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Forging Silver into Stars #1
Forging Silver into Stars
Forbidden magic. Secret romance. Dangerous alliances. Enter the world of New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's electrifying series.
When nineteen-year-old Tycho, the King's Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he hopes to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. He doesn't expect to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart.
After years of cruelty in his father's forge, Jax never dared to dream of a better life -- until a magic-wielding young lord shows him an enticing alternative. But when rumors of a rebellion reach Briarlock, Jax wonders who he can trust -- and if he'll even survive.
Jax's best friend, Callyn, doesn't trust anyone -- especially not a handsome stranger with magic, which killed her parents years ago. When another royal emissary arrives, seeing a co-conspirator, Callyn finds herself embroiled in a plot that could lead them all to ruin. . .
As tensions flare throughout the kingdom, it won't be long before everyone must choose a side.
War is brewing. Passions are building. And magic may doom -- or save -- them all . . .
When nineteen-year-old Tycho, the King's Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he hopes to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. He doesn't expect to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart.
After years of cruelty in his father's forge, Jax never dared to dream of a better life -- until a magic-wielding young lord shows him an enticing alternative. But when rumors of a rebellion reach Briarlock, Jax wonders who he can trust -- and if he'll even survive.
Jax's best friend, Callyn, doesn't trust anyone -- especially not a handsome stranger with magic, which killed her parents years ago. When another royal emissary arrives, seeing a co-conspirator, Callyn finds herself embroiled in a plot that could lead them all to ruin. . .
As tensions flare throughout the kingdom, it won't be long before everyone must choose a side.
War is brewing. Passions are building. And magic may doom -- or save -- them all . . .
560 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2022
About the author
Brigid Kemmerer
27 books16.8k followersBrigid Kemmerer is the New York Times bestselling author of dark and alluring YA novels like A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Defy the Night, and Letters to the Lost. A full time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her family. When she’s not writing or being a mom, you can usually find her with her hands wrapped around a barbell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,507 reviews
June 25, 2022
im still so bitter about how the cursebreakers series was ruined, but i guess not bitter enough to not read this spin-off series. lol.
and i will say this, BK knows how to start a series. the first books always come in strong and this is no exception. the characters are relatable, the magic is interesting, the court politics arent dull, and (even though this is on the longer side) the pacing is good.
what i really like about this book in particular is the balance between all of the different POVs. i always felt like each character got the right amount of page time. there are times when some POVs are present more, but it fits with the story. i never felt like i was missing out on anyone.
so, a really great start. i honestly couldnt ask for anything more. but like i said, the first books are always the best in each series by BK, so heres me with my fingers crossed that this series doesnt meet the same tragic end as the original series.
↠ 4.5 stars
and i will say this, BK knows how to start a series. the first books always come in strong and this is no exception. the characters are relatable, the magic is interesting, the court politics arent dull, and (even though this is on the longer side) the pacing is good.
what i really like about this book in particular is the balance between all of the different POVs. i always felt like each character got the right amount of page time. there are times when some POVs are present more, but it fits with the story. i never felt like i was missing out on anyone.
so, a really great start. i honestly couldnt ask for anything more. but like i said, the first books are always the best in each series by BK, so heres me with my fingers crossed that this series doesnt meet the same tragic end as the original series.
↠ 4.5 stars
June 21, 2022
Well, it was exciting to return back to the Cursebreakers Universe, welcoming back Tychno ( we already met with him at “A heart so fierce and broken’). This book also introduces us two 18 years old new characters: Jax, the blacksmith- more likable character than Callyn the baker who are doomed to live in Syhl Shallow, the land where the magic has been banished.
Even though these two friends are adamant to learn the magic that is appeared in the form of magesmith, they find themselves into an espionage scheme that threatens the new king’s life! At that moment, Lord Tycho- the Courier of the king arrives to the land to investigate the culprits conspiring against the kingdom.
It took a little time for me to get into the story and resonate with the new characters. But as a fan of Cursebreakers series, I enjoy this thrilling ride and looking forward to read the upcoming sequels as well. I advise you to read the series at first to understand the dynamics between characters and true nature of magic!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books/ Bloomsbury YA for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Even though these two friends are adamant to learn the magic that is appeared in the form of magesmith, they find themselves into an espionage scheme that threatens the new king’s life! At that moment, Lord Tycho- the Courier of the king arrives to the land to investigate the culprits conspiring against the kingdom.
It took a little time for me to get into the story and resonate with the new characters. But as a fan of Cursebreakers series, I enjoy this thrilling ride and looking forward to read the upcoming sequels as well. I advise you to read the series at first to understand the dynamics between characters and true nature of magic!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books/ Bloomsbury YA for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
June 5, 2022
I had high hopes for this book, after being a long-time fan of the Cursebreaker series, and it somehow was better than I thought it could be.
I couldn't put it down. I read all 500+ pages in 2 sittings. I never wanted it to end. I love all of the characters, old and new, I loved the direction the plot went in, and the romance?!?! I'm obsessed.
We follow three POVs: Tycho, the King's Courier (who you might be familiar with if you've read ACSDAL), Jax, a blacksmith, and Callyn, a baker. Jax and Callyn are best friends, living in a small village, who possibly get caught up in some minor treason. Meanwhile, Tycho is struggling to maintain the trust of the court and the king. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because I think it's best going in not knowing much, but I can tell you, it is absolutely addictive. I couldn't predict what would happen next and found myself glued to my book.
If you're looking for a fun fantasy read (with queer and disability rep!!) go pick this book up!
Content Warning: Animal death, ableism, child abuse, death, rape, violence, kidnapping, death of a parent
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to read and review!
I couldn't put it down. I read all 500+ pages in 2 sittings. I never wanted it to end. I love all of the characters, old and new, I loved the direction the plot went in, and the romance?!?! I'm obsessed.
We follow three POVs: Tycho, the King's Courier (who you might be familiar with if you've read ACSDAL), Jax, a blacksmith, and Callyn, a baker. Jax and Callyn are best friends, living in a small village, who possibly get caught up in some minor treason. Meanwhile, Tycho is struggling to maintain the trust of the court and the king. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because I think it's best going in not knowing much, but I can tell you, it is absolutely addictive. I couldn't predict what would happen next and found myself glued to my book.
If you're looking for a fun fantasy read (with queer and disability rep!!) go pick this book up!
Content Warning: Animal death, ableism, child abuse, death, rape, violence, kidnapping, death of a parent
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to read and review!
Want to read
December 11, 2021[Dec.10, 2021]: COVER REVEAL AND ITS SO BEAUTIFUL OMG
Update [July 12, 2021]: I CALLED IT
https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer/st...
*manifesting cursebreakers spin-off series*
iykyk🙂🔪🔪🔪
Update [July 12, 2021]: I CALLED IT
https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer/st...
*manifesting cursebreakers spin-off series*
iykyk🙂🔪🔪🔪
June 5, 2022
GODDDDD its so nice to be back in this world!! This book had me flipping page after page and its a pretty big read--I was kind of intimidated before of how long it was, but once it picks up, IT MOVES SO QUICKLY. When I tell you I literally couldn't put it down!!
Since it is the first book in a spin off, there are things that need to be set up which is what I think the first 100 or so pages do. By no means does it drag, not at all. There's 3 POVs and it's all in first person which made it less intimidating for me (fantasy books in third person POV kiiiiiillll me)
OKAY PLOT THINGS NOW:
again, I wouldn't say its a slow start completely, but the story and world needed to be set up, so do with that what you will. Once you get past that, you'll love the book (and it doesn't feel like a chore, trust me. But shit gets real after the world gets set up so keep pushing)
I LOVE THE PLOT. I wrote quite a bit in my book because I had soooo many reactions. One character in particular MADE ME SO MAD that I was writing bitch in the margins 💀 but did I end the book in love with all of the characters? YES. So much happens in the 560 pages of this book and it's not overwhelming and it also doesn't drag. It kept me invested the entire time and seeing my babies Rhen and Grey had me pumping my fist in the air ❤️🔥 The way the story unfolds had me talking out loud to myself at 12 in the morning. That's how invested I was.
We have LGBTQ characters and we also have two sets of love interests unfolding in here (not a love triangle dont worry). You don't necessarily need to read the cursebreaker trilogy before this, but I would highly recommend it!! I loved the trilogy (seriously its so good, give it a shot) and seeing them here again made me fall in love with them even more.
I CANNOT WAITTTTT FOR BOOK 2 (cliffhanger is not terrible and it won't make you wanna chuck the book at the wall, but it will leave you eager for book 2)
Since it is the first book in a spin off, there are things that need to be set up which is what I think the first 100 or so pages do. By no means does it drag, not at all. There's 3 POVs and it's all in first person which made it less intimidating for me (fantasy books in third person POV kiiiiiillll me)
OKAY PLOT THINGS NOW:
again, I wouldn't say its a slow start completely, but the story and world needed to be set up, so do with that what you will. Once you get past that, you'll love the book (and it doesn't feel like a chore, trust me. But shit gets real after the world gets set up so keep pushing)
I LOVE THE PLOT. I wrote quite a bit in my book because I had soooo many reactions. One character in particular MADE ME SO MAD that I was writing bitch in the margins 💀 but did I end the book in love with all of the characters? YES. So much happens in the 560 pages of this book and it's not overwhelming and it also doesn't drag. It kept me invested the entire time and seeing my babies Rhen and Grey had me pumping my fist in the air ❤️🔥 The way the story unfolds had me talking out loud to myself at 12 in the morning. That's how invested I was.
We have LGBTQ characters and we also have two sets of love interests unfolding in here (not a love triangle dont worry). You don't necessarily need to read the cursebreaker trilogy before this, but I would highly recommend it!! I loved the trilogy (seriously its so good, give it a shot) and seeing them here again made me fall in love with them even more.
I CANNOT WAITTTTT FOR BOOK 2 (cliffhanger is not terrible and it won't make you wanna chuck the book at the wall, but it will leave you eager for book 2)
April 28, 2024
･:*:･ﾟ⁀➷ 3/5 ★
I had really high hopes for this book, but it didn’t really live up to them unfortunately 😭😭 It was just kinda mediocre to me 😔
Tropes:
⚔️ Ya fantasy
⚔️ Multi pov
⚔️ MM romance
This was my fifth brigid kemmerer book and since i’ve enjoyed the other books i’ve read by her, I thought this one would be just as good. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite do it for me ☹️
ೃ⁀➷ What I enjoyed:
I always love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing and this book was no different! Her writing is always really easy to read & i love the way she makes you feel like you’re in the story 🥰🥰 Another thing i really enjoyed was the last part of the book- it felt super high stakes and i was really on the edge of my seat. The ending of the book was so interesting and i’m intrigued to see what happens in the sequel 🫶
This book is also technically a spinoff from the Cursebreakers series. I’ve actually only read the first book of that series but i think this was a great spinoff! It can definitely be read as a standalone, but i also thought it was fun seeing where the characters from that series are now 🌷✨️
ೃ⁀➷ What I didn’t enjoy:
I think my main issue with this book was that i struggled to connect to any part of the story 🫤 The characters felt quite flat to me and although i sympathised with their struggles, i didn’t care that much about them… 🫣🫣 Tycho was a pretty good character, i really enjoyed his chapters, but Jax annoyed me and Callyn had zero personality.
Also the romances… they weren’t really it for me ☹️ We had 2 main romances and while one of them was tolerable, the other made me want to bang my head against a wall 🙈🙈 The one love interest was a complete asshole and the fact that the romance with him felt like he was completely manipulating the other character… argh.
ೃ⁀➷ In conclusion:
This was kinda disappointing honestly 😭😭 It wasn’t bad tho and i would still recommend if you’re looking for:
➷ Easy to read
➷ Multi povs
➷ More Cursebreakers content
I’m hoping the upcoming sequel will be better 🤞🤞
《 2024 Challenge: Book 45 of 115 》
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ Brigid Kemmerer ratings:
➷ Defy the Night- 4✰
➷ Defend the Dawn- 4✰
➷ Destroy the Day- 3✰
➷ A Curse So Dark & Lonely- 4✰
➷ Forging Silver into Stars- 3✰
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ prereview:
➷ I really wanted to love this but it was just kinda... meh ☹️ not bad, but definitely not as good as I thought it would be 😭😭
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ in my fantasy era 💅 i've really enjoyed the other books i've read by this author, so i'm excited to give this a shot! 🥹🩷
I had really high hopes for this book, but it didn’t really live up to them unfortunately 😭😭 It was just kinda mediocre to me 😔
Tropes:
⚔️ Ya fantasy
⚔️ Multi pov
⚔️ MM romance
This was my fifth brigid kemmerer book and since i’ve enjoyed the other books i’ve read by her, I thought this one would be just as good. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite do it for me ☹️
ೃ⁀➷ What I enjoyed:
I always love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing and this book was no different! Her writing is always really easy to read & i love the way she makes you feel like you’re in the story 🥰🥰 Another thing i really enjoyed was the last part of the book- it felt super high stakes and i was really on the edge of my seat. The ending of the book was so interesting and i’m intrigued to see what happens in the sequel 🫶
This book is also technically a spinoff from the Cursebreakers series. I’ve actually only read the first book of that series but i think this was a great spinoff! It can definitely be read as a standalone, but i also thought it was fun seeing where the characters from that series are now 🌷✨️
ೃ⁀➷ What I didn’t enjoy:
I think my main issue with this book was that i struggled to connect to any part of the story 🫤 The characters felt quite flat to me and although i sympathised with their struggles, i didn’t care that much about them… 🫣🫣 Tycho was a pretty good character, i really enjoyed his chapters, but Jax annoyed me and Callyn had zero personality.
Also the romances… they weren’t really it for me ☹️ We had 2 main romances and while one of them was tolerable, the other made me want to bang my head against a wall 🙈🙈 The one love interest was a complete asshole and the fact that the romance with him felt like he was completely manipulating the other character… argh.
ೃ⁀➷ In conclusion:
This was kinda disappointing honestly 😭😭 It wasn’t bad tho and i would still recommend if you’re looking for:
➷ Easy to read
➷ Multi povs
➷ More Cursebreakers content
I’m hoping the upcoming sequel will be better 🤞🤞
《 2024 Challenge: Book 45 of 115 》
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ Brigid Kemmerer ratings:
➷ Defy the Night- 4✰
➷ Defend the Dawn- 4✰
➷ Destroy the Day- 3✰
➷ A Curse So Dark & Lonely- 4✰
➷ Forging Silver into Stars- 3✰
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ prereview:
➷ I really wanted to love this but it was just kinda... meh ☹️ not bad, but definitely not as good as I thought it would be 😭😭
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ in my fantasy era 💅 i've really enjoyed the other books i've read by this author, so i'm excited to give this a shot! 🥹🩷
June 9, 2022
I should state right off the bat that it's likely this first book in a new series in the same world as the "Cursebreakers" trilogy is going to appeal mostly to those who either liked the conclusion of the trilogy or didn't find it so bad. So, if you happen to not find yourself in any of these camps, then it's up in the air whether you'll enjoy Forging Silver into Stars. And if you've not read the previous trilogy, then I don't recommend you pick this one up, because you'll be both lost and tremendously spoilered from start to finish, because this book is for "Cursebreakers" connoisseurs, not for newcomers to Brigid Kemmerer, and there's too much you need to know beforehand.
Having been on the camp that found the ending to the "Cursebreakers" trilogy extremely disappointing, I was still willing to give the world another chance in hopes a new story would compensate for the bitter aftertaste left by "A Vow So Bold and Deadly." I cannot say in all honesty that this expectations has been met. This spin-off repeats many of the same mistakes as in the original trilogy, with the addition that the new leading characters aren't even a fraction as interesting as Grey/Rhen nor as subversive and compelling as Harper. I couldn't find anyone to care about in this story, as both Callyn and Jax are dull and flat, so monotonous and bland I'd get into a lull and my interest would flare up only for the brief episodes where Gray and Lia Mara, Rhen and Harper would have a scene. Tycho is a lovely character in the first trilogy, and I like him, but frankly he doesn't have the clout to carry the plot on his own, not for me. And Alek? I've just closed the book and already barely remember him. Not a good sign
It doesn't help at all that the pace is excruciatingly slow and, unlike what you'd expect for a first book in a trilogy to be at least moderately self-contained but with a lead in to the next volume, this one is so blatantly set-up and more set-up you almost want to scream at the hubris of assuming we readers want a trilogy and will buy the next two books no questions asked. This is how they're shoving trilogies down our throats now, by making the first book pure set-up and ending it on a mother of all cliffhangers? It risks causing the readership to feel insulted, if you ask me. At the very least, Kemmerer could've drawn new characters worth the price of buying all 3 books, not bait-and-switch us with dangling old beloved characters from the first trilogy that, here in this book, are in the background for most of the onpage time.
The "conflict" looks a bit artificial, too. Like, there'd be none if all those daft people talked to each other, clearly if possible. I'm not a fan of Big Misunderstanding tropes, and this is one of the reasons the first trilogy turned out like it did, amongst others. It'd have perhaps been better to create a spin-off that was its own story with new characters and set in another part of the world, maybe even another time, and not recycle the old characters as in-and-out highlights in a "new" trilogy that does leave the impression of wanting to fix some of the issues of the previous trilogy, but that might end up adding more instead.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having been on the camp that found the ending to the "Cursebreakers" trilogy extremely disappointing, I was still willing to give the world another chance in hopes a new story would compensate for the bitter aftertaste left by "A Vow So Bold and Deadly." I cannot say in all honesty that this expectations has been met. This spin-off repeats many of the same mistakes as in the original trilogy, with the addition that the new leading characters aren't even a fraction as interesting as Grey/Rhen nor as subversive and compelling as Harper. I couldn't find anyone to care about in this story, as both Callyn and Jax are dull and flat, so monotonous and bland I'd get into a lull and my interest would flare up only for the brief episodes where Gray and Lia Mara, Rhen and Harper would have a scene. Tycho is a lovely character in the first trilogy, and I like him, but frankly he doesn't have the clout to carry the plot on his own, not for me. And Alek? I've just closed the book and already barely remember him. Not a good sign
It doesn't help at all that the pace is excruciatingly slow and, unlike what you'd expect for a first book in a trilogy to be at least moderately self-contained but with a lead in to the next volume, this one is so blatantly set-up and more set-up you almost want to scream at the hubris of assuming we readers want a trilogy and will buy the next two books no questions asked. This is how they're shoving trilogies down our throats now, by making the first book pure set-up and ending it on a mother of all cliffhangers? It risks causing the readership to feel insulted, if you ask me. At the very least, Kemmerer could've drawn new characters worth the price of buying all 3 books, not bait-and-switch us with dangling old beloved characters from the first trilogy that, here in this book, are in the background for most of the onpage time.
The "conflict" looks a bit artificial, too. Like, there'd be none if all those daft people talked to each other, clearly if possible. I'm not a fan of Big Misunderstanding tropes, and this is one of the reasons the first trilogy turned out like it did, amongst others. It'd have perhaps been better to create a spin-off that was its own story with new characters and set in another part of the world, maybe even another time, and not recycle the old characters as in-and-out highlights in a "new" trilogy that does leave the impression of wanting to fix some of the issues of the previous trilogy, but that might end up adding more instead.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as '2022-releases-tbr'
December 22, 2021WE GOT A COVER AND A BLURB. AAHHHH.
...........................................
WE HAVE A BLURB AND A RELEASE DATE. CURSEBREAKER SERIES SPIN-OFF. MAY 2022. I AM SO EXCITED.
(https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer/st...)
............................................
I’ll read anything Brigid Kemmerer writes. Waiting for this now.
...........................................
WE HAVE A BLURB AND A RELEASE DATE. CURSEBREAKER SERIES SPIN-OFF. MAY 2022. I AM SO EXCITED.
(https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer/st...)
............................................
I’ll read anything Brigid Kemmerer writes. Waiting for this now.
August 24, 2024
Forging Silver into Stars is the 1st-book in the series of the same name. This is a companion/follow-up to Kemmerer's popular Cursebreakers series. This YA Fantasy series started as a loose reimagining of Beauty & the Beast, but it has certainly come a long way since then.
I really enjoyed my time throughout the Cursebreakers books and was extremely happy to be reunited with Grey, Rhen, Harper and Lia Mara, here. Additionally, seeing sweet baby Tycho all growns up was such a treat!
This story is set approximately 5-years after the final events of the Cursebreakers series. In this one we follow three different perspectives: Tycho, who you may remember from the Cursebreakers books, where he had a small role, as well as Callyn and Jax, two new characters.
