A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a modern fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It follows Harper, who lives in Washington D.C., and how she gets sucked into the fantastical world of Emberfall, where Prince Rhen resides. Prince Rhen turns into a beast every night, and unconsciously and unwillingly hurts his own people. If he can get a girl to fall in love with him, then the curse will be broken.
Two Twisted Crowns, by Rachel Gillig, is the sequel to One Dark Window, in which Elspeth and Ravyn’s journey to unite the deck of Providence Cards continues. However, in addition to these two perspectives, Gillig introduces Elm’s point of view, allowing the reader a glimpse at both sides of the story.
One Dark Window, by Rachel Gillig, is a young adult gothic fantasy set in Blunder, an ancient world cursed by magic. Elspeth Spindle has her own magic, in the form of a spirit trapped in her head whom she calls the Nightmare. However, all magic comes with a cost, and Elsepth must find the twelve Providence Cards to cure Blunder and banish the Nightmare from her mind before it is too late. Luckily, she stumbles upon the Captain of the King’s guard, who just might be able to offer her the help she needs.
It has been eight years since the Battle of the Serpent and now Suren, the once-queen of the Court Of The Teeth is much older. Suren has not visited the Court or seen Lady Nore since, instead she has been in the mortal world living in the woods and freeing mortals from cruel bargains. Only after her run-in with Prince Oak, heir to the throne of Elfhame, has she come to awareness of Lady Nore’s revenge plans. After being defeated during the Battle of the Serpent, Lady Nore has plans to build up her army of sticks through ancient magic.
After her trust is shattered, Evangeline Fox swears to herself that she will never trust Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, again. However, fate has other plans. When a new curse threatens Evangeline, she has no choice but to work with the Prince of Heart risking her heart and soul. Together they will battle new challenges and magic that seem to make this an impossible mission.
“I suppose it does not feel the same without her . . . Some people leave too much space behind when they are gone.”
The wait is over, and Katharine wears the crown. But does she really? More queens seem to be popping out of the woodworks, and she has the sneaking suspicion that her other two sisters continue living, and that they will return to take the throne.
Once a generation, triplet girls are born to the queen. Separated from birth and taught the unique type of magic they each possess, they will meet again on their 16th birthday, when they fight to the death for the right to their throne.
This book follows Elizabeth Scrivener, a curious teenager who grew up among the books and grimoires of her town. Abandoned at the Great Library as a baby, she was raised in the enormous building with the books of magic and mischief. The books are so magical, in fact, that they can even transform into monsters, depending on how powerful they are. Elizabeth is an apprentice librarian when she becomes a suspect in sabotaging the library. Outraged, she teams up with Nathanial Thorn, an insufferable sorcerer who claims he can help clear her name.
