Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio. This is a gripping Romantasy that draws you in from the very first sentence. Once I started this book I could not stop. The narrator was amazing and I literally did not want to stop listening from the moment I pressed play. I love the world building of this book and the intense and beautiful attention to the blend of cultures and inclusivity. “Thick thighs save lives” being included had me chuckling because indeed! Obsessed. Already purchasing my physical copy of this stunning book!

Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I need to be fully transparent, this was a DNF for me but not because I didn't enjoy it. The opposite in fact. I could tell that I would very much enjoy this romantasy. The premise seems exciting, it marries action with fantasy/horrific royalty/magical powers/destiny, and had some excellent spicy scenes. So, why was this a DNF for me you ask, I have learned that I cannot consume fantasy stories in an audio format. The narrator had a wonderful voice, I think with so many elements, many characters, and unclear transitions (I.e a scene would wrap between two characters and then the next thing I knew, it was a totally new scene but I couldn't see the break in the text to shift). This is a me problem. I will probably buy the book and read it at some point.

I especially enjoyed the very active, present tense, first person narration.

What I didn't like instalove, it just doesn't work for me. Though it's possible I missed some of the relationship development given my previous disclosure re not being able to consume this particular story in audio format.

All-in-all, I'm sure this will be a well received new series.

Amalie Howard's *The Starlight Heir* presents an intriguing premise and a world brimming with potential, though the execution left a bit to be desired. While the story shines with moments of brilliance and genuinely engaging twists, the overall writing fell short of what I was hoping for.
The characters, while interesting, could use a bit more depth, which made it a challenge to connect with them on a meaningful level. At times, the dialogue felt a touch stilted, and although the prose was ok, it didn’t quite elevate the story or create the immersive experience I longed for. Certain plot points felt rushed while others meandered, leading to some inconsistencies in pacing.
That being said, the creativity behind the story is evident, with world-building showing glimpses of brilliance, and the romantic subplot has its charming moments. Readers who enjoy lighter fantasy sprinkled with a hint of romance might still find joy in this book. However, if you’re seeking a more polished and gripping read, *The Starlight Heir* might not fully meet those expectations.
A big shout-out to Amalie Howard for bravely stepping out of her comfort zone in historical fiction to embrace fantasy! It’s always exciting to see an author exploring new genres, and her bold venture into this realm deserves recognition. While this first attempt may not have been perfect, it definitely shows promise, and I’m curious to see how she continues to grow in this genre.
I am grateful to NetGalley, HarperAudio, and Amalie Howard for the early release so I can share with my patrons what this book has to offer.

This book was quite enjoyable. It is the first in the series which pulls from Indian mythology. The spice in this book took me by surprise because it sure is spicy which was extra fun listening it over audio. Even the touch her and die aspect of this book had me kicking my feet and thinking yesssss. Nothing beats a MMC practically crawling for the FMC.

The only problem I had is since I was listening to this over audiobook I did have a bit of an issue following some of the characters which is just an issue I tend to have with audiobooks. I also wish the world had been described a bit more in depth since I was having trouble picturing most of the settings.

Overall I would recommend this book as either audio or regular book. I will also 100% be reading the next book in the series whenever it comes out.

This was my first time reading a novel by Amalie Howard, and overall, it was an entertaining and fun read. The story was interesting, and I particularly enjoyed the elements inspired by Indian and Middle Eastern mythology and astrology.

That said, I did find myself wishing for more in the main female lead's connections with some of the side characters. Strengthening those bonds would have made the ending far more impactful, especially when it came to a certain side character’s arc. Without that emotional bond, the conclusion didn’t quite hit home for me as much as it could have.

One aspect that didn’t entirely work for me was the contemporary dialogue and language. In a fantasy setting, the modern, casual tone felt out of place, almost like two girls in a mean girls movie talking about sexy times. Which was distracting at times. In terms of spice, it was decent but I wasn’t a fan of some of the word choices used.

Despite my nitpicks, I found this to be an easy and fun story with potential. The palace scenes stood out as a highlight, and I couldn’t get enough of them. However, I would have loved to see more emphasis on the trials, they had so much potential to raise the stakes and expand the story.

