This book was okay. The premise was excellent but something got lost in the delivery for me. I did appreciate that this was a romantasy that was 800+ long. The inclusion of contemporary phrases and slang…etc was rough, would’ve preferred a more through world building/lore building and a bit more fleshing out of the characters.

Not sure if I’ll read book 2, but I’m curious so probably will.

DNF

Let me start this by saying that I have heard great things about the book, but it's not in my cards currently. I would like to give this another shot someday, however!

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard

A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows.

The overall premise of this book caught my attention but when I started reading it I found myself wanting to drop it due to the modern slang use and how cliche some of the lines were.

“Thick thighs save lives,”

"Don’t prince-splain me.”

In the first few chapters we have Suraya, the FMC, and her best friend, Laleh, talking about the letter Suraya received as a summon to be a candidate to marry the prince. In these opening chapters Suraya basically is saying the equivalent of oh I'm just a dirty blacksmith girl I would rather die than marry a prince... I also found that Laleh is overly sexual when talking to her friend who retorts in ways that sets her up to be relatively prude but the moment she's off and around other men she's constantly desiring to be more and making first moves? I can't tell if there's any character development in this book because these characters never felt established in the first place.

I found that after about the first third of the book the writing feels completely different and enters into the actual trials and plot of the story. I found that the drastic shift in this made me struggle to enjoy the better portion of the story still. With a distaste for the characters and experiencing scenes that seemed random or rushed just to get them into the story made it difficult to settle into where we start to get a better pacing.

By the end of this book I felt more invested but not intrigued enough that I would continue reading the story. I think I would have had more pull to this if the pacing was better and the characters felt more consistent. I also find that the shadow character in this was not established enough to be mysterious but just seemed like a placeholder.

Thank you Netgallery for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book deals with Indian mythology our main character is a bladesmith who has the ability to imbue her work with a jadu. This is the last source of magic in her realm. She does live with her family and she gets invite to a tournament at the palace for the crown princes hand in marriage. This book has it all. Trials, magic and love. I am thankful for the arc of this book

This took me a little to get into but I became pretty invested in the characters once the rebellion happened. I'm sad that there was so much smut in this though at what felt like unnecessary given the situation they were in. I liked the overall message of the book and especially about forgiving but not forgetting. It's not my favorite work by Howard, but it's definitely a fun standalone fantasy which is rare these days. Most of my qualms are pretty minute overall and just a matter of my own taste but for romantasy fans out there I can see them enjoying a lot more and I still gave it 4 stars.
This took me a little to get into but I became pretty invested in the characters once the rebellion happened. I'm sad that there was so much smut in this though at what felt like unnecessary given the situation they were in. I liked the overall message of the book and especially about forgiving but not forgetting. It's not my favorite work by Howard, but it's definitely a fun standalone fantasy which is rare these days. Most of my qualms are pretty minute overall and just a matter of my own taste but for romantasy fans out there I can see them enjoying a lot more and I still gave it 4 stars.

The book's premise intrigued me, and the story's description sounded like something I would enjoy. Unfortunately, I struggled to get through the book. I picked it up, put it down, and tried again multiple times. Having modern-day vernacular show up where I don’t expect it is jarring and takes me out of the story.

The romance was a little too instantaneous for me. I also struggled with keeping the various factions involved in the world-building. The book was fine; I can see how others will enjoy it immensely.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Harper Voyager | Avon, and Amalie Howard for the eARC.

When I started this book, I was very concerned about the fantasy part of it. My brain struggles to contain all of the made-up worlds/orders/regions/etc. and keep them straight. When the book starts with definitions of each of the words, I know I'm in for a treat. But I was pleasantly surprised at how well done the fantasy was. Sure, there were the definitions in the beginning, but Amalie Howard explained the definitions a few times throughout the book as well which really solidified the places and names for me.

I set aside all of my responsibilities to finish this book because I couldn't put it down. Every chapter captivated me and left me wanting more which was perfect because the book was fast-paced. And the tension between Roshan and Suraya? Perfection.

My main problem with the book is that it was all wrapped up nice and tight with a cute little bow and then the epilogue happened and left me with so many questions. Currently, this book is a standalone but am I sensing a book two in its future? I hated the epilogue because of the questions it stirred but I would definitely read the second book if there is to be one.

Thank you Amalie Howard and NetGalley for the ARC 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.

