The Starlight Heir was a really neat, interesting new take on fantasy romances. The characters were great and watching the main character grow, and her inner battle between what she should do and what she wanted was very well portrayed. I also thoroughly enjoyed the ending, even if all the questions were not answered and we may get more from this story. The narrator was also excellent in keeping to the story's feelings and making everything fantastic to listen to.

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is a significant work of fantasy, with a compelling premise and world. The audiobook, with its readable pace and voice, brings the book to life, so that one gets the feeling that the listeners are experiencing this vibrant world.

One of the highlights of the book is the world-building. Howard has constructed a rich, vibrant world with magic, politics, and intricate systems that high fantasy fans will devour. It's clear that much time and effort went into constructing the world, and it works well for the story as the characters navigate it.

The characters themselves were interesting but occasionally slightly too predictable, a few of them having their arcs following by run-of-the-mill tropes. Still, even they were experiencing moments of character growth and development that were interesting. The pacing is uniformly well-balanced, though spots where it somehow lagged prior to accelerating again.

The storytelling is smooth and captivating, and the voice reader succeeds in bringing out the typical voices of the various characters, which contributed significantly to the overall entertainment worth of the audiobook listening experience. Not groundbreaking by any means, The Starlight Heir is an enjoyable and fine listen for fantasy readers seeking a quality story.

I absolutely loved this book. The world building, the romance, the characters, everything. It was fast-paced, fun and had one of the best sex scenes I've ever read. There was one part where I absolutely cried. I think Howard has an excellent set up for a sequel and I cannot wait to read it. Until then, I will read all of Howard's backlist. Narrator Anais Inara Chase is one of my new favorites. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The summary sounds like a really basic fantasy romance book, but the plot went in so many directions that I didn't expect. The modern language/sayings that were used threw me a bit, and didn't work for me personally.

I enjoyed the romance, even though I feel like it could have been better developed. I really enjoyed the chapters where they were stuck in the prison and Suraya was the one to basically save them all. The narrators did an amazing job, and the only thing that could have improved the audiobook experience would having it be a full duet narration.

I enjoyed the audiobook! I’m interested in where the story is going. This one has a lot of popular tropes.

I couldn't get through this audiobook. I think I need to read it and not listen. The audio was not for me.

Suraya, a bladesmith recieves an invitation summoning her to the palace. But it’s the princes brother who grabs her attention.

I enjoyed the twists of this one, but honestly I went in with such high expectations and it just didn’t hit the way I was hoping. I liked the world building, the magical creatures, and the deadly trials.

The audio was so well done, the narrator really helped transport me to this magical atmosphere!

Read if you love:
* Forced proximity
* Slow burn
* Hidden identities
* Deadly trials

I really enjoyed this one—it had me hooked from start to finish! I loved following Suraya on her journey as she slowly discovers the star magic hidden within her. I'm a sucker for anything celestial, so the magic system tied to the stars was such a unique and captivating twist. The worldbuilding felt rich, with a blend of court politics, rebellion, and ancient powers, and I was totally invested in the tension between Suraya and Roshan. Their chemistry, the slow-burning secrets, and the looming threat of a dark god kept the stakes high. A magical, fast-paced romantasy that definitely left me wanting more!

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!

I was really looking forward to this and I was so happy that it lived up to my expectations! I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great!
A beautiful fantasy store with great story telling talent and well-developed characters.

Got both the audio and ebook and loved this. The characters were wonderful and the story interesting. I bought a signed copy of the paperback as soon as Amalie posted about them.

I received both the e book and audiobook. I was listening to the audiobook and reading it at the same time. While I liked the beginning of the story and her fighting off worms and killer female villains, I wanted more of the fighting. I thkught that the mysterious male was a bit stupid and perhaps overdone. Maybe instead of shadows something else but I don’t know what.

Maybe I needed to do an immersive read?

