A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

"...his next attack is brutal and swift and brings me to the ground. I taste blood and dirt on my tongue." -A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

So this is on the list of reviews that isn't really my best work. But Cursebreakers is reading material heavy on entertainment but light on substance, and my reviews tend to mirror the book.

 

In the first book, we followed Harper and Rhen on their fairytale romance. In the sequel, the story swaps between the perspectives of Grey, the used to be Commander of the Royal Guard and Not Quite Princess Lia Mara who wants to bring peace to two warring countries. 

I feel a little irritated by the character developments that had to occur for this story to take place. In the first book, Harper was a fighter and in this one the fight went bye-bye. Rhen became crueler and more defensive, aggresive. But ultimately A Heart so Fierce and Broken was not their story... 

The fairytale is gone. 

Grey is in hiding as a means to protect himself, Rhen, and the good of Emberfall. But he can't stay hidden forever and that's going to be a problem. Lia Mara is the eldest daughter of the Queen of Syhl Shallow, but her younger sister Nolla is heir to the Throne. The Queen is trying to unify Emberfall and Syhl Shallow via marriage to Nolla, but Rhen won't be wooed. If she can't put a wedge between him and Harper, she'll take his country by force. That's also going to be a problem. 

Lia Mara, the extra sister, rescues Grey from mortal peril, and then from obscurity. This is their story. Star crossed lovers working hard to uncross their stars and unify the world.

I gave this book 4 stars as it's a daring sequel, but I don't particularly care for character devolution.