This story was just so interesting. Astrea was such a great character. I just love how the story unfolded. Everything is revealed just so piece by piece. You have a solid villain but also some morally grey characters. I felt like I had different theories about each one as I read. The twists were so neat to the story. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

The narrators Jacci Prior and Corvin king did a pretty good job with this one. They both work very hard to convey the story in a way that makes sense. The prose in this book does really work that well for me to being heard without visual aid, and even with visual aid it’s not my favorite and does feel over done at points. On top of this the story felt very repetitive and like a lot of nothing until 75-80% of the book. I will probably continue the series but this one was a miss for me.

DNF @ 25%

I have taken so long to write this review because I was SO excited about this book, and I didn't really hate it...I just didn't like it? I didn't find myself connecting to the plot or characters, and I found the writing to be very slow. So many people DID love it and I wanted to give it another chance, but it's been four months and I think I need to admit that I'm never going to finish this book.

I think I was really uncomfortable with the initial noncon, and the FMC's starting point was really confusing and bleak, and that made it hard for me to connect to her. I like my FMC's in particular to be strong, and it seemed like this one had reasons to be the way that she was, but it took too long for me to understand them and I just needed a single moment of joy or levity for me to personally connect with the book.

I would recommend it to fantasy readers who have a lot of patience for the plot to start and want to immerse themselves in a really unique world.

I cannot wait to continue this series! This book was fantastic and I loved how the narrator brought the story to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a great read! There were a few parts where I got bored and a little distracted. However, it was not hard to get back into it and ultimately finish.

Astraea and Nyte just go together so well and I can't wait to read the next book.

This was an interesting book and one that left me wanting more. From the beginning I was in Astraea’s story and how she would find her way out of the situations she repeatedly found herself in.

Nyte was a mystery throughout much of the book but instantly attractive to both Astraea and this reader. Although, Astraea finds herself questioning his reality and his motives, there were many layers to work through.

The audiobook narrators were excellent!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio review copy.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Dark potential that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Astraea’s journey had its high points—her growth from a timid, sheltered girl to someone standing more confidently in her own power was great to see. That said, her lack of curiosity about the world and her circumstances left me frustrated at times.

Nyte, on the other hand, was the highlight for me. His charisma, broody energy, and tension with Astraea brought much-needed sparks to the story. Their slow-burn romance and clever banter kept me invested, even when the plot felt sluggish.

Pacing was the biggest hurdle for me. The first half of the book dragged, and I found myself losing interest during Astraea’s journey to the capital. However, once the Libertatem trials began, the story picked up significantly, delivering some thrilling moments.

Final Thought:
The potential is there, and I’m curious to see where the series goes, but the uneven pacing and info-dumping made it hard for me to fully connect. Fans of angsty, trope-heavy fantasy romances will likely enjoy this one.

Truthfully I have struggled to get through this book. I felt like the premise was great but it almost seemed like it was trying to be pretentious. I didn’t really connect with the characters so the story felt inconsequential. Again I think the concept it great but it felt like it fell flat

This book is absolutely STUNNING. From the cover to the art and the chapter headings, it is absolutely a collector's dream. I see what the author was trying to do here, but from the first page the writing style was difficult for me to comprehend. I had to reread multiple sentences just to figure out what the author was trying to say - like the words were out of order. I prefer a much more straightforward writing style, but if you enjoy more flowery and lyrical, it sounds like you would enjoy this from other reviews!

This was a book I had been wanting to get to for a while. I heard great things about this author and their fantasy romances when they were indie published, so I was excited to get to this book once it was traditionally published.

While it wasn’t my favorite, I did enjoy the audiobook narration and would still try more from this author in the future.

I received an audiobook ALC from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and the author for the opportunity to review this audiobook. Unfortunately, I have to DNF this one and will not be rating it outside of NetGalley.

I found the setting and elements of the story to be interesting. Astraea lives in highly regulated kingdom due to the threat of fae-like vampires. She's hidden inside a brothel as the child-bride to the pimp who groomed her. Now as a young woman, she is cognizant of his abuse and ready to escape. Her chance comes when the borders between kingdom's are opened for a centennial competition between champions. She nearly fails multiple times but a mysterious voice keeps guiding her past enemies and traps.

Unfortunately, I really struggled with the pacing of this adventure. There's a lot going on but it moves quite slowly, and as an audiobook even more so. I think the narrators have lovely intonations and play the characters well. I would normally enjoy the performance aspect. But I read much faster on my own and due to the pacing, I think that would be a better alternative for me.

