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Queen of All Fae #1
A Dream of Stars and Darkness
The dream was always the same. One by one, the stars wink out and darkness fills the sky.
Ember has had the dream for as long as she can remember, but in her line of work, it's no wonder that nightmares plague her. Caught between court intrigue and a resistance movement, Ember plans her revenge as a spy while secretly navigating what remains of the noble Seelie court.
When the terrifying Unseelie Prince comes looking for a bride, Ember's plans take shape in the most dangerous way. Now forced to play the part of a willing bride in front of an enemy court, Ember discovers that her deal with the Prince may be more than she bargained for.
A Dream of Stars and Darkness is a Pride & Prejudice romantasy retelling with spicy romance, enemies to lovers, and only one bed vibes. It is the first of three interwoven romances in the Queen of All Fae Series, each one building on the larger story and told from different points of view.
Ember has had the dream for as long as she can remember, but in her line of work, it's no wonder that nightmares plague her. Caught between court intrigue and a resistance movement, Ember plans her revenge as a spy while secretly navigating what remains of the noble Seelie court.
When the terrifying Unseelie Prince comes looking for a bride, Ember's plans take shape in the most dangerous way. Now forced to play the part of a willing bride in front of an enemy court, Ember discovers that her deal with the Prince may be more than she bargained for.
A Dream of Stars and Darkness is a Pride & Prejudice romantasy retelling with spicy romance, enemies to lovers, and only one bed vibes. It is the first of three interwoven romances in the Queen of All Fae Series, each one building on the larger story and told from different points of view.
Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2022
286 people are currently reading
3792 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Eliot
19 books510 followersMadeleine Eliot loves to read and write spicy romantasy with all of the best tropes. Dubbed the “Queen of Cozy” by her readers, Madeleine enjoys writing romantasy that is all vibes and spice, with a dash of adventure and world-building. She is always working on her next book, which is probably another spicy romantasy. Follow her adventures and latest works at instagram.com/madeleineeliotwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
March 3, 2023
3.5 Misbehaving Shadow Stars ⭐️
I should remind myself that I am going to end up disappointed and despondent in myself if I CHANGE MY EXPECTATIONS of a book halfway through reading SAID BOOK! At the start, I wanted something fluffy. REMIND MYSELF AGAIN!!! AT THE END... F.L.U.F.F.Y! Did I get something fluffy? OF course, I did! But I still can't help feeling sad that I got exactly what I wanted and then still wanted more.
This story follows(fuck did I seriously just forget her name and I just finished the book????) Ember. She is a Seelie orphan Noble who lives with her hateful uncle but is also part of the resistance to overthrow the evil Unseelie King. Soon she finds herself in a fake betrothal to her enemy - Hadrian, the prince of the Unseelie Court. However, the Prince of Death is not all that he seems...
The plot to this wasn't very deep. It almost read as a 2002 YA but has the adult elements of "on-page spiciness"... This means everything moves VERY QUICKLY, with phrases repeated QUITE A LOT BUT with not enough time given for complex character or plot development. (I should add that TEENAGER ME would have loved this but now it's not preferred) There were a lot of "tell" and "off-page" events that just lead to implications and inferences. Many of the hard-hitting aspects are quickly brushed over or not fully explored so it makes the whole story feel like we are skimming the surface and the reader is not shown the full horrors of how bad things are. (SEE FLUFFFFFFFY) This is VERY clearly seen in aspects that "make" Hadrian the "Prince of Death". He killed one person and mentioned a few instances of others...BUT LIKE..... Maybe I just wanted more on page darkness because I like to seeeeeee my morally grey men in action, not just told they are bad 😏
The story was ALSO pretty predictable in the plot and twists but it ticked the boxes of the tropes I needed to just have a laid-back comfort FLUFFY read.
Tropes (I can remember):
▶ Fake Relationship
▶ One Bed
▶ Touch her and you die
▶ Opposites Attract
▶ Fated Mates
▶ One Bathtub
▶ He falls first
▶ Cassian Wannabe (There is headboard grabbing)
** I am sure there is more but I DON'T REMEMBER...
That's another reason why I GOT EXACTLY the FLUFFY I wanted. It's not really a VERY memorable story... I have read this story 1000 times, I love this story! This is my guilty pleasure, it's too much frosting on a cupcake but I deserve a treat so I am going to eat it up and MIGHT even take a second!
The Romance is exactly what you expect with clear writing on the wall that they will OBVIOUSLY be enemies to lovers but there is this spark, zing, zap, flash, pull (all the EXACT WORDS FROM THE BOOK) used to describe the feeling they have for each other when they look into each other's eyes. He is a broody, closed-off grumpy Prince of hardly any words with dark shadows that flow behind him like wings (ok Az/Rhys wannabe) and she is the very helpful sweet but strong-willed noble healer who wants to bring about a change for her people. What I did enjoy is there isn't much miscommunication between Ember and Hadrian. Their relationship actually felt like one where proper communication and discussion of issues would occur - which did pick this up out of YA level and make it more "Adult" feeling. Overall with their cute bond and attraction and ALL THE KISSES - It's nauseatingly sweet and adorable and (you guessed it!) FLUFFY!!!!!!
