Forged in Fire and Stars

A few fights with swords, arrows, and knives mention skulls cracking, blood spurting, bones crunching, piercing an abdomen and twisting the arrow in the gut. Some gore and blood from a magical attack. A vision describes human bodies impaled on thorns and hanging in trees. A few times characters are in danger from scary fantasy creatures. A woman is grabbed and fondled without mentioning specific body parts. A mysterious room is soaked in blood. Several implications that the bad guys torture people.

Romantic feelings, physical attraction, and one kiss described with a little detail.

"Bitch," and "bastards."

Ara has mead with her grandmother, a family friend mentions something stronger than mead. A villain day drinks to celebrate good news. In a tavern setting, Ara drinks a few sips of ale but mentions that she doesn't really like it. An adult offers wine to teens, who decline while the adult "savors" it.

Parents need to know that Forged in Fire and Stars is a fantasy by Andrea Roberston, who wrote the Nightshade series under the name Andrea Cremer. It tells the story of 15-year-old Ara, who was destined to be the next Loresmith, a forger of magical weapons to protect the kingdom, but has been hiding in a remote mountain village wth her grandmother since the kingdom fell to the evil Vokkan empire -- until she's enlisted to help the prince and princess retake the throne. Violent incidents aren't frequent, but there's mention of gore and brief descriptions of blood in real-world fighting with swords, arrows, and knives. Skulls crack and bones crunch. Fantasy violence includes implied torture in a room soaked in blood and lives in danger from scary fantasy creatures. A vision describes human bodies impaled on thorns and hanging in trees. A woman is grabbed and groped without mentioning specific body parts. People have a wide range of skin colors that are described positively. Parental loss is an underlying theme but it's not explored in great detail. Sexual content is light, with some romantic feelings (both same-sex and opposite-sex), physical attraction, and one briefly described kiss. The ony strong language is "bitch" and "bastards." A villain drinks to celebrate good news, Ara has mead with her grandmother and drinks a few sips of ale at a tavern but mentions that she doesn't really like it.