2 Review: A Heart So Fierce and Broken

From Goodreads:

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown.

The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.

Grey may be the heir, but he doesn't want anyone to know his secret. 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?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

My Review:
This book was such a great read, it gave me such strong emotions! And I'm glad that I read it when I did-I purposefully, after reading book 1, decided to read this one as close to the publication date of book 3, because I knew I wouldn't want to wait. And that was a good decision on my part, given everything that happens in this book! 

I really enjoyed being in Lia Mara and Grey's heads. We knew Grey from the first book, but Lia Mara was a new character, and I loved the political smarts that she brought to the table. The situation that they're all is is pretty summed up with the saying between a rock and a hard place!

Rhen was really awful in this book. I mean, he was an asshole in the first one, but he was redeemed by his actions. Well, by the same method, his actions condemn him. Grey was his friend, and he just couldn't trust in him. He had a child whipped. There's no way he deserves the crown after that, he's too cruel. A happy ending is him and Harper in DC or something. But he can't be the ruler of Emberfall. 

Honestly, Haper and Lia Mara were my favourite characters in this book, they were the ones who didn't aggravate me. Both Grey and Rhen are caught up in the past, Rhen the fear of magic wielders, and Grey, his memories of being a guardsman. If they hadn't been blinded by all of that, maybe things would've worked out in this book. But no, they had to be stubborn!

Oh, and then there's her mom, Karis Luran. Like, I know you want to make an alliance with Emberfall with Grey. But she wants the alliance with her heir. And I'm like, the two countries wouldn't accept becoming one, having the rulers of both be married would complicate things. So why not let Lia Mara and Grey be together, that's still an alliance, and it works out better. Urgh! 

But wow, that ending! It was just the icing on a cake of just being so infuriating, that between the choice of his new found brother, and his enemy, he chooses his enemy. Argh, I can't wait to read A Vow So Bold and Deadly! 

This was a really fantastic read, and I need to read more!   

Author: Brigid Kemmer 
Series: Cursebreakers #2
Read: January 11th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book!
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Published: January 7th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars