I loved the curse breaker series and so I was very excited to get back to this world.

I really enjoyed this and loved the new characters we were introduced to and that we got to see more into Tycho's past. I thought the storyline was gripping and will continue to read books in this series.

The pace of this one did feel a little slower than the others in this series but I think that is because we were seeing things from so many different points of view that each element took longer to get through that if we were just seeing from two points of view.

We return to Emberfall and Syhl Shallow a few years after the events of A Vow so Bold and Deadly.

Description:

Tycho of Rillisk has been a lot of things: son and brother, stablehand, prisoner, soldier and friend to the king. Now, four years after Grey took the throne of Emberfall, Tycho has taken on a new role: courier and spy. As the only person the king can trust, Tycho carries secret messages back and forth between the kingdoms of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow.

But even though the war is over, peace still seems far away. A dangerous anti-magical faction is rising, and when Tycho discovers a plot to assassinate Grey and Queen Lia Mara, ruler of Syhl Shallow, he must fight for everything he believes in.

Nothing here is as it seems, and after a devastating betrayal, it becomes clear that the danger is only just beginning .

✨✨✨✨✨

Although we have two new main characters in this story, it is very much a continuation of the Cursebreakers series, rather than a spin-off. All the main characters from the original trilogy feature, and the story is still focused on the ongoing dramas of the two kingdoms.

I did find it quite slow to start with, but once the action really got going, I couldn’t put it down. Kemmerer has a way of making you love, then hate, then love a character in turns and this book is no different. No character is perfect and mistakes are made, and that’s what makes this such an engaging series.

I liked the two new main characters and I’m looking forward to seeing the roles they play in the next book.

If you’re a fan of the original Cursebreakers series you won’t want to miss this one.

Thanks to @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forging Silver Into Stars will be released on the 7th of June.

I was so excited to return to the world of Cursebreaker. I wasn’t happy with how the 3rd book in the Cursebreaker trilogy ended but the premise of this book was really interesting and I wanted to give it a go and meet the new characters.
Forging Silver into Stars had three different perspectives; Jax, Callyn and Tycho. Jax and Callyn were really well written characters and I really enjoyed reading about their friendship. Callyn was definitely my favourite character, her little bakery made a really good atmosphere for this book. Tycho’s pov was certainly my least favourite but I was pleasantly surprised by his relationship with Jax.
I wasn’t a fan of Grey and Lia Mara, at the start of the book I was hoping they wouldn’t be mentioned many times. This book really redeemed them for me and I really like their characters now.
I flew through this book really quickly considering it was 560 pages it didn’t feel like that for me. The world really drew me in and I couldn’t stop reading.
I will be picking up the physical copy of the book as soon as it hits the shelves in UK.
I can’t wait for next book!

This book is an absolute joy, I loved every single second of reading it! The story is a welcome back to the universe and it gives a new and fresh exciting story to come! I fell in love with the characters while reading and I am sure other fellow readers will too! Brigid Kemmer is a sensation and their writing style is so encapulating and fulfilling to read! I loved the world and plot building within the book and I cannot wait to read the next installment!

This is a spin-off book from the Cursebreaker series, which I have read and enjoyed. However, this story was really good. It was fast paced and exciting, introducing new characters and reacquainting me with old ones…. Utterly unique, exquisitely crafted and quietly powerful

So I have a confession to make... I haven't read the Cursebreaker Series yet! However this didn't seem to effect the reading of this book at all, it may give it more context and history but this can absolutely be read as a standalone, I never felt confused or left behind and the world building in this book was not ignored as a result of a previous series, its well written and builds a good sense of both countries.
The magic seems unique and interesting but this book doesnt go into great detail about the history behind the magic and its origin so I will defiantly go on to read the prequel series to this as I really want to learn more about how it came about and the people that use magic in this series.

If you enjoy characters and their development and royal plots this book is for you, its stacked full of royalty, interesting and unique characters and has some good representation for amputees and LGBGTQ+.
Romance's and friendships are built really well, especially at the beginning where you finding out all the new friendships and potential love interests, I honestly was not too sure who was going to end up with who and I felt the development and depth of those relationships was written so well and are laced with navigating past trauma which I think is handled really well by the author.

