Had such a great time reading this book. The characters really drew me into the story. It did take a while to really get into the story and have it get going but once we got there I loved it.

4.25/5 stars

This book was exciting, romantic and adventurous with the heroine Nieve definitely one to root for.

The story revolves around Nieve, a member of the Talin race who are hidden mages who harness the power of their Ocean deity. She is an outcast as she is the only member of her village without powers. As the Ocean's powers begin to wane, the Talin's struggle with a dying environment (food shortages, etc.), and Nieve, in order to prove herself worthy as a contributing member of a magical race, vows to find the answers and set things straight. She meets a swaggering and mysterious pirate, Keir, who provides support and assistance along her heroic quest.

What I loved most about this story was Nieve's determination, loyalty and strength. While starting out as a way to save her village from starvation and proving her worth as a non-magical member, she becomes so much more. Her self-image begins to change, her confidence grows, and she finds self-worth as she is exposed to a greater world outside her own. And with Keir by her side (as well as other wonderfully crafted side characters), her potential is limitless.

Very nicely done, and I'm hoping there might be more from Nieve as she's the kind of endearing and cheer-worthy heroine that I'd like to see more of.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing the free early arc of Starling's Weave for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling is a riveting fantasy that pulls together themes of magic, romance, and self-discovery.
The author’s storytelling is masterful, with a seamless flow and pacing that makes it hard to put the book down. The action is relentless, and the magic system is both fascinating and easy to grasp.
It was written in a way that everything was easy to understand and kept you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
It promises an enthralling journey through a world brimming with magic and intrigue.

Thank You NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Book:Starling's Weave
Author: L.E. Sterling
Publisher: Entangled
Length: 329 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating; 5 Saltire Flags

This YA romantasy is fast moving and action packed right from the start. A book I could not put down with so many twist and turns. It has every element a reader could want with phenomenal world building, exceptional banter, multi-dimensional characters and a dazzling storyline! Overall I absolutely loved everything about this book from start to finish. The surprise ending definitely knocked my socks off that was definitely mind blowing! Absolutely brilliant!

This is my first read by L.E. Sterling but definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to more books by this talented author. It was definitely a book that kept me reading late into the night. A book I highly recommend that fantasy and science fiction readers will absolutely love!

Disclaimer: I received a free advance readers copy from Entangled publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair, review and blog through netgalley. All words, thoughts, ideas are my own.

I enjoyed reading it! It was fast-paced and action-packed, not a moment to breath. I love that it had a lot of adorable characters too! Sometimes the nicknames/petnames confused me since one or two of the characters called the other by a special endearment, but after I got used to it that's ok! Looking forward to know what will happen in the next book :)

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all I read Starling's Weave in one day. I could not put it down.

What I loved:
- The world building and magic system.
- How courageous the FMC, Nieve, is despite the uncertainty of her life. She's so loving and loyal even when it's not deserved.
- The MMC, Kier, presents as dark and dangerous, but he's really caring.
- The twists!

What I didn't like:
- The pacing was a bit slow. There's a lot of adventures/travels, but it does move the story along.
- The ending. I got to the last sentence and literally said "that's it!?" out loud to my husband. haha.

If you're looking for a YA Romantasy full of adventures and a great world building and unproblematic FMC&MMC this book is for you. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is a series because I need to know what happens next!

Nieve is part of a special community: the Talin. They possess water magic, but Nieve is the first who doesn’t. And their world is plagued more and more as the Elder Wrights have slowly disappeared centuries ago. She embarks on an adventure after captain Manserray and his <i>crew</i> comes to her village to aid the Talin. They both have objectives of their own, but they’ll find soon enough substantive obstacles on their path...

<b>NOTE: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest opinion.</b>

The author, L. E. Sterling offers us a nice, well-written read. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships amongst each other. Keir Manserray looks like he could kill you (and he would if necessary), but he's a cinnamon roll at heart. Nieve is a strong-willed character and the struggles she faced early in life makes it the perfect girl to go on an adventure. The characters in general are nicely thought out though some feel a little brushed over... The MCs have a nice relationship that develops nicely, though they do have an unconfessed attraction for each other pretty fast. Both will fight the attraction they have for each other, so the little bit of spice that we get is very mild and very late in the story. This was really a sloooowburn and one that isn't very descriptive. I know some people don't like an age gap. Here, there's one, but nothing extravagant or morally wrong.

I am not a fan of multiple POVs, but these were neatly done. No jumps in the middle of a chapter or frequent changes between the multiple POVs: that would have been a buzz killer very fast.

The story begin slowly and sets out the characters in their own right, but the relationships with their own, whether it's Nieve and her village or Manserray with his mutineers crew (We won't dare say pirates to avoid being corrected...), aren't developed that much. It's stated, we do see the struggles or a little bit of backstory, but it doesn't go super in depth. I would have liked a better dive into their reality to be able to relate more with the FMC. Not that she isn't relatable. I could see her struggles and desires to be something more for obvious reasons: I would have done the same in her shoes, but it fell a little flat.

I liked the worldbuilding and the magical system. The pirate-y and adventure on the seven seas vibes were fun. I enjoyed how it is explained that the Elder Wrights, Gods who filled the world with magic, disappeared centuries ago and that now, everything seems to crumble now because of that. And there is mention of water magic, ancient beings, threads and weavers, but we do not get a lot of explanations on what they do, what they are or how it works. The evil villain is present, but we don't get a glimpse whatsoever of his motives. All these ideas put together are great, but they just feel a little too skimmed over. If we had just a little bit more explanations on each aspect, it would have a huge difference.

The end was a bit more fast paced and I enjoyed that better. I wished we had a bit more of that.

One thing that I loved is that the author/publisher did great on the grammar and spelling checks. As a professional linguist, this is a big pet peeve that rattles me to my very core. Well done!

This story took me on a journey through stunning world-building, intricate lore, and a glorious complex magic system unlike any I’ve read before. Though the stakes were high and action-packed, there’s a cozy quality to the storytelling that made me feel completely immersed.

Nieve’s transformation from a secluded village girl with no magic to something so much more was a powerful journey of self-discovery. Her bravery in the face of loss, her unwavering determination—it all left such a lasting impact on me. And Manseray? He stole my heart! Despite his secrets, his love and support made their romance so sweet and swoonworthy. 💕

If you love lyrical writing, enchanting moments, and adventure wrapped in heartfelt storytelling, I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR!

Nieve has lived her life as an outcast from her own people. She’s the only one in her village that doesn’t have water power, and as time goes on, she finds herself more and more on the outside. When a handsome stranger comes to their harbor, Nieve is suddenly given the chance to explore the world and try to save her people. Faced with adventure, tragedy, and unexpected love, Nieve stars becoming who she was always meant to be.

This is a magical YA fantasy that kept me captivated the entire time I was reading. The plot was unique and full of action, twists, and turns. I thought it was paced pretty well and the lyrical writing style fit the magical world perfectly. I loved how strong Nieve’s character was and felt that she was really able to grow and trust herself more by the end of the book. The romance was pretty much insta-lust, but it was sweet and heartfelt. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read!

Thank you to Entangled Teen for the ARC!

ARC Review

📖Title: Starling’s Weave
✍️Author: L.E. Sterling
🗓️Releases: Available today! 10/21
📚Genre: Upper YA Romantasy
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Slow burn 🌶️

The world-building is rich, . I really enjoyed following Nieve on her journey of inner strength and magical mystery. Nieve's lack of powers makes her an outcast.
Yet, she refuses to be defined by others' judgments. Instead, she embarks on a quest to save her people. The ending was a total surprise and I am already anxiously awaiting the next book.

💬Blurb:
“In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.”

In ancient times, the Elder Wrights infused magic into the seas, but now those oceans are dying, leading to starvation among the Talin, a race of hidden mages. Nieve, one of the Talin, finds herself without magic and ostracized, determined to uncover the truth behind the old stories. Her life changes when a charming pirate arrives, launching her on an adventure across the seven seas alongside an eclectic crew and a woman claiming to be an Elder Wright. As Nieve navigates this new world, she discovers the realities of tragedy, royal interference, and betrayal. While she seeks to weave her own legend, she must also contend with the risks of love and deceit that could change everything.

I really enjoyed Nieve and Keir's story; it was exactly what I was looking for. However, I found the beginning to be quite slow and not quite aligned with my expectations. At times, I questioned the purpose of the story during those early chapters and had to keep myself pushing forward. While the conclusion offered some interesting twists, I felt it was a bit rushed and left me wanting more from the big reveal (avoiding spoilers here). There were moments in the middle that felt like filler, which detracted from the overall pacing. I would have liked to see more action in between, more obstacles, and a bit longer of a conclusion.

Overall, I did enjoy this and really loved the characters. I just wanted more of a conclusion.

L.E. Sterling's Starling's Weave is an upper Young Adult Fantasy novel that will likely appeal to readers of Shadows and Bones and Dark Water Daughter mainly because it has quite a few sexual situations. Key Characters: Nieve Septile (18), and Keir Manseray (22). In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.

Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given water magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born in 1400 years without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. Nieve is certain that the old stories hide a missing piece of the puzzle that may bring magic back to the world. It’s just a matter of unlocking the secret. Then Nieve loses her only connection to the village thanks to a plague that kills quickly, and is soon captured and nearly sold, but meets an unusual pair of characters.

Arisame, who claims that she is one of the missing Elder Wrights of Dragon Fire, was locked away in the dark. Her companion is a Vauna High Priestess Karima who apparently found Ari when she woke up from her slumber that lasted thousands of years. Ari, who claims she is dying, needs to find a weaver to unlock her missing memories, and soon the trio find themselves working with Captain Keir Manseray of the Floating Star. Keir needs Nieve to help him retrieval the ships captain, Edsel Bo from the notorious King Hyperion who wants magic to die.

Keir, who has a truly loyal crew that lives by a free life creed, knows that unless he can use Nieve to break into one of most dangerous on the planet, the world as he knows it will likely end thanks to magic dying, and Hyperion's Black Guard hunting down any remaining Elder Wrights. Keir watches as Nieve realizes that there is much more to her than meets the eye, and that it is Nieve who might be the key to saving magic if they can survive a dangerous journey to a place called Kiro while being chased non-stop by Hyperion and his black Guard.

*So, my review is based on the fact that there was little to no worldbuilding. It is also based on some choppy editing where it appears the story is in the first person, and then jumps back to the third person. I am, unfortunately, a person who skips over large chunks of the book whenever there are sexual scenes. They don't do anything for me except make me turn the pages faster. While the ending leaves me with feelings of being unfulfilled, it appears that there won't be a sequel which doesn't make sense. Apparently, the reader is supposed to figure out what comes next with Nieve and her role in fixing the seven seas why exploring more with Keir, Ari, Karima and the rest of the crew.

Starling's Weave was the story of Nieve and Manseray. I loved the dynamics between them and the surprising morals held by a mutineer around the girl with no powers. Stories with pirates, magic and essentially two intertwined quests always make for entertainment. It was an action packed book, that I think ultimately left me wanted more than I got. The story was amazing, but at around 70% it got real serious and moved too quickly. I wished they would have spent more time explaining some of it to me. The way it ended, it can easily be a standalone, however there are some answers I did not get (and wished I did).

I devoured 'Starling's Weave', a captivating upper YA fantasy novel that held me spellbound from start to finish. In a world where magic is waning and sickness prevails, Nieve's lack of powers makes her an outcast. Yet, she refuses to be defined by others' judgments. Instead, she embarks on a quest to save her people and maybe even, her world. This gripping tale kept me on the edge, with twists and turns that defied prediction. It was lovely to see Nieve find friendship and love. The ending was a surprise! I’m already looking forward to the next book!

** spoiler alert ** This gives me Demi Winters, Road of Bones vibes in the best way possible. A great cast of characters with unique magic (and spoiler: if you like the Katara blood bending episode of Avatar, this book might be up your alley!) This was a quick and enjoyable read; can't wait to continue the series!

ARC Review of Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling
* * * * *
An action packed fantasy read filled with drama, magic, pirates, and good vs evil fun. A mellow read for the weekend.

It was filled with twists and history and a world you need to grow into to follow what is happening. I did get a bit lost here and there, but was still very creative and taking us along for the ride. We have our main girl and our main guy meeting, and of course, hello-hot stuff alert. Attraction is felt and we feel it start to grow. Our girl Nieve gets to do some self discovery, understanding power and the use of it, as well as take on a bit of action, and get a hottie. What's not to love there? We also got to face some losses that will have you gasping, I'm sure.
Not something I was completely sucked into, but still a good read for those fantasy lovers.

I was instantly drawn in by the gorgeous cover for Starling’s Weave. The colors and artistry are so eye catching. After seeing it, I couldn’t wait to read this book. The overall plot is interesting and very different from many fantasy books I’ve read. I also thought the magic system was captivating and wholly unique. Nieve and Manseray were both interesting characters to learn about. I do believe they had great energy and chemistry, but I’m not a huge fan of the instalove that occurred. I did find this book to be enjoyable overall. However, I feel like there were pacing issues and that this book may have been better executed as a duology. There’s so much great world building and stage setting for the first 2/3 of the book, that the last 1/3 felt rushed and didn’t hold up to the same level of detail and execution as the rest. The final resolution didn’t feel as satisfying as it could have. I’m still glad that I read it and believe others will enjoy it as well.

Overall Rating: 3.5⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A sweet, romantic sail across the high seas. You’ll reread his words again and again. And again. 😍♥️🥰

Read “Starling’s Weave” by L.E. Sterling if you like…
* Men who say ALL the right things
* Stand alone romantasies
* Magical quests to save the world
* Sweet, innocent love
* Women who find their own power


HER:🩷
An outcast, abandoned, alone, and desperate to find her place in the world.

HIM:💙
A sexy swashbuckling pirate who can’t resist whisking her off on an epic adventure.

THEIR STORY:📖
In the beginning, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic and the world was born. But when the Elder Wrights disappeared the magic began to fade. Now faced with no home and no magic, Nieve joins the handsome pirate lord Manseray on a quest to save her people from starvation, and maybe save the world. Will she find the answers she seeks before the world loses all its magic, and she loses her heart?

Get yours now: (out 10/21/24)

https://amzn.to/3YhziHu

Thank you for supporting me. I earn from affiliate links.

And thank you to L.E. Sterling and #NetGalley for letting me enjoy an advanced copy of Starling’s Weave.

If you like a fast-paced journey of self-discovery and budding love, you need to read Starling’s Weave.

“That story–what it promised, however improbable–was all I had.”

Starling’s Weave follows the story of Nieve Septîle, a young woman from an isolated village of hidden mages. In this world, land and ocean suffer as the Elder Wrights, gods that have disappeared over time, are no longer able to breathe their magic into the world. Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. When things in the village go wrong, Nieve finds herself thrust headfirst into an adventure to help her people as Captain Keir Manseray and his pirates visit her tribe. Manseray has his own objectives that rely on Nieve’s assistance, but with the added challenges of an amnesiac Elder Wright and a tyrannical King’s vendetta, both Nieve and Manseray find that their quests might not be so simple.

L.E. Sterling’s novel is thrilling and wonderfully complex, with a well-crafted magic system and world building. I am always a fan of pirate stories, especially when they’re set in a world with magic and mystery, and this one did not disappoint—even if the Captain claims that they are mutineers, not pirates. The story is told through the dual perspectives of Nieve and Manseray, allowing readers to understand their respective motives and desires, even when one creates misconceptions about the other. I liked that Nieve formed her beliefs through the stories of her people and how Manseray formed his through the stories from his mentor. Both characters aligned in the right way but were different enough to make them intriguing on their own. There were moments where they made mistakes and lied, but knowing the truth as a reader only added to the tension of the novel and made the development throughout the story intriguing to follow. In addition, the book was very well-paced, which made it possible for Sterling’s writing and style to shine. The magical elements stuck out to me, as the main perspective is a girl without magic. How Nieve sees and understands the use and significance of magic affects not just her and her village, but the entire world. Starling’s Weave was an excellent story that reminded me why I love fantasy and I could barely put it down!

I wanted to like this book but really had a hard time getting through it. It felt too long, unnecessarily so. And honestly the farther you got into the book the more confusing and spastic it felt. The pacing between the first 80% (super slow) and 20% (crazy fast) was not something I really enjoyed.

The characters were okay but the love / romance aspect felt very immature and again pacing was an issue.

the positives: unique world, action packed, hero’s journey