Chloe C. Peñaranda delivers a captivating start to the Nytefall series in The Stars Are Dying. She blended intricate world-building, emotionally complex characters, and a refreshingly unique premise into a story that kept me hooked from start to finish.

One of the most impressive aspects of the book is the world-building. Peñaranda masterfully crafts a rich and immersive setting, layering details about the world organically throughout the narrative. Instead of overwhelming the reader with exposition, the story gently reveals the intricacies of the world, making it feel alive and dynamic without ever detracting from the central plot or characters.

The emotional connection between the characters is another standout feature. The relationship between Astraea and Nyte was beautifully developed and filled with intrigue. Peñaranda’s ability to convey raw, authentic emotions through her characters drew me in and made me deeply invested in their journeys.

The premise of the story itself is strikingly unique, blending elements of fantasy, mystery, and a touch of romance into a fresh narrative that feels unlike anything else I’ve read. Peñaranda’s creativity shines through every twist and turn, keeping me eager to unravel the story’s secrets.

Now that I’ve finished The Stars Are Dying, I’m already anticipating the release of book 2, The Night Is Defying. Peñaranda has set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable saga, and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next.

If you’re a fan of fantasy with compelling characters, immersive settings, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this is a book you don’t want to miss!

This series has a lot of potential, with its intriguing world-building, political intrigue, and a unique magic system that could set it apart. The premise is strong, and while the pacing in this first book struggles at times, I’m still invested in seeing where the story goes. However —there are too many unanswered questions for the first 300 pages, and the fmc, Astraea, does little to move the story forward or actively seek answers. Her character arc, which focuses on overcoming the trauma of abuse and developing confidence, is compelling, but it conflicts with the mysteries at the heart of the plot. As a result, the book feels a bit dragged out, and I found myself frustrated by Astraea’s lack of urgency in solving the central mysteries.

While Astraea's personal growth is one of the book's stronger elements, her reluctance to question anything or take initiative was a major frustration. As the mystery of her past remains unresolved and side characters' secrets take center stage, the plot at times felt underwhelming. The romance, however, has great chemistry, and I found the world-building fascinating, particularly the themes around memory, identity, and the integration of light and dark. Despite the slow pace and unanswered questions, the ending did leave me intrigued by the plot twist, and I’m hopeful that the second book will improve on the pacing and offer more clarity about Astraea’s purpose. Though the first installment wasn’t perfect, the potential for a gripping series is definitely there, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.

The Stars Are Dying by Chloe C. Penaranda introduces Astraea, a young woman with no memory of her past, trapped under Hector’s control and longing for freedom. When she joins a high-stakes competition called the Libertatum, she faces dangerous trials and mysterious enemies, including the elusive Nyte, who appears whenever she’s in peril. The story is packed with fantasy elements, though the pacing can feel slow at times, with lots of information crammed into the final chapters. The audiobook, with its strong narration, makes it easier to stay immersed despite these pacing issues. Fans of dark, slow-burn fantasy will likely enjoy this.

I DNFed this. It was so boring. I love a lot of CCP's work but man the world building is slow. I will try this again later

The stars are certainly not dying for this book, I loved loved it and couldn't get enough of the way the narrator really dragged you into the story and the characters. The writing was astounding and delectable I want more

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan audio for providing me with an advanced listener copy of this audiobook. The following is my honest opinion.

Book/storyline: 3 stars
Audio: 4 stars

I really wanted to like this book more. The world-building was well done, however, the pacing felt really slow. There were brief periods where the pace would pick up, then would promptly fall right off a cliff.

The main character is suffering from memory loss and does not remember anything before the previous 5 years. One would assume that she would make it a priority to uncover more about herself or attempt to regain her memories, but instead she is easily distracted throughout the story. I did appreciate that she becomes less of a victim as the story progresses. I hope to see her stand on her own more in the sequel.

Audiobook review: I thought the narrators portrayed the characters well and I felt immersed in the story. My only complaint is that the audio changes a lot to demonstrate when he is speaking in her head and at times the volume change between this and what is being said out loud is quite jarring.

I found it hard to get into and stay connected. I was lost as to what was happening for most of the time. It may just not have been my cup of tea, but it didn’t stand out to me from any other fantasy read.

The Stars Are Dying by Chole C. Penaranda follows Astraea, a young woman that can't remember her past. For the last 5 years Astraea has been a prisoner in Hector's household and is only allowed to leave her rooms when he commands her to. Wanting to leave Hector's control, Astraea is going to leave with her friend Cassia as she embarks on her quest to win the Libertatum. Nyte is a figment of Astraea's imagination or is he? He is always around when Astraea finds herself in any kind of danger. Now Astraea is taking Cassia's place in the Libertatum and she must collects keys as she completes each task of the game. The Stars Are Dying is a cross between The Hunger Games and any book that has vampires in it. Astraea and Nyte play a cat and mouse game through the book as Astraea tries to figure out who she is and what Nyte really means to her. This is the first book in the Nytefall Trilogy and can't wait for book 2 in this series. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audio book.

This book had me hooked! As a new series, it has so much potential & I can’t wait for more. I still can’t stop thinking about it.
Some of the twists and turns didn’t happen in the way I thought. Were some predictable, yes but I still enjoyed the build up. This book was sitting at a 4.5 for most of the series but I did find that a lot happened in the last 20% that it felt very much like an info dump & took me out of the story a bit.
This has everything I love in a fantasy book & can’t wait to be immersed in this world again.

Liked it well enough!! However, I think this book is a little too high fantasy for me to read and really understand what’s happening through audio

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 55% for me… I did the audiobook and the beginning was fairly interesting and the plot was promising but soon after I started to get very confused and couldn’t follow along with the writing style. I had to repeat listening to sections over and over again… Perhaps a physical copy would have fared better for me but at this point I’m not too invested to pick this up at this time.

I received the audiobook as an Arc from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!

I did not read the synopsis prior to reading the book and I’m not going to lie, I was not prepared for vampires. Magic, yes. Love story, yes. Vampires? Didn’t even register. That aside, the plot points are familiar - trials, forbidden love, corrupt king, etc. Pacing was a bit of an issue and there was some drag time in the story. The concept of the world and magic system were interesting and the vibes . . .they are immaculate. There is some spice and a bit of tension but we all know they are going to fall in love. That is why we show up for these kind of books. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next installment.

I did buy a physical copy from Amazon because the special edition is absolutely stunning.

Overall, I’m giving the book a 4

The Stars Are Dying – A Nytefall Novel #1 - Review
 
“one touch would make the stars collide, and neither of us would care if we collapsed the world with it.”
 
Couple: Astraea & Nyte
 
Author: Chloe (C.C.) Penaranda
 
Tropes: PNR, dark fantasy romance, fated mates, forbidden romance, gods/goddesses reborn, enemy to lover, hidden identity, forgotten past, vampire/fae themes, touch her and die vibes
 
Review: This all new dark fantasy romance will leave your head spinning as you dive into the complex world featuring fae, vampires, gods, goddesses and hidden prophecies about the darkest night. In this single POV romance, we start to unravel the complex history between Astraea and Nyte.
 
Astraea is a young woman who cannot remember her past. When she meets a mysterious dark suitor, her world begins to crumble as secrets and deceptions start to become obvious to her and those around her. I loved Astraea and her silent growth in this first book. We meet her as a quiet and naïve “maiden” who is trapped by a lord but quickly learn she is not without claws and wit.

Her journey through the kingdom to enter the King’s trials is written in a way that bits and pieces of her hidden memory and identity unfold to let us see how resilient she is. I enjoyed unraveling her dark little mind and loved the banter she has with Nyte the whole time. What made me fall in love with her though was her desire to keep fighting the vampires and her unwavering desire to see the best in Nyte…even when it was not deserved.
 
Nyte on the other hand is mysterious in this first book. Chloe did a phenomenal job with creating the intrigue with his character and the mystery of his bond to Astraea and her past. I loved how he was always there to help her but at the same time was not. This was a twist I did not see coming and it made me go back and reread all his sly anecdotes about the past.

When his identity comes out, I was not surprised but I was surprised with the dark turn he took right at the end. I hope we get to see some form his POV in future books as we learn more about him and the mysterious powers he possesses.
 
This is an enemy to lovers’ book that is full of the tension and banter we love. I enjoyed how Astraea was never afraid to stand up and bite back but I also loved how Nyte was her defender until the end. While we only get spice at the end, I found myself drawn into their relationship and bond more. I enjoyed how Nyte revealed Astraea’s origin and how he pushed her to figure out truths for herself as it made her seem more of an equal to him and I enjoyed how curious she was about everything.

When everything comes out at the end, I was reeling with how cunning Nyte was and how much he played the long game with fate and intertwined pasts. I am looking forward to the second book and seeing how Astraea’s emerging power takes him on.
 
