A Heart so Fierce & Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer - Restarting November 18th 2021

[Tian]

Aly wrote: "Ch 3 [spoilers removed]"

Agreed-she s vicious just like her mother, but it is definitely interesting getting her through Lia Mara's eyes.

[Akshita]

Tian wrote: "Chapter 1-5

I just started this and I'm so upset and turned off! I LOVEEDDD Grey in the first book and now I feel like he is a shell of who he was before. I just don't understand his reasoning for..."

I agree with you!
The characters definitely seem to have lost their original voices and become shallower.

[Akshita]

Chapter 14-21
(view spoiler)[
Wow. A lot has happened..
I wasn't surprised even a bit when Lia Mara figured out the truth about Grey. It seems so obvious now!

I loved the snippet we saw with Grey and Lia Mara. I am excited to see more of them in the upcoming chapters!!

About Rhen,.. how could he do this Grey??!! My opinions about him have severely changed since the first book.

Noah and Jake left the castle with Grey and Tycho, leaving all the unconscious people untreated..? Won't it raise questions? Won't this get Harper in trouble?
And Harper and Rhen, Their relationship now seems more of an alliance than true love.. (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Tian wrote: "Chapter 1-5

I just started this and I'm so upset and turned off! I LOVEEDDD Grey in the first book and now I feel like he is a shell of who he was before. I just don't understand his reasoning for..."

Oh yeah, I'm super disappointed. It feels like the author is trying to make Rhen and Harper the villains.

[Tian]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Aly wrote: "ch 14 [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

I completely agree!!! It just made no sense and really really bothered me. This could have all been handled with communication. Also, THE PUBLIC DOES NOT KNOW WHO THE HEIR IS. I don't get why you can't confide in Rhen and then make a plan of what to tell the public. No one knows it's Grey!! What's the big deal-I don't get it.

[Tian]

HeatherH wrote: "Ch20
[spoilers removed]"

I KNOW. He became such a villain and I am just so NOT here for it. It just made no sense and I don't understand how Harper is standing by him...where is the Harper we knew in book 1???!

[Tian]

Klancy wrote: "I'm really disappointed because I actually didn't like this book. It felt flat to me. Grey's chapters were basically just repeated information, and whenever something new was introduced I just didn..."

Same. I actually hated this book. I really really disliked Jake. His anger at Grey seemed so misplaced, especially considering Grey saved his and Noah's life by leaving. He came across as a demanding childish petty jerk. Grey was a shell of who he was and his motives for keeping his true identity a secret did not make sense to me.

[Simone]

Chapters 6-10 (view spoiler)[Wow, Rhen is quickly becoming the villain in this book. And now we know how Lia Mara and Grey will probably meet - in prison. I'm wondering if/when Noah and Jake will show up again because they kind of just disappeared. Along with the Harper I knew from Curse.

Also, super annoyed how the Missing Grey/Missing Heir plotline is so dependent on Grey not telling Rhen anything. He keeps saying "it's for the good of Emberfall" but this all seems so pointless. I mean, all they need to do is come up with a plan (which we know Rhen was great at) on how to disclose this information to the public, and everything is solved. (hide spoiler)]

[Akshita]

Simone wrote: "Chapters 6-10 Wow, Rhen is quickly becoming the villain in this book. And now we know how Lia Mara and Grey will probably meet - in prison. I'm wondering if/when Noah and Jake will show up again be..."

Right!
(view spoiler)[ I seriously don't understand what is the need of all this drama?
Also, how will killing the true heir solve the problem? I mean, if people get to know about this, won't it cause an outrage?
And if Rhen is trying to be secretive in that, then Grey telling him the truth and then both figuring something out together can totally work. (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Akshita wrote: "Simone wrote: "Chapters 6-10 Wow, Rhen is quickly becoming the villain in this book. And now we know how Lia Mara and Grey will probably meet - in prison. I'm wondering if/when Noah and Jake will s..."

(view spoiler)[Yeah, this whole thing seems super flawed. Which makes me think that there’s a possibility that something may be up (possession)? Or maybe I’m just giving this too much credit. (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Chapters 11-15 (view spoiler)[Finally, someone has figured out that Grey is the heir (which is so obvious that I don't know how no one else has figured it out). (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Chapters 16-20 (view spoiler)[Noooo Rhen, what happened to you?

But this also makes no sense for his character. He spent years constantly being tortured by Lilith, so you'd think the last thing he'd do would be torture someone. Not just that, but torture his friend and a teenage boy? He literally watched himself as the monster kill people in book one, but now he's torturing an innocent teenager. He's done a complete 180.

I also wonder what effect this would have on him and Harper's relationship. Would things ever be the same between them? (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Chapter 21-25 (view spoiler)[Iisak in intriguing, as is Grey's newfound magic. I wonder what will happen when they reach Syll Shallow. Lia Mara was supposed to have one month (I believe) for negotiations, and since she's returning, will she tell her mother the truth? Likely yes, and that will probably prompt her mother to declare war on Emberfall. While there's all a near civil war going on.

