Thank you Netgalley and Avon for an earc in exchange for an honest review.
I had met Amalie Howard at a book signing where she spoke about this book before it had been announced, so I have been looking forward to reading this for months. I really enjoyed the magic system she created. It took me a bit to understand the different houses and how they related to eachother but I liked the ideas of the old gods and magic being outlawed. There were a few chapters in between the story with the God of Night which were interesting. I was confused with his relation until the end and now I am super excited to see where this story continues in the next book. I enjoyed the plot. Everything seemed to happen so fast but it was very neat to get to see the Scavs and the Dahaka as we explored the different areas of the kingdom and beyond. I feel like there is so much more to explore and I feel like this next book will lead into that more. One thing I will say that did not enjoy was the internet phrasing that was used by Suraya. I get trying to make phrase seem humorous however, in a fantasy world having the main character say “cop a feel” just did not feel right. It made those scenes feel just a bit cringy. Overall though, I did really enjoy this. I loved her magic and am even more excited for the next book.

I love Amalie Howard's historical romances and she is basically a NetGalley "must request" for me. This was a bit different from her usual fare but her signature character development, well-crafted plotting, and great dialogue are just as present in this romantasy as they are in her other books. This reminded me quite a bit of Nisha J. Tuli's Artefacts of Ouranos series (in a good way, and maybe even more than it would for others, as I just read that series). There are a lot of similar elements, including a very spunky female main character with a legacy she doesn't fully understand and a competition to be queen kind of deal. In my opinion sets this apart from other books with those tropes is really Howard's writing, which is always just so good. Content warning for violence, substance use/abuse, kidnapping, and probably more stuff that I'm forgetting.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. the pacing was good and the timeline was well done. the building of the world and the characters was also managed well. Something about the tone of the book threw me though. I am not sure why because I love books like this! I would still recommend it to anyone and everyone who likes these kinds of books/stories, but that was my only issue with the story. For some reason the tone threw me. I will probably try and read this again at another time and see if that makes a difference. Sometimes it does! Thank you for allowing me access to such a wonderful story.!

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard - full of fantasy romance and adventure, magic and politics, truth and deception, and I couldn't put it down!!

When Suraya is invited to the Kingdom for a chance to win the Prince's hand in marriage, she goes just to have an adventure and have that connection with her late mother, not because she wants to be chosen. When it turns out the invitation isn't a quest to find a suitable bride but instead to find the Starkeeper, Suraya realizes just how dangerous this adventure is.

The relationship building between Sura and Ro was strong, I did have some suspicions about Roshan that came to light later and Sura's reaction was as expected. With Sura being so strong in such important moments, I wish she hadn't been such a damsel in distress at others - it felt inconsistent to me.
I loved the magic and the gods with the influence of Persian Mythology - and I need to know more about this Shadow that both haunted and helped Suraya. With that last chapter, I hope we get a second book! The world building was great - with the different houses and political histories and the magic touches drew me right in.

This one comes out in January, definitely add this one to your list if fantasy romance is your vibe!! Thanks, Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review!!

I enjoyed this story and the plot but i think i struggled quite a lot with the writing / tone of the book. I don’t know if this is just a romantasy thing but it almost seemed like a contemporary tone (including dialogues, words, phrases) in a fantasy setting. I feel like that could really work for people who are more into contemporary romance and want to get into more fantasy books, but as someone who reads primarily fantasy the tone threw me out of the fantastical setting at times. Still an enjoyable read and if you’re a primarily a contemporary romance person trying to get into romantasy/fantasy this could be a nice bridge for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️

Oh my! I really enjoyed this story! The worldbuilding and magic had unique components to it, and this felt like a nice twist on a common trope. I love competition-esque fantasies so this was a great variation of that. Fantasy books seem to often incorporate riddles, and I can confidently tell you I have never guessed a riddle in my life.

Sura and Ro are so cute. I loved that Sura is 25! Finally someone over the age of 18 as a fantasy FMC. I also love a man that is described as smelling of Bergamot and Spice.

This book is really fast moving and was an easy read. The ending surprised me, which was a nice surprise.

