The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard wasn’t all the blurb promised it would be. On that note, editors need to be more ambiguous in the cover information; the entire plot of this book is blurbed on the inside cover and is better than the book itself. I don’t know if the sharp decline in the quality of writing seen recently is due to an influx of subpar agents/editors to the industry, or just a defining attribute of books labeled as “Romantasy”. There is no tack or skill to the writing in this book. The characters are shallow, the plot is full of holes, and the smut is inexcusably bad. Topped off by amateur writing full of modern vernacular and genZ slang, this book has a beautiful cover but nothing more to recommend it.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you NetGalley for access to this ARC.

My favorite element in The Starlight Heir has to be the banter. Whether that's between Suraya and her best friend or some electric tension filled banter, it's my favorite. If you're a fan of matchmaking competitions, then you have to pick up this one. It's also great if you like reading books where someone doesn't know yet their hidden power, how important they are. It's a journey of self-discovery. My second favorite element was the rebellion and these forces who want freedom, but whose cause is the best? The most right?

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is a Romantasy. That term to describe a book has many meanings but, for me, the top attributes are open door intimacy, romance centered plot, and subpar writing. This book hits all three of those markers.

It opened already in the action. I do not mind being dropped into the world and the plot is already plotting. Drop-and-Plot as a writing tactic can be incredibly advantageous to a detailed and vast world, where the lore needs to be established quickly so a reader is engaged. It is a “show me” rather than a “tell me” technique of writing that good writers can pull off. Howard almost gets there but loses it almost immediately. By the end of the first chapter she has given us a FMC lacking any type of personality and a number of plot avenues (six that I counted), but no world-building or actual lore for the fantasy kingdom she is creating. She is using a cultural and historical basis that becomes somewhat evident as one continues to read, but mashed with completely fantastical elements and magic. There is no context to how it all fits together and so the foundation of the plot(s) is ambiguous.

Modern vernacular and TikTok-isms are rampant throughout this book, making it hard to remember it’s supposed to be a fantasy. I stopped noting them after chapter 3 because they are so frequently present. The formality of the writing and dialogue switches from quirky, adorkable Disney Princess with a sailor’s mouth to semi serious, Regency Era Mumbai with a hint of Prince of Persia but still cursing like a sailor, so often, and so jarringly, that it is impossible to stay in the flow of the plot, if there was a plot to really follow.

If you are reading for a Romantasy, this probably won’t phase you. It might be exactly what you want.

If you are reading for a fantasy romance, just read the blurb and you will know the entire plot. As it says, she “suspects” she’s the Starlight Heir, which is like weeding your kitchen garden with a backhoe and suspecting it might go poorly. Really, ya think?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

It only took a little bit into the story to get sucked into the world Amalie has created in The Starlight Heir. The middle may have dragged slightly in its transition from the deadly competition to being on the run but once the slowburn got to burning, I was sucked back into the faster pace of the story hurtling toward the explosive ending.

🩵lady blacksmith
💜hidden powers
🩵deadly betrothal games
💜rebellion
🩵illegitimate prince
💜kingdom fantasy
🩵forbidden romance

The rebellion is hidden much deeper than what our FMC can fully comprehend but in her journey with Roshan, she experiences just how far it has spread.

I love that Suraya is the one to make the illegitimate prince start to see that neither side—the monarchy nor the rebellion—is right in their way of handling the kingdom. That there must be another way that doesn’t cause the destruction of the kingdom and countless deaths of the innocent.

A lady blacksmith unaware of the hidden powers lingering in her very soul. Flirtatious illegitimate prince hiding his own secrets. I mean, this is a dynamic duo for sure 👏🏻👏🏻

“You’re such grace and steel combined, Suraya, like a jādū-forged blade steathed in silk.” Honestly such a good description of the FMC. She’s unsure and soft in some ways, naive about the world apart from what she’s been told. And then she’s also tough as nails via her occupation and training, stubborn in her ways. Multi-faceted, which I am here for.

It starts with a deadly competition under the guise of finding the Crown Prince a bride and spirals into revelations that send Suraya on the run with Roshan.

Fast-paced (for the most part). Light versus darkness. The part that grows will be the one you feed.
One trial after another. Blacksmith, contestant, hunted, prisoner, forced-betrothed, betrayed, Starkeeper, Setareh Framātāram. So many names for one woman to bear, and bear them she must throughout the different stages of this fantasy.

There’s talk of soul-bonds (aka fated mates) and chosen loves. I’m intrigued to see where the author will take the series not only in regards to the threat of a death god lingering but also for the romance as I feel not everything is set in stone for our FMC, despite the ending of this book 👀

The Starlight Heir is a fast-paced romantasy focusing on Suraya, a bladesmith, and Roshan, the bastard prince. Suraya is asked to attend a ball as part of his selection of possible brides. She meets the prince's brother upon arrival to the capital and cannot avoid interacting with him. Suraya begins to feel the pull of magic within her which is what the high price is truly searching for with this competition.

I really enjoyed this book and it hooked me from the start. I instantly fell for Roshan and liked the development of his relationship with Suraya. Although a lot of romantasies can seem the same, this one tried its best to stand out. I'll definitely read the rest of this series.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This had a LOT of potential, but really fell flat for me in a number of ways.

Let's start with the good: the world, magic, lore and aesthetics of this book are really stunning and drew me in quickly. I loved the idea of the Storekeeper being born into a bloodline of Magi, and I initially thought I'd really like the tournament of potential brides (more on that later, though). The way magic is explored and described is really beautiful and captivating, and I really liked the overall lore and how the lesser gods relate back to the larger gods. I enjoyed the banter of the romantic couple, and their premise upon first meeting.

However, a lot of the things I initially liked (or suspected I WOULD like) led to things I didn't. The lore wasn't explored as well as I wanted it to be, and I felt like the aesthetics and rather vague language surrounding prophecies and the gods was actually covering up how poorly developed it all was (or at least how poorly explained.) I liked certain premises related to the romance, but it also felt like their attraction to each other was really shoved down our throats with a lot of "Ugh he is so sexy I can't even stand it!" type of internal monologue and comments, that just came about so often that it felt really clunky and disingenuous. The pacing also felt quite off, and while the ending was exciting if you didn't think about it too hard, it also really illuminated the lack of exploration of the world I've noted before.

I'm still deciding whether I will continue this series with the second book, but overall it just felt a bit meh and disappointing to me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to ARC read this regardless, and am still interested in this authors other works! Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this early copy!

This one wasn't for me. I'm not sure who the target audience for this should be. The premise was similar to many YA fantasies I've read before, but it was decidedly adult in its content.

I was interested a little in the beginning, but the style of worldbuilding and scale of things, in addition to the instalust, just lost my interest towards the middle.

So while I can see how people would like this, this just wasn't the style for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC. I found starlight heir to be a very enjoyable, well paced book following Suraya and she learns about the royals, herself, and love. It is a fairly medium, well paced book with an interesting magic system. Overall very enjoyable

I have read four of Amalie Howard’s previous historical romance books and I had a great time with them. I loved the adventure, the romance, and the characters in them and this was no different. I had such a great time with Suraya and Roshan and I had a great time with the antics they encountered throughout the book.

One of the things I love the most about Amalie Howard is her books are always diverse. I liked how she pulled from other mythological tales from other countries for this book. The story was very entertaining and I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next.

I ended up listening to this one of audio and didn’t enjoy it very much. This was very much a me problem, not the books. I did enjoy the story, but the narrator just didn’t vibe with me.

This is an action packed fantasy romance with an intriguing mythology and magic system. I am VERY curious about where the series is going. The side characters are also engaging and I’d love a follow up featuring Clem.

**I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Thank you to Avon Books for the eARC and final print copy and Harper Audio for the ALC.

4.5 stars.

The beginning of The Starlight Heir was a familiar concept: women are brought to the kingdom to compete for the Prince’s hand in marriage. But then hoooo boy, all hell breaks loose and the story runs wild.

Roshan, the Prince’s illegitimate brother, and Suraya escape the castle in a whirlwind. Roshan was a very likable character, although you can tell he’s keeping some secrets. Naughty, naughty boy…but can’t stay mad at him.

The plot was crazy and everything moved so quickly. And yet, I couldn’t stop listening. I was so invested and enthralled and oh my god everything that happened was wild. I can’t wait for the next in the series, to see how this all unfolds.

A wondrous and entrancing fantasy read.

Sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book because I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the world-building. The characters felt one-dimensional, and both the plot and world-building were so underdeveloped that it left me feeling lost. What disappointed me the most, though, was the dialogue. It leaned too heavily on modern language, which made it feel awkward and even cringeworthy at times. Despite the characters being adults, their behavior and dialogue felt more suited to a Young Adult book, which didn’t match the tone I was expecting. It’s a shame because I genuinely wanted to like this book. The premise and cover were so promising, and I had high hopes after enjoying The Diamond Series by Amalie Howard, a lighthearted YA historical rom-com that I loved. Unfortunately, this one didn’t deliver the same experience.

I loved the premise of the book however I just feel like it missed the mark for me. The modern slang and overall young adult feel wasn’t right for me.

This was incredible. Action packed, unique magic, spice, trials, and prophecy. This is a must-read for romantasy fans. Amalie has such a smooth writing style that had me captivated from the very beginning. The FMC is a spitfire which made for some top tier banter. The MMC is protective and has a spicy mouth that had me swooning. I loved the connection the two main characters had and I cannot wait to see where there story goes.

