With The illusion of stars, I discovered Marie Page writing, and I have to admit, I liked it a lot!

The way she paints her characters, so very human, with their doubts, their inner wounds, their hopes, it is beautiful, and it creates a depth in the relationships I'd like to see in more books.

This book is about the feeling of being nothing, insignificant, and Marie's writing makes us deeply feel this with both Isabel and Erik.

And because of this, you cannot not love them both.

This is also a book about redemption. About fighting between what we were told is good, and what we feel.

Besides, the writing is light, poetic, but carries strong feelings, and you cannot help but to immerse yourself in the story, wondering how Isy will manage to deal her friends on one side, and the Volds on the other side.
Without even talking about the final cliffhanger...

Well, you just have to read it!

Format: E-book ARC via NetGalley & the author

I loved the plot premise of the book and overall, I enjoyed the story.

The author said this was for Dramoine fans and I can totally see that! It’s a hate-to-love romance but not heavy on the romance. It’s also fade to black so perfect for people who want a good story with a little romance w/o explicit on page content. I really liked that it was not insta love/lust-and when it happened, it felt genuine.

The world building was not complicated and nods to Scandinavian culture which was really interesting to read about.

The beginning was a little slow and the ending felt a little rushed. Still loved the ending though and am looking forward to the next book. The writing felt juvenile at times and I can see where some other readers felt some of the plot points feel a little weak. But I have high hopes for the next book!

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I REALLY enjoyed this book!

Writing: 10/5
I will admit that when reading ARCs, it can sometimes feel like a diamond in rough situations, but I was absolutely blown away with the writing in this book. I had to look up a couple words here and there, but for the most part it was fine. The book had the right amount of politics to feel complex, but not too much that I ended up confused. It was witty, but best of all it felt raw. The emotions, the actions. It felt like I was Isy, and it's rare I read a book where the writing draws me in that much.

Characters: 5/5
Isy reminds me so much of myself, and I could relate to her self-confidence issues throughout the story. I liked that there were many different characters introduced but they all had some kind of backstory. The characters seemed very well fleshed out rather than being there as a plot device. These people had more relatable characteristics and actions which made them feel much more relatable and real to me

Plot: 10/5
IMMACULATE. No words.
I don't want to give anything away to someone who may be reading reviews before diving into the book, but just a word of advice....READ IT PLEASE. You don't regret it.

Pacing: 5/5
The story was fast paced, but it also had a slice-of-life type feel to it. I didn't mind reading the chapters that contributed less to the plot simply because I love the world and characters so much. The last couple chapters I found myself afraid of the book ending, and I am glad that the story had a little bit of closure rather than ending abruptly like I have seen in other books.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, and I want to thank NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This platform has been instrumental in introducing me to new titles and authors that I wouldn't have necessarily sought after or seen otherwise. I loved how this other took a common fantasy trope, young, poor, powerless girl finds herself as strong, independent and powerful; then made it into something that felt tangible and relatable. Its the same storyline readers has seen hundreds of times, but the author nailed the humanity in Isy within this supernatural world. I also very much enjoyed the touch of romance, and how it wasn't overbearing to the plot and message of the book. Isy did not need a man to make her enough, she had always been enough, she just needed a little help in opening her eyes to the possibilities. I cannot wait to recommend this book to my friends, and I hope to see another installment soon. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, easily a favorite so far from NetGalley. Please also find a review on good reads under my name for this book.

This book was beautifully written. Sarah Marie Page created a world very different from a lot of the darker vibes of romantic fantasies that are popular today. It might be from her use of metaphors and the descriptors of the natural setting that she’s created but it always felt like I was there - in the gray, rainy, cliffside country, wrapped up in a wool sweater with the characters. I thought this read like a YA book in the beginning and honestly was a little slow at firs but as it progressed we seem some darker themes and plots, darker demons that the FMC deals with and more.

The FMC Isabel is not your typical badass heroine. She’s tasked to spy on the enemy, Erik who’s from the neighboring kingdom, but she is probably on the surface the worst candidate for the job. She’s clumsy, unsure of herself, and indecisive. Whatever physicality she lacks, Isabel makes up with her wit and mind. Everything that makes her a terrible spy though actually makes her a very relatable, realistic character.

The romance was sweet and is more YA than adult. Spice level is very minimal and it’s fade to black although the author has put out an explicit spicy chapter 👀.

The ending though was so sweet and made me love the title and cover design even more. Will be looking forward to book 2.

This is the perfect enemies to lovers romantasy book. It was Such a beautiful and magical story. Incredible world building and such thought out deep characters that you can’t help but root for. I adored Isabelle, she was the perfect protagonist. Such a likeable character, who continued to push through despite the trauma she faced. This story had the perfect blend of romance, action and suspense. The cliffhanger!!! Can’t wait for the next book. 100% recommend!

Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page is a mesmerizing blend of fantasy and romance, set against the backdrop of a looming war.

