This is another one of the books I've picked up on Netgalley because the blurb sounds interesting, though it's taken a while for me to actually finish (real life intruding!) and then review it.

The basic premise of The Lord of Stariel is that it's the first of a series, set in a pseudo-Victorian world where our protagonist, Hetta, has left the family estate and established herself as an illusionist in the theatre. This means she's using magic to support the performances, which is shocking both from her being of the nobility and working for a living and also because she's a woman. When we first meet her, she's returning to the family home after the death of her father because of a ritual which chooses the next Lord.

There's so much foreshadowing going on, and not subtly either, that it's no surprise at all when the ritual chooses Hetta rather than her older brother or younger cousin, the latter having been the expected heir. Hetta is forced to give up her plans to return to her life elsewhere, only to make a number of discoveries about her family and people she cares about. Saying much more would lead to massive spoilers so the fact this is book 1 of 4 will probably tell you that things are going to be complicated long-term.

The main problem I had with this book, other than the unsubtle way Hetta spends a good chunk of the first part going 'oh, but this ritual is just a formality for someone else to be chosen and I'm fine with that' (which of course lets you know that she's going to be chosen and then have issues with any problems that subsequently arise) was the tendency of the writer to info-dump. There's a whole chapter which is pretty much two characters talking and one of them giving his back-story to fleshing out a sudden piece of world-building, which I have to confess I skimmed. They are, alas, not alone in having a number of 'as you know, Bob...' style conversations! This is, however, the writer's first novel so maybe this is an area in which they can improve....

I wasn't massively impressed with the romance sub-plots going on either, but then I'm not an easy sell where this kind of thing is concerned - I thought Wyn, Hetta's main love interest, wasn't particularly three-dimensional other than being a competent person who she used to have a crush on.

Well butter my biscuit, we have one heck of a story here!

This book is a complete journey. Following our main character Hetta as she returns home after being away for quite some time and she realizes quickly how different things have become including the arrival of the fae. I absolutely adored the adorable narration of Hetta's totally transparent & honest character! She was the definition of a cinnamon roll. The most refreshing part was how she maintained her character through tough trials. She doesn’t allow bitterness and resentment to take place in her heart, even when everyone around her was telling her otherwise.

The first half of this story is the main area that really pulls the reader in. While the second half is consistent, most of the content that makes this book so great is revealed earlier on. The pacing remains rather consistent, with a few lulls in plot movement and intrigue.

Things that I liked:
⇒ The different style in which this book was written (aka writing style). It is not the typical modern YA fantasy!
⇒ The themes discussed.
⇒ The way the fantastical was woven into the story.
⇒ The lessons to be learned.

Things that I didn't like:
⇒ Some side characters felt flat
⇒ Story felt just ever so slightly drawn out

Overall, I loved this story. I think there is something here for everyone to take away.

I tried with this book. I really did.

Fae? Magic? Wealthy estates? Um, yes, please! After a somewhat interesting -- if over-dramatic-- prologue, this book was...not good. When I genuinely try to think of redeeming qualities, I honestly cannot think of any. That sounds harsh, I know! I think, at the end of the day, this book is a mixture of "it's probably not for me," and "this book is just objectively BAD." I'm going to explain why. So bear with me, because this might be a long-ish review.

I confess, I'd not heard of this book before. But I was scrolling through Netgalley, and the cover and premise sounded intriguing -- so request, please! And I was thrilled when it was accepted. Like I mentioned above, the prologue seemed interesting (words I never thought I'd say when it comes to prologues...): Fae, magical gates, mentions of magic... But after that, Fae are BARELY mentioned until the halfway point in the book.

One of the biggest issues with this book was pacing. Pacing, pacing, pacing! It's important, people! This book -- for the most part -- was BORING. There was nothing to push it forward, especially in the first half of the book. Yes, you read that right. HALF. The plot picked up ... slightly ... from that point, but barely. It really did drag, to the point where I just had to skim to get through it. That's never a good sign.

And if you don't have good pacing, then you at least need good writing or engrossing the characters, neither of which this book had. Hetta, the main character, was achingly bland, as was the rest of the cast of characters who I've already forgotten.