Something to watch out for is the communication, if you are a fan of things being resolved by conversation this book could cause some frustration, there are a few times that I felt the characters should and could have said something that would have released all the tension and would have solved some of the issues, this of course would take away the suspense and not help the plot along but I know its a common issue for some readers so go into this knowing there are times where you will shout "JUST TELL THEM!"

I wouldn't suggest that the plot is action filled but there was defiantly enough character story lines to keep me reading. The book is written in first person, multiple POV and spans the distance of counties at times, something I always love as you can almost feel in different worlds throughout the book.

Im really keen to see where this book goes there is so much that can happen from this start to the series particularly with Tycho (confirmed pronunciation of Tie-Ko) and Alek. it doesn't leave you on a cliffhanger as such but lots to be discovered so Il be keeping watch for the next instalment.

Forging Silver into Stars is new spin-off in the cursebreaker universe. While Kemmerer has said this series can be read as a standalone, I wouldn't recommend diving into this book without reading the cursebreaker trilogy fist. There are massive spoilers and some content that may be difficult to get your head around without reading the original trilogy first. After A Vow so Bold and Deadly, I was left disappointed with the ending so when I saw this series I was intrigued to see if this series would redeem itself .

Forging Silver into Stars takes place 4 years after the events of A Vow so Bold and Deadly, we're re-introduced to Shyl Shallow, were there is much unrest among the people towards magic. This story is told from multiple perspectives Jax, Callyn and Tycho. Jax and Callyn, a blacksmith and baker from a boarder town near Emberfall, begin as best friends but find themselves on opposing sides of a war. Tycho, a character I loved from the original series, returns as the King's courier looking to discover who is conspiring against the thrown.

If you loved the cursebreaker series, you will enjoy this book. I loved A Curse so Dark and Lonely, but felt the next two installments fell flat. I felt much the same about this book. It has some political intrigue and I will say Kemmerer is brilliant at writing action and romance, but it was so slow in places and I found myself not caring all too much for the main characters.

Forging Silver into Stars is a story set in the same universe as the ‘cursebreakers’ trilogy, following some of the same characters while also introducing new ones.

Magic has been absent from Syhl Shallow for as long as anyone can remember; it is deemed dangerous and was the reason one our main characters, Callyn, lost her parents. However, magic has returned to Syhl Shallow when a magesmith (King Grey) marries their Queen, Lia Maria. Anti-magic groups, called Truthbringers, set out to spread distrust surrounding the King and his magic; reminding the people of Syhl Shallow how dangerous magic can be and has been previously. When someone arrives in the small village of Briarlock in search of someone to hold secret messages for the Truthbringers in exchange for silver, our main character Jax, who owe hefty tax debts, make the risky yet obvious choice to accept and help his friend Callyn with debts of her own.

Our third POV is one of Lord Tycho, the King’s Courier and a character from the cursebreaker trilogy. He’s been sent to the surrounding areas by the King to discover anyone who may be committing treason and conspiring against him. When he arrives in Briarlock and befriends Callyn and Jax, dangerous secrets may cause a shift in alliances and sides.

I have a lot of thoughts about this book, and the first was that I was very lost to begin with. I think that unless you’ve read the cursebreaker series immediately prior to reading this book, it’ll take a little while to get your bearings and remember the original trilogy, it’s characters and it’s politics. I had to remind myself of who is the ruler of where, what magic exists and who has it and where. However disoriented I was, the main plot of treason is set up fairly quickly.

The main characters all had situations where I felt for them, but honestly there were multiple times during reading that the POV could’ve been anyone’s. They tended to blend together and didn’t have distinct enough voices to stand apart on their own. Having said that, I did really appreciate the conversations regarding the trauma all three of these characters have experienced. They were also all morally grey characters navigating what is the best next step which was interesting to see.

