Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Unfortunately this book did not work for me, in both the characters as well as the writing itself. I seem to be in the minority on that though so it may work well for others!

We follow Miriam, an immortal being who eats souls to survive, and Cybil (and Esther and Rosamunde) through time in three iterations of Cybil’s life. The two are supposedly drawn together, but I didn’t understand the draw for Cybil etc. (C/E/R) to Miriam in particular. Miriam at least was understandably drawn to the nature of Cybil’s soul, although it doesn’t really explain how she also felt “love” for C/E/R. Other than her looks, it wasn’t shown why C/E/R fell for Miriam. C/E/R herself was inconsistent, mourning her lack of connection and forced isolation but also showing a very cold and unfeeling rage toward men and humanity as a whole.

On the writing, I found it overly flowery to a point that it slowed my ability to read. Siegel is also incredibly fond of the semicolon, a search of the book returns ~100 instances of it.

I did like the theme in Part 2 with Esther’s cousin Thomas that belief in the curse made Esther cursed, and how this pulls on what others make of us. I just don’t believe it was a strong enough examination.

Was this review helpful?

Seigel’s prose is lush and sensual. The prologue immediately drew me in to the world. Unfortunately, while the book has so many things I love (beautiful prose ✅, sapphic love ✅, longing ✅) it didn’t ever quite connect with me. Nevertheless, I understand the comparisons to Addie LaRue and Our Infinite Fates and think readers who love those books could easily find a favorite in As Many Souls as Stars.

Spoilers below:
I found myself a little disappointed in the shift of tone in chapter one and honestly might have DNFed if I hadn’t received an ARC and felt obligated to finish. I found the more fairytale style narration and exposition beautiful but distancing in comparison to the immediacy of the prologue. I had a hard time caring about Cybil’s plight.

Fortunately, while chapter 2 maintained the
fairytale style, the perspective tightened on Cybil and soon after. Unfortunately, it Cybil’s loneliness and detachment made her a difficult character to follow because it made her emotional stakes feel so low. That left Miriam’s surreally beautiful scenes to carry the tension in the narrative, but even her “I want Cybil’s soul” bit quickly became tired because… well, really why does she want it in any tangible, relatable way?

I almost DNFed again (around 30% after chapter 9 which arguably was the most exciting chapter plot-wise up until that point) when the story started over with Cybil’s reincarnation. I put the book down and said, “really, again?!” But, better or worse, I slogged through to the end.

I wouldn’t say the twist was “worth it,” but it felt like a small reward for sticking with the book until the end.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy.

If you liked witty queer literature you will love this. The characters were fleshed out fantastically and while I am not a huge historical romance fan this has a special place in my heart.

I was scheptical at first but I was pulled in within a couple of pages and from there it was history. I will be looking forward to Siegel in the future and it is very possible that she will become an instant preorder author for me.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc.

The premise of the story was promising. It didn’t disappoint.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, really. It was wonderfully written, the story was a little slow paced towards the middle but the ending was worth it. This book transcended time and love and sacrifice in a way that made it its own. Natasha Siegel wrote an amazing book about love, sacrifice and humanity. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

Was this review helpful?

“….I see it now: you must love someone to truly hate them. They must give you something before they can take it away.” I love this quote. This is a complicated, intense love story. The plot keeps you interested and the writing allows you to lose yourself. The ending seemed a little drawn out, but I loved this book.

Was this review helpful?

This book immediately started off with a bang because of its unique narration style. Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy from William Morrow via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date 25 November.

I enjoyed Siegel's historical fiction novel Phoenix Bride, so I was excited to get a chance to read her latest. In As Many Souls As Stars, young Cybil Harding is cursed with both power and an ill fate as the first daughter of her family. When she strikes a deal with a woman made of shadows in a moment of desperation, it locks them together through time over three lifetimes.

This book had a very enticing historical sapphic fantasy premise, but I wasn't in love with the execution. The defining feature of Elizabethan Cybil as well as her next two incarnations is her loneliness. She's detached from human contact due to her curse and she cares about very little. Unfortunately, Cybil's habitual distance meant that the central romance with shadow Miriam had to carry all of the drama and emotional weight, since the occasional supporting characters are only lightly fleshed out. And the romance didn't quite have the depth to pull it off. What I want from a reincarnated through time story is a sense of deep history. I want the protagonists to feel like bitterly separated exes with a Past. But Miriam's relationship with Cybil and her incarnations is shallow. Yes, they're attracted to each other, but there's not much of a sense of connection beyond the fact that Miriam wants to eat Cybil's soul and Cybil thinks that's hot but nevertheless does not want to be eaten.

Similar to the romance, the worldbuilding felt a bit surface-level. Magicians can attempt to bargain away the light of their souls to shadows in exchange for favors. Miriam is one of those shadows, who was made a little bit more real in a failed ritual. But that's about it. There's no deeper context or structure to what shadows can and cannot do. And behind the magic, the setting has just three eras: Elizabethan, Regency, and the twenties. But due to Cybil et al's detachment and narrow focus on Miriam, we don't get much of a sense of the period. Which is a shame, because I loved Siegel's richly drawn seventeenth century London in Phoenix Bride.

Alas, one of the cases where the execution doesn't quite live up to the premise. But that's okay--reincarnated lovers through time seems to be the theme of the season, and I have two more lined up for fall (Isle in the Silver Sea, The Everlasting.)

Was this review helpful?

As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel explores love, sacrifice, and free will across timelines. Cybil and Miriam’s relationship goes beyond eras and makes me wonder how far will someone truly go for those they love. The unexpected ending drew me in and left me wanting more.

Was this review helpful?

I really appreciate when a book starts out with a unique narrator. The beginning chapter starts off with the creation of a demon who becomes one of the main characters throughout the book. Starting off with Miriam( the demon)’s perspective drew me in immediately.
I enjoyed the breadth of time this book was able to cover without becoming too bogged down and boring.
I really enjoyed the depictions of loneliness and toxic love throughout.
This was such an enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved and adored this book. I think the plot was so interesting, all of the characters had so much emotional depth, and it was captivating from start to finish.

Was this review helpful?

As Many Souls as Stars was a rollercoaster of a story. Now this is how you do enemies to lovers. They truly hated, loved, and hated each other again. There was so much complication in their relationship. Especially considering one was a witch and the other a demon. The twists and turns were shocking and heart breaking. I felt for the main character because of all the hate and horror she endured. I thought the author’s prose was incredible, her metaphors and comparisons of life and death, love and hate, good and evil, were so poetic and beautiful. I feel like you would have to read this story a second time to truly pick up the little breadcrumbs in between to understand the layers of the story and their relationship. Do look up the trigger warnings for this book. This book is pretty brutal and some deaths are quite intense. But overall, this book was a surprising read. I was not expecting the story that I got and it was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the brutality, the poetic nature of the darkness within the layers of the book, and the main characters.

Was this review helpful?

I was really pulled in by the tone and the writing style in the beginning of this, and was interested enough in the first part. But after that this book DRAGGED. I had to force myself to pick it up, and when I did I kept wishing it would be over sooner, I typically tire of reincarnation stories pretty quickly, and I never cared much for the characters or the romance. I thought the little twist at the end was a nice surprise but not worth sloughing through the whole book for.

Was this review helpful?

This book was everything it promised to be and more. There was not one page I didn’t enjoy. The prose was lush and beautiful and the characters were believable and the longing and tension between them was delicious. I loved every bit of it and look forward to more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Holy. Shit.

The novel follows a young witch named Harding, a woman born with a curse. The first daughter that will only know destruction during her life. A demon, Richter, in eternal life makes deals with mortals and eats their soul.

A deal made with the devil. A fight across centuries has started between the two, both destined for terrible things. It’s a game of cat and mouse with no winner. Light and dark. Love and hate. Both living the life of loneliness. The same but different.

An absolute round of applause for the author, Natasha Siegel, for this masterpiece. Harding was a force to be reckoned with from the beginning, and Richter thought she could control her, take her for her own. But you can’t hold light in your hands and expect it not to burn you.

As Many Souls as Stars may have jumped to my number one book of the year so far, it’s the kind of book you wish you could read again for the first time.

Was this review helpful?