I was super excited for this book as it is heavily inspired by Indian mythology and this would be my first book with that influence. While there was beautiful imagery, I felt like many of the characters fell flat and I had trouble connecting with anyone other than the FMC. The plot was action-packed and addictive to the point where I stayed up to finish the book because I needed to know what happened. This book was very tropey and full of cliches, but cliches are cliches for a reason. Sometimes they are exactly what we needed. I feel like if I had done an immersive read I would've been able to connect with the characters more, but overall this book felt a little lacking. 3.75 stars overall.

This book was pretty good. I really liked the beginning but it started to go down hill after 50%. I could not really get behind the romance.

A unique magic system based on Indian and Persian mythology stands at the forefront of this book. The audiobook narrators did a good job portraying emotions and tones for the characters. Having the few male narrated chapters inserted throughout the book added a bit of mystery to the story. The actual storyline kept me intrigued and curious about how fate would draw its hand. I did feel like the first half of the book dragged a little and Suraya was too hyper focused on how attractive and turned on by Roshan she was. There was too much inner dialogue on that for my taste. I like Suraya & Roshan together but when his biggest secret comes to life, her reaction was a little extreme. I am very interested to see how this storyline plays out and how the God of Night will play into the narrative.

Book Review: The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard (Audiobook) – 3/5 Stars

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard had all the right ingredients—royalty, secrets, magic, and a touch of romance—but for me, it didn’t quite come together in a way that fully captured my attention. While the story had some engaging moments and a solid foundation, it felt like it never fully hit its stride.

The world-building was imaginative, and I appreciated the ambition behind the plot. However, the pacing sometimes dragged, and I found it hard to stay invested in certain parts. The characters had potential, but they didn’t always leap off the page (or out of the headphones) the way I’d hoped.

That said, the audiobook narration was a definite highlight. The narrator brought warmth and clarity to the story, adding depth to the characters and making the experience more enjoyable overall. It was one of those cases where the narration helped elevate a book that might have otherwise fallen flat for me.

Overall, The Starlight Heir was a decent listen—not a new favorite, but not a regrettable pick either. It might resonate more with readers who enjoy lighter fantasy with romantic elements and royal intrigue.

The Starlight Heir follows Suraya Saab as she transforms from a mere bladesmith to potentially: The Starkeeper. All because some prince decided that the best way to find this long lost prophecy answer was to just invite a ton of women to try to wed him. Naturally, Suraya accepted the trip, deciding it was going to be for an adventure rather than a husband. Enter Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Roshan. These two somehow manage to escape death an are on the run to look for: The Truth. Whether that's in their relationship or in her Maybe Starkeeper abilities, that's more on the reader to root for.
I was honored with an audiobook edition of this one, and the voice actors were fantastic. They gave it their all, and it showed. I had a lot of fun listening to this one, as the story was engaging and the voice actors were enjoying themselves and really feeling their chapters. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to the audio if you can get your hands on it. I felt the pacing was medium-fast, there weren't any sections that felt like a slog to me.

I am interested to see where this series goes moving forward. I like Suraya and think she’s a solid FMC. I liked Roshan initially but the lying to protect you gets old really quick. I’m also not sure how I feel about the mysterious shadow god.

DNF @ 15%

Thank you so much to the Harper Audio for the gifted ALC via NetGalley. I picked this one up in January, listened to 5% and never went back. Started it again today... made it to 15%. This audiobook is not keeping my attention, but so much is happening! It's hard to keep all the characters straight. I was struggling to process everything going on while listening.

Putting the audiobook down for now. Might read with my eyeballs at a later point because I have the special edition of it via Fairyloot sitting on my shelf (lol).

This was an entertaining and fun listen! I really enjoyed the narrators and I think they kept me entertained even when I got a bit bored. The story was interesting, and I really liked the elements inspired by Indian and Middle Eastern mythology and astrology. I did find myself wishing for more BUT I did mention getting a bit bored. I find I love books with strong side characters and strong friendship bonds. While there was one strong friendship bond, I feel like it was lacking in the FMC’s connections with some of the side characters.