(3.5 stars rounded up)

perhaps the thing my soul was missing was gorgeously-written, sapphic erotic horror all this time

despite what the title and premise may imply, "as many souls as stars" isn't really an adaptation of "faust", neither the marlowe nor goethe versions. beyond the basic premise of there being an ambiguously gay demon (...sort of. I'll get there) willing to make a deal for the protagonist's soul, the story and characters here are entirely original. if anything, I'd compare this book to the 2024 "nosferatu" directed by robert eggers. a beautiful and sensuous story about a deeply lonely young woman with immense repressed mystical capability who ends up attracting the attention of an ancient evil, who will do anything to have her. of course, in this book, said ancient evil also happens to be a hot lesbian, which naturally makes everything better.

the story plays out over three different time periods, each well-researched and fully-realized. the prose is lush and dramatic, if occasionally the dialogue leans into cliche. the sexual tension between the main characters is absolutely electric, which does a lot to make up for the fact that unfortunately I was never entirely convinced by the romantic elements at play. miriam, despite having half the POV, is a rather distant and mysterious character, which works incredibly well in the first half of the book, where she plays a role of simple fear and lust. however, her alien (and perhaps under-explored) psychology makes the back half of the book, which is built on the understanding of true romantic love between the protagonists, relatively weaker.

my last critique has to do with the fantasy elements. this book eschews the usual abrahamic lore around demons for a more agnostic approach. miriam is not truly a demon, but a collection of shadows. selling one's soul has no promise of eternal damnation, it just seems to... kill you? not only does it make for a messy magic system (which gets rather confusing in the finale), the lack of religious weight to the characters' actions removes a lot of what makes faustian bargain stories interesting, in my opinion. but I'll freely admit that this is in many ways a matter of personal preference.

ultimately, I still really enjoyed this book, and found it compelling enough to read through unusually quickly. fans of historical fiction and erotic horror (some other reviewers called this a dark romance, that may be a more accurate term) will find a lot to enjoy here, I just think it could have been a lot stronger.

"Magic is a simple trade; light for darkness."


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Thank you to the author, William Morrow Publishing, and Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I was captivated by the protagonist, Cybil Harding, from the first chapter. She is a First Daughter in a line of witches—where the first born is the only one with power. But girl witches are cursed with uncontrollable power that is a threat to all they love. Normally, infant girls are left in the woods for the wolves, but Cybil’s father thinks of himself as a “Saint” and that he has the power of the angels that will empower him to remove the curse.

“If the first seed is that of Eve, ruin shall take root. The branches of House Harding shall wither and fall.”

When Cybil begins to show magical abilities, her father attempts to train her. However, Cybil shows no command over any powers. Undeterred, he attempts to summon and bind a shadow demon to assist him in removing the curse.

We learn that magic is a bargain that is made in trade with the shadows. For each favor they provide, a sliver of the witch's soul is devoured. Cybil, and those before her, chose not to embrace the shadows that whisper to them—which leads to unfortunate events manifesting when they are is distress. Thus the curse.

Our antagonist is Miriam Richter, a creation of magic summoned from shadows.

Her materiality was entirely the result of the intention of her creators. They had signed a pact designed to create a demon, and Miriam was the demon they had envisaged. That was why she was subject to ludicrous laws like salt circles and deal making; she was the moon, reflecting others light.



Miriam is drawn to Cybil as her soul is a brightly shining beacon—a feast for centuries. She hungers for Cybil’s soul more than anything else, and is willing to be patient in its pursuit.

Miriam repeatedly tries to trick Cybil into a Faustian bargain, but Cybil steadfastly refuses. There is nothing that Miriam can offer that Cybil desires. That is until she promises her a life free of the curse.

This story has similar elements to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue , but is an entirely different tale. The young women in these two stories are intelligent and fiercely independent but also lonely. They have a strange attraction to the Shadow demon which offers them a deal, but both women use their wits to win the upper hand in any bargaining. While TILoAL was set in 1700’s France (in the Age of Enlightenment), this tale begins in the Elizabethan period near Ipswich, England (~1590’s) —at a time when “witch hunters” are executing women for all manner of offenses.

This story is also different in that the main character is reincarnated, and thus a different person with lingering memories of the past. However, I did not find the timelines of Esther (1813 London) or Rosamund (1920s- Transatlantic ship) as compelling as Cybil's.

Beginning with the Esther timeline, we see elements of a dark attraction between Ester and Miriam. A longing that neither quite understands, but is powerless to ignore.