Rating: 100+, Nyte is coming…and the stars will fall!

I listened the audio of this book and did have a fun time with it but can definitely see how people who read a physical copy would be frustrated with the story. It did feel underdeveloped in some parts but had a lot of potential!

The narrators were phenomenal! Corvin King is a new favorite of mine.

I really wanted to like this. The premise seemed promising! But unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

I tried so hard and made it to the 70% mark before I had to put it down. You’d think that after reading that much, I’d know what the book was about, right? But no. I still have no idea. The writing was choppy and hard to follow, and the plot jumped around a lot without any clear direction. I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. They all sounded very similar to me, which made it hard to invest in their journeys.

The audio narrator was really good though. It is the only reason I made it as far as I did in the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Chloe Penaranda's books, but this one did confuse me quite a bit. I did feel that there were 1 too many myths embedded in the story, and the pacing for this was a bit slow, but I'm still intrigued enough to read the next one.

I made it to 57% of this audiobook before I decided to DNF. I unfortunately just could not get into this book enough to finish it. That being said, it could be a great book for someone else! It definitely had all of the components to be a great fantasy story but it just wasn't for me personally.

Rating: 4/5
I received an audio ARC for my honest opinion.

What would you do if you couldn’t remember anything about your life, but you would still get glimpses of recognition here and there, but you feel as though you’re missing a part of yourself, or what your mission was. Astraea has spent the last 5 years of her life feeling like this, but with her broken memories, an illness that will not go away, she finds protection with a captor named Hektor. However, all she has wanted is to break free from her cage and have the chance to break through this darkness in her mind and remember. When a friend is chosen to be the competitor in Libertatem she decides to run away with her and start her new adventure. But nothing is as it seems and the answers that she has wanted may not be the ones that she wanted to hear.

I cannot say that I hated this book because I found a lot that I did like, but I cannot say that I loved it. I thought that there was a lot going on and for me the pace of the plot was done well to explain the characters more in dept and to get a clearer picture of what is going on, but at the same time I felt as though the author could have shown more light on the trails and the time being spent at the court. I think it really came down to there was a lot going on and a lot of repetition with the Astraea, to the point that I was like “here we go again”, but I still understood the point, but I think it should have been a little less. I loved that we got to see the competing trials in this book, but I do wish we could have spent a little more time on each task that was given. I found the characters to be well developed. The pace of the book might be a little slow at the start, but it does pick up and a lot does happen.

I liked Astraea, I do think she could have developed more but I think in the second book we will see more from her character. I found her to be smart, even though she was naïve at times. Nyte, I am not sure how I feel about this character, and I love a good morally grey character, but I feel like maybe he might become a really bad guy, and I don’t want my heart to be crushed because I do like them together. I can’t wait to see what the author will do with him in the next book.

I received the audio of this book, and I found the narrators really helped to bring this book to life. I loved that it was a dual POV and that the narrators did so well with getting their characters. I would listen to another book by them.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

“I can feel your soul. And I can show it to you if you’d like.”

All that surrounded us was my light

Well slap me shadow Daddy and call me Starlight!
I enjoyed this. The world-building in this mystical realm, filled with creatures like fae and vampires, gave such a great backdrop for this slow-burn romantasy. The storyline was good,character development was layered,plot starts slow then builds towards the end.
I found myself invested in Astraea and Nyte.The romantic tension between the two is palpable, especially as Nyte hides in Astraea’s dreams, and his morally ambiguous nature added a captivating (and hot)layer to the narrative.

Astraea's journey from captivity to empowerment, particularly with her amnesia, is compelling. While I wanted to shake her for her constant compliance with Hektor, the eventual discovery of her strengths as she regained her identity was rewarding. I appreciate how the pacing quickened towards the end, leading to a thrilling cliffhanger and readyfor book #2.

The push-and-pull dynamic between Nyte and Astraea kept me on edge. I often questioned his true motives and whether he could be trusted,especially during the sex scene.which was spicy but not overtly so.
My only qualm was this story got lost in their romance,I felt like it became centered on that,which was fine.
This is a series I am looking forward to continuing.

As much as I love the covers and plot summaries, Chloe Penaranda is just not for me. The narration was great, but that had nothing to do with the writing. The plot is all over the place, the writing stilted, and it takes you from the story. I’ve tried enough of her books across genres to know they’re not my cup of tea and not something I’m going to be recommending.