The world felt bare, with any worldbuilding established during ‘cursebreakers’, being lost in this book. Perhaps we needed further POV’s, people from other places - to expand the world a bit. The majority of the story takes place in this tiny village which to my knowledge has a blacksmith forge, a bakery and a wooded area. It just felt as though massive chunks of the world were missing and I was struggling to picture the setting. We did return to some locations from the other books, but unless you’ve read the other books fairly recently, they lack a lot of significance.

What we did know of the world, however, was great. The magic and magical creatures are very interesting and we are still uncovering new information about both at the same time as the characters. This world is also a world without homophobia, just as in ‘cursebreakers’ which was of course, a highlight.

The plot itself was fairly intriguing and kept me reading - I must admit that at some points it was difficult to put down. But I definitely had a better time with the cursebreakers trilogy; I was much more invested and felt far more attached to the characters and the plot. This story felt very repetitive and extremely slow. It took all the way up until the 80% for any action to take place; the pacing was very off for me. Also, we have the miscommunication trope which I really, really dislike.

One thing I really enjoyed was the unexpected romance in this book. It was my favourite element in the story, that’s for sure. It was an entertaining read but I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next book. My thoughts are a very mixed bag on this one and I think I’ll need to sit with this one for a while.

I was unsure just how much of the world of Cursebreakers this would inhabit, and though many of the characters are the same there is enough here to offer something fresh.
Our main focus is baker Callyn and her best friend, Jax the blacksmith. They live in a fairly remote town, but have their own reasons to fear the magic that King Grey has at his disposal. Both struggling to survive, they are tempted by an offer to pass notes between people in exchange for silver. Naturally, they become curious as to the content of these notes, and as events proceed they learn all too well how their actions have consequences
Alongside our pair, much of the action focuses on Tycho and Lord Alek, and their obvious dislike of one another. Both have their own reasons for visiting Briarfeld, and it’s a hard task to work out who to trust. Is their job protection? If so,who exactly are they protecting, and from what?
The pacing of the story means that things take a while to get going, but we learn some interesting details about Tycho and his powers. We get to see a little more of the inner circle and the issues they’re facing. Some familiar faces return…and there are more than enough hints about exciting things to come as the story continues.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.

Having read and enjoyed the Cursebreaker series, I was delighted to be approved an arc for this book. I enjoyed the return to the lands Emberfall and Syhl Shallow and in particular looking at Tycho’s point of view. The original trilogy never quite felt complete, so picking up develoments in both lands was welcome. I loved the new characters and the developing romance for Tycho. The mutiple narratives looking at a range of views on the developing relationships between the peoples of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow, along with the underlying tensions made for great storytelling. I can’t wait for the next thrilling installment …

Forging Silver into Stars was so so good! I loved returning to the world and characters, although this is a separate series to the Cursebreaker trilogy, I'd highly recommend reading those books first. This one is packed full of spoilers for the first trilogy, plus having read the other books I found it super easy to slip back into the world.

I loved Tycho already so getting a book where he's the main character was exciting, I loved him just as much in this book and I really liked the new characters too. Jax and Tycho are so sweet and I desperately want them to be happy together!

The events that take place in this book are fast-paced and exciting, I read the book in 2 sittings and I just couldn't stop reading it. Every time I reached the end of a chapter I ended up carrying on because I just needed to know what happened - this book is over 500 pages and I absolutely flew through it.

I haven't had a 5 star read in quite a while but Forging Silver into Stars really hit the mark for me! I found the Cursebreaker series to be a bit up and down but Forging seems like a really strong start to a new series - I'm definitely excited to see what happened next!

I love Brigid Kemmerer's writing, and I quite enjoyed the Cursebreaker series overall so I was keen to see where this new series went. However, about half way through Forging Silver into Stars I realised that I was incredibly bored and didn't really care how the book was going to finish.

Tycho, who we met in the Cursebreakers series, Jax, a Blacksmith, and Callyn, a Baker, are our protagonists for this novel. I quite liked reading Tycho's chapters, but the other two weren't characters that I felt particularly connected with, and the overall plot was strangely paced, with very little happening for large chunks of time.