The novel shines with its rich world-building and well-developed characters. Isabel is a compelling protagonist, balancing her medical duties with her covert operations.

Page’s writing is engaging and filled with subtle humour, which adds a refreshing touch to the narrative. The pacing is well-balanced, blending moments of action, suspense, and romance seamlessly. Fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and slow-burn romances will enjoy this book.

A sexy shadow daddy and will they won’t they romance with court politics and beautiful prose??? What’s not to love?!!! I cannot wait for the sequel!!!

This book was beautifully written! I felt like I was a part of this story, which is rare for me! Illusion of Stars is a slow-burn romantasy book, and the main characters are enemies-to-lovers who start out on opposite sides but soon both realize the other person isn't the real enemy. Experiencing them help each other heal, grow, and evolve together gave me all the good feels and I was HERE FOR IT. The banter between them was absolutely fantastic, and their chemistry was amazing. As soon as I finished this, I immediately had to look up if the author is writing a seecond book in the series, and ti my delight she is! I cannot wait to read it! Will definitely recommend this to my friends also.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC of Illusion of Stars, in exchange for an honest review.

Illusion of Stars was a really fun read. It starts off slow but picks up and sucks you in in no time. I am incredibly grateful to have received an early copy!

We follow Isabel (Isy), an apprentice royal physician on Sanok Island, a tiny newer kingdom. Her best friend is murdered while the kingdom hosts Volgaard. She is out to find out who did it and spy on and seduce the Volgaard general’s son, Erik.

The magic system was unique and the romance was swoony. Sarah does an excellent job at writing her characters. I felt what Isy felt. The anxiety and the sorrow and ahhh. It was too good. I am very much looking forward to book 2!

Thank you so much to Sarah Marie Page, Netgalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for the ARC! 5 glowing stars for me.

I'm obsessed! But that cliffhanger!

We start our story off with Isabel (our FMC) having been accused of something and required to write out her confession. As she starts to write, we go back in time into the story. She works as a physician assistant in the castle for the royal family of her island. After a devastating loss, she is given the task to spy on their enemies while the enemy explores the island. She is also told that she should seduce the enemy general's son, aka our MMC Erik, to get more information out of him. The problem? She's a terrible spy and not great at flirting either.

She is pretty smart though, talking to his men and gaining more of their trust while providing medical care. Although she did cause the initial "illness" for this very reason. While she's gaining their trust, Erik is getting more suspicious of her antics. While Isabel doesn't getting better at flirting, she is acting as a good friend to Erik, helping to lift some of his burdens while they shout secrets into the bluffs (which for some reason echo backwards). They have several more of these cute moments, including chatting in the hallway of an inn they stay at on their journey and preparing coffee in the morning. While Isabel gives us little insights into her true feelings about Erik, knowing that she cannot fall for him, it doesn't stop her little demon of jealousy from rearing its ugly head when she sees Erik kissing another girl.

We get a glimpse of Erik's true feelings for Isabel when buys a dagger for her at the market, and later when he takes an arrow meant for her. While she's been trying to get to know him (not doing well at this though), she learns quite a bit as he's healing and throwing out illusions. Once he's fully healed, it seems he just wants to put everything out there and gets her to admit that she's a spy for her people. He knows she wants him 😏 and uses this to his advantage to get her to talk. He convinces her to become a "double spy" essentially with him against a new enemy. He continues to be a flirty, flirty boy while practicing "torture" and "interrogation techniques" with Isabel.

While we know that Erik and a lot of his people practice magics (illusions, astral projection, foretelling the future), Isabel's people and island do not have magic. But we get the impression as the story moves on that this may not be true. The first glimpse of this is the strange backwards echo when shouting into the bluffs. Next is when Isabel sees the Lover's Boxes and learns they came from her people. I'm super hopeful that we'll learn more about this in the second part of this duology.

Other reveals occur when Isabel and Erik return to the castle, including who the main villains might be! Sadly we learn that more than likely, the Sanok Isles (Isabel's island) was likely never going to remain independent with this upcoming war. After Isabel gets kidnapped, we learn just what Erik did in order to get the ideal trading pieces to get her free. Stefan also reveals that Isabel was tasked with seducing Erik, which makes him second-guess all the moments they had together. If only he could know just how terrible she was at flirting, and all those moments were real!! At this point, Erik gets kidnapped while Isabel goes free. She is able to convince his sister to help her save him, along with his friends that were previously set free. At this point, Isabel's fortune that was foretold at the beginning of our story gets tied in, and she must remain behind while the rest escape. This brings us back to the very beginning where Isabel is writing out her confession. However, as she's burning the actual confession, she sees shooting stars in the sky (which we know is a sign from Erik, since her ability to see stars was taken by the Lover's Box). Then we jump into Erik's POV for just 1 chapter to confirm that he sent the shooting stars in the sky as a sign to Isabel that he's coming to save her.

As soon as I finished this story, I immediately went scouring for any bonus material that Sarah wrote for it. The bonus chapter from Erik's POV that's available just shows more how hard Erik fell for Isabel after their first night together. While this story's spice level is fade-to-black, Sarah did write an open-door spicy scene for a bookclub. I immediately joined that bookclub to gain access for it, since I cannot get enough of this story!

I loved the character growth that Isabel and Erik showed throughout the story. The enemies to lovers was perfect! Although this enemies to lovers was more along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, where it's more their people are enemies, and so they naturally must be enemies even though they are drawn to each other from the beginning. The world building was just enough, especially since Isabel hasn't traveled anywhere in our story before, so we discover everything as she does. I also loved the casual LGBTQ+ representation in this story. Nothing was overly grand but just sprinkled in as mentions, similarly to heterosexual relationships.

If you love romantasy, magic, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and one horse tropes, give this story as read through! You won't regret it!

My rating: 4.5 stars
Available now!

This book was beautiful and felt like a magical, lyrical adventure. The story had a hold on me from the very first page.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish all publishers would disclose the spice level of their books in the blurbs like this one did.

Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page is a fantasy novel with the perfect trope of enemies to lovers. As the royal physician of a tiny, windswept island, Isabel spends her days trying to keep the queen from dying and the mad king from streaking naked down the halls. But when her best friend is found murdered on the beaches, her world is ripped apart. Desperate for answers, she discovers a stash of letters that reveal a terrifying truth: the neighboring kingdom of Volgaard possesses a kingdom-shattering weapon and is poised to conquer everything in its path. Seeking vengeance, Isabel infiltrates the enemy. Her mission? Woo Erik Lothgarson, the general’s steamy, illusion-magic wielding son, and steal the dangerous weapon. She can bring Volgaard to its knees—if she isn’t caught. But as Isabel dances along the knife edge of deception, the lines between truth and fiction blur, and she must wrestle her quest for vengeance against her undeniable attraction to the enemy.

This book is just *chef's kiss* read it at your own risk though.

Classic enemies-to-lovers, but I really enjoyed the stakes of it all. The main character’s fresh grief being her main push, the way her and the love interest find a common ground in trauma and persevering despite it - definitely a fun, enjoyable read.

This was a good enemies to lovers romantasy.

I loved the intrigue in this, and whilst it became a bit predictable towards the end in terms of the plot, (not the romance), it was still really good and enjoyable.

Isabele is an emotionally damaged character that is really likeable and keeps going forward, despite her trauma and past scars. She finds a kindred spirit in her enemy and together they form a bond.

There is betrayal and fighting and friendships forged. I am looking forward to the next one.

Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page is a captivating, heart-racing adventure that Dramione fans will absolutely adore! 🌌✨ Isabel, the royal physician on a tiny, windswept island, has her hands full with a dying queen and a mad king. But when her best friend is murdered, her world turns upside down. 💔

In her quest for justice, Isabel uncovers letters revealing that the neighboring kingdom of Volgaard has a weapon capable of destroying everything she holds dear. Determined and brave, she infiltrates the enemy, charming the handsome and mysterious Erik Lothgarson, who wields illusion magic. 🔥🪄

The chemistry between Isabel and Erik is electric! ⚡ As Isabel walks the tightrope of deception, the lines between her mission and her heart's desires blur, leading to a thrilling and emotional journey. 💞

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with intrigue, magic, and romance. I couldn't put it down and I bet you won't be able to either! ✨💕

A fun enemies-to-lovers read, with a decent dose of emotional damage. I was expecting to enjoy this read, as I love a good enemies-to-lovers, but I didn't expect to have it hit me in my soul the way it did. The female main character is loveable and relatable in her struggles of never feeling like enough and always striving to be something more. I connected with her and her story, felt her emotions, laughed at her sass, and cringed at her loveable awkwardness.
I enjoyed watching all the relationships between the characters grow and change throughout this book, and loved the unexpected found family vibes. The unexpected betrayals and plot twists keep me on my toes and left me wanting more. I cannot wait to see where this story goes, especially with it's cliffhanger ending.
Thank you Sarah Marie Page and NetGalley for the eARC!

Reviewed on: Goodreads, Amazon (review pending), and Storygraph
To be reviewed soon on: Instagram, and Tiktok

I really love enemies to lovers, it’s my all time favorite trope and I of curse also enjoyed reading this book about a spy. It was so interesting and I couldn’t stop reading.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was absolutely amazing!! Love love love 10 stars. I loved every single thing about this book. The characters, the plot, the writing, romance honestly can't fault it.I read it in one sitting!
10/10 would recommend!

I had high expectations for this book and they were delivered!! I found the pacing of the book really nice and it flowed so well that I flew through this book!! The PROSE?!? Beautiful.
So much happened and I wasn’t confused at all! A joy to read.