The world building is a generic and vague mix of this, that, and the kitchen sink, leaving me with no real impression of what anything looks like, what cultures — if any — are present, or any sense of the world beyond Roshan and Suraya’s immediate ‘banter.’ There are portals, erotic dreams where Surya meets a shadow daddy with obligatory shadow magic and talented tentacles, a weather system knowledgeable and common enough that Surya can easily classify how powerful a local cyclone is, goggles and magic swords. It’s everything and nothing in equal measure and I struggled to stay focused long enough to trudge through reading it.

There is also a lot of cursing — which is fine — but it’s the obligatory fantasy swears here and there before that’s pushed side and it’s back to a more modern, garden variety. Phrases such as “don’t threaten me with a good time,” “touché,” or “champ” are tossed around in a way that really makes me think that zero effort was put into the world, which … well, I’ll be honest. It’s disappointing.

Every character sounded exactly the same, the plot was overly familiar and while the writing style is fine, it’s only fine. There’s no additional sparkle or wit or humor to it. There’s also a giant carelessness about the people in this world. For example, there’s a scene between the crown prince and the red-headed woman reads vaguely like rape — with the element of “if she comes, it’s not rape” — but Suraya and Roshan just walk way because the girl in question went willingly to flirt with and sleep with the crown prince, and thus it’s not their business if she’s willing, or safe.

Then came the scene where Roshan mansplains blacksmithing to Surya. Who is a blacksmith. Because Roshan knows everything. And … that’s when I bailed. I’m not interested in the characters, or the story, or the lack of a world. What I had been interested in was the idea of a character with her own strength, of a blacksmith who knew how to make magic weapons and wield and break a magic metal. Instead this book ended up being a tepid romantasy that left me flat.

Maybe other readers will enjoy this book, but there’s neither anything here to hold me, nor anything here for me to recommend. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC to review.

3.5 stars. Liked the world building and thought the plot was engaging enough. Wish we got more of her skills as a blacksmith and background through out more of the story. I was much more interested in Darkness and how their relationship will develop. The twists seemed predictable, but I stayed till the end.

This is a romantasy/war story. Long prophesy of magic and star charts. It states whoever holds/contains the starlight power can become a new god. You have a king that is dead and a queen and her son trying to seek out the true Star light heir.

You have talks of soul-fated mates
Magic
war
Illegitimate prince who rebels and steals his brothers chosen wife
FMC who is badass and doesn't know it until it is pulled out of her
Deceit
Love
Family

Rating: 5 stars

Tropes: Chosen One FMC, Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers

This book was exquisitely written! Amalie Howard gave us a refreshing, fast paced romantasy with a wonderful glimpses into Persian mythology! One of the strongest elements of this novel was the character development. We truly get to walk that fine line of what makes a hero or a villain and see our heroine wrestle with her morality in a way that is not often seen. It is clear much thought and work went into this story with the pacing, overall plot development, and eloquent prose. In her debut romantasy novel, Ms. Howard shows us that she cannot be contained to just historical!

If you’re looking for a new romantasy novel that is guaranteed to knock your socks off and leave you hungering for more, be sure to pick up this one!

The worldbuilding was intriguing and the pacing kept you on the edge of your seat! You quickly became fans of the main characters and desperately wanted to claw out the eyes of the antagonists (lol), and for good reason, as the stakes are consistently life or death in this action-packed novel. The magic system was quite interesting as well and I kept flipping the pages to see what would happen next!

I was captivated by the mythology surrounding this book and the overall story line progression. I appreciated that the author wrote a strong female character who embraced her powers and was confident in herself. The banter between the FMC and the MMC was top tier. If a reader is looking for action, magic, and romance with some spice, I strongly recommend this book. The ending has me eagerly waiting for the sequel.

In this enthralling story of love, lies, and self-discovery, Suraya, a gifted blacksmith, finds herself unexpectedly summoned to the palace. As she ponders the invitation's significance, she uncovers a cryptic conversation between her father and their cook, touching on magic, protection, and hidden truths. An eerie encounter with an old woman at the Inn, marked by riddles and palm readings, deepens the enigma. The charming Roshan, shrouded in secrecy, draws Suraya in. This rapidly unfolding narrative artfully balances character revelation with tension, providing partial clarity while sustaining curiosity. While the tale concludes effectively, it sets the stage for a potential continuation, leaving certain inquiries unresolved.

I am truly grateful for being able to explore this new world and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Spice rating:🌶️🌶️

The way this book ended means it has to be the first in a series. I am not quite sure how I feel about this story, the relationships within it or the way it ended. The one thing I am sure of though is I will pick up the next one.

