Not for me. The inconsistent writing really spoiled this for me. The frequent tonal shifts and odd vocabulary choices really pulled me out of the fantasy elements.

The characters also lacked development, so it was hard for me to connect with and root for them. A lot of their choices felt unrealistic to me and their dialogue often felt fake. The God of Night elements also felt confusing and random since they never really went anywhere.

Overall, this read a lot more YA than fantasy. The audio narrators were fine but didn’t engage me in the story more deeply. I wouldn’t have finished this if I was reading this on my own - without the ARC.

✨𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
🎧: The Starlight Heir
🎙️Narrated by Anais Inara Chase; Ramiz Monsef

“𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳”

A bladesmith and daughter of a tavern owner, Suraya Saab, is selected to compete for the prince’s hand in a series of de@dly trials. Suraya must navigate the dangerous court while keeping her own secrets hidden.

Tropes:
💪🏻Fierce FMC
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🫥Hidden identities
🫂Forced proximity
💫Magic & prophecies
🚫Touch her & 💀
⚠️De@dly trials
🌶️: open door

Prince Roshan is devastatingly charming and there is so much more to him than his public facade. Suraya channels ferocity and hope and I cannot wait to see how her destiny unfolds.

I adored the narrator’s portrayal of Suraya and other characters. The wicked banter and sizzling chemistry was portrayed so well and I am looking forward to more of the God of Night (voiced by Ramiz Monsef).

This story is perfect if you’re looking for a new fantasy romance steeped with lush world building inspired by Persian and Indian mythology, ancient prophecies and forbidden magic, tantalizing tension, and heart shattering betrayals.

Huge thanks to the author, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for the audio listening copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is my first book by this author and she definitely impressed! This book was fast paced, very entertaining, and kept me hooked throughout. I really enjoyed the initial idea of gathering the women and fighting for the King's attention for who would be his next wife. When it took a darker turn when the King and his mother's true intentions were revealed I was truly locked in. This leads to our FMC realizing she has magic that was passed on from her mother and she has to navigate these shocking revelations while trying to keep herself and her family alive. Suraya, the FMC, is so strong willed and fiercely loyal and I loved it. She's witty and the banter between her and Roshan was so much fun. The narrators for this book truly brought the characters to life and put so much feeling in to the story. I will definitely be checking out more books from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

The biggest struggle for me was the modern language in this fantasy story but otherwise it was really great! This was my first time listening to/reading this author and I will definitely say that I will read more by them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ALC listen! Review: This timeless story of a Cinderella-style heroine mastering fate and bravery while learning destiny is so well told. You’ve got a mix of political intrigue/battle of heirs, meddling gods, forbidden love, hidden powers, and realized destiny. There is a love story, though it is not the bulk of the plot, but rather a nice addition. I do feel there will be a sequel where this love story will be more in the forefront, and I’m anxious to see how that plays out, given the turn-of-events surprise at the end. The story flowed well, and while it did move slowly near the middle, it was well worth the push. The audio was well-paced and the narrators did a great job conveying emotion, especially anger on both parts.

Summary: The Gods have faded to long ago tales and centuries have passed, leading mankind to itself. But there is a destiny told of a starlight who will return from the godly heavens when called in their time to bring back peace and balance. When a meek shop keeper’s daughter, honed in the skill of crafting one-of-a-kind blades, receives an invitation to an exclusive celebration to commemorate the prince of Kaldari’s time to choose a bride, her family is nervous. They have kept Suraya sheltered and safe for all these years, knowing she is different. But to deny her invitation would be an insult to the throne, and so they prepare her and send her off with hopes and well wishes. Little does Suraya know, she is walking into deadly bride games from which many will not return. The more peril and danger she is exposed to, the more Suraya realizes that she is not like the rest. Fleeing Kaldari with the surprising aid of a morally grey Roshan, Suraya must learn who she is, who she can trust, and embrace the destiny that may just save them all.

Suraya is a proud bladesmith with the ability to yield jaadu in her blades. When she is summoned by the Royal Palace to compete for the Crown Prince’s hand, her life changes overnight.
Suraya, excited for adventure and positive that her return to her father’s home is eminent, finds herself falling for the Crown Prince’s brother, leading to a cosmic array of events that even stun the Gods. Suraya finds herself chasing tales and visions as friends and mysteries surround her.

The Good: It’s fast paced, predictable, with a splash of banter and lots of romance.
Who it’s for: A tale of love, betrayal, and soul mates, The Starlight Heir is a high fantasy, new adult romantasy for fans of Danielle L Jensen’s A Fate Inked in Blood and Tanaz Bhathena’s Hunted by the Sky.

