Overall a fun read although it felt a bit more YA than I had expected from the marketing. The first half was quite well paced though I did find that this began to drop for me about 3/4 of the way in. The blurb gave me The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker vibes, but this book was not that sadly.

Enjoyable characters and an interesting storyline. I enjoyed the first part of the story much more than the last. I think the story fell off at about halfway through and I wasn't very invested.

This reads as if it is meant for a younger audience (ie YA) even though the characters are older. Nothing wrong with that. It was very cutesy and light. The characters are very likable and the story is enjoyable.

This was a case of "right book in the right moment" and it was just so good! The worldbuilding is quite interesting, even if we didn't get to see quite a lot of it. Stariel is quite a unique land, and I think we would get to see more of it in the next chapters. But we get to see some magic in there, too, and fae. So I would have liked a bit more about them, but all things considered, I am not really complaining.
The best thing about this book is Hetta, our MC. It is so good to see a self-assured young woman going around. It is not that she is never insecure or scared or confused, but she is just so good! She is confident, and she is determined to be her better self. It was amazing! The only minor (really really minor) complaint that I have is that she is a tad too good. And ok, it is not really a complaint, but it could have been good to see her taking advantage of her position once or twice. And ok, this doesn't sound so good but... but sometimes we see people being really unpleasant with her, and she could have gloated a bit more while winning the situation. So you see, not really a big thing, because she is the way she is, and that's pretty amazing, but I would have loved to see her with a bit more bite in her.
Anyway, I really loved to see her doing her best in any situation, and I hope to meet her again soon.
The secondary characters are quite interesting, even if I really can't stand Aunt Sybil (come on, she is annoying!) and even if I think that some of them (Aunt Sybil and Phoebe, for example) are a bit cliches.
I would continue this series for sure, because it was enjoyable reading, and I want to see what would happen next!

I quite enjoyed this book! It was a new read, with refreshing uses of magic and magical system. I really liked the suspense, the main character and would read the sequel.

I really ate this book up! it is an alternate reality setting probably in line with the 1920s in UK with a steam punk flavor about hapless intelligent free minded black sheep of family woman returning to the manor up north for her fathers funeral and the ancient traditional family choosing ceremony fr the next Lord of the estate now her father has passed.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

This was such a fun book to read! I loved the character and world development and the way the story flowed. Although fairies are incredibly popular, this story and premise was nice & refreshing to read.

In not a big reader of fantasy novels but I quite liked this one it had great character development and the story kept me interested throughout

What a fun novel. This book is a nice twist between fantasy and Downton Abbey in the best possible way. Our lead heroine is strong and confident without being overly brash and cocky, which is a nice change from some of the current female leads out there. I really enjoyed the world building and am looking forward to seeing how the story arc evolves. If I were to be critical of anything, it was that the primary storyline seemed a bit simple compared to the world being built. Hopefully, we'll see a more in-depth story evolve as part of the full arc.

When Hetta returns to Stariel following the death of her father, she is thrown back into a world she had long left behind. With the choosing ceremony looming, she only has her mind on getting back to her life, but Stariel may have something else in mind.

I was hoping this book would have a "Queen of the Tearling" type feel to it as I really enjoyed that series.
While this book was an enjoyable read, it did not grab me the way I had hoped.

This book has a fantastical world and characters, but it was lacking in depth. I felt as tho I could spell out the entire story before reading it.
While I did enjoy this book, I don't have that strong desire to start the next one as I usually do with a good series.

Rating: 1.5 stars

I don't have the heart to give this 1 star. It had such high potential, and I think that is why I resent this story because it just...doesn't live up to everything it promised.

The first 35% of the story you get introduced to an awesome main character who's badass and is not afraid of her family anymore; you also get introduced to a crazy & fun family with all different sets of personalities, and a few mysteries & squabbles, and some drama.... and there we go, as soon as the author is done introducing the setting and characters and plot, everything falls from there.

For one, the story was incredibly, mind-numblingly slow. It dragged and dragged, often taking up whole chapters with useless information instead of getting right to the juicy stuff. As the story drags on, the characters seem less and less appealing and dynamic, they all start to blend together in a big jumbled mess.

The plot was...well it had potential. With the wealthy estate, the Lord of Stariel business, the Fae business, it definitely had something working for it. But the author just took the story too slow; and although I don't mind slower reads if the character dynamics are cool, the author just didn't have enough character depth to entertain.

Unfortunately this book fell short to me. I would even maybe consider it a DNF because there were times I was so bored I skipped entire chapters. The story had a lot of potential, had all the makings to fly, but unfortunately never left the runway.

This is closer to 3.5 stars but I rounded down because I felt like it was a bit closer to 3 than 4. Both the characters and the world building were great in this, but for some reason I felt like the plot pacing was a little off- I was never bored but I also never felt like I absolutely needed to continue to the next chapter. Still, I read this in two days and will definitely read the next one!

Very enjoyable book. I plan to pick up the next in the series. If you’re interested in a light historical romance with Fae & magic, then this will be a good read for you.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

https://acatabookandacupoftea.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/review-the-lord-of-stariel/

The Lord of Stariel opens with our main character, Hetta Valstar, returning home to her family’s estate after a long absence, so that she can attend her father’s funeral. As he was the Lord, there’s also another reason to come home; for the Choosing ceremony, where the land itself will pick the new Lord. Hetta doesn’t fit in with the traditional society at Stariel any more – she’s a modern woman who’s been working with a theatrical company in the capital city. Oh, and she’s an illusionist, which her family disapproves of.

