Review: I LOVED returning to the Cursebreakers universe with “Forging Silver into Stars.” It was a dream come true to be able to reunite with some of my favorite characters and meet new ones along the way. 

The novel takes place four years after the events of “A Vow So Bold and Deadly” and is told from Tycho, Jax, and Callyn’s points-of-view. 

Having fallen in love with Tycho the moment he was introduced in “A Heart So Fierce and Broken,” I enjoyed reading from his perspective for the first time and seeing the young man he has grown into. As the King’s Courier, Tycho allows the reader to travel with him between Syhl Shallow and Emberfall. Through Tycho, we are able to explore new towns within the borders of the two kingdoms and get to know the people that inhabit them. Kemmerer also takes great care in revealing Tycho’s tragic past, which was merely touched upon in the “Cursebreakers” trilogy. A lot of his past hardships shed light on his motivations and deep-seated insecurities.

Like Tycho, Jax’s life has been full of misfortune. His mother died in childbirth and he lost one of his legs in an accident at the age of thirteen. As a result, Jax’s father physically and verbally abuses him. He also leaves Jax to keep their forge in business while he wastes away at one of the local taverns. His best friend Callyn helps him survive most days and with Tycho’s encouragement, he finds the confidence to become a skilled archer despite his father’s belief that he is worthless without both of his legs. I really appreciate the inclusion of Jax’s viewpoint because it allows for readers with dis/abilities to see themselves represented in literature. 

Callyn has spent her entire life living just down the street from Jax in Briarlock. Her mother was killed in the war with Emberfall. Not able to overcome his grief, Callyn’s father dies shortly after in a siege against the Crystal Palace. At eighteen, Callyn is left to raise her younger sister Nora and run her family’s bakery. I absolutely love how fiercely protective Callyn is of Nora. Their sisterly bond is reminiscent of Lia Mara’s relationship with Nolla Verin in “A Heart So Fierce and Broken” and “A Vow So Bold and Deadly.” The two have gone through so much together and Kemmerer depicts Callyn’s grief in a way that is both beautiful and devastating. 

Watching all three characters interact and grow close to one another was so much fun! Two different couples form as the novel progresses and all parties in each relationship start out as enemies before becoming lovers. This trope is my absolute favorite and I particularly loved how things developed between two LGBTQ+ characters. I am curious about which relationships will survive to the end of the series, because this book’s cliffhanger was wild! I cannot wait for book 2!