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A review by maxarcreads
The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
3.75
this is a 3.75 for me. This was in a lot of ways a solid book, and it had a lot of elements I like but I just could not connect to the book. While I can't pinpoint exactly what I think the book needed I think it has a little to do with the writing and pacing. At the start there was a good breakdown and description of everything but then as the book went on, we got the bare bones of descriptions of the environments and the rooms. For example, one scene we would find out that they are in a red sandy desert and that's it. There just wasn't a lot for me to feel immersed and picture it in my head. It just all felt very straight forward like here is a red desert and now we are moving on. Which in turn made the pacing feel a smidge fast paced. Not so rushed that I felt like things on fast forward but just that it felt like there were missed opportunities to really delve into things and make the reader really invested in the characters and what was going on. I also found it weird at times that this is a romantasy and not like some modern day one but one that is less developed but at times there would be modern day phrases being used like toxic masculinity or terms I would see on booktok that just felt out of place with what I was reading.
But I think the idea for this book was a really good one, I liked the characters and the plot line and while I think this is overall a solid book that I am sure lots of other readers will enjoy I personally was left wanting more.
This book is about Suraya Saab who is a blacksmith whose family runs an inn. So, you can imagine her surprise when an invitation from court appears requesting her presence at court as a potential bride for the prince. While she has no aspirations to marry the prince and see's little chance, he will pick her as she has no qualifications to be a princess or future queen, she sees this as an opportunity to leave her home and go on an adventure to the capital. So off to the capital she goes and within moments of being there let's just say she doesn't make the best impression to members of the court or the royal family. But surprisingly they don't ship her back to her home and she is allowed to compete in what she finds out is a bridal trial that can have deadly consequences. While she tries not to stand out, she manages to capture the eye of the prince, and she comes to find out that the main objective wasn't to find a bride for the prince but rather the Starkeeper a myth of a girl who has the magic of the stars in her blood... and they think she is that girl and they have special plans in store for her. But before they can carry out these plans a rebel force who is displeased with the royal houses attacks the castle and she is able to escape with the help of none other than the prince's handsome illegitimate half-brother Roshan. And now they are both on the run from the Queen and her son the prince who will stop at nothing to get their hands on her the Starkeeper and the magic that she has no control over. All to summon a forgotten dark god who has his own plans for Suraya's magic and her world.
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
But I think the idea for this book was a really good one, I liked the characters and the plot line and while I think this is overall a solid book that I am sure lots of other readers will enjoy I personally was left wanting more.
This book is about Suraya Saab who is a blacksmith whose family runs an inn. So, you can imagine her surprise when an invitation from court appears requesting her presence at court as a potential bride for the prince. While she has no aspirations to marry the prince and see's little chance, he will pick her as she has no qualifications to be a princess or future queen, she sees this as an opportunity to leave her home and go on an adventure to the capital. So off to the capital she goes and within moments of being there let's just say she doesn't make the best impression to members of the court or the royal family. But surprisingly they don't ship her back to her home and she is allowed to compete in what she finds out is a bridal trial that can have deadly consequences. While she tries not to stand out, she manages to capture the eye of the prince, and she comes to find out that the main objective wasn't to find a bride for the prince but rather the Starkeeper a myth of a girl who has the magic of the stars in her blood... and they think she is that girl and they have special plans in store for her. But before they can carry out these plans a rebel force who is displeased with the royal houses attacks the castle and she is able to escape with the help of none other than the prince's handsome illegitimate half-brother Roshan. And now they are both on the run from the Queen and her son the prince who will stop at nothing to get their hands on her the Starkeeper and the magic that she has no control over. All to summon a forgotten dark god who has his own plans for Suraya's magic and her world.
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.