4.5🌟
This book hooked me from the very beginning. Even though the invitation for women to get together for the hand of the king is a bit used, I thought it was so original how the twist happened later and it directed the story in a whole new way.
I thought Sura was a very solid female lead. Not only is she just going to the event to get to know the world, she is also a very realistic thinker. I appreciated that side of her. I also thought Ro was a solid character but I could tell he was hiding more than what he was sharing. It was obvious they had that chemistry.
It was impressive how action-packed this book was. We saw all the facets of this world with the rebels and the addicts and finally with the evil crown. The backstory of the old gods was also a nice addition, you can tell there’s more to it without spoiling the whole plot. And I can tell there will be more in future books. The main question mark and intriguing part of the book was the extra scene about a god of night. He is an invisible, side character but when you see Sura’s dreams, you know he is the real intrigue. Sadly, we only get hints but it looks extra promising and it will make you pick up that second book for sure.

Unassuming Suraya Saab receives a once in a lifetime chance to visit the capital city that has intrigued her since she was young when she receives an invitation to attend court and be considered as a potential bride for the crown prince. Her intrigue and awe soon turn into horror and fear when she is forced to participate in a deadly trial that claims the lives of many of her fellow participants. Suraya comes to realize that the crown prince isn't looking for a wife.., he is searching for the starbringer, who could be Suraya herself as she grapples with an unknown source of power, to resurrect one of the old gods. But Suraya isn't alone; Roshan, the illegitimate brother of the crown prince, saves her in a nick of time. Together, they are thrust into a chaotic mix of fleeing from a murderous crown prince, surviving a dangerous rebel group, and preventing the resurrect of the god of death and destruction.

This...was just okay. I was drawn to the promise of a Persian and Indian mythology inspired romantasy and the absolutely beautiful cover. However, I was left feeling extremely disappointed and honestly a little confused by the actual contents of the book.

The characters were fine. Suraya was a fun and feral protagonist if not incredibly gullible and unaware. Roshan was a good romantasy love interest if just a little bit boring. Honestly, my favorite character was probably Laleh cause she was unapologetically sex-positive and bisexual, and we don't even get to see her much in the story.

I really enjoyed the mythology that was present in the book: the mytholgical creatures, the stories of the old gods, and the star charts. But I just feel like there wasn't enough of it to justify marketing it as mythology inspired.. The world building was incredibly lacking as well, and I couldn't really get a grasp of if this was a more modern setting or an ancient setting. The dialogue was pretty stiff and clanky. It wasn't subtle and felt incredibly forced. Modern words were used throughout that were jarring and took me out of reading.

The pacing felt really off. I know that plot is supposed to be high stakes with all the death and hostages but with Suraya lusting over Roshan for over 30% of the book, I just couldn't take it seriously. Were the spicy scenes good? Sure, but I wish there was more plot. The romance was instant lust and instant love and I was sorely disappointed. I don't even know how to feel about the weird shadow play chapters....They just felt so random but I guess it's to prep for the next book?

It's an okay book; I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it. I think it would be a perfect read for those who enjoy stories that have more romance and spice than plot. I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book, but I am curious about the "shadow daddy" that was promised during marketing... so maybe.

4.5⭐️
2.5🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-arc of this book!

Suraya is just a girl from a poorer town in one of the houses in Oryndhr. She spends her days in her forge, doing what she loves the most, when an invitation arrives requesting her to join in the trials to win the hand of the Crown Prince. Shocked at her invitation, she begrudgingly attends if not just for the chance to visit the glorious palace in Kaldari. Right as she arrives though, she begins to sense that all is not what it seems outside of her small world back home. Immensely drawn to a man who turns out to be the half brother of the Crown Prince, she not only has to fend off her heart, but also this growing power inside her that threatens not only her own life, but those she loves as well. As secrets come to rise and betrayals become known, it’s up to Suraya to find her own truth and save those she loves.

I was very intrigued and taken in by this story. I was a little hesitant when I read the blurb about it being inspired by Persian and middle eastern heritage, but only because I’m not familiar with it and was afraid I’d be lost in it. Honestly though, the writer did so well, that I was able to go through the story and never felt lost. I think she weaved the heritage into the story well without it feeling like it was being shoved down your face.