The world was also disappointing and barely developed. This book suffered from a case of Unnecessarily Capatalized Words to make it feel like more of a Fantasy Book™️, instead of real world development. For example: North, South, Gate, Choosing, and so on. There was also a few times where the phrase "gods!" was used as an exclamation, but WHAT gods? Unless I missed it, there was nothing mentioned, leading only to just confusing. And boredom. I can't get swept up in the world that author has tried to create when I don't even understand it. This leads me to my next point -- where/when was this book supposed to be set? A fantasy world? Steampunk? The dialogue seemed old-fashioned, there was magic (which I didn't understand how it worked, either) but there were also things mentioned such as electricity, telephones, guns, and trains. So...? Huh? Some kind of alt-reality Earth? I have no clue, because NOTHING WAS EXPLAINED. EVER. I felt like this would've worked much, much better as a historical fantasy.

I wasn't quite sure I understood the audience for this book, either. Adult, I think, considering the character's ages, and even then I'm not entirely sure how old the protagonist was? But it felt very young at points and the tone/mood didn't seem to fit the story.

This was just...not good.

I received a free ARC from netgalley.

What a delight! This fantasy is its own unique world with two dimensions, fae and mortal, overlapping on one noble property. The heroine is independent but likes her home. She is carefree with her attentions and it causes some awkwardness. Tough family situations make her want to run but she sticks it out.

I was irritated that we are told multiple (at least three) times in the beginning how she enjoyed the loose morals of her coworkers. I got it the first time.

This is a series I will continue to read.

This book is wonderful. I was so engrossed in it, i missed my stop. Several, to be precise.
It is about Hetta who comes home for her father's funeral after living 6 years on her own. She only planned to stay until the next Lord of Stariel has been chosen and was very sure that it would not be her. How it unfolds, is the plot and I do not want to reveal any spoilers.

I am so glad that there are more books in this series, which I hope would explain more about their world in depth.

Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a mix of fantasy and classic literature, kinda like Jane Austen with magic and fae. The story is set in a world similar to regency England, based on social expectations and manners, but it's also the beginning of a new era, one of electricity, modernization, and female freedom from male domination. Not in terms of the suffragette movement, but in terms of a modern woman returning home to a place that's still holding onto archaic traditions, several years after she's already experienced the freedom outside those borders.

It gives her a unique perspective, not to mention all the clashes with various family members, all of whom relate to her modernity with varying levels of acceptance and disgust.

A major portion of this book's charm is in the family dynamics. Take a bunch of stuffy old people, mixed with teenagers, young men and ladies, all there to see which of them the land chooses as its next lord. Most of these family members remain on the estate after the event, continuing the family politics. The characters and their interactions were very well developed.

I really liked Hetta, the MC. While she ran away from home years ago to work in a "disrespectful" position, she comes back now as a strong, confident woman, the type who can wilt you with a strong word or two. She's one of those typical regency women who are utterly confident in their position and don't give a hoot about what others think. Or at least, that's the way she comes across to others. It's nice to see that in a modern woman.

Overall, this was a great mix of magic and classicism. I'm only giving three stars because it was a good book, I enjoyed reading it, especially the amazing character portrayals, but it didn't evoke any strong emotions or a particular love for it. That's not to say it's a bad book. It really isn't. But compared to others that really captivated me, this one had a more dry tone, comparable to many classics, that makes it harder to fall into its spell.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lord of Stariel is the first in a steampunk fantasy quartet by AJ Lancaster. It has magic and fairies and a great cast of characters.

The Lord of Stariel has a simple, practical writing style and isn’t flowery at all. I thought this fit the book well because the main character, Hetta Valstar, is pretty practical as well. This book is written in British English, as well, which took some getting used to.

One thing I really liked was the world-building. The author created a new religion, which had multiple deities and Druids that presided over ceremonies. Another thing the author created was the different magic types. There was pyromancy, technomancy, illusion work, etc. While I enjoyed the world-building that I got, I wish there was a whole lot more of it. I wanted to know how exactly the magic systems worked, what the religion was called, how long it took to become a master at a type of magic. I hope the next book has more world-building because I feel we just scratched the surface in this book.

The first half of this book was pretty slow. It was mainly about introducing characters and giving a bit of backstory. The main plot line doesn’t even show up until around 45% of the way into the book. I don’t do well with books that focus on characters more than a plot or action, so I was a bit bored with the first half of the book. Once that plot line was introduced, however, the book really took off. I could barely put it down after that!

