Book Review: A Curse so Dark and Lonely

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is YA fantasy EXACTLY as it should be. Amazingly, the hype is true.
There is no insta-love, and A Curse So Dark and Lonely is full of complex emotions, features a heroine whose disability never defines her, a prince who is (slowly) learning his place, a stoic commander/bodyguard (whom I find very yummy, lol) and a supporting cast whom seem as real as the pages you read them off. This is an amazing book. I rarely give into hype but this time this book truly deserves all the amazing reviews it has received.

Beauty and the Beast Re-telling
I did not believe it was possible to do Beauty and the Beast in a realistic, socially acceptable way. It always felt to me, even as a child, like the most unlikely of fairytales. Why would anyone want to love a cruel, killing beast? And yet Brigid Kemmerer gives us a 'beast' that is not only endearing but in fact worthy of some sort of affection.
But it's not really our beast/prince that is the reason our lead gal gets tangled up. In fact it's the whole land he rules, it's people, it's sorrows and triumphs that bring her around. Before she can really appreciate or understand him; she needs to understand his circumstances. I feel like this is very true of real life. You can't truly love anyone until you understand where they are coming from.

And yet it's not love...
Now before you are thinking that the ending is obvious, she must fall in love with him, let me caution you. It's not that simple. This fact alone makes Kemmerer's story so much more complex than the average fairy tale. At no time is it a given that any one thing will happen. This is not your Disney "Happily Ever After" fairy tale. So be prepared as not everyone can survive, not everyone can be happy, and not everyone can fall in love.

Loyalty
There are many themes throughout A Curse So Dark and Lonely; not the least of which is loyalty. From loyalty to your family (aka: blood kin), to friends, to country, to monarchy, to your own values. Loyalty is a core piece of this story. I love the conflicting loyalty that is shown in Commander Grey (our prince's bodyguard). He is in fact my favourite character throughout the whole book (and not just because his descriptions make him sound sooo gorgeous). Grey has to find a way to live not only with his own guilt and grief but also with his constant turmoil over what his loyalty to the prince means he has to do. And this is played out time and time again. I want to say more but I will give too much away! Let's just say that Grey is a key character to pay attention to. I really like how Kemmerer didn't just make the prince and his (hopefully) curse breaking girly the only main characters. Without each of the people that they encounter, and definitely without stoic Grey, we couldn't have the story we do.

Disability Representation
Our lead gal, Harper, has cerebral palsy (CP). It's established early on. What's also discussed very quickly is that her CP is not near as bad as some have. She has a left foot/leg that does not cooperate much and has had many surgeries and physical therapy over the years. It was important to me that there be a reference to her being 'lucky', as Kemmerer calls it, that she can walk at all. My cousin has CP and he is bound to a wheelchair; yet that doesn't mean he isn't smart and capable. Because he is very competent, has a full time job and lived on his own for years. Impressive all from a wheelchair. I love how our lead gal is challenged by her disability but at no point does she allow it to define her. In fact she gets very fired up when people talk about it in any way other than what it is, a birth defect that she needs to overcome. It's a refreshing and wonderful portrayal of a physical disability. For once I have zero objections or issues with how disability is portrayed. It's really great to see an author get it 'right'.

Emotional
I feel like I keep saying how surprised I was by A Curse so Dark and Lonely but I really have no better word for my emotions and reaction. The most surprising part of Kemmerer's story wasn't that it was a good fairy tale portrayal or that her characters were solid; it was actually how much emotion was in the pages. I'm not an emotional person most days and yet I was moved by so many small moments throughout the book. It wasn't one big sob fest; but it held these nuggets of progressing emotions that were as poignant as any climax. This increase towards possible love, friendship and appreciation felt just like real life often does. It's not an instant "I love you" moment for most of us. Be it with a possible spouse, friend or family member. It's something that evolves over time. And Kemmerer nailed it with her characters feelings.
The other interesting part was how often our characters question themselves and each other. They find themselves saying it is "real" or just "the curse". I think in real life we do this a lot too. Is this just lust or love? Am I sure this is "it"? These are difficult questions to answer because there is no definition for what love really is and how you know you've arrived at it.

Overall
I could probably write hundreds more words about this book and all themes, moments and successes in it. But no one wants to read that! Instead I recommend you just read A Curse so Dark and Lonely.
I went into it very skeptical, thinking I was going to read the typical hype YA book of the year and have a lot to say about it. Well I have a lot to say but it's all positive; which I did not expect.
This is a story that I will be adding to my print bookcases (the highest praise I can give to a book). Additionally this is a series (even though you may not think it will be for most of the book) and the ending certainly makes us want, no NEED, book 2 like right now. Yet there is sooo much in book 1 that I think I'll be book hungover for some time as I try to separate this gem of YA fantasy literature from the average book I will read for the rest of the month. In fact, even though it's only April, I'm willing to say there is a very good chance this is one of the best books of 2019. Who would have guessed it would be a YA Fantasy Romance that would be this good?! Certainly not me.
So get out there and read A Curse so Dark and Lonely if you've been looking for a romantic YA fairytale. I am confident you will find it engrossing, endearing and ultimately wonderful.

I'll leave you with this lovely quote that really struck me as I read:
"I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

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