I had trouble trying to decide what to rate this one. The premise sounded interesting and I’m always looking for new romantasy! I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was a quick, fun read but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it would’ve been longer. I know there’s a sequel coming but I feel like this book was rushed and the storyline and characters could’ve been fleshed out a little more.

Also, while there are some steamy scenes, I felt like at times this leaned more toward YA than adult.

Overall, The Starlight Heir was an enjoyable read. I just wish it was longer to give the storyline more time to develop!

This is an intense story. There is so much happening in the plot. I love the misdirection of the author. The world building is beautifully done. The characters are wonderfully crafted. I really enjoyed this ride. My emotions were put through the wringer though. This is not a light and fluffy book. Please be advised. It is well worth the read at least in my opinion.

I’ve read a few Amelie Howard books but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I think some ppl will find it interesting but it wasn’t up my alley and I’m not quite sure but it just didn’t work how it think it was supposed to. IMO. Still willing to read more from her

I requested this book because the blurb said that it was based on Indian mythology which I don't know that much about. But I enjoy mythology and learning about different cultures' mythologies. I am not, however, a super big fan of fantasy. This book was.... okay.... there were a lot of redundancies (how many times was Roshan going to leave her alone and then she gets confronted by a bad guy? At least three that I can remember...) Also, her character seems a little bit underdeveloped. She has this amazing star power but doesn't use it. Beyond that she is supposed to be a good fighter and metallurgist, but doesn't really use that either. Yet she is so amazing and everyone loves her and Ro can't get enough... I don't know. I just didn't get her or believe her as a character.

I did like the list of Indian mythological characters that was included. That added some interested elements. I also enjoyed the imagery of the fox-like creature inside her. It reminded me of the nine-tailed fox from Japanese mythology. The cover is gorgeous.

Also, this isn't billed as a series but it seems to end on a bit of a cliffhanger? Who knows. I also didn't understand the need for the alternate POV chapters from the Dark Lord. If that wasn't going to be explained. Without spoilers, I thought it was going to be one person. There were hints at the end that it is that person, but the book is never clear about it. The conclusion of the antagonist in this book was a bit anticlimactic, to be honest. It sort of wrapped up really quickly and the bit confrontation was a bit rushed.

Overall, it was okay. If there is going to be a sequel, I don't know that I care enough about the characters to read it.

I wanted to love this so much. I really did. And I think it had potential. But an overreliance on tropes, and a classical fantasy world with characters that speak with modern day lingo? Yeah, not gonna happen. I found myself taken out of the world so many times because the writing tone couldn’t pick a lane between what felt like romcom language and fantasy world language. Not to say there can’t be humor in a fantasy world, but it almost felt like code-switching, and the story wasn’t unique or interesting enough to me to make up for the structural concerns. I give this one 2⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows."

If the Stars are Dying and Lightlark had a baby, it's this book. And I'm here for it!

Suraya, who can wield powers into the blades she creates, gets an invitation to the capital city as a candidate to potentially be the prince's wife. Little does she know that there is something dark and sinister waiting for her there, those seeking out who she really is. The prince and the queen are looking for something and she might be the key to what they are seeking. She meets the prince's illegitimate brother, Roshan, and starts to form a bond with him. Together they go on the run but soon she discovers that Roshan is also hiding his own secrets.

It's your typical FMC who has hidden star powers but doesn't know it yet, and MMC who is hiding his true identity. But what really stood out to me was how well the characters were written and the world building. I enjoyed the fact that she wasn't a damsel in distress, and that she could fight for herself and protect others. The spice was spicy but this was more plot heavy, which I do appreciate and enjoy!
The other part of this plot is that her soul is connected to another god, you get bits and pieces of information thoughout the book, which l hope, we will get more of in book 2.

I was chosen to review the audiobook and I truly believe Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef did a fantastic job with the narration. Easy and enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you, Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amalie Harper for trusting me with their work.

I absolutely adored this fantasy debut! This book left me wanting more (in a very good way) and I cannot WAIT for the sequel to drop. I loved the blending of Persian and Indian mythology, strong Main Characters, and a deadly trial/bride selection trope. The ending felt quick in a couple ways, and I wanted more details, but after reading the epilogue, I anticipate that we'll get all those details in the next installment. Amalie is a phenomenal author and I will be diving into her historical romance backlist as well. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

I found The Starlight Heir to be a fun read, It wasn't groundbreaking, it wasn't 't something I've never seen before but it was a quick and enjoyable read. The romance was somewhat predictable but I did like it. The world building was probably the best part of the book and I really enjoyed it and Amalie Howard really excelled here and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick fun read that you can power through.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the DRC of The Starlight Heir. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book had so much potential. I loved the world-building and the plot! Unfortunately, the FMC reads too immature and the modern dialogue clashes with the rest of the fantasy world. I recommend to romance readers who want to try reading a fantasy book without committing to 500+ pages.

