This book was a really easy and fun read. I enjoyed the build up with Roshan, and the influence of different cultures on the mythology and food (the food descriptions made me so hungry!). There were a couple points within the story where I had a harder time connecting the threads, but I think at least some of that is setting us up for the next book. I am definitely interested in continuing with the series!

This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

Had to DNF at 20% because it’s not for me. So far, nothing is really interesting. But the most glaring thing is the modern phrases like “Goals!” or “for the win!” thrown in the midst of “Well Met” and it just makes me roll my eyes a little. Also, chapter 6 starts with a literal “shadow Daddy” dream…..too far for my taste.

I love this book. I appreciated the high fantasy aspect and the paranormal sense. Amalie Howard always develops her characters so deftly and the tension that builds throughout the book was just incredible.

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is the story of Suraya, a blacksmith, who is chosen to attend court as a possible bride for the royal prince. Suffice it to say, nothing is as it seems and when things go awry she teams up with Roshan, the prince’s half-brother. She learns she harbors magic of her own and must rely on herself to figure out who, and what, she is. She soon realizes that she doesn’t know who she can trust, least of all herself.

I enjoyed Suraya’s story and stayed engrossed throughout the book, eager to see what happened. The characters and world building are very well written and realistic, making it a very vivid read! There are numerous twists and turns for the reader as well as the characters, making it easy to empathize with them and build a connection. Over all, I recommend this book to those who like a gritty FMC who is more than capable of saving herself, a MMC who would be happy to step in should he need to, and a slow-burn turned spicy entanglement that breaches the heavens and sets the stars ablaze. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Really liked the concepts of this book. The world was unique and unlike many of the other books I have read recently. I think this will be very successful

I want to think netgalley and harpercollins for an e-arc of this beautiful book! The Starlight Heir had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down when I got about 55% in. It has a lot of world buidling in the beginning but you just need to get through that and then I promise you won't want to put this book down. I loved the trials to be a bride to be, the plot twist, the magic system is so amazing, I love the astrology aspect of this book. Sura and Ro have my heart and I can't wait to see their characters grow in the second book. I need to know who the God of Night is like right now. I wish we had more chapters ofe his pov and where he takes place in all of this but I can't wait to read the second book!

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is a story steeped in deceit, self discovery, and love against all odds. And I devoured every word, this book was spectacular!

Action packed from page one and a fast pace made this book all the more alluring. Suraya, the FMC, is thrust into a new world, very different from her life as a commoner, filled with political intrigue, secrets, and prophesized magical powers. On her path to find the truth she has to dig down deep in her soul and discovery who she really is/wants to be.

The other characters, Prince Roshan, Prince Javed, and Queen Morvarid are all very well fleshed out and add a certain depth to one of the main plot point - good vs. evil - as not everything is as it seems (or is it?)

Overall I highly enjoyed The Starlight Heir and I would recommend it to anyone who loves romantasy, choose one, quests, or banter vibes in their books!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the eARC!

I thought the cover of The Starlight Heir was pretty and eye-catching. I appreciated the author's incorporation of Persian, Indian and Caribbean culture and heritage, which added value to the story. The characters were interesting, but the writing style made them present as much younger than their identified age which was confusing at times. It kept giving me the impression that although this is an adult book that maybe the author's writing comfort zone is teens or maybe young adult. As a reader who loves fantasy books, I enjoyed the magical creatures but I was disappointed with the magic system and the magic of the characters wasn't always believeable. I prefer when magic makes sense and has limitations versus stories where the character seems to have unparalleled abilities where everything seems to work with little to no issue. Overall, there were elements of this book that I enjoyed and times were it clearly missed the mark.

Thank you Harper Voyager for providing me an early review copy via NetGalley! 💗

This book surprised me and I did end up enjoying it more than I expected! I wasn't big on the characters at first but they did grow on me as the story progressed. The plot was fantastic and really kept me engaged. The way this ended, I'm VERY eager to see what's to come in the next installment 👀

2.5 stars

Howard is hit or miss for me and wow was this a miss.

One, this is supposed to be adult, but you cannot convince me that these supposed twenty-somethings didn’t act and talk like teenagers at best. It’s like your little sister wants to prove she’s a grownup by being unnecessarily vulgar. Plus, Suraya’s reasoning and decision-making was that of an undeveloped teen’s brain.

Two, the world building was thin at best, and at worst, bad enough that you could find plot holes big enough for a Mac truck. There was so much inconsistency and things that just plain didn’t make sense.

Three, the plot twists and reveals weren’t actually all that surprising. And I’m starting to get unreasonably angry when characters react in an over-the-top manner to a secret revealed.

Finally, the language. I could almost get over the super modern slang (princesplaining really?). But I was CACKLING at some of the euphemisms used. “Tool of sensual destruction” and “bulge of his masculinity” were 2 favs.

Anyway, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
I mean at least the cover is really pretty!

Suraya, 25-year-old metalsmith, receives an invitation (read: demand) to join the Crown Prince’s bride contest. Much to her dismay, she is herded through a portal to the capital, a place she both fears and dreams of. The tasks that follow prove to be more than Suraya bargained for - and she is quickly fighting for her life.

I enjoyed the Persian-inspired setting and parts of the magic system, but they both seemed underdeveloped. The romance is decently written, if a bit rushed.

I love dragons as much as the next fantasy lover, but I appreciated seeing some truly unique creatures in this story. Both the creatures and the setting were imbued with the author’s Caribbean, Indian, and Middle Eastern heritage, which did make this story stand out to me. Unfortunately…

I found many of Suraya’s skills to be unbelievable. If there were any hints before each skill was necessary to the plot, I missed them. Much of the plot was one of convenience with no seeds planted, nothing to make it feel earned. I found myself almost completely emotionally disconnected - and I’m a person that sometimes cries at commercials.

