Literature & Fiction
![Brigid Kemmerer - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_brigid_kemmerer.jpg)
Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, 1)
New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer expands the Cursebreaker world in an electrifying new series.
When ancient magic tests a newfound love, a dark fate beckons . . .
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 already 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.
When ancient magic tests a newfound love, a dark fate beckons . . .
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 already 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.
Editorial Reviews
"Propulsive, intricate plotting and intimate first-person-present narration." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A fiercely hopeful exploration of loyalty, perception, and agency in the face of fear, misinformation, and violence." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This sweeping, romantic epic repeatedly turns the tables on the fantasy tropes that readers might be expecting." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN
"Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale: a finely-drawn fantasy world, a heroine rarely seen in fiction, and a tortured hero with a secret." ―Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A SPARK OF LIGHT and SMALL GREAT THINGS, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"Absolutely spellbinding." ―Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL and LEGENDARY on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"I couldn't get this creative, suspenseful take on 'Beauty and the Beast' out of my head." ―Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of EVERLESS on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"A fast-paced, richly detailed feminist epic." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"This enthralling modern fable champions altruism while illustrating intimacy's relationship with honesty, respect, trust, and consent." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"Fans of Cassandra Clare, Marissa Meyer, or Alex Flinn, as well as any reader looking to sink into a top-notch story with great characters, will want to read this book." ―VOYA, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"A complex, creative, and compelling reimagining of Beauty and the Beast." ―School Library Connection, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"A fiercely hopeful exploration of loyalty, perception, and agency in the face of fear, misinformation, and violence." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This sweeping, romantic epic repeatedly turns the tables on the fantasy tropes that readers might be expecting." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN
"Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale: a finely-drawn fantasy world, a heroine rarely seen in fiction, and a tortured hero with a secret." ―Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A SPARK OF LIGHT and SMALL GREAT THINGS, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"Absolutely spellbinding." ―Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL and LEGENDARY on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"I couldn't get this creative, suspenseful take on 'Beauty and the Beast' out of my head." ―Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of EVERLESS on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"A fast-paced, richly detailed feminist epic." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"This enthralling modern fable champions altruism while illustrating intimacy's relationship with honesty, respect, trust, and consent." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"Fans of Cassandra Clare, Marissa Meyer, or Alex Flinn, as well as any reader looking to sink into a top-notch story with great characters, will want to read this book." ―VOYA, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
"A complex, creative, and compelling reimagining of Beauty and the Beast." ―School Library Connection, starred review, on A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY
Readers Top Reviews
ylmpastmidnight
**3.5 STARS** Content Warning: Violence, Kidnapping, Abuse, Mention of Rape I requested this book because it was written by Brigid Kemmerer but I didn’t realize it was a spinoff of The Cursebreakers series until I started reading it. I felt myself rebelling against this book because I didn’t love the ending of that first series. It was okay, I just didn’t think I’d return to that world again – yet here I was with Grey, Lia Mara and of course Tycho (who I vaguely remember). This new series is set in Shyl Shallow and is told by three perspectives: Tycho, Jax – a blacksmith in Shyl Shallow, and Callyn, a baker and Jax’s best friend. It took me awhile to get into this book because I didn’t know what we were doing back here…is there a story to tell? Well – it seems like there is no happy ever after still and there is a growing faction of people who are opposed to King Grey and magic. The plan is to eliminate him and save the queen (but she doesn’t need saving). But things don’t go as planned. I did like that this was Tycho’s story. He’s traveling between Grey’s court and Rhen’s Emberfall a lot and those two always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I just never liked how the previous series ended, I guess. But I did my best to concentrate on Tycho’s side of things. I love that he meets Jax – they have an attraction that gets kind of steamy. I felt bad for Jax because his dad abuses him and he is just trying his best to survive it. As for Callyn -I liked meeting her but then she lands in the morally grey area, especially when Lord Alek comes around and I’m not sure what will happen to her in the sequel. In this story no one is perfect. Grey and Rhen are back for a little bit but like I said I don’t have happy feelings for either of them. The beginning of this story took awhile to get into but I did find myself caring about Tycho and Jax by the middle of it all. As for Cal and Alek? Ugh – all I feel are red flag alerts. I think it’s supposed to be an enemies to lovers romance building but I think I hate Alek…so, can he redeem himself in my eyes? I don’t know! In relation to the story…do we need to be back in this world? It just feels like an unending cycle and no one will come out totally happy, with magic or not. I am intrigued about the scravers though! But enough for me to want to read book two? I’m still not sure. I did enjoy the second half of this book though so we shall see. Why you should read it: *you loved The Cursebreakers series, want to revisit old characters and the same world (you should read The Cursebreakers series if you haven’t) *M/M romance *political intrigue and some good action at the end Why you might not want to read it: *wasn’t happy with the previous series *relationships are constantly tested in this series My Thoughts: I went into this book kind of wary...
Addie Yoder
I wasn't sure that I needed another book in Rhen and Grey's world. I wasn't sure that I was in the mood for a fantasy. What I found myself doing was bingeing the whole book on a quiet Sunday morning with zero regrets. This spin off in the Cursebreakers world was so well set up and compelling that even though I wasn't sure I needed it, it was exactly what I wanted. Tycho, Jax and Callyn start this story with their own struggles and motivations. They start this story leading the reader to believe in what they know only to find that all the things are flipped upside down. It's a twisty turny story that gives us so much of what we loved in Cursebreakers (people, magic, intrigue) but also brings in all new and completely unexpected stories and depth. I am definitely going to need more from this series.
Megan G
Whenever the topic of YA fantasy comes up, I always have to talk about The Cursebreaker Series. It’s my favorite YA series and when I found out that Brigid Kemmerer was writing a follow up set in the same world, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Forging Silver Into Stars takes place four years after the events of the Cursebreaker series. This is ultimately Tycho’s story, but we are introduced to new characters Callyn and Jax, as well. These best friends have grown up fearing magic since it took so much from both of them when they were younger. When magic reappears in Syl Shallow after being banished for years, fear starts to run rampant, lines are drawn and people’s loyalty comes into question. Tycho is the king's courier, and he sees a lot while delivering messages between Syl Shallow and Emberball. He feels drawn to the small town of Briarlock, where he eventually discovers a potential plot to kill the king. This is how he gets introduced to Callyn and Jax and becomes entangled in their deception. There’s something about Kemmerer’s writing style that I just can’t get enough of…I’m pretty sure I would read her grocery list if she asked me to. I became immersed in this new story right away and I couldn’t put it down until I knew how things were going to turn out. This triple POV fantasy romance was just as good as the original series and I loved getting to know these new characters. I loved seeing Rhen, Harper, Lia Mara and Grey from Tycho’s perspective and learning what they’ve been doing for the past four years. Lia Mara and Harper are just as badass as they’ve always been and it looks like Kemmerer is going to keep up her penchant for writing strong female mcs in this new series. This book is full of complex characters, court politics, ancient magic, and plenty of action! I loved the chemistry between Jax and Tycho and their sweet love story and the relationship between Callyn and her sister Nora. Tycho is the perfect cinnamon roll hero and he must be protected at all costs! I’m already anxious for the next book in this series and I can’t wait to see which characters are featured in the next installment. Overall I loved this book so much and I am thrilled to be back in this world! Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC to read and review. Technically you could read this without reading the first three books but it won’t have the same emotional impact. This book will be out in the world on 6/7, so you still have time to start A Curse So Dark and Lonely if you haven’t yet.