Callyn and Jax are best friends, living in the small village of Briarlock. Callyn runs her family bakery and takes care of her little sister, Norah. Jax is a blacksmith, who runs his father's shop, while his Dad is busy gambling, drinking and otherwise spending all their money.
As he is passing through Briarlock for a spell, Tycho ends up meeting both Callyn and Jax. The plot centers mainly around a underground movement growing against the new King of Syhl Shallow because of his rumored magic.
The members of this rebellion claim to be loyal to the Queen, but they view the new King's magic as a threat to their entire kingdom. They're determined to stamp out that threat.
Tycho, as we know, has connections to both Syhl Shallow and Emberfall. Callyn and Jax, whose village is a part of Syhl Shallow, soon find themselves on opposite sides of the issue. Can their friendship survive all the new drama, and potential new loves, surrounding them?
This was so good. Kemmerer is such a great writer with fantastic world-building and characters. She never fails to pull me in and keep me invested.
Her characters are so likable. Even the ones you aren't supposed to like, you sort of love to hate them. I loved how the main characters from Cursebreakers were included in the periphery of this one, and as we got further along, they began to appear more and more.
From the conclusion of this, I am left thinking that we are going to be seeing a lot more of them all in the next book, which I couldn't be more excited about.
There is some romance in this for both Callyn and Jax. I liked the way that built up, the uncertainty of their feelings and all that, but there was a section where there were a few chapters in a row that were quite romance-heavy in lieu of the rest of the plot.
That sort of lost my interest a little, as I would have preferred that more interspersed amongst the rest of the book. Nevertheless, it was a fairly short section when considering the bigger picture, so didn't really affect my overall enjoyment that much.
The action definitely picked up towards the end and we are in a great position to jump into the next book. There's a lot of unfinished business and so much more to explore as our characters head in new directions.
I'm so excited for the next book to release. I love that this world didn't have to end with A Vow So Bold and Deadly. I'll read anything Kemmerer wants to write involving Emberfall and Syhl Shallow.
I would recommend reading Cursebreakers first, but it's not absolutely necessary. This is written in such a way that you wouldn't feel lost without that background, but it definitely adds to the experience if you have read that trilogy.
Content Warning: Animal Content --
I really enjoyed my time throughout the Cursebreakers books and was extremely happy to be reunited with Grey, Rhen, Harper and Lia Mara, here. Additionally, seeing sweet baby Tycho all growns up was such a treat!
This story is set approximately 5-years after the final events of the Cursebreakers series. In this one we follow three different perspectives: Tycho, who you may remember from the Cursebreakers books, where he had a small role, as well as Callyn and Jax, two new characters.
Callyn and Jax are best friends, living in the small village of Briarlock. Callyn runs her family bakery and takes care of her little sister, Norah. Jax is a blacksmith, who runs his father's shop, while his Dad is busy gambling, drinking and otherwise spending all their money.
As he is passing through Briarlock for a spell, Tycho ends up meeting both Callyn and Jax. The plot centers mainly around a underground movement growing against the new King of Syhl Shallow because of his rumored magic.
The members of this rebellion claim to be loyal to the Queen, but they view the new King's magic as a threat to their entire kingdom. They're determined to stamp out that threat.
Tycho, as we know, has connections to both Syhl Shallow and Emberfall. Callyn and Jax, whose village is a part of Syhl Shallow, soon find themselves on opposite sides of the issue. Can their friendship survive all the new drama, and potential new loves, surrounding them?
This was so good. Kemmerer is such a great writer with fantastic world-building and characters. She never fails to pull me in and keep me invested.
Her characters are so likable. Even the ones you aren't supposed to like, you sort of love to hate them. I loved how the main characters from Cursebreakers were included in the periphery of this one, and as we got further along, they began to appear more and more.
From the conclusion of this, I am left thinking that we are going to be seeing a lot more of them all in the next book, which I couldn't be more excited about.
There is some romance in this for both Callyn and Jax. I liked the way that built up, the uncertainty of their feelings and all that, but there was a section where there were a few chapters in a row that were quite romance-heavy in lieu of the rest of the plot.
That sort of lost my interest a little, as I would have preferred that more interspersed amongst the rest of the book. Nevertheless, it was a fairly short section when considering the bigger picture, so didn't really affect my overall enjoyment that much.
The action definitely picked up towards the end and we are in a great position to jump into the next book. There's a lot of unfinished business and so much more to explore as our characters head in new directions.
I'm so excited for the next book to release. I love that this world didn't have to end with A Vow So Bold and Deadly. I'll read anything Kemmerer wants to write involving Emberfall and Syhl Shallow.
I would recommend reading Cursebreakers first, but it's not absolutely necessary. This is written in such a way that you wouldn't feel lost without that background, but it definitely adds to the experience if you have read that trilogy.
Content Warning: Animal Content --
March 12, 2024
Loved being back in this world!
Set several years after the original trilogy, we have Tycho - now all grown up and working as the King’s courier. Travelling back and forth between Emberfall and Syl Shallow.
We also have two new POVs, Jax - a blacksmith with an abusive father and his best friend Callyn an orphan desperately trying to look after her sister and keep their bakery afloat.
Unrest is still rampant in Syl Shallow, plenty of people still distrust magic and by extension King Grey. When the chance comes up to earn some coins by passing messages Jax and Callyn take the risk.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the new characters, I actually found Grey had changed a lot and I didn’t always like him. Liked the brief flashes of Harper and Rhen. I’ll be excited to see where this trilogy leads.
Set several years after the original trilogy, we have Tycho - now all grown up and working as the King’s courier. Travelling back and forth between Emberfall and Syl Shallow.
We also have two new POVs, Jax - a blacksmith with an abusive father and his best friend Callyn an orphan desperately trying to look after her sister and keep their bakery afloat.
Unrest is still rampant in Syl Shallow, plenty of people still distrust magic and by extension King Grey. When the chance comes up to earn some coins by passing messages Jax and Callyn take the risk.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the new characters, I actually found Grey had changed a lot and I didn’t always like him. Liked the brief flashes of Harper and Rhen. I’ll be excited to see where this trilogy leads.
Want to read
July 12, 2021After reading A Vow so Bold and Deadly which is seriously my most disappointing book of the year, I'm not sure how I feel about a new book in this world. I also never really cared that much about Tycho so I am probably going to go into this with very low expectation. Fingers crossed I won't be disappointed again.
That title sounds amazing tho...
I was hoping for more Rhen content as he doesn't deserve the hate he gets
That title sounds amazing tho...
July 3, 2022
“A bit of kindness chased by a bit of cruelty.”
TW: ableism, abuse, alcoholism, animal death, blood, child abuse, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, miscarriage, physical abuse, rape, sexual assault, (explicit) sexual content, torture, violence, vomit.
Note: Because I get asked this occasionally, this book is more mature than the Cursebreaker series as far as sexual content goes, but not in the terms of violence/gore. There are several explicit sexual scenes in here that go beyond anything in the original trilogy, but the gore/violence is very minimal and not nearly as descriptive as in the original series.
I've been trying to figure out how to review this book since last night and I'm still not entirely sure. Whenever a series continuation gets announced, I'm always hesitant for several reasons. The first is that it usually seems like a cash-grab, and the second is that I'm always concerned about what the author will do with characters I care for.
And yet, I still usually pick them up because I love the original stories and characters enough to be excited about new content.
This book was the ultimate example of both my hesitation and interest in series continuations, which is why I feel so damn indecisive about it. I love Brigid Kemmerer and I love the Cursebreakers trilogy, even the parts of it I've seen people complain about. So... I'm not shocked I enjoyed this, but I'm also not shocked I'm extremely frustrated by the existence of this book.
Instead of rambling, I'm going to list what I did and didn't like so this review has some semblance of cohesion.
Things I Liked
1. Getting to revisit the world/characters.
The reason series continuations are so popular is because we have so much affection for the original series and that was definitely true in this case. For the first quarter of the book, I felt like a kid with how excited I was to see some of my favorite Cursebreaker characters.
2. The new characters.
I had my struggled with them, but overall both Jax and Callyn were very distinct, welcome additions to the book. I sympathized with both of their unique challenges and liked both of them, except for when I didn't lol.
3. Getting to see both sides of the story.
If there's one thing I love, it's when things aren't portrayed as black-and-white. Brigid Kemmerer has done this fantastically in nearly every book I've read from her. This was, however, definitely the weakest example of that ability, as I feel like there were several plot-holes put in place to strengthen the case of one side but that's irrelevant.
It was still a factor in this book and I will eat it up every time.
I know that there are only three points here and I'm not super enthusiastic about any of them, but before I get into the negatives I want it to be clear that I really did enjoy this book. Her writing was as captivating as always and I had a great time on an entertainment level.
Things I Didn't Like
1. The plot.
Starting off strong here, but I'm sorry, what the heck was this plot? In the barest bone sense, yeah, it's a decent premise. Two friends get "accidentally" (accidentally my ass, btw.) involved in a plot against the king and things go from there.
In execution though? Eugh.
A lot of this book is just the same few scenes written in different ways. I know that doesn't make sense, but trust me here. All of Tycho's POV is him having the same scene with different characters/emotions/locations. The same goes for both Jax and Callyn, except 99% of their scenes take place in one of two locations (the forge or the bakery). It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it grew really tedious after awhile.
On top of that, there's this idiotic subplot about hosting a royal championship in order to bring peace? 1.) what the hell would that fix and 2.) it was literally only a plot device to make sure character A was stupid enough to leave character B in the last act.
2. Grey's character.
I was concerned going into this book about characters being wrecked, especially after AHSFAB/AVSBAD kindaaaa exaggerating Rhen's flaws to make us more attached to Grey as he became one of the central protagonists.
The same thing happened here, except it was Grey's flaws that were exaggerated in favor of Tycho becoming his own person.
I love Grey. He's one of my favorite characters of all time, and I know how many flaws he has. With that being said, Cursebreaker Grey would've kicked this Grey's ass.
This Grey was a terrible king. (I'm sorry but I was about five seconds from joining a rebellion against him. He was a terrible friend. A terrible leader. And the second that things went south emotionally, he lost absolutely all sense of logic and reasoning. I get that he was in pain and frustrated, but the way he was treating everyone just felt like such a far cry from how his character would've handled any of this.
There were a few moments where he felt like himself, even a grumpier version of himself, but they were overshadowed by how much I wanted someone to kick him.