Some of the modern dialogue was immersion breaking, but I try to be forgiving of this (if no one ever tried anything new, life would be awfully boring).

Overall, this read mostly as YA for me, excluding the spice, which was open door with 2-3 scenes.

Thanks NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for letting me read The Starlight Heir. I wanted to like this more than I did, but I felt the writing tone was disjointed with the world-building. Very early on, there’s a character that refers to book boyfriends, which would be find in a contemporary romance, but this a middle-eastern inspired fantasy in an older world type setting, so references like book boyfriends really messed up me ability to immerse myself in the story.

I had the pleasure of reading the arc for The Starlight Heir (which comes out early January 2025) and LOVED IT!

To start before I get into my full review…I am very much a mood reader who leans fantasy in reading preference. If you mix high fantasy style writing/words with today’s language, doesn’t bother me in the slightest, if anything it helps me feel more at home with the book because I’m not having to check the glossary every 5 minutes.

All that to be said, the actual book:

You have our main female character Suraya, who is unexpectedly called to the capital to take part in a bachelor style contest to win the heart of the king. Suraya, who has always dreamed of going to the capital is excited to get out of her city and explore the place her mother spoke to her about growing up…the prince…zero interest. Her plan is to lay low and just enjoy her time there. Very quickly she is noticed, thrown into trials to win the princes heart and the book really starts rolling.

This book is about Suraya’s growth, learning about her potential powers and being on the run from people that want to use her for bad intentions. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the unique magic system, meeting all the side characters and her exploring a world she didn’t know existed. There are plot twists, a slow-ish burn with an unlikely character & the ending leaves you wanting more as you finally figure out everything you just learned wasn’t what it seems. I enjoyed diving into this world & look forward to seeing what Amalie gives us in book 2!

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for the early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel.


This story started out strong for me, with an interesting cast of characters, unique fantastical world-lore, and courtly tension. However, about halfway through, I found my interest waning and began skimming large sections.

This could have just been me and some seasonal funk affecting my ability to sink into a story, but I just seemed to lose concern over the characters and the larger plot. The Shadow Dream Man plot and Darrius chapters were intriguing but did not give me enough to build true interest in - I felt those pieces needed to be fleshed out more because they clearly will come back in the next book. As they stand, they don't seem to add much to this novel's story/plot/aim.

I wanted to love this because Amalie Howard's historical romances are so fun! But sadly The Starlight Heir wasn't for me. It felt like every other competition-focused fantasy romance, with modern language that really pulled me out of the story. It was hard for me to connect! I did love the Indian mythology influences. Thank you for an ARC!

I might be the only one to not like this, but I did not like this. It was so underdeveloped, in politics and magic and just in general. I was speed-reading to finish it up so take this with a grain of salt, but there was a house system that just...didn't have any relevance to the plot? Maybe I just missed it, idk, it just didn't seem to matter. On top of that, the entire beginning of the book was a mile a minute; things just kept happening and I'm sure I had a look of bewilderment on my face as I was reading. It also could have been a standalone if you ask me, considering things were already rushed why not cut a few unnecessary scenes and call it a day, but who am I to say that? Anyway, I wouldn't recommend it, this falls under the "Romantasy is popular so everybody's writing it when maaaaaybe they shouldn't" category for me.

The Starlight Heir is an adventure into Indian mythology and Middle Eastern vibes, the first that I’ve read, with incredible balances between action, lore and world building, and romance.

Our FMC is cunning and strong beyond imagination. Oh how I found her story so interesting, especially when it came to the connection she had with Roshan. I couldn’t help but feel like I may be onto something, but I’ll keep it to myself for now!

This book had everything I would ever want in a romantasy and I absolutely devoured it. Mythological plot lines with gods and deities has always been a favorite of mine so when I read this would include those sorts of themes, I was practically frothing at the mouth. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Hell, I even dreamed about it!

The only reason I am rating this 4.5 stars (rounded to 5 because this is just a personal preference) is because some of the language used seemed very out of place even though it fit the characters and their personalities. I suppose, using modern terms and slang turned me off or jarred me enough to shoot me out of the mood of the book. One minute I think we’re in a time period before modern technology and typical fantasy setting, and then the next I’m reading a word that comes directly from Gen Z and Millennials. I don’t hate it, it’s just not for me for this particular kind of book.

HOWEVER, I absolutely loved and adored this book to pieces. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC! I’m buying my physical as a trophy for my shelves, 100%. And now I wait God knows how long for the next installment so my questions can be answered

I thought this was a very solid adult fantasy novel. The book is generally fast paced. I had my impressions of what would happen and it flipped them in the first quarter of the book.

There were parts I thought could have been better explained or written. It didn’t though deflate my impression of it overall. I look forward to reading another book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

If you love the general vibes of Fourth Wing, but wanted it set in a Bachelor/The Selection type setting, then this is for you. Unfortunately for me, I finally DNFed this at 25%. I know this is a fantasy setting, but the anachronistic phrases and items just became too much. The world setting was very intriguing, but I couldn’t get past the anachronisms. 2⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC of this book. The story follows Suraya, a bladesmith who is forced to enter a competition to determine who will marry the crown prince. During the competition, she begins to fall for the crown prince’s younger brother. I felt that she fell for him/decided to trust him too easily. I also expected there would be more sword fighting, considering that Suraya is a bladesmith. My biggest issue with the book was the switching back and forth between modern curse words and made up fantasy ones, I found it pretty distracting. Outside of this, the story was interesting, so I will probably still read the next book.