"You are mad," Esther said.
"Does that scare you?"
"No," she replied. "In a way, it is a relief. Madness has long been a solitary art for me. It will be a comfort to share it."


But Esther does not remember her prior life as Cybil, only dreamlike glimpses of the past. They give her a sense of foreboding and a wariness where Miriam Richter is concerned.

"Have you ever had a dream so beautiful that when you woke, you wept?"
Richter's smile widened. "Do I feel like a dream?"
"No, Esther said, "you feel like the moment I wake up."



This is not the case with the next First Daughter reincarnation, Rosamund. She comes into the world knowing, and with three souls powering her magic, she is quite formidable. She hides herself from Miriam in order to plan for their inevitable encounter.

“Machiavelli once said that the best way to defeat an enemy is to do voluntarily what she plans to make your do by force.”



By the time I got to Rosamund's story, I was ready for the ending. While the prose was wonderful, I grew tired of the cat and mouse between the characters and was more interested in the resolution than the lead-up events. While TILoAL gave us a character growth and a building story that invested the reader in her plan to best her demon, the character changes in this story break that type of continuity. Still this story was beautifully written and anyone who appreciates a good Faustian tale will enjoy this book.

Not sure how I can get over such a toxic and hateful love being so beautifully written. May that kind of love never find me 🤣

Really enjoyed the style and concept of this story. Cybil’s story had me hooked. I had a harder time connecting to Esther and Rosamund’s stories.

I was pleasantly surprised in the ending, and thought things wrapped up better than anticipated.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

As Many Souls as Stars is a sharp, emotional, and beautifully executed speculative romance. Natasha Siegel takes a high-concept premise—a cursed witch and an immortal demon locked in a chase across lifetimes—and turns it into something intimate, character-driven, and surprisingly moving.

Cybil and Miriam’s relationship is the clear core of the book: complicated, obsessive, and layered with tension. Every time they meet, something shifts, and watching their dynamic evolve is half the thrill. The stakes are personal even when the story spans centuries, and the emotional payoff lands.

The prose is genuinely beautiful—clear, elegant, and immersive without ever being overwrought. It makes the book a joy to spend time in. Even when the story turns dark or heavy, the writing keeps you rooted, making every scene feel vivid and intentional.

If you liked the themes of Addie LaRue but wanted a story that leaned further into darkness, queer romance, and tighter plotting, this is one to pick up. Atmospheric, romantic, and well worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is going to be one of my top books for 2025 for sure. This Is How You Lose The Time War wrapped up in a macabre now with all the gothic elements you can literally touch. The prose in this is so stunning. Can’t wait to get a physical copy!

3.5, rounded up (it feels wrong to round down, but I don’t know)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked the bones of this story: a witch makes a pact with a demon (kinda sorta, it’s complicated) for her soul, and I thought it was executed in a rather interesting way. The prose is downright beautiful (and full of more colons and m-dashes than you can shake a hat at), and I thought the pacing was fine. The first bit of the book wasn’t my favorite so it took me a little bit to get into, but I think it got better as it went on.

I thought the writing of the characters was good for the most part, particularly Miriam (I’m a sucker for morally gray-leaning black characters), and I liked her back and forth with Harding. The romance between Harding and Miriam ranged from good to alright, depending on the scenes, but it tended towards good. That ending though. Damn. That alone made me bump it up half a star. If you’re looking for a sapphic romance with a good ol’ Faustian bargain and darker elements, I’d recommend this book.

2.5 rounded up.

I'll start with the good: gorgeous writing, very fascinating concept, and I was utterly hooked, reading this in two days. Especially part 1 was so, so good.

But the bad: this entire story hinges on the relationship between Cybil and Richter, and I just never bought into it. Cybil seems straight-up bipolar the way she goes between her behaviors towards Richter, and not in a fun, toxic way, or a dark romance way, but just bad, inconsistent writing.

I would've liked more time with Rosamund, but things were starting to feel very repetitive towards the end. So maybe I would've liked it to be different, heh.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review.

Harding and Richter's story is absolutely breathtaking.

The author's devastatingly gorgeous prose envelops you in a haunting, gothic world of magic, feminine rage, social politics and power, and a truly epic, dark love story that tears its way across three lifetimes. Harding is the blinding light to Richter's endless darkness—a witch taught to curse her power and commit herself to a life of social ostracism in a world that demands women make themselves small and weak, and swiftly crushes those who do not. Miriam Richter is a morally grey, enigmatic shadow demon resigned to wandering the world forever alone until she develops an insatiable hunger to unravel the conundrum that is Cybil Harding and witness the entirety of her being, hidden deep beneath a lifetime of fear and cold indifference.

