3.5/5 ⭐️ for the audiobook and
4/5 ⭐️ for the actual book
3/5 🌶️

Interesting setting and magic system with a solid story and twisty ending that brings all the pieces together, even the ones you didn't know you were missing. Was this book probably overhyped being on so many upcoming books for 2025 lists? Probably. It did have some very strong elements that still prop it up as a decent start for the year. Suraya is a "secret" blacksmith and part-time wench in her family's inn who gets invited to a bridal ball from hell. She falls for the bastard 2nd in line prince instead of her suitor. The bastard prince is chivalrous, and they bond over past trauma and steamy, gentle spicy times. The mythology and setting inspirations create a vivid fantasy world not often seen in romantasy and it's like a breath of fresh air..

"His fingers tangle into my loosened plait and for a breathless moment I wonder what it would feel like for him to hold me like this. Firm in his grasp, my braid captive while he thrusts into my welcoming flesh, from behind."

I am left wondering if there will be a sequel as the end left us hanging and thinking it could go either way. I would read it if there was another novel set in this world in a heartbeat. This book is for anyone who enjoys
+Hidden Powers
+Gentle Male Lovers
+Unique Low Magic Systems
+Unredeemable Villans

Anais Inara Chase really tried but personally was just not a fan of her narration. Her reading lacked some emotional depth and at the start I really struggled to enjoy her voice. If I were purely rating it as the audiobook it would probably only be 3/5 stars. Although his parts were brief, she was heavily overshadowed by Ramiz Monsef and the presence his voice brought. The narration also severely struggled with the inclusion of random modern meme phrases thrown here and there in the story. It almost seemed like a weird breaking of the 4th wall. While this is more a problem of the writing I think it stood out even more in narration then it would in text.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult via NetGalley for an ALC. All opinions are my own.

This was super fun. Been a while since I’ve read anything categorized as romantasy, and the combo of fantasy, adventure and romance here worked wonderfully. Did I have almost no idea what was going on for half the book? Absolutely. Did it all come together in a way that made sense? Mostly! The beginning plays out as if the ball in Cinderella turned into the Hunger Games and I’m wildly here for it, but things continue to go off the rails after that.

Suraya is a compelling protagonist and her romance with Roshan plays out gorgeously, my one quibble being that I saw most of the “twists” about him coming from a mile away and honestly it was almost silly for her to be surprised.

The audio of this is wonderfully done, Anais Inara Chase is a compelling narrator who I’ll look out for in the future. Her male voices aren’t my favorite, but didn’t take away from the experience in any way. Ramiz Monsef comes in to briefly growl out his interludes, but it works.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC of this book to review!

I was really digging this book until close to the end. The characters were fun and the magic world was well crafted! I loved the dual narrators (mysterious second narrator kept getting more and more intriguing) and found Suraya quite entertaining and charming. Her relationships with Lolly (I listened to it, so apologies if that's spelled wrong), Clem, her aunt, and father were all very genuine and equal ground loving despite differences. Roshan (the bastard prince) was charming from the first moment we meet him and I was totally with her on the feelings that developed.

Negatives: There were some uses of modern phrasing that felt out of place at the start, but after a bit it just felt like that was part of the world. It was weird to hear "thick thighs save lives" in a fantasy book, but I wasn't mad about it. Haha. I could see this taking folks out though.

Toward the end something about Roshan is revealed and Suraya, who has been incredibly level headed and logical this whole time, is suddenly a whole other person, freaking out about this so much she causes a ton of issues and was just completely frustrating to me.

At the beginning of the book it really caught my attention. But then as the book when on it lost my attention. It was really difficult for me to finish it. I like the concept of the plot but it just wasn’t for me. Also thank you for the for the NetGalley audiobook.

This book is a mix of fantasy, action and romance. I really enjoyed Suraya's story,I had a hard time putting it down. Going to the royal palace, meeting the prince, finding out who she really is, trying to escape the danger she was in. There were some spicy scenes. I would definitely recommend this book.

While I thought this was an overall good read I felt that it was a little too slow moving to keep my undivided attention. I thought that it was off to a really strong start with the trial going on I just had a hard keeping with it due to it slowing down in the middle. It did eventually pick back up a bit towards the end.
I did actually really enjoy the characters especially the FMC Suraya and the MMC Rohan however I did feel slightly lost in the background of this book due to not getting too much world building during this. For example I knew that the Suraya was the Starkeeper however I didn’t really know much of the significance in that other than it made her very powerful.
Overall I did quite enjoy this book and was glad got through it all but I guess I was just expecting a bit more with all of the endorsements from the other big authors praise.

