00:29am · a letter to life

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Daring, enchanting, and addicting! This book is a whole lot different than Disney Beauty and The Beast. A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a retelling written in a beautiful way but with a much darker and more venturous theme than the original; gory scenes, horses, weapons, wars which excites me. I used to imagine myself riding a horse while yielding a knightly weapon like a princess in rescue. Well, this book actually gives me a better vision of my imagination. Something like a dream comes true except that it is still not happening in reality.

The world-building is amazing and I really love this Emberfall I create in my mind based on the description in the book. It's beautiful with the autumn in the background! The plot is exciting to read even though somehow I think it's too dragging. The adventurous moment happens only at the end of the book, a few pages before you put back the book on the shelves. But it is still enjoyable.

The dragging part is not something I'm gonna hate. In my own perception, the author tries to squeeze more about her characters' personality and their relationship with each other. Like putting things in depth just so you will feel more closely with these fictional people.

Harper, Prince Rhen, and Grey's moments are just too priceless! They have their own story with each other which leads to trust and lovey-dovey between, huh, you gotta read and figure it out yourself. Brace yourself because it's melancholic yet sweet at the same time.

As for the character, I admire Harper very much. She made an amazing female protagonist; brave, fierce, and persistent despite her disability, and she’s a bit reckless though. Prince Rhen is somehow a pain in the ass. While Grey is just nice and gentle. I really can't wait to read the sequel and see how the characters will evolve over time.

Rating: ★★★★★

Buku ini tentang Nurmas, si anak cahaya yang memiliki petualangan masa kecil yang penuh keceriaan dan menakjubkan. Apa yang sebenarnya dilakukan oleh Nurmas hingga penduduk seluruh kampung selalu mengingat kejadian yang membuatnya resmi dipanggil si anak cahaya?

Dari puluhan buku Tere Liye, serial buku ini adalah mahkotanya.

First of all, I have no regret buying this book. The cover got my attention the most so basically this book was chosen based on its skin. It is my first piece of literature from Tere Liye and I gotta admit that his writing is beautiful. Nothing drives me mad except trying to understand certain words that I don’t familiar with. But that ain’t really a big deal since I can google up the meaning of the words or simply ask my Indonesian squads. Everything else is just fine.

I finish the book with a content heart! The story truly reminds me of my childhood and my best friends. Except that I am not heroic like Nurmas and my best friends and I never go to farms together. Their friendship is what I would say to-die-for cause they stick together like glue and are always there for each other through thick and thin. My favorite scenes in the book are definitely when the four of them do things together because I can imagine the exciting moments they had especially when they are all silly and funny. Their traits are way so similar to my best friends and I can relate to each one of them!

I love that the content of the book is loaded with moral values and it all starts with Nurmas. From honesty to loyalty to braveness to being grateful for little things and more. It’s what I currently need in my life right now. Not saying I lack those traits but I am in need of something to knock me off so I can appreciate life better. Not everyone sees the little things as something to be cherished and some only focus only the huge and grand things thus this book will make you realize that living a moderate life is also a blessing.

Impressive enough how the author tries to connect the wise point to each scene which automatically makes Nurmas the best girl in town. Yeah, it seems overrated but it has to be her since the book is about her journey. Everyone admires her and it’s hilarious when her best friends’ parents keep on saying “apa pun yang dilakukan anak gadisnya Yahid, ikuti. biar kalian bisa belajar” every single time when they want to follow whatever Nurmas is doing. They even willingly accompany Nurmas in everything.

When it comes to a family issue, I gotta say there are a few parts that literally makes me shed tears. Her family bonding is strong enough that it could break a stone. The moment when her parents said she will always be the special daughter in the house despite the newborn of her little brother really touched me. Well, we all know parents who only love 4 out of their 5 children. I really don't understand when someone has to be a black sheep in a family. Why cant they love their children equally?

Reading this book feels like reading 5 books at the same time. The plot is still moving on the same track but you get to experience a myriad journey with Nurmas which finally builds her character up until she is deserved and is entitled to be called Si Anak Cahaya. Hilarious, meaningful, and such a page-turner. When I say hilarious, I really mean it. Tere Liye really knows how to joke around and tickle his reader!

Rating: ★★★★★