I am unsure if this book is a standalone or not? I felt like it was but the epilogue made me suspect otherwise. As a standalone this book holds up. And if there is a sequel, I would be reading that quickly.

Reluctant hero, deadly trials, and angering the gods? SIGN ME UP.

Suraya is so relatable--she just wants her family to live in peace, work in her forge, and make enough money to get by. But she's a protagonist in a fantasy novel so that isn't going to happen. After being summoned to the castle to participate in a Prince's quest for a wife, she's forced to put her minimal training to the test and attempt to stay alive. And let me tell you, she's got much more of a survival instinct than I ever would, because I definitely wouldn't have lasted past the second test. Assuming I was able to pass the first.

This was a pretty fast paced read and a solid romantasy pick. I don't know how much I believed in Suraya's choices/when she picked and chose what to believe--there are a lot of inconsistencies in when she's picking and choosing what to believe and her logic just doesn't really track well with me.

I definitely enjoyed the banter between Suraya and Roshan, and the characterization of the villains was solid, if a little over the top. I think I would have enjoyed it more if we had a little more time with the villains with their masks on before the cruelty came out. I think adding another 50 pages or so to really develop more of the characters would have helped a bit with the issues I had with this one, but overall I'm really looking forward to the next installment.

The way fate is playing a role definitely has me intrigued. I can't wait to see how the gods truly tie-in to the story!

The Starlight Heir is phenomenal! The magic system and world building were amazing. The pacing is great. There is a ton of action but you can follow what is happening. The early part of the story had Hunger Game vibes and the later part was more Fourth Wing or Throne of Glass. with the training storyline. Unlike some multibook fantasy series this actually ends with some resolution. Sure, there are a lot of unanswered questions I look forward to exploring in later books, but the ending here feels meaningful rather than a cliffhanger dangling the next book at you. I really like Sura. She's tough, feels hard, and it's afraid to take action. Roshan read a little flatter but still a likeable character. Book 2 will have some interesting surprises and I can't wait!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this eARC!

Suraya receives an invitation to go court to be a potential bride for the prince, Javid. Javid does not have the best reputation, and she looks forward to a quick return home. Things at the palace are worse than she fears. This isn't a way for Javid to find a bride but to find the starbringer, a girl who has the magic of the stars, through a series of dangerous tests. These tests reveal that Suraya is the starbringer even though she never knew she had any magic. She forms a bond with the Prince's half-brother, Roshan, who tries to help her escape from the plans Prince Javid and his mother have for her.

Thoughts 💭
I love Amalie Howard and jumped at the chance to read her romantasy debut. Suraya was a modern but fun heroine, and I was invested in her journey, which included learning about and controlling her magic. Roshan and Suraya had so much chemistry that it lept from the page even if it was a bit of a slow burn. They didn't seem to face many challenges, but I have a feeling he may have more back story that will come to light in a future book. This book was fast-paced, and I had no trouble finishing it in a day.

With that being said, some of the prophecy, gods, and magic was a little hard to keep straight. I'm not sure I still fully understand it even after reading the book. I'm a newer fantasy reader, but I typically have no issues keeping things straight. There were also times I questioned the decisions of the characters because they just didn't make sense. Why would Suraya's father let her leave and go right to court and danger, especially without any background information? Why didn't Suraya pick up on Roshan's involvement with the rebel group? Things that seemed obvious to me did not even occur to some of the characters and made it a little frustrating. Looking past these things, though, it was a fun read, and I am intrigued enough to find out what comes next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Amalie Howard for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Starlight Heir!

I was so excited for this one but it unfortunately did not live up to the synopsis for me. Suraya in the beginning is this sarcastic blacksmith, I was fully expecting her to be a trained warrior that’s independent and wants to be treated like an equal. But the way her story plays out, it comes across as if she needs the MMC to keep her out of trouble because the second he tells her to stay put while he goes somewhere else, trouble finds her. That's not a joke, it happens more than twice.

I liked Roshan’s character and the banter between him and Suraya. These two really did have that connection you love to see in a romantasy. I also enjoyed how the author wrote the Queen and Crown Prince’s characters and the way that their development affected the plot.

