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sealbrecht's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Child abuse, Ableism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death
reading_leaf's review against another edition
I don’t know it’s just got too much yucky power dynamics for me and it’s rather triggering. Also very slow and lacks world building that gives me a want to care. Theres *spoiler*
Romance between characters thats good and I love the representation but it’s just yucky. It has a lot of potential but I just keep reading other books and kinda hate coming back to this book so I just stopped.
Romance between characters thats good and I love the representation but it’s just yucky. It has a lot of potential but I just keep reading other books and kinda hate coming back to this book so I just stopped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexism, Physical abuse, Death, and Classism
emma_johnson_529's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I really loved all of these characters and their relationships. Especially the main one- my heart almost couldn’t take it! Those perfect sweet cinnamon rolls deserve the world!
But: there were some places where the pacing or plot lost me. And some character moments I didn’t agree with based on the previous Cursebreakers series.
In any case, if you liked the original trilogy, you are in for a TREAT.
But: there were some places where the pacing or plot lost me. And some character moments I didn’t agree with based on the previous Cursebreakers series.
In any case, if you liked the original trilogy, you are in for a TREAT.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault
nostarsleftinthesky's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This book. Brigid Kemmerer has never failed to make me cry, scream into my pillow, throw the book across the room, punch my mattress, have to stop reading out of shock and just adore/loathe her characters.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship
snowwhitehatesapples's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, Torture, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Vomit, Death of parent, Animal death, and Blood
mali33102's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Brigid Kemmerer does it again. I love her books so much, and being able to revisit Syhl Shallow and Emberfall was great. I loved getting to see the old cast of characters once again as well as the new characters that were introduced. I also really appreciated how she sprinkled the plot of the Curse So Dark and Lonely throughout to remind past readers who may have forgotten some of it (AKA: me).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Animal death, and Child death
Minor: Sexual content
emily_reads09's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, War, Vomit, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
katvar96's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Ableism, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual harassment
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