The one good thing was Ember's best friend has the best name in the world...Aurelia (But I am biased)...AND the second book is HER story, so obviously I am picking up that book for FLUFFY 2.0
Basically, this wasn't a bad debut and Madeleine Eliot shows promise, with a bit of clean up and more depth this could have been perfect! I would recommend this read if you want a quick fix of Fae Enemies to Lovers with a few good tropes that is.....
FLUFFY!!!!!!
I should remind myself that I am going to end up disappointed and despondent in myself if I CHANGE MY EXPECTATIONS of a book halfway through reading SAID BOOK! At the start, I wanted something fluffy. REMIND MYSELF AGAIN!!! AT THE END... F.L.U.F.F.Y! Did I get something fluffy? OF course, I did! But I still can't help feeling sad that I got exactly what I wanted and then still wanted more.
This story follows
The plot to this wasn't very deep. It almost read as a 2002 YA but has the adult elements of "on-page spiciness"... This means everything moves VERY QUICKLY, with phrases repeated QUITE A LOT BUT with not enough time given for complex character or plot development. (I should add that TEENAGER ME would have loved this but now it's not preferred) There were a lot of "tell" and "off-page" events that just lead to implications and inferences. Many of the hard-hitting aspects are quickly brushed over or not fully explored so it makes the whole story feel like we are skimming the surface and the reader is not shown the full horrors of how bad things are. (SEE FLUFFFFFFFY) This is VERY clearly seen in aspects that "make" Hadrian the "Prince of Death". He killed one person and mentioned a few instances of others...BUT LIKE..... Maybe I just wanted more on page darkness because I like to seeeeeee my morally grey men in action, not just told they are bad 😏
The story was ALSO pretty predictable in the plot and twists but it ticked the boxes of the tropes I needed to just have a laid-back comfort FLUFFY read.
Tropes (I can remember):
▶ Fake Relationship
▶ One Bed
▶ Touch her and you die
▶ Opposites Attract
▶ Fated Mates
▶ One Bathtub
▶ He falls first
▶ Cassian Wannabe (There is headboard grabbing)
** I am sure there is more but I DON'T REMEMBER...
That's another reason why I GOT EXACTLY the FLUFFY I wanted. It's not really a VERY memorable story... I have read this story 1000 times, I love this story! This is my guilty pleasure, it's too much frosting on a cupcake but I deserve a treat so I am going to eat it up and MIGHT even take a second!
The Romance is exactly what you expect with clear writing on the wall that they will OBVIOUSLY be enemies to lovers but there is this spark, zing, zap, flash, pull (all the EXACT WORDS FROM THE BOOK) used to describe the feeling they have for each other when they look into each other's eyes. He is a broody, closed-off grumpy Prince of hardly any words with dark shadows that flow behind him like wings (ok Az/Rhys wannabe) and she is the very helpful sweet but strong-willed noble healer who wants to bring about a change for her people. What I did enjoy is there isn't much miscommunication between Ember and Hadrian. Their relationship actually felt like one where proper communication and discussion of issues would occur - which did pick this up out of YA level and make it more "Adult" feeling. Overall with their cute bond and attraction and ALL THE KISSES - It's nauseatingly sweet and adorable and (you guessed it!) FLUFFY!!!!!!
The one good thing was Ember's best friend has the best name in the world...Aurelia (But I am biased)...AND the second book is HER story, so obviously I am picking up that book for FLUFFY 2.0
Basically, this wasn't a bad debut and Madeleine Eliot shows promise, with a bit of clean up and more depth this could have been perfect! I would recommend this read if you want a quick fix of Fae Enemies to Lovers with a few good tropes that is.....
FLUFFY!!!!!!
January 2, 2023
If y’all don’t add this book to your TBR right now and read it asap, we gonna have problems. THIS BOOK WAS SO AMAZING!
TROPES 🌿🫖✨
✔️ ENEMIES to loverssss
✔️ strong and snarky FMC
✔️ hidden past
✔️ forced proximity (pls I eat this one UP)
✔️ slow burn, but it burns so GOOD 🔥
✔️ touch her and die (YES POSSESSIVE FAE MALES YAAAAAS)
✔️ seelie vs unseelie
✔️ he falls first 😮💨🫠
✔️ Pride & Prejudice vibes
If you’re still reading this and not downloading that book immediately then I guess I have more hyping to do. 😂
As a human that adores anything fae, I am a firm believer in THE LIMIT DOES NOT EXIST for how much I love to read anything seelie/unseelie.
This was the author, Madeleine’s debut book. WHAT? She did so good. 😭 she hit all those marks of things we love and made it her own unique/special twist on fae romance.
Ember is our FMC and she’s a firecracker. Not only because of her red hair that has a mind of its own (relatable tbh) but bc she is strong, loves her friends fiercely, and takes NO crap from anyone - especially not wormy fae who think they can run all over her. She and her best friend, Aurelia, are in an undercover rebellion to overthrow the evil unseelie king who killed their beloved seelie queen and has made everyone’s lives miserable.
