The idea of two planets really drew me to this book.

I found this story as a whole really interesting, and different. A forbidden romance with high stakes and twists.

2 Stars – Predictable Plot, Unlikable Protagonist, but an Interesting Setting

Normally, this would have been a DNF for me—especially since I was able to predict the ending a few chapters in. The story itself didn’t offer many surprises, and much of the plot followed a familiar formula that made it difficult to stay fully engaged. What ultimately kept me reading was sheer curiosity about how it would all unfold, even if the outcome felt inevitable from early on.

One of my biggest struggles was with Margot’s character. Her attitude often rubbed me the wrong way, and I found it hard to connect with her or sympathize with her choices. She came off as abrasive in a way that didn’t feel nuanced or intentional—just grating.

That said, the setting was the book’s saving grace. The blend of sci-fi and fantasy was intriguing, and the world-building was surprisingly solid. The atmosphere and lore did a lot of heavy lifting in keeping my interest. The world itself felt vivid and well-thought-out, and that alone bumped my rating up from a 1.5 to a 2.

Overall, Lost Crows and Fallen Stars had potential, but a predictable plot and frustrating main character held it back for me.

Morally grey mmc, true enemies to lovers, banter, angst. That's what you get with this amazing book. It sure deserved more hype than it gets. Also the plot was chefs kiss and kept me on my toes.

I will start off by saying, I have not read the original duology. But, you don't need to have read it to enjoy this book.

Margot wakes up on a ship, absolutely wrecked, with no memories of who she is. She finds out she's been kidnapped and tortured and had her memory wiped by terrorists. She also finds out she's married to Colum, ruler of 2 plants. When a servant winds up dead and unexplained burn marks start showing up, Margot wants to find out what's going on and stop it.

I ALMOST put this book down, it started a little slow for me and I was struggling to continue to pick it up and read it. But I'm glad I stuck with it, when things started happening, I couldn't put it down. There were several twists that I totally didn't see coming at all.

I don't know what you'd call this book? A dark, thrilling, murder mystery, romantacy? With a dash of enemies to lovers? It worked for me. I'm definitely eager to read what comes next in the series, and I've definitely got the original duology on my tbr. Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this.

Morally grey MMC, angsty enemies to lovers with betrayal, with great plot and story development, spicy scenes. Quick read!! Book 1 of the triology, one I will keep reading!!

Lost Crows and Fallen Stars by Abelia Sumpter is a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and science fiction. The story follows the protagonist, who, after losing her memories, is thrust into a marriage with the ruthless ruler of two planets, Milo Arris. As she uncovers hidden secrets about the palace and her own past, she finds herself entangled in a web of danger and intrigue. With its atmospheric world-building, complex characters, and suspenseful plot, this novel will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events and the fractured relationship at the heart of the story.

I'm not sure what exactly what my expectations were for this book but I daresay that it surpassed them for sure. This was a really cool concept and i really enjoyed both the fantasy and sci-fi aspect that was thrown together. I really enjoyed the magic system, I do wish that maybe it had been more thoroughly explained earlier on. I also wish that the crow thing had been a little more prominent but maybe that will be in the next books. I liked the characters and thought Margot was a badass MC. I even liked Milo even though I know that i am not supposed to. I will also fully admit that i did not see the twist coming, I knew that the tables were going to turn but i wasn't expecting it to be like that. I cannot wait to read book two!

I really as fuck. The Author did an amazing job, creating a total for bidden, romance and enemies to lovers and forced proximity. She combine tropes in a way that made them Berlin seamlessly. I enjoyed the tension between the main guy in the main girl in the book. The fantasy aspect of the magical rod she created war perfect for the style of romance she wrote, and I enjoyed all of the twist interns that I never saw coming.

For dark romantasy readers, this enemies-to-lovers tale will enchant you before it breaks you.

They’re enemies, so why did he choose her as his wife?

