The Starlight Heir
A Novel
by Amalie Howard
Narrated by Anais Inara Chase; Ramiz Monsef

I received an ARC of this audiobook book through Netgalley.

This was an interesting fantasy novel. It had elements that were similar to Hunger Games and Dune and even greek mythology.

As a love story - it could have been better.

I think the character development and secondary characters could have been done better. This audiobook has all the bones of a stellar novel, but it just fell short for me.

I think sometimes authors try so hard to edit out the more mundane scenes, the less action-packed parts, that they end up taking away the parts I need as a readee to connect to these characters. I want more writing. I want more background.

It’s a good book.

An intriguing start to a new romantasy series! I have so many questions and I *need* the next book now. While I devoured the first half, it slowed down for me a bit in the second half, which made the climax a little less exciting? Maybe should have slowed down my read, maybe my feelings all make sense because of where it is building to?

The narrators did a fantastic job, they matched the characters well and kept me interested!

Received this as an audiobook ARC and it went by rather quickly. It was easy to picture the world building and focused more on character description than creating a whole new fantasy world with multiple layers or complicated details to remember.

The story is told almost completely by the FMC, but every few chapters was a secondary character. I wish there was more about them or gave some additional context as who/what they were and their importance throughout the story.

I really liked the narrators for this book, they do a great job and bring it to life. I listened to this audiobook in a single day. There was a lot of information and a lot happened at the end that left me with so many questions, it didn’t have a cliffhanger, though I think the story will go in a different direction for the next book. I liked the way the magic within her was explained and can’t wait to see where that goes once Suraya starts to explore it more.

There were some dragon type creatures in here that I am excited to read more about in the next book, and I’m curious about the second POV. In all this story consumed me as I did not want to stop once I started it. The only thing is I wish the trials would have lasted longer and been a larger part of the book since they were a big reason I requested this book, but it didn’t take away from the experience in the end.

The Starlight Heir is a great romantasy read by Amalie Howard. I’ve previously read Howard’s Historical Romance reads and was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read her debut romantasy early. It had everything I want in a romantasy — solid world building, great banter between characters, surprising twists, and betrayals. There’s plenty to grab your attention and hold it from the first page to the last. I especially loved the first half of the book. The relationship between the FMC and MMC was a little too instalove for my tastes, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. Also, everyone deserves a best friend like Laleh. She had me laughing from the very onset. I combo read this between the ebook and audiobook. I really appreciated the choice in using two different narrators for the audiobook as it helped me immediately recognize the shift in the story when Ramiz Monsef stepped in. I also felt like Anais Inara Chase did so well in voicing the vast majority of the audiobook. She brought plenty of depth and emotion to the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed reading via both formats, and I don’t think you’d go wrong with either one. I’m also really excited to see where Howard takes the story next.

I was drawn to the description of this book. It included many fantasy romance elements that I’m a big fan of. A seemingly normal girl with prophetic power and a good guy prince that is on her side. I also enjoyed the world building. The country seemed vast with many different factions, but I was able to maintain clarity even while listening to the audiobook. The magic system was easy to understand.

Suraya was an overall likeable character. She struggled with having her world turned upside down in a matter of days, which was realistic. Sometimes, I really wanted to shake her! She could be a bit too naive and trusting.

I look forward to what the next book in this series will bring. I have so many theories running through my head of what can come next! I am especially interested in what role the gods play in everything that is happening in Suraya’s life. What will be her fate?

4 Stars! 🌟 A huge thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the ALC of The Starlight Heir! This book was SUCH a thrilling, action-packed rollercoaster that left me craving more! At first, I totally thought it was a standalone, but then around the last 20-30%, so much was happening, and I was like, wait… is this part of a series? 😂 But no, it’s a standalone (though the epilogue definitely left me with a huge question mark 💫✨).

Tropes? Oh, I've got them:
✧ Forbidden Romance 💓
✧ Slow Burn 💗
✧ Enemies to Lovers 💘
✧ Dangerous Trials 🏹
✧ Hidden Powers ⚡
✧ Secret Identity 👀
✧ Forced Proximity 🛡️

Suraya Saab is the ultimate badass bladesmith with a starry secret, and her journey? Pure fire. 🔥 She's invited to a super shady competition for the crown prince’s bride, but it turns out, it’s actually a hunt for a girl with magic in her blood—aka the Starkeeper. And guess what? Suraya’s that girl! Oh, and did I mention Roshan? Swoon 😍 He’s the crown prince’s half-brother, and the chemistry between them is instant! 🌠

Can I just say? The world-building had me OBSESSED! The mix of Persian and Indian mythology is chef's kiss. 🫶 At first, all the godly stuff felt a little overwhelming, but once it clicked, I was totally hooked! So many secrets, magical elements, and a creepy god lurking in the shadows trying to steal Suraya’s powers.

