A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Contains spoilers. See my review for A Curse So Dark and Lonely
A Heart So Fierce and Broken
Cursebreakers Book Two
Written by Brigid Kemmerer
Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
464 Pages
Published January 21st 2020
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
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.

Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been 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?
Throughout Emberfall, the Kingdom whispers of a mysterious heir to the throne, a legitimate child and magesmith born of the former King. Grey is a steadfast friend, a protector and patriotic resident of the Kingdom, formerly serving as the Commander of the royal guard. Released from his royal oath to protect the Crown Prince of Emberfall, Grey captured the sorceress Lady Lilith and abandoned Emberfall for Washington to save the lives of his friend and the young woman he once captured on the streets of Washington.

Grey is cloaked by the unswept streets of Rillisk under an alias, posing as a stablehand for a local charlatan. Revelations surrounding the mysterious magesmith and heir have inflamed disloyalty within the kingdom, Rhen's reign is being challenged by his constitutes and believing that Grey is aware of the identity of the heir, is determined to return his once friend and guard commander back to Emberfall. To appease her kingdom, Karis Luran must secure a secure trade route through any means necessary. Aware the Washington alliance is a farce, Karis Luran begins preparing her forces to conquer Emberfall.

Pursued by the royal guard, captured and held within the Ironrose castle, Grey discovers a young woman being held as leverage. Lia Mara is the eldest daughter of Karis Luran, a ruthless woman and Queen of Syhl Shallow. Lia Mara is a peacemaker, defying her mother and appealing to Emberfall for unity between the two kingdoms when she is captured and accused of espionage. Lia Mara is quiet young woman, intelligent and compassionate and although with aspirations of becoming Queen, her sister is appointed as heir to the Syhl Shallow throne.

Escaping Ironrose with barely his life, Lia Mara and Grey journey to Syhl Shallow, the first Princess offering refuge and protection on behalf of her mother and kingdom. Ruthless and calculating, Karis Luran believes Grey is the heir and offers to secure his place on the throne in exchange for an alliance, offering her daughter Nolla Verin's hand in marriage. Selflessly, Lia Mara disregards her blossoming attraction to Grey and encourages her sister to pursue the legitimate Emberfall heir. Nolla Verin is an interesting character. The youngest daughter of Karis Luran and heir to the throne, Lia Mara and sister Nolla Verin are contrasting siblings, Nolla Verin is seemingly cutthroat and unforgiving but beneath the impassive facade lies a young girl desperately seeking her the approval of her mother.

Grey is a character who endears readers, his quiet and gentle temperament a contrast to his position as Commander of the royal guard. To ensure the preservation of Rhen reigning over Emberfall, Grey abandoned his country, his friend and the girl who held his affections. On the journey from Ironrose to Syhl Shallow, Grey and Lia Mara's tentative companionship blossomed, sharing the vision of a unified country of affluence and harmony. Grey is enchanted by his travelling companion, Lia Mara's resilience and ferocity surprising the former Commander, himself who endured season after season of the curse that befell his beloved Emberfall. A beautifully tender romance.

Rhen is monstrous. Refusing a mutual treaty with Karis Luran, Rhen imprisons Lia Mara and mercilessly orders violent assaults against those who oppose him. Harper enables his violent behaviour, exonerating him of responsibility. I'm reserving judgement and eagerly awaiting the finale installment of this spectacular series.

Enchanting and atmospheric, A Heart So Fierce and Broken is a beautifully written and compelling installment.

10 comments

  1. All these great reviews for this series have me *this* close to reading it. It's outside my norm, but I adore Kemerer. I am glad to hear the second book was a strong addition to the series, because second books always scare me. Especially if the first book was amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's an incredibly enchanting series that appeals to readers of a range of genres, it'll really surprise you. If you've liked her contemporaries, definitely give the series a read, it's character driven rather than the focus on world building so I think you'll really enjoy this one as well. I would love to see what you think of it!

      Delete
  2. I'm holding off reading this series until all of the books are out but Brigid Kemmerer's contemporaries are some of my faves so I cannot wait to start reading this series to see what her fantasy writing is like. This sounds so good as well. Everyone's reviews for the first book made it sounds good but now I really want to read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's similar to her contemporaries, just placed within a fantasy setting. The series is character driven, which I love with complex friendships and relationships. It reminds me of the early Throne of Glass books, intense romances and brilliant characters. You'll love this one!

      Delete
  3. Sounds like a great fantasy series! Lia and Grey sound great. Such a beautiful cover too. Glad this one was good. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lia Mara and Grey are both such incredible characters as individuals and I really appreciated that they still held onto that independence as their relationship blossomed. The covers of the series are truly stunning!

      Delete
  4. I loved the first book in this series so much and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this second installment. Grey was pretty much my favorite character from book 1 so I'm glad to hear he has a prominent role in this book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mine too! He and Harper had wonderful chemistry, which I didn't see between Harper and Rhen. Now that I've read this one, I can see why Grey needed to find his own path. Lia Mara is an incredible character and the ending Suzanne! Oh my goodness!

      Delete
  5. Epic comes to mind when reading this blurb and your review — i like Grey’s contrast between who he is and his position. Hmmm, definitely going to gave to check this series out further — enticing review, Kelly!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just skimmed this because I still need to read the first book (I have it) but I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well.

    Karen @ For What It's worth

    ReplyDelete

© Diva Booknerd. Design by Fearne.