P.s: Please read the trigger warnings!
I got the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Suraya finds herself being summoned to the queen's court to be one of the possible bride to the prince, something she has no interest in. However, a trip to the castle, some good food, and an adventure sounds like something she could enjoy. Soon she finds herself in the prince's sights and he wants more than just her hand.

The whole first half of this book was light and fun. I really enjoyed following Suraya through her adventure at court and meeting the prince's illegitimate brother. Their romance was quick and cute. I'd have loved if the trials were longer, if the romance was more drawn out, and if the twist of her lineage wasn't as abrupt. It felt like the top of the rollercoaster and suddenly we were free falling.

All in all, this was a fun read. I might have to go back and listen to the male narrator again, I feel like I missed some things that may make more sense now that I've finished. 3.75 stars.

Received this audiobook ARC from NetGalley and HarperAudio for an honest Review

Small town bladesmith, Suraya is off to a ball in the capital city of Kaldari. When she gets there she finds a battle royale set up to win the prince's hand in marriage. However, the prince doesn't interest her. Instead his illegitimate half-brother, Roshan has caught her eye. Soon Suraya and Roshan are on the run.

I did enjoy this book. Suraya and Roshan are interesting and well-developed characters. The story kept me captivated. One thing that I didn't like though, was the pacing. The begining is super fast-paced. Then the middle is very very slow, and the end is fast-paced again and almost felt like things were wrapped up too quickly. Despite that, I did enjoy this book, and I would recommend it, especially for romantasy fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef were great narrators, and they made the book more interesting.

The Starlight Heir was my first novel by Amalie Howard, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which draws inspiration from Indian and Persian mythology and astrology. What made this book even more captivating was the futuristic touch the author infused into the narrative, evident in the characters’ dialogue, clothing, and the clever placement of hidden gems throughout the book. It was a refreshing and imaginative take that kept me engaged from start to finish.

If you’re obsessed with stabby FMCs, heart-pounding, fast-paced storylines, jaw-dropping plot twists, and just the right amount of spice, this book will blow you away!

Initially, I thought this book was a standalone, but the epilogue has me wondering if it might be the start of a series or perhaps part of a standalone series. The ending left the door wide open for more!

The narration by Anais Inara Chase (Roshan) and Ramiz Monsef (God of Night) was phenomenal. Anais brought Rohan to life with such vivid emotion, perfectly capturing her strength, determination, and complexity. Ramiz added an air of mystery and intrigue to the enigmatic God of Night, leaving just enough subtlety to keep you hooked. The care, time, and effort they put into the recording elevated the entire experience, making the story even more captivating and immersive.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was just alright for me. After reading what was in the book I was really excited about it but this book just missed the mark. I do wonder if I read it va listening to it, if it would have made a difference. The narrator voice was a little annoying, the man’s voice was cringy to listen too. The story line was pretty predictable and the FMC was oblivious more than she should have been. The love story also was not the slow burn that I look for. Overall it was an okay read, not one I would recommend to others.

When an invitation to be a candidate in the prince's marriage competition arrives at Suraya's doorstep, she thinks that there must have been some mistake. She is then pulled into a political plot and the games of gods. Suraya will learn why she possesses strange powers when forging weapons while learning about the royal family's own secrets.

First novels in a fantasy series can be hard. There is often too much complex worldbuilding dumped on you, or you are simply not given enough time with the characters and the world to feel any connection or investment in them. The Starlight Heir does not have any of these problems. The worldbuilding was unique and fun. I also thought the pacing of this book was perfect. I was very invested in the main characters and felt the overall story progressing quickly without an “insta-love” feel to the love story. The narrator was easy to understand at regular speed and sped up. Her voice definitely suited the character. I also love that they got a male narrator to do the small interludes. I will definitely be watching for the next installment and will listen to the audiobooks again!

Bladesmith Suraya's life is turned upside down when she receives an invitation to the palace as a potential bride selection for the crown prince of Kaldari.

Aspects I enjoyed about this book:
- Persian and Indian inspired mythology
- witty banter
-25 yo FMC
- slow burn romance
- fast paced
- roguish prince

While this was fast paced and moved along quickly, I did feel as if the beginning of the story was almost completely unnecessary to the story once it was revealed that it hadn't actually been a search for a bride, but actually deadly trials designed to sift out the starkeeper.

I also kept feeling taken out of the world/story with the modern phrases like "thick thighs save lives" and "prince-splaining"

Overall I did enjoy the story and romance, but wished there had been deeper plot and character development.

Thank you Avon and HarperAudio for providing an ARC Audiobook!

I went into this one blind and I’m so happy when it works out. I really enjoyed this romantasy. It was full of plot twists and I love when characters aren’t all they seem. I also love a story line about self-discovery. This one checks the boxes and I can’t wait for the next one.

