Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The direction of this book did not quite work for me sadly. the sampler gave an idea of what was going to happen, however the ending of the series was quite dissapointing for me.

Long awaiting and worth the wait, can't wait to read the rest of the book and see how it all ends. The characters throughout the series have been endearing and very real while keeping the drama just right.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into the final book of this trilogy. I loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely, but didn’t think A Heart So Fierce and Broken was as consistently good, though I still enjoyed it. But the third book takes the best elements from the first two, and brings the trilogy to a solid end. It does in some places still have the elements that niggled at me from the second, but not every book can be perfect.

Whereas Book 1 focused on Harper and Rhen, Book 2 introduced us to Lia Mara, and gave us more of Grey’s POV. Book 3 combines all four, allowing us to see what is happening in both Emberfall and Syhl Shallow as they edge closer and closer to war.

Grey has given Rhen sixty days to prepare for war. Harper struggles with her decision to remain with Rhen, while Lia Mara tries to rule Syhl Shallow without the fear her mother installed. Meanwhile, Rhen has his own secret – the enchantress Lilith has returned, and is pushing him away from peace.

I get that sometimes hiding secrets is a good way of breeding conflict between characters, but at this point it’s really hard to see why Rhen doesn’t tell Harper about the enchantress’ return. The opening of this book is definitely the weakest part, with the words “Washington, DC” repeated so many times it started to feel almost disorientating. We don’t need the whole thing, admittedly – it feels like something an editor should have picked up on. Harper also comes across as incredibly whiny, throughout the whole book, and she isn’t really given much to do compared to Book 1, where she seemed to make more effort to take control of what was happening.

That said, the chapters we got in Syhl Shallow were really strong, giving us an insight into the country, and the struggles both Grey and Lia Mara are facing. There are clear contrasts between the two couples. Where Rhen and Harper bicker and give each other the silent treatment, Lia Mara and Grey work together, seeking a way to unite her kingdom and allow her people to accept Grey and his magic.

I really liked the growing relationship between them, the way they worked towards their separate goals while supporting each other, but still had some conflicts – they felt more like a couple than Rhen and Harper.

This is a good ending to the trilogy overall, giving us some good character arcs while avoiding introducing brand new plot points. I fell in love with these characters right from the first book, and Kemmerer does an excellent job of keeping the reader feel invested and intrigued by all of them, even if they can, at times, be just a little annoying. Although I did struggle to get into this one, after the first few chapters when the plot does pick up a bit more, I became really keen to find out how it was all going to end.

I wouldn’t call the trilogy amazing, but it is a sold, fun, enjoyable series with some really strong elements, great characters, and is carried through really well. The only other thing I felt was a negative was how, by the third book, it didn’t really matter that there were characters in this world that were from a completely different universe, it felt like that aspect was sort of just left, and only mentioned when absolutely required for plot points.

But my negatives are minor, and if you haven’t checked out the Cursebreakers trilogy yet, I’d recommend it. If you’ve read the first two and are wondering if it’s worth diving into the third, I really do think it is. It’s a good conclusion to a good series, and I’m glad to have read it.

As an end to the trilogy, this was OK. For me, the biggest let down was the Rhen chapters- he is an absolute pain in the ass. His chapters were awful, they were like Bran's chapters in GOT, I just wanted to skip them. Rhen is the worst. He's manipulative, nasty, misogenistic and plays the victim constantly. There were parts that I just was angry at him, for example, there's a flashback scene of Lilith torturing Rhen and Grey. She SCRATCHES RHEN'S FACE, then breaks all the bones in Grey's body. Rhen "drags himself over".... Mate...you have an ouchie, get over yourself.
So, this book was 50/50. The parts in Emberfall with Rhen and Harper just annoyed me. Rhen can get in the bin. The Grey and Lia Mara chapters I enjoyed a lot more, and found them a lot more interesting. I do think that with the amount of strategists, intelligent people and people wanting peace, someone could have come up with "why doesn't Grey agree to abdicate his claim to Emberfall in favour for Rhen and the two of them agree to trade routes". I feel the actual political ending is just sure to fail.

Overall, its a 3* series. Fairly low 3*, probably not going to reread, and not sure that I'll keep the books.

So. I wasn’t sure I would have loved this book as much as the first one.