One night she finds out that the unseelie Prince, Hadrian, is at the same ball she is at and he’s a total arse to her. Ember doesn’t let him get away with that, and tbh I was swooning for her as much as I was swooning for YA BOY. 😎
Not going farther bc truly you need to experience this story for yourself, but I will say that she kept me on my toes and I was surprised by the little twists and turns given. I loved the political intrigue, the balls and court drama, the side characters and subplots, and the romance. Oh my goodness, the romance. 🥹🥹🥹
This book deserves all the hype and more. And the covers? So beautifully done and tbh I kind of want my bedroom walls to look like them. I am so in love with this book already and I cannot WAIT for book two! SO GO! GO READ THIS ONE NOW!!! thank me later. 😎
TROPES 🌿🫖✨
✔️ ENEMIES to loverssss
✔️ strong and snarky FMC
✔️ hidden past
✔️ forced proximity (pls I eat this one UP)
✔️ slow burn, but it burns so GOOD 🔥
✔️ touch her and die (YES POSSESSIVE FAE MALES YAAAAAS)
✔️ seelie vs unseelie
✔️ he falls first 😮💨🫠
✔️ Pride & Prejudice vibes
If you’re still reading this and not downloading that book immediately then I guess I have more hyping to do. 😂
As a human that adores anything fae, I am a firm believer in THE LIMIT DOES NOT EXIST for how much I love to read anything seelie/unseelie.
This was the author, Madeleine’s debut book. WHAT? She did so good. 😭 she hit all those marks of things we love and made it her own unique/special twist on fae romance.
Ember is our FMC and she’s a firecracker. Not only because of her red hair that has a mind of its own (relatable tbh) but bc she is strong, loves her friends fiercely, and takes NO crap from anyone - especially not wormy fae who think they can run all over her. She and her best friend, Aurelia, are in an undercover rebellion to overthrow the evil unseelie king who killed their beloved seelie queen and has made everyone’s lives miserable.
One night she finds out that the unseelie Prince, Hadrian, is at the same ball she is at and he’s a total arse to her. Ember doesn’t let him get away with that, and tbh I was swooning for her as much as I was swooning for YA BOY. 😎
Not going farther bc truly you need to experience this story for yourself, but I will say that she kept me on my toes and I was surprised by the little twists and turns given. I loved the political intrigue, the balls and court drama, the side characters and subplots, and the romance. Oh my goodness, the romance. 🥹🥹🥹
This book deserves all the hype and more. And the covers? So beautifully done and tbh I kind of want my bedroom walls to look like them. I am so in love with this book already and I cannot WAIT for book two! SO GO! GO READ THIS ONE NOW!!! thank me later. 😎
December 20, 2023
—3.25 stars—
“Life and death go hand in hand. Death is feared, but all life ends and begins with death. One cannot exist without the other to keep it in balance.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy Romance, Cozy Fantasy,
Writing: 5/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 6/10
Characters: 5/10
Romance: 6/10
My rating: 6/10
trigger warnings: Death, Injury Detail, Violence, Death of Parents, Murder, Abuse, Abusive Parent, Physical Abuse, etc.
———my thoughts———
A Dream Of Stars And Darkness was such a warmly cozy fantasy book.
With its short length, it’s a good quick winter read.
Inspired (and sort of a loose retelling of) Pride and Prejudice, Madeline Eliot has the perfect balance between regency balls and fae scheming.
The main character, Ember is a healer, spy and noble’s daughter.
After meeting the mysterious Unseelie Prince, she ends up caught in an entirely new kind of court intrigue and danger.
As the Prince’s bride-to-be, she’s expecting to go almost everywhere with him—and the close proximity begins to bring feelings into the light.
Of all the characters, Aurelia (Ember’s best friend was my favourite). I know the next book in the trilogy is hers, so I can’t wait to read it!
Ember was likeable enough, but sometimes came off as a little unrealistic. Her schemes were delightful though, and might have been my favourite thing part of the book!
Hadrian (the Unseelie Prince and love interest) was exactly as shadow daddy should be—grumpy and curt on the outside, while secretly caring.
The other side characters were also likeable, if a little underdeveloped.
Now, with all the good things I’ve mentioned, you’re probably wondering at the low rating.
And there is one reason for this; I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing.
Sometimes it felt more than a little boring, and the dialogues often felt slow. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the best work I can think of is ‘clunky’.
I’ve heard that (with her other books and later into this series) the writing improves/matures though, so I have all my fingers crossed for book two!
————quotes————
“Because I want you to see all of me. To know all of me. For good or for ill, I will never hide from you.”
“You remind me of my daughter.”
“I am,” he said resignedly, “but I will gladly be the monster to protect what I love.”
———random extra thoughts———
I still love the cover though, so it’s honestly ok.
Thanks for reading! ❤️
“Life and death go hand in hand. Death is feared, but all life ends and begins with death. One cannot exist without the other to keep it in balance.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy Romance, Cozy Fantasy,
Writing: 5/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 6/10
Characters: 5/10
Romance: 6/10
My rating: 6/10
trigger warnings: Death, Injury Detail, Violence, Death of Parents, Murder, Abuse, Abusive Parent, Physical Abuse, etc.
