Forged in Fire and Stars

March 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Although Ara grew up in a small village with her grandmother, the legend of the Loresmith was never far from her mind. Her father, the King's final Loresmith, used his powers to forge magical weapons and gave his life so that the kingdom could rise again. When the lost prince and princess come to find her with a plan to ignite her hereditary powers, Ara begins a journey to discover who she is meant to be and to bring their people back from despair. Robertson crafts a classic tale of a group of strangers on a perilous journey. As they progress, the cast of characters increases, Teth and his fox being two of the standouts. The group begins to form bonds of friendship and maybe more, all while the stakes grow higher. This novel seems to be a set-up for further books in a series, with an appealing concept and relatable characters. If readers can stick with the slow-moving story until its completion, there is a successful payout that promises interesting things to come for Ara and her friends in future books. VERDICT An epic and classic fantasy set in a bleak world with a journey to save it all. Purchase for libraries with fans of fantasies like Holly Black's Cruel Prince and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.-Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2020
A girl is destined to become a magical blacksmith who helps her country's restoration. Ara's father was the Loresmith--a blacksmith gifted by the gods with the magic to equip and guide the Loreknights in order to prevent the evil Vokkan Empire from overrunning Saetlund. But corruption weakened Saetlund from within, and it fell. Fifteen years later, Ara's a smith who doesn't know how to access her Loresmith destiny, as her father didn't survive to train her. When Saetlund's princess and prince return from exile to seek her out (believing that getting the gods' blessing will enable Ara to take up the Loresmith mantle and turn the tide against the Vokkans), she sets off on a quest with them, forming a small band, with ties to the Resistance, naturally. The storyline is straightforward and mostly free of obstacles and setbacks; there are only minimal intrigues and twists (all of which are heavily forecasted). The third-person limited narrative following Ara is slow-paced and given to large chunks of exposition. At the conclusion, one quest is finished in time for the next quest to be assigned, and a character who (hopefully) will have more prominence in the sequel is teased. Ara is white; the royals are brown skinned, as is Ara's love interest. While there's association between ethnicity and geography, the racial diversity has no impact on the plot or world. Aggressively mediocre--with hardly any smithing. (Fantasy. 12-15)

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March 23, 2020
Fifteen years ago, the Vokkan Empire conquered Saetlund after killing King Dentroth and his Loresmith, Yos Steelring—a blacksmith capable of forging god-blessed weapons. Saetlund’s people have suffered subjugation ever since, but revolution is coming: Dentroth’s children, “umber”-skinned twins Nimhea and Eamon, secretly survived the invasion and intend to retake the throne now that they are 18. A Loresmith would greatly improve their chances against Vokk’s army, but while Yos’s expectant wife successfully hid from the emperor, Yos died before he could train their daughter, Ara Silverthread. Now, according to myth, if pale-skinned Ara, 15, is to replace Yos, she must petition one of Saetlund’s gods, Ofrit, to activate her powers. First, however, she and the twins must survive the perilous trek to Ofrit’s enchanted home, with a charming young thief, Teth, to guide them. Underdeveloped characters, convenient plot points, and a muddled mythology plague this series launch from Robertson (the Nightshade series); though the book is more prologue than self-contained story, a cast filled with formidable heroines lends a feminist bent. Ages 12–up. Agent: Charles Olsen, InkWell Management.

April 1, 2020
Grades 7-10 The people of Saetlund tell a legend of the chosen Loreknights, bestowed with gifts from the gods and armed by the legendary Loresmith. Almost 20 years ago, Loresmith Yos died, leaving behind a secret wife and child. Ara has been raised on stories of her father, the mystical blacksmith, and while her dearest wish is to take his place, she lacks the training. When royal twins Nimhea and Eamon?known for their flamelike hair?follow clues to find Ara, she might yet have her chance to be the new Loresmith and bring the gods back to her world. Such an undertaking will require her to leave her small, familiar village and seek out the old gods to prove she's worthy of their power. Can she and the hidden Rebellion bring the gods and their powers back? Robertson has enchanted teen readers with the Nightshade series and the steampunk Inventor's Secret trilogy. Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse will flock to this new series.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: As Andrea Cremer, Robertson hit best-seller lists with the Nightshade series, which blended fantasy and romance. This high-stakes, high-concept fantasy series starter will reel her fans back in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)