Illusion of Stars by Sara Marie Page can be summarized in two words: absolutely glorious. This enemies to lovers romantasy is filled with magic, deception, and some of the best snarky banter. The world building and subsequent powers can be a little hard to follow in the beginning as you are almost introduced to each illusion right after the other but it gets easier as you go along. It is a fade to black romance WHICH IS FINE because the storyline drives itself. I’m so looking forward to the next book!!

Highly engaging magical romp with this story! Right away you have a girl who wants to be the best royal physician to a mad king and queen. Some mysterious royals from a neighboring country come in to town and her life is turned upside down. tasked to be a spy and join the Volgaards scouting mission she must contend with a snarky second in command while also being a terrible spy. this book is about a nobody, trying to be a somebody.

i loved the pacing of this. The snarky banter was on point. This has a great roadtrip element but also some epic scenes thrown in. this was just a really fun book and i'm so excited to see what happens in the second one.

One thing to note is that this is fade to black. I am 100% a spicy romance lover and most times i can't read books that are fade to black. this still hit. so don't discount it because it closes the door to the goods.

i received a complimentary copy of this book on netgalley but all thoughts are my own.

I will say I was surprised this was being marketed as a New Adult fantasy. Genuinely I was not super impressed with this book. It was market to have spice, but it was fade to. black. I liked the world building, but the mad king was really distracting and I wasn't sure what role he was to play within this book. The writing style felt repetitive and it just didn't feel descriptive enough. I liked the FMC and the overall basis of this book, it just miss the mark for me to be honest. I get that it was under Isabel's POV, but I hated Erik. He was broody, but evil and it was staggering for me how I felt his character was under developed in comparison to Isabel.. I also still don’t think we found out what the mysterious weapon was from the start of the story as it was stated the secondary weapon was not it. I hope Sarah can make adjustments going forward for the next book!

This was a heartwarming book, I resonated greatly with the characters and the author's note at the end. The characters felt relatable for YA/new adult, and the snake line will forever be one of my favorite lines. Really well done, did not expect Stefan to be the villain, excited about book 2!

Illusion of Stars
Sarah Marie Page

“Hearts tend to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Find their way home.”

I went to work on 3-4 hours sleep because I just couldn’t put it down. It was so sweet and whimsical. Honestly a beautiful book with a story that was full of heart. This is a fade to black romance so readers who prefer this, rejoice. Enemies to lovers, she’s a spy, he’s her mark, forced proximity and decent banter!

“The general has a son. You can use your womanly wiles to…” he waved his hand, “I don’t know. Woo him. Get information. He seemed to like you. Couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

She’s stealing more than secrets. Isabel is training to be the royal physician which involves trying to keep the queen from dying and the mad king from streaking naked. But when her best friend is found murdered on the beaches, her world is ripped apart.

“Come out, little mice. Come out and play.”

This was a swoon worthy romantasy read that blurs the lines between truth and fiction and Isabel must wrestle her quest for information and vengeance against her undeniable attraction to the enemy.

‘I Send the illusion, send her shooting stars.
It is a prayer, a promise.’

Also the title of this book; when you learn that hidden meaning. 😮‍💨 it’s everything I could have hoped for and more. I would have greatly preferred having a second book at the ready but I’m on that precipice of constantly waiting, so many of my books are unresolved that I’m just constantly unmoored. If you have book two ARCs, I’m your girl, just saying.

“People always think you need a body to grieve someone, but you don’t. I missed him, and he was standing right in front of me.”

To Sarah, as someone who also had your career, the feeling of being enough, never seemed to infiltrate the lower levels of the hierarchy. I am so glad you proved them wrong and this work is a delight that I will gladly support and champion. This story was beautiful. Thank you Sarah.

Illusion of Stars is released tomorrow, 16th July 2024! Thank you @sarahpagestories for this ARC.

I don't believe in a world where anyone could not love this. I BINGED this book so fast and I will recommend it forever to those who are looking for a new adult, slow burn, enemies to lovers, romantasy book to add to their TBR.

I will be waiting (im)patiently for the next book (which hasn't been confirmed but I'm really hoping there will be one) after that cliffhanger because how dare you do this to me :)

Thank you to Sarah Marie Page, Shadow Forge Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

In today’s genre of fantasy, ILLUSION OF STARS written by Sarah Marie Page stands out in every way. Page brings out developable characters that are truly lovable and a setting that is introduced naturally yet is fully realized. Due to this intriguing narration, one feels compelled to continue reading the story.

