Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book went in directions I wasn’t expecting, which was interesting, but everything felt underwhelming and I wanted more. I didn’t care about anything and felt like I wasn’t understanding what was going on because of that.

The way that this book surprised me in the BEST possible way is just incredible. I was hooked from the get go - the world building, the characters, the development, and amazingly fast (but not too fast) pacing all had me on the edge of my seat with a racing heart. I truly felt the adrenaline in my veins and I was completely immersed.

Suraya Saab is a common girl - or so she thinks. The magic that she has in her veins is simply explosive. She is an incredible badass bladesmith, and I loved her from the very beginning. Her fierceness was admirable, and the love that she had for her people was so very incredible and inspiring.

The world building - oh my goodness, the mixture of Persian and Indian mythology was simply exquisite and so very well done. The secrets, the elements of magic, the journey, the characters... all so beautiful.

Roshan I was iffy on - the way he immediately locked onto her, the way he was so secretive, it all baffled me and I knew something was not quite right with him - wasn't entirely prepared for the actual twist of what it was though - WOW! The tension and banter between Suraya and him was top notch though, I could have enjoyed some more spice but that's a me thing, and has nothing to do with the book! The ending - oh my word, I was truly in the grips and was left wanting so much more - I can hardly wait for book 2!!

If you're looking for a diverse fantasy with secrets, soulmates, fate, and a prophecy you are going to want to check this one out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amalie Howard for this amazing arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was a genuinely FUN time! This is an ADULT romantasy debut about a blade smith, an illegitimate prince and a god bound by shadows. It also a mixture of Persian and Indian mythology that was so interesting to read about! I found the main character enjoyable to read and the world building was simple but effective! There were a few predictable moments but I still found myself having a good time reading it. It has good banter, tension, trials and magic that keeps you entertained the entire time. But the best damn part of the whole story is the secret shadow god, whose chapters were get just a few times sprinkled throughout who has left me SO INTRIGUED. AND THE EPILOGUE. IT’S ALWAYS THE DAMN EPLOGUE. IT HAS BEEN KICKING MY FEET IN EXCITEMENT FOR WHAT IS TO COME BC I LIVE FOR DRAMAAAAA. And that is all I will say 😌

Highly recommend if you want a good time with spicy scenes, hilarious banter, tension filled moments and an introduction to new mythology that you might not have read before!

Thank you Avon Books for a gifted copy of this ARC!

✨✨ARC review✨✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Spice in Chp: 17
💕💕Tropes💕💕
- Slow Burn
- Forbidden Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Virgin FMC

‼️‼️TWS‼️‼️
- Violence
- Death

❤️ Quotes that made me swoon❤️
“I could stare at you, and eat you forever”
“When this is over and you’re safe, I promise to drop to my knees for as long as you like.”
“I know you don’t believe me, but I think I fell for you from the beginning. The moment you stared me down outside the palace. Those fierce, storm-cloud eyes of yours did me in… My fate was sealed from that very first day.”

✨✨Onto the Review✨✨

Firstly thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for sending me this book!
The FMC Suraya starts off a little innocent and then in the last 5 chapters of the book really dives into her feminine rage and starts taking it out on people who deserve it! Watching her character development was one of my favorite parts of this book. At first she’s a little whiny but who wouldn’t be when you’re plucked from your family home and forced into a trial for a princes hand in marriage that you do not want to marry?
The MMC is a bastard prince named Rohan who is equally infuriating as he is swoon worthy! the banter between the two MC’s was delicious!!
I really enjoyed the world building in this book! IT did take me a little while to figure out the magic system and how things worked but once I figured it out it was really easy to understand. This book is definitely a fast paced book so if you’re looking for a fantasy romance with an insanely good plot and beautiful descriptions go get this book!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins/Avon for the eARC!

