The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard reminded me of A Fate Inked in Blood—if you loved that book, this one will be right up your alley. I loved the romance and witty banter between the two main characters though I wish it was more of a slow burn.
The world-building is straightforward, which makes this a quick and accessible read. However, fans of high-fantasy might find this simplicity a bit of a drawback. The story moves at a fast pace, but it slows down around the 40% mark. I would have loved to see the FMC spend more time at the castle, engaging in the games and trials, as there was only one major trial before the plot shifted to a new location.
Overall, this is a fantastic pick for fans of romantic fantasy looking for a lighter read.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
#Netgalley #thestarlightheir

The Starlight Heir is an action packed romantasy that had me hooked from the first page! This is a fast pace story with star magic, prophecies, romance, and meddling old gods. Suraya is the daughter of a tavern owner and a self taught bladesmith. She receives a summons from the King that invites her to be a potential bride to Prince Javed. When she gets to Kadari, she finds that instead of a royal courtship, she is thrown into trials full of danger and meets Prince Javed’s handsome brother Roshan. Suraya finds herself on the run with Roshan after the truth behind the King's invitation is revealed and rebels attack. Old prophecies about the Starkeeper begin to fall into place, and secrets are brought to light as Suraya leaves the palace and starts to discover truths about herself and the world around her.
The Starlight Heir was incredibly exciting to read, and I loved the magic system. I was captivated by the mythology, prophecies, and world building. The book was so full of magic and Amalie Howard beautifully illustrates that world that kept me engrossed in the book. The slow burn between Suraya and Roshan was so good. The banter and tension between them had me on the edge of my seat. I love that Suraya is a strong female from the beginning. She knows how to fight her own battles, and although she doesn't want to believe in the prophecies, she knows that she must do everything to keep her loved ones safe, including embracing who she is. I love that there is so much focus on fleshing out the details of Prince Javed and Queen Morviard. It really makes the story so much better.
Omg, that ending left me wanting more! I have so many questions that I want answered, and I want to know what happens next to Suraya. There is so much more mystery in the world, and I look forward to diving back into it with the next book!
Thank you, Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Amalie Howard for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I found this journey enjoyable overall, though I believe it was a bit underdeveloped in certain areas. Suraya had significant potential, but she never quite reached the depth I was hoping for. While she’s not unlikable, she felt somewhat flat compared to the other more dynamic elements of the story. I expected a bit more complexity, especially considering the volatile, dangerous situation she’s thrust into. Her character arc had the potential to be much stronger—her inner conflict and the development of her powers could have added more compelling layers, but instead, her growth felt somewhat lackluster at times.

On a separate note, some of the more cringe-worthy moments took me out of the story. The use of terms like “Princesplaining” and “thick thighs save lives” felt jarring. These phrases didn’t fit the tone of the world the author had built and pulled me out of the immersive experience. While I can’t deny that the story was entertaining, moments like these detracted from the otherwise solid writing and intriguing premise.

Additionally, the constant focus on Suraya’s attraction to the prince started to feel a bit forced. I'm not against romance when it serves the plot or deepens character development, but here it felt more like an insta-love scenario that didn't contribute much to the story’s growth. The constant flirtation and sexual undertones often seemed unnecessary, and at times they distracted from the plot, which could have stood on its own without these constant diversions. I think the romance would have been more compelling if it had developed more gradually, allowing for a deeper emotional connection between Suraya and Roshan. Roshan, the prince’s illegitimate half-brother, has a lot of interesting layers, but just when I thought the story might delve deeper into his complexities, it veered off into cliché romantic tension. This again took away from the larger conflict and felt rushed—like when the story hints at him knowing something crucial that Suraya doesn’t, but then, before anything can unfold, she’s back to swooning over him.

The chapters featuring the God of Night also felt out of place. While I understand there's a sequel in the works, it seemed like the story was wrapping up, and the inclusion of this element felt disjointed and unfinished. That said, I’m still intrigued to see where the story goes next and see if some of the plot holes are filled.

The world-building, however, was impressive. The backdrop of magic and the tension between the noble houses and the rebel militia created a strong foundation for the plot, and I was genuinely invested in seeing how these dynamics would evolve. There’s a lot of potential for some exciting twists, and I look forward to seeing how things unfold.

Overall, I’d rate this 4 stars—a solid start with room for improvement. While it wasn’t the fantasy adventure I’d hoped for based on the synopsis, it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential here. I just wish the execution had been a bit more consistent and that some of the modern, cringe-worthy moments had been left out.