ILLUSION OF STARS is pure character-driven storytelling, gorgeous writing at that. Isabel and Erik’s romantic interest is subtle and gradually escalates, and their passion adds tension and richness to the story without becoming dominant. Other characters such as Signey helped in the expansion of the plot and made the story richer. The language that Page uses in writing is inspiring and easy to follow as the reader is taken through a windswept island, brimming with magic and mystery. It easily becomes a story filled with both romance and comedy: there is enough intrigue and darkness as well.

In summary, if one is in search of an expertly written fairy tale type novel with appealing characters and comedic banter with a romantic tinge, then ILLUSION OF STARS would be ideal.

📚 Ilusion of the Stars
✍ Sarah Marie Page
📖 Fantasy, Sci-Fi
4★⚊
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I was instantly spellbound by this book..
From the gorgeous cover, title, and a brilliant story..
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Loved the author's note:
"𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬"
..
An epic, brilliant and unique world building, with adventure, and the exact amount of romance..
Loved the twist and turns in this one ..
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All the feels
🌠 Fantasy
🌠 NA
🌠 Ilusions/magic
🌠 enemies to lovers
🌠 slow burn
🌠 close proximity
🌠 adventure
🌠 action packed
🌠 Romance
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Thanks to Sarah Marie Page, Shadow Forge Publishing and Netgalley for this arc. The opinions in here are on my own.
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I can't even put my thoughts down coherently. Isy and Erik are such delightful characters and the way they deal with the world around them is... I'm completely hooked on this book. I'm thoroughly strapped in for the ride with these guys - Sarah Marie Page has given the world a gift with this one.
I think the brilliance here hangs in the world building. We were given just enough to understand the focus of the story, but not enough to overwhelm with exposition and go too deep into the magic and politicking. And the puffin mentions?? I was squealing like a schoolgirl.
I'm so excited for the rest of the world to read this book and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Sarah Marie Page crafted such a unique and epic romantasy that is an absolute 5⭐️ read filled with heartbreak, danger, mystery, banter, and romance with all the feels and I cannot wait another minute for book two!! When I say this is one of the best books I’ve read, I am not exaggerating!
5⭐️ 🫑 (steamy fade to black)

❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥 Strong FMC
❤️‍🔥 Broken to Healing
❤️‍🔥 Mystery
❤️‍🔥 Magic Powers
❤️‍🔥 One Horse
❤️‍🔥 Betrayal

This book surprised me!!
The characters were so well written! I enjoyed the banter between Erik and Isly. Isabel is one of those characters you just instantly love and connect with. Signey and Kasparov were also so fun to follow. Their personalities really pushed the dialogue and friendships to the next level.

The politics and war aspects remind me a little of bridge kingdom (which | loved) There were some funny parts throughout and some really deep ones. I highly suggest giving this book a go!

Low/fade to black spice but lots of good plot!

I received an advanced copy for review. This is my opinion.

My friend reviewed this, and I guess you can officially call her an influencer because I ran to Netgalley once I saw that it wasn't published yet!

The premise is that Isabel is seemingly no one at the beginning of this, but by the end, she turns herself into a person wanted (in more ways than one) by kings.

As a physician's assistant, Isabel has some pretty nasty jobs (feet, y'all, blech) and as she vies for the title of heir to the royal physician, Isy comes in contact with visitors to the small kingdom in which she lives. When her best friend is murdered and the outsiders are suspected, Isy is sent to spy on them as they traipse through the country. Unfortunately, she's a terrible spy, but everyone sees through her ruse, and she's left to use her physician's capabilities to seemingly heal them from a gamut of ailments. (I enjoyed this part immensely--she essentially gives her bullies exlax then convinces them she's the only one who can help). Along the way, she befriends friends of Erik, until she and Erik become more.

The pacing of this one follows the pace of the journey Isy and the Volgaard soldiers take: not quite slow, but a bit more relaxed in some places and really fast in others, particularly the final third of the book. On the scale of cozy to Game of thrones, this sits solidly in the middle, a bit of violence without gore, a bit of closed door romance, and a bit of intrigue. This would be a perfect entrance into the romantasy genre for those who are daunted and unsure where to begin.

I really enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley, Shadow Forge Publishing, and Sarah Marie Page for the arc!

I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read this book before release day! What an incredible read. Fans of This Vicious Grace will absolutely adore this book. It's one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read!

The author is a master of writing. The pacing of this novel was quick and fun, keeping me intrigued the whole time I read. I was always on my toes wondering what was going to happen next! The banter between Isabel, the main character, and Erik, the love interest, was hilarious. I loved that Isy wasn't your typical "badass" fantasy heroine either. She's honest and sincere and wants to do what she can to discover who killed her friend and help her country.

The romance in this book also had me kicking my feet, so there's that, too!

I highly recommend reading this book. So freaking good!!

This is not a story that is all rainbows and sunshine. There is not a happy ending. However, it does touch on some hard topics in a beautiful way. Grief, feeling like you are not enough, the consequences of war, etc. While this book is not written in a completely-traditional way (for reasons that are realized in the first chapter), it captures the emotions of the main character in a poignant way. As much as I wanted to read this book in one sitting, I had to take breaks to process the emotions and the plot because of how the story was written.

I am ready for the next book, and the first one has just arrived. A great debut novel for Page, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Ok wow, I feel like I went into this book expecting one thing and ended up with so much more. This book kept me on my toes, I guessed one of the big things, and had an inkling towards another later in the book, but overall I had no idea where we would end up with it and I enjoyed that. I loved the FMC Isy- she‘s intelligent, capable, a terrible spy, and when she’s being bullied by the men she’s forced to guide through her homelands she sticks up for herself in a brilliant and hilarious way. I loved the banter in this book and adored Erik- our surly, pain the ass MMC, did I find myself thinking ‘god he’s an ass’ in the beginning? Yes, yes I did, but I love that because I adore enemies to lovers. The group of side characters were (mostly) charming, as well. I was not expecting that ending, but am grateful to learn that this is going to be a duology and I look forward to seeing these characters again! I devoured this, there were a few things here and there, like a conflict with a character that I didn’t feel like had been resolved, but I’d have to give it 4.5⭐️

This is a YA story about two souls that do not feel like they fit anywhere. This story has great banter as the two characters get to know each other while on an adventure. Isabel is forced into a job she does not want to get information about, but also wants to find out what happened to her friend. The turns in this story I didn't see coming, and I really enjoyed it.

✨️ Enemies to Lovers
✨️ Close Proximity
✨️ Illusion Magic
✨️ One Horse
✨️ Fade to Black Romance
✨️ Slow Burn
✨️ Mental Health Representation

A mad King, a dying Queen and a missing Prince. A country in peril. Isabel, a physician apprentice, is tasked with being a guide to the Vold, to find out their secrets and gain access to their weapon.

Isabel consistently felt undervalued and dispensable, longing for recognition and validation to disprove her father's negative assessment of her worth. However, it was through an unexpected connection with her adversary, Erik, that she finally experienced a sense of being truly seen and understood. Their shared experiences of paternal rejection and undervaluation forged a profound bond between them. I loved the teasing nature that developed between them as their relationship grew.

He would tear the world down for her.

Enemies to lovers, magic, betrayal, friendship, self harm & LBGTQ+ representation

This book redeemed the name Erik for me after my ex ruined it.

This is my first time reading this author and I went in with zero expectations. And I fell in love with this book. I couldn’t put it down. Erik & Isy are such a perfect match. The banter is giving. The side characters make you even more invested. And that plot twist! An amazing story. I highly recommend this one. I love Signey and Stefan.

I’m dying for a second book.

“I see you. I see all of you.”

Illusion of Stars is an excellent start to a romantasy series featuring a unique magic system, a well developed world, great characters, and a slow burn enemies to lovers romance. It took me a little bit to get into the story as is usually the case with a new fantasy series, but once I did I was hooked.

I adored Isabel and Erik and the tension and banter between them. I honestly looked forward to each of their interactions and Erik had me swooning a lil. I loved each of the characters more as I got to know them and I’m looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book, especially after that ending! There were some predictable moments but plenty of exciting ones to make up for it. Highly recommend this to my fellow romantasy lovers and I’m looking forward to reading more from Sarah Marie Page!

Thank you to Shadow Forge Publishing for the ARC!

Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page is a poetically-written young adult fantasy with a unique magic system, feisty FMC, and an intricate world with a cliffhanger that will have you wanting the next book IMMEDIATELY.

The enemies to lovers within this story have quality banter that romantasy lovers eat up - although the smut is fade to black versus explicit spice that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment (unless you are looking for straight up porn - this ain’t it). There are a lot of funny moments throughout the novel along with heart crushing scenes that will bring tears to your eyes and feel like a stab to the gut. I’ll admit sometimes I did feel a little lost and confused but I was able to reread passages and make sense of it all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! Make sure to grab your copy when this book hits the shelves July 16, 2024.