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lovelette_reads 's review for:
The starlit shadow
by Cidney Mayes
fast-paced
A courtesan spy, a winged fae lord, and a dangerous game of secrets—what could possibly go wrong?
Sorsha was abandoned by her parents at the House of Night, a place where fae and humans alike indulge in forbidden magic and desires. There, she worked as a courtesan—until her Madame forced her into espionage, tasked with uncovering secrets about a coup against the crown and the dwindling magic of their world.
But as fate would have it, she fell in love with her target, Lord Corvus Stormfall—a fae with charcoal wings.
I really enjoyed this book. Sorsha is a survivor, through and through, and that determination is woven into every decision she makes. While I found her a little unrelatable at times and wished for more depth in her character, I still understood her motives. Corvus, too, has his own burdens to bear, and I couldn’t help but feel for him—especially when he was wracked with guilt over something as small as accidentally looking at her back after promising not to. That moment got to me. Despite his almost unreasonable loyalty, he fought his way back to her, and that devotion shone through.
That said, I did wish for more emotional depth and chemistry between them. The sparks are there, but I wanted them to burn hotter! Hopefully, the next book will deliver more passion and richer character development.
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Thank you to @NetGalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, and Cidney Mayes for the ARC!
Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Winged MMC
- Political court
- Fae
- Secret identities
- Courtesan spy FMC
- Protective MMC
Sorsha was abandoned by her parents at the House of Night, a place where fae and humans alike indulge in forbidden magic and desires. There, she worked as a courtesan—until her Madame forced her into espionage, tasked with uncovering secrets about a coup against the crown and the dwindling magic of their world.
But as fate would have it, she fell in love with her target, Lord Corvus Stormfall—a fae with charcoal wings.
I really enjoyed this book. Sorsha is a survivor, through and through, and that determination is woven into every decision she makes. While I found her a little unrelatable at times and wished for more depth in her character, I still understood her motives. Corvus, too, has his own burdens to bear, and I couldn’t help but feel for him—especially when he was wracked with guilt over something as small as accidentally looking at her back after promising not to. That moment got to me. Despite his almost unreasonable loyalty, he fought his way back to her, and that devotion shone through.
That said, I did wish for more emotional depth and chemistry between them. The sparks are there, but I wanted them to burn hotter! Hopefully, the next book will deliver more passion and richer character development.
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Thank you to @NetGalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, and Cidney Mayes for the ARC!
Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Winged MMC
- Political court
- Fae
- Secret identities
- Courtesan spy FMC
- Protective MMC