I haven’t read much Persian/Indian inspired fantasy, and I was so looking forward to being introduced to mythology. So there were definitely times when I felt myself being sucked into the story and anticipating what was going to happen next. But there were times it felt like the author was so caught up in writing the dialogue that all the other aspects of a first person pov fell to the wayside. I felt like we never got much enough insight into Suraya’s thoughts. And half the time I had no idea what anything looked like because the descriptions were barely there.

All that being said, I loved the concept of this book and lore we were introduced to but the majority of this book felt rushed. I would have liked to see more detail in lieu of pushing as fast as she could to get to the next plot point.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review was posted to Goodreads on 11/26/24.
My Instagram review will be posted on 12/5/24.

There was a lot of potential here. The mythology was interesting and the world seems like it could have been great. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like we were able to settle in any one place long enough to get a view of where we were. On top of that, the first 40% of the book had modern slang, such as saying a prince was 'princesplaining' or 'thick thighs save lives' (which I have never heard in genuine one on one conversation) or 'Goals!' which I've only seen online rather than in a face to face conversation. This, personally, took me out of the story and made it even more difficult to get a grip on what this world was. Are we in a more urban setting? Doesn't seem like it. Is this how the people genuinely talk in this world? They dont really for the last 60% of the book, so it still doesn't seem like it. There are definitely books when this style works for me, such as Urban fantasies or portal fantasies in which the MC is transported from our world to theirs, or a breaking the fourth wall comedic effect. However, this doesn't seem like this story was any of that.

I enjoyed this book. The storyline was fantastic. Suraya was great main character. The book was fast paced and intriguing..I liked the twists in the book. Can't wait for the next story.

2.5 stars

I had really high expectations going in because this entire concept of this book seemed like it would be something right up my alley. Going in with these expectations though only led to severe disappointment.

The Starlight Heir begins when Suraya receives an invitation to compete for the Crown Prince’s hand. During this time a magic awakens in her that will either destroy the world or save it. She also meets the MMC who right off the bat didn’t do it for me. I felt an iffy vibe from him almost immediately and I felt that he and Suraya fell from each other wayyyy too fast. I needed more tension, angst and longing personally.

Now, even though this book was not for me, I did enjoy some aspects and I’m sure a lot of people would actually really love this book. For example, Suraya’s star powers were super interesting as well as the mythology. But honestly, it’s a miracle I even finished it because I wanted to dnf it 3 or 4 times…I think this could have been a great book and I’m sad it wasn’t for me.

This book has everything you can think of. It has a strong fmc, chosen one, hidden power, a deadly bachelor-like contest to be the bride of the prince, different kinds of classes people can belong to (think Divergent) and some spice. The story is very fast paced and keeps your attention at all times. I can’t wait for the sequel!!

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️/5

Thank you Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC. ❤️

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: death, violence, war, profanity

I was stunned by this book cover and had to request it. Here are my thoughts:

This book was a wild ride. I like the world-building and the mythology about stars and the gods. I think there is more to explore in this world but in this book there is magic, runes, prophecy, and chiromancy. I really enjoyed all the aspects of the world-building.

Suraya is invited with a bunch of girls to the palace in Kaldari because Prince Javen is looking for a wife. So this reminded a bit of the story The Selection, but then the story takes a turn for something different. I found Sura to be a fiesty, headstrong, but funny character. Her relationship with her best-friend Laleh is sweet and funny. And when she meets Roshan, their friendship grows as well, but into something way more.

The romance is spicy and their chemistry is fun but I feel like book two will be taken into a new direction. Suraya and Roshan’s romance is really sweet, not much conflict and they make a good couple except for some trust issues.

This story is filled with politics and Suraya gets caught in the middle of it because the powers that have manifested inside of her. She has to learn to control her powers and figure out what her role is with everything going on around her. There is a lot of action and it especially gets wild at the end!

I did have some issues with the story. I don’t mind profanity, but there were times the characters had modern speech and that threw me off a little. Also, there is a character, who is very mystery and we only get a few scenes of him. I know he will probably appear more in book two, but it was kind of maddening not knowing who he is and how he ties into everything. Also, I felt like Suraya’s talent as a blacksmith wasn’t really a focus of the story and I’d have liked to see her use that talent more. At times I felt like the story was all over the place.

