Gorgeous photo by @siinalein_reads
Bonjour, good day!
It’s day six and things are getting INTENSE! So much stuff has happened, and I really wonder how things are going to turn out for our trio. I just want them all to be safe and happy!
Are you ready to read? I’ve got my hot chocolate!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for A Curse So Dark and Lonely chapters 39-49 inclusively. Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!
-!SPOILERS!-
Harper is taken back to DC and instantly we are hit with all of the lights, sounds and smells of a city. Her goodbye to Grey was SO sad. I did not want her to leave Rhen and Grey, but I also wanted her to go back to her family to save them! My heart is so torn! And it’s so wonderful that Rhen has given her all the gold and jewels to pay off the debtors. But then, she asks Grey to come back to get her in 24 hours and I’m just like YAAAS! She is going to try to save them both!
Harper’s return to her family is bittersweet. Her brother is so happy to see her, but he wants to hide her away and our girl Harper is having none of that! She’s grown into this badass whilst she was in Emberfall, and I love it.
When Grey returns to Emberfall and he shares a drink with Rhen, I find it so emotional. Rhen has failed, he is defeated. CAN OUR POOR CINNAMON ROLL JUST BE HAPPY? I have a feeling bad things are coming and gosh darn our boy has had enough bad things happen to him! And then Rhen says he sensed a spark with Grey and Harper and that Grey should go back for her to be with her and I AM SCREAMING. I totally felt the connection there but RHENNNNN. Grey is loyal to him though, and I don’t think he would do that. I think they just have chemistry. *shrugs* Also this time the beast that Rhen is turning into has scales! They’ve never seen scales before and I am SCARED. MY EMOTIONS.
We switch back to Harper now and her mum breathes her last breath. I cannot handle all of these emotions! *sobs for an eternity* This is all too much! Her brother isn’t trusting her, and I can’t say I don’t blame him for being skeptical because she came back with a bag filled with jewels and gold but SHE IS HERE TO HELP. (Also, you’ll notice that when I get really excited I can’t help but type in capslock SORRYY).
Rhen’s meeting with Karis Luran is INTENSE. She sees straight through his lies, and we find out that his father was paying a tithe to them! AND, Karis Luran tells us that Rhen might have an older brother who is half SORCERER and I just did not see that coming. I am shook and this is all too much. TOO MUCH! Lilith appears (of course she does ugh) and Rhen stabs her and I may have smiled when I read that. Then he jumps to try to sacrifice himself but he transforms into a beast that can fly and oh my gosh have I mentioned how crazy my emotions are right now?!
When Harper is waiting for Grey to come back to get her, Jake is sitting with her and totally not believing that there will be someone to get her. Heck, I wouldn’t! The whole thing is nuts! I love the tender moment she is sharing with him on the bench, and my heart melts when he talks about Noah. Grey doesn’t show and we know something bad has happened. (Side note: I love how Rhen’s chapters now read ‘monster’ and are blank!)
Two days have passed, and on this day Jake has invited Noah over so Harper can finally meet him. They’re having a normal night in and then Grey comes to the door injured and just OH MY GOSH SOMEONE HOLD ME (I know I’m really dramatic but come on!). Thank goodness Noah works in the ER so he can help him! Jake and Noah believe her now, and honestly they handle it pretty well. Also, I know everything is all serious now but when Noah gave Grey ibuprofen and he crunched them like candy and grimaced I lol’d so hard. The whole dynamic of Grey with Noah and Jake is actually pretty hilarious, despite the impending doom. Lawrence’s men storm in and BAM Grey transports them all to Emberfall! I laugh again when Harper introduces Jake as a prince when they come across Jamison.
Could you stop at today’s chapters? IT’S SO HARD TO STOP! What do you think is going to happen to our awesome trio?
With Love,
Anissa
Whooooaaa, it was so hard to stop reading! Can’t wait to finish this book tomorrow and see how everything comes together!
Back in DC Harper gives Grey a hug. He tells her he would have kept her in Emberfall. She asks him to come back for her in 24 hours. He leaves her with his daggers which I’m guessing will get some use in the morning.
Jake is frantic when he sees her thinking her cheek means the loan sharks had her. He is still treating her as vulnerable and she’s like I bought money and we are going to sort it. Like she’s been all the time in Emberfall.