This book was fine. It read very much like a typical YA book, but with smut. The main character is a chosen one, “not like other girls,” thinks she’s plain but the handsome prince is in love with her, hates dresses and loves swords, etc. Very textbook YA protagonist. I’m not sure how old she is meant to be, but she reads like she’s 15/16. Also, one thing that drove me crazy, and spoilers: right before she and Roshan have sex, he asks her if she’s sure because there are things about him she doesn’t know and she literally says “everyone has their secrets.” And the next chapter, she is all “I thought we were past the point of having secrets.” It doesn’t excuse him lying about his identity to her for no reason other than plot device, but she did say she was okay with it before they boned so idk.

One thing I can’t stand in fantasy books is when they use modern slang, and there was a lot of it. It felt like the author tried too hard to relate to the book girlies, with the way she worded innuendos, with the mysterious “shadow daddy” figure, and the referencing memes and literally referring to “book boyfriends” in the story. Some people might eat that up, and power to them, but for me it was super cringey. Also, the amount of lusty banter at pivotal moments in the story was just too much. I love clever banter but like, not moments after your best friend got murdered in front of you? Read the room??

All that being said, the world that was built and the series that was then set up with this book was definitely interesting. The magic system is pretty cool, the side characters were all so charming to me, and the politics and regional disparity was well thought out.

I won’t be continuing this series, but I did have a good time reading this, despite constantly rolling my eyes at Suraya’s character.

Suraya is a innkeeper's daughter who also dabbles as a bladesmith. She considers herself to be very ordinary, so when she receives an invitation to the capital city as a potential bride for the crown prince she assumes it's a prank. After some prodding by her best friend, she makes the journey to Kaldari. When she finds out the truth behind the contest for the prince's hand, she finds out some hidden truths about herself as well. With the help of an unexpected ally, Suraya sets out to save herself and the kingdom.

I devoured this in a day. It checked so many boxes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, dangerous trials, hidden identities... Everything I love in a romantasy was here! The mythology was beautiful and I found the characters so charming. The plot twists were perfect and kept me turning the page to see if I was able to figure it out.

I so hope there will be a sequel. If the story goes where I think it will, I know I will kicking my feet and giggling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper-Voyager for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Dark, whimsical , immersive with fairytale vibes. Good world building with magic, it’s always interesting to learn new systems from authors. It reads both YA/Adult at times ( or with adult themes).

“Nothing wrong with being beautiful, powerful, AND capable.”
~
“Where there’s hope, there’s always a way.”
~
Perfect pacing, lush and descriptive world-building, intricate story-weaving with emotional and heart-racing moments like, well-placed and indescribably hot spicy scenes, this book had it ALL! I was pulled in right from the very beginning in Sura’s forge. Not only were the main characters, Sura and Ro, endearing and lovable and just ones you had to root for, but the (non-evil!) side characters were some of the best, even some that seemed to cross the good and evil line at times (looking at you, jump scare in the last thirty pages!). This book was truly the perfect blend of romance, intrigue, lore/mythology, and alllll the banter. I have SO many questions that I’ve been assured are the right ones, and I truly cannot wait for the second book to arrive! I don’t want to be spoilery here, but I assure you that even though this is the author’s first foray into Romantasy, it surely will not be her last and this story reads like she was supposed to be here all along. Case in point - exhibit A: my screaming DMs and multitude of tabs. Pick this one up, not only does it have a stunning cover but it’ll leave you at the edge of your seat, unable to turn the pages fast enough!

I enjoyed this book. I thought that the world building was well done. I enjoyed the different places that they had to go and had no issues envisioning them. What I really liked was that it wasn't overly wordy or bogged down by being too descriptive. The other thing I really enjoyed was the magic system. I found that I really liked the majority of the characters. I did find the pacing to be a bit off at times, and felt that it read way more YA than adult. That being said I am excited to see how the story continues into book 2.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC of this book.

I thought this was a fun read. The plot was interesting and unique to anything I personally had read before. I was definitely interested in learning more about the magic possessed by the FMC. Though the MMC was definitely my favorite- tall, dark, and handsome with a dash of 'touch her and die' vibes. The banter between the main characters was fabulous.

I also enjoyed the setting and the fact that it stems from Persian and Indian mythology. That's not something you see a lot of. It's nice to read a story with some diversity!

I did feel like the middle dragged on in some spots, feeling a little disjointed, with the story feeling just a tad rushed toward the end. The pacing overall could have been just a little better.

Overall, I would recommend to anyone who loves an adventurous story, with a little bit of trials and games, and a unique magic element.

What a way to integrate world building and historical fiction. Well done. I’m not sure if this is a stand alone or a series but I’m praying for a second book. Well written and will recommend to many friends. Mahalo for the eARC.

Classic, fun, and spunky—this is a YA fantasy that hits so many great notes. I really enjoyed the romance as well.

I was able to check out both the ebook and audiobook - ARC’s courtesy of NetGallery. One of my favorite things about this book was the mythology - it had elements that I haven’t read it other books before so it was fresh and interesting. I really want to know more about Suraya’s world, and the political and magical structure of this universe, so I hope there will be more to come in the future.

I felt like the plot had a good pace - there weren’t parts that dragged so I stayed engaged whether I was listening or reading. Suraya’s character was witty and sassy and I loved her from the very beginning, even when she had some whiney juvenile moments. The slow burn romance was good, and the spice was well written.

The ending had some twists, and it definitely left me with questions and wanting more.

A really fun romantasy all around!

The Starlight Heir is a new fantasy romance from Amalie Howard, an author known primarily for historical romance. I think this book proves that there’s a huge overlap between historical and fantasy romances, because Amalie does a fantastic job crossing over.

The Starlight Heir is set in a Persian-mythology inspired fantasy world that delivers a lot of world building while still trying to feel fresh and fun. It was a bit of a difficult start for me – although set in a fantasy world that feels a bit ancient, the characters use modern slang. And it starts off with our heroine forced to take part in deadly trials to win the hand of the prince – which I’ve read before and didn’t feel super fresh.

However, after we leave the palace the book moves into much more interesting and original territory. There’s a rebellion trying to overthrow the evil rulers, a steamy romance with the “wrong” guy who seems to be harboring secrets, and lots of discovering her magical powers. The pace picks up about the halfway point too and the final third of the book is action-packed and full of twists.

All in all, a fun book for fantasy romance fans!

This debut fantasy by prolific author Amalie Howard was disappointing. The story is clearly not set in a modern-like world, and yet the author’s characters use words/phrases that are clearly very modern. Every single time she used modern language it took me out of the story. Then there is the world building which is also not as strong as it could me.

The author’s characters lack substance, too. There were times when it appeared that the author spent more time thinking about the fashions of her world than she had in developing her characters. The main character, Suraya Saab, is amorphous and readers will struggle to relate to her. Her secondary characters are more like stick characters than fully realized characters.

If you love fantasy/romantasy and don’t pay attention to how a book’s dialogue is written while you read and don’t mind characters who are not exactly believable, you’ll undoubtedly love this book.

My thanks to Avon and NetGalley for an eARC.

LOVE! Aboslutely honored to receive an early copy of this book. Was already excited going in but it definitely lived up to the hype I had for it.
The magical system that Amalie Howard had created hooked me right from the star(t), how everything was related back to the cosmos was interesting. The slooowwww burn - oh, so good! Not sure if I would classify MLC as morally grey but he was SWOON worthy nonetheless. I loved watching the relationship between Suraya and the MLC grow. This book was a solid five stars for me, and I'm so grateful the author ended with enough of a HEA while still letting the audience know there was more to come!

One thing I did find bothersome at first was the use of some random modern day phrases. It didn't seem like it fit the time period or the overall vibes, but it never states what time period it was in so could be completely relevant. It wasn't too distracting from the rest of the book and was still a FANTASTIC read. Can't wait to continue on!

This is a solid fantasy book with some romance built in - I wouldn't call it specifically a romantasy, but there is definitely spice. The spicy parts don't overwhelm the entire story though so I'd still recommend you try it out.