Tbh I didn’t like the second one that much but this book ! Wow

It was perfect and she totally made me fall in love with the characters again and the story and the setting 😝

But now that’s over I need more 😂😂 I need more Harper and Ren 😪😪😪

Great book, with a good pace! especially considering I read just the sample. I enjoyed the sneak preview I had into the world and characters. It really enticed me to want to continue with the whole book

As usual, lack of organisation stopped me getting my review up on time...however, I'd read the whole book before I remembered having the sampler. Let's just say that with four stars it was a hit...even if it doesn't;t quite pan out as I thought things might way back when I read book one.

As usual, from the start I am addicted to this book. A quick reminder of what happened last time and we are thrown into the action. I can't wait to find out what happens in this conclusion! Will Rhen and Harper end up together or will she end up with Grey?!?!

A warm welcome back into Emberfall. Really looking forwards to continuing with this book so I can see where Harper & Grey end up!

This sampler has made me extremely excited to carry on with this book series!! I can't wait to continue reading book three and find out everything that happens.

Loved the sampler, and I went out and bought a physical copy.

I loved being thrown back into this world with Ren, Harper, and Grey and Lia Mara. I found that I just breezed through the book and loved that the book didn't go the way I thought it would.

I loved that we explored the revelations of the previous book, and I loved that we saw more of Lia Mara and how she was bringing change to Syl Shallow.

Overall this was a great read, and I am sad that the trilogy is over, I was left wanting more

Nice little snippet before the actual novel comes out. Very excited to see what happens with our favourite characters. If it's anything like the first two it will be brilliant.

First of all I'm very thankful that I was given a blurb of the book of the first few chapters.. I loved the introduction and I was happy to read about Rhen and Harper again. I love how it starts off where a heart so fierce and broken was left. Personally this sampler wasn't enough for a full review and I prefer to read the whole book at once! I can't wait to get into it and I hope that it will not be disappointing and above all no one will die *squints at Brigid Kemmerer*

Love! Such a great opener! Zo is one of my favourites! Can't wait to read the conclusion of this series.

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer - sample review

(I was given this sample in exchange for an honest review, but have since read the book in its entirety and my review will reflect this.)

Four Stars

I read the entire trilogy in one day, so the end of one book and the beginning of another are a bit blurred in my mind, but I really loved this finale. After everything that the characters went through in book 1, and then had to endure in book 2, it all came to a dramatic head in the finale.

Grey and Rhen headed for war, with the crumbling kingdom trapped in the middle, this book easily continues where the last one left off. Lia Mara, now crowned as the new Queen of Syhl Shallow struggles to rule her own way, with a gentler hand than that of her mother. Harper and Lia Mara are forced to decide where they stand - and how far they can follow the dictates of their hearts.

The previous book sets up Rhen as a villain-type, after everything Lilith put him through, he isn’t coping very well and is lashing out blindly and violently. This book shows that he isn’t really a villain at all but still shows that what he has done isn't okay. It portrays his struggle, and that of the other characters, in recovering from their previous traumas, and trying to come to a peaceful solution to their conflict.

I enjoyed having different POV characters, as it was a refreshing change from the last few YA books I’ve read, and gave a different perspective of the same events - framing them in different lights and revealing more to each of them.

An issue I did have, was with the way things ended. To me, it felt that only two characters had their arcs tied up (Grey and Lia Mara, though there was obviously room to continue their story.) and other characters didn’t have as much resolution to their arcs. After everything Rhen did in book 2, it would have been nice to see this acknowledged and actually dealt with, instead of the immediate happily ever after we were given.

All of that aside, I really did enjoy this book just as much as I enjoyed the previous two, and would definitely read it again. I have already recommended the trilogy to friends/family that have an interest in reading Young Adult and would recommend it to any fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince.

It has the same fantastic writing style as the first two in the trilogy and the sample I've read makes me really want to find out how it ends and if they all end up with happy endings.

This is a Sampler so I am unable to give proper feedback for this title but I am very excited to read the full version of this book!

Worth the wait for this final volume, I am hooked after only a few chapters in and am now fully immersed in the audiobook that I've been approved for!

Since receiving this sample arc I have bought and read the whole book.

I loved this one. I wasn’t that big of a fan of the first two because from the hype around them I expected much more than what I got - I did enjoy them but I just didn’t find them epic. This one however, I really enjoyed. The whole storylines for each of the characters come together perfectly. And the characters themselves got a lot better and I really started to love each of them. I loved the pacing, and I adored the ending. It was exactly what I wanted and I’m sure many fans of the series want too. Overall a good series that I definitely recommend