Reviews - The Lord of Stariel

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726 reviews for:

The Lord of Stariel

A.J. Lancaster

3.81 AVERAGE

kbook's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

drunknnninja's review against another edition

3.0

In The Lord of Stariel, estranged Hetta Valstar returns to her family's estate for her father's funeral, and the next choosing of The Lord of Stariel. Her stay goes longer than planned as she learns more about her family's mysterious lands and reconnects with those she grew up with to resolve a theft and protect the Stariel Estate.
It's an enjoyable blend of fantasy with a light touch of steampunk. I liked the Valstar family - each of the characters seemed like real people, and I especially enjoyed Jack, the favored cousin who is presumed to be the next Lord of Stariel.
The ending was satisfying, but the later half of the book was a bit tough to get through. There were three different "villain" arcs and while they were all interesting, I don't think they wove together very smoothly. As a result, I just wasn't really hooked on it through most of it and found myself just pushing myself to finish it.
I don't plan on picking up the next book immediately, but I look forward to giving it a read sometime and seeing if the story gets better as the series goes on.
All in all, 3/5 stars.

mwhitney's review against another edition

4.0

I received a E copy though NetGalley for an honest review.

While overall I enjoyed A.J Lancaster's The Lord of Stairel. It ended with good promise for the continuance of the series.
We meet Hetta, daughter of a Lord- The Lord of Stariel, a pseudo- magical plot of ancient land which though ritual chooses its Lord. Hetta while of the upperclass, left home against her families wishes to pursue her illusionary magic. And has in the years she's been gone become a Master Illusionist. For her time she's a fiercely independent woman, not beholden in anyway to reliance on her families name or wealth. She work, rents and lives all on her own merit. Something that creates quite a scandal amongst her own family.

But her father The Lord of Stariel has died and she must return home for 'The Choosing' in which the land selects it's new heir.
Intrigue, a mystery, massive family blunder, even more family secrets will be revealed, and Hetta finds herself square in the middle of it. Wondering just how well does she really know her own family and the stories she grew up with.

I found the pace slow in parts, but overall I did enjoy the story quite a lot!

bookish_haniah's review against another edition

4.0

The Lord of Stariel is set in the mortal world and follows Hetta a young appalling illusionist who is returning to her conservative home state years after running away for her fathers funeral. The land will choose a new ruler (either Hetta, her brother or their cousin Jack) and then she can return to her life, but things don't go as planned and Hetta's world gets flipped upside down. Not only does she have to stay in Stariel but the Fae are returning to the mortal world and all of Stairel is in danger.

This book is beautifully written, coy and a slow-burn. There isn't a lot of action but still manages to grab the readers attention. The romance bit wasn't really my style but the rest of the book is very well crafted with great world building. I really relished this book and will urge you to buy this book to support the upcoming first time author. Last but not least I would like to thank AJ Lancaster for sending me an advanced readers copy (ARC) to review.