This was a fun read! I loved the unique settings and set of diverse characters. The images of costumes and colors were so easy to picture. I love that the fmc considering herself a bit of a wallflower but also has this immmense power. I also thought that the crown prince was the mmc and boy am I glad I was wrong. The second brother, is so much more complex and entertaining. This book has trials and political intrigue. It has grand escapes and intense magic. I loved Suraya and Roseanne together, from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Sometimes the modern language and phrases took me out of the story a little though and I still have lots of questions around the mysterious god that interjects throughout the book. I really want to see where the story goes!

I also enjoyed the audiobook, but wish there was more distinction between the male and female voices. Sometimes I got confused about who was talking.

The Starlight Heir is a unique romantasy with adventure and plot twists that had me want to bingeing the whole audiobook in one day! The FMC, Suraya, is a refreshing combination of fierceness and just enough relatable insecurity that makes her an endearing heroine. From her humble beginnings, she is invited to the palace to compete with dozens of other women for the attention and affection of the prince of the kingdom. She soon realizes that the prince is not the prize the women think he is. And soon Suraya finds out that she herself is not who she thinks she is, which sets her onto a path of danger and self-discovery with the prince’s handsome half-brother.

I hadn’t previously heard much about this story so I went in blind. I’m so glad I listened to it! This is a must-read if you love romantasy!

I enjoyed the plot and storyline of The Starlight Heir. I feel like Suraya was too helpless and ignored every sign about what was happening, even while making note of the oddities. I also feel like this book should be marketed as YA because the behavior of out FMC was mor like a 17 year old not a 25 year old. Overall I will likely continue with this series since I'm intrigued to see Suraya's growth and want to know what happens next.

4 ⭐️
1 🌶️
0 💧

This is epic fantasy!!! The book felt like high fantasy, it has a wonderful story with interesting world building that is so engrossing and with the added bonus of a beautiful romance accompanying the journey. Very different and interesting magic, with fascinating gods and creatures. The story was easy to follow but had a strong plot and lots of captivating twists and surprises.

This was my first Amalie Howard novel and I was on the hooked from the first page. Such beautiful story telling. I can’t wait for the next book.

First off, I want to say thank you to HarperCollins Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

~

Girl gets invitation to compete for prince’s hand in trials that are not the norm. She finds his brother more interesting. Things just escalate from there when she finds out she’s more than what she seems.

This book was pretty fun. Both main characters were solid and the typical main character vibe you’d get from a romantasy book. I really liked the magic aspect of it. The trials for the Princes’s hand were interesting…

..I just wish we saw more of the trials. The book was giving me The Selection but violent. We didn’t get to see much of that. We also got little hints at the magic but then nothing else? I wanted to know the connection with the beast the Prince kept but nothing else was said really.

Also, most reviewers said this book was a standalone, but I don’t feel like it was. There was so much openendness to it!

I did listen to this audiobook and I am glad I don’t rate off the narrator. Anais Inara Chase was just okay. I had a hard time distinguishing her voices between female characters AND male characters. Usually when I listen to audiobooks voice acted by females I can’t even tell when they get into the male parts. It just flows nicely and I don’t think “that’s a woman doing a male voice”. This narrator did not do that for me. I may try out her other audiobooks to see how those go before I write her narration off. Ramiz Monsef was okay for the few chapters he did.


I would recommend this book to a romantasy reader who wasn’t too invested in plot but there for the vibes.

This book is spicy so just beware of that when you go in.

Rating: 3/5
Format: Audiobook/E-book

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio Adut, and Amalie Howard for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this ALC. This was a quick, entertaining read, and I absolutely loved Anais Inara Chase’s narration—it was fantastic!

The book feels more like a YA romantasy with some added spice, which is likely why it was marketed toward an adult audience (Which I completely agree with that decision). If the spice had been toned down and it was marketed as YA, I would have rated it higher. However, I personally found it a bit too clichéd and trope-heavy.

That said, if you go into this expecting a lighter fantasy with a YA vibe, you’ll likely enjoy it much more!

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!
As far as the story goes, it truly wasn’t for me. It felt like a mish mash of romantasy cliches. The FMC as a low class girl with some secret world shattering power, a prince MMC, shadow daddy vibe, a second act betrayal, and of course she’s a virgin. I personally won’t be looking forward to the next book. But with that being said, I did actually enjoy the narration of the audiobook itself! I felt like the narrator had a really solid flow and was able to give each character a unique voice that didn’t sound out of place. She was able to make intense scenes feel pretty real and high stakes, and the romantic scenes sweet and tender. I felt like the narrator made the story more palatable, whereas if I read this, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. I’m grateful to have gotten this early audiobook, but I probably wouldn’t recommend :/