From the first page, The Starlight Heir completely swept me away. It's fast-paced, rich with star-blessed magic, and features a fierce, unforgettable heroine. Suraya is everything I love in a main character — bold, loyal, and unapologetically powerful. I loved following her journey as she forged her own path in a world full of secrets and shadows.

Roshan, the illegitimate prince, adds depth and tension to the story — flawed, protective, and hiding truths of his own. Their dynamic had me hooked.

The plot moves quickly, with just enough twists to keep you guessing, and the world-building is vibrant and mythic. I’m giving it 4 stars only because I wanted a bit more time to breathe between some of the action, but overall — this is an epic, romantic fantasy that YA readers will devour.

I really enjoyed this story, the details were beautifully written and the love story was a messy good time. I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Enjoyable, if predictable plot. Reads like a YA fantasy romance with adult scenes. The third act break up can be seen 100s of pages in advance. Fun time though. If you want a fun fantasy romance to easily read and get lost in a familiar story, this is that. She’s a blade smith with a family secret, he’s a prince with a secret. Can I make it any more obvious. He doesn’t fit, she loves blades- what more can I say. He wanted her, she’d never tell. But secretly she thinks he’s hot as hell.

I didn’t finish this one, but not because it was bad—the premise and world definitely had potential. The writing was lush and detailed, and I could see the story building into something really epic. That said, the pacing felt too slow for me, and I just couldn’t stay hooked enough to push through. I might come back to it later when I’m in the mood for something more sprawling and atmospheric, but for now, it just wasn’t the right fit.

This is a great romanatasy! I don't understand how it's not getting more buzz. I find it's perfectly placed between Shield of Sparrows --it has a similar, likeable, MMC-- and Quicksilver --it's full of action and complexities. Also, the mythology and fantasy that feels fresh and new, without gore or shock-gross. I also listened to the audiobook and found that production was also very well done.

First off, let’s talk about that cover. It is beautiful. In person it even has a nice glossy shimmer to it, which just catches the eye. It’s just really pretty and so that drew me in pretty quickly. Also, this is not my first Amalie Howard book. It’s my fourth (after Bloodspell, Alpha Goddess, and Queen Bee).

I was swept away by this one. It was more fantasy leaning than any of Howard’s previous books that I’ve read, and it definitely hit the spot for me. I suppose it did have some of the court drama and political intrigue that made me think of the scandals and interpersonal drama of Queen Bee (which was basically a mash-up of The Count of Monte Cristo and “Bridgerton”).

Yes, I could say that the set-up of Suraya, the crown prince, and illegitimate brother Roshan plus royalty versus rebel forces premise is something that has been done numerous times in fantasy, it’s also fair to say that these elements keep happening because they work, and because people keep reading them.

I remember there being drama and intrigue and basically a competition to find the crown prince’s bride, plus lots of secrecy and magic that led into a whole lot of tension and action. Plus the writing was captivating as well, which is always a plus.

I even read this book in just a couple days, so I was definitely enthralled by the characters and the story. This is a book that I would certainly consider reading again (you know, if it wasn’t for my outrageous TBR making lots of re-reads difficult).

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Lush, Romantic, and Brimming with Heart

The Starlight Heir swept me away with Amalie Howard’s lush, atmospheric writing and vibrant, memorable characters. I adored the mix of romance, political intrigue, and personal growth, all wrapped in a beautifully imagined world. A few pacing dips kept it from being a perfect five, but it’s still a captivating, heartfelt read that stayed with me long after I turned the last page.

I love Amalie Howard's books and I also love fantasy, but I had a really hard time getting into this book. It wasn't for me, but others will like it!

I’m always on the hunt for a new favorite fantasy or Roman tasty novel, so I was looking forward to diving in with The Starlight Heir. While I enjoyed learning the world and aspects of the culture and mythology, it fell flat for me unfortunately.

*many thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.

This story is very similar to many, many other fantasy type stories with a down and out FMC, a royal or two, and a magical city that is not what it seems. As many others have said, it is difficult to remain in the world when there are so many statements / sayings that you’d heat on any college campus today. It kept be at a distance instead of letting me fully give myself over to the story.

⭐️⭐️

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the e-Arc!!

I truly loved the premise of this book, the setting was beautiful and the set up of the book was so promising! I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning, but the mid to end let me down. When I am taken into a fantasy world, especially one of a different country and customs, I sort of expect to be delved into and fully immersed in their culture, traditions, language, and values. So, while I enjoyed some of the banter, it was difficult for me to see words and phrases that were more modern to today’s times.

I was disappointed with the lack of character depth and felt the plot was messy and all over the place. This book, unfortunately, was very forgettable.

I felt like this book had such potential and was interested in the bride trials aspect of the novel. However that is a very small portion of the novel and it becomes quite boring afterwards. It completely lost me around 50%

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!