Wow there is really no pretending to be normal in this book, I was captivated from the first page and dragged into the story. Kicking and screaming I lived through the characters and their trials while enjoying getting lost in the pages. I can't wait to read more and follow up on the magic of this book

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book completely enchanted me. From the atmospheric Victorian mansion to the eerie, magical world hidden behind its walls, every detail felt meticulously crafted and full of wonder. Truly Langford-Bardot is a protagonist with grit and resilience; her transformation from an orphan raised in foster care to the heiress of a strange estate was as captivating as it was mysterious. The clash between the gritty real world and the hauntingly beautiful Mirror Kingdom creates a tension that makes the story utterly addictive.

The romance here adds an irresistible layer, especially when she crosses paths with Westvane, the enigmatic queen’s slayer. Their dynamic—fraught with danger and undeniable attraction—kept me turning pages late into the night. Callahan skillfully weaves themes of self-discovery, forbidden love, and the haunting pull of family secrets, creating a blend of dark fantasy and high-stakes adventure that will resonate with anyone who loves tales of magic and mystery. This book is a fantastic opener for what promises to be an unforgettable series!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book!! The plot, writing, character development and over feel to the book was impeccable. This was my first Callahan book but it probably won’t be my last!

I thought the plot and world building was really good and very well developed. However, starting around 50% I started to feel like not a lot had happened. It started to pick up towards the end of the novel. But I felt like I just wanted more to happen? Like things were happening but it didn’t feel like much was happening with the progression of the plot.

There were a lot of things that made me excited for the next installment. My major concern, was that looking back I felt that the plot was too slowly developed. Otherwise I would’ve rated this book higher!

The House of Starlight & Shadow by Coreene Callahan has enchanting storytelling and atmospheric world-building. The House of Starlight & Shadow is a captivating read for fans of fantasy who appreciate detailed world-building and character-driven narratives.

The House of Starlight & Shadow is a mesmerizing tale about a woman destined to stand between parallel worlds on the brink of revolution, where honor is scarce and the stakes are life and death. Coreene Callahan’s writing, filled with vivid details, made it difficult to put the book down. The blend of magic and a strong female protagonist is always captivating, but the added found-family element truly drew me in and gave the story a heartwarming touch.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Thank you to Netgalley the Publisher, of Oliver Heber Books, and the author Coreene Callahan for providing and allowing me to review this book. Which, I'm giving my honest and sincere review.

As I delved into "The House of Starlight & Shadow" by Coreene Callahan, I found myself immersed in a world teeming with magic and mystery. While the story held plenty of intrigue and kept me engaged throughout, there were a few aspects that left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed.
One of the drawbacks was the pacing of the plot. At times, the story felt rushed, with important events and character developments occurring too quickly. This made it challenging to fully invest in the narrative and connect with the characters on a deeper level.

Additionally, while the concept of parallel worlds and ancient evils was intriguing, I couldn't help but notice similarities to other works, such as "The Starling House" series. While these elements weren't inherently negative, they did detract from the originality of the story and made it feel less innovative than I had hoped.
Furthermore, some of the character motivations and interactions felt slightly contrived, particularly in the latter half of the book. Certain plot twists and revelations seemed to come out of left field, detracting from the overall cohesiveness of the story.

Despite these drawbacks, "The House of Starlight & Shadow" still offered an entertaining read filled with adventure and suspense. While it may not have been perfect, it held enough intrigue to keep me turning pages, eager to uncover the secrets hidden within its pages.

Firstly, Thank you to NetGallery and the author Coreene Callahan for providing me with the ARC of The House of Starlight & Shadow in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3 stars

The House of Starlight & Shadow offers a captivating blend of magic, found family, and adventure. I'm intrigued by Truly and Westvane's evolving friendship and eager to see more of Eastbrook. However, I wish there were clearer POV labels and some aspects felt unrealistic or poorly explained. Nevertheless, the characters are well-written, and the plot kept me hooked. Overall, it's a promising start to a new series, and I look forward to the next installment.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This one for me was a hot mess. It started out so well but then there were just to many issues with things being way easy and no real conflict where the story felt like the main character was going to fail. She just had it all handed to her. This book made me wanting a story that went deeper than it did. With someone I could root for. But unfortunately I just didn't get that.