The main character of this book often times annoyed me with her naivety. She ignored red flags at every turn and refused advice from people much wiser than her. She does go through some growth in this book, but it felt a little too little too late.

I’m conflicted about the romantic relationship in this book. Personally, I didn’t feel like there was too much chemistry between the main female character and main male character, but the relationship building was an interesting part of the story.

The story itself, character, and world building in this book were good and enough to keep me interested to the end, and I can foresee the next in the series being even more intriguing. In conclusion, I enjoyed the book. I’m still not sure how I feel about it, I will definitely pick up the next one and recommend this series to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this ARC. Opinions on my own.

A fun and entertaining book, it was a perfect light and fun for a lazy weekend at home. I definitely recommend you read this book if you are looking for a fun read!!

This book combines elements of romance, magic, and high-stakes adventure, following the journey of Suraya, a skilled bladesmith blessed with magical abilities. Her life suddenly turns when she receives a mysterious invitation from the royal court, inviting her to the capital city. The invitation is for the prince to find his bride. Unbeknownst to her, the invitation is a dangerous trial of physical and wit. The royal family is hunting for the elusive Starkeeper, a girl with the stars' magic. Along the way, Suraya's bond with Roshan, the illegitimate half-brother of the crown prince, grows. As unrest builds across the kingdom, Suraya must face her powers and the looming threat of who is attracted to this magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed Suraya's character. Her strength, independence, and passion for her craft make her an engaging FMC. I also appreciated how her internal struggle with the powers stirring inside her adds layers to her character development. I was eager to see how Suraya and Roshan would navigate the mounting danger. Their chemistry and tension surrounding Roshan's hidden secrets made their relationship a highlight of the book.

The storyline is equally captivating, blending romance with action and magical elements. It had great pacing and plenty of action. The brewing conflict between noble houses and the rebels keeps the stakes high. This romantasy hooked me with its well-developed characters, thrilling storyline, and political intrigue. I can't wait to read more!

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Avon, Harper voyager.

The Starlight Heir is a sci fi romance with really good world building and a beautiful cover. I enjoyed the plot and it was well written, but it didn't feel like there was anything particularly new or original about the story, and at points it was on the verge of boring. Not the best book I've read by this author!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Spice: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Instalust
Single POV
Potential love triangle

RATING: 3 out of 5

I am honestly torn on how I feel about this book. The idea of the book was amazing but the execution fell short. There is a lot of cringy dialogue that doesn’t blend well with the fantasy world in this book. For instance, her friends says at one point “thick thighs saves lives” and to me that was so insanely weird and completely threw me out of the fantasy genre and put me back into the real world. I think there are a lot of real-world modern sayings thrown in here that just come off as cringy and unnatural. Having her friend Laleh take up so much space in the very beginning is what started to distance me from really getting into this book because the only thing her friend had to offer was “sex, sex, sex!”

And unfortunately as the book went on, Suraya’s internal monologue was turning into the very same thing. It ended up making Suraya feel very immature and not finished. If this could have slowed down a little bit and gave her more meaningful internal dialogue, I could have actually related to her and fallen in love with her. Instead, I only got little glimpses of real feelings and plenty of lines about how hot Roshan and her shadow man is…

I did find that I really liked Roshan and felt like he had a lot of depth to him. He was a major reason I kept going with this book and kept it interesting. Which is a huge reason why I don’t think I will read the next book because I truly do not like love triangles at all and can definitely see this turning out to be a love triangle situation.

This was not a bad book at all, I just did not connect with these characters like I had hoped for. Once I found myself not loving Suraya and not be able to relate with her emotions, I disconnected from this book. It had a great storyline and has a lot of potential to be amazing. I sadly just don’t think this series is for me.

HUGE thank you to Amalie Howard, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for letting me read this!

"The Starlight Heir" follows a 25 year old woman named Suraya, who is invited to the palace to participate in a selection process to be the prince's wife. Little does Suraya know, they are searching for a woman who is foretold to have a great power that could remake the world.

This new romantasy novel draws some parallels to "The Selection" series and "This Woven Kingdom" series, but for an older audience. It was very fast paced, and the momentum kept me reading the whole book in one sitting! While the novel certainly kept my attention, I do feel like this is a story I've read before, as in there wasn't anything new or exciting. It was fairly easy to see what tropes were being used and what would happen next, who would betray who, etc. I also felt near the end the main character made some pretty bad choices that really were just to move the plot forward. While this plot technically ends on a cilffhanger, I think if you wanted to read it as a standalone it had a conclusive enough ending. Being a romantasy, this book does have a spicy scene. Personally I felt this scene was a little out of place, as the novel read more like YA and I think could have been categorized as young adult minus that scene. I also felt that Suraya acted more like an 18 year old instead of a 25 year old, and that the publisher just wanted to market it as romantasy since that's what's hot right now. Also Suraya is supposed to be this badass bladesmith, but we don't really get to see any of that!

Overall, I think if you've been interested in YA before but are ready to move up to NA or adult romantasy, this would be a great choice! I really liked the main character and the love interest, and was completely absorbed by the story. 4/5 stars, highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness. Amalie. You're killing me! I started this thinking I was going into this nice, happy, forbidden romance with a hot and a little bit of court intrigue, and then BAM! It's an epic, violent, life and death prophetic masterpiece that has found my very soul.

The storytelling in this book was absolutely vibrant and came to life for me from the beginning. I absolutely love Suraya, she is headstrong, powerful, and understated by herself. Of course she's swept away by Roshan, he's a handsome prince who is beautiful both physically and in spirit. Thanks for setting those book boyfriend standards so high, girl. For real. Swoon!

The magic, the lore, the fantasy of it all was so gripping and real, I could not escape Kaldari if I wanted to. Suraya and Roshan have so much to face, and although they quickly learn that they're better against any foe together, there are forces at work to keep them as far apart as they can. But can the gods, the king, and even fate itself keep them apart, or will they find each other and claim what's theirs?

SO GOOD! I need book 2!

This book completely swept me up in this tale of danger, love and betrayal. I can not wait to read more after that cliff hanger ending. While this book has mature themes I think the weaving of different mythologies in fantasy and women in different shapes are so important for others to feel seen. I will be recommending this one to my adult students

This was a good romantasy debut by the author, I've read and loved her historicals. I think this has so much potential for a series and I'm excited to see what happens next. I liked that this book was fast paced and didn't really dwell too long on one thing. I loved the fmc and the diversity in the mythology and worldbuilding. I enjoyed seeing the fmc figure out the thing inside her and what was going on with the queen and prince after she is chosen to come to the palace with other women to compete for the prince's attention. I liked the romance though it felt like it happened with little conflict, there's a bit of spice but im interested to see what comes next. Thank you Avon for the arc for an honest review.

The Starlight Heir drew me in with one of the most stunning covers I’ve ever seen. I didn't even need to read the synopsis before requesting a copy on Netgalley—I was sold based on the cover alone.

The plot is fast-paced, which I enjoyed, and I never felt lost despite the rich world-building and rapid-fire details. This book feels like a lighter take on an epic fantasy, which is perfect for those who, like me, want to dive into epic tales but find the genre intimidating. This one really scratched that itch!

The twists and turns kept things interesting, and while I could guess some of them, others took me by surprise. I really enjoyed the royal bride trials—they were so much fun! I wish they had lasted a bit longer, but I get that it wasn’t the book's main focus. Also, I’m especially intrigued by the shadow god and how he connects to Suraya’s dreams.

There was one aspect that didn’t quite land for me: the concept of stars and gods. It felt a bit hastily introduced, and by the end, I still wasn't sure what it truly meant to be a Starkeeper. Hopefully, the next book will clear that up.

As for the romance, I enjoyed Roshan’s character, but Suraya’s constant attraction to him bordered on distracting. I think I would’ve preferred a slower burn; the romance just developed too quickly for my taste. The banter was fun, but it sometimes felt like the urgency of their journey took a backseat whenever she was swooning over him.

If you’re into fast-paced fantasy with romance, mythology, and a little spice, this one’s worth checking out. I’m totally hooked on the soul bond versus love angle. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc! Without knowing too much a backstory about the author, I went into this book mostly based on not only the cover art but the description. It caught my attention immediately. The first half of the book seemed to slowly build while the second half really dove into some deep and intense plot twists. I genuinely enjoyed the story though I wish the book would’ve been a little longer and explored the relationship between the two main characters just a little bit more because when things happened, they happened quickly but part of it felt slow. Overall, a great read and it left me wanting more.

I think this book has great potential, but it wasn't for me. I think this is a great book for those people who enjoy the more political aspect within a realm, unfortunately that is not something that I enjoy. It took me an incredibly long time to read because I was having trouble keeping interest in the story as a whole. I felt like so much more could be added, especially the relationship between our characters. Our MMC and FMC had great potential and did start of strong IMO, but they fell flat after escaping the castle.

Amalie Howard is a new to me author and while I did not especially care for this book, I do look forward to other works by this author.

The story was decent overall. I truly enjoyed the Persian mythology woven into this unique fantasy. The main characters were well thought out and overall enjoyable. I feel their chemistry was somewhat lacking, but OK. I loved the overall action, character tension and wittiness. The growth of character was really good and the author has a very beautiful, descriptive writing style. I’m eager to continue the series.