I like this FMC. I feel recently that a lot of authors have drifted in the direction that in order for an FMC to be strong, they almost get annoying to a point. I didn’t feel this at all with Suraya. She has faults but doesn’t let them become her whole personality.

The connection between her and Roshan is instant. I loved their banter. I would consider this more of a medium burn than a slow burn but I actually liked that. I hate when romance gets drawn out just to be drawn out. The spicy scenes too….whew….worth it!

The story doesn’t end on a direct cliffhanger per say, but the epilogue has me VERY intrigued for the next book because I have some questions!

This one just wasn't for me. It pulls me put of a fantasy when modern language and references are used. This had a lot of that. DNF @30%

The mythology and world building instantly drew me in. I was very intrigued by Oryndhr and the inhabitants within (and the hints of those without). I really liked the hints of the magic system and hope the next book delves a little deeper into this aspect.

It was a little confusing at first to keep track of the houses or gods, but I do expect that when being introduced to a brand new world and series. The only thing I truly struggled with was probably a lot of turns of phrase Suraya used. It was just far too modern for the setting and instantly had me double taking while reading.

Suraya is a pretty interesting main character and I do like her. I love that she is a blacksmith and is a bit headstrong. I do think she is a bit oblivious and easily sidetracked by her current love interest (which is kinda understandable, Roshan is pretty charming).

Roshan is a love interest that I waffled on. I did really like him from the beginning, but I was also very suspicious about him. The relationship between him and Suraya was a little quick, but the hints of what is in store for these two in the future has me very intrigued.

The small snippets of the God of Night pov plus all the theories and thoughts I have about Roshan just from the last couple of chapters definitely has me hooked. I really wish I could read the next book now. Excellent start to a promising new series, I am looking forward to reading where Amalie Howard is going with Suraya's story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC.

4/5!

Interesting world building and I definitely had some good laughs along the way. It was a little confusing in the beginning because so much happened! I really thought I was further in because authors usually fluff up the plot a bit before a major event occurs. I liked how this book went straight to the point and didn't drag. I would say Suraya is pretty independent and strong. She doesn't overly rely on those around her. And she's honest with her desires *chefs kiss* (SPOILER ALERT?:

when she tried to kiss Roshan and he was so clueless LOLL). Another part I really enjoyed was when Roshan was coaching her on self-defense. Then the reveal at around 85% really reminded me of the Empyrean series. I was like oh damn of course. If you want the spicy chaps, I noted 17 and 20 ;)

The Starlight Heir was not my cup of tea. HOWEVER, someone who liked A Promise of Fire and/or Daughter of the Drowned Empire will probably like this. Neither of those were for me either, and this hits the same spot. Those are both pretty popular fantasy romance series from what I can tell, so there is definitely an audience who will eat this book up.

I had a couple of issues with this book, the biggest of which is that the first ~30% of the book is completely unnecessary and feels disjointed from the remainder. This first chunk features FMC Suraya being summoned to the palace to compete to be the bride of the heir to the kingdom (which she does not want to do). In this pursuit, which is vaguely Throne of Glass-like (not a compliment; even huge SJM fans tend to admit that ToG is extremely weak) Suraya acts more like a TikTok #girlboss than anything else, saying something is "goals," that she prefers "book boyfriends," and "don't prince-splain me." Another character declares someone has "resting bitch face." Need I point out that this is NOT set in a world where this type of vocabulary makes sense? Suraya also wears what amounts to a sexy Princess Jasmine costume to a ball that could have come straight out of Bridgerton, despite the "Persian and Indian" influences this book description touts. And why include any of this? The ENTIRE bride competition is rendered moot when it turns out at the end of the book that the royal family knew who Suraya was ALL ALONG, so the entire bride competition was unnecessary in the first place.

