This book was an intriguing adventure that took familiar tropes and twisted them on their heads. Enjoyable, certainly, though it did need another edit to sort out some of the minor plot holes and proofreading errors. Still, I would recommend this book for anyone interested in epic fantasy with a touch of romance.

This book follows Sol, who has lived hidden away in a coastal village her whole life. Until four Wielders come calling and tell her that she’s their lost princess and she needs to take the throne. Now Sol is thrust into a world of politics and scheming, where the terrifying Jinn that haunt their lands may not be as dangerous as the people in the palace. To get her kingdom back, Sol puts herself in the middle of a deadly competition. Only, she may be forced to fight against the one person who can help her save everyone.

I really enjoyed the world of this book. I think it was cleverly done and explained in such a way that was not at all overwhelming, but very integral to the story. It fit in well with the plot so that there were never any real questions about things. Well, except for those things the author wanted readers to question. 

The plot was cleverly done, taking familiar tropes like the “lost princess” and twisting them on their head just enough that they felt new and intriguing. And I think Sol was the perfect character for these situations. She’s tough, but not in the way that everyone expects her to be. She is kind and caring and has a heart too big for the world she now inhabits. Her Court, too, were fascinating characters with their own needs and wants and schemes to try and make everything better for everyone. 

I will say that there were a few plot holes. At least, they appeared as plot holes because they were brought up in this book and then never addressed; I am assuming that they will be addressed in the next book. I know that there is often a bit of overlap that has to happen with books in a series, so that not everything is dealt with in book one. However, for me, these particular holes were a bit…frustrating. Probably because they were brought up, made to seem significant, and then left by the wayside while other things happened, as if they hadn’t happened at all.

That and the unfortunately frequent spelling, grammar, or other proofreading mistakes, did reduce some of my enjoyment of this book. Not a huge amount—I still had a hard time putting it down—but I did notice them.

Overall, I would say that Of Stars and Lightning was quite good.

The post Book Review: Of Stars and Lightning by Melanie Mar | Indie Ink Awards 2024 first appeared on Tarney Brae Creative Endeavours.