The book had a fantastic premise, offering a perfect mix of Romantasy and suspense. It was action-packed and featured a badass main character, Suraya, who’s an incredibly skilled bladesmith. I really enjoyed the lighthearted tone at the start, which gradually evolves into a whirlwind of intense battles and a bloody showdown. Roshan was an engaging love interest, and there were so many twists, lies, and secrets for Suraya to unravel. The ending was gripping, and I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing, and Amalie Howard for the e-ARC.

this comes out tomorrow and I CANNOT wait for everyone to get their hands on it!! I love seeing powerful and fiercly loyal FMCs in a fantasy book! It’s so fast paced and we get sucked into Suraya’s journey immediately.

This book ended up being very different than I was expecting. I was excited about the “trials” part of this book and was disappointed that it was such a short part of the story. The romance was felt very insta-lust and I didn’t feel like the characters had any real chemistry.

The Starlight Heir

I loved all of Amalie Howard's historical romances and I'm a huge fantasy girlie so obviously put those together and I'M IN!

Summoned to the capital city to be considered as a contestant to be the bride of the future king, Suraya expects excitement and laughs from a few fancy days at court. She doesn't expect the incredibly handsome brother of the future king, nor does she expect to discover she has powers. When the rebels attack the court, her fate is set on an adventure written in the stars, seeking refuge with the rebels and trusting Roshan, the prince's illegitimate half-brother. Adventure, magic, monsters, betrayal, sacrifice and fulfilling your destiny ensue.

The start gave me The Selection vibes with a mix of Trials of the Sun Queen and the Powerless series because there's another prince brother (smirk). Followed by a Reckless kind of adventure. This was a lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of romantasy. Towards the end, I thought it was going to be a standalone fantasy, but the epilogue will have us coming back for more in Book 2 to learn more about the mysterious dark god. And will the shadow lover with inky tendrils be back?! That's what the people need to know!!

Check this out if you're looking for:
- Adult romantasy
- Instalove/lust
- Queen trials turned into a rebellion fight
- A mysterious shadow lover that brings satisfyingly spicy dreams
- Fulfilling your destiny / chosen one

Thank you to Avon for this ARC! The Starlight Heir is on shelves January 7, 2024. My opinions are my own.

e-ARC & audio-ARC from NetGalley.

3.5

This was a fast-paced, entertaining read that I enjoyed. It had elements of The Selection and Rebel of the Sands with a big heaping of Powerless vibes. There are also hints of a future shadow daddy. The romantasy girlies will eat this up!

Our protagonist, Suraya, is an inn keeper's daughter who also enjoys the occasional illegal forging of weapons. She receives an invitation to the royal palace to compete for the prince's hand in marriage. This competition includes beautiful gowns, balls, and an arena death match between contestants. From the start, she does not like the prince she is there to court, but prefers the other prince, the more rugged one, with whom she can verbally spar. But, when a rebel attack ruins a banquet, Suraya finds herself on the run - from the prince who means to use her and the kingdom that has outlawed her magic. Magic she didn't know she even had.

I found the beginning of the story compelling, the middle rather slow, and the end gripping. While the novel itself was rather predictable and hit all the same beats as most other fantasy romance novels, including the training, the secret romantic rendezvous, and the underdeveloped character relationships, I think it was a solid start to a series with an ending that promises what could be an utterly unputdownable sequel.

When Suraya, a young bladesmith, is invited to vie for the crown prince’s hand, she takes the invitation as a chance to see the castle her mother once loved. The contest for the crown prince’s hand, though, is not what it seems; unrest in the kingdom is starting to crescendo; and magical forces are awakening in Suraya.

As she begins to fall for the crown prince’s half-brother and everything becomes more complicated and tangled, Suraya is left wondering who truly is in charge of her fate.

Read it for
- The verbal sparring
- The physical sparring
- Some 🔥🔥🔥 dreams
- And some 🔥🔥🔥 scenes

Be prepared for politics, political intrigue, and some gruesome descriptions. (I’m looking at you, Scavs.)

I’m curious to see where this story goes and how the gods will interfere in the next chapter.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Avon. All review opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️ 3🌶️


The book had a lot of potential and there were lots of good scenes. The magic was interesting I enjoyed knowing more about the magic system and all the talk about the gods. The romance had some good moments and some scenes were amazing. The thing I’m most intrigued about is The God of Night we barely got any glimpses of him but it was not explained what is his role in the story or who he really is. I have my theories though.

