X-Book

A Heart So Fierce and Broken

The Cursebreaker Series (Book 2)

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer, read by Melissa Bayern, Matt Reeves, Kate Handford and Davis Brooks.

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

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 readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

Critics Review

This sweeping, romantic epic repeatedly turns the tables on the fantasy tropes that readers might be expecting.
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
Brigid Kemmerer blends magic, romance, and the growing specter of war in…a white-knuckle fantasy begging to be read in one sitting.
Foreword Reviews
Political intrigue, swoony romance, and nuanced character development make for a breathless read, and a twist ending guarantees readers will line up for the next installment.
BCCB
Action packed, deeply romantic, and . . . keep[s] readers eagerly on the hook for the next installment.
Booklist Online
A Heart So Fierce and Broken is a perfectly paced story that fuses all the best elements of fantasy and contemporary YA, blending romance, magic, adventure and struggles with morality in a way that makes readers care about the characters. And if it wasn’t clear from the first book, A Heart So Fierce and Broken leaves us in no doubt that Brigid Kemmerer can write an epic epilogue that will instantly have you desperate to find out what happens next.
Culturefly
Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale: a finely-drawn fantasy world, a heroine rarely seen in fiction, and a tortured hero with a secret. I have only one complaint: I wish the sequel were already available!
Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A SPARK OF LIGHT and SMALL GREAT THINGS on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Absolutely spellbinding. A Curse So Dark and Lonely expands on all the beloved themes of Beauty and the Beast to create an intensely original retelling. Full of fierce new characters, wicked magic, and wondrous amounts of heart, Brigid Kemmerer doesn’t just tell a story, she builds an entire world that you will never want to leave.
Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL and LEGENDARY on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Heartwarming, thoughtful, and romantic: Brigid Kemmerer took me on a magical journey with this dark fairy tale about growing up, falling in love, and making impossible choices. I can't wait to see where these characters go next.
Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling co-author of MY LADY JANE and MY PLAIN JANE on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
I couldn't get this creative, suspenseful take on 'Beauty and the Beast' out of my head.
Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of EVERLESS on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Slow burning, big hearted, magical fun! I loved every minute.
New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
This enthralling modern fable champions altruism while illustrating intimacy’s relationship with honesty, respect, trust, and consent.
Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Beautifully dark, filled with wild adventure and a modern-day heroine every reader will find a bit of themselves in.
Alexandra Christo, author of TO KILL A KINGDOM on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
A fast-paced, richly detailed feminist epic.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Fans of Cassandra Clare, Marissa Meyer, or Alex Flinn, as well as any reader looking to sink into a top-notch story with great characters, will want to read this book.
VOYA, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
A complex, creative, and compelling reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.
School Library Connection, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
A unique world filled with fantasy and menace . . . will leave readers anxious to see what happens next.
School Library Journal on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
A fresh twist on an old story. . . . Fans of Sarah J. Maas will be eager for this one.
Booklist on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
A must-have for any YA collection. Give to teens who enjoyed A Boy Called It by Dave Pelzer or The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
School Library Journal, starred review, on MORE THAN WE CAN TELL
Readers looking for a different sort of coming-of-age story or teen protagonists grappling with complex situations will fall in love with this romance-tinged novel.
Booklist, starred review, on MORE THAN WE CAN TELL
Author Brigid Kemmerer
Narrator Davis Brooks, Kate Handford, Matt Reeves, Melissa Bayern
Series The Cursebreaker Series
Duration 13 hours and 29 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781547605545
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Fantasy romance, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Traditional stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Diversity and inclusion
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.