One-word review: Extensive. Let's get one thing out of the way first: I haven't read The Dresden Files . I don't even really know what The Dresden Files are about. Bottom line, I'm incredibly intimidated by The Dresden Files . So, now that I've used the words "The Dresden Files" in four consecutive sentences, I will not be using them again. If you're looking for any comparison between Butcher's old (and much more famous) book series and this one, look elsewhere. Commence review: In my mind, there are three ways to write a book set in a new fantasy/sci-fi world. There is the rare standalone novel like Good Omens or Elantris , there is the exceptionally common trilogy-setup-where-the-whole-series-should-be-one-book (which, keep in mind, includes heavy hitters like The Fellowship of the Ring ), and, finally, there is the epic series starter. As far as books that I have reviewed so far on this site go, The Aeronaut's Windlass i
So I want to get one thing out of the way first: any review I write that is 2+ stars means that I think the book is good. I know that's a low bar, but, really, I'm not going to give 2 1/2 stars to a book that is "just okay" ahem ahem, even though 2 1/2 stars may feel like a "just okay" rating.
Really, I liked this story! As far as biases go, I always like to put mine out front, especially when a book like A Curse so Dark and Lonely has so much going against it. For instance, I am yet to review an isekaion this blog, mostly because they simply haven't fallen across my reading list... but also I tend to not like them as much as other types of fantasy (despite the fact the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is my favorite video game). Additionally, this was a romance story, which, as opposed to my previous point, is something that I've reviewed quite a bit, but still tends to rank behind other subgenres. FURTHERMORE this book is a retelling of a fairy tale, and we know how I liked the last fairy tale book I read (not even mentioning the fact I dropped A Cruel Prince on the first page). Considering all of these factors, from my perspective this story has quite a bit going against it .
Which is why it's so wonderful that I liked it as much as I did!
Quick overview: (adapted from Goodreads because I'm a lazy fool) Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, can be saved if a girl falls in love with him. The added challenge is that at the end of each cycle, he turns into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. In modern Washington, DC, Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC from Rhen's loyal guardian Grey, she's pulled into Rhen's magical world as the target for Rhen's love.
There are two elements of this story that I think drove it home for me. First, Kemmerer's pacing is spectacular. So many books of this style simply drag, and drag, and drag, making any tangible plot points feel like a relief from the boredom instead of the story itself. Kemmerer manages to fill every chapter with something new happening, and simultaneously strays away from filler chapters. Yes, there are the clichés of "characters platonically sleep together for safety" and "spunky heroine learns to fight." BUT when it really matters, the characters make the decisions that make sense for them and keep the story moving forward. And that leads me in to the second part I liked - the characters. I like Harper, I like Grey, I even tolerate Rhen (and I rarely tolerate the male leads). Yes, they hardly stray from their one-dimensional aspects (except Grey, who transitions from one type of basic character to another), but they have fun dialogue and they don't do exceedingly dumb things. And oh boy do I hate it when characters do dumb things.
Really, there's a lot I like, but, at the end of the day, the story just simply doesn't pack that extra punch that I love the fantasy genre for. I feel like this story could have been told almost as well from a non-fantasy perspective. Yes, there's no direct parallel for turning into a giant beast and tearing your family apart, but I also think that's only a small part of what makes this story successful. Take the other romance story where I really like the characters - An Ember in the Ashes. There, every aspect of Laia and Elias's love story happens in the shadow of their supernatural situation. From Elias's trials in the desert to Laia's resistance spying, they meet and work together despite their situation and all the fantastical aspects of it, and their lives are continually influenced by magic and otherworldly forces. Here, in a story where the characters are forced together, that magical aspect is lost - they might as well be forced together in the high-school hallway. To really hammer this comparison home: what aspect of A Curse so Dark and Lonely rivals the moment where Elias is forced to kill several of his best friends?
All things considered, I applaud Kemmerer for taking a truly fresh and engaging look at an old story. After I put this book down, I've considered reading the sequels (I might still) and seeing as a I rarely read sequels, I do think this is high praise. I'm also excited to see what Kemmerer will come out with in the future - I'd love to see her tackle an even more ambitious project!
