I was given a free copy of Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg (author), 47 North (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Star Father is the second book in the Star Mother series. I did not read Star Mother which is the first book in the series.

Star Father was published on March 8, 2022. Apologies for this review being late.

This review will be spoiler free.

I would categorize Star Father as a romance story set in a fantastical setting.

The story takes place on a farm in the beginning, and then throughout the rest of the world as the main character and her companions travel. Other parts of the story take place in the center of the world, jungle, on the sea, forests, on the moon, and other places. It would appear the story takes place in what seems to be a pre-industrial age.

In the beginning of the story, the sun had not risen for some time and the only illumination was from the moon when it was on the horizon. It was common for people in this world to worship Mother Earth, Sun, other stars, and a few even worship the moon.

It appears the magic derived from the Mother Earth and Sun. Besides humans populating this world, godlings – some immortal and others who have long lives – and demons inhabited the world.

Ms. Holmberg created engaging, compelling, and three-dimensional characters but waned a little bit in the latter part of the story. The main character was a woman who was briefly married until her husband died and she returned to her grandmother’s farm due to war. Her grandmother and mother also lived on the farm.

Another significant minor character was a man who the main character found unconscious near a river. She and her mother and grandmother nurse the man back to health and she discovered he was immortal. The main character’s cousin, a godling with a very long life-span who was waiting to die, and a fairy godmother type character who was tasked to protect the main character during the journey.

Star Father is about someone who is mortal falling in love with and wanting to be in a long-lasting relationship someone who is immortal and what the mortal would be willing to do be with the immortal.

I was engrossed through the first half to two-thirds of story, but I thought the last third slowed down quite a bit. I think I was taken out of the story when it took place on the moon because I thought it was repetitive and not interesting. I think part of the issue was that I did not care for the “Moon” character.

I would recommend Star Father to readers who enjoy a story that takes place in a fantastical setting and has romance.

I rate Star Father 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank Ms. Holmberg, 47North, and Net Galley for the free E-ARC.

When we meet Aija the world has gone dark. The sun is no longer rising and no one knows why. Aija was a respected artist before war came to her city and she had to retreat back to her family’s farm. Now she’s found an unconscious stranger by the water that she brings home. This stranger becomes the catalyst that involves Aija in a war among the gods.

This is the companion novel (sequel?) to Star Mother. I have not read Star Mother but I’m planning on it now that I’ve read Star Father. You don’t need to read Star Mother before reading this., however reading Star Father first gave away some of the plot to Star Mother.

The characters are richly developed throughout the novel. The imagery is also amazing. The author’s ability to describe Gods and Goddesses, demigods, and landscapes is lovely. She’s able to paint with her words.

I love that the main character is female. She’s independent and brave. She’s flawed and makes some stupid choices. She’s loving and scared. She’s so human.

I can not wait to read more by this author.

Considered a standalone, this book follows the story Saigon (Sun) and Aija. I will tell you I thought Sun was a very cold, heart-less character for most of the first book, but knowing what his character endured over the centuries I understood. He was just still not someone i ever thought could have a heart, so i was cautious about how it was all going to play out in this book.

The story documents a love between a god and a moral. A battle between the Moon and Sun for dominance of the Heavens, leads the Moon's forces strick at the Sun when he was the weakest and cast him down to land upon Mother Earth. The damaged god was forced to look into the Heavens daily and miss his place among the stars. This once selfish god, who now is forced to live and rely on mortals, has a softening of a heart that he that he thought no longer had. Aija softened that heart and started a fire burning within him again.
It was a love that may have burned brighter than Sun when he was still in the sky but is just as deadly for a mortal to hold. Realizing what is happening, Sun parts with Aija to protect her. Silly god-child should know that most earth woman are stubborn and will fight for what they believe in.

What proceeds is an imaginative and creative story about growth and relationships, about finding your true self. It's about how the people we meet along the way of life's journey and how they connect with us, touch our lives, change us, and help us get to where we need to go. We fall and smile, rage and cry; but it is these experiences along the way that shaping us.

As I reader, C. Holmberg has delved deeper into her writing and the complexity of what makes "us" and I applaud her. I feel her characters. I want to laugh, cry, yell, and celebrate with them. They are real to me. It's the highest achievement a reader can give an author to be vested in them and their stories. Bravo!🤗

** Thank to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. **

This follow up to Charlie N. Holmberg’s mythic fantasy Star Mother was a real treat. I actually liked it a little better than Star Mother.

In this companion novel we get to see what happens to Saiyon, the Sun God, after the events of Star Mother. We meet Aija, a thirty something year old women who has had to leave her home and her business as an artist in the capital because of war. She is biding her time at her family farm that she shares with her mother and grandmother, sketching and painting in her spare time. One day the sun disappears from the sky and the world is plunged into eternal night. Four days into this catastrophe Aija finds an unconscious man lying next to the river near her farm and brings him home to nurse him back to health. As it turns out the mystery man is the Sun God and when he and Aija fall in love she will go to the ends of the earth to be with him.

I was hesitant to read this book because I was not a huge fan of Saiyon by the end of Star Mother, but he really didn’t feel like the same character in this story which might bother some but was fine by me.

I also found that the first part of this story dragged a little for my taste, we spent a very long time in the dark at the farm. Fortunately the adventure of the second half of the book made up for the lack of action at the start. It was also during this second half that we got to see Aija’s real personality and I loved her strength and determination despite what everyone around her was telling her to do and think.

The supporting characters were also a nice addition that we didn’t have as much in Star Mother. It was nice to see so many positive familial relationships in a fantasy novel. I really felt that while Aija’s mother and grandmother didn’t always agree with her decisions, they were always going to love her no matter what choices she made. It was also great to get a strong relationship between Aija and her cousin Zyzi. I loved the backstory between them. The godlings in this story were also more compelling than the few that we saw in Star Mother.

This is a great follow up to Star Mother, but it definitely stands on its own and in my view is the better of the two books.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THE FREE EARC IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.

When Aija found a man lying unconscious by the river, she had no idea how much this chance encounter would change her life forever.

Star Father is an adult fantasy novel and a companion to Star Mother . I hadn’t read Star Mother before I read this book, but I can totally understand the plot and can’t help fall in love with the celestial world Holmberg created. Both books can be read as a standalone, though I would still suggest reading Star Mother first (I think there are some minor spoilers!)

If you are as mesmerized by that cover as I was, I’m happy to tell you that the story inside is equally, if not even more, beautiful. Expect to read about re-discovered passion, sweet romance, strong family bond, adorable sidekicks, and misunderstood souls! Really, what more could I ask from such a good book?

I took a liking to Aija and Saiyon, the main characters, pretty early on, and only grew to love them more and more. Aija’s determination is inspiring yet relatable. I also love how much her passion for art plays an equal part as her love for Saiyon. Their story reminded me so much of An Enchantment of Ravens and Reawakened , both of which I enjoyed a lot.

The plot is medium-paced yet not without twists and turns, adventures, and romantic moments. I love how some scenes are told retrospectively while fitting right into the natural flow of the plot.

I’m still in awe and thinking about the world-building in this book long after I finished Star Father. I love the wide variety of magical beings that stir my imagination. It feels as if there is infinity to explore in this amazing world, and I’m craving more and more from it. I will definitely read Star Mother as well. I would be elastic if there are more books to come in this universe!

This is my first time reading Holmberg’s work and I can’t believe I’ve waited until now. The writing is beautiful and soothing, the plot is well crafted, and the characters are lovable. I would recommend Star Father to fantasy lovers, especially if you like reading about gods, godlings, celestial beings, and the feeling of discovering and being involved in something far greater than yourself. Go check out Star Mother first if you haven’t read it yet.

*My thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the review copy*

Holmberg is a reliably good writer and her books are like comfort food. I didn't enjoy the sequel as much as I enjoyed the first book; mostly due to which characters I tend to gravitate towards. Def worth reading Star Mother as a companion to this. 2.5 stars

4.5 stars.

A companion novel to Star Mother, this novel blends so many of the things that I love about Charlie N. Holmberg's writing. Everything feels natural and yet a touch ethereal, with the atmosphere and the universe creation developing in a way that somehow feels comforting and continuously compelling. Her worlds and characters have something to them that just seizes my heart.

The plot follows a mortal woman, Aija (Ai), who finds herself unknowingly in love with the Sun God (Saiyon) while a celestial war wages. The relationship in this novel follows a much more adult feel in the emotional component and it has been fun to watch the evolution of Holmberg's characters in a way that somewhat parallels her own age. Aija, unlike most fictional adult heroines, is in her thrities. I appreciated the introspective consideration of Ai's character and love that she fits right in among Holmberg's tendency toward strong, independent female protagonists. She is stubborn & fierce & often a force to be reckoned with.

The pacing was a bit slower in this novel than the first in the duology, but there was a lot of introspective character work and an establishment of fantastic relationships between Aija and all of the people and cosmic beings who surround her. I enjoyed the quest aspect to the plot and loved seeing the exploration of different ecological areas. There is a touch of darkness to Aija's Earth and the interactions with the celestial world, something that definitely increases my interest in a plot.

This is a fantastic mix of Holmberg's strongest talents. Fantastical quest plus beautiful romance. I had a lot of fun with the duology and, as always, look forward to reading more of the fantastic things that Charlie N. Holmberg puts to the page.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Star Mother was incredible but Star Father just blew my mind! Wonderful storytelling full of passion and life and a woman determined to have her love at all costs. Demons, The Moon other Immortals, no one will come between her and her Sun! An incredible unforgettable journey that I could not put down! I would love to read more!

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology and the author is one of my absolute favorite writers so I was really looking forward to this book and I was not disappointed [thank goodness! LOL].
What will you do for love? How far could you go? How many sacrifices can you take? Can you leave everything you know, just for love? Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to be with the one you never expected to love and be with? While the first book touches on this topic, this book dives right in and spares no one in the quest for love. Aija and Saiyon, and their sacrifices, make even the hardest cynic [meaning me. I am the hardened cynic] believe in love. While we see Saiyon in the first book, that story is all about the Star Mother and you only get weird glimpses of him. This book is ALLLLL about him and while he at times frustrates me, I can see that he really loves Aija and is impressed at what she is willing to do to be with him.

While I didn't like this one as much as the first book [which really blew my mind], this was still a really excellent read [and when I say I didn't like this as much, I mean like a 1/2 a star difference or less. This was really good. I just liked the MC of the first one a little bit more] and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy/mythology read. While you technically don't need to read the first one to enjoy this one, I still recommend reading them both together; it is so neat to see how Saiyon evolves from book one to book two.

I am so glad I was able to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlie N. Holmberg, and 47North for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book and I really enjoyed it! We are transported back to the world introduced in the first book of this series, Star Mother. Although you could read one without the other, I do believe reading the first made my love for the second stronger, so I would recommend reading both.

In the first book, we get the world building and the slow romance. It was enjoyable, unique, and beautifully written, but was missing a certain element for me. This book gave me everything the first book did not. It's a fast-paced fantasy romance. You will fall in love with Aija and Saiyon's story. My heart ached for Aija with her unwavering stubbornness and determination on her journey for immortality to spend forever with her love. I also loved the side characters and in the author's note she stated this book was unintentional with Star Mother meant to be a standalone, so I'm hoping she will continue this series in the future.


**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

I love the world that Holmberg has created with this duet. The mythology and the characters are so completely unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

When I read Star Mother, I cried multiple times, yet found the relationship between Ceris and her love to be lacking the emotion that was so clear throughout the rest of that story. I was worried this book would be similar, and I was so very pleased that that was not the case. I loved Aija, and I loved the development of her relationship with and feelings for Saiyon. The story was very interesting and kept my interest in a time when no other book seems to be able to. It did slow a bit in the middle, but I was already invested enough in wanting to see how Aija overcame all her obsticals to be with Saiyon, that I powered through it. And I’m so glad I did.

This was a beautiful story, well-thought-out with gorgeous details that you can picture as if Aija is right there, painting them for you. I loved all of the characters and would definitely look forward to other books written in this world.

Chronologically, Star Father is a follow-up to Charlie N. Holmberg’s Star Mother, though you can read both books independently of one another. I was able to read Star Mother before receiving an arc of Star Father, which takes place in the same world with familiar characters, and while that provided some helpful background, it’s not necessary in order to understand this book.

This book was okay!

The development of the romance between Saiyon, the sun god, and Aija, a mortal, happens quite quickly within the first half of the book and was honestly a bit too saccharine for me. It’s understandable that the romance develops swiftly since the remainder of the book focuses on Aija’s independent quest to become immortal so that she can be with Saiyon. I appreciate that the book emphasizes Aija’s initiative and the actions she takes to pursue her goal. At the same time, sometimes Aija’s stubbornness drew to the point of foolishness and endangering those around her, and it was difficult to always empathize. Aija’s artistic skill is a character trait that helps to set her apart as her own individual apart from Saiyon and her desire to cultivate her art was perhaps more compelling than the romance for me.

I enjoyed the poetic, reflective nature of Aija’s narration. Where Holmberg’s writing fell a bit short for me was in the plotting and description of the settings; this is a book of epic proportions that covers vast amounts of time, land and sky, and sometimes shifting through all of these settings was written less believably.

I think fans of Madeline Miller’s lyrical style will perhaps be drawn to Holmberg’s writing in this book; those who love epic myth retellings will also enjoy Holmberg’s stories, which are really ultimately origin explanations for particular celestial phenomena (but to reveal exactly what might be a spoiler!).

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a digital review copy in exchange for honest feedback!
3.5/5

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg is a fantastic companion novel to Star Mother. I gave Star Mother 4.5 stars - and Star Father is a solid 5 - I’d give it more if I could! While it could be read as a standalone, I think you’ll have a greater appreciation if you read Star Mother first like I did. Plus it was fun reading about the tid bits and connections between the two books. Charlie sure knows how to put a good twist on traditional fantasy/mythology stories.

Our main character Aija is a fully developed, strong, independent, thirty-something artist. After the human war gets too close for comfort, she is forced to move home from a bustling city to her family farm & help her mother and grandmother. I loved getting to know Saiyon more deeply and understanding him more than we did in Star Mother. My favorite side character is Ist by far. He is a sweet, old godling who talks. really slow. in. an endearing. type of way.

There’s been an ongoing celestial war between the Sun and the Moon, and one day everything goes black - the Sun has disappeared. A few days later, Ai finds a man unconscious by the river near the farm. Coincidence? I think not. Aija has always thought her heart was too hard for love - but soon she’s falling madly in love with this stranger, and she’ll go to the edge of the universe and sacrifice literally everything to be able to be by his side.

There is not an overly large cast of characters, which I am thankful for, because you really get to know the main characters more intimately. The world building, as usual, was incredible. So many unique places and descriptions; I could easily feel like I was walking along beside Aija on her journey (I especially loved the journey to the Earth Mother’s heart). And an epic journey it was - filled with gods, goddesses, demons, demigods, and godlings! The character descriptions were so well written.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to any fantasy/mythologyesque lovers!

Charlie N. Holmberg always has totally unique magic systems and plot lines and has quickly become one of my top 5 authors!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Every time I read a Charlie N. Holmberg novel, I’m blown away by her magic systems and her world building. In Star Father, Holmberg takes us back to the world of Star Mother, but this time we get Saiyon’s story and I’m here for it! As the sun, Saiyon cannot be with a mortal without hurting them, which makes things in the romance department difficult. In Aija, Saiyon has found a woman determined and strong enough to fight for him. But can she do the impossible and find a way to become immortal so that she can be with the man she loves?
I love how creative this story is. I love Aija’s fire. She’s stubborn and determined, almost to the point of being annoying, yet her fire is part of what makes her such a wonderful, memorable character. I love Aija’s art and the group of characters Holmberg has created to help Aija on her journey. This book does have some steam, though it’s nothing explicit or overly detailed. Overall, this was an enjoyable story full of fantasy, adventure, and romance.

*Thank you to Charlie N. Holmberg and 47 North for an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I only read the first book in this series because I love so many of the author’s books. I found the first half of that book compelling, despite not being my kind of story. I was curious where the story would go with this book but unfortunately for me it was not as fascinating as the first book. Where Ceris was a very gripping character Aija paled in comparison. She is suddenly caught up by this beautiful man she knows nothing about which perhaps makes a certain sense as he is in fact a god, but it’s also just not very interesting. Not is there any reason to believe he would feel the same way for her. Where Ceris had to rise to the occasion and her character evolved I just did not find myself very interested in Aija and I found Saiyon boring compared to the first book. There is a lot of repetition, about her as an artist, her demanding grandmother and farm life which was dull and made me wish for more. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed Star Mother and thought that it was a stand alone. Looks like the author decided to continue the story but this can definitely be read as a stand alone. It was a good story but I thought the first book was better.

Charlie N Holmberg is an author whose works I have previously enjoyed immensely, but for some reason this one just did not work for me. I did not connect to any of the characters and did not care about the outcome of their story, but I could appreciate the writing. This leaned a little heavily on the romance storyline for me, especially given my apathy towards the characters . The most interesting part of the book in my opinion was actually the interactions between Aija and the Moon, and I wish that had been more developed.
I read an reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

How far would you go to be with the one you love?! For Aija, it's to the moon and back. This is the second book in the Star Mother series, this follows more of the storyline for the Sun god, Saiyon. So I will say that I liked the first book better. I enjoyed Ceris journey more and I felt like her love was more real than Ceris. Star Father romance felt a little forced and a little sudden, more like love at first sight. I did enjoy the art aspect and getting more of the Moon's side of things which I felt like I wanted with the first book. All in all still though not a new favorite, still a solid book from Charlie. She just has a way with words.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Star Father is the companion sequel to Star Mother. While I enjoyed some of the foundations for the world set in the first novel, this story can be read as a standalone. The events from the first installment are also mentioned in this book, so it is ideal to read both in order, but it is not necessary to enjoy either novel. The main story follows Aija, a mortal artist in her thirties, who falls in love with Saiyon, the Sun and father of the stars. While the two stories in the series have overlapping characters, they have slightly different focuses in terms of themes. While the first one focuses a lot on loyalty and motherhood, this one focused more on romance. I greatly enjoyed both and loved how the stories worked both together and separately.

When the Sun is knocked out of the sky and falls to Earth, the sky grows dark. Aija volunteers to venture from her family’s farm to gather water from the nearby river. Here she comes across a strange man who needs help, so she takes him with her back to the farm. The attraction between them was instant, but the build-up to their connection and love was a slower burn over the course of the story. Saiyon inspired Aija to continue her art and the two begin to get to know each other. When it is discovered that the human Saiyon that Aija knows is the Sun, their relationship becomes more complicated. Aija needs to become immortal to be with him, but she has no idea if this can be accomplished. Saiyon leaves her to return to his duties, so Aija sets out to try and reunite with him.

Each story in the duology followed a mortal woman and her interactions with immortals, but each protagonist was incredibly different and enjoyable. After being introduced to Saiyon in the first novel, it was lovely for him to have a story with him at the center. There were moments when he was frustrating as a character, but I liked him overall. Aija is a stubborn and determined woman who is set on achieving her goal. She was not perfect and made many mistakes along the way, but she learned from them over time. This story felt original and was very entertaining. The reader is invested in Aija’s journey for immortality and roots for her to reunite with Saiyon. The duology had two stories that each felt unique, yet they felt cohesive without a lot of overlap, which is great for readers who only read one of the stories. I am thrilled that I read both and will gladly continue to read more novels by the author!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, 47North, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

A companion novel to Star Mother, though this can be read as a standalone, in which Saiyon, the Sun God, falls to Earth and lives as though mortal for a time. Following his return to the heavens, Aija, the girl he fell in love with, will do anything to achieve immortality so she can be with him forever.

This was a beautifully written book, as all of Holmberg's books are. I loved the way Aija poured herself into her art as well as her stubbornness and determination to achieve her goal.

Zyzi, Ist, and Tyu made for a fun conglomeration of companions, each so different but so important.

I hope to reread Star Mother and Star Father someday, because the stories are just so full of feeling and beauty.