———my thoughts———
A Dream Of Stars And Darkness was such a warmly cozy fantasy book.
With its short length, it’s a good quick winter read.
Inspired (and sort of a loose retelling of) Pride and Prejudice, Madeline Eliot has the perfect balance between regency balls and fae scheming.
The main character, Ember is a healer, spy and noble’s daughter.
After meeting the mysterious Unseelie Prince, she ends up caught in an entirely new kind of court intrigue and danger.
As the Prince’s bride-to-be, she’s expecting to go almost everywhere with him—and the close proximity begins to bring feelings into the light.
Of all the characters, Aurelia (Ember’s best friend was my favourite). I know the next book in the trilogy is hers, so I can’t wait to read it!
Ember was likeable enough, but sometimes came off as a little unrealistic. Her schemes were delightful though, and might have been my favourite thing part of the book!
Hadrian (the Unseelie Prince and love interest) was exactly as shadow daddy should be—grumpy and curt on the outside, while secretly caring.
The other side characters were also likeable, if a little underdeveloped.
Now, with all the good things I’ve mentioned, you’re probably wondering at the low rating.
And there is one reason for this; I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing.
Sometimes it felt more than a little boring, and the dialogues often felt slow. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the best work I can think of is ‘clunky’.
I’ve heard that (with her other books and later into this series) the writing improves/matures though, so I have all my fingers crossed for book two!
————quotes————
“Because I want you to see all of me. To know all of me. For good or for ill, I will never hide from you.”
“You remind me of my daughter.”
“I am,” he said resignedly, “but I will gladly be the monster to protect what I love.”
———random extra thoughts———
I still love the cover though, so it’s honestly ok.
Thanks for reading! ❤️
February 28, 2023
I like the idea of this book and the writing is solid but I stopped reading at about 82%. It wasn’t really anything specific that made me stop but I just completely lost interest.
Pros:
Magic is good
Interesting world
Cons:
Ominous vague foreshadowing
We had sex once and now I love him
FMC with no emotional control
FMC who is less attractive than other girls
Just to make the con list make sense. There are seelie elves and the queen has wings but there is no queen, mysteriously. I wonder who it could be. FMC has no magic but wait, she does. FMC has ominous dreams that mean??? Who knows. Nothing probably. FMC never questions it. Just living her best life with a recurring dream.
They kiss a couple times, have sex, she loves him. He looks at her with love but does he love her?? It’s a mystery.
FMC yells at her commander. She gets mad at the prince because he didn’t tell her something (even when she can barely admit they’re friends and not enemies). I don’t come to work and think it’s okay to yell at my boss. Unless this is some half assed military operation I don’t see your commander just accepting that kind of reaction.
I’m just so tired of authors writing female main characters to be so pathetic about their appearance. I’m 100% on board with FMC of all shapes, sizes, and colors but every book I read at this point, her hair is not as shiny as her bff, she’s bigger, her nose is longer, her fingers aren’t the right width, and her feet are too big. But also the MMC is beautiful, attractive, everyone’s dream man. Why can’t he be a little bigger or have a crooked nose. But of course he would just have ruggedly handsome features that only made him look all the more devilish.
I realize I’m just ranting about books in general at this point but I just got tired reading this. It feels very cookie cutter and is probably a great read if you’re just looking to pass the time. I could have finished it but I just don’t feel like it.
Pros:
Magic is good
Interesting world
Cons:
Ominous vague foreshadowing
We had sex once and now I love him
FMC with no emotional control
FMC who is less attractive than other girls
Just to make the con list make sense. There are seelie elves and the queen has wings but there is no queen, mysteriously. I wonder who it could be. FMC has no magic but wait, she does. FMC has ominous dreams that mean??? Who knows. Nothing probably. FMC never questions it. Just living her best life with a recurring dream.
They kiss a couple times, have sex, she loves him. He looks at her with love but does he love her?? It’s a mystery.
FMC yells at her commander. She gets mad at the prince because he didn’t tell her something (even when she can barely admit they’re friends and not enemies). I don’t come to work and think it’s okay to yell at my boss. Unless this is some half assed military operation I don’t see your commander just accepting that kind of reaction.
I’m just so tired of authors writing female main characters to be so pathetic about their appearance. I’m 100% on board with FMC of all shapes, sizes, and colors but every book I read at this point, her hair is not as shiny as her bff, she’s bigger, her nose is longer, her fingers aren’t the right width, and her feet are too big. But also the MMC is beautiful, attractive, everyone’s dream man. Why can’t he be a little bigger or have a crooked nose. But of course he would just have ruggedly handsome features that only made him look all the more devilish.
I realize I’m just ranting about books in general at this point but I just got tired reading this. It feels very cookie cutter and is probably a great read if you’re just looking to pass the time. I could have finished it but I just don’t feel like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2023
If you love fae fantasy, this book hits ALL the high notes. A Dream of Stars and Darkness is fast-paced, dark, and easy to read. Definitely comfort-read worthy!