All in all, I’d say this was an okay read for me. It wasn’t perfect, but it had its moments that held my interest. I’m curious to see where the story goes in book two and hope to see the mythology and worldbuilding developed more.

Thank you Avon and HarperAudio for providing a ARC and Audiobook.

Wow , love this book so much, i need the second asap.
Great mix of fantasy, the spice so well placed and feels natural to the flow of events. I really liked the start feeling like the selection but how it rapidly turns into a survival story. The MMC im still so intrigued by him, I need to know more!!!.
The audio phenomenal wow the voices are so good. Loved it . They did a great job with it . 100% recommend.

This story had me engaged from the begin. It has tremendous amounts of mystery with sexy romance mixed through out the story. It was left on a cliffhanger. Amalie Howard describes the worlds so vividly and paints a picture of light and stars. I recommend this book and can’t wait for more to come in the series.

Suraya is brought to the palace to fight for the affections of the prince. She finds out rather quickly that they expect her to actually fight. What is the prince actually looking for? There are things that she doesn't know about herself. Who is she? Who can she trust? Can she trust the prince's brother?

It has a pinch of competition, living on the run, romance, and a cool magic system... and holy man, the ending. 👀

A lot of people keep mentioning anachronistic phrases being used throughout. I have a few thoughts on that. Yes, there are some phrases used that you don't typically see in fantasy. BUT it is fantasy, so the world is made up, and it can be whatever it wants to be. If that's something that might bug you, then there you go. If it's not, then you should be fine.

There are two narrators for this book. Most is from the POV of Suraya, but there is an added bonus of a second narrator with one of the lowest voices I've ever heard. The quality is good, and I could speed it up a bit without issue.

Thanks to Harper Audio Adult and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.

This book is everything that make Romantasy the best genre! A strong FMC in a deadly selection for a playboy Prince, plus a charming but crownless prince joins the party, and you also get a shadow daddy dream Walker. The writing is BEAUTIFUL and the story is wonderfully unique spin on a typical Romantasy read. The audio for this books is also beautiful! Loved it and read the whole book in one day! I would say it gives some FBAA and Red Queen vibes.

5+⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (spicy, open door, very descriptive)

Amalie Howard's 'The Starlight Heir' is a captivating fantasy novel that weaves a spellbinding tale of magic, rebellion, and forbidden love. With richly drawn characters, a vibrant world, and a plot that twists and turns, this book is a must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo. For this book I did a combination of reading and listening to the audiobook, which is skillfully narrated by Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef.

'The Starlight Heir,' Suraya, a skilled bladesmith who crafts weapons imbued with magic, is unexpectedly summoned to the royal court to compete for the hand of Prince Javed. This competition, however, is a disguised search for the 'Starkeeper,' a person believed to possess extraordinary magical abilities. As Suraya navigates the court's treacherous politics and dangers, she finds herself drawn to Prince Roshan, Javed's illegitimate half-brother. When a rebel attack disrupts the competition, Suraya and Roshan are forced to flee together, embarking on a perilous journey that tests their courage, their trust, and the burgeoning feelings that develop between them.

Amalie Howard's writing style in "The Starlight Heir" is characterized by lush prose and vivid imagery, immersing readers in a richly imagined world. Her descriptions are evocative, bringing the vibrant court life, the breathtaking landscapes, and the intricate magic system to life with vibrant colors, tantalizing scents, and palpable textures. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, keeping the reader engaged with a well-paced plot filled with twists and turns. Howard skillfully develops her characters, giving them distinct voices and personalities that resonate with readers. Her prose is both elegant and accessible, making "The Starlight Heir" an enjoyable read for fantasy enthusiasts.

I absolutely adored the chemistry between Suraya and Roshan! Their forbidden romance was captivating, and I found myself completely invested in their journey. The world-building was also impressive, with vivid descriptions that truly brought the court and the surrounding lands to life. The God of the Night was a particularly intriguing and enigmatic character and I can not wait to see more of him in future installments of the series. However, I did feel that the overall plot lacked some originality, with certain elements feeling familiar from other fantasy novels. Despite this, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it to be a captivating and entertaining read.

