Suraya Saab is the daughter of a tavern owner and works a blacksmith dabbling in illegal runes in a quiet town. However, her life changes suddenly when she receives an invitation to the Royal palace where the crown prince will choose his bride from the invitees. While Suraya is not particularly taken with the idea, she longs to see the capital city and embarks on a journey that will take her further than she ever realized,

The Starlight Heir is a romantasy that takes place in a desert kingdom - I enjoyed that we were not in a european mythology system as that really dominates the genre. There were also fun touches like the characters saying "Sands!" as a point of emphasis. We get a literal shadow daddy, an illegitimate prince with mystery, rebels, an evil queen and more.

That being said, I had trouble with this one - I don’t know if it was the pacing or the world building or maybe a combination of both, but the stakes and twists and turns just did not hit for me. I do not mind having tropes and was able to predict many of the twists, but it felt as if some folks just popped out of nowhere to save the day. The characters emotional reactions to things just didn't sink in for me. I enjoyed how the book started, but I felt like after the rebel attack we were being whisked off around to a bunch of people and places without having a better understanding of the world.

I did listen to this as an audiobook and felt the main narrator underacted a bit - it was tough to get at the emotions of the characters, which may have been part of why I felt a disconnect there. Additionally, I had trouble with the narrator's tone changes and had a harder time realizing when different characters were speaking.

Overall, it just didn't quite work for me - but with amazing praise from so many other folks, I'm sure it will find its audience. Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperAudio for the advanced copy.

Thank you for the chance to listen and review this book. I think fans of Powerless and Once Upon A Broken Heart will like this. It's very fast paced and easy to read. The audio version is great.
However, while being fast paced I felt like it could have been longer and better paced. Maybe some additional world building or more character development of the MMC. I appreciate that it's a stand alone but it felt like a blur of events that typically would be a duology. Still a fun read and easy read.

Thank you for the ARC! I enjoyed this! However, I do wish the author would have left out the modern one-liners. It truly kept me from being fully immersed in the story. The pacing was great, and I loved how it kept my interest the entire time. The audiobook narrator was great!

Overall was very impressed with the story and I’m excited to continue the series! Perfect for Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout fans. The story was compelling with very lovable characters and fun banter. It was a similar plot to other books I’ve read but still kept me interested and ended up surprising me. I wish we got a bit more from the beginning trials and didn’t move around as much but overall it was a great read.

Definitely the next book obsession to rival Fourth Wing. Such an outstanding, exceptional and unique read! I was entranced from start to finish! Could not put it down! Fantastic world and character building. Epic magic system. This book has everything romantasy lovers crave. Swoon worthy prince, fmc with hidden magic, villains you love to hate, magical creatures, found family, spice. I will be looking forward to more from this series!!! The narrators did an exceptional job bringing the story and characters to life.

This was okay. I did see all the twists coming. If you’ve read a decent amount of fantasy and/or romantasy there is nothing really new happening here. It felt very similar to a lot of other stories. That’s not to say it wasn’t its own but I felt like I’d read this “story” before. It also isn’t labeled as a series but it absolutely is. While we get some conclusion there is a lot left open and the epilogue confirms the continuation.

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.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job. Her delivery brought the FMC and MMC to life, with excellent pacing and inflection.
Overall, this is a fantastic pick for fans of romantic fantasy looking for a lighter read.
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.
#Netgalley #thestarlightheir

“Darkness can never thrive where light burns.”
Ahhh I listened to this in one sitting, it was so engaging and the world was so intriguing. I did stumble with some of the world building but I still think it was well crafted.

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard is a fun romantasy. If you love Romantasy but want it all in a stand-alone book, check this one out!

There were some great moments that made me love this book. The magic was interesting and the world expansive to explore. I wasn't really suprised with the outcome of the book, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. I'm definitely going to be reading more books by this author!

The audiobook was also enjoyable and well-done!

Thank you Harper Audio for the ALC!

Book review: a decent debut Romantasy, fast paced, with great mythology and a fun romance. It does include modern dialogue which isn't typically for me in a fantasy of this sort, and the overall story could have benefitted from something else to make it stand out.

Audio review: the narrator for the majority of the book, Anais Inara Chase was really pleasant to listen to! I definitely enjoyed this on audio probably more than I would have just reading it. Great production quality and audiobook overall.

3.5 rounded up

A bladesmith blessed by the stars, a prince with a dangerous secret and a god bound in shadows.
I’m a reader, who bases about 75% of what I read on the covers, is in awe of this gorgeous books cover. Through in its being Romantasy and promising danger and i was sold on jumping into this book.
We meet Suraya, one of the few who can imbue her work with precious Jabu, the last source of magic in the realm. When she is invited to be in the presence of his Imperial Majesty King Zarek but she has no qualifications as a potential for the crown prince.
But the promise of an adventure draws her to grab this opportunity and visit the city her late mother loved.
Little does she know she’s being into a dangerous dance that could change the face of her world forever.

Before I began my review I’d like to remind everyone that this is MY opinion. Feel free to disregard it cause it isn’t the best review of this book. If you are interested in reading this book, I highly recommend you read it and come to your own conclusions. Let’s get into it.
I honesty really wanted to like this book and was for sure interested in this book based on the synopsis and the gorgeous cover.
The narrator was pretty solid on bringing some life to this book
But for me it just wasn’t connecting. I was zoning out more than half the time while listening to this book. It just reminded me of my reading of “ The Stars are Dying” where it wasn’t necessarily a bad book but it didn’t do much to stand out in the Romantasy genre. The main character Suraya was pretty flat and uninteresting. Her powers were probably the only highlight of her character. Her romance was just meh. I didn’t care for him and the spice just had me skipping parts of the audio.
Overall I wasn’t really impressed with this book and won’t be continuing the series.
Would I recommend it? I would tell people to give it a shot if it’s something you’re interested in. You could have a completely different opinion than me.
2⭐️



I’d like to thank the amazing folks at NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to the ARC of this book. I will forever be thankful.

3.75/5

It was a good beginning to a series. I am intrigued to see where the story goes from here.

Anais Inara Chase did a fantastic job narrating most of the book. Ramiz Monsef makes me very interested in learning more about his character.

2.5 stars
I was incredibly bored throughout this whole book, unable to connect to the characters or the story. I think this authors writing style just isn’t for me because no event that happened made me care about what was going on. I’d love to see more “show, don’t tell” from this author because I believe that’s where the disconnect happened for me, being told every detail like a list. All of the characters felt very surface level and I didn’t actually learn anything about them. If it weren’t an arc I probably would have dnf’ed this book unfortunately.
As for the narrators go, the male did a good job on his small parts that we heard from him. However, the female was not my favorite. There was not a lot of inflection in her voice and you couldn’t tell dialogue based on her character voices because there werent any distinct voices. I had a hard time following who was speaking and if anyone was speaking at all.
I will not be sharing my review on goodreads out of respect for the author but I did round up to a 3 star rating for that platform.

4 Stars! Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC of The Starlight Heir. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read for my first book of 2025. This book had all the comforting tropes (trials, forbidden attraction, badass powers, and prophecies) while providing a unique experience!

I greatly enjoyed the magic system that pulled from Persian and Indian mythology, something that isn't seen much and I would love to see more of. I was quickly pulled into the world due to Amalie Howard's excellent world building. The FMC is a powerhouse and takes on a lot both emotionally and physically and I found myself caring deeply about her. I was also intrigued by the mysterious POV that was shared throughout the book.

While Roshan, our MMC, was definitely great, I found myself wanting more depth in his and Suraya's relationship. I found this to be less of a slow-burn and more of "slow to make a move" but both characters were clearly into each other while not really knowing one another. I did like where their relationship ended up in the end of the book and if there is another book(s) (I would not hesitate to read more books if this is a series) I would love to see how their relationship progresses.

If you're looking for a fast-paced read and enjoyed books like Lightlark and A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows, odds are you'll find yourself not wanting to put this book down (and then wrecked by that epilogue).

I received an advanced copy (and an ALC, which was cool since I got to switch back and forth between formats!) for review. This is my own opinion.

The Starlight Heir fits right into the pantheon of fantasy offerings, and will be a brilliant was to begin the year. Perfect for those new to romantasy and those more familiar with the genre, The Starlight Heir has a little bit of everything: evil royals, magic, fated mates, secrets, and a chosen one.

When Suraya is summoned to the palace for the crown prince's search for a bride, she's reluctant to go, but has no choice. Once there, she's immediately out of her depth and discovers that the prince is...awful.

But he has a hot brother, whom Suraya is instantly attracted to. We get violence and secrets and a bit of smut.

After the ending, I'm very interested to see how the second installment of the series will play out!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ALC!

This read had all the feels! There was the mystery, fantasy, suspense, and the feeling you were reading a tale from mythology! I adored it!
The slow-burn romance was KILLER in this story! Howard wrote that magnificently, then the mythical creatures threw in! The magic aspect was great; the world she made worked wonderfully and wasn't overpowering with all the secrets! The secrets plus the hidden prophecy wee great, Howard has woven a web so delicately and well that even nonfantasy lovers would get caught in the web.
We start the story with Suraya, who is minding her own business when she receives an invite to the palace to meet the prince as he is looking for a wife. While she is not enthusiastic about the prospect she also knows she has to go. So she goes and they have riddles if the guests do not answer they will be denied food and thrown into the dungeon. Then, they have this kinda battle deal where they are just trying to survive. Suraya does catch the attention of the prince's half-brother Roshan and she falls for him hard and fast! However, the prince has decided he wants Suraya as a wife.
Not everything is as it seems, and she flees with Roshan. Then there are visions and magical powers! I am looking forward to the next installment because this series will be addicting!
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator fit the story perfectly! The tone was amazing, and the narrator kept me entangled in the story. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the adventure went! Thank you, Harper Audio and Netgalley, for the opportunity to listen to and review this one! It was a treat!

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

DNF at 23%

'The Starlight Heir ' has a promising premise and Howard is a writer I've enjoyed before, but I could not get into this story, nor find it in myself to care enough to continue.

The begins with Suraya Saab, our FMC, receiving an invite to the royal palace where she has been selected to take part in a Bachelor-like situation where the Crown Prince will choose his future bride. But Suraya is Not Like Other Girls, and it's known from the get-go. She's illegally making a magical dagger, for one. And her father is keeping secrets and her heritage (very blatantly) that Suraya acknowledges but doesn't examine further.

Add to that the modern language used for cursing, the "girl boss" attitude, "book boyfriends" said on page, and "thick thighs save lives" - I simply couldn't take Suraya seriously. She reads very young - more like a YA heroine than an adult FMC. But I was willing to see where the story went from there.

Sadly, the time at the palace and the competition for the Prince's hand was trite, surface level, and impossible to believe. While the tone of the story is whimsical, or so Suraya's POV comes across, the palace was the site of not one but two harsh and gruesome "challenges" for these women who were selected as possible brides. It just felt so far fetched that Suraya was the outsider even at the palace but made a friend instantly (that I as a reader couldn't pick out of a lineup if you offered me $1 million dollars), insulted the bastard prince (who I'm assuming is the love interest) but don't worry it was also flirty banter, and survives both 'challenges.'

It was after the second challenge - where these high-born women (right - Suraya has high-born blood in her lineage but that's not really explained although with context clues certainly that came from her mother) were set to fight A DRAGON and the 20 who survived moved on - that I said out loud "what is even happening" and put the book down for good.

I will say I liked the narrator, so my dislike of the book does not fall on the production of the audiobook - it came down to the unbelievable plot (even for a Fantasy) and annoying FMC. I feel like this book will easily find its audience within the genre's fans, but I am simply not one of them.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the audio-arc!

I made it to 70% of this book before I decided to move on. There was nothing particularly wrong with it but it felt more like a romance book dressing up as a fantasy book with a lot of smut that felt forced and very insta-love which is just not my thing. I think if you really like the romance genre and want to dip your toe into fantasy this would be the perfect read for you. I would have enjoyed a little more backstory and subplot unfortunately. This story did have really neat ideas and I like the magic system.

DNF @65%

If you're a fan of romantasy and you're really here for the steamy romance over the world-building, this might be a great pick for you. I fear I'm too much of a fantasy reader to fully appreciate this and rate it fairly for the genre so I'm stopping here. The Starlight Heir starts off really strong with the main character being summoned to a competition for the hand of a prince in marriage. But she has a lot more chemistry with his illegitimate brother...

This is very twisty and a lot happens very quickly alongside a high-steam romantic plot arc. For me it was moving a bit too quickly through the plot and I wanted a better understanding of how the world functions, side characters, etc. But I just think that the primary thing here was intended to be the romance, which is totally fine. Check it out if that sounds up your alley! The audio narration is well done. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.