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The curse may have been broken, but Emberfall faces an even darker future — one that won’t be torn apart by magic, but by blood. Rumors have been circulating that Rhen is not the true heir. If he’s not careful, this unrest could cost him his throne and thrust the fate of the country he loves into the hands of a brother he never knew he had. Even though he has Harper by his side, Rhen struggles with lonely uncertainty. What should he do next to secure his right to the throne? And what truly happened to the sorceress and his guardsman Grey? Is the sorceress gone for good? Is his friend dead?
Grey has been in hiding since he destroyed Lilith. If the rumors are to be believed and he is the true heir, disappearing is the only way to keep Emberfall and Rhen safe. He has no desire to challenge Rhen. He has no desire to rule.
Meanwhile, Karis Luran has once again turned her attention on Emberfall. She’s determined to take the country by force. Her daughter, Lia Mara, knows there has to be an alternate solution to her mother’s violent plan, but if she’s going to strive for peace instead of bloodshed between her nation and Emberfall, she’ll have to convince Grey to stand against Rhen and claim his birthright despite the final cost.
A Heart So Fierce and Broken veers hard from the fairy tale formula found in A Curse So Dark and Lonely. What’s left is a gritty tale full of politics and a betrayal that took me by surprise. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. It could be in part because it dwells more in the fantasy world of Emberfall rather than being tangled with the real world. It could be because I always liked Grey more than Rhen as a character. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to the third book and finding out how this story ends.
Rated: Moderate, for mild language and a few instances of moderate language. Like the previous book, there is quite a bit of blood, violence, needless death, and torture. Two girls joke about bedding with men. There is mention of a same-sex couple sharing a bed. Characters kiss.
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