3. Everything felt forced.
From the moment that the characters first get involved with the rebellion, I was worried that everything else about the book would feel similarly convenient and unfortunately, I was right.
A lot of the book only happens because person A was in the same place as person B at exactly the right time or because someone miscommunicated something in a way that was easily misconstrued and could have been easily avoided, or whatever else the case was. Not even mentioning the use of deus ex machina at the end.
I realize this is the first book in a new series, but the ending was so neatly tied up so quickly that it was irritating. Every wrong is forgiven and every bad thing is set to right, the end. (Minus the epilogue.)
4.
Overall
I have more thoughts and feelings on this but if I don't stop now, I'm going to sound like a petulant child that didn't have the exact snack she wanted. There's already a pretty good chance I'm there. Like I said, I was entertained by this book, but I was also really, really disappointed with it.
I'm not sure if I recommend it, even to people that loved the original series. If you read this review and think that you may still like it, give it a chance. I hope it works for you. It just didn't for me.
There's a high likelihood I'll read the next book because I still love Brigid Kemmerer and this world, but there's also a high likelihood I wouldn't rate it, if it's anything like this one.
TW: ableism, abuse, alcoholism, animal death, blood, child abuse, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, miscarriage, physical abuse, rape, sexual assault, (explicit) sexual content, torture, violence, vomit.
Note: Because I get asked this occasionally, this book is more mature than the Cursebreaker series as far as sexual content goes, but not in the terms of violence/gore. There are several explicit sexual scenes in here that go beyond anything in the original trilogy, but the gore/violence is very minimal and not nearly as descriptive as in the original series.
I've been trying to figure out how to review this book since last night and I'm still not entirely sure. Whenever a series continuation gets announced, I'm always hesitant for several reasons. The first is that it usually seems like a cash-grab, and the second is that I'm always concerned about what the author will do with characters I care for.
And yet, I still usually pick them up because I love the original stories and characters enough to be excited about new content.
This book was the ultimate example of both my hesitation and interest in series continuations, which is why I feel so damn indecisive about it. I love Brigid Kemmerer and I love the Cursebreakers trilogy, even the parts of it I've seen people complain about. So... I'm not shocked I enjoyed this, but I'm also not shocked I'm extremely frustrated by the existence of this book.
Instead of rambling, I'm going to list what I did and didn't like so this review has some semblance of cohesion.
Things I Liked
1. Getting to revisit the world/characters.
The reason series continuations are so popular is because we have so much affection for the original series and that was definitely true in this case. For the first quarter of the book, I felt like a kid with how excited I was to see some of my favorite Cursebreaker characters.
2. The new characters.
I had my struggled with them, but overall both Jax and Callyn were very distinct, welcome additions to the book. I sympathized with both of their unique challenges and liked both of them, except for when I didn't lol.
3. Getting to see both sides of the story.
If there's one thing I love, it's when things aren't portrayed as black-and-white. Brigid Kemmerer has done this fantastically in nearly every book I've read from her. This was, however, definitely the weakest example of that ability, as I feel like there were several plot-holes put in place to strengthen the case of one side but that's irrelevant.
It was still a factor in this book and I will eat it up every time.
I know that there are only three points here and I'm not super enthusiastic about any of them, but before I get into the negatives I want it to be clear that I really did enjoy this book. Her writing was as captivating as always and I had a great time on an entertainment level.
Things I Didn't Like
1. The plot.
Starting off strong here, but I'm sorry, what the heck was this plot? In the barest bone sense, yeah, it's a decent premise. Two friends get "accidentally" (accidentally my ass, btw.) involved in a plot against the king and things go from there.
In execution though? Eugh.
A lot of this book is just the same few scenes written in different ways. I know that doesn't make sense, but trust me here. All of Tycho's POV is him having the same scene with different characters/emotions/locations. The same goes for both Jax and Callyn, except 99% of their scenes take place in one of two locations (the forge or the bakery). It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it grew really tedious after awhile.
On top of that, there's this idiotic subplot about hosting a royal championship in order to bring peace? 1.) what the hell would that fix and 2.) it was literally only a plot device to make sure character A was stupid enough to leave character B in the last act.
2. Grey's character.
I was concerned going into this book about characters being wrecked, especially after AHSFAB/AVSBAD kindaaaa exaggerating Rhen's flaws to make us more attached to Grey as he became one of the central protagonists.
The same thing happened here, except it was Grey's flaws that were exaggerated in favor of Tycho becoming his own person.
I love Grey. He's one of my favorite characters of all time, and I know how many flaws he has. With that being said, Cursebreaker Grey would've kicked this Grey's ass.
This Grey was a terrible king. (I'm sorry but I was about five seconds from joining a rebellion against him. He was a terrible friend. A terrible leader. And the second that things went south emotionally, he lost absolutely all sense of logic and reasoning. I get that he was in pain and frustrated, but the way he was treating everyone just felt like such a far cry from how his character would've handled any of this.
There were a few moments where he felt like himself, even a grumpier version of himself, but they were overshadowed by how much I wanted someone to kick him.
3. Everything felt forced.
From the moment that the characters first get involved with the rebellion, I was worried that everything else about the book would feel similarly convenient and unfortunately, I was right.
A lot of the book only happens because person A was in the same place as person B at exactly the right time or because someone miscommunicated something in a way that was easily misconstrued and could have been easily avoided, or whatever else the case was. Not even mentioning the use of deus ex machina at the end.
I realize this is the first book in a new series, but the ending was so neatly tied up so quickly that it was irritating. Every wrong is forgiven and every bad thing is set to right, the end. (Minus the epilogue.)
4.
Overall
I have more thoughts and feelings on this but if I don't stop now, I'm going to sound like a petulant child that didn't have the exact snack she wanted. There's already a pretty good chance I'm there. Like I said, I was entertained by this book, but I was also really, really disappointed with it.
I'm not sure if I recommend it, even to people that loved the original series. If you read this review and think that you may still like it, give it a chance. I hope it works for you. It just didn't for me.
There's a high likelihood I'll read the next book because I still love Brigid Kemmerer and this world, but there's also a high likelihood I wouldn't rate it, if it's anything like this one.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1593184464i/98245866._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
June 21, 2022
What? No! When is the next book coming out??? 5 magical stars. Kemmerer writes excellent YA fantasy which always manages to grab my by the heartstrings. Her prose, her characters, you name it. While the Cursebreaker series will remain my favorite for now, this spin-off trilogy already has the potential become a favorite as well.
This book involves a triple POV and I really like how initially misleading it is – you are likely to expect a love triangle between Jax, Callyn, and Tycho, but let me allay your fears: that’s not at all what’s going on
If you’ve read the Cursebreaker series, you already know Tycho, then 15, now 19 years old and as Courier to the King, he often travels between Rhen in Emberfall and Grey in Syhl Shallow. I’ve always liked Tycho so it was really fun to see him again. Jax and Callyn are new characters, a poor blacksmith and a baker, respectively, trying to make ends meet in a small village. I admired Jax’s strength, both mentally and physically, especially considering he tragically lost a foot at the age of 13. Despite a brief intense dislike when Callyn is “led astray”, I became very fond of her; Callyn's character arc is just so well done.
It was also really gratifying to see familiar characters again, Jake and Noah and their relationship especially. My dearly beloved Grey does not come out of this looking too rosy though; Rhen is as lovable – and by that I mean as stoic and controlled – as ever.
As for the plot, the main conflict involves the perception of magic and Grey as a dangerous, evil magesmith – as perpetrated by the unironically called Truthbringers.
As a result, it’s really painful to see how events are twisted and selective, how people’s fear and ignorance are used to create another narrative (and one that hits too close to home these days), blinding people to what’s true and right and using them in the process. Sure, magic has brought a lot of suffering and death, but Rhen and Grey are good men at heart and they do work for their peoples’ best interest.
At one point, I was reminded of the Bridge Kingdom and the indoctrination regarding the big bad enemy (here: magesmith Grey) and was really fearful our main characters would take as long to accept reality. I’m glad to say this went a totally different way – admittedly with one character being manipulated but it was done believably and briefly and without excessive inner monologues. Watch how it’s done, Miss Jensen.
My one pet peeve with this book and the Cursebreaker series: the inflated use of characters “pausing”. I pause. He pauses. She pauses. 139 times. (If you made a drinking game out of it, you would die of alcohol poisoning.) As much as I love Kemmerer’s writing, this has become distracting. And now that I’ve made you aware, you can be distracted with me. (Or not. Maybe not everyone is as anal as I am.)
A couple of things that bothered me:
Bottom line, I enjoyed this immensely and I can’t wait to continue reading. I was invested in the characters, immersed in their fates and, in light of that, any misgivings I might have had while reading were soon forgotten.
Can this be read as a stand-alone? Sure.
Would I recommend reading Cursebreakers before? Absolutely.
If you don’t like book 1 of that series, you won’t like this one either. And if you end up liking it, you can just go ahead and read all the books in the proper order. But hey, you do you :).
This book involves a triple POV and I really like how initially misleading it is – you are likely to expect a love triangle between Jax, Callyn, and Tycho, but let me allay your fears: that’s not at all what’s going on
If you’ve read the Cursebreaker series, you already know Tycho, then 15, now 19 years old and as Courier to the King, he often travels between Rhen in Emberfall and Grey in Syhl Shallow. I’ve always liked Tycho so it was really fun to see him again. Jax and Callyn are new characters, a poor blacksmith and a baker, respectively, trying to make ends meet in a small village. I admired Jax’s strength, both mentally and physically, especially considering he tragically lost a foot at the age of 13. Despite a brief intense dislike when Callyn is “led astray”, I became very fond of her; Callyn's character arc is just so well done.
It was also really gratifying to see familiar characters again, Jake and Noah and their relationship especially. My dearly beloved Grey does not come out of this looking too rosy though; Rhen is as lovable – and by that I mean as stoic and controlled – as ever.
As for the plot, the main conflict involves the perception of magic and Grey as a dangerous, evil magesmith – as perpetrated by the unironically called Truthbringers.
As a result, it’s really painful to see how events are twisted and selective, how people’s fear and ignorance are used to create another narrative (and one that hits too close to home these days), blinding people to what’s true and right and using them in the process. Sure, magic has brought a lot of suffering and death, but Rhen and Grey are good men at heart and they do work for their peoples’ best interest.