Grey returns to Rhen and then we get to meet drunk Grey. I love drunk Grey. Rhen releases him from his Oath and tries to get him to agree to kill him after meeting Karis. He also suggests Grey return for Harper for him to date her. Grey refuses the former but lets on that Harper has asked her to return. Rhen shows the scales and they think they might be too late.
Harper’s keeping vigil by her mum. Jake still thinks she’s working with Lawrence and oddly enough doesn’t believe the kidnapped by a fairytale prince excuse. Mum wakes up. Tells Harper she’s proud of her, says she’s been waiting, and dies. ?
Karis comes and calls him boy and asks to speak to the King. She knows he’s dead. He was paying her a tithe. She suggests there is another heir to the throne. Could it be Grey?
She gives them a week to evacuate before war.
Bloody Lilith comes to mock but Rhen stabs her and then he jumps from the parapet ?? I’m guessing/hoping he’ll turn into a dragon on the way down.
Jake still doesn’t believe Harper. She tells him she knows about Noah. She wants to go home. To Rhen and Grey and Emberfall.
Dragon!!!!!!!! Run!!! But yay. Not dead.
Jake comes to sit and wait for Grey with Harper. He still doesn’t believe her. She tries to convince him to join her but he loves Noah who is a trainee doctor.
Harry Potter reference ??
Grey doesn’t show! What happened on the roof.
Monster blank chapter. Nice touch.
She gets to meet Noah tho. Jake asks her about going back to school. Princess to high school. Bit of a demotion.
Knock on the door. Harper shows her Knife skillz.
It’s Grey. Covered in blood. Handy there’s a doctor in the place.
Noah takes some persuading not to call an ambulance and to stitch Grey up. When he wakes Grey is a bit “antsy” but luckily no one gets hurt.
It was Rhen that did this. He can attack from above this time!
Harper knows he tried to sacrifice himself.
Jake tries to stop Harper going back when Lawrence’s men burst in and suddenly all four of them are in Emberfall. Jamison finds them, Jake becomes Prince Jacob (Thinking on his feet runs in the family). Noah becomes the healer.
The monster thinks of Harper. There’s hope.
Drunk Grey is just adorable. I love him to pieces, and there’s such a juxtaposition of seeing him all broken and bloody when he turns up at Harper’s apartment later. I can’t believe how worried I am about him! ?
And Rhen, of course. He seemed to notice Harper returning to his kingdom, though. That’s gotta be a good sign, right? How hard did Chapter 46 hit, though? It really felt like a guy punch. Poor Rhen! ?
I get Jake being protective over his sister, but he takes it to a really annoying level, doesn’t he. I mean, I know he loves her and all, but seriously, let her do what she needs to. She’s crazy strong! ?
These chapters fully tore me apart (in the best possible way!)
When Rhen stabbed Lilith and then jumped… my heart was beating so far. It was such a wonderful and badass moment, and I’m obviously so relieved he turned into a flying monster as he fell, but also a tiny bit heart-broken that he’s now the monster again and has lost himself.
The blank chapter to show this was just amazing though heart-breaking.
everything about these chapters was heartbreaking!
I also found it super frustrating how Jake treated Harper… like I fully can see why he might as an overprotective big brother, but it just goes to show how much Harper has grown since the start of the book, in part thanks to Rhen and Grey and how… they never really took notice of her disability, and thus treated her as if she could do everything therefore giving her the room to grow and be able to do everything!
I love this little nuance to Rhen and Harper’s relationship too – relationships should be in part about bringing out the best in the other person.
Emberfall doesn’t have a government/media presenting a rubbish portrayal of disability.
There is gonna be an other instalive with the author, right?
Cause I think it would be so cool to hear about the writing process of a retelling. Especially because all the non beauty and the beast parts are so well thought out.
Lets enjoy the last bits of this book ?
I am still enjoying this book, possibly enjoying it more. It’s the second to last day of the read along and it getting so interesting and exciting. I am too sad for it to end but I am super excited to know what happens in book 2 ?
It was nice to see that Harper got home just in time to see her brother and mum. It was really sad to read when her mum passed away, but at least they both got to see her just in time. Hearing about Jakes boyfriend Noah was a really sweet seen, I could just picture them on that bench and him blushing when talking about Noah. And for home to be a sexy doctor in training is hot! Anyone else agree?