Ember is Seelie, but she's stuck living with her awful uncle who is an Unseelie sympathizer. She is secretly involved in an underground revolutionary group devoted to bringing down the evil Unseelie king. Though she primarily works as a healer with her limited magic, Ember is sent to spy on the Unseelie prince by the group. They do NOT get along, but their interactions start gossip that the prince, Hadrian, might be courting her. There are some VERY unexpected twists and turns after that, but the story ends up being a very quick enemies to lovers romance that was super gratifying.
I really liked Ember's character - she's honest about her flaws, but still able to make significant contributions to the rebel cause, despite her bound magic. Hadrian is the ideal morally grey MMC - and y'all, he's got shadow magic. Always love shadow hands...
If you don't want to get bogged down in tedious world-building or slow burn fantasy romance, this book is absolutely perfect!
Ember is Seelie, but she's stuck living with her awful uncle who is an Unseelie sympathizer. She is secretly involved in an underground revolutionary group devoted to bringing down the evil Unseelie king. Though she primarily works as a healer with her limited magic, Ember is sent to spy on the Unseelie prince by the group. They do NOT get along, but their interactions start gossip that the prince, Hadrian, might be courting her. There are some VERY unexpected twists and turns after that, but the story ends up being a very quick enemies to lovers romance that was super gratifying.
I really liked Ember's character - she's honest about her flaws, but still able to make significant contributions to the rebel cause, despite her bound magic. Hadrian is the ideal morally grey MMC - and y'all, he's got shadow magic. Always love shadow hands...
If you don't want to get bogged down in tedious world-building or slow burn fantasy romance, this book is absolutely perfect!
March 31, 2023
‘’I’d rather be damned with you, than without.’’
This was kinda wattpadish but it weirdly entertained me for 2 days so 3*
This was kinda wattpadish but it weirdly entertained me for 2 days so 3*
November 17, 2022
✨Book Review✨
Title: A Dream of Stars and Darkness
By: Madeleine Eliot
Released on: 11/15/22
Available on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon
Rating: 5⭐️
Synopsis: In this story we follow Ember a Seelie Healer, as she is unexpectedly forced into a “fake dating/engagement” to the Unseelie Prince Hadrian. As the rebellion to overthrow the UnSeelie Court becomes increasingly dire members of the resistance find themselves in tense, action packed and romantic situations.
⭐️awarded for each reason below:
⭐️ - Beautiful/Creative love story (this slow burn will keep you thirsting for the love scenes) they were delicious and worth the wait!
⭐️ - I’m here for the Curvy Girl Representation - Ember is Fierce! I enjoyed watching her confidence grow! Both in appearance and in her magical abilities!✨💜
⭐️ - Eliot’s effortless ability to immerse me into her fantastical world of the Seelie and Unseelie Realms was outstanding! I felt as if I was actually in the mysterious dream sequences Ember was experiencing!
⭐️ - Adored the beautiful relationship between Ember, Aurelia and Aspen!
Aurelia is Ember’s biggest fan, always so supportive…she hypes her up any chance she gets.
Ember plays the “big sister” role to both Aurelia and Aspen, so well. So protective and endearing!
Aspen plays the “annoying little brother” to Ember I giggled at their convos. I totally ship Aurelia and Aspen!
Eliot made it easy for me to love and hate characters..ahem Lord Thorn and Unseelie King. All of which are signs of great character development!
⭐️ The Magic system was so well explained!
I was able to digest the fantasical elements easily. Specifically, the dichotomy between Ember’s Seelie “growth/healing” capabilities vs Price Hadrian’s Unseelie “death/decay” capabilities it was so well written.
“Life, the magic of the Seelie Fae, cannot exist without death,” he said. “Nature requires balance. Light and dark, life and death, Seelie and Unseelie.” Page 69, A Dream of Stars and Darkness, M. Eliot
If I could give more stars I would! I mean the cover is stunning and symbolically representative of so many elements that Eliot has intertwined throughout the book! I NEED a physical copy for my shelves for sure and will be purchasing ASAP! 📖
I highly recommend you read this gem, if you are a fan of other leading ladies in other works below.
I think Ember could be Healer besties with,
•Claire from Outlander by Diana Gabeldon
•Luella from A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
QOTP: would you be book besties with Ember?
AOTP: I hands down would be! ☺️🧚🏻♀️ I love her!
Title: A Dream of Stars and Darkness
By: Madeleine Eliot
Released on: 11/15/22
Available on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon
Rating: 5⭐️
Synopsis: In this story we follow Ember a Seelie Healer, as she is unexpectedly forced into a “fake dating/engagement” to the Unseelie Prince Hadrian. As the rebellion to overthrow the UnSeelie Court becomes increasingly dire members of the resistance find themselves in tense, action packed and romantic situations.
⭐️awarded for each reason below:
⭐️ - Beautiful/Creative love story (this slow burn will keep you thirsting for the love scenes) they were delicious and worth the wait!
⭐️ - I’m here for the Curvy Girl Representation - Ember is Fierce! I enjoyed watching her confidence grow! Both in appearance and in her magical abilities!✨💜
⭐️ - Eliot’s effortless ability to immerse me into her fantastical world of the Seelie and Unseelie Realms was outstanding! I felt as if I was actually in the mysterious dream sequences Ember was experiencing!
⭐️ - Adored the beautiful relationship between Ember, Aurelia and Aspen!