At one point, I was reminded of the Bridge Kingdom and the indoctrination regarding the big bad enemy (here: magesmith Grey) and was really fearful our main characters would take as long to accept reality. I’m glad to say this went a totally different way – admittedly with one character being manipulated but it was done believably and briefly and without excessive inner monologues. Watch how it’s done, Miss Jensen.
My one pet peeve with this book and the Cursebreaker series: the inflated use of characters “pausing”. I pause. He pauses. She pauses. 139 times. (If you made a drinking game out of it, you would die of alcohol poisoning.) As much as I love Kemmerer’s writing, this has become distracting. And now that I’ve made you aware, you can be distracted with me. (Or not. Maybe not everyone is as anal as I am.)
A couple of things that bothered me:
Bottom line, I enjoyed this immensely and I can’t wait to continue reading. I was invested in the characters, immersed in their fates and, in light of that, any misgivings I might have had while reading were soon forgotten.
Can this be read as a stand-alone? Sure.
Would I recommend reading Cursebreakers before? Absolutely.
If you don’t like book 1 of that series, you won’t like this one either. And if you end up liking it, you can just go ahead and read all the books in the proper order. But hey, you do you :).
July 14, 2022
Yooooooo why is this so addictive??
July 31, 2022
این کتاب، جلد اول از سه گانه جدیدی به قلم بریجید کمرره که ادامه دهنده مجموعه A Curse So Dark & Lonely محسوب می شه. (حتما باید اون مجموعه رو قبل از شروع این سه گانه جدید خونده باشید!)
داستان سه شخصیت اصلی رو دنبال می کنه.
تیکو که برای اولین بار در جلد دوم سه گانه پیشین باهاش آشنا شدیم و حالا در آستانه بیست سالگیه. اون به قاصد بین دو دربار امبرفال و سیل شلو تبدیل شده.
دو شخصیت دیگه داستان، کرکترهای جدیدی به نام های جکس و کالین هستن. جکس و کالین بنا بر حوادث داستان سر راه تیکو قرار می گیرن و بدین شکل داستان شورشیان مخالف جادو و خاندان سلطنتی به همدیگه گره می خوره.
مشابه سه گانه پیشین، اینجا هم داستان خاص و پیچیده ای در کار نیست، اما شخصیت ها و روابط بینشون و مهم تر از همه قلم ساده نویسنده، تمام و کمال با روح خواننده ارتباط برقرار می کنه.
بریجید کمرر ملکه روابط بین شخصیت هاست. بیشتر پلات داستان هاش سر همین موضوع می چرخه و به زیبایی روابط بین یک عاشق و معشوق، یک خواهر/برادر، دو دوست، دو دشمن، خانواده و... رو با تموم چالش ها و بالا و پایین های این روابط به روی کاغذ میاره. از این رو میشه گفت نوشته های این نویسنده بیشتر شخصیت محوره تا دنبال کننده پلات های پیچیده و...
از دیگر نکات این مجموعه جدید، قرار گرفتن یک زوج همجنسگرا به عنوان زوج اصلی قصه ست. پیش از این، روابط مربوط به خانواده LGBT در اکثر کتاب ها به شخصیت های فرعی تعلق داشت اما حالا بریجید کمرر توی مجموعه فانتزی جدیدش زوج اصلی قصه رو از خانواده LGBT قرار داده. (پس کلا دلتون رو برای ترجمه شدنش صابون نزنید😂)
شخصیت های موردعلاقه م توی این سه گانه جدید، تموم شخصیت های قدیمی از سه گانه پیشین+جکس بود.
چپترهای تیکو و جکس رو واقعا دوست داشتم و رابطه شون هم خیلی زیبا نوشته شده بود. کالین یکم روی مخم می رفت ولی خوشحالم که با فلانی، دیگر زوجِ اصلی داستان شد😁. (این مجموعه دو زوج اصلی داره)
ملاقات دوباره با گری و لیامرا، نوآه و جیک، هارپر و رن، زو و فریا و همه کرکترهای نام آشنا از مجموعه قبلی، شیرین و لذت بخش بود.
به امید قوی تر شدن مجموعه در جلد دوم💙
پ.ن: بانمکی های سینا💫
داستان سه شخصیت اصلی رو دنبال می کنه.
تیکو که برای اولین بار در جلد دوم سه گانه پیشین باهاش آشنا شدیم و حالا در آستانه بیست سالگیه. اون به قاصد بین دو دربار امبرفال و سیل شلو تبدیل شده.
دو شخصیت دیگه داستان، کرکترهای جدیدی به نام های جکس و کالین هستن. جکس و کالین بنا بر حوادث داستان سر راه تیکو قرار می گیرن و بدین شکل داستان شورشیان مخالف جادو و خاندان سلطنتی به همدیگه گره می خوره.
مشابه سه گانه پیشین، اینجا هم داستان خاص و پیچیده ای در کار نیست، اما شخصیت ها و روابط بینشون و مهم تر از همه قلم ساده نویسنده، تمام و کمال با روح خواننده ارتباط برقرار می کنه.
بریجید کمرر ملکه روابط بین شخصیت هاست. بیشتر پلات داستان هاش سر همین موضوع می چرخه و به زیبایی روابط بین یک عاشق و معشوق، یک خواهر/برادر، دو دوست، دو دشمن، خانواده و... رو با تموم چالش ها و بالا و پایین های این روابط به روی کاغذ میاره. از این رو میشه گفت نوشته های این نویسنده بیشتر شخصیت محوره تا دنبال کننده پلات های پیچیده و...
از دیگر نکات این مجموعه جدید، قرار گرفتن یک زوج همجنسگرا به عنوان زوج اصلی قصه ست. پیش از این، روابط مربوط به خانواده LGBT در اکثر کتاب ها به شخصیت های فرعی تعلق داشت اما حالا بریجید کمرر توی مجموعه فانتزی جدیدش زوج اصلی قصه رو از خانواده LGBT قرار داده. (پس کلا دلتون رو برای ترجمه شدنش صابون نزنید😂)
شخصیت های موردعلاقه م توی این سه گانه جدید، تموم شخصیت های قدیمی از سه گانه پیشین+جکس بود.
چپترهای تیکو و جکس رو واقعا دوست داشتم و رابطه شون هم خیلی زیبا نوشته شده بود. کالین یکم روی مخم می رفت ولی خوشحالم که با فلانی، دیگر زوجِ اصلی داستان شد😁. (این مجموعه دو زوج اصلی داره)
ملاقات دوباره با گری و لیامرا، نوآه و جیک، هارپر و رن، زو و فریا و همه کرکترهای نام آشنا از مجموعه قبلی، شیرین و لذت بخش بود.
به امید قوی تر شدن مجموعه در جلد دوم💙
پ.ن: بانمکی های سینا💫
June 10, 2022
I'M IN LOVE ONCE AGAIN AND BRIGID, YOU ARE AT BLAME!
but no joke, I had this feeling when my favorite series gets a spin-off series, that i feel like it will ruin the first series for me(even though i die to have more book from that world again) so naturally, I was kind of scared that case will happen here.
BUT OHHH HOW I WAS PROVED WRONG AND I'M HELLA HAPPY ABOUT IT😃😃
Forging Silver Into Stars is just the most beautiful fantasy novel, with romance, betrayal, intrigue and wildly swinging emotions. I don’t know how she does it but Brigid Kemmerer’s writing just gets better and better. It felt so good to be back in Emberfall and Syhl Shallow!
FORGING SILVER INTO STARS has some cameos by some of my favorite characters from the Cursebreakers series— Rhen and Harper, Grey and Lia Mara… and especially Tycho. Also, Nakiis, Iisak’s son! I love that he was part of this, and I’m super intrigued to see where the plot concerning him goes next.
• • • ₪ • • •
One thing you should know is that I fell in love with Tycho in A Heart So Fierce and Broken and would die to protect him. He’s baby. Well, it’s been four years since the events of A Vow so Bold and Deadly and Tycho is still baby, but he’s 19 now, and things have changed.
WOW I feel like there's a reason Brigid released her book in pride month because 😃😃 we have to start with the romance. At first, I was not at all sure how the romance would play out. Would we get a best friends to lovers romance between Cal and Jax, a love story between Cal and Tycho?
Instead we get two romances, one that I didn’t see coming and is by no means settled by the end of the book and the other that stopped my heart in my chest with its pure, heartbreaking honesty and driving emotions.
WOW DO I LOVE NOAH A LOT??? like he is such and aspiring charcater and I loved that Tycho mentions when he wants to feel relax he goes to noah's infirmary.
I am so in love with the direction that Brigid takes in this book. And there’s this scene (which leads to a handful of other scenes) that she didn’t plan for, and it’s 100% one of my favorite moments in the whole book.😍🤩😎
also I just loved how natural it felt – the friendship between Jax and Callyn – and her little sister Nora (who is utterly delightful and I love her – spicy romances ftw) was just so effortless.
• • • ₪ • • •
I MISSED RHEN SO MUCH And seeing grey and lia mara with little sinna settling into a family was refreshing.
there is one moment with Grey that nearly broke me. The way I saw it in my head, the way it came to life – nope, can’t talk about it because I’ll get all caught up in the feels and then I’m just going to have to re-read the book again.😥😓😔
The plot had me hooked, but it was the characters, the romance and the heartbreak that kept me from putting this book down. I adored it, possibly (maybe definitely) even more than A Curse so Dark and Lonely (JK 😎) but we retain all the magic, all the familiarity of what I loved about that series and just turn up the heat.
• • • ₪ • • •
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you loved the Cursebreakers Series – Rhen, Grey, Lia Mara, Harper and Co. then you’re going to absolutely going to love this next installment. I do think certain things in this books needs some fresh up from the previous trilogy, so this might not be a standalone after all. it's actually better, the cursebreaker series is so good.
The wait for book 2 is already going to be long as shit, as it is.
• ──── ✾ ──── •
Update 12 June :it's a Guinness Record the way I didn't even read the synopsis or anything, only saw Brigid kemmerer has a brand new book (now that I'm focusing it's in syhl shallow😨) and I pressed "want to read".
I can't believe i just manifested this spin off, and it's here OH MY GOD.
but no joke, I had this feeling when my favorite series gets a spin-off series, that i feel like it will ruin the first series for me(even though i die to have more book from that world again) so naturally, I was kind of scared that case will happen here.
