Nyx is disadvantaged in her studies since she is almost blind, but after being attacked (and surviving) a Mýr bat’s venom, her vision returns with predictions about Moonfall. Her survival has made her of interest to others and she quickly goes on the run. Nyx teams up an odd assortment of people, but that may be just what is needed to save everyone from Moonfall. Can this student, soldier, prince, and thief prevent the coming apocalypse?

The Starless Crown is the first book in the Moon Fall series. This fantasy novel was long and winding, which in the end wasn’t as enjoyable. There is action and intrigue with many fantastical creatures, yet the overall story continued to drag along. I believe this book would have been much better with some extra scenes removed. That being said, I did finish the story and enjoyed the ending. A good read for die-hard fantasy fans.

With this book James Rollins has proven beyond doubt that he can definitely write something besides thrillers. While his Sigma series is top-notch, this first book in the Moonfall series benefits from his years of writing experience. The story is intriguing with just enough foreshadowing to make you feel both surprised and vindicated at the end. The main characters are a motley crew, but blend together very nicely by the end. I especially like that they are not all human.

This book is a departure from the author’s Sigma books and is more similar to his earlier stand alone novels. It is definitely fantasy. He has done an outstanding job of world building and it is easy to get lost in this world. The action is non-stop and told from alternating perspectives. My only complaint is having to wait for the next book in the series.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Although I've enjoyed much of James Rollins Sigma series, I've never been a big fan of the fantasy genre. Still, I was curious to see what the author would do here. Unfortunately, this one is a DNF for me after five chapters and 6%. I'm not finding anything to latch on to story-wise, and the silly, similar-but-different names are off-putting (for example, this is set on the third rock from the sun named Urth, where students study arithomatica and biologica, and fear ghostlies and spookens). It's written in the same bloated, over-stuffed style of so many other fantasy books and, thus far, glacially paced. For all the words expended, there's not much actually being said, and the story is clearly in no rush to get anywhere. I can't fathom reading another 500 pages of this stuff. Many thanks for the ARC; while it is greatly appreciated, it's simply not to my tastes.

The Starless Crown by James Rollins is a fast-paced arcanepunk novel that blends together sci-fi and fantasy to create a unique world filled with myth, alchemy, and astrology.

The story is told through alternating perspectives:

Nyx: a blind student living in a cloistery who dreams of an apocalyptic moon crashing into Urth.

Raifth: a prisoner thief sentenced to working a mine. There he discovers a mysterious bronze statue that comes to life.

Kanthe: A disgraced prince who lives in his older twin's shadow, but he finds a new calling when he and his tutor discover that one moon has been drawing progressively closer to their planet.

Together this ragtag group join forces to try and save the world against seemingly insurmountable odds.

To start things off, I think by far the highlights of The Starless Crown for me are Rollins' gripping prose and its intricate worldbuilding.

However, I took some issues with the story’s pacing and character writing. One, there wasn’t much of a mystery. The story’s major plot twists are revealed right away within the first book, squandering any sense of intrigue or impactful character revelations they could have had down the road. Plus, the antagonists felt extremely one-dimensional, but hopefully they will become more rounded as the series progresses.

Gripes aside though, I still found this book an enjoyable genre-bending fantasy of epic proportions.

4.5 stars
Epic Fantasy at it best ! Excellent well developed characters, multilayered world, mystery and intense action. This was my first read from this author and I can’t wait for more.
The story starts with a shock of a beginning. I gasped, had to stop and just stare at the wall thinking about it. The characters all started in different parts of this world, connected with thin threads slowly thickening, twisting and finally snapping for many. Yep, hold on this author like to kill characters, characters that I enjoyed. Ouch it hurt, I was invested in them. There were no miracle unbelievable savings, it was as it would be in that world. I loved that. He stayed true to the rules of that world through the story.
Kings, princes, peasants, animals, magical beings, pirates, myths and a possible apocalypse or….? It has a lot going on, it works.
It ended with a cliffhanger, a light one. I need to read the next book but i’m not sweating bullets to get it.

Do NOT let my DNF keep you from giving this one a read if you are a big fantasy reader. It had all the things that make up a great high fantasy. I am just personally not much of a high fantasy reader, especially adult high fantasy. But James Rollins is a brilliant author and this book shows off his writing and imagination perfectly.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest here - I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning. Whether it was my own personal mood or just a slow start, I can't say. But I pushed through, and am SO glad that I did.

