A Curse So Dark and Lonely

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the *Beauty and the Beast* premise—until about 30 minutes in, when Harper, our protagonist, *stabs a guy in the thigh* to escape a kidnapping. That’s when I knew this audiobook was different. Brigid Kemmerer’s writing is lean and mean, and the narration team leans into it. Davis Brooks’ Rhen starts off as a smoldering jerk (intentionally), but his performance peels back layers of exhaustion and self-loathing that make his redemption arc compelling. Kate Handford’s Harper, though, is the standout—her voice cracks with pain during physical strain (a rare, welcome touch of realism for a disabled protagonist), and her dry humor cuts through the fantasy tropes like a knife. The production shines in the action sequences, where the sound mixing amps up the clatter of swords and the roar of crowds, but it occasionally stumbles in quieter moments. Grey’s sections (narrated by Matt Reeves) drag slightly in the middle—his voice is perfect for the brooding guard role, but his chapters can feel like mood pieces without enough plot momentum. Still, the payoff is worth it: the final act’s twists are *brutal*, and the cliffhanger left me immediately downloading the sequel. If you love morally gray characters, courtly mind games, and romance that simmers instead of explodes, this is your next listen—just don’t expect a fairy tale.