Aurelia is Ember’s biggest fan, always so supportive…she hypes her up any chance she gets.
Ember plays the “big sister” role to both Aurelia and Aspen, so well. So protective and endearing!
Aspen plays the “annoying little brother” to Ember I giggled at their convos. I totally ship Aurelia and Aspen!
Eliot made it easy for me to love and hate characters..ahem Lord Thorn and Unseelie King. All of which are signs of great character development!
⭐️ The Magic system was so well explained!
I was able to digest the fantasical elements easily. Specifically, the dichotomy between Ember’s Seelie “growth/healing” capabilities vs Price Hadrian’s Unseelie “death/decay” capabilities it was so well written.
“Life, the magic of the Seelie Fae, cannot exist without death,” he said. “Nature requires balance. Light and dark, life and death, Seelie and Unseelie.” Page 69, A Dream of Stars and Darkness, M. Eliot
If I could give more stars I would! I mean the cover is stunning and symbolically representative of so many elements that Eliot has intertwined throughout the book! I NEED a physical copy for my shelves for sure and will be purchasing ASAP! 📖
I highly recommend you read this gem, if you are a fan of other leading ladies in other works below.
I think Ember could be Healer besties with,
•Claire from Outlander by Diana Gabeldon
•Luella from A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
QOTP: would you be book besties with Ember?
AOTP: I hands down would be! ☺️🧚🏻♀️ I love her!
November 10, 2023
The author wrote such an adorable story.
It was so easy to fall in love with her characters 💕.
🦋 I won this book in a giveaway hosted by the author and I was very excited because I wanted to read it since it was recommended to me.
🦋 I was interested in the story from finish to end, absolutely love the beautiful art on the cover and the chapter drawings. The story had an easy flow as we followed the characters navigate the Seelie and Unseelie worlds. I really liked how brave Aurelia was, and willing to do anything for the mission to ensure the tyranny era of the Unseelie king will come to an end. I think Ember's character developed beautifully as well, she overcame her fears of siding with the Unseelie Prince and I liked how she put her loved ones first. Now Hadrian....he had my ❤️ too. I like the personality the author gave him, and I'm going to leave it at that so I don't spoil it.
🦋 A very relaxing, pleasant read that I would gladly recommend 👌. Just enough amount of 🌶 too 😆.
Cannot wait to see how the story continues.
🗡enemies to lovers
🗡found family
🗡he falls in love first
🗡seelie and unseelie courts
It was so easy to fall in love with her characters 💕.
🦋 I won this book in a giveaway hosted by the author and I was very excited because I wanted to read it since it was recommended to me.
🦋 I was interested in the story from finish to end, absolutely love the beautiful art on the cover and the chapter drawings. The story had an easy flow as we followed the characters navigate the Seelie and Unseelie worlds. I really liked how brave Aurelia was, and willing to do anything for the mission to ensure the tyranny era of the Unseelie king will come to an end. I think Ember's character developed beautifully as well, she overcame her fears of siding with the Unseelie Prince and I liked how she put her loved ones first. Now Hadrian....he had my ❤️ too. I like the personality the author gave him, and I'm going to leave it at that so I don't spoil it.
🦋 A very relaxing, pleasant read that I would gladly recommend 👌. Just enough amount of 🌶 too 😆.
Cannot wait to see how the story continues.
🗡enemies to lovers
🗡found family
🗡he falls in love first
🗡seelie and unseelie courts
August 6, 2023
THIS BOOK OH MY GOSH <3
Its a much simpler and easier read than other high-fantasy books and has so much fluff, it has:
- enemies to lovers
- fake marriage
- one bed trope
- touch her you die
- and he falls first <3
Hadrian at times really reminded me as being a mixture of Cardan and Rhysand at the same time once we got to know him he was the sweetest and most adorable person. As the prince of the Unseelie Kingdom, he has a lot of responsibilities and doesn't trust easily but his relationship with Ember was so empowering for the both of them!! it was so sweet and loved every moment together.
I loved Ember as a character as well, and her relationships with Aurelia and Aspen were so cute. I'm looking forward to Aspen and Aurelia's relationship because Ms Elliot already has me invested!
4.5 stars
-sahi-
Its a much simpler and easier read than other high-fantasy books and has so much fluff, it has:
- enemies to lovers
- fake marriage
- one bed trope
- touch her you die
- and he falls first <3
Hadrian at times really reminded me as being a mixture of Cardan and Rhysand at the same time once we got to know him he was the sweetest and most adorable person. As the prince of the Unseelie Kingdom, he has a lot of responsibilities and doesn't trust easily but his relationship with Ember was so empowering for the both of them!! it was so sweet and loved every moment together.
I loved Ember as a character as well, and her relationships with Aurelia and Aspen were so cute. I'm looking forward to Aspen and Aurelia's relationship because Ms Elliot already has me invested!
4.5 stars
-sahi-
April 7, 2023
En realidad es un 4.25
Si no te gusta el insta-love (ni un poquito, ni por el chisme) entonces no creo que este libro sea una buena opción, de igual forma recomiendo darle una oportunidad a la historia.