When you hit the 30% mark, Suraya is suddenly on the run with a group of rebels. The weird vocabulary largely vanishes (though she does say something is "toxic masculinity" at one point and references Sleeping Beauty BY NAME; still, it's a large improvement from the first chunk) and it becomes a more typical adult fantasy romance. This part of the book is largely better than the first part, but Howard's weakness here appears to be that she doesn't know how to "sit" in anything--not a moment, not a setting, not a character arc. It is runrunrun and so while a decent amount happens, nothing really feels developed and it lacks emotional depth. Several characters die and we are obviously supposed to mourn them, but honestly I felt nothing because there had been so little development of their characters or relationships. It looks like Howard has written a TON of historical romance before this, which tends to have a much smaller scope, so I wonder if the difference between that and trying to write a "big" plot is behind this and it will improve in the second book.

The Starlight Heir has many of my favorite fantasy elements with a fresh take on the genre!

We are introduced to our main character, Suraya, as she receives an invitation to travel to the palace as a candidate in the prince’s search for a bride. It’s not long before she realizes something is off and has old magic awakened in her. The myth of the starbringer, a person with the magic of stars, seems too good to be true to Suraya, but the prince has been searching for her to take her magic for his use. With the help of the prince’s brother, Roshan, Suraya has to escape and learn to use her new magical abilities.

The romance has good pacing, and I adore the banter between Suraya and Roshan. I also appreciate how they both have their strengths and work well together as they go through enemy territory. Suraya is not a damsel in distress at all!

The mythology system is well thought out and keeps the story fascinating, with new twists revealed in each chapter. The mysterious crone who speaks riddled truths to Suraya is intriguing, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. I would also like to see more of each noble house, and I find the concept so interesting!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Starlight Heir is the story of Suraya, the local weapons maker who receives an invitation to visit the palace and potentially be chosen as the next queen consort for the prince. But once she arrives, she catches the eye of his brother, Prince Roshan. While the palace is far more dangerous than she knows, Suraya also realizes she is more powerful than she thinks.

I loved that this book drew from Indian and Persian mythology, which kept it as an incredibly fresh read. The book was also very fast moving - constantly introducing new settings and characters. I really enjoyed the desert locations, which can be more unusual in romantasy. I am excited to read the next book in the series and see what is next for Suraya.

This was a great read. I initially was drawn by the cover as it’s gorgeous, but I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this book and was not expecting the ending. I cannot wait to read the next one.

The Starlight Heir could have been a compelling fantasy but unfortunately fell flat for me. The novel opens up with very long descriptions of how the world / kingdom is divided into different Houses. These houses are reminiscent of the districts in the Hunger games with one house being very militant and focused on physical strength, with the house our FMC is from being very weak and poor. The descriptions of these houses ended up not needed since the division of the houses had absolutely nothing to do with the novel.

Our FMC is the holder of this world ending or renewing power. Shes an expert blacksmith in the beginning of the book but by the middle she needs help hammering out a sword? She's fierce and determined and does not think through a single one of her actions. In fact, most of this novel's conflict could have been solved by a direct conversation between her the MMC. The modern language in a fantasy world with constant f-bombs being dropped took me completely out of the story.

The MMC has a secret double life and probably commands the shadows and lies to our FMC for the entire book but it's okay because he loves her. Frankly, he feels like a caricature of some popular "shadow daddies" all cut together.

Could this be a good novel? Maybe! I think parts of it need to be cut and other parts need to be expanded upon.

Thank you so much to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

first things first, THE COVER IS GORGEOUS.

however i am SO torn on how i feel about this book. it had such promise and i wanted to love it, but up until around 60% through it felt like a chore to be reading it. the flow of the story left me feeling confused at times. from scene to scene felt erratic and rushed. the pace was very fast, which normally would be okay, but in this case left me wanting MUCH more. it felt like the details given would start to paint a picture and then abruptly move onto something else, making it hard for me to feel immersed in the setting. i honestly think this book could’ve been at least another hundred pages long and it would’ve only helped to add to the story and not have dragged it out in the slightest. once i hit that 60%-ish area the pace remained fast but the flow of the story was suddenly seamless and i immediately engaged with what was going on and quickly finished the rest of the book.

the love interest was a bit insta-lovey for me and other than him protecting her throughout the story there doesn’t seem to be any chemistry other than sex. our FMC has crazy powers but went back and forth from “i’m a badass” to “i’m a damsel in distress”, leaving me again confused, wondering if she actually had any growth occur from the beginning to the end.

overall the second half of the book won me over, i’m interested enough that i will read the next book in the series. the pacing was my biggest qualm and could very well have just been a “me” thing.

i’d suggest giving this book a try because for me the end had a lot of promise for the next installment!!