BUT OHHH HOW I WAS PROVED WRONG AND I'M HELLA HAPPY ABOUT IT😃😃
Forging Silver Into Stars is just the most beautiful fantasy novel, with romance, betrayal, intrigue and wildly swinging emotions. I don’t know how she does it but Brigid Kemmerer’s writing just gets better and better. It felt so good to be back in Emberfall and Syhl Shallow!
FORGING SILVER INTO STARS has some cameos by some of my favorite characters from the Cursebreakers series— Rhen and Harper, Grey and Lia Mara… and especially Tycho. Also, Nakiis, Iisak’s son! I love that he was part of this, and I’m super intrigued to see where the plot concerning him goes next.
• • • ₪ • • •
One thing you should know is that I fell in love with Tycho in A Heart So Fierce and Broken and would die to protect him. He’s baby. Well, it’s been four years since the events of A Vow so Bold and Deadly and Tycho is still baby, but he’s 19 now, and things have changed.
WOW I feel like there's a reason Brigid released her book in pride month because 😃😃 we have to start with the romance. At first, I was not at all sure how the romance would play out. Would we get a best friends to lovers romance between Cal and Jax, a love story between Cal and Tycho?
Instead we get two romances, one that I didn’t see coming and is by no means settled by the end of the book and the other that stopped my heart in my chest with its pure, heartbreaking honesty and driving emotions.
“I know. Jake is a good man.”
“He was a good man then, too.” He pauses. “You’re not distracted. You’re not reckless. If your heart tells you someone deserves your attention, listen to it.”
WOW DO I LOVE NOAH A LOT??? like he is such and aspiring charcater and I loved that Tycho mentions when he wants to feel relax he goes to noah's infirmary.
I am so in love with the direction that Brigid takes in this book. And there’s this scene (which leads to a handful of other scenes) that she didn’t plan for, and it’s 100% one of my favorite moments in the whole book.😍🤩😎
also I just loved how natural it felt – the friendship between Jax and Callyn – and her little sister Nora (who is utterly delightful and I love her – spicy romances ftw) was just so effortless.
• • • ₪ • • •
“If Grey is a man of action, then Rhen is a man of deliberation”
I MISSED RHEN SO MUCH And seeing grey and lia mara with little sinna settling into a family was refreshing.
there is one moment with Grey that nearly broke me. The way I saw it in my head, the way it came to life – nope, can’t talk about it because I’ll get all caught up in the feels and then I’m just going to have to re-read the book again.😥😓😔
The plot had me hooked, but it was the characters, the romance and the heartbreak that kept me from putting this book down. I adored it, possibly (maybe definitely) even more than A Curse so Dark and Lonely (JK 😎) but we retain all the magic, all the familiarity of what I loved about that series and just turn up the heat.
• • • ₪ • • •
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you loved the Cursebreakers Series – Rhen, Grey, Lia Mara, Harper and Co. then you’re going to absolutely going to love this next installment. I do think certain things in this books needs some fresh up from the previous trilogy, so this might not be a standalone after all. it's actually better, the cursebreaker series is so good.
The wait for book 2 is already going to be long as shit, as it is.
• ──── ✾ ──── •
Update 12 June :it's a Guinness Record the way I didn't even read the synopsis or anything, only saw Brigid kemmerer has a brand new book (now that I'm focusing it's in syhl shallow😨) and I pressed "want to read".
I can't believe i just manifested this spin off, and it's here OH MY GOD.
July 27, 2022
در حقیقت اینجوری نیست که جلد اول این سه گانه ( که ایشون باشه) داستان خاصی داشته باشه. تا ۷۰ درصد کتاب واقعا آنچنان پیچ و تابی توی اصل داستان نمیبینی اما چیزی که باعث میشه این موضوع کاملا برای من بیاهمیت بشه شخصیت پردازیه. اصلا من هرررر کتابی رو به امید آشنایی و همراهی با شخصیتهای جدید میخونم حالا اگر اون وسط شخصیتهای دوست داشتنی و قدیمی رو هم ببینم که دیگه چه بهتر!
آشنایی با جکس و کالین و دیدار دوباره با تیکو، گری، لیامرا و... خیلی خیلی خیلی جذاب و لذت بخش بود.( هرچند که نویسندهها همیشه دوست دارن بهترینها رو همیشه اذیت کنند...)
کاملا مشخصه که توی جلدهای بعدی قراره کلی ماجرا داشته باشیم اما من عجلهای ندارم که زودتر بیاد. آخه زود بیاد که من دوباره زود بخونم و دوباره فرصت ��مراهی با این بچهها رو از دست بدم؟!
آشنایی با جکس و کالین و دیدار دوباره با تیکو، گری، لیامرا و... خیلی خیلی خیلی جذاب و لذت بخش بود.( هرچند که نویسندهها همیشه دوست دارن بهترینها رو همیشه اذیت کنند...)
کاملا مشخصه که توی جلدهای بعدی قراره کلی ماجرا داشته باشیم اما من عجلهای ندارم که زودتر بیاد. آخه زود بیاد که من دوباره زود بخونم و دوباره فرصت ��مراهی با این بچهها رو از دست بدم؟!
July 16, 2022
Forging Silver into Stars is the first book within the Forging Silver into Stars series.
In this, you will meet Jax and Callyn. They are both 18 years old and live in a world where there's no magic. Now these two were kind of likable for most of the book, but I definitely liked Callyn a lot more. Maybe it's because we both bake or maybe, just maybe, she was easier to like. Don't get me wrong, I felt bad for Jax so much because of what he went through, but the guy took forever for me to like.
After getting to meet them, it was obvious that they were really intrigued by magic. I mean, who wouldn't be in this kingdom? The one thing they probably didn't see coming was the espionage scheming happening all around them. It definitely made it harder to figure out who was trustworthy or not because the plans just kept changing! Lowkey, each and every person was on my suspicion radar until the truth was revealed.
In the end, I'm so excited for the next book because of how everything ended. I love revenge so much. Especially when it's about to be served due to betrayal. So, yeah, sign me up for the next book please!
In this, you will meet Jax and Callyn. They are both 18 years old and live in a world where there's no magic. Now these two were kind of likable for most of the book, but I definitely liked Callyn a lot more. Maybe it's because we both bake or maybe, just maybe, she was easier to like. Don't get me wrong, I felt bad for Jax so much because of what he went through, but the guy took forever for me to like.
After getting to meet them, it was obvious that they were really intrigued by magic. I mean, who wouldn't be in this kingdom? The one thing they probably didn't see coming was the espionage scheming happening all around them. It definitely made it harder to figure out who was trustworthy or not because the plans just kept changing! Lowkey, each and every person was on my suspicion radar until the truth was revealed.
In the end, I'm so excited for the next book because of how everything ended. I love revenge so much. Especially when it's about to be served due to betrayal. So, yeah, sign me up for the next book please!
November 24, 2022
I think what I like the most about Kemmerer books is how easily I get butterflies over the relationships she writes!
This author knows how to write LOVE. It doesn’t always have to be spice and sexy time- it’s intimate and romantic and swoon worthy moments that get me.
This story is no exception- I loved every minute of this!
If you have read a curse so dark and lonely or the whole series, this book takes place in that world. You get some crossover characters along with some new ones! This is the first book in a new series and I seriously cannot wait for more!
This author knows how to write LOVE. It doesn’t always have to be spice and sexy time- it’s intimate and romantic and swoon worthy moments that get me.
This story is no exception- I loved every minute of this!
If you have read a curse so dark and lonely or the whole series, this book takes place in that world. You get some crossover characters along with some new ones! This is the first book in a new series and I seriously cannot wait for more!
June 22, 2022
No words, only disappointment. I will not be continuing this series.
One extra star for Callyn only. So sorry the author did such a wonderful character so dirty.
Before release:
Oh well.... Guess I'll be reading this despite hating how A Vow So Bold and Deadly ended.
One extra star for Callyn only. So sorry the author did such a wonderful character so dirty.
Before release:
Oh well.... Guess I'll be reading this despite hating how A Vow So Bold and Deadly ended.
August 2, 2022
Forging Silver into Stars is a fantasy book about two kingdoms becoming one after decades of war with wary and confused people that hates the magic of their King, one of them are the childhood friends named Jax and Callyn at Briarlock.
It is an interesting read! twisty and unexpected turns of events. The Book is eventful and a lot of things to look forward for in the next book! How the magic started, the story behinds Callyn's mother, Aleck's POV at the end and so much more! Can't wait for the next book! I'll rate the book 4.0/5.
It is an interesting read! twisty and unexpected turns of events. The Book is eventful and a lot of things to look forward for in the next book! How the magic started, the story behinds Callyn's mother, Aleck's POV at the end and so much more! Can't wait for the next book! I'll rate the book 4.0/5.
March 17, 2022
*So received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First, if you haven’t read the Cursebreaker trilogy, don’t read this book yet. It 100% requires you to have knowledge of the story line and characters in that series. That’s not a bad thing - just be forewarned, this book assumes you’re familiar with the story and will spoil many plot points in the Cursebreaker trilogy for you.
At around page 300, I realized I should probably stop waiting for the story to happen. I really enjoyed the fast pace of the Cursebreaker trilogy, but Forging Silver Into Stars reads more like really loooooong set up for a second book. There’s lots of repeating scenes here with minimal character development, and I started to get the sense that the actual story is about Grey and Lia Mara - though they’ve been relegated to the role of side characters we only get to briefly see through Tycho’s perspective. And while I did enjoy Tycho’s character, I struggled to connect with Jax and Callyn on an emotional level. There’s no climactic action until the very last 50-100 pages, so it was hard for me to figure out their role - I know I’m supposed to sympathize with their plight but nothing spurs them into action, even things that I personally thought should. It’s just a lot of indecision and talking around the truth.
Speaking of truth, what little plot there is here hangs on poor communication between every single character, which got frustrating fast. And I get it - miscommunication and poor communication are factors of everyday life. But when it’s an ongoing thread that has to sustain 500 pages of conversation…it does get a bit old.
I realize this review makes it sound like I hated the book. And I don’t think it’d be accurate to say I enjoyed it. But will I read the next one? Yeah, definitely. I care too much about the original cast of characters to not keep reading, and I have hope that all this set up will turn into a much faster paced second book. Oh gosh, I hope.
First, if you haven’t read the Cursebreaker trilogy, don’t read this book yet. It 100% requires you to have knowledge of the story line and characters in that series. That’s not a bad thing - just be forewarned, this book assumes you’re familiar with the story and will spoil many plot points in the Cursebreaker trilogy for you.