Also, I feel more and more as though Grey's motive for staying hidden is complete self preservation. He literally said he die before saying the name of the heir, yet if he revealed himself, he'd die anyway??? (hide spoiler)]

[Simone]

Akshita wrote: " Chapter 14-21

Wow. A lot has happened..
I wasn't surprised even a bit when Lia Mara figured out the truth about Grey. It seems so obvious now!

I loved the snippet we saw with Grey and Lia Mara...."

(view spoiler)[That's a good point. They all just kind of left. I believe the unconscious people woke up towards the end, but some people definitely saw Jake, Harper, and Noah assist Tycho and Grey. While Lia Mara escaped. How would it impact the "alliance" between Emberfall and Disi, when the Crown Prince, Healer, and Princess helped prisoners escape?

And I definitely agree that Harper and Rhen seem to be together more out of necessity than love. I don't doubt that they love each other, but things between them have and will change(d). (hide spoiler)]

[Akshita]

Simone wrote: "Chapters 11-15 [spoilers removed]"

Exactly. I have no idea why is everyone being so dumb. It's not that hard to guess!

[Akshita]

Chapter 22-26
(view spoiler)[
I like Lia Mara, much more than any other character...but sometimes it seems as if the author is trying too hard to bring her forward as a clever person. Kind of a case of telling, not showing?? Like everyone she does something, we hear "clever" from Grey. (hide spoiler)]

[Akshita]

Simone wrote: "Chapter 21-25 Iisak in intriguing, as is Grey's newfound magic. I wonder ..."
(view spoiler)[
I am also wondering the same. And now that we saw what Rhen did, who is supposed to villain here? They are going to Syll Shallow to seek safe shelter.. but once there, Grey's assistance against Rhen would obviously be demanded. So? On who's side does that leave us?
And yeah, Grey knew he would have to die either way, with or without telling the truth.. so why not try the former? Maybe he would have been able to convince Rhen that he means no harm. (hide spoiler)]

[Akshita]

Chapter 27-33
Despite the unnecessary plot of this book, I have really started liking it!
(view spoiler)[
So is Harper just gonna sit back and do nothing? All those reasons which made her perfect for the plot of first book seem to be lost now.
To be honest, I never really liked Harper much. I relate to Lia Mara much more.
One thing I really loved so far is the relationship between Lia Mara and Nolla Verin. Two daughters of a queen, where one is vicious and the other is gentle, one is named the heir while other is mostly ignored, but still having that sisterly affection, That made me real happy.

And why does no one talk about Noah...he is such a sweet and caring person. And he has been away from his family (I am assuming he had one, can't remember for sure) for so long! Must be really hard for him. (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee]

Akshita wrote: "I know I am being a snail while reading this.
Chapter 1-5
I am not feeling connected to the story yet.
The first book seemed more of an urban fantasy. But this seems to have a lot more politics a..."

YEah, the whole tone of the book changed in this one. With Harper and Rhen we were still being eased into the politics and world building but now that we're following Grey it's like: Ha, you thought!

[Dee Dee]

Tian wrote: "Chapter 1-5

I just started this and I'm so upset and turned off! I LOVEEDDD Grey in the first book and now I feel like he is a shell of who he was before. I just don't understand his reasoning for..."

Yh, their motivations have changed a lot since book one. It's really odd to see them change focus so drastically. But I don't think Grey's case is miscommunication and more self-preservation/trying to protect Rhen's ego and legacy.

[Dee Dee]

Akshita wrote: " Chapter 27-33
Despite the unnecessary plot of this book, I have really started liking it!

So is Harper just gonna sit back and do nothing? All those reasons which made her perfect for the plot of..."

I really didn't understand that at all. She's just standing by while he acts so ruthlessly. From the beginning of this book I was like girl!! How could she not step in when he was torturing Grey to get the information?? That's not her at all...

[Akshita]

Finished. And despite all its flaws, I enjoyed it!
(view spoiler)[ That epilogue was painful though. WE DID NOT NEED HER TO BE BACK!! It was actually a five-star read until that point. My heart was clenching while reading that.
Usually, I love morally grey characters. But Lilith is downright EVIL!
She is a really sad plot twist. Sigh. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting December 26th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Hey, I'm starting this now!

[Danique]

Oh my, I completely forgot!! I’ll be starting soon too!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

No worries! I started this before Siege and Storm because this thread would expire first :)

[Katie]

I might try to re-read this book this week!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "I might try to re-read this book this week!"

Awesome! Welcome, Katie! :)

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

8%
(view spoiler)[Wait, Grey can use magic? Was this mentioned and I didn't know or something? Because I have no memory of this (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Trisha wrote: "8%
[spoilers removed]"

I had to look it up to see as well.... (view spoiler)[

https://www.bookseriesrecaps.com/what...

It hints it at the end of book 1... Here is it clip I found towards the bottom. Not sure if this helps too much though...it's been a while since I've read the first book!

