Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone- even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.
Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Shyl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has enchanted an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey's deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.
As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and a dangerous enemy returns, and a dangerous enemy returns, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreaker series.
Loved
- The intensity. Wow this last book was very fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning pages. Just when we think things are starting to look up, a huge disaster happens that throws off the whole plan. This villain kicks up the intensity with her brutality- always keeping us nervous about what she'll do next. I finished this one in three days- during a work week- because it went so quickly and wouldn't let me go!
- Harper. Okay, let's be real- the best part of this series is Harper. I just adore her. She's so real, which is so refreshing. She doesn't try to prove herself or be something she's not- she's just purely genuine and earnest in all her actions and interactions. I also love her modern-world perspective on medieval-world problems- her assessments and observations always make me laugh. I also love how quick she is to realize her mistakes and try to make up for them. She did not disappoint in this story and I miss her already!
- Grey and Rhen. I won't spoil anything here, so no stress :) To be honest, in A Heart so Fierce and Broken I had just about had it with these two princes and their annoying pride and petty decisions. However, I loved their relationship in this story and the way things played out between them. I ended up loving them both, despite the decisions they had made and the grudges they had held. My love for Rhen and his eternal angstiness even rekindled after being doused in A Heart so Fierce and Broken. :)
- The crew. One of my favorite things about trilogies is that by the third book, we love the whole crew. I love the secondary characters in this story- especially Noah and Tycho- they have my heart! I loved how the crew developed both in their relationships with each other and also individually as they overcame challenges and each grew up a little more.
Didn't Love
- My only complaint about this story is that I didn't feel I got all the resolution I deserved after experiencing so much with these characters- I need more closure! I wanted to know more how everything resolved politically and what happened to the secondary characters- and I felt like we were left hanging a little with questions. But overall I loved this book!
Content
Content
- Language:
- Frequent use of "silver hell."
- Occasional uses of "damn," "ass," and "bastard."
- Sexual content:
- This book is quite a bit, ah, spicier than the other two- we have two sex scenes between two different couples:
- A steamy scene between a male/female couple involving passionate kissing, undressing, hands roaming over bare skin, talking about how neither of them have had sex, and then saying "Surely we can figure it out" (Pages130-136).
- Another steamy scene between a different male/female couple. Begins with him helping her unlace a dress, then kissing, she sits in his lap in a dress with nothing underneath, his hands roam over her bare legs an her breast, he touches her under her dress and she cries out and "sees stars." They undress fully and the scene ends with them both in bed (pages 216-220).
- Some kisses between other couples, not described.
- Mentions of going to brothels.
- Mentions of a character sleeping with a woman who then cursed him.
- Violence:
- Some assassination attempts and characters are injured through fire. Assassins are killed on the spot.
- A woman in court is ordered to have her tongue cut out.
- A young woman is stabbed for speaking out against the queen.
- A few skirmishes between soldiers where soldiers are killed with arrows and swords.
- A secondary character's throat is ripped out.
- Many characters are killed and lie in their blood, their bodies are moved and burned.
- A character is tortured, has his eye ripped out and is nearly dead.
- A character's heart is presented to another character.
- A secondary character is killed through stabbing.
- In the bonus material in the Barnes and Noble edition of the book, there is a LOT of violence- families, including children are massacred and their deaths are described. Many deaths of vengeance are described- an innocent man is stabbed many times out of revenge.
- Other themes:
- LGBTQ+: Two secondary male characters are dating seriously. They sleep in the same bed and are affectionate with each other, no kissing described.
- One character becomes pregnant- talk of morning sickness.
- Frequent use of "silver hell."
- Occasional uses of "damn," "ass," and "bastard."
- This book is quite a bit, ah, spicier than the other two- we have two sex scenes between two different couples:
- A steamy scene between a male/female couple involving passionate kissing, undressing, hands roaming over bare skin, talking about how neither of them have had sex, and then saying "Surely we can figure it out" (Pages130-136).
- Another steamy scene between a different male/female couple. Begins with him helping her unlace a dress, then kissing, she sits in his lap in a dress with nothing underneath, his hands roam over her bare legs an her breast, he touches her under her dress and she cries out and "sees stars." They undress fully and the scene ends with them both in bed (pages 216-220).
- Some kisses between other couples, not described.
- Mentions of going to brothels.
- Mentions of a character sleeping with a woman who then cursed him.
- Some assassination attempts and characters are injured through fire. Assassins are killed on the spot.
- A woman in court is ordered to have her tongue cut out.
- A young woman is stabbed for speaking out against the queen.
- A few skirmishes between soldiers where soldiers are killed with arrows and swords.
- A secondary character's throat is ripped out.
- Many characters are killed and lie in their blood, their bodies are moved and burned.
- A character is tortured, has his eye ripped out and is nearly dead.
- A character's heart is presented to another character.
- A secondary character is killed through stabbing.
- In the bonus material in the Barnes and Noble edition of the book, there is a LOT of violence- families, including children are massacred and their deaths are described. Many deaths of vengeance are described- an innocent man is stabbed many times out of revenge.
- LGBTQ+: Two secondary male characters are dating seriously. They sleep in the same bed and are affectionate with each other, no kissing described.
- One character becomes pregnant- talk of morning sickness.
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