This was a fast paced and fun read! I loved the deadly trials and bride selection, they were exactly what I was hoping for. Suraya and Roshan have a nice slow burn with great chemistry. However, at times I did forget when and where this takes place because there was a lot of modern language that didn't quite fit the story. Otherwise, the world building and characters were enjoyable and I look forward to reading the next book!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This was an epic fantasy full of dazzling worldbuilding, loveable characters, and plot twists that will leave you with your mouth hanging open. I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding of this story, as it folds in magic so effortlessly. Then there's the amazing FMC whose strength and resilience make her shine brighter than the magic of the stars.

I don't want to say too much as to not give away more than people would like, but this is a story that is fully of beauty at every turn, from the setting to the writing to the characters themselves. You won't regret stepping into this world, and you won't want to come back out once you have!

I was so excited to read this book because I really enjoyed Amalie Howard's historical romance titles, so a romantasy from this author had me over the moon! I really wanted to love this book but it did fall a little flat for me in terms of the romance. It was a tad but insta-lovey especially for a romantasy book. I did really enjoy the fantasy elements like the world building and magic system, but my biggest selling point was the romance and it did not work for me unfortunately.

I am interested in future works of this author because of how much I loved her historical romance.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for this arc!

3.5 stars — I loved this author’s historical romance novels so I was definitely intrigued by this one. A bride selection that’s actually a front for trying to sniff out a magical heir? And she falls for the younger brother instead? Sign me all the way up.

Solid, intriguing world building but something was just a little bit missing for me. I didn’t connect as well to our heroine as I would have liked. I would say this is a good fantasy-lite book — and I’ll keep on reading the eventual sequel because now I need to know how it ends!

I was so excited to read this book. The cover is gorgeous and the premise was interesting. From the description, it had everything I love in it. Unfortunately, this book just didn't land for me. The modern-day slang clashed greatly with the setting. You're in this magical, mythical land and all of a sudden the characters are speaking with modern day phrases. It took me out of the story each time. I sadly wasn't able to finish this book after 3 months of trying.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC.

*More of a 3.5 star rating but rounding up because the cliffhanger has me in a chokehold*

I received an eARC of The Starlight Heir from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When we first meet our heroine, Suraya, she's doing some illicit blacksmithing--forging the highly regulated magical substance jadu into a dagger. She's also contemplating why in the world she got a sparkly invitation to the heir's bridal ball. Boom. That's how fast your stakes hit in Chapter 1. Suraya's a badass bladesmith who Has A Bad Feeling About This (TM). What follows is a fast-paced adventure full of some of the romantasy genre's favorite tropes: the chosen one, rebel factions, deadly combat, meddling gods, and literal star-crossed lovers.

I think The Starlight Heir is a delightfully quick and engaging read; however the pacing was one of my key detractors when I think about recommending this to other readers. For example, if you're excited by the deadly combat bridal ball, that narrative arc gets wrapped up in the first 1/4 of the book, and we quickly move on to rebel uprising/magical prophecy/on-the-run-training-montage. Things happened a little too fast without letting the tension or character moments breathe. I often found myself wanting more character reflection or struggle, or for some of the plot beats to simmer. This story has some angsty elements (that I was all about) but they needed more room to flourish and make for a satisfying story.

This book is Amalie Howard's first foray into romantasy as a veteran historical romance writer, so I'm willing to bet she'll find her footing quickly with this new way of worldbuilding. She also writes fantastic heat in her books, and even though Suraya and Roshan had some serious insta-lust, those scenes were a highlight of the book for me.

Without offering any specific spoilers for the book, one of my favorite themes Howard explores is choice vs. fate. The way Suraya and the other characters have to navigate what they believe and why was interesting and kept me curious about where the story could go in Book 2. Truly, the way the book ends makes me want to get to Book 2 asap because I need to know how we get from Point A to Point B. There's a world in which The Starlight Heir could have been a standalone with a few edits, so I'm assuming things are going to get turned on their head and I want to see that happen. Maybe banking on Book 2 isn't the best of ideas, but I genuinely enjoy Amalie Howard's other work so much that I want to give this series room to grow.

Fast-paced and fun, this romantasy had me hooked! Suraya is a badass, the world-building is stunning, and the mythology elements were a highlight. I wanted deeper character connections and a stronger romance, but overall, it was an entertaining read with great action and twists.