The story really started picking up steam in the middle, and the more I got invested in the characters and intrigued by the mysterious nature of most of the events, I was hooked.

I did drop half a star for the slow beginning. I felt it wasn't fair to drop a whole star for that, since it could have just been me. It also lost another half a star for the sheer volume of losses that poor Nyx had to suffer in this book. After a certain point, it was just pure cruelty and I don't know how she's still functioning. I know it's fantasy, but yeesh. Spread the suffering around a little!

All in all, an excellent start to a new fantasy series from one of my favorite authors, James Rollins. I'm excited to see where it goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My actual rating of this book is 3.5 stars. This book really took me a little bit to get into. It was a slow slog at the start and took a while to get used to the lyrical writing and warm up to the many characters, but I ended up really enjoying this story! I mean its hard for me to NOT get invested when there are so many animals included in the story. I am very curious to see where this story goes and will definitely be looking forward to the next installment!

TL;DR

The Starless Crown introduces reader to a harsh world full of mystery, adventure, and terror. James Rollins’ newest fantasy will delight his fans and fans of thriller pacing. Recommended.

Review: The Starless Crown by James Rollins

received James Rollins’ Map of Bones, one of his Sigma Force novels, as a gift. It’s mix of scientific inquiry, archeology, and action made for a great read. I have recommended that book more times than I can remember. Rollins has other series that unfortunately I haven’t had time to start. I enjoy his writing, and when the opportunity to review a new series of his – a new series published by one of my favorite publishers, Tor Books – I had to request it. The Starless Crown begins a new fantasy series set in a harsh world. This book features Rollins trademark thriller style to a fantasy world. The Starless Crown introduces a wild landscape with interesting characters to a world ending crisis.

Nyx is a blind school girl at the Cloistery. She’s smart and perceptive, but she doesn’t come from a privileged background like her other classmates. Her goal in life is to reach the ninth level of studies at the Cloistery, which is not merely a symbol but an actuality. To reach the highest levels of studies, she must be admitted and climb the steps to the ninth level. The prioress takes a liking to her, sees potential in her. Because of this, she’s bullied, and in one bullying moment, Nyx has to choose between a beating and breaking a school rule so sacred that she’ll be kicked out after the transgression. She chooses to ascend to the top of the school. Only ninth levels are allowed up there, and any of the students who ascend prematurely are kicked out. Nyx chooses that to avoid the beating; however, her bully follows her. He believes that his rich father will be able to pay to keep him at the school. At the top of the Cloistery, no one is there to save her. Except she hears a screech that allows her to see. A Myr bat swoops down and decapitates her bully. It also attacks Nyx leaving her poisoned and on death’s door.

Rhaif is a thief, paying for his crimes by laboring in a mine. He’s also terrified of the dark, which makes a mine even more traumatizing. In this mine, people are worked to death; life is cheap; light is dear. Rhaif has decided to escape. He has to try despite the torturous death that awaits him if he fails. While escaping an earthquake rumbles through the mine, disorienting him. Eventually, the flame in his lantern goes out, and he expects to be buried in darkness forever. But he sees light ahead of him. Faint but there. He discovers the light comes from a copper egg that looks to have been cracked open by the earthquake. Inside the egg, a statue of a bronze woman stands, and Rhaif feels a connection to the statue somehow. When he speaks to her, he thinks he sees her eyes open. But quickly Rhaif must hide because the overseers are coming towards the egg. With them comes a Shrive, a member of a secretive sect of alchymists. The Shrive orders the statue removed and to kill the work crew that moves it. A guard is left behind, and Rhaif sees his chance for freedom. He kills the guard and assumes the guard’s garb. He follows the work crew hoping and looking for an exit. Soon, Rhaif finds his way back to the statue. He sees the Shrive sacrifice a person to bring the statue to life. Rhaif knows he must free the automaton. But can he get it and himself out of the caverns?

Prince Kanthe, also known as the Prince in the Cupboard, has an easy life. Nothing is expected of him, and he’s cultivated a reputation of excess and hedonism. Drinking, drinking more, and drinking the rest are his current goals. His twin is the heir to the kingdom; so, his only responsiblity is to himself. His official role in life is as replacement prince in the event of his brother’s death. But, for now, he is a student, and a poor one at that, of a different Cloistery than Nyx. In fact, Kanthe has an alchymist for a tutor. Frell, his tutor, has made a terrifying discovery. He’s found that the moon is falling towards Urth, bringing with it, the end of the world. Frell wants to notify the King, Kanthe’s father. But the prince, knowing his father warns Frell from doing so. The King is swayed by portents and warnings, not scientific studies. Kanthe believes that the King will not listen to Frell or his words will be twisted against him.