Now, the romance was cute, but I felt it could’ve packed more punch. It was a slow burn that didn’t quite reach the fiery level I was hoping for. That said, I LOVED Suraya’s strong personality and her internal struggle. Roshan, though? I wanted to adore him, but I feel like there was something missing with his character—he was sweet, but I needed more depth from him. 🤷‍♀️

The plot though? SO good! I was on the edge of my seat, especially toward the end (still recovering from that twist). 📚

Also, huge props to the narrators, Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef! They did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. Anais's narration captured Suraya’s strength and determination perfectly, while Ramiz’s voice really brought Roshan’s complexity and charm to the forefront. Their performances were so engaging, making the tension, drama, and romance feel even more intense. 🎧✨

CW:
- Violence
- Death
- Some Dark Themes

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s fast-paced, the stakes are sky-high, and those plot twists? Ugh, so good. If you're into fantasy romance with a sprinkle of mythology and hidden powers, definitely give this one a go!

I loved this book!! The narration was perfect. I felt like the plot moved along at a good pace and kept me engaged the entire time. The twists in the plot were done well. Some I saw coming, some I did not. I saw some reviews call this a slow burn romance. I'm not a fan of slow burn and would not consider this book a slow burn. I found the characters very likeable.

My one "complaint" is that I didn't realize this was going to be a series. It seemed like a stand alone story. The ending was done well enough that if I didn't end up reading the next books, I would feel happy and content with the ending. That being said, I enjoyed the story and characters enough that I will definitely want to be reading the next books that come out.

I definitely need to reread this because, by the end, I was left feeling really confused about what happened. I did enjoy the romance though! Roshan is definitely my favorite character throughout the book. Suraya, despite having powers, felt a bit lackluster to me. She mostly just goes along with whatever Roshan does and comes across as quite gullible. I’ll likely reread this when I have more time, as I think it’s a good story—I just need to pay closer attention next time.

ALC Review: The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
Pub Date: January 7, 2025

I have loved Amalie's historical romances for the most part so was so excited for her foray into romantasy! I didn't know much going into this other than it was based on Persian and Indian mythology and that the FMC was a bladesmith.

I was pretty immediately sucked in! There were pretty high stakes and even though I didn't know exactly where we were going, I was intrigued by the characters and the world. I really liked the magic system even if I didn't fully understand it! I did like the relationship between Roshan and Suraya and thought they had pretty good banter - I'm interested to see where their relationship goes in the next book. And of course, because it's Amalie, the spice definitely delivered even though I would have liked to see another scene or two to really see the progression of their relationship.

I do think this book falls into some of the common pitfalls of popular romantasy - there are betrayals, secret identities, and other typical tropes from the genre. It was pretty predictable in a lot of ways, particularly toward the end. And the world building felt pretty incomplete to me personally. I don't mind being dropped into the world and having to figure some things out but I do think just a little more world building would have been helpful.

I liked the narration by Anais Inara Chase in particular. I'm still a little bit confused at this being called "dual POV". There is narration by Ramiz Monsef but it's just interludes before chapters that last less than a minute in most cases. Perhaps we'll learn more in the next book about this POV but for now I'm still just confused.

This does end on a bit of a cliffhanger - I haven't really decided if I'll read the second book. I'm somewhat intrigued but I also know by the time the next book publishes, I'll have forgotten what happened in this book.

Thank you to Harper Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don't mind fast pace, but it felt more rushed than fast pace in the beginning, and then the world building was boring or just really lacked imagery. I really need more descriptive imagery in my fantasy reads, so this one's not really for me. And I have complaints about the female main character that I won't go into details on because they're spoilery. I'm bummed this one isn't for me but I did live the narrator.

This is a fantastic novel, and the audiobook is also well done. There are two narrators, but it is not duet narration. The female narrator is predominant with the male narrator only contributing on rare occasions. This did not detract from the story for me. I found it quite enjoyable.

Interesting story of a woman who thought she was normal only to find out she has magic. She also learns the royal family is not what them seem and their sudden interest in her could be deadly. The magic was interesting and the love story was good.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this started off a tad slow for me but picked up and grabbed my attention during the very bloody bridal trials. i found the magical creatures introduced to be some of the most interesting i’ve ever read in a romantasy setting, and the magical systems with gods was interesting as well.

the romance personally fell a little flat for me — i enjoyed the slow burn at the start, but the rest of the book it did not feel very believable in my opinion.

as for the audiobook — i LOVE an audiobook that has dual narrators; both male and female narrators are fantastic

overall, a good start to a new series!

TW: Parental death, classism, violence, gore, imprisonment, drug addiction

3.75 Stars

Suraya, a bladesmith from a small town, is invited to the palace to compete with other women in a competition to win the prince's hand. Her father and aunt are weary of her going but in the end they relent. She quickly finds out the competition is life threatening and that she's beginning to have these strange powers she can't control. With the help of the handsome bastard prince, she escapes near death and they set out to no man's land in search of safety and to check on her family.

Honestly the first half of this book is SO fast. Almost too fast. The competition felt like 5 seconds honestly. I realize that there is a lot to set up in these three hundred or so pages but I felt like I was being hit from every which way with new things happening and new information. But then the middle part ended up dragging. It wasn't until about 75% that I thought things settled in to a normal pace for me. Besides pacing issues, I felt the romance was a bit meh. He is in insta-love with her and she falls for his flattery way too easily. Like have some self preservation girl!