The thing with this book was that there were so many loose ends that were not explained and because of this the story feels incomplete. Sura was not very good at decision making and a lot of the problems that they had could have been solved is she had made that right decision when she had the chance. Her adventure felt a lil pointless at the end because she really didn’t learned how to really used her powers. And I hated when she made assumptions on what was happening without even knowing the truth. She was not the brightest star even though she was one.

The ending was not much of a cliffhanger but This God of Night has me intrigued and I for sure be reading the next book because I need to know who is he??!! Is he somehow like this certain high lord of the night court??!!🧐🧐

4.5 ☆

Suraya is a bladesmith who has the ability to imbue her work with jadu— the last source of magic in the realm. she lives a quiet life with her family, until one day when she’s invited to the palace to participate in a tournament for the crown prince of Kaldari’s hand in marriage. that invitation is really just a cover to find the starkeeper— a girl who holds the magic of the stars in her blood.

i loved this, it’s so fast paced and i got sucked into Suraya’s journey immediately. Suraya is a powerful fmc who doesn’t let anyone push her around and is fiercely loyal to the people she cares about. Roshan is the illegitimate brother to the crown prince and isn’t perfect with secrets of his own, but he’s also a gentleman who just wants to protect Suraya to the best of his ability. I found both her and Roshan easy to like and Roshan especially was so witty and a big flirt, the tension between them was soooo good. the conflict with the royals and the rebellion had me at the edge of my seat, especially when Suraya and Roshan were on the run. i couldn’t stand prince Javed or his dusty mother, i was sincerely praying on their downfall the whole time. i liked the other side characters though: Aran, Clem, Laleh and Amma. I thought the magic was very creative too— that addition of another certain pov had me wanting to know more, i cannot wait for the sequel now.

Starlight Heir is a new steamy adult romantasy from an author I like Amalie Howard, but this one fell flat for me. I felt like there were too many themes that are all over romantasy now that I was bored- hidden magic, enemies to lovers, trial or games for king and hidden identity.

Sura is a blade smith who believes she has no magic that is called to the king to compete to marry him but he really is looking for a woman he believes is magic. Sura meets the kings half brother, Roshan, who she has real chemistry with. There are people trying to bring down the kingdom, competing magic and political intrigue all wrapped up in this book. I was entertained in the beginning and end but felt like I dragged myself thru the middle. There is some modern language that took me out of the fantasy element and I wanted to scream at Sura because there were so many clues about Roshan!

Overall, I can see some people liking this one and maybe if I hadn’t read so many romantasy lately I would be into it but the receptive themes, odd language and annoying FMC left me wanting.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for an ARC.

New Romantasy from one of my favs Historical Romance Authors!? YES, please! I was so excited to get this arc. The cover is absolutely gorgeous too!

Suraya is our bladesmith heroine, who can make blades secretly imbued with illegal magic. When she is summoned to the palace for an event where the prince selects his new bride, she is sure there has been a mistake. But off she goes on an adventure. She is fierce, snarky, and a very believable heroine. I really enjoyed her!

All is not as it seems at the palace, and as she meets Prince Javed, Queen Morvarid and the bastard Prince Roshan, she is drawn into intrigues that makes her realize this has all been a ruse to find her and her hidden powers.

As Suraya tries to escape the fate they have planned for her, she struggles to decide who she can trust. She has to learn about her powers, gods and magic she never fully believed in, and the truth of what is happening in her kingdom. She has to accept her role and decide the kind of person she wants to be.

This was a great first book in the series. Fast paced and just the right amount of world building. I did see the plot twist coming from the start, but it was still interesting to see how it all played out and kept me riveted. It also left enough unresolved to make me invested in where this goes next!

thank you so much to HarperCollins for a copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review! <3

this premise sounded beautiful and i was really excited exited to read it, but i feel like i hyped it way too much in my mind and it did not meet my expectations. Sura as a character held a lot of promise but i felt as if her characterization was dimmed down a lot. the language also really took me out of the story; it seemed very casual and modern to our time and it took me out of the plot quite a few times. enemies to lovers/morally grey characters have really fallen flat in the romance genre due to its extreme over saturation, which is very unfortunate. if Sura as a character had been much more headstrong as described i would have enjoyed it much more.

This book was a wild ride that is only just the beginning. This first installment focuses on FMC Suraya Saab coming into new powers, surviving a corrupt monarchy, and coming to learn herself in the midst of a deadly bridal competition, a rebel faction fighting the corruption, and a society that has a complicated relationship to magic and mysticism.

If I were comparing, the novel reminds me a bit of Trials of the Sun Queen and The Foxglove King. An absorbing read for anybody looking for:

- hidden powers
- deadly trials
- forced proximity
- banter
- celestial/astrological magic
- Indian & Persian mythology

An excellent read and excited to watch things continue to unfurl in Queen of the Night Sky.