I got worried for Grey when it had been two days since the day they were suppose to of met up again to go back to Emberfall. We knew that Rhen had changed into his monster self, but we didn’t know about Grey’s and everyone’s survival. To which it was shocking when Grey turned up and literally fell through the door, it was very lucky that Noah was there to patch him up. For a moment, I though that Jake and Noah was going to have a fight because of all this craziness happening, thankfully they didn’t.
I felt sorry for Harper when she came home for her mum and her brother. First of all she had a crying brother who was shocked and pleased that she was home. However, I thought that even though the story of where she had been sounded ridiculous he should of trusted and believed her. But, I also understand why he didn’t believe her as well.
Thankfully after there very close encounter with bullets from the debt collectors, that Grey managed to transport them back to Emberfall. Along with Jake and Noah. I did think that was a little funny, because Harper is use to the world and then you have Jake holding up and unconscious Grey while Noah is looking shocked lol ?
Hopefully, now that Harper is back they can figure out a plan. Maybe trying to find a way to save Rhen and defeat Lilith. I am also hoping that Freya and everyone is safe and no one that we have come across as been killed.
These chapters tonight were exciting and adventurous. I can’t wait to read the last of the chapters tomorrow, even though it will be sad to end the book it will be exciting to wonder what will happen in book 2 ☺️ x
So… I finished the book. I could not put it down after today’s chapters. I’m not gonna say anything about tomorrow’s chapters.
I loved today’s part. That goodbye scene, and Rhen telling Grey to go back to Harper and be with her omgggg my heart, my poor Rhen!!!! I loved this book so much… I will comment tomorrow, I’m still emotional from that ending…
Wow, I’m really enjoying this book. Nice way to get some new blood into the tale.
Of course it’s going to be a cliffhanger, but it’s going to be intense.
And who do we think is the halfling? Grey??
For Emberfall!
I have been waiting so long to post – I finished the book days ago because I couldn’t hold back!
When I turned the page, and saw the next chapter headed “monster” with no dialogue….stunned! To me that really captures the true essence of what Rhen has become at this point. A beast, with no emotion, no memory, of what has come before. How on earth can Harper and Grey bring him back from this???
This book has very quickly become one of my all time favourites, I love it so much. It’s so well written, so descriptive, and gave me so many different emotions all the way through. I cannot wait till the release of the second book ?⚘??
I wanted so much to just keep reading so I read this book faster than anticipated, so Ill write my review and post it tomorrow 🙂
I’m really happy how the story is so much more than just a beauty and the beast retelling, but when we need those key moments they feel natural. Like harper returning home didn’t feel forced and we still have the whole drama with Karis.
Love that we actually meet Noah and get to see his and Jake’s relationship. Not too happy at potential romance with grey. Can we just have platonic bffs please? Opposite genders can have deep meaningful friendships.
I 100% couldn’t stop reading today and had to finish the book, despite also catching up on yesterday’s chapters. So good.
Everything is becoming so intense! I love that Rhen seems to have become a dragon (or dragaon-like? Scales+Flying=Dragon) I really like the monster chapters from a stylistic choice. It’s like a nice hey let’s check on Rhen oh yeah he’s a mindless beast back to Harper now. Thank god Grey showed up because I didn’t want to spend much time in DC, Harper has to go back and save everyone and break the curse!
Basically I was just screaming and crying throughout all these day 6 chapters. ESPECIALLY CHAPTER 49.
But I have this theory that Grey is the halfling sorcerer true heir to the throne ? Idk why but like it seems weird to introduce an entirely new character in the next few chapters if he isn’t. Or if that will be revealed at all.
Anyway, I loved seeing Jake and Noah’s relationship and how Harper can really tell they love each other. If they get to go back in DC and Harper stays in Emberfall, at least she knows her brother has someone who loves and takes care of him ?
I couldn’t stop reading, for a moment I was scared that something happened to Grey. Also, Jake and Noah’s trip to Emberfall makes me suspicious of what comes next
I absolutely loved that Jake and Noah also came to Emberfall!!! The fact that family is incorporated back into the storyline is so important for me and I loved the detour that ended up taking Grey away. All of it is fantastic!!!