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A review by leopardsummer8
Starlight Jewel by E.L. Lyons
4.0
"It was the sort of kiss that gives you faith in the Stars and makes you realize they despise you."
Starlight Jewel reminded me of the Cruel Prince series but with less royalty and more romance. There were parts of it that I really liked and parts of it that I didn't enjoy as much, but I can attribute some of my struggles getting into the book to this being the first week of a new semester. The world-building was interesting; there are sprygans (which are basically tree fae) and then hybrids (half-human, half-sprygan), and they have certain abilities like good hearing and sight among other things. My favorite ability was heartfire, which enables a character to keep another alive through love.
The pacing was probably my biggest issue with the book. Parts of it were super fast-paced which was good, but I also got bored at times because the pacing slowed drastically. I can't really describe the plot because it almost felt like a bunch of side-quests...every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it changed direction. There was action, yes, but there was also a lot of scheming and just existing in certain places.
Of the characters, Hyde/Greg was my favorite just because he seems to have an intriguing backstory that I really wanted to get details too but never did. Axly wasn't bad as far as protagonists go. I liked her character and her strength. Grim wasn't my favorite but I didn't mind him (although he named his dog Cleatus and I can't get over that). Of the rest of the characters, I liked most of them but there were a lot to remember and I got them mixed up occasionally. I can't say my other favorite without spoiling anything, but he shows up halfway through and I don't really have a reason for liking him.
If the Cruel Prince series gave you a book hangover or you're just in the mood for ruthless fae-like creatures, E. L. Lyons's Starlight Jewel is a great story filled with action, adventure, and romance.
3.75/5
Starlight Jewel reminded me of the Cruel Prince series but with less royalty and more romance. There were parts of it that I really liked and parts of it that I didn't enjoy as much, but I can attribute some of my struggles getting into the book to this being the first week of a new semester. The world-building was interesting; there are sprygans (which are basically tree fae) and then hybrids (half-human, half-sprygan), and they have certain abilities like good hearing and sight among other things. My favorite ability was heartfire, which enables a character to keep another alive through love.
The pacing was probably my biggest issue with the book. Parts of it were super fast-paced which was good, but I also got bored at times because the pacing slowed drastically. I can't really describe the plot because it almost felt like a bunch of side-quests...every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it changed direction. There was action, yes, but there was also a lot of scheming and just existing in certain places.
Of the characters, Hyde/Greg was my favorite just because he seems to have an intriguing backstory that I really wanted to get details too but never did. Axly wasn't bad as far as protagonists go. I liked her character and her strength. Grim wasn't my favorite but I didn't mind him (although he named his dog Cleatus and I can't get over that). Of the rest of the characters, I liked most of them but there were a lot to remember and I got them mixed up occasionally. I can't say my other favorite without spoiling anything, but he shows up halfway through and I don't really have a reason for liking him.
If the Cruel Prince series gave you a book hangover or you're just in the mood for ruthless fae-like creatures, E. L. Lyons's Starlight Jewel is a great story filled with action, adventure, and romance.
3.75/5