I loved this book! For this to be this authors first romantasy novel I would have NEVER guessed. The richness of the story and all of the hints to so much more in this world. I loved that the mc wasn't really all powerful. The option is there but its not grabbed. The mc is striving to learn who she is as a person and to decide what she thinks is right or wrong. I think there is so much more to see in this world and I cannot wait. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends/ bookstagram!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

I'm surprised that this has a very average rating because I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The writing is beautifully descriptive giving cultural, celestial, and starry fantasy desert vibes. It has great world building and lore. Each character has a different personality and I'm very much grateful for that especially when there are plenty of characters in a story because I would like to be able to distinguish each person. There's nothing more annoying to me than to have a lot of characters in a story and they're all bland or act the same. And although a bit insta-lovey and not enough slow burn, Suraya (FMC) and Roshan (MMC) has spicy, hilarious chemistry.

I think this book could've benefitted to be a little longer (about 100 pages more) because the last 20% pacing got too fast and abrupt. Based off that, I couldn't tell if this was initially a stand-alone or if there will be a continuation, I'm actually confused at what will be happening next. Regardless, I will continue this series since I enjoyed this first book, but a star docked off cos I wish the last minute pacing wasn't rush and abrupt, and had a little more time to build up.

In the kingdom of Oryndhyr, Suraya finds herself in a deadly competition for the crown prince's hand, her power awoken when facing danger. She must learn to master the power, while forging temporary alliances.

The Starlight Heir is a bit formulaic and predictable, especially bogged down by complex world-building terminology - my head is spinning from all the names of Houses (sociopolitical hierarchy based on occupation), cities, and divinities. Basically, she's special/the chosen one/the only hope - take everything else in stride.

Of course, at its core, is the romance. The dialogues are okay, and I'm honestly not that invested in the romance. The third act conflict is contrived, especially in the scheme of things.
The concept of being soul-fated is intriguing though, and I think it will be explored further in the next one.

Although the final chapter is mostly conclusive, there is an unresolved mystery and it left me curious enough to give it 3 stars and to maybe check out the planned sequel, The Queen of the Night Sky.

The Starlight Heir is romantasy following Suraya Saab, a blacksmith living in a small town who is summoned to the royal palace to participate in a competition for the crowned prince’s hand in marriage. Upon Suraya’s arrival, she realizes dark things are at work at the palace, and the prince’s true goal is not to find a wife but instead to uncover the legendary Starkeeper, a girl with the magic of the gods. When it is revealed that Suraya might be the Starkeeper, she escapes the prince’s imprisonment with the aid of his mysterious half-brother, Roshan. Sparks fly between them as they journey across the kingdom, but Suraya starts to see that Roshan might not be who he seems either.

❤️ What I loved: This book had a lot of potential. I liked the uniqueness of the world and its politics, and I think there were a lot of interesting aspects of the magical beings that kept me wanting to know more. I appreciate that this wasn’t a euro-centric world and built on lore outside of the Western canon.
💔 What I didn’t love: Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. Everything felt a bit underdeveloped - from the characters, to the world-building, to the magic. I also struggled with the tone of the book. The dialogue and banter between our romantic leads was superficial, and their relationship was highly physical with virtually no development of their emotional relationship that left me unconvinced of the epic love story. Additionally, the chapters foreshadowing the shadow god character seemed almost random, with far too little information to add the level of intrigue that they should have.

I had a lot of hope for this book, but it felt like I needed some more development to fully tie all of the elements together. For my own preferences, the romance didn’t work for me either, which made the other pieces of the book harder to ignore. It seems clear that this book is meant to be a series; I hope to see some of these pieces come together more as it progresses.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5 (3-3.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Amalie Howard, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I had high hopes for this book—the Indian-inspired mythology, astrology elements, and intriguing romance sounded promising. While the story was fun and entertaining, a few things didn’t quite work for me. The lush worldbuilding and palace scenes were definite highlights, and I loved the rich cultural influences woven throughout. The trials had so much potential to elevate the stakes, and I wish they had been explored more deeply.

That said, the modern slang felt out of place in a fantasy setting, pulling me out of the world. The character arcs also felt rushed, making the romance and emotional moments less impactful. I especially wished for stronger connections between the main character and the side cast to make the ending more meaningful.

Despite my nitpicks, the book had its moments, and I enjoyed the vibrant setting and intriguing premise. While it wasn’t perfect, it kept me entertained, and I’m curious to see how book two expands on the mythology and character dynamics.