There is a bit of a love triangle for most of this book, but in my mind, there was no contest between Hetta’s two suitors. I shipped Wyn and Hetta for most of the book. They just bantered and interacted so well with each other! The fact that Hetta wasn’t overly indecisive about who to pick and already seemed to have her mind made up for the most part helped make the love triangle bearable.

A lot happened in the last few chapters of this book, but it never felt rushed to me. It just seemed like the author made good use of the pages. While the main plot line is wrapped up, there is definitely room for more books, which is good since there are supposed to be three more books in this series. I hope the next book explores the world more in depth, as well as the realm of Faerie.

The Lord of Stariel was a really good book, once the action started. I loved the characters and can’t wait to see more of them in the next book! Despite the slower first half, I give this book four out of five stars!

Quotes I Liked:
That’s two unreasonably attractive men in the space of half an hour, she thought distantly. Goodness knows what the next two weeks will bring, if that’s a representative sample of the populace now. – 9%

How long could you play a role before it stopped being one? When did illusion become reality? – 16%

Laughter choked out of her like bits of glass, bright and painful, turning dangerously close to tears.” – 46%

This was a passable fantasy endeavor. I enjoyed the mysterious world of Stariel and the ways in which magic ties one to the land, and the magic system .
However I found, like some other reviewers, I wasn't sure who it was aimed at. It seemed to reach for an adult audience, but settle for a YA one, and at times I would have liked to see more depth and gravitas to the choices Hetta and her cohorts have made.
The most frustrating thing I found was that the world building just was not there - I wanted more of the fae, more of the lands that intersect, why the gates between the two had come to pass -- just more detail for all of these things. There are some really interesting and beautiful ideas and I wanted more of them!
All in all, I did enjoy this. It took a few hours of light reading to finish, and I probably wouldn't pay full book price for it, but would recommend it to the casual kindle reader that snaps up the 99p bargains when they are on sale.
3 and a half stars.

I quite liked The Lord of Stariel. It had an interesting plot and a well characterised heroine although the characterisation of some of the secondary characters was somewhat lacking at times. I would have also liked to learn more about the reasons why Hetta, the heroine, left Stariel in the first place and her relationship with her father. The main problem with this novel is that it didn't quite know who its target audience were. The main characters were adults but it read like a YA novel. Going forward, I think the author needs to hear the novel towards an adult audience. Overall, The Lord of Stariel was a good read and I plan on reading the sequel.

i wanted to love this novel but unfortunately, I didn't.

The premise was amazing, an estate chooses its new master through magic, having fairies and other mythical beings thrown in for good measure.

Unfortunately instead of magical fantasy, it felt very Pride and Prejudice with a few illusions thrown in to keep the reader enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong, Bronte was amazing in her time and I do have a soft spot at times but I was promised magic and fantasy and this did not deliver.

That is not to say there was no magic whatsoever. In portions of the novel where magic was used or a magical beastie appeared, i loved it. There just weren't enough scenes including it.

The major redeeming feature was the intrigue and action in the final 20%. This is where the pace really picked up and i sped through it.

Not sure if I would purchase a physical copy but I would have been content had I purchased it at its $5-ish Kindle price tag.

I received a E copy though NetGalley for an honest review.

While overall I enjoyed A.J Lancaster's The Lord of Stairel. It ended with good promise for the continuance of the series.
We meet Hetta, daughter of a Lord- The Lord of Stariel, a pseudo- magical plot of ancient land which though ritual chooses its Lord. Hetta while of the upperclass, left home against her families wishes to pursue her illusionary magic. And has in the years she's been gone become a Master Illusionist. For her time she's a fiercely independent woman, not beholden in anyway to reliance on her families name or wealth. She work, rents and lives all on her own merit. Something that creates quite a scandal amongst her own family.

But her father The Lord of Stariel has died and she must return home for 'The Choosing' in which the land selects it's new heir.
Intrigue, a mystery, massive family blunder, even more family secrets will be revealed, and Hetta finds herself square in the middle of it. Wondering just how well does she really know her own family and the stories she grew up with.

I found the pace slow in parts, but overall I did enjoy the story quite a lot!