This book was marketed as adult romantasy.I would say more like YA fantasy.
There was a lot of moments that just screamed YA and not adult. I could not get invested.
I don't think the book was bad but it just wasn’t for adults as marketed.

i feel like this story was extremely rushed, I could see this story being split up into 2-3 books with more time for things to be thoroughly explained and let event unfold slower so that we were able to understand better

there were modern phrases like “thick thighs save lives” and “goals” and others than i did NOT enjoy reading in a romantasy book 😂

i admit i felt confused and out of the loop for the majority of this book like there was this secret among the characters they weren’t sharing with us which made me overthink almost everything

i liked the MMC, the FMC wasn’t my favorite I’ll be honest but the story itself wasn’t bad, just felt very predictable and the ending/“main conflict” seemed too wrapped up at each corner

idk it wasn’t for me, personally

This was not enjoyable at all. The characters were flat, the trials didn’t last long at all, the world building wasn’t there, and I had no idea what was happening. DNF @ 40%.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard reminded me a bit of The Selection, but the competition of it all is more deadly. It's fast paced with interesting characters that really kept my focus firm. I like the mythology that's delicately woven into the world building and the characters themselves. It does read more like a Young Adult story, which I'm fine with. If you've been on my blog for more than 5 minutes you know I love YA. There is a scene or two that pushes into the adult realm though. It actually surprised me, because I thought I was reading a YA book prior to that. All in all, I was impressed with this one. I'm not sure if the author plans for this to be a series, but the potential is definitely there, and I'm here for it!

2.5 stars rounded up. The modern terms threw me a bit, but overall this was a good story! I love mythology and this was right up my alley, I just had a hard time sticking with it with the modern slang and terminology used throughout the book. I both read and listened to the book, and I think I prefer the audio. I loved the forbidden romance and enemies to lovers in this book. With so much happening towards the end of the book, I wish it could have been stretched into a duology rather than a standalone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC, opinions are my own and given freely!

I liked this book! (3 stars is a like for me!) Amalie Howard is an auto-buy author for me so of course I was itching to get my hands on her first romantasy! And she definitely didn’t disappoint!

While romantasy is everywhere these days, I appreciated the combination of Indian and Persian myths as it made the tropes feel really fresh and interesting. I thought Sura was a great heroine and it was great watching her journey over the course of the book. I enjoyed the romance between the MMC and FMC and also appreciated the intriguing foreshadowing for the next one that makes me want to get my hands on the next installment yesterday!

2.5 ⭐ / 1 🌶️

This book was such a disappointment to me because it was one of my anticipated reads for the year. I was really looking forward to it and had such high hopes but it just did not hold up for me and it took me forever to finish! There was a lot wrong with this book, but my main issue was that it read like it was being read out loud by a bunch of school children taking turns reading paragraphs. The storyline was very stilted, very awkward, and did not flow well at all.

I struggled with this book until I switched to audio at 60%. I found the FMC too naive for someone in their mid-20s raised at an inn in a town that was not well-off. And the use of common, English curse words pulled me out of the story- not bc “🫢 bad words!” but bc the words used are words we use now. I enjoyed the plot and the world building. I really like the pacing and how many different elements of the world were shown as the FMC went on her journeys through the book. I just didn’t love the two main characters. 🤷🏻‍♀️ He was clearly not to be trusted and I was annoyed she naively trusted him. The villains were amazingly evil, though. And I loved the Crone popping in to give cryptic advice and annoy the FMC.

I did enjoy this even thought there are alot of common tropes found in this book. Very entertaining and also a good premise, the character arcs just felt rushed at times as well. Still a fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Okay listen—I wanted to love this book. And parts of it? I totally did. It had so many things I live for: deadly trials, spicy tension, hidden magic, and a swoony, stabby prince with a chip on his shoulder. Yes, Roshan, I’m talking about you.

Suraya is a bladesmith who accidentally ends up in a royal Hunger Games-style bride competition (because… sure, why not?), and naturally chaos ensues. Oh, and did I mention she might secretly have an ancient magic and be the key to a larger plot?

Now, the romance? I was into it. The slow burn was real and Roshan had major “touch her and die” energy, which I obviously ate up. Their banter was fun, their tension was apparent, and I was here for all the angsty looks and unresolved feelings. But the pacing? Ehhh. Some parts dragged a little, and I wanted the worldbuilding to go a bit deeper—and it just felt like we only scratched the surface.

So yeah, I liked it! Didn’t love love it, but I had fun, and I’m curious to see where it goes next. If you’re into reluctant chosen ones, courtly chaos, and morally gray princes with swords and secrets, this might just be your next read.

3.5 ⭐️’s

I was hoping to love this book due to the blurb and cover intriguing me but it was hard for me to get through for the first 40-60% because my attention was not being grabbed. It felt like the story was very slow to start and some of the dialogue didn’t make sense to me with how the story was set. I was almost about to DNF until it finally caught my attention and I started to enjoy it a bit.

Once the story started to pick up I felt myself having a hard time putting it down. The magical elements, the action scenes, Suraya discovering her magical abilities, and Roshan and her love blossoming throughout the story were written well enough for me to give it 3 and 1/2 stars. Sadly due to most of the book feeling slow and taking me out of the story, this couldn’t get a higher rating.

I do plan on continuing with this series and hope that the next book has a better start to the continuation of this series as it progresses.