⭐️: 3.75

I enjoyed how it was based on the mythologies of regions I am unfamiliar with. Much of fantasy is Western Europe centric and it’s refreshing to see the fantasy elements I love in new settings.

Had you asked me my rating after only reading the first half, I probably would have said a 4 or a 4.25, both higher than my final rating. I cannot quite place where, but there almost seemed to be a shift in the editing in the last half. Dialogue seemed forced and I couldn’t buy into their insta-love. I wanted to, but it didn’t feel genuine to me. These issues presented themselves chapter after chapter,

📚✨Book Review✨📚
The Starlight Heir
Author: Amalie Howard

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

Notes: I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Liked:
🐦‍🔥The world is fresh and new with lots of magic, mystery, and prophecies. It’s always fun discovering a new fantasy realm to delve into.

🐦‍🔥There is a bit of a tournament/battle moment in this that I loved. It felt a lot like the Hunger Games!

🐦‍🔥So many awesome and deep side characters. I look forward to reading more about them in the future!


What I Didn’t Like:
🐦‍🔥There was a LOT going on at one time and it could be a bit overwhelming. There was so much information to keep track of that even me, who’s a seasoned fantasy reader, struggled to keep things straight. It didn’t detract from me enjoying the story, but it is worth noting.


Final Thoughts:
🐦‍🔥 The ending was obviously setting future plot lines up, but now I have to wait and I hate waiting! 😭

#bookreview #reviewsneedlovetoo #readforeverpub #unpopularopinion #booktok #bookstagram #bookfriend #books #bookish #booklover #instablog #romancereader #romcom #fantasybooks

Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be.

Suraya, the main character, left me feeling a bit lost. Her personality seemed inconsistent; she’d act one way in one chapter and switch to something entirely different in the next. Rather than feeling complex or multi-dimensional, her sudden shifts made it hard to stay invested in her journey. And some of her choices felt so puzzling that they seemed to drive the plot more out of convenience than genuine character development.

The worldbuilding showed promise with a desert kingdom setting and an initial focus on different “houses,” which hinted at a richly layered environment. However, this backdrop faded fast, and those details ended up having little relevance to the story. It was disappointing to feel that this intriguing setup didn’t get the chance to shine.

The pacing was quick, but it came with a lot of repetition. The story seemed to circle through the same cycle of running, talking, distancing, and returning to the same unresolved dynamics. Despite the fast pace, I found myself wanting more depth and substance to balance it out. There was a glimmer of excitement in the trials, but it was too brief to sustain any lasting momentum.

The dialogue and inner monologues, however, were one of the bigger obstacles for me. They were filled with romantasy cliches, many repeated often. .Most of it made me cringe. It constantly pulled me out of the story, making it hard to stay immersed.

While I appreciated the premise of The Starlight Heir and the potential for a rich world, the execution didn’t quite come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the opportunity to review this novel.

The Starlight Heir was a phenomenal read!! I was drawn in from the start by the mythology and world building, and I remained captivated by the action-packed plot and the romance.

The world building in this book is very well done. The gods & the mythology aspect is a bit confusing at first, but I quickly had it figured out. The kingdom is comprised of four houses (each of which are grouped by common characteristics/passions) and the imperial, ruling house. There's a fifth kingdom of magic wielders, all of whom were executed a thousand years ago by the King... or were they?

The book follows Suraya, a girl from the poorest house who gets the shock of her life when she's invited to participate in the selection for the Crown prince bride. She meets his brother, Roshan, who she initially thought was a gardener. Their chemistry is instant with great banter. It quickly becomes clear that Javed is a complete psychopath via the cruel trials the girls in the selection are put through, and Suraya finds out she has the very power Javed is seeking to exploit as a weapon.

Suraya and Roshan go on the run, which is where their chemistry really blossoms. This man would literally lay down his life for her.
(Meanwhile, for years she has been having these *romantic* dreams of a mysterious shadowy figure...) Anyways, I thought Roshan's character was sweet but perhaps underdeveloped. Suraya's character is very strong - she's driven by both love and hate and has so much inner turmoil - so maybe that's why he fell flat for me. I wouldn't say it was a fast-burn romance, but it didn't necessarily have a lot of tension to it. I still enjoyed it though, but can't help wondering...