The audiobook of 'The Starlight Heir' is a truly immersive experience. Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef deliver exceptional performances, bringing the characters and world to life with their distinct voices and nuanced interpretations. Chase perfectly captures the strength and vulnerability of Suraya, while Monsef effectively conveys the mystery surrounding the God of the Knight. However, I couldn’t help but wish Monsef had also recorded the dialogue for the male characters, as I would have enjoyed hearing him voice the male characters throughout the story.


Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Overall, 'The Starlight Heir' is a captivating and enjoyable fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of courtly intrigue and forbidden romance. The chemistry between Suraya and Roshan is undeniable, and the world-building is richly imagined. While some aspects of the plot may feel familiar, the strong character development and engaging writing style make this book a worthwhile read. There is some spice, but it is relatively mild compared to other books in the genre. I highly recommend 'The Starlight Heir' to readers seeking a blend of romance, adventure, and magic.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 /5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ /5
Genre: Romance | Sci Fi | Fantasy
Theme: Magic, Forbidden romance, Slow burn, Forced proximity
Author: Amalie Howard
Book Publication date: Jan 7, 2025
Audiobook narrated by Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef
Publisher: #HarperAudio
Book Cover first thoughts: Beautiful colors and font

One Liner: Narrator did an amazing job bringing the story and world to life!
“The future is yet to be written. Perhaps your destiny will be one you chose”

Review: Dual POVs are some of my favorite book styles. But something I did not think I would enjoy was a Persian/Indian influence. I didn’t expect that going in. I feel like if I was just reading the story alone I may not have picked up on some plots/ world building, the narration helps specifically with this book so for anyone interested in reading I would definitely add the audio.
I enjoy a strong FMC, our FMC is a little naive. I am excited to see the growth of the character in book 2.

I am sad I didn’t have the option to access the PDF, it was not available for me.

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Thank you to #NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of #TheStarlightHeir
by Amalie Howard
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was Jan 7, 2025. This review is being shared on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon(Processing).

The Starlight Heir
Amalie Howard

“His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed quest.”
Syraya Saab is a talented bladesmith. She is one of the few who can infuse her work with jadu, the last source of magic in the realm. When she received a gold invitation from King Zarek, she believes it is a joke. She has been invited to join in a competition for the crown prince of Kaldari’s hand in marriage. She knows she is not qualified to be a potential bride for the prince. The invitation was tempting; it sounds exciting and adventurous. The invitation had nought to do with acquiring a bride for the crowned prince, it was an obscured hunt for the Starkeeper, a girl that was believed to hold the magic of the stars in her blood.
Her trip to Kaldari was filled with danger. Syraya was drawn to crowned prince’s illegitimate half-brother, Roshan. Unrest is growing between the noble houses and the rebel militia. Suraya and Roshan flee the city after the rebels attack. The couple continue to deny their attraction to each other. Roshan is shielding secrets. Suraya could be the girl they are searching for, Starkeeper. She has no discipline over the force swirling within her. A dark god has taken notice of her, he could be the greatest threat she must face.
WOW! What a great read! I was quickly drawn into Suraya’s story. She is a strong female main character; she stands up to anyone trying to push her around. She is loyal to those she cares about. Roshan is determined to protect Suraya. The two main characters are likable and work well together. Roshan is funny and a big flirt. The secondary characters Javed and his mother were not likable. The supporting characters added depth to the plot.
This is a great romance fantasy. The romance slowly built up until it blossomed. Action packed.
Kudos to author Amalie Howard!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

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

I give this a 4.5 out of 5. Awesome story telling and world building. Narration is topnotch. I was invested right from the beginning. It grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to find out what happened and where the story was going to go. It has a unique magic system which is pretty neat. However, and without spoiling, I was confused about Suraya’s power and some of the magic system. I think that needed to be elaborated on and described a little better. I loved the twists and the characters. Amalie made you care about what happened to them, good or bad. Overall, I really enjoyed this and will plan to buy a physical copy to add to my collection.

