Title: A Heart so Fierce and Broken
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Audiobook (Audible)
Length: 13 Hours 28 Minutes
Narrated by: Melissa Beyern, Matt Reeves, Kate Handford, and Davis Brooks
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
Grey may be the heir, but he doesn’t want anyone to know his secret. 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?
The heart-pounding, compulsively listenable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.
My Rating: 4
This was my second read-through of the books, this time in audiobook form. I originally read the series in 2022 in ebook form. Now while I love the series as a whole, this particular book took a lot to get through, and unfortunately the narration of Lia Mara’s character did not help with that on this second read. I found the narration of her to be annoying and exhausting. A far cry from how I had imagined the character speaking during my initial read. When the book is primarily from the perspective of the characters Grey and Lia Mara it was tough.
**This review may contain spoilers if you have not read the first book of the series**
The curse is broken, but things are far from over. Grey is missing, possibly dead, and there are rumours that there is another heir to the kingdom of Emberfall and that the true heir has magic. This puts Rhen on high alert. Magic nearly destroyed his kingdom and kept him locked in a curse for what for him felt like hundreds of years. He is terrified that the same thing will happen again.
This book felt entirely like a filler episode of a TV show or anime. The bridge in the gap between the events of book one and three. Okay, sure, these events had to occur in order for things to potentially resolve in the third book. It was one long setup for future events. But did it have to happen the way it did?
Our primary characters from the first book barely make an appearance, and when they appear, all the character growth, we saw from them seems non-existent. They barely talk to each other, and we are given no insight into the state of their relationship. We see characters we fell in love with in the first book become the exact opposite of what they left us as in the first book. People who claim to hate the brutality of another nation after what they’ve done to their kingdom are sure quick to behave the same way to get what they want.
Most of the book, as mentioned earlier, is from the POVs of the characters Grey and Lia Mara, which is fine. We learn more about where Grey came from and his struggle to find his identity now that he is no longer a royal guard. He’s been one for so long, depriving himself of his own thoughts and feelings. He doesn’t seem to know who he is, or have any confidence in that.
Lia Mara provides insight into her kingdom, her mother, and how she wishes for a different way of doing things. The exact opposite of how her mother rules and her sister will rule when she eventually becomes queen. But wanting and making it happen are two entirely different things, and she spends most of the time being all “woe is me, I’m weak. I can’t do anything. “
There were a few things the book had going for it. The first was pacing. It wasn’t slow to read at all. It did not drag. The second was that we got some great new secondary characters from it. Tycho, a 14/15-year-old boy who was sold into servitude to Worwick the man Grey works for while in hiding; and Iisak, a scraver, a humanoid being with dark grey skin, wings, and clawed hands and feet, who was a captive by Worwick and later freed by Grey “as a distraction”. These two characters helped make the story better. But like with other characters from the first book, Tycho is strongly present at the beginning of the book and is merely mentioned and just kind of there for the second half. Which was disappointing. More interactions between him and Grey would have been good, especially with how loyal Tycho had been to Grey and specific events that occurred. It’s like that plot point fell off the face of the planet.
Is this one worth reading? Probably, especially if you want to read the third book of the series and have things make more sense. While I don’t remember all the details (hence my re-read of this series) the third one is better.
Have you read this book?
What were your thoughts on it?
Are there any books you would recommend for me to read based on this book review?
Leave a comment below and let me know.
Happy Reading!
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