In addition to the unique setting and characters, the emotional complexity of this book does their relationship justice, as we get to witness these two become enemies, friends, and lovers—often simultaneously—many times over throughout their journey. They are one another's destruction and salvation. Their love, hate, desire, anger, and fear are as inextricably linked as their existence is to each other. Miriam's moments of raw, sometimes violent, yearning while she tries to decide whether she wants to consume, worship, or ruin Harding were among my favorite parts of this book.

This was everything I needed, and more, in a dark, fantasy romance. The plot was unique, the emotions were complex and beautifully written, the banter was amazing, and Miriam Richter's mouth had me absolutely sat. It should definitely be on your TBR this year!

Thank you to the author, William Morrow Publishing, and Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. Now I just LOVE LOVE LOVE a dark gothic romance, and here we have toxic lesbians who are just obsessed with each other, that effortlessly morphs into a dark romance across three lifetimes, well, one of them is immortal. The writing is beautiful, poetic, creative and draws you in - I loved the style and it is very obvious this book was a labor of love for the author.

I had the privilege of reading this book ARC. I was incredibly intrigued by the book description to begin with. I loved a queer friendly love story meets fantasy. The ending was certainly unexpected, but a lovely way to wrap up this story line. The three different time periods I felt a bit challenged by because each one felt too short for different reasons.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the chance to read this in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.

As many souls as stars is overwhelmingly melancholic. I cannot think of a better way to describe this book. Every page is poetry, and will continue to live within my thoughts for a long time after reading this.

Cybil, the unloved and cursed daughter is full of so much rage that it is almost— almost bursting at the seams. Much like the boughs of the trees she breaks, her spirit is initially broken.

Miriam, our other “almost” female main character is the opposite. Overwhelmed with driving, vicious hunger, she is insatiable.

Both of these women are born into a legacy that craves destruction. Finding each other in every reincarnation becomes a game with an incredible prize. A way to break the curse attached to a first born daughter.

This was an incredible read and I find myself so very sad (in the best kind of way) after finishing it. You won’t regret picking this up.

4.25

These characters are TOXIC and I really couldn’t have had a better time with them. I’m not sure if I have ever read something where the lovers truly hate each other and find joy in each other's suffering as much as Miriam and Harding. Yet they also quite obviously cannot resist each other. Even with their destructive relationship, you find yourself just as enthralled by them as they are by each other.

My only (mild) issue was the pacing. The very beginning had me intrigued. After the first few chapters there was a lull until about 35% and then I was HOOKED.

The cover is so gorgeous, I can’t wait to have it on my shelf! But don’t let the whimsical vibes fool you. This book is DARK, a little gothic, and maybe even a little horror? Whatever it is, I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this eARC.

Somehow, a book about toxic, miserable lesbians that ruin the lives of everyone around them turned into a romance I could somewhat root for? Miriam is a shadow-devil-thing, and Cybil/Esther/Rosamund is a somewhat cursed sort-of witch. While I wish the author had done more to flesh out the magic system in this book, she did a good job showing the alienation from their surroundings someone might experience after living three times over five centuries. The conflict's resolution was clever and something I genuinely didn't see coming, resulting in a hopeful ending.
Poor Isaac and Walt. They deserved better.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the ARC I received.

A demon/witch romance with gothic vibes, the definition of enemies to lovers till the end, "touch her and I eat your soul", and LGBTQ?
What could go wrong? The answer is nothing, absolutely nothing.

"Have you ever had a dream so beautiful that when you woke up, you wept?"
"Do I feel like a dream?"
"You feel like the moment I wake up."

Cybil Harding. Esther Harding. Rosamund Harding. My love. My Harding. My favorite. I just wanted to put her soul in my pocket.
She won my heart from the beginning. I related to Cybil's loneliness more than I want to admit. I related to her want for more out of life. I related to her hatred towards herself, towards her family. But I also related to Harding's growth over the centuries. Each rebirth, she evolved. Each rebirth, she found her strength and power. Each rebirth, she got more out of life. It made me realize that each day is a rebirth and an opportunity to get more out of life, find my strength, and find my power.

Miriam Richter. My demon. My RICHTER.
She's so toxic, possessive, hot, and damaged, with never-ending love and hatred to give. My glasses must not be strong enough, because I would run right into all of her red flags.
I've never wanted a demon to eat my soul more. Miriam could have me. Like I would gladly hand over my soul without a single thought, just like Cybil. Miriam's growth throughout the story was beautiful and unexpected because I believed she was just a heartless demon filled with anger. Nope, not the case by the end of the book. I love her. I love her. I love her.