I did enjoy the magic system, it's really unique and interesting and I love the lore of the Simurgh. And I'm also entirely curious about the shadow god that seems to be the same character from Suraya's dreams. I feel that will be the real romance of this series, it's being set up so well...a reluctant soul fated bond...with a shadow god...yes please! So this didn't end up being the banger I wanted from one of my favorite authors but I feel it's all going to be worth it in book 2.

I believe the audiobook was good as well. The main narrator, Anais Inara Chase, did a nice job. I'm not sure how to describe her voice other than I felt that it felt the character of Suraya well. Not too serious, this isn't some high fantasy brick, but a little immature but still entertaining as hell. I really really loved the male narrator, Ramiz Monsef. The few times we got to hear him I was always left wanting more. The dramatic and deep cadence was chef's kiss! I can't wait to hear more from him in the next book!

Thank you so much to Avon for providing me with an eARC and to Harper Audio for an ALC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Entertaining enough while I read it but I don’t think it will have a lasting impression on me. It appears this is a start to a new series due to the cliffhanger we were left with. Some phrases took me out of the reading/listening experience, such as “thick thighs save lives” and “prince-splaining”. Those phrases could have worked in an urban fantasy setting but they stuck out like a sore thumb to me in this setting. I also had a difficult time connecting with the love interest, primarily because the romance felt close to insta-love and I didn't fully trust the love interest's intentions as quickly as the fmc did.

I think if you enjoyed from blood and ash you will like this one.

Tropes
🐉High fantasy
👑New-adult Romantasy (25 y/o fmc)
⚔️Trials
✨Chose-one FMC
❤️‍🔥Open-door romance

*mild spoilers at the end*

A slow starter, this fantasy feels YA with adult content (The spice we love from Amalie!) and has a lot of similar themes to the genre. It's fairly creative in worldbuilding but it's a bit of an info dump. Things start happening quickly about a third of the way in, establishing a romantic interest early on and plenty of danger all around. Interesting magical system and excellent villains, but I just didn't buy into everything fully. I'll still be reading the next book though, and seeing what happens as the rightful king is crowned and the "god of darkness") or night or whatever keeps talking possessively to himself) is made known to us....

Wow this fantastic. Although the male narrator can be jarring, but that is kind of the point. I loved it. It has the smut but that's not the whole point.
Love the narration. Love the story. The ending is wow!

3.5☆/🌶.5

This was a super fast-paced read! It starts off with Suraya, a bladesmith who receives an invitation to the castle to compete for the hand of the crowned prince. But it isn't what it seems, and after a rebel attack, with the help of the crowned princes' half-brother Suraya flees and uncovers secrets about herself, she never knew.

I was able to listen to the audiobook and it was really good. The narrators really brought the characters to life. I loved being able to hear the pronounciation and accents of the words that were nee to me. The second POV was very ominous and mysterious. I'd definitely recommend the audiobook.


I loved the Indian/Middle Eastern mythology and magic system. In the beginning, we did get a lot of descriptions and imagery, and I loved it. As the story went on, the transitions and descriptions felt a little less flushed out and smooth, but the plot had definitely taken over, and there was a lot more going on.

Suraya was so easy to root for. I enjoyed that the FMC is older, 24, and is mature despite being thrust into a world of unknowns. The side characters, especially her best friend, were so funny, and I loved their dynamic.

There were definitely some twists and saw coming but I still have so many questions, especially about a certain epilogue and another POV we get in the book, and I'm so curious how this is going to evolve.

One thing I will mention is that there is some modern/contemporary language that can take some readers out of a fantasy story, especially because this isn't an urban fantasy. I didn't mind it and still really enjoyed the story overall.


-Trials
-Magical creatures
-Banter
-Quest
-Secrets/hidden identities

Overall, it's a great romantasy debut and will be continuing the series.

Suraya considers herself a nobody, and is shocked when she receives an invitation to the capital city as a possible suitor for the prince heir. While most would be intrigued by the romance, Suraya is a bladesmith and hoping to get access to the capital forge!

While she knows there is no chance she’ll be chosen, she won’t turn down an adventure - especially to the city her mother (who has passed) loved. She overhears her caretakers whispering with concern about if her invitation was a coincidence or not, insinuating there’s a secret about her past and connection to the city, but she won’t be deterred.

On her journey there, she runs into Roshan, the prince’s half brother, and the attraction is instant but she didn’t know who he was until she sees him sitting at the royal table.

It turns out that the search is not for a bride, but for the Starkeeper- someone who holds the magic of stars in their blood, according to the prophecy.

In the background, you have a rebel militia threatening the four current noble houses of the land. And you get a perspective of a god who is hiding/ in a slumber. The rebels strike and Roshan and Suraya find themselves on the run together away from the rebels and the prince- who chose Suraya as her bride due to her powers! A story of secrets, gods, chosen on, and betrayal! Such a fun read !! Can’t wait for book two!

Themes:
💕 chosen one
💕 slow burn romance
💕 comprehensible world building
💕 mythical creatures
💕 action
🌶️ few excellent scenes, lots of banter

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/7/25!