This is one of those books I would shelve under the “wasted potential” folder. This book had so much going on for the first 40% that I truly thought this would end up being a favourite. But nope. The rest of the book was repetitive and so pointless that I soon lost all interest.
More so, this is the kind of fantasy I would expect to be written by a Straight White Male™️ two decades ago. This has some of the tropes I really hate reading in any book - you can clearly make out from the descriptions of women that it was written from a male gaze. Not to mention the unnecessary fatphobic language that really put me off. If you see me rolling my eyes while reading a book, know that I’ll have some scathing things to tell about it. And this one? I was rolling my eyes a LOT.
It’s been over two months since I read this and while I can go on and on about all the things I hated about it, the only thing I can remember being good was the prologue? And probably that I liked the bats a lot? Clearly, this is just your average trope-y fantasy with nothing that makes it stand out.

My verdict - Skip it. There are better fantasy books out there.
I am not wasting my time on the sequel either.

TW for attempted rape, gore, child birth.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I so rarely post a DNF on a book, but this was one of those times.

I thought the worldbuilding was, well, unimaginative. The world is Urth, and the school is run by nonnes. Using y instead of i or e. Blech.

Also, the treatment of females was offensive. Penetration of the vagina under any circumstance, including gang rape, will turn the woman into an outcast. The boys, of course, grow up under a different set of rules.

The story also has a plethora of POV’s. Because of this, I’d get interested in one character, say, Nyx and her bat brother, only to get tugged away from her and thrown into a dark and dismal cave scene.
I’m sure the book got better, but I expected an experienced author such as Rollins to try harder and pull his story together with more cohesion.

I quit at 100 pages, which I feel is being generous.

(Here are the opening two paragraphs of my review. The full review can be found at the attached link.)

It’s a mile wide and an inch deep, but The Starless Crown, James Rollins’ first foray into epic fantasy in about 15 years, gets the job done if all you’re looking for is pure escapism that doesn’t demand too much from your brain cells. The story takes place on a tidally locked world (and why not, those are all the rage these days), whose inhabitants live in a region they call the Crown, consisting of a few small continents along the day/night terminator. We follow the adventures of a ragtag group of heroes from disparate backgrounds, brought together under dangerous circumstances, to prevent an apocalyptic event that will see the moon itself crashing down from the sky in only a few short years.

If there were some kind of epic fantasy Costco where authors could buy discounted genre tropes by the pallet-load, Rollins would have cleaned the place out. We have our Chosen One protagonist, a child of prophecy upon whose shoulders the fate of the world rests. We have the black sheep prince who must prove himself, if only to himself. We have a disgraced knight grasping at the chance to right a past wrong. We have dark academia, thieves with hearts of gold, brother pitted against brother, deadly forests and fearsome monsters, and an ancient artifact of unknown origin that holds the key to all the mysteries. But I have to give Rollins credit, because at least he totally owns all of these choices and makes no pretense that he’s producing deathless literature. If a popcorn book it shall be, then fine. Here comes all the popcorn you could possibly eat.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so I'm sad to say I was a bit let down. The idea for this book is what really sucked me in and made me want to read it, but the set up in this novel was just too long. The exposition made me really bored, just waiting for something more to happen. I was also a bit...confused genre-wise? It was marketed to me, and online, as fantasy but it is--I would argue--much more sci-fi than fantasy. But the way it mixes doesn't serve the story in a meaningful way. I really didn't like the characters in this story, I was irritated by them and their personalities and backstories were so boring/flat. That is, perhaps, why the expository section of the work didn't work for me--it was mostly an intro to the characters and their motivations. The pace of this novel was good, even though the prose was a bit disjointed and stilted. It sort of read like a James Patterson thriller (prose-wise) in a fantasy setting which added to the weird tone of the book. I haven't read the author's backlist at all so I cannot compare this work to his previous work, but I would be interested in giving his fantasy or sci-fi another shot. Perhaps he just needs time to hammer out a narrative voice and genre!

“A fake fortune teller can be tolerated. But an authentic soothsayer should be shot on sight. Cassandra did not get half the kicking around she deserved.” At least according to Robert A. Heinlein in The Notebooks of Lazarus Long.

From that perspective, The Starless Crown is the story of Nyx, the authentic soothsayer – not that she would think of herself as such – receiving the full force of that kicking around. Deserved or not.

Definitely not – at least not in regards to anything that she personally has done. Not that she’s had a chance to do all that much when the story begins – as she seems to be just fifteen or thereabouts.

We meet her in school, in her astronomy class, as they study their “Urth’s” tidally locked rotation around the sun. A sun which they all refer to as the “Father Above,” the capital letters implied in the reverent way they speak of it. The Father Above is part of their pantheon of gods, along with the Mother Below (the Urth), the dark Daughter (the new moon) and the silvery Son (the full moon).

A catastrophe, shrouded in the mists of time, created the Urth that Nyx knows from the Earth that we now live on, locking our rotating world in a fixed position relative to the sun, so that only a relatively narrow circle is habitable for humans, in that relatively thin slice where the sun does not boil and its lack does not freeze. A circle that surrounds the Urth in just the same way that a crown surrounds the head of a monarch.

The story of The Starless Crown is Nyx’ story, as she breaks free of the shell she has been enclosed by her entire life. A story where she dreams of the destruction of her world – and the one thin chance where she might save something from the inevitable wreckage.

At a cost much higher than anyone is willing to pay.

Escape Rating A-: I listened to The Starless Crown from beginning to end. I enjoyed the listening – the narrator was very good and did an excellent job of differentiating the many, many voices of this story’s large cast.

At the same time, I didn’t feel compelled to finish it more quickly, so I didn’t pick up the ebook at all. The slower pace of listening worked better for me, because this is a slow burn kind of story. It takes a lot of chapters to get all the characters set up because they begin in far different locations under far different circumstances. We are seeing the plot come together from a great many disparate eyes.

And it takes a long time for all of those disparate – and sometimes desperate – parts to come together into the whole that is going to push this saga forward.

Part of my fascination with this story is that this is post-apocalyptic story that takes place in the far aftermath – an aftermath so far into the future that the people living it no longer recognize from whence they came – although we do.

Not that civilization as we know it wouldn’t break down and reform fairly quickly, messily and bloodily. In that sense it reminds me a bit of Aldiss’ Helliconia Trilogy, Stirling’s Emberverse starting with Dies the Fire, and the videogame Horizon Zero Dawn.

But the way the situation has evolved and devolved posits a corollary or an antonym to Clarke’s Law, the one that goes, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The Starless Crown is an example of something I’d want to call Harris’ Permutation if I were the person naming such things. Because this story is an example of a different principle, that “Any science sufficiently muddied by time or religious claptrap is indistinguishable from magic.”

They don’t know what they don’t know. Too much was lost in either the initial cataclysm or the long dark night that inevitably followed. What they’ve managed to find is now interpreted through a lens of religion, to which what we call science has become enslaved. And some of its methods are used to enslave others.

This is also a story of “Mother Nature bats last”. Whatever happened in the past that created the tidal lock, the coming moon fall feels like its inevitable result. The moon controls the tides. It can’t. So it keeps getting closer in order to try harder. Or something like that.

So we have a group that is not unlike the Fellowship of the Ring. A young seeress, a disgraced prince, a thief, an escaped slave, a living statue from the distant past on a quest to save their world – even if they don’t know it yet.

Arrayed against them are the forces of the powers that be. They’re not all evil, although some of them very much are. Some of them are willfully blind and some of them are just blind. There’s a lot of “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, but there’s a fair bit of “when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

But the villains are fascinatingly – if occasionally stomach turning-ly – twisted, the heroes are plucky to the max and the escapes are nail-biting, hair-raising, edge of the seat last minute scrapes. The reveal of the past, the fear in the present and the desperate hope of even a fractured future are handled in lush descriptions and buckets of regrets, recriminations and tears.

I have no idea how this band of misfits is going to get themselves and their world out of the mess they are in, but I look forward to finding out.

This new and unique world has so much to offer fantasy readers! The landscapes are as treacherous as they are beautiful, and the wildlife can turn on you in a heartbeat. There are environmental concerns in this world with major implications for everyone involved, which is really interesting to see. The Starless Crown s just a passionate, thrilling, and bold fantasy novel. One of my favorites I’ve read this year, without a doubt!
Full review to come on YouTube.