Final Thoughts:
I had some issues with this story and thought at some moments too much was going on, but overall I was entertained. I enjoyed the romance, the spice, the world-building and am looking forward to see what will happen in the next book.

This is a book that I think will stay with me for a long time. The story is absolutely amazing. At the beginning, I thought it was going one way but it took an entirely different turn! I struggled at the beginning with the world building since it went over my head but that was on me since I did not read the glossary. While it took me a while to invest in this book, it was so worth it and I am glad I took my time reading it.

The reason it did not get a 5 stars is I would have loved for there to have been more time and development of the side characters to make us get even more attached, as well as more time to sit in the twists since they felt like they came out of nowhere. With an extra 100 pages of building this, I definitely would give 5 stars. Absolutely beautiful!

Book:The Starlight Heir
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Avon
Length: 368 Pages
Release Date: 01/07/2025
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

When Suraya Saab first gets an invitation at her forge from King Zarek she does not believe it is real and thinks someone is placing a practical joke or prank on her. Now she believes they may need her skills as a black smith but she is very much mistaken. She does not believe she has the qualification to be a future Queen or anyone’s royal wife that was for certain but soon finds out the real reason she was invited.

Of course she really does want to attend at least to see Kaldari, the capital city her deceased mother always admired. Now she thinks this is because the Prince needs a wife and is going to offer a marriage proposal to someone but she is in for a rude awakening when she discovers it is all about her magic. It is not the Prince, but his step brother Roshan that captures Suraya’s heart. Although the attraction is fierce, he also annoys her at the same time. It is also discovered this is a hunt for a Starkeeper. It is rumored this female has magic of the stars running through her veins and blood. Furthermore there is trouble between the royal nobles and the rebel soldiers/armed forces.

The Rebels ambush her and Roshan as they try to escape with every inch of their lives! This is when Suraya discovers that she might be the starkeeper herself which definitely surprises her! On top of that she and Roshen’s attraction starts to grow stronger everyday. However Roshen has knowledge he does not share that could damage their growing relationship which could destroy their trust where hearts might break. Suddenly Suraya's power is being monitored by a dark immortal god that just might be her biggest threat. Does she and Roshan even have a chance at a future with secrets between them and bad people chasing them including immortal gods? Read and discover their fate.

Amalie Howard writes a brilliant fantasy novel that I absolutely love the world building is an absolute masterpiece, a marvelous magic system, the banter is so much fun and the dialogue is brilliant and the main characters you cant help but love. This is my first fantasy novel I have ever read by Amalie. Even though I have read many of her historical romance books as she is a truly gifted storyteller that I always enjoy! Yes there is a cliffhanger but I was expecting it, as I find that very common in the fantasy genre so I was not surprised. I definitely loved this fantasy novel, a book I highly recommend and I can't wait for the next book in this exceptional series!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Avon Publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I really enjoyed this romantasy/mythology inspired novel! What a lush and interesting world Amalie Howard has given us. Cannot wait to read more and see how these characters and their relationships develop.

I don't care what people are saying. but The Starlight Heir was so freaking good. I literally love this book so much. Like I want to read it again, especially with that cliffhanger at the end. I can't believe that Amalie Howard did that to us. Like, how? I now need the next book because I need to know what's going to happen. You can't leave me hanging like that.

Beside my rant regarding the cliffhanger, let's talk about why The Starlight Heir is going to become your next romantic obsession. First, The Starlight Heir is a romantic read that will leave you in suspension while blushing constantly in-between. Second, the chemistry between Suraya and Roshan is off the chart. Literally, the banter between them leaves me wanting more and waiting for them to be together. Third, the deadly challenge of Suraya being discovered leaves us on the edge. It's the constant cat and mouse chase. Fourth, the unexpected why choose trope was an ever bit unexpected but yet the most satisfying to discover. I hate reading love triangles, especially when all three of the characters being together makes more sense than choosing. And I can't wait to read more about it.

I seriously cannot believe I have to wait for a book 2!! i thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found the characters so lovable.