The world of Stariel is on the brink of technological advances – there are electric lights and cars, but they are not commonplace yet. The capital, where Hetta has been living, is of course more advanced than the rural Stariel, and it’s interesting to see how Hetta, who has become accustomed to city life, struggles to fit back in at the estate. It’s fairly obvious from the start that although she’s initially dying to get back to her own life, she’ll be forced to stick around for plot purposes, and the book really gets going once this particular plot convenience is out of the way. From there, it’s an intricately plotted and fun story involving ancient fae oaths, sneaky inheritance plots, and Hetta’s realisation that her childhood best friend might be a whole lot more attractive than she remembered.

Hetta is a great, capable, intelligent, kickass heroine. I loved her from the get-go as she battles her need to be liked with her desire to tell her family to stop interfering in her life. She’s smart as a whip, and very resourceful, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. At the beginning of the book, there are so many characters introduced that it seems like you’ll never learn who they all are, but this really works to create the sense of the ancient, sprawling family of Stariel, and it quickly becomes clear who the key players are. At all times, Hetta has to think about the various members of her family as well as the practicalities of running the estate, which is a really nice touch that makes it all feel very believable. I thought she was brilliant for coping with it all!

This book is really hard to categorise. It’s not alternate history, as this is definitely a different world from ours, but it draws heavily on turn-of-the-20th-century England (enough to make the use of the phrase ‘she felt like she was waiting outside the principal’s office’ pretty jarring). It’s not exactly fantasy, as a lot of the story focuses on Hetta taking the reins of Stariel’s management and her misadventures with her family, which wouldn’t be out of place in a PG Wodehouse novel. There are romance elements (though nothing more than PG!), and folkloric elements, and plenty more besides, but what you end up with is a really cosy read that ticks a lot of my boxes. I think it would be perfect for fans of Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis as it has a similar vibe.

The twists and turns of the plot are enough that I won’t say anything more, but if you like your books quirky and fantastical, with a pinch of country house mystery, then you should definitely pick this one up. It’s really good fun, and I’m excited for the sequel! Five out of five cats.

This was a Rare success in incorporating magic/fae into Victorian London. I love this premise, and for once I was Not disappointed.
Hetta is a great character because she's not an overdone stereotype, such as the "Victorian Lady who wants to be free" or the "Scandalous Victorian woman who is Determined not to follow conventions". Hetta is doing her own thing and in the "London" of this world, she's not scandalous, she's just a hardworking illusionist doing what she loves. In the Northern rural areas where she's from, she is somewhat of a scandal, but she doesn't care. At least not very much. She's not doing it to spite them, she's not hiding from them, and she's not Forging A Path For Women Everywhere. She's just that slightly odd member of the family that no one really understands. She's a very relatable and sympathetic character.
The integration of magic into this society is handled well. Although, honestly, it's not touched on that much. Magic makes "elektricity" and does a few other useful things in the City, but in the country it's an unusual thing. So it's really not used much except by Hetta. That's fine. Making it rare does make fitting it into the historical world a lot easier. It's believable. It's not too much of a plot device, and Hetta isn't super overpowered either.
The supporting characters are well done. Her family is funny and realistic, her love interest is well-fleshed-out while remaining mysterious.

My one complaint, the story doesn't seem to really start until the end. In the beginning we are given a very brief introduction to the "World-ending Danger", but after that it doesn't really come up. We see only a few, incidental effects of it throughout the story. The plot focuses mostly on the secrets and relationships within the family and not much on that Big Deal event. So, I feel somewhat frustrated by the end of the book since it seems like what took place was a prologue before the really interesting stuff happens.
I'll happily read the next one, and I hope something of actual importance happens!

I received this book as an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really couldn't get into this book and I'm really sorry about that. But honestly, I can't be expected to enjoy every book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the magical aspect with Hetta being an illusionist and bringing in the fae, which was unexpected. The flow of the story was well paced and not too fast, but I found at different parts I became bored and wasn’t sure if I should even finish the book. The story was surrounded with mystery that left me wanting to know what would happen. AJ Lancaster did a wonderful job in developing her character’s personalities that made them personal and believable throughout the story. I’m curious to know what will happen in the next book.

This is well written its just not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read

Holy croissants! This book is amazing!

It's a very refreshing take on YA Fantasy and i love it! I honestly don't know where to begin.

The book is setted so lovely which really pulls you in with its magical allure. And the way the book is written, not only is it easy to understand but also interesting and oh, so thrilling! It's been quite a journey with our beloved characters.

I especially loved Hetta. She's just what i'm looking for in a character. Kind, determined and righteous. I knew i was going to like her when i was reading the earlier pages. She'd be someone i'd look up to in real life.

The book is detailed, thorough, very well written and rather unique to its genre. I can't point out why, but it just is. Also, as an avid fan of romance, i'm liking that it has romance in it. However, i love that it's written that it doesn't take away the whole storyline. And it blends into the story really well. That's truly one of the best things that one could find in a book.

To those who've yet read, I'd genuinely reccomend this. It's a perfect addition to one's "Read" list. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry and read it!