A review by marie_thereadingotter
Stardust Child by Melissa Cave

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I received this book from NetGalley for review

 
 Another installment to this cozy fantasy romance. Remin and Ophele are so precious. I love seeing how much they've grown together. 

This book high lights more of Ophele's time before she met Remin, and how her foster family treated her after her mother's death. Knowing what shaped her and why she is as timid as she is really helps in under standing her motivations in the previous book. While I already felt it was pretty clear that she was abused, I didn't think it could be this bad. The gaslighting and under handed comments were bad enough. 
 
The character who's had the most development is Remin, he's open to trusting people more, and I love how sweet and tender he is with Ophele. I did like that more of this book showed more of his heroism and what it's like outside the walls of the city. The 'devils', I'm still straggling with picturing them. But I am glad that the local threat of mystical beasts had more focus in this book. In the previous one they felt more like a far away threat in a way.
 
The additional POVs in this book have me very curious for the rest of the series. Lady Verr, and the Emperor himself. I do wonder to a degree if the Empress had her hands in what happened to both Remin and Ophele. The Emperor clearly hates his wife, as it states in the prologue, and I do wonder if he had wanted to marry someone else and if that person had been Ophele's mother. As for Lady Verr, I have no idea what her goals are, but at the moment I don't fully trust her. She is up to something, but I don't think it's to hurt anyone. I think it's something selfish.  I hope that this will be answered in the next book. Which I am very excited to read. 
 

This is a book is a great balance of romance and political intrigue. It is refreshing reading a romance between to people who undoubtedly unflinchingly love each other. I want this to become a trend again where love and compassion between characters is at the forefront. 
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