If you enjoy romance , magic with a touch of mystery in a great setting this book is for you .

Hetta reluctantly returns home on her father's death , after 6 years in exile in the big city having made a life for herself as an illusionist . Determined to only stay until the next Lord of the Stariel has been chosen she soon finds herself questioning her place in Stariel …. her family ….and the traditions that many view as quaint .

Her dysfunctional relationship with the Valstors made the story for me .
The threat of 'Fae' invasion adds to the mystery …. who knew that the fae were real ??
The romance is a gradual thing and much more realistic than love often found in other books where everything is 'instant' .
The overall plot was good with twists and turns ……….. although some were obvious .

An enjoyable book and I look forward to the next in the series .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Aspects of this book (magical connection to the estate; incipient romance between lord and servant) reminded me of Robin McKinlay's Chalice, though this one has a much more down-to-earth, less lyrical and mystical tone. Even in the pre-release version I got from Netgalley for review, it was well-edited, with very few issues.

I do have to say that I spotted the villain very early on; it was pretty obvious who had what to gain from the chain of events. It was also obvious to me who was going to be chosen as Lord of Stariel, more for plot-related reasons than anything else. However, there were a couple of plot twists later on that more or less made up for it.

For a reluctant protagonist, Hetta does very well, taking on what has to be taken on with determination and competence. The secondary characters, their interactions and conflicts, are all well depicted, the magic is fresh, and despite the obviousness of some parts of the plot, I enjoyed the journey and would happily pick up a sequel.

This is a sweet historical fantasy romance, set in a sort of alternate 1910s England where magic exists alongside technology – Downton Abbey with Fae, if you will.

“After the funeral and the Choosing, she would leave, back to her own life. She was dependent on her family for neither shelter nor occupation nor affection now; she’d built those things for herself, and her family had no ability to threaten her by withholding them.”


Hetta is returning home after the death of her father. Rather than grieving, Hetta is more exultant. Her father was, by all accounts, a pretty horrible person, and Hetta has thrived during her six year’s exile in the big city, making a place for herself as a master illusionist with a theater company. She’s staying long enough for the choosing of the next Lord Stariel, a magical process that’s viewed as nothing more than a quaint tradition to everyone but her family. But Hetta, like the rest of her family, feels a mystical tie to the land, and it’s the land that chooses the next Lord Stariel. When the choosing goes unexpectedly, Hetta is forced to question her place at Stariel and her relationships with her family. Luckily, she has plenty of time to process that – oh wait, no! Instead, it soon becomes clear that the Fae are real, and they’ve set their sights on claiming Stariel.

Hetta stared at him with disbelief. “Does everyone in this household have some deep, dark secret they’ve been keeping from me in order to reveal it at the most dramatic moment possible?”


Hetta was a delightful main character. As an accomplished self-made young woman returning home, Ms. Lancaster struck a good balance between Hetta’s pride in her place in the big city and her feelings about being estranged from her home and family for so long. What really made the book excel for me, though, was the (often dysfunctional) relationships between Hetta and the various Valstars – her siblings Marius and Gregory, her Aunt Sybil, her cousin Jack and stepmother Phoebe. There’s also the sweet relationship with Wyn, her childhood friend and also Stariel’s butler, and a possible romance with the neighboring lord, who Hetta had a crush on as a child. The romance itself is very slow-burn, though Hetta thinks of herself as quite modern, which basically means that she’s open to kissing a guy on the first date. There’s no other sexual content in the book, so this would definitely be suitable for a young adult audience. There’s definitely a comforting feel to it, as well, even with all the threats of fae invasion, and this was the perfect book to curl up with on lazy afternoon with a cup of tea and some biscuits. The pacing drug a bit in the beginning, due to the need to introduce Hetta individually and then as she related to her large family, but then picked up after the choosing. The plot was good, with a few twists I didn’t expect, though there were, in contrast, some that were glaringly obvious (like Wyn’s mysterious background).