At around page 300, I realized I should probably stop waiting for the story to happen. I really enjoyed the fast pace of the Cursebreaker trilogy, but Forging Silver Into Stars reads more like really loooooong set up for a second book. There’s lots of repeating scenes here with minimal character development, and I started to get the sense that the actual story is about Grey and Lia Mara - though they’ve been relegated to the role of side characters we only get to briefly see through Tycho’s perspective. And while I did enjoy Tycho’s character, I struggled to connect with Jax and Callyn on an emotional level. There’s no climactic action until the very last 50-100 pages, so it was hard for me to figure out their role - I know I’m supposed to sympathize with their plight but nothing spurs them into action, even things that I personally thought should. It’s just a lot of indecision and talking around the truth.
Speaking of truth, what little plot there is here hangs on poor communication between every single character, which got frustrating fast. And I get it - miscommunication and poor communication are factors of everyday life. But when it’s an ongoing thread that has to sustain 500 pages of conversation…it does get a bit old.
I realize this review makes it sound like I hated the book. And I don’t think it’d be accurate to say I enjoyed it. But will I read the next one? Yeah, definitely. I care too much about the original cast of characters to not keep reading, and I have hope that all this set up will turn into a much faster paced second book. Oh gosh, I hope.
August 1, 2022
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁.”
This book was worth the wait! The excitement to finally read this book and meet Jax and Callyn was so rewarding. If you haven't read The Cursebreakers Trilogy yet and plan to, I recommend you read it first otherwise you will be met with a lot of spoilers regarding certain characters, but this book isn't part of The Cursebreakers series so it's not a requirement. Old characters and new ones are pressed between the pages and upon opening the book the air of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow permeates the air.
Enemies-to-lovers and found family with magic and epic fights, who wouldn't want to read it! Tycho now has his own story and what an adventure it is. It's a fight for loyalty and friendship as well as own identity. The stakes are high and because of magic, the tension in the air is palpable. I enjoyed revisiting Emberfall and Syhl Shallow, I browsed the map included in the front of the book and was shocked by plot twists. The title is weaved between the pages and I'm in awe of Kemmerer's talent to create a world where everything seems real, to escape into a book and forget that you're reading.
“𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗵𝗲𝗻.”
There are some emotional scenes as well as scenes that make your heart swell. This book needs to be on your TBR. With a stunning cover, old and new characters (including favourites), magic, unexpected plot twists, romance and purpose, this book is everything I thought it would be and more.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was worth the wait! The excitement to finally read this book and meet Jax and Callyn was so rewarding. If you haven't read The Cursebreakers Trilogy yet and plan to, I recommend you read it first otherwise you will be met with a lot of spoilers regarding certain characters, but this book isn't part of The Cursebreakers series so it's not a requirement. Old characters and new ones are pressed between the pages and upon opening the book the air of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow permeates the air.
Enemies-to-lovers and found family with magic and epic fights, who wouldn't want to read it! Tycho now has his own story and what an adventure it is. It's a fight for loyalty and friendship as well as own identity. The stakes are high and because of magic, the tension in the air is palpable. I enjoyed revisiting Emberfall and Syhl Shallow, I browsed the map included in the front of the book and was shocked by plot twists. The title is weaved between the pages and I'm in awe of Kemmerer's talent to create a world where everything seems real, to escape into a book and forget that you're reading.
“𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗵𝗲𝗻.”
There are some emotional scenes as well as scenes that make your heart swell. This book needs to be on your TBR. With a stunning cover, old and new characters (including favourites), magic, unexpected plot twists, romance and purpose, this book is everything I thought it would be and more.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2022
I guess what I really liked about this book is that we've got to see the old familiar characters. There is Grey and Lia Mara and Rhen and there was Harper too.
But to be honest, I've never really cared about Tycho as a character to actually be invested in his story, though it was nice to go deeper into his past story. And he did grow up since we last saw him. Plus, the romance reminded me of the couple in the TV series Young Royals. And Alek, one of the new characters, was quite intriguing.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book felt like it didn't have any plot and we just jumped here and there, following the characters while there were doing nothing. Actually, most of the time I was hoping to read more about Grey than the main characters. I do believe though that the second book will have much more plotwise.
But to be honest, I've never really cared about Tycho as a character to actually be invested in his story, though it was nice to go deeper into his past story. And he did grow up since we last saw him. Plus, the romance reminded me of the couple in the TV series Young Royals. And Alek, one of the new characters, was quite intriguing.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book felt like it didn't have any plot and we just jumped here and there, following the characters while there were doing nothing. Actually, most of the time I was hoping to read more about Grey than the main characters. I do believe though that the second book will have much more plotwise.
June 19, 2022
This was such an addictive read & I loved every moment of it! It’s the perfect spin of sequel from the cursebreaker series that follows a different set of characters who are very entertaining!
June 13, 2022
I want to start by saying that I have not read the Cursebreaker series. While it is in the same world and some of the characters are the same, the two series are independent of one another and you can read this without having read that. That being said, I imagine that I would have better understanding of the world if I had read that first. For example, there is mention of Washington, D.C. Clearly, this world and our world exist in tandem. But there is no further explanation on that, which I was like huh… but I’m guessing that would’ve been explained had I read Cursebreaker first. Other than that, I don’t think it matters what order you read the series in. They will either be in order chronologically, or if I go back and read Cursebreaker now, it will be like a prequel and fill in some history of some of the characters.
Jax is a blacksmith, and Callyn a baker. They are best friends and both in financial struggle. When they get tied up in passing secret messages for strangers who pay them to do so, it becomes clear they are in way over there heads and possibly committing treason. Enter Lord Tycho, the King’s devilishly handsome Courier who stumbles upon Callyn and Jax by chance when his horse loses a horseshoe. Unable to keep Jax out of his mind, their paths become entwined. Callyn and Jax have to navigate where their loyalties, beliefs and hearts lay. That’s a very basic synopsis, but the story was good and kept my attention all throughout. The romance was wonderful in this book. What I thought was going to happen versus what actually happened was different, and what actually happened was better. There are a few good life lessons regarding treatment of others depicted by way of the romance, specifically intimacy with a sexual assault survivor.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! The writing was good, the story captured me and I enjoyed the characters. I wouldn’t say that I absolutely fell in love with any of them, but I liked them well enough. Lord Tycho was my favorite, if I had to choose. A solid 4 star read!
Jax is a blacksmith, and Callyn a baker. They are best friends and both in financial struggle. When they get tied up in passing secret messages for strangers who pay them to do so, it becomes clear they are in way over there heads and possibly committing treason. Enter Lord Tycho, the King’s devilishly handsome Courier who stumbles upon Callyn and Jax by chance when his horse loses a horseshoe. Unable to keep Jax out of his mind, their paths become entwined. Callyn and Jax have to navigate where their loyalties, beliefs and hearts lay. That’s a very basic synopsis, but the story was good and kept my attention all throughout. The romance was wonderful in this book. What I thought was going to happen versus what actually happened was different, and what actually happened was better. There are a few good life lessons regarding treatment of others depicted by way of the romance, specifically intimacy with a sexual assault survivor.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! The writing was good, the story captured me and I enjoyed the characters. I wouldn’t say that I absolutely fell in love with any of them, but I liked them well enough. Lord Tycho was my favorite, if I had to choose. A solid 4 star read!
April 17, 2022
Review coming soon!A HUGE thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley
for providing me with an ARC of Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer releasing on 06/07/2022
SPOILER FREE REVIEW:
I want to preface this by saying that Brigid is one of my ALL TIME favorite authors, but that it in NO WAY affects my review of this book.
As most of you know, I am a HUGE fan of the Cursebreakers trilogy and I wasn't sure how I would feel going back into this world, while following a new cast of characters because i am so attached to the og cast... I am so so happy to report that I LOVED it.
Forging Silver Into Stars takes place in the Cursebreakers world after the events of book three, A Vow So Bold and Deadly.
Forging Silver Into Stars is told through three different perspectives, and follows new characters Jax and Callyn who are best friends living in a small town near the border of Emberfall, until they find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war.
Tycho, a fan favorite from the Cursebreakers trilogy, also returns as the King's courier and is tasked with discovering who is conspiring against the throne.
Brigid has once again showcased her talent at entwinining action and adventure with romance and political intrigue.. all while keeping the reader turning the page and wanting more.
Forging Silver Into Stars was almost 600 pages and I desperately wanted more which makes me SO excited that this will be its own trilogy.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and support this incredibly talented human!
Overall rating 5/5
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
for providing me with an ARC of Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer releasing on 06/07/2022
SPOILER FREE REVIEW:
I want to preface this by saying that Brigid is one of my ALL TIME favorite authors, but that it in NO WAY affects my review of this book.
As most of you know, I am a HUGE fan of the Cursebreakers trilogy and I wasn't sure how I would feel going back into this world, while following a new cast of characters because i am so attached to the og cast... I am so so happy to report that I LOVED it.
Forging Silver Into Stars takes place in the Cursebreakers world after the events of book three, A Vow So Bold and Deadly.
Forging Silver Into Stars is told through three different perspectives, and follows new characters Jax and Callyn who are best friends living in a small town near the border of Emberfall, until they find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war.
Tycho, a fan favorite from the Cursebreakers trilogy, also returns as the King's courier and is tasked with discovering who is conspiring against the throne.
Brigid has once again showcased her talent at entwinining action and adventure with romance and political intrigue.. all while keeping the reader turning the page and wanting more.
Forging Silver Into Stars was almost 600 pages and I desperately wanted more which makes me SO excited that this will be its own trilogy.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and support this incredibly talented human!
Overall rating 5/5
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
June 12, 2022
A solid start to a new series. I’m hoping the other 2 books will delve more into the magic system and creatures since this one lacked it a little, but overall a really good book.
May 23, 2022
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I loved Forging Silver into Stars! There's something about the way Brigid Kemmerer writes her stories that makes my heart sing. I hadn't read Kemmerer's Cursebreaker trilogy prior to reading this (I'm not one for Beauty and the Beast retellings) and I found myself being able to immerse myself into the world easily. There are spoilers for Cursebreaker in FSIS so keep that in mind when picking this up.
I enjoyed that FSIS took place from the POVs of two commoners, Callyn & Jax, and Tycho who is someone to loyal to both kingdoms. Through Callyn and Jax’s POV, Kemmerer showed the struggles of regular people recovering from war and how a kingdom’s decisions greatly impact their people for the years that follow.