Overall, I think this just wasn't for me!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Cursebreaker series and it’s world, so I have been excited to return to it. Unfortunately it wasn’t exactly the happy reunion I was hoping for. The story took some time to get into, and throughout the entire book i went through stages of either being heavily invested in the story or not caring about it at all... Which I believe comes down to the characters. There’s three new main characters - Tycho, the royal courier and a familiar face from the original trilogy, baker Callyn and her blacksmith best friend Jax - and I didn’t really come to care about any of them. The only time my interest really sparked was when the original cast of Grey, Lia Mara, Rhen and Harper appeared. Don’t get me wrong, the new cast isn’t bad but they just can’t match the other four. The only new character I felt any strong feelings about was Lord Alek, and the feelings was that I wanted to punch his face whenever he showed up. Not even the “villans” of the story was very interesting, and I’m not really sure who the real threat was suppose to be.

The book is over 500 pages long, and most of it felt like a set-up for the next book. Of course the first book in a new series must set the stage for what’s to come next, but when the book is set in an already established world and the book contains more set-up than the actual first book - then the read just feels like a marathon race. I found myself more than once pushing through with the hope that things surely would get more interesting. The last 100 pages or so was really interesting, but then it all ended in a cliffhanger. It was moments like that where the writing could shine, and characters having an important role to play. But overall it was a bit too little and too late for me to feel that my time spending reading this book was worth it. It wasn’t wasted as I got some enjoyment from it, but the book could have been 150 pages shorter. That way the story didn’t have to be so drawn out. The biggest highlight of the book for me was to see the original characters and get more of their story.

It isn’t a bad read, but it lacks the interesting characters and engaging story of the original trilogy. The conflict feels like it could be avoided if people just talked to each other, and it hardly felt as big of a threat as it’s made out to be. I’m seriously having a hard time seeing how it will be able to continue over two more books.

”“You’re not distracted. You’re not reckless. If your heart tells you someone deserves your attention, listen to it.””


SUMMARY
The town of Briarlock seems far removed from any royal trivialities including the rebellious Truthbringers, treasonous plots, and the use of magic. Until these exact things come knocking upon Briarlock’s door. More specifically, the door to the blacksmith where Jax works alongside his drunken brute of a father. However, once the Kings Courier, Lord Tycho, becomes suspicious of the activities in the forge, the Truthbringers move on to take advantage of the bakery down the lane instead ran by Callyn, Jax’s best friend and guardian to her little sister, Nora. As Callyn gets closer to Lord Alek, who’s working with the Truthbringers, and Jax gets closer to Lord Tycho, they realise they’re two best friends on seperate sides of a war they both want nothing to do with.

OPINION
Brigid Kemmerer is a magical crafter of words. Forging Silver Into Stars is no exception to this authors wild success. FSIS is a sequel to the Cursebreaker series. Which, I’m kind of embarrassed to admit, is on my TBR but I haven’t actually gotten around to yet.

With that in mind, a lot of the plot confused me because I knew it was meant to tie in with the previous instalments of the series. I did not let that affect this review as it really is hit and miss whether or not a sequel can be read as a standalone or needs to be part of the series. This novel fits the latter category.

Anyway, BK’s writing is like an old reliable kettle. It’s full of soft, warm, notions, built into a solid structure, and the chipped metal, or the lid that doesn’t quite fit properly, or the light that’s stopped working, is exactly how it should be in a home, flaws and all.

(Quick pause to exclaim how that is the singular most British comparison I have ever made in my entire life).

Seriously, what draws me to BK’s books is the character representation. Jax is a one legged blacksmith whose weaknesses are prayed upon and strengths are muted. The character arc on Jax alone makes the story worthwhile. But BK clearly likes to treat their readers and we get to read the perspectives of Callyn and Lord Tycho too. This was so necessary to the story as it allowed me to see how the lines of right and wrong were so blurry and Grey (haha, get it?), and made me incredibly invested on how I needed both Jax and Callyn to win in this unwinnable war crafted by BK’s boundless imagination.