Puede no ser un libro profundo en cuanto a la trama pero si estás buscando algo sobre faes con low angst y una trama disfrutable, entonces A dream of stars and darkness es para ti.
La historia es sencilla, de hecho, las cosas se dieron un poco rápido para mi gusto y predije varias otras, no obstante, disfruté tanto leer el libro que me fui lento para no terminarlo tan pronto.
Si estás en un bloqueo lector o simplemente quieres un algo de fantasía en tu día, esta lectura tal vez te ayude.
Si no te gusta el insta-love (ni un poquito, ni por el chisme) entonces no creo que este libro sea una buena opción, de igual forma recomiendo darle una oportunidad a la historia.
Puede no ser un libro profundo en cuanto a la trama pero si estás buscando algo sobre faes con low angst y una trama disfrutable, entonces A dream of stars and darkness es para ti.
La historia es sencilla, de hecho, las cosas se dieron un poco rápido para mi gusto y predije varias otras, no obstante, disfruté tanto leer el libro que me fui lento para no terminarlo tan pronto.
Si estás en un bloqueo lector o simplemente quieres un algo de fantasía en tu día, esta lectura tal vez te ayude.
March 15, 2023
All the essentials for romantasy!
✅ ACOTAR vibes
✅ He falls first
✅ Opposites attract/Enemies-to-Lovers
✅ Fated mates
✅ Chosen ones
✅ Found family
✅ Only one bed
✅ HEA in book 1
Bonuses:
➕ Mid-size female
➕ She's no good with weapons
➕ She is not completely without family
Did I predict every plot twist and secret identity? Yes.
Did I enjoy it anyway? Absolutely.
Hadrian, although bearing a facsimile of name to that of my mortal enemy, was a lovable morally-gray fae male. He is a lot of Rhysand, a healthy dose of Azriel, a dash of Dorian Havillard, and a heck of a lot of considerate being, though he can turn on the alphahole when required.
I'm excited that each book in the series continues the main plot, but bases the storytelling from the POV of a different couple's relationship.
A recommended fast comfort read for romantasy lovers.
✅ ACOTAR vibes
✅ He falls first
✅ Opposites attract/Enemies-to-Lovers
✅ Fated mates
✅ Chosen ones
✅ Found family
✅ Only one bed
✅ HEA in book 1
Bonuses:
➕ Mid-size female
➕ She's no good with weapons
➕ She is not completely without family
Did I predict every plot twist and secret identity? Yes.
Did I enjoy it anyway? Absolutely.
Hadrian, although bearing a facsimile of name to that of my mortal enemy, was a lovable morally-gray fae male. He is a lot of Rhysand, a healthy dose of Azriel, a dash of Dorian Havillard, and a heck of a lot of considerate being, though he can turn on the alphahole when required.
I'm excited that each book in the series continues the main plot, but bases the storytelling from the POV of a different couple's relationship.
A recommended fast comfort read for romantasy lovers.
May 1, 2023
Good, quick read
There was never a dull moment in this book.
Ember and Hadrian, Ice Queen & Prince of Death, are a great couple.
The supporting cast were wonderful.
There was good world-building, forced proximity, fake marriage, enemies to lovers and the spice level was a 3/5 (it doesn’t come until nearly the end).
It ends on a cliffhanger after a big revelation, so brace yourselves.
I noticed some typos capitalization and punctuation missing. (Seline was referred to as Slime; which made me chuckle) The only parts that bothered me were the lack of quotations when a character was speaking. After realizing someone was speaking, I’d have to re-read to realize it was a statement.
Overall, I loved the book.
There was never a dull moment in this book.
Ember and Hadrian, Ice Queen & Prince of Death, are a great couple.
The supporting cast were wonderful.
There was good world-building, forced proximity, fake marriage, enemies to lovers and the spice level was a 3/5 (it doesn’t come until nearly the end).
It ends on a cliffhanger after a big revelation, so brace yourselves.
I noticed some typos capitalization and punctuation missing. (Seline was referred to as Slime; which made me chuckle) The only parts that bothered me were the lack of quotations when a character was speaking. After realizing someone was speaking, I’d have to re-read to realize it was a statement.
Overall, I loved the book.
June 26, 2023
4/5
This was my first Madeleine Eliot book, but it was not my last.
I really enjoyed a fun fae twist on P&P. Eliot had so many layers to the plot and really made it a fun, quick read that will help you escape to another world.
The characters, especially the MMC and the FMC, faced adversity and tragedy, but I loved that Eliot imbued them with this overarching sense of hope. It truly had you rooting for them to succeed against the nefarious fae king who had threatened Unseelie and Seelie alike.
The plot was solid and follows the pair as they attempt to take on the Unseelie king and wrench power away from him. Spoiler alert -- there is a cliffhanger. It will have you reaching for the second book in the series to see what happens next.
This was my first Madeleine Eliot book, but it was not my last.
I really enjoyed a fun fae twist on P&P. Eliot had so many layers to the plot and really made it a fun, quick read that will help you escape to another world.
The characters, especially the MMC and the FMC, faced adversity and tragedy, but I loved that Eliot imbued them with this overarching sense of hope. It truly had you rooting for them to succeed against the nefarious fae king who had threatened Unseelie and Seelie alike.