First l must thank NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. I admit I do not read as much fantasy as l use too. Saying this l know already I would read the follow up too The Starless Crown for sure. As with so many of the books I enjoy this has wonderfully strong characters, as well as an impending doom that we all hope we will avoid? James Rollins is best known to me as the writer of many fast paced thrillers, now l find out that I am enjoying a fantasy that though its start was slower, where l got to know the main characters and their backgrounds, I am absolutely sold on the tale. I am working out who is good vs evil, and cannot wait for book two of Moonfall.

I really enjoyed the characters, but was hoping for more growth from them. The world building is pretty good, but I can see where it will be expanded in upcoming books. Overall story was very enjoyable.

This is my first book to read by James Rollins. There's a lot of familiar fantasy tropes at play here but I think fans of the author will not be disappointed. It's a little long for my tastes but overall kept me intrigued.

Rollins, known for his thrillers, has returned to his original writing genre, that of Fantasy. Now, those who read mysteries are generally, not fans of Fantasy but if you are a Rollins fan, you might give this series a try. Granted, this first in a series spans 500 pages; just take your time reading.

Character development is a forte of Rollins’ as you will also find in this novel. You will follow a couple of main characters; Nyx, nearly blind who has visions of the future and Rhaif, a thief who escapes from prison, laboring in a mine. Nyx is soon running for her life because of her visions. And the adventure begins..

This book… incredible! I was sucked in immediately from chapter 1. The writing style is detailed and the world building is complex, so be ready for an intense read. The multi POVs from each character is one of my favorite parts—I love how the story builds separately for each character, and then comes together as the book progresses. I will also never get over this cover art—so beautiful.

Overall a really great read that I enjoyed quite a bit!

In this first book in a new series from James Rollins, an unexpected alliance forms to try to save Urth from a coming apocalypse: a young student who foresees the destruction; a prince, second in line to the throne, whose life has been spent in pursuit of pleasure; a thief who comes into possession of a remarkable artifact; a knight, banished by the king, who is called upon for help. This disparate group is hunted by enemies on all sides and are on the run, trying to prevent a coming disaster.

This first book takes the time to set the scene, building the world, establishing the characters and their motivations and the adversaries they face.

I am a big fan of James Rollins, but not of fantasy in general, so wasn’t sure what I would make of The Starless Crown. Once the initial introductions and world-building were done, the action picked up and didn’t let down!

There wasn't anything exactly wrong with this but I've read far too many fantasy novels for this to be anything but generic. I know this was Rollins' first foray into fantasy, but he stuck to the well-worn path rather than trying to create something of his own.

I'd never read James Rollins before this book and now I might have to!. Definitely some cool world building in this book along with some well developed characters and plot that was well done.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

While this book had some amazing aspects, I found the writing to be difficult to connect to. The plots slow progression made it even harder to get invested in the story. The magic/science system was probably the best part of the story. The character's motivations were confusing at times and unfortunately made the book a tough read.

This was good. But the thing is, if I spend this much time invested in a book, I kind of want it to be great? And maybe it was just me, but I felt like a lot could have been edited out. I did like how all of the various characters were brought together fairly quickly to create a little team I could root for, and I thought they were all really well written. I did like the central storyline and the world building he did. So enjoyable for the most part! This just came out earlier this month, so I’m interested to see if I want to read the sequel when it’s released.

This was my first James Rollins book. It was a little hard to get into at first for me, but everything was well thought out and plotted. There is a lot going on here but if you love epic fantasy, you will enjoy this book. It is the first in the series so there are more to come. James is a masterful storyteller.

James Rollins is great at creating action and intrigue. The Starless Crown is no exception. The story starts with Nyx, a young woman who is blind and studying with students well beyond her means.. She is bullied by staff and students alike. Not soon after being introduced to the character, readers discover her history is more than what is presented as are her abilities. The story jumps to Rhaif, an imprisoned thief desperate to escape and stumbles upon a strange and fantastical find. Then we meet Prince Kanthe, a lesser adored twin who wins no love from his kingly father. Finally, we have Graylin, an exiled former best friend of the king and knight of the kingdom. The novel jumps between these four characters. Readers pay attention! The action starts from the get go and readers are quickly pulled along. Rollins does a great job of creating the characters as well. They have depth, they are interesting, and they are in their own ways relatable. What really impresses me is that the same can be said for the side characters.

