A review by bribreez
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows by Holly Renee

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

*Check content warnings before reading.

4.5⭐️/ 3-4🌶️ 

She was meant for greatness, a future in which she played a significant role for the far royalty because, she wasn’t just a young woman who was betrothed to the prince, she was Starblessed, and her name was, Adara. Adara had now from a young age that she was going to marry the fae prince because, with her being Starblessed, it was foretold that the blood running through her veins would give the prince stronger powers than the ones he possessed. The day finally came when Adara was taken from her home and thrusted into the palace of her soon to be husband and his family…as well as his brother, Evren, whom Adara couldn’t stop thinking about. Holly Renee wrote a fast paced, tension filled romance with a unique plot line that really made this fantasy romance entertaining and enjoyable to read from beginning to end. 

I have been eyeing this book for quite some time and I finally read it! Adara and Evren’s story was a unique one that had the fantasy elements, magic, royalty, fae, vampires, and a romance that absolutely oozed TENSION! Evren was the perfect male lead/ love interest foe Adara with his strong powerful aura, but also a man who very much said, “hurt her and I will hunt you down, and unalive you,” vibes. 

My understanding of the plot was that, Adara was, “Starblessed”, which meant that she had magic coursing through her blood, and stars marked on her body as a physical manifestation of said power. Apparently being Starblessed was a big deal, and for Adara it meant that she was to marry the prince of Citlali, and provide him with her blood for him to grow  more powerful than all the faes. Although, the faes weren’t the only ones after Adara’s powers, it was also the Blood court a.k.a. The vampires that were after it too. Adara’s whole life had basically been planned out for her, and she never truly had a sense of freedom since everyone around her had their own agendas and used her for their own. At every turn, it seemed like everyone wanted to use Adara for their own benefit, but through it all, she managed to find an ally of sorts in the broody, dark, and at times flirtatious captain of the guard, Evren.

Evren and Adara had great chemistry from the beginning! Keep in mind that this story was fast paced, but it never felt rushed in terms of the romance between Adara and Evren. The whole time while I was reading, I could feel the tension emanating between Adara and Evren as well as the passion that kept building. There was never a dull moment while reading and it was hugely in part due to Adara and Evren having such a strong connection. I really enjoyed seeing the romance progress over the course of the story as well as the spice! I genuinely think that with the spice it also had an underlying feeling of trust being built between Adara and Evren as well as the deeper meaning of why they felt such a strong pull towards one another. Evren was the captain of the guard, but throughout each chapter, his resolve to protecting Adara and making it known that no one could hurt her without suffering the consequences was really hot to me! Plus, reading about a man going feral with jealousy or just wanting to make her his is always makes me excited! Adara may have initially being unsure of Evren’s loyalties, but he sure made it clear plenty of times how much he wanted her, and wanted to ensure her safety at all times. (Sigh) Evren was THE MAN! 

You know, funny enough, when it came down to loyalties this book ended on quite the cliffhanger that made Adara’s trust in Evren change with the plot twist she got. This story was fast paced, and had everything you could want in a fantasy romance, but it also had a good plot twist to keep the story going into the next book. I think Evren’s backstory will be explored more in the next book, as well as show how the events that transpired in the ending will have changed the dynamics between Adara and Evren at least for a bit before hopefully the two of them make up. There’s also the fact of dealing with Gavril and the rest of the fae court so, potentially there might be a war or some type of battle that will break out in the next book. Overall, this was a good start to the series, and it was the perfect fantasy book for me to read! If you’re looking for a fantasy romance that is too long, is fast paced, has romance, spice, a male lead that will unalive and protect his love interest, have passion, tension, and a plot twist, then I would highly recommend this book!