I really enjoyed this book! It is only book one so of course I am left a little confused and wanting answers, but in a good way. Hopefully book two explains more points of the story in depth and I cannot wait to continue the series. This is a romantasy book but it doesn't have a ton of spicy scenes or graphic scenes, but it is not fade to black either.

The only issue I really had was that the author uses a lot of current phrasing and wording, which throws you out of the fantasy aspect a bit. A little here and there is fine, or if you say it is set in the current time, like Cresent City, but I guess I am a tad confused about time period or if it is supposed to not be super high fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the arc in exchange for an honest review! I will be counting down the days until book two comes out. I hope the cover is just as stunning as the first.

I really enjoyed this story! It had such a fun and exciting plot but also a tension filled romance that I really enjoyed following! The FMC was so cool and the MMC was 🥰🥰🥰 Overall I had such a fun time and I’m looking forward to picking up more from this author. Her writing style was engaging and fast paced!

I’m a big fan of Amalie Howard’s other work and I appreciated how aristocratic characteristics made its way into this fantasy from her other regency novels. The narrator did well differentiating the other characters POV’s and keeping my attention. The plot read a little YA but with NA relationships. Overall, it was an enjoyable read!

4.5⭐️ 2🌶️ (only 2-ish chapters though)

I am… confusion??? Who the heck is that second POV?! And why did I go into this thinking it was a standalone?? Because now I’m on the edge of my seat!!

💜 Fast Paced Romantasy
💜 Deadly Bride Trial
💜 Epic Quest
💜 Chosen One x Illegitimate Heir
💜 Hidden powers
💜 Prophecies
💜 Persian and Indian Mythology
💜 Forced Proximity
💜 Mythical creatures
💜 Secret Identity
💜 Love triangle (????)

This was one hell of a good time! Beyond just the fact that I absolute loooove Persian and Indian mythology, this kept me on my toes at all times with how fast paced it was. Not gonna lie, I was a bit confused at first with the world and lore because of how fast paced it was but because I had no time to think, I was just hooked and it all ended up clicking.

Ok and that last one… WHAT IS HAPPENING???

The romance also gave it away to me that not only is this not a standalone, but also, while Ro and Suraya were as swoony as can be, I felt their chemistry was missing something.. or maybe not 😏

Worth noting - if you’re not into spicy scenes, they’re very limited (chapter 17-20 is the most of it). That being said, if you’re into it, WOOOF 😮‍💨 Chapter 17 ladies and gentleman!! That was beautiful, 10/10 here for the vibes.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

I thought maybe Ro was also the god of night / shadow wielding being in her spicy dream? Can he be that shadow daddy but not the god of night? But then the epilogue?? What is going on!

Now onto my audiobook notes!

✨ Dual-ish POV (not a duet)
✨ British female narrator
✨ Engaging and captivating

I absolutely LOVED Anais Inara Chase as Suraya!! She narrates most of the book as it’s mainly her POV and you can tell the more we get into the story, the more into it she gets. She captured Suraya’a strength, confidence but also her doubts beautifully. I’m going to need to hear a LOT more of Ramiz Monsef, not only because I need to know who the hell that character is, but because his voice was so deep and alluring.

DNF @ 50%

I tried, okay, I tried 😭 This got me into a slump. The FMC is too horny for my liking and what fantasy has only one POV I want to read the MMC POV maybe I'll try again later but for now I have to say goodbye

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Just received an ALC from Netgalley and HarperAudio Adult so huge thanks to you 💋🫶🏻

✨ARC Audiobook✨
This book is probably more of a 3.5. It definitely has an interesting storyline and the characters are likable enough- though I didn’t love any of them. A lot of people had issues with the modern language in a clearly “historic” fantasy which I can definitely understand but if you can get beyond that, this book does feel very well-written. I really enjoyed that there was a lot of Indian influence on this book, as I don’t see that often in fantasy so it was refreshing to have something different.

My biggest issue is that everything that happened was VERY predictable. It follows all the main fantasy plot points and doesn’t go off that path at all. This ended up making me feel significantly less invested in putting time into reading this book. Having it as an audiobook was definitely necessary for me.

The female narrator for the audiobook has the calmest, most soothing voice and I loved listening to her. The male narrator is only in it a few times, but he definitely did what many male narrators do and tried to make his voice WAY too unnaturally deep for no reason at all. I would have preferred the female narrator to just voice the male POV chapters as well.

Shadow daddy and epic power fmc I'm hooked. This is a fast paced plot and so much is happening and you just can't help being sucked in. I loved the chemistry between these two right from the start. I love how Suraya doesn't hold back and says what's she means and how quickly that forms their bond. The audio narration is fantastic and they do an amazing job bringing this book to life. I had to go out and buy my own special edition of this book for my trophy wall. Can't wait for book two.

The Starlight Heir is a fast-paced, action-packed romantasy that delivers on both the romance and adventure without getting bogged down in excessive world-building. Suraya, the FMC, is instantly likable—strong-willed, compelling, and easy to root for. The book embraces lush Middle Eastern and Indian influences, which add a unique and refreshing atmosphere to the story.

If you’re looking for a solid romantasy with spice, action, and an engaging plot that keeps moving, this one is definitely worth picking

Stunning cover & the audio narration was well done. The world building and characters started off strong. I liked the FMC until 60% of the book and quickly became irritating. She was strong and determined only to let *romance* and lies get the best of her. The banter between FMC and MMC was fun to read but the general relationship felt meh after the spice.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook ✨

This book was absolutely stunning and a great Romantasy! The world-building didn't feel overdone or like it was being pushed in our faces, and the characters each had relatable traits. Roshan was an absolute flirt, and I enjoyed the banter between him and Suraya. The pace didn't seem to lag at any point, and I was right there with them through all of their journeys. The twist with Roshan was an easy call (or maybe I've just become too jaded in my MMCs to believe their sidelong looks aren't hiding something), though I'm curious what the end meant. The ending left me desperate for more, and I can't wait to see where this series goes from here (assuming it'll have a second book)!!

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher, HarperAudio, and the author, for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to pick up this audiobook because I’d heard of it being a fun and sexy romantasy but when I actually got around to it the story just felt… pointless?

The female lead gets invited to enter a competition to become the royal prince’s bride, there’s some dark magic involved and a complicated prophecy, resulting in her getting all tied up with the bastard born prince and the shadow figure that lives in her dreams. Just from those small tropey plot lines I was sold.
Only, this story did not deliver. In the beginning of the book, there was so much information thrown at you in the first two chapters, it is quite literally the definition of telling, not showing. When she gets the invite to go to the royal caste in the central city, its an honor because only a select few were given the offer, however the whole point of attending the competition was to prove yourself as worthy to marry the prince, she has 0 intention of marrying him. Why would she enter this competition to marry the prince if she doesn’t actually want to marry him??? Just so she can get a free trip into the central city?
It felt like everything was downhill from there, the competition turning deadly, the weird overly sexual comments her friend was making, the strange erotic dreams shed have with this ‘shadow daddy’.

Again, I enjoy the concept but the story did not deliver.

"A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows." This novel had me hooked right from the start. The FMC, Suraya, is invited to be a guest in King Zarek's court. What she doesn't know is that she will have to compete with other women in order to have the opportunity to become the wife to the crown prince. However, things do not go as planned, and the king's bastard son, Roshan. go on the run. Little does Suraya know, but she is more powerful than she could have imagined, and she is also a part of a prophesy.
This story was action packed, fast paced, and had a handful of secondary characters that warmed your heart. Of course, there is a lot going on in this book, and it leaves off knowing that there is more to come, and I am sure we do not know exactly what some of the twists and turns will be. I look forward to reading the next book!

Sadly this book fell a little flat for me. I wasn't a fan of the plot, I thought it was a bit rushed and confusing. I never really felt like I connected with the characters. The spicy scenes is really what made me dislike the book, they weren't well written in my opinion.

I really wish I could have liked this one more than I did but I'm sure it will find its audience!

Michaela Romero <michaelaromero747@gmail.com>
5:07 PM (0 minutes ago)
to me

I was initially intrigued by this book’s unique setting and vivid imagery, but as the story progressed, it started to feel like a rehash of every other love triangle, “shadow daddy,” and evil royal half sibling trope dominating the genre. It wasn’t necessarily better or worse than those stories, but what began as something fresh quickly lost its spark.

The writing itself was overall solid, though at times, the modern phrasing (and excessive cursing) felt out of place within the world. The story, while packed with interesting elements—a magical blacksmith, an evil stepmother, a bride competition, a tyrannical regime and its revolutionaries, and a “shadow night daddy” (which I still don’t quite understand)—never fully came together. Each individual concept could have been compelling, but they felt disconnected, making the plot feel scattered rather than immersive. I also wished the magic system had been better explained.

The main characters didn’t do much to elevate the story. The FMC was inconsistent, unable to settle into a distinct personality, and at times, outright annoying. The romance felt shallow, and I didn’t send much chemistry between them. The MMC himself was bland and forgettable, lacking the depth needed to make him stand out.

The twist at the end was predictable, which wasn’t the issue—it was the FMC’s over-the-top reaction that pulled me out of the story. The ending also dragged, making the final stretch feel more tedious than impactful.

That said, the cover is stunning, and the audiobook narrators were fantastic. While this book didn’t quite work for me, I’m still interested in checking out the author’s other works, especially Queen Bee, which I’ve heard great things about.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!