I was really looking forward to this one, but given the circumstances regarding disguised review bombing of fellow BIPOC authors and peers… I don’t feel right reading & reviewing Cait’s book.

I think there were really strong concepts and writing at play, so I’m not sure why there was a need to discriminate fellow peers’ works. I’m so grateful I was selected and reached out to regarding this book, but I will not be publicly reviewing or promoting it unfortunately.

This is really disappointing.

I was at about 20% and vibing with it as this is my first Greek Mythology retelling, AND Sci-fi at that. I went to the Goodreads page to see if it had debuted yet, since I had this Netgally/ARC version, only to find the drama the author has created.

Big Yikes.

I truthfully thought the book was good. It was not outstanding, but in terms of general Sci-Fi writing style, descriptions, world building, etc. it felt right on the money. The characters felt bland, but nothing too terrible for "romantasy" as this is what I've come to expect from the genre. My genuine feedback is, you had a solid debut novel here. Very eye catching cover art. Good title, good description, etc. but obviously with the recent events, it's all gone to waste.

If it's good, it's good. You shouldn't have to put comrades down just to make yourself stand out -- you were already standing out. You had all the pieces to the puzzle for success, expect patience. There is an infinite amount of room in the heart of readers, especially in a niche genre such as Romantasy/Mythology-Sci-fi. It's just sad it all happened this way.

At this point, I prefer to not finish reading it before I get more invested/spend more time on it. I will check out Cait's work in the future if I see a genuine apology/any personal growth where it is needed. I'm glad I decided to look into this today, because if I had committed the time to finish the book I would have been devastated to learn this news.

I wish you luck, Cait, & hope to see a great change in the future.

We removed this from our review list due to the authors actions and removal from publishing and controversy

This debut novel, promising a sci-fi reimagining of the Greek mythological tale of Ariadne and Dionysus, immediately piqued my interest when I first heard of it. Plus, the cover is gorgeous.

However, the book's potential is overshadowed by the controversy surrounding its author, Cait Corrain. The scandal involving review bombing on Goodreads and the ethical breach it represents casts a dark cloud over the novel regardless of the actual story or anything. It's a good reminder of the impact an author's actions can have on their work and their audience's reception.

This entire situation highlights the importance of integrity and accountability in the literary world, especially in an age where social media and online platforms hold significant sway over public opinion. The controversy has led to the book's publication being cancelled.

Like many others, I am not willing to read this book after everything that went down. I apologize for the inconvenience but, she lost all credibility for me.

Having secured an eARC from Netgalley before everything went down, I do think that this book would've done well for itself. It's light on plot and heavy on the romance and character growth for the heroine. And it's just a little bit (or maybe very) fruity. It does an interesting thing in dissecting religious trauma, repression, and some exceptionally bad parenting. Ariadne's character arc is one that I can see resonating a lot with readers.

Without a good foundational understanding of Greek mythology, this book could definitely be confusing as it doesn't slow down to explain the structure of the world or certain characters.

I'm glad that I was able to satisfy my curiosity about this book, at least. Thank you very much, Netgalley, for providing me with this eARC!

I am so grateful to the publisher for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review, but it will surprise no one that I cannnot read/review this book after everything that has occurred. Thank you again to the publisher and to Netgalley, however, for their generosity.

I was very excited when I got chosen for this book as it seemed right at my alley. After all the controversy with the author and the book no longer being published I will not be finishing this book.

I was intrigued by the plot of this book and began reading it. However, author issues that came to light are very disappointing an stop me from supporting this author/ this work. Very disappointing.

I will not support this author as they are a horrible person. Thank you for the opportunity but I will not support someone who targets poc authors by review bombing their debut books to promote theirs.

I was incredibly exited when this book was originally announced as I love science fiction. But after the harm Cait caused to other authors and then lying about it, I can't read and revie it. So incredibly disappointing.

After everything that happened and Crown of Starlight not being published anymore. I won't be reviewing this book. The only reason I gave a rating is because you have to rate something to turn in feedback. I still want to thank the publisher for supplying a review copy and I'm looking forward to other titles they will be publishing this year.

An exhilarating space opera that brilliantly reimagines Greek mythology, this book weaves a cosmic tale with Ariadne and Dionysus at its heart. Ariadne's daring escape from a life of imperial constraints into Dionysus's wildly enticing world is as thrilling as it is snarky and steamy. The interstellar settings are vividly imagined, making the familiar myth feel fresh and exciting in a universe full of intrigue and danger. A perfect read for those who love their myths with a side of intergalactic adventure and a sprinkle of romance!

I was incredibly exited when this book was originally announced as I love Ariadne and Dionysus and was thrilled that this was going to be science fiction. But after the harm Cait caused to other authors and then lying about it initially, I can't read and review. It really sucks to see an author bite off their nose to spite their face and kill their promising career before it even starts. I hope Cait gets the help they need.

i haven’t read this yet but whether i do or not, i’m going to refrain from giving feedback here on netgalley in order to support the authors who were wronged by the actions of this author.

Sounds like the author doesn't know how to handle themselves online with reviews. I cannot support that behavior.

Not exactly the book for me or really the author either all things considered. But I did think the premise sounded interesting. And the cover is truly gorgeous.

I somehow missed downloading Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain before the Archive Date!
I’m sorry I missed this stunning looking story.
Thank you Random House, Ballantine, Del Rey for the opportunity!

Well I don’t be reviewing this in light of everything. Even the publisher is hers no longer.
I am disappointed.
I hope future authors learn from this, as well as non authors. Don’t drag people down.

I was so excited when I first heard about this book. The idea seemed really fun, and unique, and the cover was fantastic to boot. I did enjoy moments of the story, but I did have some issues with the pacing as it felt inconsistent (fast then slow then fast then slow). Those slower moments took me out of the story and it was hard to feel compelled to keep going. I also wanted more from the characters--they could have made the story better even in those slow moments if they had just been developed/fleshed out a little bit more. There wasn't a lot of growth throughout the story, but I also found it implausible that they would interact the way they did given their lack of chemistry. The dialogue definitely didn't match the tone of the relationships, so it could feel...almost forced or fake at times. For such a long book, I needed a bit more depth of the world and the characters.

Edited to add: I don't understand why the author would do what they did. The premise of this story was fantastic, and they got an amazing publishing deal with it. To punch out at your fellow authors because of wavering self-confidence is the fastest and surest way I've seen someone tank their own career. I hope that they make a genuine apology, not only to the authors they hurt and their fans, but also to their own fans who they've hurt by becoming someone unrecognizable. Really disappointed in the direction this person chose to direct their energy and efforts. I have heard that this story has been pulled from the publishing calendar this year (2023), which is probably for the best.