Suraya gets an invite to the palace as part of the prince's marriage search. Prior to leaving, there are some signs that she should reconsider, but she feels compelled given the request came straight from the king. Once she gets there, things really hit the fan. The world building and magic system in the book is easy to understand and kept me interested throughout. There were some unresolved plot points at the end of the book so I'll be interested in seeing where it goes from here.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

This world is immersive and well built, set in a desert kingdom where Jādū shards are believed to be the only remaining magic left from the gods. The story is brimming with adventure, magic, political intrigue, secrets, and betrayal as Suraya discovers that the marriage selection she has been requested to attend to choose the bride of the crown Prince, is a competition and death trial set to discover the starkeeper of the gods: her. Someone she previously thought was nothing more than a children’s fable.

Fantasy novels often remind you of other worlds in the genre. While this novel was no different, it also brought a fresh take I haven’t seen much of before in other aspects. The prose fluctuates between descriptive moments and plain language and reminded me of a more YA style of writing. Both the adventure and world building are fast paced, but the author manages to avoid information dumps throughout the novel and even gives you a breakdown of the faction houses of hierarchy at the font of the novel and a glossary of magical terms in the back, which I loved!

Suraya is a loyal, intelligent, and strong woman with a sharp tongue. While I enjoyed Suraya’s character and her journey as she discovers her powers, I would have liked to read more about her learning about, training, and harnessing her gifts. It felt as though she learned to harness the majority of her control from only some sporadic training. I think this would have also opened Suraya up to more personal growth, as I felt that at her core, she did not have much personal character development outside her gifts.

Roshan is a wonderfully layered and compelling character laced with secrets. He is a fiercely loyal protector, and despite being the illegitimate heir to the throne, he only wants what is best for his father’s people. His relationship with Suraya is a slow-burn, with lots of tension, and well paced in a way that makes the connection feel earned.

The book does not end on a cliffhanger, but several threads are left loose, so this could be a stand-alone novel or the first of a series. Hopefully, it is a series as I am interested to learn more about how the god of night ties into Suraya and Roshan’s world.
—
✨Romantasy
🗡️Desert landscape
🐦‍🔥Death trials
✨Chosen one
🗡️Prophecy & destiny
🐦‍🔥Political rebellion
✨Female bladesmith
🗡️Embued magical objects
🐦‍🔥Magic & runes
✨Astrology
🗡️Adventure
🐦‍🔥Magical mythical animals
✨Open-door
🗡️Love triangle?
🐦‍🔥Sporadic 2nd POV throughout
—
Story by Amalie Howard: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration by Anais Inara Chase:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration by Ramiz Monsef: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
—
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, HarperAudio Adult, and NetGalley for these complimentary ARC & ALC - all thoughts are my own! 📚
Publishers release date 1/7/2025

This book was really interesting, and I enjoyed reading it! However, it's really a difficult one for me to rate and review, as I felt very different about the story at different points.

I absolutely loved the beginning and the world-building based off of mythology. It reminded me of Egyptian and Indian mythology mixed, and the magic system was really unique. I loved the side characters and the premise, and it had me hooked for the first 20%.

It kind of got a bit Dune Part 2 toward the middle, not in a bad way... but the pacing just changed in a way I wasn't expecting.

We had some twists and reveals at the end, and it set things up for book 2 quite nicely. I think I would have loved more explanation on what was going on with certain perspectives that did become important toward the very end, though!

I think fans of Powerless would love this book based on the love story and magic system!

One thing I have noticed with romantasy is that many of them keep the world building to a minimum. The Starlight Heir does not. The map needs to be consulted, I could have used a more extensive directory because the one provided was very simplified.. However, this is still an excellent read.

The romance is hot with extreme levels of adventure. It was hard to figure out exactly where it was going, although the leader of the Dahaka was pretty obvious throughout the story.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable romantasy.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the DRC. All opinions are my own!