The Starless Crown is a third person point of view novel. The three main characters above are the primary but not only view points in which the story is told. The Starless Crown is a fast moving novel, packed with fantastical elements. The world building is excellent. Rollins can write horrific monsters, and he creates excellent terrain for his characters to traverse.

World Building

The Starless Crown takes place on a planet called Urth, which is tidally locked with the sun. This means that Urth rotates so slowly that one side of the planet always faces the sun and the other away. This planetary motion creates deserts on the side toward the side; on the other side, it’s cold and dark all the time. Between the light and ark sides is where the humans live. This is called the Crown. The Crownlands are an interesting mix of world building. There’s quite a bit of different terrain, and I enjoyed seeing the various peoples and cultures.

The world has a mix of technological levels. Swords and bows are the weapons of choice, but the various kingdoms have airships for war, trade, and travel. The Shrive have dark technologies that serve their dark God. Magic, also, exists; however, we don’t see it used much. It took me a bit to recognize it as magic as well. I’m looking forward to future books to see if magic is used more.
Pacing

From the start, The Starless Crown takes off and doesn’t let up. The pacing felt a little too fast for me. While we do get a lot of good character work, we don’t get to sit with character decisions. Kanthe makes huge changes, and there’s no time to process or to reflect on the changes he makes. I’m sure others will find this just fine. I would have liked a little more consideration of the changes that are going on. The latter half of the book felt paced a little better, but it was the same pace as from the beginning of the book. So, there’s no build up to the big finale. It was all finale from the get go.

Conclusion

James Rollins’ The Starless Crown starts the Moon Fall series with excellent world building and fun dilemmas. The monsters and mysteries in this book will stay with me for a while. Fans of James Rollins will find this an interesting addition to the author’s already impressive bibliography. Recommended.

The Starless Crown by James Rollins is available from Tor Books on January 4th, 2022.

A fresh take from Rollins, who is most well-known for his series of international thrillers, this introduction into his new fantasy series, Moon Fall, is an exciting break from the norm. A fantastic adventure of intertwining storylines, ancient prophecies, and in-depth world building. I typically don't read sci-fi/fantasy but I am all in on the Moon Fall series now. Can't wait for book 2!

Rollins delivers an epic fantasy with elaborate world-building, an interesting cast of characters, and ancient magic. I enjoyed the pace of the story as the world unfolds with beautiful, yet dark landscapes and creatures.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and James Rollins for the advanced electronic copy of The Starless Crown. #NetGalley #TheStarlessCrown

I love James Rollins's Sigma books which is why I picked this to read. Nyx is an interesting character and the concept of Moon Fall very interesting. I enjoyed that the stories predictably merged into one storyline. It was a bit too long for me. I kept saying to myself I have to be near the end while reading on my kindle. I will most likely read the sequel when it comes out.

it's obvious rollins has done this before. apparently he's pumped out a couple dozen thrillers and i have the feeling it's all been leading up to this one. it's a banger, though longer than i expected.

As someone who started their reading journey with the likes of Tolkien and Lewis, it was refreshing to return to the world of traditional fantasy—and mark my words, that is exactly what The Starless Crown is. Extensive world building, well thought out political machinations, magic, monsters, and heroes both expected and unlikely; this book offers up a buffet of fantastical delights. If only it wasn’t so quick to tell you its secrets.
Make no mistake, this is an EPIC! The Starless Crown is long and in-depth, so it isn’t for the faint of heart, or those on the fence about diving headfirst into a time sink. However, if you do you’ll find yourself rewarded with something both familiar, yet unlike anything I have ever read before. While an unlikely band of characters brought together by a prophecy foretelling the end of the world isn’t an uncommon trope in this genre, The Starless Crown feels fresh because of the unique characters and creatures, and the tone of the writing. The writing feels anticipatory, making it exciting to read, despite the sizable page count.
My one criticism is that I wish that the novel wasn’t so forthright regarding Nyx’s connection to the Myr Bats and her prophecies. I wish that this aspect of the narrative had been more drawn out, so that it felt like a discovery that the reader could make as the plot progressed. Rather than having everything laid out at the beginning, plain as day. But that just might be me wanting puzzles so I can feel smart.
Overall I would recommend this if you’re a fan of large-scale epic fantasies, similar to Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time series.

