You know its a good book when you preorder it before you even get halfway through the arc. I LOVED this. Such a unique premise with characters that intrigue from start to finish. The parallels to our real world were excellent and I really liked the modern setting. The dual POV really elevated the story and kept me engaged. Its a little bit fantasy, a little bit mystery, and a little bit of a subtle love story and a whole lot of trying to find your place in the world. I honestly would love for this to be a series, I'm very invested in the world and the characters.

Anora Silby is getting a fresh start. She had to leave her home in New York after a mysterious accident left people whispering and gossiping about her. The thing is, she can see the dead, which makes being a teenager all the harder. Now, at her new school she is going to keep her head down, not cause any trouble, and definitely not engage with any of the dead she can see. Shes partnered up with Shy, the schools popular boy, to be shown around the school and she can't help but feel that she knows him. Sweet on the outside, Shy is hiding a massive secret, one that includes a large majority of the town she just moved to. Keeping herself out of trouble may be harder than she expected...

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom & Netgalley for the early access. I cannot wait for my physical copy to get in!

I have really enjoyed all of Scarlett St. Clair’s books. This was the last book to mark off to have read all her books. This one, while touching on Greek mythology like the Hades Persephone books, was a lot different from her others. A much younger MC. When I started the book I wasn’t really sure if there was going to be more “fantasy” than just seeing the dead. I was very pleasantly surprised by the addition of Valryn, Hellhounds, etc. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, but King of Battle and Blood continues to reign supreme for me!

LOVED IT! Loved every bit of it.

I don't remember the last time I was completely enraptured by a book. I mean, I was ENTHRALLED. I hardly looked at my reading time remaining (which happens more than I'd like to admit, even on the best day). It was easy at first to start trying to solve the mystery of the missing coin, or who was "xoxo gossip girl" , but I quickly ended that and just enjoyed the ride. I am now the newest fan of Scarlett St Clair.

The only things I did not like was how the MC's personality seemed to do a complete 180 in the last 20 pages of the book. (Slight spoiler ahead->) It was just awfully presumptuous of the MC to try to control the Order when she's fudged up left and right the whole book and has no formal training, but go off I suppose. It was jarring to say the least.
I also found the ending to be slightly predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless!

Either way, I will definitely be reading more of Scarlett St Clair! 5⭐

3.75 stars!!!

So apparently, this book got republished???

And I like the newer cover sooo much better???

To start off, the first few chapters were honestly kinda boring. Not gonna lie. But then again, I always have a bit of a hard time starting SSC's new books.

I liked A Touch of Darkness but this one was honestly better than that even though the buildup was a bit slow.

It could've been shorter but I still enjoyed it. But dude, the names were soooo weird they threw me off. Shy Savior. Ugh Great guy, do NOT like the name.

But still, anyway, the book was good. Could be better though???

I absolutely loved this. This is a YA story about a girl who can see ghosts and then through some other supernatural creates inspired by greek myths in there. I loved the story and how we were introduced to the magical aspects throughout the book. It came naturally and went with the story which allowed the story to flow beautifully. The characters were so amazing and entertaining. I love that we got to follow Anora and Shy. Getting both perspectives really enhanced the story. I can't wait to read the sequel and see how everything concludes.

WOW. This was my first Scarlett St. Clair book and it did not disappoint.
Starting over is proving to be difficult at Anoras new school - mom, friends, boys…and don’t forget that she can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins. This book gripped me from the first page and wouldn’t let me go. I cant wait to see what the next book has in store for us!

The only reason why this wasn’t a 5 star read for me was because of Shy and Anora’s relationship leading up to the last chapter. It felt very disjointed throughout and then at the end they’re making out? 🤔

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In her YA debut, Scarlett St Clair retells the Orpheus and Euriyduce myth in a whole new way for a new audience. Her writing is as captivating as ever in this stunning read.

Thank you Scarlett St Clair and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of When Stars Come Out.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.

Things I loved:
- Anora’s POV. She was such an interesting female MC
- The ghost aspects of this book

Things I wished for:
- Less from Shys perspective. His chapters felt a little info dumpy and his chapters answered mysteries I would have preferred to discover from Anora’s POV
- A more fast paced story. There were a lot of great chapters in the book but they were spread out.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

When I first heard that Scarlett was writing a YA novel, I was concerned that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as her other books. I'm glad I was proved wrong. *Content Warning: Suicide*

When Stars Come Out is a dark YA fantasy with a duel POV between Anora and Shy. A Reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice, this book will have you hooked from the beginning.

Anora is the new girl of Nacoma Knight Academy. Her and her mother are having to start their lives over after tragic events. Here's the thing, Anora can see the dead. Not only can she see them, she can turn them into coins.

Shy is Valryn and can shift between being a raven, human, and hybrid. He is part of a society called The Order that is in place to keep tabs on the spirits. When he meets Anora, he has a feeling he knows her but can't place it.

When a spirit at the school disappears, it starts events that no one could see coming. People will be betrayed, secrets will surface, and lives will be forever changed.

Beyond delight! Ghosts and intrigue, secrets and defining who you are. Creative premise, great characters, and a fun new "reality" make for a great read!

Thank you so much for the e-arc.

This is a YA fantasy with romance, death, ghosts, strange magic.

I enjoyed it. There's also a gorgeous SE coming out and I was able to get a copy.

Will have to check out the authors backlist!

4.5 ⭐

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: fantasy, friends to lovers

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: contains scenes that depict suicide

I enjoyed the book, but relationship between Anora and Shy is almost similar to that of King of Battle and Blood.

Anora is still grieving her grandpa and dealing with the mother who is still suffering. She can see ghosts, but can't explain where she gets this power from. With the help of the friends she made at the new school, Anora discovered the truth that everyone was looking for.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books and Scarlett St Claire for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This author is one of my absolute favorite, must-read authors! I love her books and writing style and each one just draws you in. This book is no different. Scarlett has an amazing way of drawing you into her stories and you can't put them down! This story is different from her other books which is a great thing. I wrapped up in the mystery of this one as the story follows Anora who can see and turn dead spirits into gold coins (a skill she wants to keep secret). She turns a classmate into a gold coin then loses it. She realizes that if another has the gold coin then they can steal souls! When another classmate comes up dead, Anora knows she must risk it all and find that missing gold coin! This dark mystery story is so fun to read.

3.5 Stars- This is a little bit hard to rate and review for me. I found some aspects a bit underwhelming, BUT at the end of the day I enjoyed it and want to see where this goes! I found the concept really intriguing. An Orpheus and Eurydice retelling (although I’d say very loosely-maybe it will tie in closer in the sequel), a girl who can see ghosts and struggles with this ability as it clashes with the normalcy she craves, and a race of Valryn-an order of human/raven shifters who’s job it is to protect humans from otherworldly creatures and to find the Eurydice because only the Eurydice can open the gates to the underworld and herd the souls through (holy run on sentence sorry!)

The story was action packed and the pacing was quick (which is great). I think my issues primarily stem from a lack of depth. I feel the events of the plot outpaced character development and world building. The characters fell flat for me and I would have liked more insight into the world of the Valryn.

Despite that, I’m excited to see where this goes!

Thanks Sourcebooks Bloom and NetGalley for the eArc!

It took me a minute to get used to the rhythm and get my brain out of HadesXPersephone and into WSCO. Once I did and once I got the world and it's rules under control, I fell right into this story of Amora and Sky. Scarlett St Clair writes book with characters who are more. You think they are one thing, but soon learn that there is much more to them and the world they are in than initially expected. It wouldn't be her without some threads of mythology and without characters with sass and strength. I really liked this YA fantasy and am very interested in what comes next.

Thank you so much to Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of When Stars Come Out (When Stars Come Out, #1) by Scarlett St. Clair in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own. Any quotes in this review should be cross-referenced with the final copy for any possible edits.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

My favorite elements: I never read this when it originally came out and I believe this is a re-release with a traditional publisher. Let's start off with how unattractive the old cover is... Fitting yet unattractive and offputting for readers. The new cover is a massive improvement already. I'd compare the writing to a younger Jennifer L. Armentrout which I actually much prefer to her newer books like From Blood and Ash. Kudos there. The story focuses on a group of kids who can "see" souls/ghosts and a hot mysterious guy is thrown in there. I truly enjoyed the vibes of this novel the most and that is always a plus.

My criticisms: The plot does not fit the late 2000s YA formula, as well as the tropes, do. I wish we could break that mold so badly. The grammatical formatting is a bit off. It is confusing when you are flipping between Shy and Anora's inner voice then realize that you aren't picturing the right mind, per se. For how much happens in this book, it is fairly short.

If you liked the following, you will probably like this book:

- Fallen
- Beautiful Creatures
- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Will I finish the series? Perhaps. I think I am too old for this one even though I often enjoy YA.

Thank you to Bloombooks, NetGalley, and Scarlett St. Clair for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! ☺️

I went into this book semi-blind. I had read the description a few months back, and I was aware of Scarlett St. Clair because I have read her Hades x Persephone saga, so I was excited to try something different from her! When Stars Come Out was such a unique story. It captured my attention from the first chapter and kept me drawn into the plot until the end. St. Clair effectively weaves a story with multiple characters who are connected through different different aspects of the plots, and yet it never feels messy or leaves you feeling disjointed as the reader. Anora fits the teenage FMC role well, and has the right balance of flaws and strengths that allow her to shine while being relatable. Shy Savior (which, can we first agree is just a killer MMC name? Swoonworthy much?) is just *chef’s kiss*. I appreciated how St. Clair played with the concepts of good and evil in this story. There are multiple characters who play in the grey area of right and wrong, and who are on the “good side” but who you don’t particularly like and vice versa. I love how this book ended. It left it open to where the ending felt resolved and you could be satisfied with it as a stand-alone, while also knowing that this world had only started to be explored (making it perfect for a series, maybe with the next book featuring our favorite underdog Jacobi😍😍). Regardless, I call this book a win for St. Clair! Perfect for YA fantasy romance readers and lovers of St. Clair’s books!


TW: mentions of suicide (past and present), grief, mentions of self-harm, mentions of occult practice, kidnapping, death of a family member (in the past)

SYNOPSIS:
After a series of tragic events, Anora Silby and her mother are starting fresh, including new identities, in a new town. Anora can see the dead and turn their spirits into gold coins, a confession that had her mother threatening to send her to an asylum.

Anora wants nothing more than to hide her abilities and lead a normal life. But on her first day at her new school, Nacoma Knight, she not only claims the soul of a dead girl, but loses the coin too. And she soon finds out that whoever now possess that coin is using it to steal other souls and murder her classmates.

Speaking of classmates, Anora has managed to capture the attention of two of them, both equally as intriguing as they are opposing. Shy - the quarterback golden-boy, who takes it upon himself to help her acclimate to her new school. Thane - broody and mysterious, but the only one willing to be honest with her about the strange happenings around town.

She must find her lost coin and stop the murders, all while trying not to make her the target of the people who are hunting her, wanting to claim her powers for themselves.

When Stars Come Out is a unique twist on the classic tales of Orpheus and Eurydice.

REVIEW:
The magic system in the story is so compelling. I enjoyed slowly learning more about the world. The complex hierarchies and social structures built into the magic world of the story are also super engaging.

I love the blend of paranormal and mythology woven into the story world.

There is an element of creeping tension, dark undertones, and a permeating sense of foreboding that hooked me in from the start. We know something bad happened to Anora in the past but not what exactly. The trickling of reveals to the mysteries leaves you guessing and wanting more.

This story is expertly-crafted intrigue and slowly-thickening tension, all bound into a plot full of truly unexpected twists and turns. It's a masterful piece of building layers that makes this story so amazing.

There is a significant part of the plot and story that is not mentioned in the description so I won't give it away here. I think sometimes book descriptions can give away too much so I was pleasantly surprised with this unexpected layer to the story.

Love that we are getting answers to all the mysteries as a slow trickle of things being revealed and we are learning about the character at the same time as she is discovering herself.

I felt an immediate emotional connection to Anora and her desire to feel "normal" and just fit it. I loved learning about her at the same time as she is discovering herself. Anora has a relatable personality in general and I was immediately engaged in her experience, seeing her adjust to being the new girl at a small-town school.

I loved the names of the characters in this story. Perhaps a seemingly small detail, but one I find important, especially in fantasy, where names can sometimes pull me out of the story rather than flowing well within it.

The side characters actually take an important part in the plot of the story and I felt that they were well-developed. There is an intricate relationship between them all.

The forbidden love that slowly develops is heated, intense, and delicious. I soaked up every minute of their connection.

There is humor in the dialogue and the writing style in general has a wonderful flow.

I genuinely couldn't put this book down and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloom Books for gifting me a copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review!

Anora Silby keeps her ability to see the dead and turn spirits into gold a secret at her new school. On her first day, she takes the soul of a dead girl on campus and lost the coin. The coin gives others the ability to steal souls, and a classmate is found dead; Anora knows what killed the student. She's dealing with grief, mistrust from her mother, attention from a student named Shy and the student gossip app threatening to expose her. Anora still must find the person that stole her coin, making herself a target for the Order. The organization governs the dead on Earth and want Anora and her powers for themselves.
From the start, Anora and her mother have a prickly relationship, and her mother's volatile mood shifts are difficult. Anora's confusion and discomfort are such tangible things, as much as her fear of the ghosts on campus, you can't help but bond with her immediately. Shy, as off as he comes across to Anora, also quickly gains my sympathy. We see what his struggles are as a knight in training, the rigid rules and the other trainees informing on each other. With an oppressive atmosphere like this, of course we want the teens to make a break for it.

The teens in the story are largely in over their heads. Shy believes the party line and wants to do right by the rules he was raised with, even though he feels a connection to Anora and wants to protect her. His friends within the organization are also trainees, so things don't go as well as they hope when they move independently of their supervisors. To be fair, the Elders are autocratic and stern, appearing to have no sympathy for others and wanting their own agenda fulfilled. None of the teens are willing to take them at face value, and seek to forge their own path, right up until the end of the book. I wonder if this is the start of a series, because the world building is fascinating and I would love to see more.

Anora and her mom have just moved to Oklahoma after losing her grandfather, "Poppa" and being accused of murdering a boy from her previous school. But Anora has a secret, she can see the dead, capturing their souls with her thread, turning them into gold coins with a raven symbol on one side and blank on the other. Anora hasn't quite figured out her newfound powers yet and doesn't quite understand why after her grandfather's death all of these things have started happening to her.

Shy is a Shadow Knight in Training for the Order, a group of Valryn, raven hybrids, who are servants of the Greek God Charon. Upon meeting Anora in school Shy instantly feels drawn to her. Doing whatever it is he can to be near her, to be with her, to protect her. But then one of his best friends commits suicide, without any signs of depression, she hung herself above the front entrance to the school. Could it have been the Eurydice ? The one who creates the gold coins, the one able to ferry those who have passed in spirit.

Both Anora and Shy are trying to figure out why they feel so bonded, but with other things at play such as the dark occult they face many different obstacles. I LOVED this YA experience from Scarlett St. Clair. I've already pre-ordered my copy of this book and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel ! Fans of the Mortal Instruments Series should definitely pick this book up !