Richter's and Harding's love story was life-changing for me. It was breathtaking. It had me angry, crying, happy beyond belief, and then angry again. It was a rollercoaster. By the end, I wanted MORE. MORE. MORE. This book concludes perfectly as a standalone, and it does give room for the author to potentially add a book 2 if she wants. Everyone needs to read this book when it comes out. I will be screaming the moment I get my hands on it and can add it to my bookshelf.

first of all i'm going to thank netgalley and the publisher and author for allowing me to read the book as arc.

i loved this book. it took me a little while to get into it because i couldn't understand where we were going, but then i embraced the not knowing and i got sucked in by harding and richter's game and i breezed through it. the obsession, the mind games, the love and hatred becoming so intertwined that you couldn't tell them apart, harding's own growth and richter's too, everything in this story was wonderful.
the ending was very satisfying, although i was almost sure we'd end up with a mcd moment i'm very glad we didn't!

3.5 stars rounded up

I received an ARC from NetGalley and was blown away by the beautiful writing in this story. However, I felt the story heightened at the beginning and slowly tapered off. The prologue grabbed my attention, and Cybil's story had me fully invested. But as the narrative shifted to Ester's story, the pace slowed, and the emotional intensity leveled out. Rosamund's story was tougher to get through, and I found myself skimming about 90% of it. Despite this, the ending was poetic and impactful. Overall, I'd give this book 4, rounded up from 3.5 stars.

The cover is stunning

Lastly... JUSTICE FOR WALTER 😭😭
Of all the characters, I enjoyed Walters part in the story the most

I appreciated and loved the complexities of the relationship between Miriam and Harding but the story itself did not flow. It felt disjointed at times. However, I love their relationship in itself. The understandings of life and it's delicate humanity. I loved how the two main characters embraced each other's flaws while also playing a dangerous 3-centuries long game of life or death. I do wish it would have touched more on the day-to-day challenges and also would have flowed as a well-rounded story more instead of the choppy picketed chapters. I was also super sad about Walter dying. He brought such energy to a pretty plateaued story.

I was so excited for this arc when it was compared to Addie larue which is one of my very favorite books! Unfortunately it just didn't really work for me. Neither of the mcs really had a personality and I was extremely bored just waiting for it to end. I didn't feel any chemistry or tension between them since we are just told they suddenly have love and sexual tension but it is not shown on the page at all. The ending was super cliche and I didn't care about either of them at all. And random annoyance but in the first timeline the use of the word mayhap was driving me insane because it was on every page yet the rest of the writing was modern English.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Parental Neglect, Gore (Wounds), Unhealthy Relationships, Obsession, Stress & Emotional Breakdown

For the sex repulsed, there are two semi-graphic sex scenes, pretty well telegraphed.

This book was a mixture of toxic and sweet that I loved. The premise of the book is simple enough: a demon named Miriam Richter makes a pact with a witch named Cybil for her soul if, in her second life, Cybil cannot break her family curse before she turns 23. Reincarnation occurs, a dark, obsessive love forms, and both parties struggle for ownership of said soul.

However, it’s the smart writing details that make this book. The magic system is not tediously described, but wonderfully fluid in how it can be manipulated and shaped based on belief and expectation, as well as the categorical truth that light and dark must both exist, even if they shift amount and focus. It allowed for some great character building and plotting.

Similarly, the risk with a book that features reincarnation and multiple versions of the “same” person in different time periods is that readers may favor one version of a character or particular time period. I think Siegel navigates this tricky area very well through having shared memories (acquired late in second life, early in third life) and the ever present figure of Miriam Richter. We get to see how both characters progress in different ways, based on their interactions with each other and the worlds around them.

I think some readers may struggle with two elements of this book. First, regardless of which life experienced, Cybil always comes from a white, privileged background. Cybil herself (in her third life) recognizes that fact, but it might affect some people’s ability to relate or enjoy the narrative. Second, because there are three lives to go through and seduction (in both the platonic and sexual sense) is a key element, sometimes the back-and-forth may feel repetitive or readers may wish to get to the conclusion sooner. I think that’s just unavoidable in a book structured like this one; I found the balance of tensions and shifts in dynamic between Cybil and Miriam well done, so I didn’t feel it dragged. Individual tastes may vary.

Very interesting take on magic and curses with a love that spans centuries.
This book is well written and ties everything together seamlessly. Did not see the twist coming at all.
Appreciate the LGBTQ representation - very much a part of the story - didnt feel forced at all.