Favorite Quotes:

“Don’t you ever get tired of running that mouth of yours?” a familiar voice cuts in from behind us.
“It’s my weapon of choice against toxic masculinity,” I say brightly…

“Destiny doesn’t always get it right, my girl.”…

Thank you netgalley & Avon for this eARC! Ah, I enjoyed this. This is a fun romantasy. The dialogue and banter had me laughing out loud. It has all of the fun tropes every romantasy reader loves, and splashes of spice through out. Besides the romance, it's a wonderful story of a girl learning to use powers she didn't know she had, and having the confidence to take control. Let's also not forget how GORGEOUS the cover is?!

I've been a HUGE fan of Howard's historical romance books but this latest romantasy blew me away!! Great on audio, this had Hunger games vibes and sees Suraya Saab, a young bladesmith virgin being chosen to compete for the Royal heir's hand in marriage. Even though Suraya has no interest in being a wife, she does yearn to see beyond her little town. What she never expected was to fall for the Prince's bastard brother or discover she's had hidden potential inside her all along and might just be the key to saving the kingdom. Full of magic, romance, adventure, secrets and more, this was great on audio narrated by Anais Inara Chase and Ramiz Monsef. It's also the perfect book to pick up for fans of the Fourth Wing series or The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! The cover alone will have me snapping up a copy as soon as it hits stores to keep on my forever fav fantasy shelf!

I so desperately wanted to like this book more than I did. I was very intrigued with the world and its basis in Indian and Persian mythology, but the world-building was not detailed enough for me to fully understand what was going on. It was certainly entertaining, but there is a trend of authors writing romance with fantasy elements who have little to no experience writing fantasy, so the world building takes a serious hit, leaving the story feeling lacking. In addition, there was a lot of modern language that felt jarring and took me out of the world. I really loved the first 20%, the pacing was great, the world building was there, and I was really loving Suraya, but once the attack on the palace happened, the world building was minimal, pacing off, and Suraya turned from fierce to immediately reliant on Roshan for everything. Roshan too was interesting in the first 20%, then it was incredibly clear and obvious that he was the leader of the rebel group, like so obvious I had secondhand embarrassment for Suraya for not guessing. I also didn't understand the chapters with the shadow guy? I can tell he'll become more important in a potential second book, but his presence was a bit disorienting.

Overall, I think this is a decent foray into romantasy for this author. It was an entertaining and short enough read that I would be interested in a second book if it was written.

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is an adult romantasy. Suraya Saab, our heroine, lives with her family, and to her shock, she receives an invitation to participate in a selection to become the Crown Prince’s Bride. Suraya is a self-taught smith on making powerful blades, using ‘Jadu”. Little do the selected girls know that they are searching for a woman who is supposed to have an ability of great power that would change the world. A veiled hunt for the starbringer; a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. Suraya decides to accept the invitation, looking forward to visit the capital city her late mother loved.

All the women who arrive are quickly put to the test of cruel trials, with many getting killed. During the trials, Suraya meets Javed’s distant brother, Roshan, and immediately both of them enjoy their banter, and the chemistry between is strong. In a short time, Javed discovers that Suraya is the girl he is seeking, who will be forced to marry him. Before the crown prince can push for the marriage, an attack comes from a group trying to fight the prince and his mother. Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, especially now that Roshan knows she might be the starkeeper, and is determined to keep her safe. The journey together is action filled and a magical adventure, with Sura discovers her powerful abilities, as well as her falling in love with Roshan.

I really like both Sura and Roshan together, as we can feel their strong bond. It was also nice to see the female friendships along the way; Laleh, Clem, Amma and her memories of her mother. Roshan was charismatic, and he truly loved Sura; but he also held a number of secrets. Sura had many dreams, with the shadow god connecting to her visions; with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her.

The Starlight Heir is a fast-packed mythology, epic fantasy, romance, betrayal, love, deceit, with a Persian/Indian inspired theme. The Starlight Heir was a very good story, that kept my attention throughout. The Starlight Heir was very well written by Amalie Howard. I suggest you read this book, as it looks like more books to come for this series.

Thank you to Avon Books/Harper Collins for sending me an early copy of The Starlight Heir. What an amazing book to start off my year with. This book had everything I love in fantasy romance books. It was action packed throughout the entire story and kept me captivated from the first page! I loved our female main character, Suraya Saab. She is strong, resilient, and witty. Oh, did I mention she also loves romance books? I cannot wait to see what the second book in the series has in store for us!