3.5 stars — I loved this author’s historical romance novels so I was definitely intrigued by this one. A bride selection that’s actually a front for trying to sniff out a magical heir? And she falls for the younger brother instead? Sign me all the way up.

Solid, intriguing world building but something was just a little bit missing for me. I didn’t connect as well to our heroine as I would have liked. I would say this is a good fantasy-lite book — and I’ll keep on reading the eventual sequel because now I need to know how it ends!

I was so excited to read this book. The cover is gorgeous and the premise was interesting. From the description, it had everything I love in it. Unfortunately, this book just didn't land for me. The modern-day slang clashed greatly with the setting. You're in this magical, mythical land and all of a sudden the characters are speaking with modern day phrases. It took me out of the story each time. I sadly wasn't able to finish this book after 3 months of trying.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC.

*More of a 3.5 star rating but rounding up because the cliffhanger has me in a chokehold*

I received an eARC of The Starlight Heir from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When we first meet our heroine, Suraya, she's doing some illicit blacksmithing--forging the highly regulated magical substance jadu into a dagger. She's also contemplating why in the world she got a sparkly invitation to the heir's bridal ball. Boom. That's how fast your stakes hit in Chapter 1. Suraya's a badass bladesmith who Has A Bad Feeling About This (TM). What follows is a fast-paced adventure full of some of the romantasy genre's favorite tropes: the chosen one, rebel factions, deadly combat, meddling gods, and literal star-crossed lovers.

I think The Starlight Heir is a delightfully quick and engaging read; however the pacing was one of my key detractors when I think about recommending this to other readers. For example, if you're excited by the deadly combat bridal ball, that narrative arc gets wrapped up in the first 1/4 of the book, and we quickly move on to rebel uprising/magical prophecy/on-the-run-training-montage. Things happened a little too fast without letting the tension or character moments breathe. I often found myself wanting more character reflection or struggle, or for some of the plot beats to simmer. This story has some angsty elements (that I was all about) but they needed more room to flourish and make for a satisfying story.

This book is Amalie Howard's first foray into romantasy as a veteran historical romance writer, so I'm willing to bet she'll find her footing quickly with this new way of worldbuilding. She also writes fantastic heat in her books, and even though Suraya and Roshan had some serious insta-lust, those scenes were a highlight of the book for me.

Without offering any specific spoilers for the book, one of my favorite themes Howard explores is choice vs. fate. The way Suraya and the other characters have to navigate what they believe and why was interesting and kept me curious about where the story could go in Book 2. Truly, the way the book ends makes me want to get to Book 2 asap because I need to know how we get from Point A to Point B. There's a world in which The Starlight Heir could have been a standalone with a few edits, so I'm assuming things are going to get turned on their head and I want to see that happen. Maybe banking on Book 2 isn't the best of ideas, but I genuinely enjoy Amalie Howard's other work so much that I want to give this series room to grow.

Fast-paced and fun, this romantasy had me hooked! Suraya is a badass, the world-building is stunning, and the mythology elements were a highlight. I wanted deeper character connections and a stronger romance, but overall, it was an entertaining read with great action and twists.

I loved this book! For this to be this authors first romantasy novel I would have NEVER guessed. The richness of the story and all of the hints to so much more in this world. I loved that the mc wasn't really all powerful. The option is there but its not grabbed. The mc is striving to learn who she is as a person and to decide what she thinks is right or wrong. I think there is so much more to see in this world and I cannot wait. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends/ bookstagram!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

I'm surprised that this has a very average rating because I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The writing is beautifully descriptive giving cultural, celestial, and starry fantasy desert vibes. It has great world building and lore. Each character has a different personality and I'm very much grateful for that especially when there are plenty of characters in a story because I would like to be able to distinguish each person. There's nothing more annoying to me than to have a lot of characters in a story and they're all bland or act the same. And although a bit insta-lovey and not enough slow burn, Suraya (FMC) and Roshan (MMC) has spicy, hilarious chemistry.

I think this book could've benefitted to be a little longer (about 100 pages more) because the last 20% pacing got too fast and abrupt. Based off that, I couldn't tell if this was initially a stand-alone or if there will be a continuation, I'm actually confused at what will be happening next. Regardless, I will continue this series since I enjoyed this first book, but a star docked off cos I wish the last minute pacing wasn't rush and abrupt, and had a little more time to build up.

In the kingdom of Oryndhyr, Suraya finds herself in a deadly competition for the crown prince's hand, her power awoken when facing danger. She must learn to master the power, while forging temporary alliances.

The Starlight Heir is a bit formulaic and predictable, especially bogged down by complex world-building terminology - my head is spinning from all the names of Houses (sociopolitical hierarchy based on occupation), cities, and divinities. Basically, she's special/the chosen one/the only hope - take everything else in stride.

Of course, at its core, is the romance. The dialogues are okay, and I'm honestly not that invested in the romance. The third act conflict is contrived, especially in the scheme of things.
The concept of being soul-fated is intriguing though, and I think it will be explored further in the next one.

Although the final chapter is mostly conclusive, there is an unresolved mystery and it left me curious enough to give it 3 stars and to maybe check out the planned sequel, The Queen of the Night Sky.

The Starlight Heir is romantasy following Suraya Saab, a blacksmith living in a small town who is summoned to the royal palace to participate in a competition for the crowned prince’s hand in marriage. Upon Suraya’s arrival, she realizes dark things are at work at the palace, and the prince’s true goal is not to find a wife but instead to uncover the legendary Starkeeper, a girl with the magic of the gods. When it is revealed that Suraya might be the Starkeeper, she escapes the prince’s imprisonment with the aid of his mysterious half-brother, Roshan. Sparks fly between them as they journey across the kingdom, but Suraya starts to see that Roshan might not be who he seems either.

❤️ What I loved: This book had a lot of potential. I liked the uniqueness of the world and its politics, and I think there were a lot of interesting aspects of the magical beings that kept me wanting to know more. I appreciate that this wasn’t a euro-centric world and built on lore outside of the Western canon.
💔 What I didn’t love: Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. Everything felt a bit underdeveloped - from the characters, to the world-building, to the magic. I also struggled with the tone of the book. The dialogue and banter between our romantic leads was superficial, and their relationship was highly physical with virtually no development of their emotional relationship that left me unconvinced of the epic love story. Additionally, the chapters foreshadowing the shadow god character seemed almost random, with far too little information to add the level of intrigue that they should have.

I had a lot of hope for this book, but it felt like I needed some more development to fully tie all of the elements together. For my own preferences, the romance didn’t work for me either, which made the other pieces of the book harder to ignore. It seems clear that this book is meant to be a series; I hope to see some of these pieces come together more as it progresses.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5 (3-3.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Amalie Howard, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I had high hopes for this book—the Indian-inspired mythology, astrology elements, and intriguing romance sounded promising. While the story was fun and entertaining, a few things didn’t quite work for me. The lush worldbuilding and palace scenes were definite highlights, and I loved the rich cultural influences woven throughout. The trials had so much potential to elevate the stakes, and I wish they had been explored more deeply.

That said, the modern slang felt out of place in a fantasy setting, pulling me out of the world. The character arcs also felt rushed, making the romance and emotional moments less impactful. I especially wished for stronger connections between the main character and the side cast to make the ending more meaningful.

Despite my nitpicks, the book had its moments, and I enjoyed the vibrant setting and intriguing premise. While it wasn’t perfect, it kept me entertained, and I’m curious to see how book two expands on the mythology and character dynamics.

I really, really liked this book. It was the first book I've read by Amalie Howard but it won't be the last! Super engaging, loved the characters. I was hooked!

I enjoyed the world and world building in this book but felt that the begining was a bit slow to start and then the ending felt rushed. I did really enjoy the writing and the characters so I am looking forward to reading book 2!

thanks to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this in exchange for a review!

this was a quickly paced and action packed fantasy with just the perfect amount of romance and angst. i am always a sucker for a world where magic is missing/outlawed and your mc has something special about her, and this perfectly fit that as well. my only complaint about this is because the plot was moving at such a quick pace, i feel like i didn't get a truly fleshed out picture of the main characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard!

I recommend listening to the audiobook as this story explores Indian mythology and some of the words are harder to pronounce.

This book reminded me of The Selection series but with deadly trials and a legit evil prince. I was thoroughly entertained by the plot and the characters. The romance, adventure, plot twists, and even sad moments really made this book a captivating read. I also learned some new vocabulary words because I had to look up quite a few of them to find out what they meant.

The romance was great, but I do wish it was a bit less insta-love and had more tension. This relationship felt like it formed a little too quickly for me, but I’m also a sucker for an enemies to lovers with lots of pining. HOWEVER, I feel like this dynamic could shift in future books judging from a certain POV.

Other than that, this was a fun one! I really enjoyed some of the lessons about letting go of your anger and choosing forgiveness over revenge.

