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_leooo_'s review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emisnake's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
astoehr's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
andhochmuth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
vulpixie's review
5.0
This book was a bit of a roller-coaster. The storyline was very inspired, and well thought through. It was a different take on a "true love" trope, and honestly I loved it.
Ceris Wenden volunteers as "Star Mother" for her town, and for her family. They will be welcomed in to a glorious heaven when they die, revered as she is for birthing a star. Stars are fathered by Sun, and must be replaced as they die. Unfortunately, the life of the mother is also forfeit, as a Mortal cannot birth a star and live... Until somehow, Ceris does. When she is returned to Earth, somehow 700 years have passed and she is thrust in to a world of loneliness and sadness. Her only friend is Ristriel, a hunted godling who is more than he appears to be...
Excellent characters, fantastic story line and a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Ceris Wenden volunteers as "Star Mother" for her town, and for her family. They will be welcomed in to a glorious heaven when they die, revered as she is for birthing a star. Stars are fathered by Sun, and must be replaced as they die. Unfortunately, the life of the mother is also forfeit, as a Mortal cannot birth a star and live... Until somehow, Ceris does. When she is returned to Earth, somehow 700 years have passed and she is thrust in to a world of loneliness and sadness. Her only friend is Ristriel, a hunted godling who is more than he appears to be...
Excellent characters, fantastic story line and a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
megsreads's review
4.0
A young girl. Her enormous sacrifice. A future written in the stars.
When a star dies, one must take its place and celestial law dictates that it must be born of a mortal human. The Sun God chooses a village from which the star mother must come and a young woman must volunteer to bear the new star. When the village of Endwever is chosen, Ceris Wenden sacrifices herself for the cause knowing that star mothers do not survive the birth. Yet, nine months after conception, Ceris does the impossible and survives. She returns to Endwever in hopes of seeing her family again, but when she arrives, she soon learns that all of her family is deceased as seven hundred years have passed since she left. Desperate to re-establish kinship and some sort of connection to her life on Earth, she sets out on a quest to find her descendants in a distant village. Along the way she meets a godling named Ristriel who agrees to guide her and the two of them discover they are connected in more ways than one.
Charlie Holmberg is a master of Fantasy and with this series, she has become truly adept at the sub-genre of Romantic Fantasy. I have been a Holmberg fan ever since reading her richly imaginative The Paper Magician series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Star Mother. This is one of the most uniquely premised books I have ever read and yet, it is an age old love story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Why should three hearts break, when it was needed of only one?
When a star dies, one must take its place and celestial law dictates that it must be born of a mortal human. The Sun God chooses a village from which the star mother must come and a young woman must volunteer to bear the new star. When the village of Endwever is chosen, Ceris Wenden sacrifices herself for the cause knowing that star mothers do not survive the birth. Yet, nine months after conception, Ceris does the impossible and survives. She returns to Endwever in hopes of seeing her family again, but when she arrives, she soon learns that all of her family is deceased as seven hundred years have passed since she left. Desperate to re-establish kinship and some sort of connection to her life on Earth, she sets out on a quest to find her descendants in a distant village. Along the way she meets a godling named Ristriel who agrees to guide her and the two of them discover they are connected in more ways than one.
Charlie Holmberg is a master of Fantasy and with this series, she has become truly adept at the sub-genre of Romantic Fantasy. I have been a Holmberg fan ever since reading her richly imaginative The Paper Magician series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Star Mother. This is one of the most uniquely premised books I have ever read and yet, it is an age old love story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
xandra_lyn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my goodness I LOVED this book!! It was so beautiful and poignant satisfying. I was nervous with some of the reviews, but it was simply wonderful.
I want to address the content warnings of rape/sexual violence. When Chris joins with the sun, it is clearly painful for her, but it is not a graphic rendering of what a sexual assault would be. It's also clear that it's consensual. The sun cannot help but be what he is - which is a firey ball of light. It's kind of complicated to explain, but I imagined it like she was being consumed by a fire. Ceris did have some feelings that a survivor of violence would have, so that may have been what confused people and made them uncomfortable. I'm not sure why it was written that way, although the entire book seemed to be about processing trauma. It was really poignant in that respect. However, this fantasy trauma was removed enough from real trauma so that it wasn't too uncomfortable to process through. I would like Ceris's experience to a surgery or chemo - something that does cause trauma but something you choose out of necessity.
There is one almost assault scene, but Ceris escapes almost as soon as she is grabbed, and it is on earth. So I really don't know why people are giving a graphic rating to rape/sexual violence.
I want to address the content warnings of rape/sexual violence. When Chris joins with the sun, it is clearly painful for her, but it is not a graphic rendering of what a sexual assault would be. It's also clear that it's consensual. The sun cannot help but be what he is - which is a firey ball of light. It's kind of complicated to explain, but I imagined it like she was being consumed by a fire. Ceris did have some feelings that a survivor of violence would have, so that may have been what confused people and made them uncomfortable. I'm not sure why it was written that way, although the entire book seemed to be about processing trauma. It was really poignant in that respect. However, this fantasy trauma was removed enough from real trauma so that it wasn't too uncomfortable to process through. I would like Ceris's experience to a surgery or chemo - something that does cause trauma but something you choose out of necessity.
There is one almost assault scene, but Ceris escapes almost as soon as she is grabbed, and it is on earth. So I really don't know why people are giving a graphic rating to rape/sexual violence.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
There is an almost assault, but Ceris escapes almost as soon as she is grabbedmeghannv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
_lexis_library_'s review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0