My review of A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer. This book is the sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely, which I adored. I had high hopes for this one and it didn’t disappoint.
A Heart So Fierce and Broken, Brigid Kemmerer
Themes: Fantasy, Young adult, Retelling, Romance
Reading Format: Paperback
Pages: 496
5 STARS
Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an early release copy of this amazing sequel. A Heart So Fierce and Broken comes out January 7th.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely was one of the best books I read this summer, so you can imagine my expectations were set high for the sequel! Set in the same world we left off from in the first book, A Heart So Fierce and Broken follows Grey and Lia Mara’s perspectives this time. I was sad to say goodbye to Harper’s point of view, but it turns out Lia Mara is also a kick-ass female lead.
Brigid Kemmerer is excellent at writing strong, female protagonists that inspire readers. Lia Mara is the determined daughter of Karis Luran, the Queen from an opposing land that wants to challenge Emberfall. But Lia Mara isn’t like her cruel mother, she is kind and fair and wants to help her people and those of Emberfall. She looks after herself and takes on challenges to better herself.
There is a real insistence in this book that Queens do not need Kings and questioning why lineage follows Kings and not Queens when the woman bears the child. I love that this is raised as an issue, this book proves how strong and fierce women can be and how they are equal to men and can do the same things. Lia Mara wants a better future and she doesn’t need anyone’s help with that, Grey says “you didn’t need me to save you” to her, which is so true. She can always save herself, as can Harper.
Grey totally comes into his own in this book too, before we saw him as someone serving under Rhen, with his own personality starting to shine through. In this book though, he takes a lead and becomes a character I really loved. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and where this story takes the characters.
“The most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with her book”
Oh Brigid Kemmerer, you do have some of the best lines. I love it when you can tell a book has been written by a crazy bibliophile and when their love of reading extends to the characters of the book too. This woman is a superb writer, she paints a world I don’t want to step away from. I can’t wait for everyone else to enjoy this book!
AHhhhh I am really looking forward to this sequel!
I loved the first one and I need to learn more about Gray, Rhen, and although it will be hard to let go of Harper [:( ] I am really looking forward to meting Lia Mara!
– Emma 🙂
I’m really looking forward to this book! It sounds awesome and looks gorgeous.
Lovely review!
I have not read A Curse So Dark and Lonely yet, but this review really makes me want to read it asap!!
OKAY SO I SCROLLED TO ONLY THE RATING JUST IN CASE OF SPOILERS. And, oh God, I’m sorry for shouting in all caps? Sometimes I forget to press caps lock. Anyways! I’m so excited to read this one and my ARC is calling my name so YES YES YES your rating has me hyped to get to it. I kind of wanted to reread the first book but I’m like, is that really going to happen? (At least, this year. I’m definitely rereading it in the future.) BASICALLY, long comment short: I’m hyped. That’s literally it.
Ahh it’s so good! I really hope you get to it and love it!