I loved this!!! I loved Truly! I absolutely am completely EXCITED for book 2 and I am obsessed over this book. I loved it! 5 star read!! I love love love this!
I just reviewed The House of Starlight & Shadow by Coreene Callahan. #TheHouseofStarlightShadow #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Might be odd to say this but the story felt like a parody of a fantasy story at times. I was also slightly whiplashed with the urban/contemporary elements. I liked it much better when they were in the other world rather than ours.
I think a lot of people will like this book. I didn’t hate it myself but a lot of aspects of it were just off enough to take me out of the story. Some of the magical applications were really interesting and made the read worth it. I’d be curious to read how the story continues. It has potential to be much better and really good.

I loved the description of this book. It is such a unique premise.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This book is amazing!! My review won't include spoilers. I tend to review based on my feelings after reading a book. I've read the Dragon Fury series by this author so I thought I would try this book out. I am so glad that I did! The characters are extremely well written, the world building is incredible, and I cannot wait for the next book to come out! I also cannot wait for the book to come out on Audible because I tend to listen to books more than read on my Kindle. I loved the interactions between Truly and Westvane. The plot of the story flowed so well. I was instantly drawn into the story and didn't want to put the book down! I was lucky enough to be introduced to this author, Coreene Callahan, in one of my book clubs and I am very thankful for this! Her books are very well written and no matter what one you pick up to read you will not be disappointed! I highly recommend this author, and honestly any of her books! I cannot wait for the next book in this series to come out and see what will happen next! Excellent first book in a new series!

Sadly, I wasn't able to read more than a few chapters of this book. I was in the middle of a reading slump, and perhaps this book wasn't the ideal choice at a time like this.
I don't think the writing was quite for me and I couldn't connect to the story. I'm curious to see if I'll have the same problem with other books from the author, and would be interested in trying a different book from her, if given the opportunity, as my main problem with this book - the timing in which I read this book - was more my fault than the author's.

I love the world building in this book, it was easy to keep up with what was happening. I’m a first time reader of Corrine Callahan, and she made it easy to get absorbed into the world. The chemistry between the FMC and Westvane was enjoyable and keeps the reader coming back for more. Truly enjoyed all of the characters and politics within this one. Can’t wait for the next!

Overall I’d say three and a half stars. The rags to riches beginning was goals. I liked the magic system but felt the pacing of the overall story was off imo. And the world building was kinda strange. Paragraphs about one thing and not much on other subjects. Idk overall I liked the story/ premise but it was a slight struggle personally to get through it.

Thank you Xpress Book Tours, NetGalley and Coreene Callahan for the ARC! I couldn’t complete the book with the ARC alone and was beyond thrilled to purchase a Kindle copy to complete my read. I’m sure that shows how much I enjoyed this work! Now, on to the review:

Truly is an independent, strong-willed woman, who appears to have the worst cards dealt to her when it comes to her circumstances. Abandoned at birth, grasping to survive in a world that is filled with untrustworthy individuals, and a financially downtrodden lifestyle. She goes about her mundane life, until a stranger turns her life upside down, by means of granting her a house that apparently belongs to her, by birthright! This begins a journey of discovery and self-realization in our main character, who is magical even prior to her awareness of her actual magical powers as the only surviving Door Master.

Westvane, a lethal Slayer, who is imprisoned by the queen of Azlandia. His chance at freedom comes at the price of hunting out the last Door Master. What he discovers is a compelling, magical witch, whose true magic lies in her character. Her sheer willpower, strength and complete lack of fear upon encountering him, leaves him perplexed. Is she someone who he should hunt, or is she an ally from an unlikely source? As he assists the Door Master discover her powers, he discovers more about his own truths, and this is no easy reality to process.

This unlikely pair traverses through the Mirror Kingdom, in efforts to protect both realms and undo the existing prejudices and injustice which plagues the magical kingdom. WIll they succeed? Will Westvane succumb to his instincts as a Slayer?

As a first time reader of Coreene’s work, I appreciated the ease with which she weaves her story and characters for her readers. It is not easy to fully immerse oneself in a world that the author builds, but she eases us into two worlds! The emotions, politics, the appetite for justice were all emotions and thoughts, that as a reader I was easily able to get behind. What an amazing start to the Mirror Kingdom Chronicles!

This is the start of a fabulous fantasy-paranormal series. I suspect it's a long burn romance over the series of two individuals that start out as enemies and by the end of the book are friends and teammates. Truly Langford-Bardot's life is totally upended when she discovers she had a long lost great-aunt who willed her an old Victorian house and a small fortune in the bank. This is her story of discovering who she really is and what her roll is in a world that's so much bigger than she ever imagined.

When we meet Truly she's working for a sleaze-bag private investigator firm Montrose & Brim Investigations. She lost her dream job as a photographer of celebrities when she turned in a sexual harassment complaint. She lost her job, apartment, reputation, everything. Now she's photographing cheating husbands and personal injury frauds. Her boss Montrose is a major grump. She made friends with Earl, a homeless guy that hangs out outside of the office. When a troll like man, Minador, comes into the office to meet with Truly, her life changes radically. She's discovers she's really Truly Isabeth Trunbolt. Her name was changed when she was found on the doorstep of St. Redeemers Church as an infant. The house she's inherited is run down on the outside but spotless on the inside. We later find out it's invisible to ordinary humans. Then strange things begin to happen. She meets a monster who appears out of nowhere. Another a monster of a man who has murder in his eyes shows up next. The first monster is the Wendigo, "chaos maker and destroyer of worlds" who escaped from Eckizbad prison. The second is the slayer Westvane, sent to capture him as well as bring Truly back to Queen Lyonesse in the other realm of Azlandia. The queen wants to permanently close the doors to the earth. She was the one who killed Truly's parents thinking she ended the Turnbolt legacy. She learns from Westvane she's "The Doormaster", the only human who can open doors between Earth and Azlandia, who are twin worlds dependent on each other. Then her boss Montrose shows at her door. When he crosses the threshold he becomes a gargoyle. Earl shows up and becomes a manipede, half man with his lower body resembling a centipede. And so starts the adventure of a lifetime for Truly.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for an ARC of The House of Starlight & Shadow*

<b>Breakdown of rating:</b>

<i>Plot 4/5
Characters 3/5
Writing 2.5/5
Pacing 3.5/5
Spice 0/5 peppers (does not impact my overall rating)</i>

Overall I'd give the book 3/5 stars, given its strong plot foundation and decent world-building setup for an urban fantasy series. However, the point of view was a very confusing writing choice and the character themselves, while interesting enough, were kind of one dimensional and had inconsistent character development.

<b>The Plot:</b> The concept itself was really strong for an urban fantasy, and I have high hopes that Callahan can refine it a bit in the future installments. It had the classic foundation of "I woke up and have a magic now", so the author should have a lot of successful resource material to look to for the sequel. Earth realm existing alongside a sort-of fairytale-esque realm is a bit Once Upon a Time, so if done right the series could be fun.

<b>The Characters:</b> I struggled to decide on a rating for the characters, because on one hand I like the basis created for them, but on the other hand they were so one dimensional that I'm not all that attached. I'm more attached to Westvane's raven tattoo-turned-flier than anyone else, so I hope Callahan gives the characters the dimension they deserve moving forward. They all had a lot of potential that I feel was a bit squandered, even though at the heart of it I do like them.

<b>The Writing:</b> The writing was where this book fell flat for me and could have caused a DNF a few different times if I wasn't determined to give a well-rounded review. It's written in 3rd person with multiple points of view, and it gets extremely confusing at times because you'll forget whose POV the chapter is in. It's not a writing decision I would have recommended for this series. I actually found it easier to understand when I speed read/skimmed at points. Also, Truly was not a great name choice in my opinion for the same reason. It got confusing because I'd find myself reading a sentence and reading "Truly" as the word and not the name, which happened a lot since it was in 3rd person POV.

<b>The Pacing:</b> The pacing was decent, but sometimes the author got caught up over explaining the meaning or importance of something that was already pretty obvious to the reader, which would make it last longer. For example, we don't need to be explicitly told that this going to be about a political revolution in Azlandia, that's pretty clear, so spending extra time explaining it to Westvane (us) just felt silly.

Overall I'd say the book is worth giving a try, and if I hit a lull in my TBR when the sequel comes out I will probably pick it up to see if the author surprises me with any of the directions she takes it!

Happy reading everyone!