I'm sorry to say that I couldn't quite get through this book. I found it a bit tough to really get into the story, so I kept finding myself setting it aside in the hopes that I could come back to it later. I also realized afterwards that this was actually a sequel, so I felt like I was missing some important context from the first book.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

I didn’t realise this was second in a series so was hard to get into and catch up, but even without that I found the pace slow, I couldn’t really connect with it and I didn’t empathise with the characters much. There’s good world building and the fame are well done. But other than that not for me. Also, this book should really come with a trigger warning, the sexual abuse isn't exactly something that shouldn't be addressed,.

2.75 rounded up to 3.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I requested this book a while ago not realising it's the second book in the series. I am no longer interested in this series enough to purchase the first book and read it before reading and reviewing this book, and I don't feel like it would be a benefit to this book if I read it without the concept given by reading the first book in the series. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Queen of Sea and Stars is the sequel to Daughter of Light and Shadows. A fantasy set in a world is filled with magic, faeries, and witches.

The immersive setting, contemporary witchcraft, and lore were all highlights for me. But beyond that, I found this book a little hard to read. Mainly because of the characters, they were two dimensional, so I struggled to fully relate, or care...I also found it on the slow side.

It felt more like NA then YA; the sexual content was quite explicit and it has some problematic content and trigger warnings (kidnapping, sexual assault).

This book did not do it for me. The characters felt bland and it was very hard to get through. I was immediately put off by the non-consensual sexual relationships. I was not aware that this book was not YA when I requested it. I read the first one to prepare for this, and that one wasn't bad. However, this one really seemed to miss the mark for me, and unfortunately, I could not bring myself to finish it.

1 star.

Didn’t realise this was a sequel when requested on netgalley and this was in the YA section and is definitely not a YA book. It’s much more NA even adult in content. Sad to say didn’t enjoy at all, but it has a beautiful cover.

I’m afraid I couldn’t finish this book. I wasn’t aware that it was the second in a series, and I felt at a disadvantage not having read the first book. There was also quite an intense sex scene at the beginning of the book, and I also found this off putting. The fae and witch aspect was interesting, but not enough happened to keep my interest. I feel it is unfair to rate this book, as I DNF, but as I have to give a star rating, I have no option but to rate it 1 star.

I don't recall seeing that this was a sequel when I requested it, but it's pretty tricky to get into without the previous story. I struggled to engage with it because of this, so it's a DNF at 25%.

I struggled with parts of this book, and although many have said you can read this book as a standalone, I do wish I'd read the first novel as I think that perhaps this would have made this book easier to get to grips with.

The world itself is beautiful - a fantasy dream - and I really loved many of the characters.

There were times I found myself a little disengaged with the plot and losing interest - and there were parts I found very adult for a YA novel and struggled with.

Overall I would certainly read the series from the start, and would likely re-read this in future.

This book is a sequel so book 2 I suspect. Witches and fae my favourite type of book. There are good and bad in this book, first of this is not YA! Just so you know maybe NA--> bordering on adult, but not YA.

You have a lot of grey area characters which I love, but it all fell kind of flat. Maybe I should have read book 1 first.
The plot is uneven at times and I felt I had to go back a few steps because I had forgotten a lot of plot details.

All and all it was interesting enough and I would like to continue this series and for shore read book one.


I received a free arc copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, my opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have always loved Scotland and the Faerie. I was excited when I got this book and really wanted to where this journey would take Faye. There was no way for her escape her connection with Faeries and their king Finn. Even when she leaves Scotland for England. She discovers things about herself that puts her right back in the path of Finn once again. It is all depends on if she survives the dark magic.

Going into this book I was anticipating being welcomed into a wonderful world full of witchcraft and faerie. Unfortunately the book started off on a lacklustre note and never really picked up throughout.

This is definitely not YA and is full of graphic sexual content, including non-consensual sexual content. I felt a bit put off by the immediate sexual nature in the very first chapter.

This book may be for some people, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Another plea. You humans are full of wants, and yet when your pleas are answered, you do not like the solutions.”

