Enemies to lovers? Passé. Enemies AND lovers? Poetic cinema. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters. The author never tried to sugar coat just how toxic and parasitic the relationship was, and still managed to create beautiful moments. It balanced on a knife’s edge in a way that was so engaging. And the prose! Vivid and wry and satisfying.

This was an easy 5 star read.
It had all the elements that I enjoy: morally gray characters, strong female protagonists, a “villain” that is somewhat sympathetic, and a tangled love story that spans centuries. Aside from lyrical prose (which I love) and a strong narrative, the characters were well defined and relatable and the book makes the reader examine deep themes of good and evil, love, hate and obsession and women in a male dominated society.

This book explores the theme of good versus evil in the framework of a sapphic love affair between a being in search of a soul to consume and a cursed witch in search of a way to break free. It spans several centuries and lifetimes as the two main characters struggle against their own natures and society to achieve their goals.

But it’s more than just a romance. Or a fantasy (romantacy?). This novel is also about feminine rage and oppression. And it centers on several moral dilemmas.

It begs the question is something truly evil just because man deems it so?

Why do men label powerful women as evil?

“A woman with magic. It is too dangerous to leave unchecked. “

Why are women forced throughout history to struggle for agency and prove their strength and worth?

Does naming something evil make it evil? If something follows its own nature and does what it is made to do is it natural or is it demonic?

“They had made her what she was, and she had killed them for it. “

It makes the reader reexamine beliefs about evil and paints what we as society commonly describe as evil as neither good nor bad.

“Light chases shadows”
“Light creates shadows. . . No absence without presence.”

Can an inhuman entity feel human emotions?

“Love, hatred…Both were simply hunger. “


“Magic is belief. You must believe in something deeply. And for generations we have believed… that the first daughter is a monster perhaps that is why you are the way you are”

“I didn’t choose to be this way. I didn’t choose to be cursed.
It does not matter what you are the way you are. It only matters what you have done. “

“Is it truly her fault? Is it truly mine? “

A truly thought provoking read. Entertaining and quite satisfying.

Natasha Siegel is a genius and As Many Souls as Stars is a masterpiece. The story's about Cybil and Miriam, a witch with an exceptionally bright soul and a demon keen on consuming that soul - even if she has to chase that light through the ages to make it her own. There's something so bittersweet about their relationship that yearns so badly to grow into something great but it is endlessly stunted by the malevolent foundation upon which it has been sewn. This story has the reader put through the absolute ringer of emotions; from the depths of a cursed witch's despair, to the fiery rage that guilt inspires, and further into the savage hope that you can't help but to feel while wanting for a happy ending.
This novel is perfect for the fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue if they might have fancied a deeper and more substantial cat-and-mouse chase between Luc and Addie but with a whole new brand of feminine rage and a sapphic twist. While Cybil/Esther/Rosamund and Miriam were excellently thought out, perfectly flawed characters, I also very much enjoyed the levity of Isaac, Walt, and the briefly mentioned Caviar. The ending is so perfectly and tragically bittersweet but I think that any other kind of ending wouldn't have felt so deserved and right.

As Many Souls as Stars is a dark sapphic fantasy romance that follows two magical beings over the course of 3 lives. While I do not typically read dark romance, this one has such strong characters. Specifically, the main human/witch character (Cybil, then Esther, then Rosamund), is enthralling, intelligent, and captivating. I was entranced in her story and was invested in her success from the very beginning. For readers of dark romance, the romance of this book might appeal more, however, for readers looking for a strong female main character who does not give up on herself and fights for her own fate, As Many Souls A Stars is perfect. The writing of this story is amazing, as well, and as someone who loves history, it was a nice touch to see the writing style and vocabulary change with the centuries and times!

"I love you," she said, "and I hate you, more than I have ever hated anyone. I see it now: you must love someone to truly hate them. They must give you something before they can take it away."

This is a beautifully written gothic lesbian historical fantasy romance with a vivid, imaginative magic system. I agree with other reviewers who have said that this novel would be great for dark romance fans. There's nothing traditional or healthy about the relationship between Ritcher and Harding, but it was still beautiful and painful. The characters were all vivid and interesting, even the male side characters who didn't appear for very long. Natasha Siegel has a beautiful way with words and has written a poetic romance that feels timeless despite being a romance between two women. I would say that this novel qualifies as literary fiction. The sex scenes are also written poetically.

“As Many Souls as Stars” is the latest historical romance fantasy by Natasha Siegel. As a fan of her previous works, “Solomon’s Crown” and “The Phoenix Bride,” I was eagerly anticipating this new release.

Like her earlier novels, Siegel continues to explore romantic queer fiction set in historical contexts. This latest story also features a pair of star-crossed lovers who must navigate times and places that truly test the boundaries of their love. Additionally, this novel includes a fantasy element and spans several centuries.

It is different in that the characters are more morally gray than in the past. Fans of Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s “This Is How You Lose the Time War” and Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s “The Mercies” might appreciate this suspenseful witchy, cat-and-mouse tale of love, hate, life, and death. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reader copy (ARC).

4.5 Stars

If given multiple chances at life to destroy a curse that plagues you by bargaining with the unknown would you?
A soul for a wish is whats asked of those whom meet Miriam, a demon that craves what it doesnt have, a soul.

"That light was an absence in the shadow’s own self that, once apparent, felt impossible to ignore. She felt the darkness within her as an emptiness, a hunger. And as she saw this stranger’s soul, she knew that all she wanted— all she needed—was to take it for her own".

A beautiful unexpected love story that travels centuries.


First person pov
Gothic fantasy
Family curse
Magic
Demon
FF- slow burn

Blending historical fiction that spans over three centuries with a fantasy about witchcraft, family curses, and Faustian bargains then stirring in a taste of unlikely romance, As Many Souls as Stars is a character driven story whose two (or maybe four) main characters create a love-hate relationship for the ages. Though, like most tales of such bargains, the concentration of the story is on Cybil Harding and her incarnations, we get interesting glimpses at Miriam Richter, the demon who holds the contract to Cybil's soul. Their attraction plays counterpoint to the collection on the contract itself. In her three incarnations, from Cybil to Esther, and finally to Rosamund there is an interesting progression of coping with the circumstances that the character finds herself in and an even more interesting progression in the relationship to Miriam. The story flows beautifully right up to its splendid ending. This is a great read for those who enjoy a darker romance as well as those who wonder if they could do better if they got another chance at life.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher,William Morrow) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.