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, and I’ll definitely be picking up the next in the series. If you’re interested in a light historical romance with fae, magic, and a bit more talk about drains that I expected, this will be a good read!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wow what a fantastic read.. I loved this book so much its just what I was in the mood for. I couldn't put its down.
The book has a brilliant mix of romance, mystery and magic I cant recommend its a enough Ive already started telling my friends about cant wait for the next one.
I received this book from net gallery in exchange for a honest review

What a wonderful surprise: this book is wonderful, one the best fantasy I read this year.
I loved everything: the plot, the characters, the world building.
It's a mix of different fantasy genres including steampunk and fae.
Hetta, the main character, is lovely and realistic.
All the characters are enchanting, well developed and lovely.
I was enthralled since the beginning and couldn't put it down.
I cannot wait to read the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Camberion Press and Netgalley for this ARC

What a delicious read! So perfect for me! Just the false-light read I'm looking for, but usually can't find anymore these days, as romances tend to be heavy on the romance and explicit sexe to the detriment of the story, and even to characters' development, with stereotypical protagonists.

"Lord of Stariel" is just the kind of family story I love, a mix of fantasy, feminism, romance and humour, a mix of levity and profoundness: subtle but never simplistic. A very feminine read (and I don't mean "for girls"), which will delight readers who appreciate a classic style, beautiful and smart dialogues and an absence of clichés - or rather the presence of twisted ones!

I loved each aspect of the book, but I'll begin with the main character, Hatty, who's a superb feminine protagonist. She's quite feminine and sometimes a flirt (by her own admission), but is also her own person, capable, independent and occasionally irritated by male chauvinism. It was easy to root for her since the very beginning of the story.

The setting of the story is interesting, a mix of a fifties-ish atmosphere, where magic is mundane and used in a pseudo steampunk way as an energy, fuiling classical devices (cars, elektricity,..) and sometimes as an art - but not one well-mannered and respectable ladies should persue. There is also a touch of some romantic and mysterious magic, as the link between the land of Stariel and its family members...

The main tone of the story is rather perky, humorous and good-natured, with the kind of pragmatic romanticism I particularly love (as in Jane Austen's books, in a way). But never superficial. For instance one of the main theme is about festered family relations, how some are bound to be always difficult and even impossible, and won't even be absolved in death. Hatty is a strong minded person, able to accept the fact that her father died before she could see him again, and that they wouldn't have being reconciled even if she had come back home sooner.
The whole story was an easy read, clever and fun, with mysteries and revelations (some easy and exciting to guess, some others just exciting), a lovely bunch of various characters, and a pinch of romance!

I'm looking forward reading the sequences (it will be a quartet) and to buy this first book of the series in its paper version, which will soon be available: the cover is so beautiful!

This book is beautiful. It's well written, engaging, and exciting. I felt the character development was great, and the characters were mostly likable.

This is the kind of book that I don't like to do a huge overview on, because I don't want to give too much away. I will sum the premise up shortly.: Henrietta (Hetta) comes home after a long absence for her father's funeral. Home is a magical estate that chooses it's own ruler. Hetta is positive that she won't be the next ruler, but rather her cousin should be next in line. But there is something else lurking around the fringes of the estate, ready to attack the new ruler.

This book is a beautiful mix of romance, mystery, intrigue, and magic. I can't recommend it enough. This is a 5 star book for me and I don't give a 5 star rating lightly. 5 stars for me means that I will read this book over and over, I will buy it on any format I can get, and I will recommend it to ANYONE who will listen. Good job to this author. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for her!

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

What a fun story! It was like a steampunk sort of story with magic and “electrik” elements in a seemingly 1900s-1920s England setting. Hetta was a fabulous character, completely comfortable in her own skin and unapologetic for being herself. She was smart, funny, direct and kind. I enjoyed the developments of the story with her brother, but would have liked to see her cousin be more helpful. The only downside was that it was too short! I would have liked to have seen more detail and world building! Looking forward to the next story as this is the first of four.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4/5

Can I just say how gorgeous this cover is! This is one of the reasons I wanted this book and I am so glad I asked for it because it was a phenomenal start to what I expect will be a great fantasy series!

Lancaster did an AMAZING job developing the characters! Hetta is very strong and confident in herself which makes for an even better heroine for a series. Especially one that involves a fae aspect and while this book didn't have a lot of fae and fantasy elements in it, I can see the author's reasoning for focusing on setting up the world and developing the characters to be where and who they need to be so that when the sequels arrive with all their much awaited adventures, Lancaster doesn't need to add much focus on the world building. I cannot wait for the next books to see what Hetta will experience!