This was was first read further into Sci-Fi, I’ve always been a fantasy girlie but science fiction always feels over my head so I’ve tended to avoid it. However, Lost Crows was said to be a good bridge between fantasy and Sci-fi and I have to agree, this was a great introduction and now I feel like I have a new genre to explore. Enemies to lovers can be my jam, but can also be irritating so that’s another fine line k walk when pressing that trope but I think Abelia did a great job with it!

There were many twists and turns and a lot of high stakes drama and tension, all making for a propulsive read that you didn’t want to put down.

And the writing style? Unique, intriguing and so much fun to read - I’ll definitely have Abelia on my radar going forward for that alone.

If you’re into fantasy and want to dip your toe into Sci-fi I definitely think you should pick this one up and give it a shot!

Come aboard the Imnicus on an out of the world mystery as we follow Margo as she wakes with amnesia and learns that she is married to the Colum who is the leader of two planets, and he is anything but nice and Margo hates him. As the story progresses, Margo learns that that there is a rebellion going on, she becomes trained, learns the power of the crow and finds herself tasked with a mission (without giving too much away).

It has the all the good stuff: touch her and die, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and you can’t forget the spice. Some of the story was a little predictable, but Abelia’s writing kept me engaged throughout the entire book and the twists sprinkled throughout the book left me wanting more.

Thank you, NetGalley & Rose and Lavender Press/Abelia Sumpter, for my e-arc in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to see what happens as Margo’s story continues to unfold in the next book. I would say this book isn’t for everyone, so please read the trigger warnings, but if you are a fan of sci-fi and dark reads, I promise you’ll love this book.

There's nothing worse than meeting your husband for the first time and not really liking him....except, this isn't the first time, is it? Through circumstances unknown, she keeps going through the same things. Will she be able to break the cycle and save herself?

Wow this book was nothing that I expected. I read the blurb and thought this sounds interesting but it did not prepare me for this masterpiece. There's murder, there's mystery, there's angst, and there's romance. I enjoyed both Margot and Milo, though in the situation their actions seem realistic. As soon as I finished this book, I looked for the second one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rose and Lavender Press for the early review copy. All opinions above are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Abelia Sumpter for the gifted ebook!
This book really took me by surprise—I don’t really read sci-fi, but I was intrigued by the description saying this was good for romantasy readers wanting to get into sci-fi. I ended up loving it a lot more than I thought I would.
The plot twists were TWISTING and my heart genuinely broke for Margot towards the end. I can’t wait for book two to see how the story progresses.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- so good. I devoured this book and am begging for book 2 🥹
🌶️🌶️- Ummm sorry what… did not expect any romance 😂 so much tension 😏

Enemies to lovers
Spice
Murder
Political affiliation
Touch her you die
So many plot twists

This book had me on the edge of my seat. Every time I got comfortable and thought I knew what was happening and what was going to happen there was a huge curve ball and unexpected twist. It was fabulous! Abelia knows how to write an unforgettable story… and I’m so excited to see what happens in book 2 🫶🫶

After the FMC Margot wakes up with amnesia due to a brutal kidnapping she has to figure out her life. All she has been told is that she has a husband who is a powerful Colum (a royal leader) and was a great soldier and spy. She needs to figure out her life before the rebellion unfolds further and get the answers she needs.

This book was sooo fast paced and I absolutely loved that. It did not feel long at all and kept me captivated throughout! I could not put it down and the writing style was everything!!!

I think there could have been some more world building involved to truly in-vision the layout of the ship and the surroundings for the characters but I believe this would have taken away from all the action!

Overall I throughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for romantasy lovers 🫶🫶🫶

Such a great book! I literally finished it in less than 24 hours because it was so engrossing. A dark romance, Sci-Fi book with a bit of spookiness. I really thought it was a great book and I can't wait for the next one!

This was an interesting read, but at the same time a bit predictable (which is why I only gave the entire book 3 stars). There were moments when I realized I had predicted the direction the story was taking; I don't think I was ever surprised by the events that unfolded.