What a wild adventure—THE STARLESS CROWN did not disappoint! Snappy prose and endearing characters made this 560 page book feel like a short and sweet read.

Yes, there are a lot of characters. Written in 3rd person past tense, multi-POV, readers must keep track of a few different storylines that eventually collide in a most spectacular fashion. POV’s/Chapters end with juicy cliffhangers, so you can’t help but speed read through the next, equally riveting section to pick up the thread again.

TSC gave me chills on three separate occasions. Good chills, like totally invested in the characters, storylines, ancient magic and mysteries. I loved how animals served as strong secondary characters (Myr bats 4 eva)!

If you like books that feel like Witcher x Game of Thrones, the chosen one trope, magical abilities to communicate with animals, political machinations, twin drama and a bit of body horror, then you will love THE STARLESS CROWN!

I have been trying and struggling for over a week to read this book and have only made it 30% of the way in. This is just not my type of plot or writing style so I am going to DNF at this point.

Really enjoyed Nyx's storyline that I read so far, as well as the scenes down in the mine. But unfortunately there are quite a few other main characters and I wasn't finding their storylines catching my interest. Too much world building in a rambling manner that dragged on for me.

This was such a fantastic book! I've read most, if not all, of his contemporary thrillers. I haven't read his fantasy under a different name, but this book sounded really fantastic, and I had to check it out! And I'm so glad that I did!

The prologue was really interesting to read, because it's set after the main plot of the book, and is a character reminiscing. The thing is though, which character? I can't wait to find out! Because there's a few options of who it could be!

I had read a teaser, of the gifted student, of how one of her lessons went, and I needed to read more, of what would happen next with her. And boy does she go on a journey, and there is much that she has to learn, and given the pain of what she's currently been through, she's going to be one tough cookie by the end!

This world was so interesting, because there's only a narrow portion of their world that is actually habitable. And I didn't see it until after I read the book, but there is a map, and it was great to see where everything was, because yeah, the land that they occupy is pretty tiny!

A great deal of this world is heartbreaking. And the prophecy/circumstances that they face, means that things aren't going to get easier any time soon. I need to know how it's all going to go down, because what Nyx saw, bah, I need to know!

My least favourite part was the thief, because while the artifact that he found was pretty interesting, being in his perspective was the one that was the least connected to all the others that were going on. But oh, when they all came together, boy were things intense and fantastic to read!

That ending was just chaotic and amazing! The tensions were raised because of the events that had just occurred, and they weren't all together so there was a lot of moving pieces, and it came together so well! I just can't wait to see where it goes from here!

This was such a fantastic book, and I can't wait to continue the series!

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC. I was very excited to read this book based on my previous experience with James Rollins and his Sigma Force series. Rollins is one of the best thriller writers out there, but I wasn't sure how his writing style would translate to the fantasy genre. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Is Rollins in the same category when it comes to world building and fleshed out magic systems as Sanderson or Jordan? No. Is Rollins able to write a highly entertaining fantasy story that shows amazing promise ? Yes. It's hard to match the standard that some established fantasy writers have set, but this is still a great book with an original story. I can't wait to read the rest of this story and can't wait for it to get released so that I can add the physical copy of this book to my shelf.

James Rollins is a thriller writer and I am an avid reader of his work; but this is the first time he branched out into the realm of a fantasy novel and as a thriller it delivers. He spends time creating the characters and the world necessary for the story and this makes the book a little slow and hard to get into at first. Once the story takes off the reader is glad they have that build-up. You see the author's interest in creating believable animals that are very essential characters in the story as well. The book is very well constructed and detailed nearly perfect.
It is a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the sequel -may the adventure continue....

The Starless Crown is an epic fantasy that will please readers who enjoy intricate worldbuilding in the vein of Brandon Sanderson. There were a few too many point of view characters for my liking (at times the pace of the story gets bogged down by switching too frequently), and that is the only reason I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. But others may surely enjoy this aspect of it. Overall it was an enjoyable read and the prose is excellent. It seems this will also be the start of a series or trilogy.