4 stars! ⭐️

2.25⭐

LIKED:
The overall setting and general world building was pretty interesting
The lore of the Gods was probably what I was most intrigued by, though I feel like there were a lot of details that were either just not explored for some unknown reason or because they’re trying to have some big reveal or something in the next book
The use of runes. Always a fan of that
The cover is very pretty and I like the title

LOATHED:
Oh man. There were a lot of really well written bits that were absolutely marred by very cringe-inducing modern phrases and out of place verbiage. Like why did he quite the “blood of the covenant” line and then her be like WhAt iS ThAt. Like?? Unless that’s some clue that this is a future earth, like, why. And then I know other people have mentioned, but the Resting Bitch Face line was just jarring. Again, there were some really nice written prose, that just got so overshadowed.
Listen, this is strong. I didn’t loathe it, but the plot just wasn’t for me. The marriage plot wasn’t for me and the coup plot wasn’t for me. The magic system was not enough for me (more below). The romance was…fine. But then Ro would say something just absolutely out of pocket and take me out of anything
The villains. They didn’t have the layers that make villains actually compelling. They were just “we’re *evil* and we’ve been *evil for ever* and we are here to *serve the dark lord*
The trope of her being “so small” and him being “so big” especially during the sex scene. Why.
The p a c i n g. Oh my gosh. The pacing.Why did we spend so much time with the weird bride trials and then the magic training that kind of led nowhere. This seems like a book that was pantsed and then just…never read again.

LONGED FOR:
The magic system is JUST her being the Starkeeper it seems? And even in that, it doesn’t really get explored besides her developing her “magic” in the middle of the book. Which is a bummer. Also, I really like when runes are used and I could have used more exploration with that
The romance, as mentioned, was alright, but the tension was all over the place. I wish I had been able to keep invested in their relationship after like the second act.
More on the world and the political factions of it. I don’t have a good mental map of the land or factions, really

Will I read the next one? : Probably not. I wish this had been a standalone.

*Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for providing this ARC!

This is how you write an FMC! Finally it's so refreshing so many try to write a FMC strong but she just comes off rude and mean and not a good person!
I felt her strong willed but she still had empathy and care for others! I did really enjoy it but I couldn't tell you what was missing for this being a 5 star
I don't like being confused and this left me confused until the very end! Nothing shaped out how I thought and I'm a little scared to read the next book.
I loved the MMC and his quiet strength and support.

It took me forever to get to this book and then forever to get through it. I read maybe 50% then skimmed the rest, so it was kind of a DNF without actually DNFing...
It started off so promising but it became such a struggle. My biggest issue and the thing that kept stopping me in my tracks was the modern language randomly interspersed throughout a very solid fantasy setting. Things like "Goals!" "Thick thighs save lives" "princesplaining" etc etc. Every single time I read a sentence like that it made me throw up a bit in my mouth, I won't lie. There just isn't a place for that in fantasy like this, especially when the rest of the dialogue etc is so typically fantasy (if that makes sense at all. Like, it's not 100% modern language, so why throw in modern language randomly? It throws off the entire thing.) Another thing I struggled with was the characters. They were pretty annoying, and on top of that it felt like not much happened. Much like Powerless, this book felt a bit like it was taking a LOT of popular tropes and throwing them all together in a way that felt more random than anything. The plot did end up interesting enough and some of the more action forward scenes kept me interested. Otherwise, I just wasn't really vibing with this book at all. That's probably a personal preference though!

Amalie Howard captivates us with magic, fate, and twists in “The Starlight Heir!”

I love that we get another female bladesmith through Suraya Saab! We get a skilled craftsperson who’s use to heat and works hard, so her physicality was tested when her first trip to the palace stops being glitzy.

I love the banter Suraya has with the gardener, Roshan, who turns out to be a royal. Their meet-cute was better than that of the other royals, it essentially boiled down to good party and bad party. Later, we find that there’s a connection in their past which added to their fated partnership.

The trajectory of Suraya and Roshan’s situationship, and later Suraya’s decisions of destruction was touch-and-go however those twists had us turning pages even quicker.

I highly recommend this well-paced book for those who love discovering our inner magic and fated mates!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I was a fan of the romance. The writing I was not a fan of. One too many modern slang references that just kept pulling me out of the story. I get it’s YA but still don’t pull modern slang into a fantasy setting. It’s just too weird.

I couldn't finish this - it felt extremely juvenile and cliched. The modern-day language used threw me from the story so fast and had me rolling my eyes. In an already bloated romantasy genre, this did nothing new and was entirely forgettable. Hard pass.