Thank you so much to HarperAudio for an early copy of this audiobook! 💖

As someone who has only ever read historic romances by Amalie Howard, I’m OBSESSED with The Starlight Heir, which is a romantasy book! 🤩 I think I could best describe The Starlight Heir by saying that it has some aspects of Divergent + The Selection BUT also has some specific unique aspects of this story (which I can’t mention because it’s more fun if you go into the book not knowing but…trust me)!👀 There’s an aspect of trials for the hand of a prince but there’s also prince brothers (kind of like in Powerless👀) and there’s magic and portals and lost gods, I mean what else could you want from a romantasy book!?!? 😂 I do want to point out that I’ve mentioned multiple YA romantasy books but I want to make sure that it’s noted that The Starlight Heir is an ADULT book, it just has a fun culmination of tropes or actions that can best be described by these books!

This audiobook was so good! I literally got so pulled into it that I had to go in circles around a parking deck because I missed a parking spot because I was so into what was happening in the story! Sometimes it can be hard to follow romantasy audiobooks because there’s a lot of words that are not real (or have a basis in English) and sometimes you can get lost but while I sometimes got mildly lost, the story was still entertaining enough that it really didn’t matter! 😂 I can’t wait to see more romantasy books like this from Amalie Howard and hopefully a sequel to this book! 👀🥳

Thank you so much for letting me listen to this ARC audiobook! I enjoyed the characters, the concept, and the plot.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 3/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) Detailed but not many scenes.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 An invitation to the palace—I loved how it felt like a very fantasy version of The Selection series with a splash of Hunger Games.
🤩 Anais Inara Chase has a gorgeous voice and gives us a great narration of this story.
🤩 The sparse extra male voice was a nice touch in audiobook, and Ramiz Monsef played the part well.
🤩 When the MCs develop a friendship and more! Their conversations and relations are fantastic.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 This book was trying to be over my head the whole time. I had to really pay attention and do lots of relistening.
💫 I tried to visualize and experience this new world, but my brain just didn’t get much of it.
💫 I really liked the idea of a shadow daddy, but it felt a bit too underwhelming in this book. And we’re just left in the dark about all of it.
💫 When close-to-the-MC side characters die, it’s not my favorite.
💫 Wait, did we get an HEA? If we did, it didn’t satisfy me.

Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef perfectly narrated The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard. Their voices kept me hooked, eager to see what happened next. They brought the characters to life with unique speech patterns and accents. The second-person perspective added mystery and suspense. Check out this audiobook!

NO BC WHY WOULD YOU DO ME LIKE THIS AMALIE??!🥺 You build this beautiful world with all this drama and give me not one but TWO love interests, but you only let me really see one of them???😭 This is giving me PTSD from the book that shall not be named, but just know if I don’t get more of the God of Night in book two, I’m RIOTING! I also very much guessed the whole Roshan thing, which was ridiculously obvious Sura girl pls😭, but I did still have a good time seeing the way that man skirted his way around the truth🙂‍↕️ And don’t get me wrong, the chemistry between Sura and Ro is top tier, HOWEVER! I just know that the God of Night is going to be next level🙂‍↕️👏 Plus, not Miss Sura ignoring the thing with this man’s eyes!!!👀 I’m gonna need book two ASAP!😂

The Starlight Heir

Suraya Saab lives a quiet life with her family and friends. She is a bladesmith who can imbue blades with jade, the last source of magic in the realm. A Royal summons arrives one day from King Zarek inviting her to the capital to be his guest. She goes, believing it harmless and an opportunity to explore the capital city. The trip quickly turns into a game of deadly trials to find a wife for Price Javed. Secrets, lies and prophecies threaten to uproot Surayas life and all she’s believed about who she is.

Suraya is a great FMC. She’s witty, strong willed, and fiercely loyal. There were so many twists, turns and secrets in this book. The world building was great and easy to follow. I’m so intrigued about the dual POV in this story. I can’t wait to find out more and see how it fits into the overall story.

The narrator did a great job brining this story to life. I switched between the ARC and audiobook.

~Persian/Indian inspired
~Magic
~Political intrigue
~Secret identity
~Prophecies
~Forbidden romance
~Slow burn
~Forced proximity

4.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for a copy of the ALC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was unique and felt like a story that I hadn’t heard a lot before, which is definitely difficult in the fantasy world. The characters were interesting and the world building was really enjoyable. Overall a really great read.