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Darkness births the Stars: an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance
by Sarah Lee Wohn
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
๐ Summary
Darkness Births the Stars by Sarah Lee Wohn is a lush, heartbreaking romantasy steeped in forbidden love, betrayal, and redemption. When Noctis, the fallen God of Darkness, reappears at the door of Rada, the exiled Goddess of Light, old wounds rip open as quickly as sparks reignite. Stripped of magic and condemned to mortality, Rada must decide if she can trust the man who broke her heart to stand with him against rising chaos. Seamlessly weaving past and present, this story delivers both gut-wrenching heartbreak and intoxicating tenderness, where desire collides with duty and survival demands impossible choices.
โโโ
โจ Tropes / Vibes
Forbidden love โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
Star-crossed lovers ๐
Enemies-to-lovers-to-something-more ๐ก๏ธ๐โก๏ธโค๏ธ
Morally gray MMC ๐
Fierce, resilient FMC ๐ฅ๐
Betrayal and redemption ๐ฉธ๐คฒ
Fallen gods & exiled royalty โก๐๏ธ
Mythology-inspired world ๐
Angst + aching tenderness ๐ญ๐
Poetic, lyrical writing โ๏ธ๐น
โโโ
๐ญ My Review
Iโm literally blown away by this story. The way Sarah wove the past and present together was so beautifully done. I never once felt jarred or confused by the shifts; instead, the timeline jumps only made the story feel richer and more whole. My heart was breaking and mending at the same time, wrapped up in the poetic experience of a forbidden love that still aches to heal old wounds. It was devastatingly addictive.
Rada/Baradaz: Fierce. Strong. Absolutely everything. Sarah wrote her with so much raw power and pain that I could feel every ounce of her anguish. Sheโs now one of my all-time favorite FMCs.
Noctis/Belekoroz: My sweet chaos man, the fallen one. Misunderstood by everyone except Rada. Despite all the heartbreak, he kept showing up for her, his words and his actions aligning in such a devastatingly beautiful way. The way he cared for her, and for the people she loved, completely undid me. Having those little lines from him truly broke me, giving us such deep insight into the creative torment of his existence.
โThen why, I wanted to scream, the words stuck in my throat like broken glass, choking me, did you create me this way?โ
That moment gutted me. It captured everything about his pain, his vulnerability, and his yearning to be understood.
Aramaz: Suspicious, unsettling, and raising a thousand questions. The way he brushed things off made me second-guess every move.
This book is equal parts heartbreak, redemption, and addictive longing. It hurts in all the best ways, and I already know itโs going to linger with me for a long time. I cannot wait to see what Sarah does with the Easter eggs she tucked into this storyโhinted at with just a line or two. My mind is already spinning for the next book.
Honestly, I could put so many quotes in here. I highlighted practically the entire book, but I think you should experience it for yourself. ๐ค๐ซถ๐ฝ๐ฎโ๐จ
Lastly, thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted e-arc.
Darkness Births the Stars by Sarah Lee Wohn is a lush, heartbreaking romantasy steeped in forbidden love, betrayal, and redemption. When Noctis, the fallen God of Darkness, reappears at the door of Rada, the exiled Goddess of Light, old wounds rip open as quickly as sparks reignite. Stripped of magic and condemned to mortality, Rada must decide if she can trust the man who broke her heart to stand with him against rising chaos. Seamlessly weaving past and present, this story delivers both gut-wrenching heartbreak and intoxicating tenderness, where desire collides with duty and survival demands impossible choices.
โโโ
โจ Tropes / Vibes
Forbidden love โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
Star-crossed lovers ๐
Enemies-to-lovers-to-something-more ๐ก๏ธ๐โก๏ธโค๏ธ
Morally gray MMC ๐
Fierce, resilient FMC ๐ฅ๐
Betrayal and redemption ๐ฉธ๐คฒ
Fallen gods & exiled royalty โก๐๏ธ
Mythology-inspired world ๐
Angst + aching tenderness ๐ญ๐
Poetic, lyrical writing โ๏ธ๐น
โโโ
๐ญ My Review
Iโm literally blown away by this story. The way Sarah wove the past and present together was so beautifully done. I never once felt jarred or confused by the shifts; instead, the timeline jumps only made the story feel richer and more whole. My heart was breaking and mending at the same time, wrapped up in the poetic experience of a forbidden love that still aches to heal old wounds. It was devastatingly addictive.
Rada/Baradaz: Fierce. Strong. Absolutely everything. Sarah wrote her with so much raw power and pain that I could feel every ounce of her anguish. Sheโs now one of my all-time favorite FMCs.
Noctis/Belekoroz: My sweet chaos man, the fallen one. Misunderstood by everyone except Rada. Despite all the heartbreak, he kept showing up for her, his words and his actions aligning in such a devastatingly beautiful way. The way he cared for her, and for the people she loved, completely undid me. Having those little lines from him truly broke me, giving us such deep insight into the creative torment of his existence.
โThen why, I wanted to scream, the words stuck in my throat like broken glass, choking me, did you create me this way?โ
That moment gutted me. It captured everything about his pain, his vulnerability, and his yearning to be understood.
Aramaz: Suspicious, unsettling, and raising a thousand questions. The way he brushed things off made me second-guess every move.
This book is equal parts heartbreak, redemption, and addictive longing. It hurts in all the best ways, and I already know itโs going to linger with me for a long time. I cannot wait to see what Sarah does with the Easter eggs she tucked into this storyโhinted at with just a line or two. My mind is already spinning for the next book.
Honestly, I could put so many quotes in here. I highlighted practically the entire book, but I think you should experience it for yourself. ๐ค๐ซถ๐ฝ๐ฎโ๐จ
Lastly, thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted e-arc.