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the_ash37's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child death, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
speddle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Animal death
adrenabereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The writing was very vivid. I could imagine everything that was happening like it was a tv show. Each chapter is written from a different character's perspective, so you're getting every side of the story. So, you're constantly second guessing who can be trusted and what side is the right side (for magic vs. against magic).
Also, I liked that in this world (set in the old times), there were no restrictions on what positions women could hold or sexuality.
✨️Favorite Character✨️
Nora was my favorite character because babyyyyy she was telling everybody's business in the worst moments. She's a kid, so she doesn't know any better, and that makes it even funnier.
Overall, I loved this book, I will be reading the rest of the series.
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Child death
aj_readsfantasy06's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse
bailey63's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury
katvou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, and Pregnancy
nostarsleftinthesky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Jax was such a well rounded and intriguing new member of the cast, Callyn I had mixed feelings about until the very end when I decided I adored her, and of course it was wonderful that Tycho my beloved was given a POV in this story. (I will be extremely mad if he or Jax don't get POVs in the next one.)
I love how the relationships in this story added to the ones already established in the cursebreaker series, and I was glad to see Rhen back to his scheming. Jax and Tycho were so gloriously domestic and Lia Mara's bond with Callyn was really comforting to read.
My only issue(?) with this book was likely the lack of racial diversity. As much as Kemmerer has written some of my favourite characters of all time, only Noah (I think) is a canon POC main in her fantasy work. I would love to see more racial diversity in these stories.
Overall, however, for sure a new favourite.
EDIT - this is also the first book I’ve read in ages which I consistently read 100+ pages each time I picked it up, which is just huge credit to Brigid’s writing.
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
Thank you so much Pansing for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer is available at all good bookstores.
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Sexual content, and Torture
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Miscarriage, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content notes: parental abuse, past PTSD, past parental death, fantasy violence
Moderate: Physical abuse and Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
mali33102's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual content