Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I TRUST QUEER LATIN/CENTRO AMERICAN AUTHORS TO ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT !!!!
THIS IS SOOO GOOD
All capitals so you understand
Perfect platonic relationships and friendship, the sweetest remances, strong feminism and non toxic masculinity I LOVE IT HERE

This one had interesting magical systems, but ultimately was not the fit for me. The writing seemed more tell than show, and the characters all seemed younger than they were (even the definite adults). Maybe I'm just too far out of my young adult era, but it just read a little on the juvenile side. 3 stars because it wasn't bad, and I really do think it was a me thing.

In the beginning, I was able to connect with the story. It was atmospheric and the descriptions of the night and the architecture were compelling. However, as the story progressed, I could not connect with the characters. I am not sure if this was because I felt like the stakes were not high enough, or if this just was not my cup of tea. Either way, maybe I was looking for something a little more character driven; I just did not jive with the writing. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this novel and I’m sorry that I didn’t love it!

The premise of this book really drew me in and I was really excited to read it. I ended up really enjoying it as I think the magic and the world is really unique and I enjoyed getting to see the characters grow throughout the story. I think the pacing for this book was excellent as that is one of the bigger issues with fantasy books. The magic and the powers throughout the story were really interesting and I'd love to get to see more with this whole system. I think one of the best parts about it was the love story.

a fun sci-fi/fantasy novel that i read in one sitting

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced copy of this book. I really loved the premise of this book but the pacing felt a bit off to me: slow to start and then too rapid-fire to the finish. The concept was great though!

*thank you to NetGalley for giving me access*
I didn’t finish this book (I made it to 80%) because I forgot I had it and then my license expired haha. But I think it says it all, doesn’t it?
I feel like the book could have been so good but it just didn’t work for me. The plot felt like something I’d seen before, none of the characters made smart decisions in my opinion (except for Hans but I’m a sucker for (almost) any gay character) and Etan was just way too powerful if you ask me. As I said, I didn’t finish the book so the ending might have redeemed it but I’m not interested enough to find out

Starseer is a queer young adult fantasy shrouded in treachery and deceit with a cast of characters that will capture you from the first few pages.

Orphaned at a young age, Etar has known nothing but fear while living within his uncle's walls. But the stars have other plans for Etar, and soon, he will discover friendship and love. And for that gift alone, Etar would willingly sacrifice himself to save his chosen family.

I truly can't wait to what adventures await Etar and his family.

Starseer was an enjoyable read. Slow to start, it really picked up in the second half and became quite the page turner.

Etar, the starseer, has been told his whole life that his magic is weak and has been left to feel alone and a burden on his uncle's family and failing kingdom. Etar is 15, but felt like a young 15 as far a young adult fiction goes and his point of view, especially early on feels quite childish. The book also shared Jossan's POV, general of the army of Skalland, which does add a more mature voice. She is a nice foil to Etar.

Hernandez has created the beginnings of a fascinating magic system that I wish we got to see more of within the book. The bit we do see has undefined rules that are seemingly easily broken, and I was left at the end of the book really not understanding how it worked. If there's a sequel to this book, I hope we get a more comprehensive structure put in place.

Overall, I think the book has lots of solid pieces, and a rich found family component, but didn't quite dive deep enough or flesh out all those elements to really be a homerun for me.

3 stars.| Received an ARC.

I love the premise of Starseer - a gifted novice who can see the future...but hasn't really hit their potential yet. I had a bit of a hard time with the pacing overall and felt it leaning more towards Middle Grade instead of Young Adult most of the time. It has a very cute slow romance with good representation. Overall, the story went the way I thought it would, no real surprises, but it was a cute, quick read. Easy 3 stars.

It was a very interesting premise and I really enjoyed the main character! I honestly can't wait to read more from this author!

This book was sweet, but felt kind of all over the place. I can't say that I got a good feeling for the world or the stakes at all. The characters were well-developed, but not altogether very interesting.

Starseer by Katya Hernández is a wonderful book. This Slow Burn Fantasy was a treat to delve into, with loveable characters (who were sometimes idiots) and an interesting magic system that I can’t wait to return to. I also loved how the boys' love of each other did not become their entire story. It took it’s time to draw out who they were and still pay attention to the overall plot. It showed us a place we don’t often see in fantasy stories, and was a pleasant change from what I’m used to. I hope to revisit this world and the characters that call it home.

Standalone (multiple POV)

Adventure: 2/5

Spice: 0/5

Angst: 0/5



Synopsis: Etar is a young haphazard magician with a skill known as Starseeing. After a series of unknown events when he was 5, he is orphaned into the care of his uncle in a small seaside kingdom. As he grows, he is discouraged from using his magic, and bullied relentlessly by his cousin. One night, after years of headaches and weird dreams, Etar is determined to visit the starseer dome, a place his uncle has refused he go. Unknown to the reason why, Etar disobeys and visits the tower to speak with the stars. This event alerts a far off warmongerer of Etar’s location, and unknown to Etar, he has been hunted for a very long time. Jossan, the general and close friend of Etar, is determined to keep him safe despite what it could cost her. Can Etar master his powers in time to save them all? Can Jossan master her prejudices in time to save him?



Review: I received a copy of this book to review from Netgally and am thankful to have been selected as a reviewer. This was a fun evenly paced read with a unique magic system that really had me pausing to think about what it would visually look like to watch sound waves rip the world apart. The story was heavily character driven in the beginning and really speaks to the special bonds we have with family that’s found vs. family that's blood. Etar and Jossan have beautiful character growth through this book; while Etar learns to embrace who he is, Jossan learns to embrace who she is to others. I do wish the magic system would have been more flushed out – I was so interested to know more about starseeing and what else was possible in this magic world. The Alchemist’s “powers” were the most interesting and flushed out I felt – and I wanted more of that. I wanted more detail about the world as well, and wanted to care about why this small island was so important to Etar – but I didn’t get a sense of why. I think this is what made me struggle with his character in the beginning, but around 50% I felt like I began to really get invested. I also should mention the endearing love stories that unfold and were just like a warm hug at the end. I do hope there will be more from Etar the starseer, and I hope we get more detail about the magic system in a future book. Happy reading.

https://wordpress.com/post/books335271124.wordpress.com/304

I had a hard time getting into this one. It felt more like the second or third book in a series rather than the first; it
immediately throws you right into the middle of a complex world and plot and it seemed like I should've already known what was going on.

I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the abrupt start but I just had a tough time getting hooked. I skimmed some but ultimately could not finish.

Nothing against the book or author, this one just isn't my cup of tea. You should definitely check it out for yourself if you like fantasies with unique magic systems.

Thanks Katya Hernández/Netgalley for the eARC!

This was fun, but felt more MG than YA at some points. This is especially regarding the characters and their personalities, and I do work with young people a lot. With its much-needed LGBTQIAP+, I'm looking forward to recommending this to some teens are my library, and I enjoyed it. The writing was fairly solid, the concept interesting (though probably not the most original--and that's fine), and just look at that cover. Stunning. I do wish there were elements that were developed more, particularly regarding the characters, and I did feel that the plot could've been tightened some more. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing what Katya Hernández will do next.

The story is very compelling and features a very sweet budding romance. The author does a beautiful job world building and setting up the plot for future stories. The magic system is interesting and unique in a way that I haven’t read before. The plot is well thought out and paced at a decent rate to keep you interested. At first, I was a little confused by the world but the story later expands on stories and explanations for things in a satisfactory way, without over complications. I am so excited to see where this story and the characters go, can’t wait for the next book!

Starseer is a fast paced fantasy that had notes of A Wizard of Earthsea. It has a unique imaginative world with characters that lift off the page. While feeling like a slow start the intensity and suspense builds fairly fast. Etar has a shaky start in life as the illegitimate son of the King's brother. His Uncle refuses to allow him the same freedoms given to his cousins and keeps him locked away. In the process of sneaking out to visit his teacher Colum, he starts a series of events that will leave himself and his home forever changed.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was able to read a copy of this book as an ARC on Netgalley and found it to be a very sweet story.

First, I will always stan a queer romance. I thought the characters were well-developed and the story was nuanced and clever. I especially appreciated that all the characters were part of the ultimate solution, versus a singular savior.

I do wish that some of the relationships with secondary characters was more fleshed out, but ultimately I would recommend this book to YA readers in my life.