Thank you to Amalie, Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this ARC/ALC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

I loved the world in which The Starlight Heir is set, with its rich culture influenced by astrology, an interesting system of magic, and competing old and new religions. I enjoyed all the characters, and liked that women are free to express themselves and be sexual without judgement.
The writing is full of details that paint a lively picture of the world. There are so many descriptions of beautiful clothing, ornate architecture, and delicious food, I could feel the author's love for the world she's writing about.
That said, I wasn't clear on where and when the story was happening. The main character, Suraya, works as a blacksmith and helps her family run their inn in a small town that seems right out of historical fiction. But, the way characters speak and act is modern, especially when Suraya is with her best friend, Laleh. A conversation that references real-world literature hints that these events might take place in our world, in the future, but this possibility isn't expanded upon or mentioned again.
Suraya is summoned to the capital to participate in a cruel and deadly bride competion for the corrupt Prince Javed. The prince is looking for a specific person who bears the lost magic spoken of in prophecy, and guess who that is? His half-brother helps her escape an unwanted marriage, and the two develop feelings for each other while trying to avoid capture. I won't go into too much detail, but if you've read any YA novels, you'll see every major plot point coming from a mile away. The beauty the novel shows in its characterizations and detailed settings is let down by the lack of originality in plotting.
Suraya initially comes across as an intelligent, spirited woman, but as the plot rolls on, she misses so many obvious things, despite being beaten over the head with them (like the connection between the rebels and Roshan) that she starts to seem stupidly oblivious.
In the final chapters, she makes every bad decision known to YA protagonists, agreeing to marry the bad guy to save her loved ones while knowing he'll probably kill them anyway, believing the people trying to kill her are dead, but not bothering to check, and running away from the man who was by her side, fighting for her the entire book because she's angry over something unimportant. I was groaning.
I did enjoy the book overall, and I look forward to the sequel, but I hope the author is more thoughtful about developing the plot. If the events of the next book are developed with the same care and inventiveness as the worldbuilding, it could really be amazing.

I really enjoyed this book. I love how the mfc learns to love herself, forgive and grow in her power. I do think the love story was obvious early on and would have enjoyed a little more build up. Through visuals were beautiful, world building can be tedious at times but I was mostly always engaged. I listened as well as read the kindle version and I think both added to the story for me. I can't wait for the next one.

for fans of:
- Powerless
- the Red Queen

This book includes:
- a tournament to earn the future king's hand in marriage
- a conspiracy
- two powerful princes

This book will certainly be popular on TikTok. It is similar to any bland romantasy and has little to offer in terms of prose or plot. This book is perfect for fans of Powerless. Much in the same way that "Powerless" is an exact replica of "the Red Queen," but worse written. "The Starlight Heir" is an exact replica of "Powerless," but even worse written. I was so excited for this read, so this feels like a big disappointment.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Amalie Howard, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

This book has a bit of everything: Epic quest, witty banter, forced proximity, dangerous trials, slow burn, shadow daddy, enemies to lovers, Persian AND Indian mythology.

I was lucky enough to snag an e-ARC via Netgalley and dove right in and was instantly immersed into the world. Suraya is a blacksmith who receives an invitation to compete to become the crown prince’s bride. She ultimately discover that that competition is a veiled hunt for a prophesied star bringer.

Suraya is FIESTY! Roshan is a cinnamon roll. I knew I would love them on this journey especially after their very first interaction.

The pacing was a bit inconsistent for my tasted. The other thing that threw me off was some of the dialogue that made me think that this should have been more of an urban romance. That being said, I would still recommend it!

Can’t wait to continue this journey in book 2.

THE STARLIGHT HEIR had the makings of an interesting read but felt bogged down by a romance I did not care for all that much. However, given some of the more positive reviews of this one that I've read, I feel like that's a "me" problem. Ultimately, Howard displays a masterful craft with her writing, decent worldbuilding (it felt like a blend of Indian and Middle Eastern mythos--how cool!) and pacing. I will say that overall, I did enjoy this, but it lacked the emotional drive with the main relationship and, at times, very jarringly modern language. (This latter critique I find is strangely common in romantasies.)

This reads like a YA novel but the juxtaposition of this with the constant references to sex and sex scenes was jarring and cringy. I know this is Romantasy so it’s to be expected, but this is written for readers who appreciate the romance more so than the fantasy elements.

The world building had me initially intrigued but the modern dialogue did not match with the world building and setting and therefore I could not buy into the story although I wanted to. The author does seem to have a good sense of humor and some parts did have me giggling.

But goodness, that cover is gorgeous.

This was just too far into the romance side of the Fantasy/Romantasy spectrum for me.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy. All views expressed are my own.