RECOMMENDATION
Fantasy fans, this is one for you. If you like dissect character representation, LGTBQ relationships, and in particular enjoyed the Cursebreaker series, FSIS is a sure winner for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Magic has been banished in the land of Syhl Shallow for as long as best friends Jax and Callyn can remember. They once loved the stories of the powerful magesmiths and mythical scravers who could conjure fire or control ice, but now they’ve learned that magic only leads to danger: magic is what killed Callyn’s parents, leaving her alone to raise her younger sister. Magic never helped Jax, whose leg was crushed in an accident that his father has been punishing him for ever since. Magic won’t save either of them when the tax collector comes calling, threatening to take their homes if they can't pay what they owe. Meanwhile, Jax and Callyn are astonished to learn magic has returned to Syhl Shallow -- in the form of a magesmith who's now married to their queen. Now, the people of Syhl Shallow are expected to allow dangerous magic in their midst, and no one is happy about it. When a stranger rides into town offering Jax and Callyn silver in exchange for holding secret messages for an anti-magic faction, the choice is obvious -- even if it means they may be aiding in a plot to destroy their new king. It’s a risk they’re both willing to take. That is, until another visitor arrives: handsome Lord Tycho, the King’s Courier, the man who’s been tasked with discovering who’s conspiring against the throne. Suddenly, Jax and Callyn find themselves embroiled in a world of shifting alliances, dangerous flirtations, and ancient magic . . . where even the deepest loyalties will be tested.

Callyn has known a lot of hatred for magic - first her mother then her father were stolen from her because of it. So when the opportunity to stand against magic comes about, she takes it - to save her bakery and keep her sister safe. I liked seeing her strength in the unknown and the lengths she went to in ensuring her sister’s safety and their livelihood by keeping the bakery afloat. Her relationships with her sister, and with Jax, are entirely different things and I liked seeing the slight change in her interactions with them. It felt natural and real - and made her more relatable in my eyes - because depending on our connections with others, we will interact and react differently.
Jax is someone who does his best to make good of a bad situation. His father is abusive, a drunk who takes and takes and takes, giving nothing in return. He does his best to maintain his forge, taking on the bulk - if not all - of the work just to survive in any way he can. When the opportunity for silver arrives on his doorstep, he is understandably intrigued and dives in, not entirely considering the consequences. I really admired Jax’s courage and determination, not allowing his circumstances and lack of a foot slow him down. I liked his relationship with Callyn and with her sister, Nora - being generous with his time and with what he has. I also really enjoyed his blossoming friendship with Tycho. Getting to see him come out his shell was great because we got to see more of Jax and what makes him tick.
Tycho is all grown up! He’s certainly more mature, the years generally being kind to him and experiences helping him to grow. I really liked Tycho when we were first introduced to him, then fell in love with him more as the books progressed - his optimism, his loyalty, his determination… they all drew me in. He certainly hasn’t lost those elements of his personality and he has truly stepped into himself. I loved that he is still very aware of his roots, not wanting his favoured position in court to influence his actions or how people saw him. His gentle nature and fierce instincts had me falling in love with Tycho all over again!

This is definitely a story for lovers of the Cursebreaker series! Getting to return to Emberfall and Syhl Shallow was fantastic for me! I really liked getting to see a different side to the characters we know and love - it’s always interesting to see them through someone else’s eyes! I enjoyed the romances that bloomed in the book - alongside getting to see more of the established relationships we know. There were a few moments where I felt it appeared a bit suddenly but I don’t think this took away from the story too much. I must admit that initially, I didn’t get into the story as much as I had hoped to after thoroughly enjoying the Cursebreakers series but once we were introduced to the new characters and the goings on, I found myself invested in the unfolding tale. The ending really captured my attention and I found myself eagerly reading to see what would happen. It sets up for an interesting second book - I’m excited to see where Kemmerer is going to take us next.

Overall, Forging Silver into Stars is a great start to another series in the world of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on 6th June (day before publication)

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. I was really looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint! I have read and loved all other works that Brigid Kemmerer has released, so as soon as I found out about this I knew I was going to love it, and needed to read it as soon as possible, hence my excitement when I received the arc; as soon as I saw I had it, I started reading immediately and devoured it in a single day. I really loved the characters and the storyline, and how the plot developed throughout, especially with that ending. Considering all of the about points, I decided to give it 4/5 stars because I really enjoyed it and did not see many areas for improvement.