Who doesn’t love Sapphic hate sex?
A girl destined to curse her family and a shadow demon living off souls meet in Medieval Europe, and what entails is a multi-century love affair.
Cybil, Esther, and Rosamund are three generations of first daughters, destined to be cursed. As the story progresses, each of the women fight to break the curse and free themselves from Miriam Richter’s deal. Each woman’s relationship with Miriam differs, but the obsession between them remains the same.
I loved the story of each of the three Harding women, and how each of the time periods they lived in influenced their personalities, hopes, and behaviors. I also loved how each of them interacted with Miriam, as each of the three Hardings learn about who and what Miriam is. Miriam’s occasional POV was helpful, and I loved that each character had their own voice- you can very easily tell who is who within a few words.

The only thing I would want more of is Miriam and Harding’s relationship. It felt very insta-love and immediate hate as well. I would have like more tension and yearning between Miriam and some of the Harding women. I also felt that the story dragged on a bit- it was sometimes hard to keep reading or hard to pick back up.

Was this review helpful?

This is how you write a story filled with feminine rage, witches, and a soul-shattering enemies-to-lovers romance that unfolds over centuries. As Many Souls as Stars is both tragic and beautiful.

Harding makes a deal with Richter, a shadow demon who offers her reincarnation in exchange for her soul. What follows is an intoxicating chase that spans centuries: wounded by grief and bound by their agreement, these two women circle each other repeatedly across lifetimes. Their connection crackles with intense longing—and just as quickly, with hostility. Their dynamic portrays a visceral, tragic love that feels inevitable and impossible. This book is for you if you crave magic enveloped in a gothic atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and a love story that hurts and lingers well after the final page.

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

okay so 2025 is officially the year of toxic, supernatural, lesbian stories and honestly? i’m not mad about it.

As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel is filled with dark magic, curses, shadows, demons, witches, and centuries of feminine rage. it’s haunting and atmospheric and achingly romantic in that tragic, gothic way we all love. it gave me major The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes (but with more feminine rage), so if that’s a book you loved, definitely add this one to your list.

the writing is gorgeous. the setting is dark and moody, but also beautiful. the plot feels unique, the characters are so layered and strange and memorable, and i think this is the perfect read for cozy, rainy, and spooky autumn nights.

and the yearning. yearning that spans over 300 years?? hello?? inject it directly into my soul please.

if you're looking for your next witchy, gothic, sapphic read, this is the one😌

thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for this ARC 🥀✨🖤🗡️🐦‍⬛

Was this review helpful?

Fairly solid reincarnation romance that focuses on two women who make a dark deal with each other (one's a demonic force) and how they chase each other across various lifetimes. All things considered this is a fairly solid romance, this probably won't stick with me that long all things considered, but it was a nice, fairly quick paced book.

Was this review helpful?

Rating 3.5 rounded up.

Quick very high level summary.
The Demoness and the Witch. Miriam demoness who must consume souls to survive. Cybil is a witch who’s soul is exceptionally vibrant. Miriam wants Cybill’s soul so she coerces her into a dark deal. Miriam will grant Cybill reincarnation in exchange for her soul. Thus the cycle begins that spans a centuries-long chase across different lifetimes.

My Take.
The Faustian bargain and reincarnation aspect makes for an intriguing premise. Just like Doctor Faustus, who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and magical powers, Cybil soon learns that this deal has only created a toxic relationship with no end in sight. This novel is well written with vibrant details that makes for vivid world building. For the most part the characters are well developed and thought out but when it came to the romance that was supposed to be central to the premise, I just didn’t buy it. It didn’t seem real. It felt weak and at times pushed but with no real feeling. Overall a good read that is well written. Just know if your looking for a sapphic romance it may fall short for you.

Was this review helpful?

This beautifully haunting fantasy swept me into a world where souls are bound to constellations and choices carry weight beyond life. The heroine’s journey is tender and fierce at once she navigates grief, destiny, and the faint hope of redemption with such sincerity it made my heart ache.

The magic system feels original and lyric, and the bond she forms with a fellow soul-bearer brought genuine joy and quiet longing. If you love poetic worlds, emotional stakes, and a love that glimmers like starlight, this one shines bright.

Was this review helpful?