------

Harper wakes up after six days and finds that Rhen is back to his usual form. Grey has not reappeared, leaving Harper, Jake, and Noah trapped in Emberfall.

Epilogue: Grey is back in his homeworld but hides at his mother’s house as he heals. His mother admits that the late king brought Grey to her as a baby. Grey is likely the heir to the throne, and his mother was an enchantress.

As we leave the story, we do not know if Lilith is dead or alive. If she is dead, Grey may have absorbed her considerable power (as hinted early on in the book). We also don’t know for sure if Harper is truly in love with Rhen or if she harbors some feelings for Grey.

(hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 8- (view spoiler)[ Since this is a re-read for me, I won't say too much that could spoil anything! I remember not loving this the first time I read it...I didn't hate it, but I think it was because I gave the first book a 5 star rating, this one just didn't live up to the first book. However, I'm very much enjoying the beginning of this more than I remember! Maybe it's because I'm used to the new points of view. I wasn't really expecting that the first time I read it....

I'm really enjoying the sisters' relationship and the differences between them! Such cruelty from the heir!

I'll be honest...I don't remember much from this book, so I'm anxious to get back into this! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 10- (view spoiler)[ Grey has been captured! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

I also didn’t remember that, thanks so much for looking it up Katie! I forgot a lot hihi. I do remember secretly hoping Harper and Grey get together, I really liked him, but I’m scared I won’t like him as much in this book

[Danique]

2%
(view spoiler)[ I vaguely remember that Jake had already left in the last book? At least, he asked Rhen about it, and I thought he was already gone? Hmm.. I'm not sure if I'd like Grey to fall for anyone else, I really wanted him and Harper to get together..
I don't really remember why they told everyone that she was a princess from Disi etc. again? (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "Trisha wrote: "8%
[spoilers removed]"

I had to look it up to see as well....

https://www.bookseriesrecaps.com/what...

It hints it at the end of book 1... H..."

Ohhh...that helps! Thanks Katie!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 8- ..."
(view spoiler)[Ohh, I found the beginning a bit boring and hard to get into...it was just pretty slow, but now I'm hooked! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 10- [spoilers removed]"

That part was pretty scary....but also at the same time bound to happen?

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Danique wrote: "2%
."
(view spoiler)[I hadn't remembered till this had started...but i do remember them being stuck in the end
Oh, that was to boost morale and whatnot, and also to scare those fake-soldiers at that inn in the previous book
I'm more for Grey and Lia, but this seems to be really vague at this point (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

10%
(view spoiler)[ Damn, that queen is intense. I'm not sure whether I like Lia Mara yet. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Trisha wrote: "Danique wrote: "2%
[spoilers removed]"

I can see them getting together too, I at first thought she would be like a 'normal' girl or something, but now (view spoiler)[ I feel like she'll become queen and he'll marry her, so Rhen can stay king of his own country? I don't know. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 22- (view spoiler)[ Ooof...too far Rhen! Too far!!

The first time I read this, I HATED this part and I hated what the characters were doing. I was mad at Rhen for going so far, and I was mad at Harper for allowing it to go this far. It just seemed so out of character compared to the first book...

However this time through it, I'm not quite as mad. Maybe it's because I was ready for it this time, and I understand more that Rhen is very scared of magic. He'll do ANYTHING to protect his people. I'm starting to see that more now.

But dang...I just love Tycho! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 35- (view spoiler)[ I can't believe how much I have forgotten in this book! I'm so glad I'm re-reading this before the 3rd one comes out.

I really do like Lia's character! I like her kindness so much!

I have no idea what happens in the end of this book...I don't remember anything, but I'm excited to see what the last 120 pages will bring! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ I didn’t even remember Rhen turning into that beast, but it’s all coming back to me now lol! It’s weird to hear about Harper and Rhen from the perspective of a stranger lol. It’s quite obvious Lia Mara will become the queen eventually, but I’m not sure yet if she’ll be with grey then (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Finished! (view spoiler)[ I'm loving this! I actually liked it better the 2nd time through it...I'm sure it's because I knew what to expect with Rhen and his character change.

I can't wait until the next book!!! (hide spoiler)]

What was everyone else's thoughts??

[Danique]

I sadly didn't have time to read, but I'll read more today!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

I can't believe I forgot to update here

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Danique wrote: "10%
[spoilers removed]"

Hmm, yes, she's a bit scary....and rather bloodthirsty and ruthless

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Danique wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Danique wrote: "2%
[spoilers removed]"

I can see them getting together too, I at first thought she would be like a 'normal' girl or something, but now [spoilers removed]"

You know, I thought that too!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 22-
..."
(view spoiler)[I can definitely agree with the OOCness, I honestly didn't think he would actually do it, since he seemed nothing like that in the previous book
Same, I really love Tycho too!! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 35- !
..."
(view spoiler)[Wow! I only got to read an excerpt of the third one, but I'm really excited for it too!
I really really love Lia, and Grey, and both of them together, it's just AMAZING!!! (hide spoiler)]