Rollins world building is impressive as well. Rollins does a great job of introducing the backdrop of the story, the magic, and even the creatures that inhabit his world. The Starless Crown easily lays the ground work for the rest of the series. For readers of Rollin's thrillers, you will be familiar with his signature style including science, suspense, murder, torture, and edge of your seat adventure. Rollins brings all of this to this book.

Overall, I loved the read and really look forward to the rest of the series.

The Starless Crown, by author James Rollins, is the first installment in the authors Moon Fall series. I have read an interview that stated Rollins plans to write four total in this series. Rollins debuts a major new series that opens a riven world trapped between fire and ice. One upon a time, Urth turned as our world does. Then it stopped. Now you have a tidal locked planet with one hemisphere always in the scorching sun and the other forever shadowed in frosty darkness. While the story unfolds through several viewpoints, it is really Nyx who is the true main character and heart of the story.

First, she was raised by Myr bats after her mother dies when she was born. Thanks to being raised by bats, she's nearly blind. Being nearly blind is a huge disadvantage against her fellow students who look down on her and bully her because they are from rich families. Nyx has spent 1/2 her life in the walled Cloistry of Brayk. Nyx experiences the world through touch, but after her fellow students attack her, and she nearly dies, her adopted brother (Bashaliia) comes to her rescue.

Several moon turns later, Nyx can also now see clearly for the first time in her life and gets a premonition of the end of the world. Instead of heeding the warning, however, the king decides the bearer of such a dangerous prophecy must be put to death. Nyx, along with her best friend Jace, will go on a massive adventure reminiscent of the Lord of the Ring in a world where she's far more important and powerful than she ever could have dreamed.

Rhaif is an imprisoned thief betrayed by his guild. His greatest fear is being stuck in darkness. After a cave in, Rhaif escapes and finds a gleaming artifact—one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe or bring about its doom. It seems that this artifact is highly prized by some powerful and dangerous people. The only way to remain alive and free, is to find help from people who are criminals or worst. Rhaif and the Bronze woman he calls Shiva eventually meets up with Nyx's group and the action is almost non-stop.

Prince Kanthe is the second born twin of King Toranth. After being pushed aside in favor of his brighter, bolder, and more promising older twin brother, Kanthe is generally fine with his lot in life, and spends his days in something of a drunken haze. Kanthe is given a mission to retrieve Nyx which in turn becomes part of a larger plot to assassinate him and get him out of the picture. Kanthe's entire view of the world is set to change. Kanthe is naively noble. When he learns about Nyx's premonition and her fate if she falls into the wrong hands, he promises to find a way to make sure Nyk lives to find a way to stop Armageddon.

Graylin is a knight living in exile. He’s sworn never to return home or to wield his sword again, but when he receives word that the child of his slain lover might be still alive, he may be forced to break his vows once more. Graylin later learns that the woman that he once loved gave birth to a daughter who is Nyx. He experiences all the awkward and overwhelming emotions of suddenly trying to make up for the fact that he maybe could have done something to save the woman he loved and her daughter.

There’s a lot of time spent introducing the characters and their back stories as well as world-building, but that’s not unusual in the first book in a series of this magnitude. As readers get acquainted with the characters, both good and bad, it becomes clear that there is even more going on than the journey. Evil, greed, the desire for power, and treachery are abundant. One of the more interesting parts of this book is the fact that some of the travel takes place in what would be considered to be zeppelins.

Clocking in at 560 pages, I really don't think this needed to be as long as it is. A very significant part of the book is characters traveling and fighting, which gets to feel repetitive at times, especially because we keep switching to the perspectives of yet more characters who are also traveling and fighting that being the villains and their contemporaries.

I've read and liked most of Mr Rollins' books, including his Godslayer fantasy series written as James Clemens, but I had a hard time starting this new fantasy and then kept putting it down. It just didn't hold my attention, and though I did finish it, in the end unfortunately I think this just was not for me.