A deliberately creative incorporation of witchcraft, opened the world-building of this novel to the intricacies of wonder, and anything being possible. Whilst McKerrow drew on these details to create and convincing novel, it also left the reader lacking, by telling the meaning, rather than weaving it into the writing enough to show it. Still, a quality constructed novel, and still, leaving me eager for more.

I struggled with following some of this book and wasn't surprised to discover that Queen of Sea and Stars is the second book in a series. I missed some of the worldbuilding aspects.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Queen of Sea and Stars is a sequel to Daughter of Light and Shadows. Though some commenters have indicated you can read these separately, I would read them as a series so as to better understand the Faerie realm and Faye's world. I did it this way, and feel like if I'd gone to Queen of Sea and Stars first, I'd have missed some important plot points.

I had mixed feelings about this one, there were some things I really liked, and some things I found more difficult.

I love the lore in this series, and in this book. Faeries can sometimes be depicted as loving, beautiful beings in other books I've read - and for me, these Faeries are at times malignant and often after their own goals without a care for others. Having recently finished, I'm still trying to decide if the Faerie King, Finn Beatha is a good guy or a bad guy. I seem to see so many conflicting sides to him, that I'm unsure what's right - I like this conflict though. I like trying to read into his decisions and motivations and not being sure about what his endgame is.

The thing I found hardest was that there were events in the plot could be quite unreasonable for someone to do in the particular situations they were in. Without giving away spoilers, there were certain decisions Faye made that I felt were more about driving the plot than staying true to who Faye is as a character, and doing what is in her best interests. This is my main issue with the novel as a whole. It felt forced, not a natural sequence of events.

On the whole, I have enjoyed getting to know the characters in this series and will keep my eye out for any new additions to this world.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This looked really promising, but I felt it didn’t live up to my expectations. I found it lacking in depth and the character were not very interesting. I found it disappointing.

This is a wonderful sequel to the first book in the series. It is filled with magic and fae. If you enjoyed the first book you will devour this one.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

2.5 out of 5 stars

***ARC received from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

I'm going to preface this by saying that when I originally requested this book it was not listed as a sequel. Even though the blurb says that it can be read as a standalone, I would respectfully disagree. The reader is at a significant disadvantage having not first met the characters and the overall plot/world in the previous book. Because of this, I won't address the lack of world building, particularly for Faerie, because it was more than likely covered in the first book. With that, lets be off.

The Good

- I really liked the concept for modern day witchcraft and faeries. Out of all fantasy novels, this it what I learn toward and it hit the right notes. I just wish there had been more of it, Faye makes references to her shop and witchcraft but there is very little seen. The hints that we get gives me the idea that the author knows her stuff and how to write a very interesting modern day setting. We are introduced to a coven and their members and I wanted to spend more time with them. I wanted to spend more time with everything witchcraft.

- Gabriel, I just really like Gabriel. He wanted to help Faye but he had his own reasoning. I understand his reasoning, I may not agree with them, but in the end I understand why did what he did and that is the most important part.

The Not So Good

- Pacing and Priority severely struggle in this book. The book spends a lot of time doing a lot of really mundane things. Faye and Rav shopping and drinking, Faye and her friends seeming to have the same conversation in two separate chapters. A TV show, shopping, parties all stuff that just drags the story along. By the time the book seems to remember it needs to address the overarching plot, the books well over half way over and it can't cram everything in. Which bring me to priorities, aka the things that should get the most time doesn't. Like I said the book prioritizes the mundane everyday over what could have been an interesting story.

- The romance is so questionable to me. Like, am I supposed to be rooting for Faye and Finn? Despite that Faye seems terrified of him and traumatized of the memories of what she suffered it feels like the story is going to make them endgame. Despite the fact that it feels so toxic.

Some good points but with such bad pacing its hard to enjoy the book.

I didn’t realise this was second in a series so was hard to get into and catch up, but even without that I found the pace slow, I couldn’t really connect with it and I didn’t empathise with the characters much. There’s good world building and the fame are well done. But other than that not for me

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion