Because this title was withdrawn from publication, I cannot provide a honest review at this time. The cover is amazing.

Despite the controversy with Cait Corrain, I just didn't quite mesh with this as well as I wanted to. I think the comp titles didn't really fit, and those were the primary reasons I requested this ARC. The marketing was misleading.

I will not be reading this book. From what I've heard its not really something I would enjoy when there is better mythology retellings out there (like Spin by Rebecca Caprara), plus the author seems like a horrible person blaming attacking POC authors on her autism (fellow autistic female writer here).

Because this title has been withdrawn from publication at this time, I will not be reviewing this. Regardless, thanks to the publisher for the eARC.

Unfortunately this is no longer being published due to the author's actions. I still appreciate the opportunity to receive an ARC. Due to this entire situation I did not finish this book.

Due to the decision if the publish to refrain from publishing the book and the controversy surrounding why this book is no longer being published, I won’t be reviewing this book at this time.

0/5 stars! This gets 1 star only because you have to in order to provide feedback. On top of this author behaves in an abhorrent way, the story itself is not strong. The characters are two-dimensional and it made the story boring and hard to stay engaged in. I will be happiest if this book never gets published.

Due to the decisions of the publisher to pull the book as a result of the author's atrocious behavior, I will not be reviewing this book.

i thought the book was decent i am glad to have had the opportunity to review an arc for it thank you to the publisher and author. i may share with book club

I did not finish this book. The writing style and plot was not in a style I personally enjoy or felt intrigued to continue reading.

Due to the decision if the publish to refrain from publishing the book and the controversy surrounding why this book is no longer being published, I won’t be reviewing this book at this time.

At this point I believe this book has been pulled from production, and this should be a moot point, but just in case - The author's actions are atrocious and I will not be supporting any of their works at this time.

Sorry I do not support this author after what she did.

I cannot read or support this book


Sorry I do not support this author after what she did.

I cannot read or support this book


Sorry I do not support this author after what she did.

I cannot read or support this book

Unlikable main character who lacked depth, awkward dialogue, there was son interesting world building, but it wasn't enough to same the novel.
Throw in a shifty author who couldn't let her work stand on her own merits and resorts to trashing other authors and it's a no thank you from me.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. I would also like to add that I do not support this author’s actions and reviewed this book separately from her actions. By review bombing, I would be no better than her which is not something I want to perpetuate.

Now, let’s get into the book! The only thing I knew going into this book was that it was a retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus but make it space opera. Despite being a little wary, I surprisingly liked reading a fresh take on Greek mythology from a completely different setting. The book being in space fit well, and Corrain’s world-building alongside my prior knowledge of myths created a dynamic setting that complimented the story well. As much as I loved the premise, I struggled to get through the first 100 pages or so. That was what honestly took me so long to finish the book (not it being 500 pages). Once I got hooked, I binge-read it in two days. There was too much exposition and unnecessary descriptions at the beginning which made it feel clunky. The action also felt stilted and not cohesive. Especially during the last fighting scene, I struggled to keep everything in order while still being present in the scene. I found myself going backwards to understand what was happening which broke up the flow.

Enough about the boring stuff though, let’s talk about Ariadne. She is a boss bitch in every sense of the word. Although there were times were it felt like she was fitting in every heroine stereotype where they get sick when thinking about someone getting sick and such. Seeing her grow throughout the entirety of the novel was satisfying, and her getting comfortable with displaying her love felt healing. Dionysus is a perfect match that allows Ariadne’s character to grow while also allowing Dionysus to grow himself. This reciprocating dynamic made their relationship believable and made me want to root for it. Not only were the romantic relations cute but the friendships that she made along the way balanced out the smut scenes. Speaking of smut, the buildup and unique scenes did not make the sex seem monotonous (not that Dionysus is...) while they still filled up a good portion of the book to make a steamy romance.
Crown of Starlight is a good book for those looking for a lush romance with themes of self-discovery and empowerment.

4/5

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but I really can’t bring myself to read it after the author review-bombing books by debut POC authors.

Regardless, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

First: while I don't keep up with book/author drama much, obviously this one has blown up in a big way. I want to make it clear that I don't condone Corrain's actions and feel that the consequences have been swift and severe. I'm rating/reviewing this book based on the merits of the book alone. (It's a bit of a moot point anyway as it's unlikely to ever be published, but I read it, so I'll review it.)

I'm not typically one for space operas and I was skeptical about the combination of futuristic space sci-fi and Greek mythology fantasy, but Corrain made it work somehow. Magic coexisted alongside high-end technology and, most importantly, made sense, which seems hard to do so hats off to the author for that. The setting was well-developed and the world-building immersive. I also felt like I got to experience a good slice of the world's various locations and got to know each well.

Despite my trepidations about Ariadne, I ended up quite enjoying her character; yes, she was reticent and overly prudish at times, and I had to remind myself on occasion that she was very much a product of her environment and that her character development made sense. I appreciated that she could be feminine and soft, yet also well-versed in diplomacy and interested in technology; a layered character with varied interests, containing multitudes. Dionysus was a bit more one-note, but still more compelling than your average fantasy leading man. The supporting cast varied between comedic relief (the Maenads) and villains (Ariadne's family/the Pantheon) and I would have liked to see Ariadne form closer platonic relationships. The romance was... fine. I'm not a huge fan of the "fake marriage" trope (or any popular romantic tropes really) but it was done as well as it can be here, with a natural-feeling progression of trust, companionship, and eventual love.

Corrain is, despite her unfortunate choices, a skilled and talented writer. I enjoyed this book, and was disappointed to hear of her actions. I hope that those she maligned find the success they deserve.

I apologize in advance for the late review. I thought it had posted, but something didn't go through right and it never posted.

This mesmerizing story kept me invested throughout the whole story. I never wanted to put it down. I really loved the concept, and the way that Cait Corrain wrote it was done so well. It was everything I had hoped for and more.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

The cover is eye-catching, the story was riveting. The characterization made me fall into the story to see just how it all played out.

I was not disappointed. The journey this book took me on had me hooked until the very end.

The epilogue was actually so much more satisfying than even I thought it would be. The characters actually TALKED about their problems and genuinely seem like they will have a healthy relationship.

Overall? A really really good read.

I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately I had to DNF while on about 3% in due to the author’s actions online.