In fact, the love story is the worst part of this book. It's cliché, boring, and lacks real twists that could hold my attention as much as the more arcane, fantasy elements. The mysterious part was what kept me thinking, "Okay, let's keep reading because I want to know what happens next."

The pacing of the narration is interesting because it manages to create a continuous and planned flow throughout the story. In some respects, this helps to somewhat conceal the slightly predictable twists woven into the plot.

Thank you, Netgally, for the opportunity to read this book.

The first page gets you hooked. I could not put it down. The story of Margot is so captivating. The first twist that happens is that you almost don't believe it when a clue is talked about. I completely fell into the world, feeling what Margot was feeling and turning each page, just waiting for more.

The second twist I was left with my mouth open. The story builds even more from here, and things previously mentioned in the beginning chapters start to all come together. I did not see that coming.

The third act is amazing, as is the ending. I did not see that coming. I love how the book kept me guessing!

Learning about the world from Margot's point of view—basically, relearning everything from scratch—is amazing. This type of storytelling helps with feeling and learning with the reader. I don't feel like I'm being told; I feel like I am learning with the main character.

The romance in this was good. It does leave some more questions that I hope are answered in the next book.

I could not put this book down and read it all in one sitting.

If you love space, twists, and dark, fantasy love stories, this is for you.

There are some content warnings for this story that are pretty strong in the storyline: kidnapping, torture, murder, and betrayal.

The Enemy Asks Her To Be His Wife. Marrying Him For The First Time ... Again.


Milo Arris is the cruel and young ruler of two planets. The enemy makes Margo his Columess after invaders wipe out all of the main character's memories. People who work in the castle are failing to hide mysterious burns into their skin. During an evening ball a castle maid is violently killed, a murder most foul.

Why did Margo lose her memories, no, why were her memories stolen from her? Why are people hiding burnt lacerations on their skin? Who is murdering innocent people? Who is not to be trusted aboard the Imnicus?

I would label this read to be a romantasy, sci-fi, dark space murder-mystery.

The romance was very enemies-to-lovers and an amnesiac trope. A very heavy read.

Margot, our main character, is definitely morally grey. There are major angsty vibes. Except, with the enemies-top-lovers, they almost instantly go back to enemies *spoilers*. This book is for people who tend to root for Disney's villains rather than the heroines and heros, the knight in shining armour.

Antiheros are a major component of this one. Antiheroes, yuppers, no shortage of them. I felt as though I was watching an origin story of a villainess slowly coming into her own confident, dynamic self. The only bad part of this dark murder space thriller would be to do a bit more world-building.

I loved the creepy/interesting/hot characters, but the setting could be elaborated on immensely. I need to be immersed in a tale, in its people, in its place and home. I want to imagine myself there with the cast of the book. The idea of the Two Planets is very interesting, and would love more background on that bit of the story. Besides that, cannot wait for the next read! 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

This book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I've never really delved into space fantasy so I wasn't sure what to expect. But man oh man. I do hope we see more world building in book two. But that was my only complaint. HIGHLY recommend.

Lost Crows and Fallen Stars is a Sci-Fi romance about Margot, who recently lost her memories after being tortured by invaders from another planet. She wakes only to learn she is the wife of the Column, the leader of two planets. One of the planets was the one who tortured her to the point she lost her memories. As she works to regain her lost memories, strange occurrences begin happening. Servants are hiding burn marks, and a maid is found dead. Margot works to remember while also trying to find out what's happening to the servants.

I'd honestly call this one a junk food read. It was really entertaining, but I found myself questioning a lot of the writing. Margot is said to be really good at her job in the story, but I never felt like she was a strong character. It felt like she had pretty privilege at times. She would also make comments about other female characters' looks and it felt unnecessary. The biggest let down was the romance, it made absolute so sense to me. Besides that, it was an easy read. It wasn't too long so it didn't feel like it was dragging. I really wanted more from the characters, especially Margot.