Review of A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

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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.

Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been 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.

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."

My Review: I had really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was really excited to pick this one up. It did start off a little rocky, the original characters Rhen & Harper seemed completely different from their personalities in the previous book. Once we got past their appearances in this book, things got a lot smoother. I really enjoyed Lia Mara, she was a great combination of understated, nose in a book and complete badass. Of course, as Grey was a favorite in the previous book, he still remains a favorite and I really enjoyed the development of his character throughout this story. The side characters were great and we get a few from the previous book as well. The ending was worth sticking with the story and continuing through to the end.

My Rating: It really took me a while to become invested in this story, I actually almost DNFed it but I am glad I pushed through to the end.  It does have a cliffhanger ending but I don't find myself too driven to pick up the next book as I was not thrilled with the change in Rhen and Harper.  I do give this one a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.