I loved reading from the perspective of all 3 characters. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Tycho. He’s a cinnamon roll who would do anything for anyone. His slow burn relationship with Jax gave me the warm and fuzzies. Callyn being the protective big sister to Nora reminded me of my own relationship with my brother.
FSIS is slow moving for the most part. It very much felt like a first book in a series. But in a way that acted as a bridge between the Cursebreaker series and the next books to come. It’s clear there will be a bigger conflict in the later books and more political machinations as the use of magic continues to be scrutinized. I’m eager to see what comes next!
If you haven’t read the Cursebreaker series and are okay with being spoiled, you’ll be able to enjoy FSIS no doubt. It’s fun, character driven, and has the polictial intrigue that I love in fantasy novels. I’m excited to see what readers will think when FSIS comes out on June 7!
4/5 stars
First of all, I loved Forging Silver into Stars! There's something about the way Brigid Kemmerer writes her stories that makes my heart sing. I hadn't read Kemmerer's Cursebreaker trilogy prior to reading this (I'm not one for Beauty and the Beast retellings) and I found myself being able to immerse myself into the world easily. There are spoilers for Cursebreaker in FSIS so keep that in mind when picking this up.
I enjoyed that FSIS took place from the POVs of two commoners, Callyn & Jax, and Tycho who is someone to loyal to both kingdoms. Through Callyn and Jax’s POV, Kemmerer showed the struggles of regular people recovering from war and how a kingdom’s decisions greatly impact their people for the years that follow.
I loved reading from the perspective of all 3 characters. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Tycho. He’s a cinnamon roll who would do anything for anyone. His slow burn relationship with Jax gave me the warm and fuzzies. Callyn being the protective big sister to Nora reminded me of my own relationship with my brother.
FSIS is slow moving for the most part. It very much felt like a first book in a series. But in a way that acted as a bridge between the Cursebreaker series and the next books to come. It’s clear there will be a bigger conflict in the later books and more political machinations as the use of magic continues to be scrutinized. I’m eager to see what comes next!
If you haven’t read the Cursebreaker series and are okay with being spoiled, you’ll be able to enjoy FSIS no doubt. It’s fun, character driven, and has the polictial intrigue that I love in fantasy novels. I’m excited to see what readers will think when FSIS comes out on June 7!
4/5 stars
April 8, 2023
after reading and liking the cursebreaker series in january last year, i was so happy to see that this book would be published! i couldn't wait to read more about the characters and to meet new ones.
after reading this, i am luckily not disappointed, it was great!
even though the world is the same, i got to see new places.
i enjoyed learning more about syhl shallow. i especially liked that the story was so focused on the cooperation between syhl shallow and emberfall since the cursebreaker series was about getting these two countries to not be ennemies anymore and this then showed if and how this partnership worked.
because of that, the storyline being about traitors in a kingdom and about people fearing the other country and its people made sense.
the story has three point of views, which i found nice.
it shows three different perspectives in one story and therefore the reader sees how the same thing affects people differently. this was helpful in understanding for example callyn's fear of magic because if the book had only been written in tycho's pov (he has magic rings), i probably wouldn't have understood her fear or at least found it kinda weird because i wouldn't have read about her backgroundstory. it also helped in moving the story forward :)
however, i feel like there could've been a few more new discoveries. we got the one about the iron being able to give the bearer a bit of magic - but that's already kinda it. since the book has 500+ pages, i just wish there had been a few more surprises or plottwists.
this is not me saying the book was boring, there happened many exciting things and there definitely were surprising plottwists without it being too overwhelming!
having mentioned tycho already, let's talk a bit more in depth about him.
tycho was one of the characters i'd been already acquainted with in the first series, so i was happy to see more of him here. he now is the king's courier and always travelling between emeberfall and syhl shallow. that's nice because he has friends in both countires. i remember liking him, which hasn't changed in this book, that feeling has only become stronger :)
he is such a sweet person whom you just have to like. he is always so gentle and treats other people with respect, i really liked this grown-up him.
jax is one of the new characters.
i instantly liked him, he is so strong, both physically and mentally. physically because he lost a foot when he was 13 and now has to live with crutches while also constantly working in his father's forge. mentally because he endures both his father's alcohol and gambling addiction and the feeling of being a burden to everyone because of his inability. also, he is genuinely a very nice man.
jax and tycho actually get together which was soooo adorale to witness. they treat each other with so much respect and care greatly about the other one. i was happy to see that they both had the opportunity to completely be themselves around each other and to talk about many deeper things. i think they both needed that person in their lifes at this moment, so i'm glad they found each other.
now, callyn on the other hand, i have mixed feelings about.
i liked her in the beginning, she cares greatly about her little sister and wants her to live happily despite them not having much money. but then she does some things that i didn't like to see her doing (i'm not going to say what because that would spoil a part of the story ;) ). furthermore, i found her kinda annyoing because she was so stubborn about her dislike/fear of magic. as already mentioned, she has many reasons to not like it and i get that, but it was just so "ugh" (haha), especially because she saw that not all magic is bad by meeting tycho...
luckily, at the ending she gets better and more understanding after meeting certain people and i think i'm starting to like her again. i feel like her character development has had a great start here and i'm excited to see more of her in the next book.
i mainly dislike alek but i'm not so sure about his motives regarding grey and the truthbringers because i don't think he wanted things to turn out the way they did, however i'm not 100% sure...
a character who i felt so sorry for were grey and also lia mara.
after enduring all that happened to grey in the cursebreaker series, he and his magic are still not accepted by the people of syhl shallow even though he is their king and my heart broke so many times for him. it hurt to see how wrongly twisted things can get by gossip and how that influences so many people's opinions. he deserves so much better 🥺
lia mara deserves better too, i mean, losing an unborn child, then being kidnapped, having to fear for her little daughter, who also gets dragged into all of this, and then having to endure all the talk about her beloved husband is a bit much... :( still, she never looses her nerves and is always nice 🥺💞
i also got to see more of rhen and harper.
i still love them and was so happy to see a few cute moments of them together. rhen has had a wonderful character development which i saw more of in this too. he kinda befriends tycho and they trust each other, which was so adorable to see.
all in all, this was so much fun!
i really recommend this to anyone who has read the cursebreaker series and liked it, but also to those who didn't like it because maybe this will be more to their liking! of course, everyone who hasn't read the series can read this too, there are great explanations for you, but i think the reading experience is better after already knowing the characters :)
after reading this, i am luckily not disappointed, it was great!
even though the world is the same, i got to see new places.
i enjoyed learning more about syhl shallow. i especially liked that the story was so focused on the cooperation between syhl shallow and emberfall since the cursebreaker series was about getting these two countries to not be ennemies anymore and this then showed if and how this partnership worked.
because of that, the storyline being about traitors in a kingdom and about people fearing the other country and its people made sense.
the story has three point of views, which i found nice.
it shows three different perspectives in one story and therefore the reader sees how the same thing affects people differently. this was helpful in understanding for example callyn's fear of magic because if the book had only been written in tycho's pov (he has magic rings), i probably wouldn't have understood her fear or at least found it kinda weird because i wouldn't have read about her backgroundstory. it also helped in moving the story forward :)
however, i feel like there could've been a few more new discoveries. we got the one about the iron being able to give the bearer a bit of magic - but that's already kinda it. since the book has 500+ pages, i just wish there had been a few more surprises or plottwists.
this is not me saying the book was boring, there happened many exciting things and there definitely were surprising plottwists without it being too overwhelming!
having mentioned tycho already, let's talk a bit more in depth about him.
tycho was one of the characters i'd been already acquainted with in the first series, so i was happy to see more of him here. he now is the king's courier and always travelling between emeberfall and syhl shallow. that's nice because he has friends in both countires. i remember liking him, which hasn't changed in this book, that feeling has only become stronger :)
he is such a sweet person whom you just have to like. he is always so gentle and treats other people with respect, i really liked this grown-up him.
jax is one of the new characters.
i instantly liked him, he is so strong, both physically and mentally. physically because he lost a foot when he was 13 and now has to live with crutches while also constantly working in his father's forge. mentally because he endures both his father's alcohol and gambling addiction and the feeling of being a burden to everyone because of his inability. also, he is genuinely a very nice man.
jax and tycho actually get together which was soooo adorale to witness. they treat each other with so much respect and care greatly about the other one. i was happy to see that they both had the opportunity to completely be themselves around each other and to talk about many deeper things. i think they both needed that person in their lifes at this moment, so i'm glad they found each other.
now, callyn on the other hand, i have mixed feelings about.
i liked her in the beginning, she cares greatly about her little sister and wants her to live happily despite them not having much money. but then she does some things that i didn't like to see her doing (i'm not going to say what because that would spoil a part of the story ;) ). furthermore, i found her kinda annyoing because she was so stubborn about her dislike/fear of magic. as already mentioned, she has many reasons to not like it and i get that, but it was just so "ugh" (haha), especially because she saw that not all magic is bad by meeting tycho...
luckily, at the ending she gets better and more understanding after meeting certain people and i think i'm starting to like her again. i feel like her character development has had a great start here and i'm excited to see more of her in the next book.
i mainly dislike alek but i'm not so sure about his motives regarding grey and the truthbringers because i don't think he wanted things to turn out the way they did, however i'm not 100% sure...
a character who i felt so sorry for were grey and also lia mara.
after enduring all that happened to grey in the cursebreaker series, he and his magic are still not accepted by the people of syhl shallow even though he is their king and my heart broke so many times for him. it hurt to see how wrongly twisted things can get by gossip and how that influences so many people's opinions. he deserves so much better 🥺
lia mara deserves better too, i mean, losing an unborn child, then being kidnapped, having to fear for her little daughter, who also gets dragged into all of this, and then having to endure all the talk about her beloved husband is a bit much... :( still, she never looses her nerves and is always nice 🥺💞
i also got to see more of rhen and harper.
i still love them and was so happy to see a few cute moments of them together. rhen has had a wonderful character development which i saw more of in this too. he kinda befriends tycho and they trust each other, which was so adorable to see.
all in all, this was so much fun!
i really recommend this to anyone who has read the cursebreaker series and liked it, but also to those who didn't like it because maybe this will be more to their liking! of course, everyone who hasn't read the series can read this too, there are great explanations for you, but i think the reading experience is better after already knowing the characters :)
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