In this new, spin off book by Kemmerer, the reader is taken back to Emberfall and the world of the Cursebreakers. A quick note here, make sure you have actually read the Cursebreakers trilogy first! I hadn't, despite the first book sitting on my shelf for a while, and there are major spoilers for that series.

This new book focuses on the Tycho, who was introduced in the first trilogy. Tycho is the King's courier, tasked with ensuring important messages get to the two kingdoms. The loss of a horse shoe sends him into the tiny town of Briarlock, where he meets best friends, Jax and Callyn, (both of whom get their own POV in the novel) who are suspicious of King Grey's magic and harbouring traitorous secrets of their own. All their lives become entwinned, as Jax and Callyn try to keep the tax collector at bay whilst avoiding raising the suspicions of Tycho.

As with 'Defy the night', Kemmerer has magical a way of illustrating how different characters react to the same event. I find it creates a tangle of mixed emotions in the reader when you can identify with the varying motives of all the characters. I absolutely loved this book. There was so much tension, action and mistrust that I genuinely found it hard to put it down.

Each character is well fleshed out. I adored Tycho with his insecurities and flaws. Jax is a brilliant new edition to the Cursebreakers cast. Losing his foot as a teenager meant he lost his future as a soldier and the respect of his father. He's loyal to the brave and fierce Callyn and her little sister Nora and will do anything in order to help her. There are a lot of characters from the original trilogy and new ones too.

This book was so good, I've dived straight into 'A curse so dark and lonely' despite now knowing how it will all end! I'm really becoming a massive fan of Brigid Kemmerer's absorbing narrative style and can't wait to see how this series will continue. Forging Silver Into Stars is a wonderfully immersive fantasy novel, with a very diverse range of characters.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

Firstly I REALLY want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc 😍😍 I love you all eternally 🥰😘

I’m a huge ACSDAL fan so I had super high hopes for Forging Silver into Stars and let me tell you Brigid Kemmerer has not disappointed guys!! 😍😍 This book is EPIC!! I don’t think I can possibly begin to explain how much I loved it and how sad I am that I have to wait for the next one 😅😅

Just beginning the book feels like a warm hug, the familiarity of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow feels absolutely amazing. I love the tri-POV between the 3 MCs Jax, Cal and Tycho, it’s brilliant seeing the story and each other from their point of view throughout the book. (Tycho is a fan favourite so it’s amazing having him back and in the forefront). I also really adored having Grey, Lia Mara, Jake, Noah, Rhen and Harper back as secondary characters 😍🥰

The storyline is a continuation of the previous series but later which I love but through different eyes ❤️❤️ I love the flow of the storyline, how Jax, Cal and Tycho meet and how they meet some other not so friendly faces as well. The simplicity of where everything is set makes the POVs easy to follow. I also want to shout out the disability and the LGBTQ+ rep in this book!! Jax is a legend 😏😍

There’s action, romance, magic, archery, deception and lots of horse riding!! What’s not to love? 😂😍 It’s a brilliant read, 5 Stars for sure!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I really liked the overall concept of the story and characters, but the progress of the story felt a little too long. Not enough emphasis on the essential plot points and too much scenes that feel like a needless filler. But the main cast is so lovebale! Really amazing characters that you instantly fall in love with! Still a really nice read!

This story follows on from the Cursebreaker series with Rhen, Grey, Harper and Lia Mara and here we have Kings Courier, Tycho, along with some newcomers, Callyn, Nora and Jax.

Tycho stumbles upon Cal and Jax on his travels and a whole plot is revealed to defeat the King (Grey), from a group called the Truthbringers who want to see an end to magic. And our leads find themselves on opposite sides!

I really enjoyed this story because Tycho is one of my faves! He and his newfound love made my heart soar! It's a big book and it's a bit slow in places but exploded with action in the last 30%!

The character I loved the most though was Nora. Although she has had a hard life she is bright, cheery, positive and speaks the truth always.

Although I had a gripe about pacing, I did enjoy this and will read the next book as I love this world but am hoping its faster paced!