I am interested enough by the politics and Astraea's secret heritage to try picking up a printed copy.

Oof. The premise is so interesting but the execution was lacking. It needed more editing. Many scenes jumped around or weren't explained well. If you like spice, this might be your thing but the spicy scenes were cringy to listen to. This was my first journey into romantasy so maybe that's why? I read romance books and normally don't mind the smutty parts. A lot of the lines just seemed too corny and far fetched for me to believe. I will still read the next book in the series. Hoping the editing will be better next time. The narrators were ok.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ALC!

This book moved very quickly which I think helped me because I was struggling to get through it. It took me a while to write this review because I wasn’t sure how to much into words what I felt about this book. Overall it was just a typical romantasy so if you enjoy those books you’ll like it. The male narrator did the same voice for all the characters which was a strange choice. But overall I still would read a sequel to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook. The narration was really well done on this book. Unfortunately I had to DNF this one as I simply could not get myself to care about the character or stories. Just seemed like repetitive tropes with not a lot of substance or world building.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Copy!

I was so excited about this book and was looking forward to it for a long time but I am sad to say that it really fell flat for me. I can definitely see how it will have its fans and I know they will love it, but it is just not for me.

Generally speaking, I really enjoyed the world-building, the variations on magic, and the character development, the final 20% of the book felt rather erratic and oddly planned. I'm interested to see where the rest of the story goes but hope we see some more consistency in the characters in the next book.

This was my first taste of Romantasy, and I believe it won't be my last. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope. Also, the contest trope. I enjoyed that the trials were based on the seven deadly sins. The politics were a little confusing, but that was the only thing negative about this story.

A gripping introduction to a new fantasy world replete with a complex magical history, interwoven past lives, and characters who aren’t as they seem (either through deception or outwardly imposed amnesia). Astraea has entered into this world with little memories of her life before being entrapped in a gilded cage, but that doesn’t stop her from craving adventure and freedom. Enter Nyte, a shadowy being who Astraea can’t escape but also can’t fully trust, she doesn’t even know if he’s real or a figment of her imagination. When tragedy provokes her to enter into a competition where the winner receives protection for their country and the losers end up in their graves, Astraea is forced to reckon with how very little she knows about the world around her, and her complicated past within it.

There’s a lot about this book that I really loved! The star-crossed lovers aspects to Astraea and Nyte’s relationship was as enticing as it was tragic. The immersion into a fantasy world with different kinds of magic-wielding vampiric creatures and the humans who try to survive in a world subjected to them was fascinating. And there were a plethora of well-developed side characters who I hope to see break away into their own in the series.

My biggest issue with this book is that I felt like it should have been seperated into two different books. I understand why each section had to be so developed and detailed, and each part of this book had scenes that made me swoon or sweat, but it was so so so longgggg. I definitely felt myself slumping at certain points as the book dragged at some points.

There were some issues with the audiobook where certain sections had differentiations in volume. But the narrators did an EXCEPTIONAL job bringing this story to life and helping me immerse myself so deeply!!!

Regardless of the book’s length, I was thoroughly entertained by this story and will definitely be eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶️

Strengths: "The Stars are Dying" brings together all the elements I love in a romantic fantasy—star-crossed lovers, enigmatic villains, and an immersive magical setting. The audiobook truly elevates the experience and the narrators deliver outstanding performances. Their ability to breathe life into the characters of Astraea and Nyte was particularly impactful, delivering emotional depth and a vivid sense of their world.

Narrative and Pacing: The story starts off strong, captivating my interest with its intriguing setup and unexpected developments. However, the narrative stumbles a bit during the trials, which, although crucial to the plot, lack clarity and the thrill expected from such pivotal scenes. These trials, meant to be climactic, instead felt muddled and lacked the thrilling edge typical of such high-stakes competitions in fantasy novels.
The pacing generally moves well, but the ending stretches on too long and becomes repetitive.

Consistency and Development: There are moments when the storyline seems to jump unexpectedly, which briefly pulled me out of the experience, wondering if I had missed a part or if my audiobook had accidentally skipped.
I’m also left with several lingering questions , but look forward to the sequel for answers.

Conclusion: While not flawless, "The Stars are Dying" offers a richly crafted unique story, and an interesting world with compelling characters. All of this is amplified by stellar audio performances making it undeniably engaging and well worth the listen.

*Thank you the NetGalley for providing me with the ALC.*