Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.

Forging Silver into Stars brings us back to the Cursebreakers ' world years after the conclusion of A Vow So Bold and Deadly . Though this time, we revisit this world through the perspectives of new characters and old supporting characters—something I greatly appreciate because although I would’ve loved to read the story in any of the original main cast’s POV again, I think this change provides an opportunity for the Cursebreakers ' world to be expanded beyond the limitations of those characters.

And, true to expectations, it did. Set mostly in Syhl Shallow, Forging Silver into Stars follows Callyn, an older sister and baker who’s in debt because of her deceased father’s actions, and Jax, a disabled blacksmith who’s also in debt due to his abusive father’s preference for drinking away their money. The story also follows Tycho, who is from the original trilogy and is now King’s Courier. Through these alternating POVs, not only did we get to learn more about the world beyond castle walls, but also witness different, realistic perspectives on the aftermath of ending a conflict between two kingdoms.

However, as the main characters aren’t the actual targets of the anti-magic faction’s schemes in Syhl Shallow, there were several instances that made the story feel convenient—all for the sake of providing those characters with more links to the main plot. Some of the events that happened between Callyn and Jax also felt ridiculous, especially since they are supposedly best friends. Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around how (view spoiler). Like, is caring supposed to only be a one-way thing when it comes to best friends?

So yeah, you can probably tell by now that I really dislike Callyn. She’s selfish, easily manipulated and a piss-poor best friend, but she’s also undeniably human. Though, if she were real, she should thank her lucky stars that Kemmerer’s writing is too darn good for me to stay pissed off enough to DNF the book. Jax and Tycho, on the other hand, were sweethearts. I love their characters and their growth. Even so, I have to admit that none of these new main characters are as interesting as Grey and Rhen and their dynamic, or as compelling as Harper.

In fact, despite their delegation to side cast status, he few appearances Grey and Rhen made were brilliant reiterations of their core characteristics while providing more facets to who they are. I’ve seen some reviews mentioning that Grey was intentionally written in such a way so that readers would start disliking him, but I disagree. It made him a more complex character and gave him solid flaws that accompanied his strengths.

Overall, what made Forging Silver into Stars a strong read for me is undeniably the author’s enthralling writing (it’s either magic or a curse because even when I hate a character, I’m still hooked by the writing 😂). If you loved the Cursebreakers series and don’t mind any of the abovementioned negatives, give this spin-off a read.

 

In a mini-review I posted on bookstagram, I said, "move over, Cursebreakers, this spin-off takes the cake!" I think that pretty much sums up the majority of how I felt about Forging Silver Into Stars!

I loved the original series (primarily the first book), but I never felt the kind of connection to it that I felt while reading this book. There was something really special about the start of this new series. Not only did it continue to include disability rep, it also had queer rep, and dealt with much heavier topics like miscarriage and abuse. While those things might not entice everyone to pick it up, they were really well written, in my opinion. I appreciated the sensitive approach to the challenging elements and the way that they were handled throughout the story. It drew me to the characters and made me relate to them during so many moments.

Along with that, I loved that for the majority of the book, you weren't really sure who you were meant to root for. It seemed as though everyone was a touch morally gray, and that wound up being really appealing. Sure, it was easy to pick favorite couples or characters (at least, it was for me), but you didn't always know whether or not you should trust them. It added to the suspense of the story and had me gasping aloud on multiple occasions when certain things were revealed. The characters were truly the heart and soul of Forging Silver Into Stars and I look forward to seeing how they grow in the coming installations. It was also really special to be let into the lives of some of the beloved characters from the former series. After several years, they had matured a lot and it was comforting to witness how they had changed and grown.

The literal only issue I had with the story was the fact that one of the characters from the original series was villainized a bit in this book. This seems to be something that Kemmerer likes to do to throw you for a loop, just when you think you understand everyone. She did this in the Cursebreakers series,

when Rhen became the villain in the second book, after you had completely grown to adore him in the first. Similarly, she did that with Grey in this book, making him a bit of a villain towards Tycho, despite the fact that he's always been a loved (and loving) character.

Now, I recognize that for some people, this is really cool. In fact, the person I buddy-read with liked this element a lot. For me, it tends to be a little frustrating. But I can't say that it took away from how excellent the book was.

Truly, I'm just so excited to find out what happens next. That ending was fantastic and left me with a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in the sequel!

👏 what 👏 a 👏 step 👏 up 👏. 

This has TYCHOOOOOO. So glad he finally got more screen time. Still adore him. Grey? Not so much lmao. I feel with every new book by Kemmerer, I end up hating who my favourite character was before. First Rhen, now Grey. Hopefully not Tycho…..

And stoppppp omg the romance was just so pure. I want more. Callyn and Jax were actually amazing additions to the story. I hope the next book delves deeper into Callyn’s history and her mom… 

Also hope we get to see more of the scraver! Niisak? I already can’t remember oops.

And the title is so relevant I love it

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. 

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it did not disappoint. Even with this book taking place a few years after the events of the Cursebreakers series, it’s like we picked up right where we left off. Seeing the characters grow, and their current journey made me extremely happy. 

Small disclaimer, you did need to have read the Cursebreakers series before reading this novel. They are heavily connected, talking about events and people from the main trilogy. You will spoil yourself for that book, and the events aren’t in the trilogy aren’t fully recapped. 

Our main group here is Tycho, Callyn and Jax. But we do get to see many familiar faces from the original trilogy almost immediately. The tension in this book was amazing. Kemmerer writes “political”fantasy very well, giving the perspective of both sides from each party. This book excelled in showing us what it was like for all the civilians during the events of the main trilogy, and how they feel after the fact. It wasn’t a secret, but the main focus, since one our main perspectives come from someone who was living through it. 

The romance was unexpected at first, but once I clued in, I was hooked. Once again, the romance isn’t the main focus of the novel, but it’s not hidden away in the background either. Both the main fantasy plot and the romance plot work well together and made me extremely invested. 

If you loved the Cursebreakers series, you will love this book. I know many were disappointed with A Vow So Bold and Deadly, but to me, this really made up for that. 

Read This If You Like: 

-“Political” Fantasy 

-LGBTQ+ Relationships 

-Found Family Trope

-Friends to Enemies Trope

-Enemies to Friends Trope