I was pretty floored by the last few pages of the book, which hint that a new mysterious and important character will be coming into play in the second book. He had a few brief, vague chapters in the book where it was unclear who it was, but at the end his role fell into place. I'm so, so excited to see what happens there and how it will impact Suraya and Roshan! I can't wait for book two and highly recommend this to fantasy romance lovers.

Thank you so much to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC! 📚

Amazing romantasy debut! I can’t wait to read the next book and meet more shadow daddies!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC!

3.5/5! ⭐⭐⭐

⋆˙⟡ I went into this book blind, only knowing that the cover was absolutely stunning , and drew me in immediately. There were a few things that weren't my cup of tea, but overall it was a really fun read.

⋆˙⟡ The Starlight Heir follows Suraya, a 25 year old blacksmith who is invited to the castle to participate in a contest for the Prince's hand in marriage. However, she learns that the competition is really a chance for them to find and claim a new weapon – her – and use her powers for their evil agenda. Just discovering her powers and abilities, we watch Suraya try to dodge the grasp of an evil Queen and her son, all while figuring out who she really is.

⋆˙⟡ The synopsis sounded so good, but unfortunately the execution fell a little flat for me. In the beginning, we're introduced to Suraya as she is forging a blade, and a female blacksmith just sounds bad ass to me. I didn't quite feel like she lived up to the hype. She was really gullible throughout the book, and I feel like she couldn't make any decisions for herself. She was constantly looking to a guy she barley knew and just met for reassurance. Like hello, you have insane powers and are potentially one of the most powerful beings on the face of the earth, and you can't think for yourself? Girl.

⋆˙⟡ The romance aspect of it was okay, but not my favorite. It was a little insta-lovey for me, and she trusted him wayyyyy too easily. At one point I felt like the book just became about a girl who was literally having her life and family's life threatened, but could only think about sleeping with the illegitimate Prince. If there wasn't those few spicy scenes, it would almost seem very YA in the romance aspect.

⋆˙⟡ The world-building was really fun and I thought that was one of the best parts of the book. However, we didn't get enough. I couldn't picture some of the places she was in, because once we started to learn about a new place, they were leaving and heading onto somewhere else. It was very fast paced, but also really slow at the wrong times. I wish we had more of a chance to digest things and take it all in. The authors ability to include tons of detail was really lovely though.

⋆˙⟡ Overall, I think more attention to the things like the romance, magic system, pacing and characters could've really made this book truly incredible. It just felt rushed, and confusing at times. The potential was definitely there. You can tell the author is incredibly creative, and has stunning ideas. I'm still very inspired to read more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Appreciation to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for access to this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

As much as the world has so much potential, it falls flat. It read as a case of an author with ADHD and a team that wasn't willing to push her to cut events that didn't add anything special to the book or identify where to linger in the settings, magic building, and events that DID.

My complaints are mainly that you don't get to experience Coban at all, you barely get to experience the Kaldari castle, she's in Nyriell for a half of a second... there are so many portals and running around that you leave the book with no true vision of any of them. She does the same thing with characters. You meet them and they're gone. If (or when) they die there's no loss to the storyline because they were barely part of it anyway. It felt like she took elements from 6 different romantasy novels and squished them together making it feel rushed and recycled. The magic introduced also has so much potential to be a unique hard magic system, but she uses it as a soft magic system and it loses so much of it's potential novelness.

Howard is clearly creative, a fun writer, and has so much potential. She just needed to feel less pressure to include elements from every fantasy novel out there and dive a little deeper into the magical world/character development/selecting plot events.

The cover & description had me so excited to start this. Unfortunately, I didn't love this. Amalie Howard is a brand new author for me and the premise sounded so promising. I loved the world and mythology the most. Both MC's were likable enough, but I wasn't a big fan of the romance. I needed more tension and banter between them though, I felt that was lacking. The world was a little confusing and could have benefited from more details or explanation with it's history. Overall, this one didn't hit for me the way I had hoped.