The plot was solid and follows the pair as they attempt to take on the Unseelie king and wrench power away from him. Spoiler alert -- there is a cliffhanger. It will have you reaching for the second book in the series to see what happens next.
March 29, 2023
Genre: Dark(ish) Fantasy Romance 💫🗡️🌿🌙
Stars:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
One bed
Enemies to lovers
Fake engagement
Spice:
🌶️🌶️.5
I think the number of scenes was perfect for this storyline and a great mixture of sweet and steamy for this couple dynamic
Why you will like:
Enemies to lovers with a sweet relationship dynamic, MMC is a smirky shadow man who falls first 😏, FMC is a sweet and sassy healer 🌿
Why you might dislike:
Some spelling errors. I saw (most) of the twists coming but like… I was fine with that because it felt like a comfort read that you’ve read a millions times but you know you love it and it just feels like home 🏠 Plus I’m just hard to surprise.
TW:
Violence, death, talk of torture, a few scenes of emotional abuse (uncle), sexuality explicit scenes
What it’s about:
Ember is a Seelie orphan of war left to survive a cruel uncle in a society who see magic as power. Since she holds very little magic she is seen as a nuisance to be married off at the first chance by her Uncle. But Ember holds a secret, she is a rebel that will see the Unseelie court torn to the ground for what the king has done. When the infuriating Unseelie Prince shows up looking for a bride she now has a chance take them down from the inside. But is the princes heart as dark as his shadows?
Notes:
This was a great book! I literally read the whole thing within 24hrs. I thought the couple dynamic was cute. It’s hate then understanding and empathy. Ember is a healer not a fighter which is different from most the books I’ve read lately and I thought it refreshing. By no means is she a push over but she’s not so stabby. I loved her caring nature and fierce determination to protect the people she loves. Hadrian is 🔥 and his shadowsss. They’re one of my favorite things in the whole book. I enjoyed all the characters and even thought it’s a faster paced book you still get a good feel for them and I grew to really love them all. I’m excited to get to know their backstories more and see where they go in the next books. This is a series but the next books focus on the other couples. So for this story of Ember and Hadrian to fit in a 300 page book I thought she did a great job creating depth to the relationships and an understanding of how the world/society works.
Can’t wait to read the next books 😊 Time to go sketch some love for this story 🖌️
Stars:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
One bed
Enemies to lovers
Fake engagement
Spice:
🌶️🌶️.5
I think the number of scenes was perfect for this storyline and a great mixture of sweet and steamy for this couple dynamic
Why you will like:
Enemies to lovers with a sweet relationship dynamic, MMC is a smirky shadow man who falls first 😏, FMC is a sweet and sassy healer 🌿
Why you might dislike:
Some spelling errors. I saw (most) of the twists coming but like… I was fine with that because it felt like a comfort read that you’ve read a millions times but you know you love it and it just feels like home 🏠 Plus I’m just hard to surprise.
TW:
Violence, death, talk of torture, a few scenes of emotional abuse (uncle), sexuality explicit scenes
What it’s about:
Ember is a Seelie orphan of war left to survive a cruel uncle in a society who see magic as power. Since she holds very little magic she is seen as a nuisance to be married off at the first chance by her Uncle. But Ember holds a secret, she is a rebel that will see the Unseelie court torn to the ground for what the king has done. When the infuriating Unseelie Prince shows up looking for a bride she now has a chance take them down from the inside. But is the princes heart as dark as his shadows?
Notes:
This was a great book! I literally read the whole thing within 24hrs. I thought the couple dynamic was cute. It’s hate then understanding and empathy. Ember is a healer not a fighter which is different from most the books I’ve read lately and I thought it refreshing. By no means is she a push over but she’s not so stabby. I loved her caring nature and fierce determination to protect the people she loves. Hadrian is 🔥 and his shadowsss. They’re one of my favorite things in the whole book. I enjoyed all the characters and even thought it’s a faster paced book you still get a good feel for them and I grew to really love them all. I’m excited to get to know their backstories more and see where they go in the next books. This is a series but the next books focus on the other couples. So for this story of Ember and Hadrian to fit in a 300 page book I thought she did a great job creating depth to the relationships and an understanding of how the world/society works.
Can’t wait to read the next books 😊 Time to go sketch some love for this story 🖌️
March 16, 2023
First, this cover is so magical I just love it! Second, this book was just what I needed after the last book I read gave me a hangover. This book has such a sweet, adventurous, mysterious, fated mate's story that it was so easy to just keep saying 'one more chapter'.
I love how Madeleine does such a great job spacing out the world-building so it was easy to grasp while we were connecting to the characters. The flow of meeting all the characters was great! Hadrian gives me major Rhys/Az vibes and I'm loving it! And Ember gives me Gwyn/Elain vibes (the Gwyn part is probably in my head because of the Az vibes).
"At least I know why they pushed her" "Why?" "Because they were waiting for you."
I also love that this story didnt have a miscommunication trope or petty fights. Hadrian just told Ember exactly what he was thinking and didn't put up with Ember's passing off their kiss as a mistake.
“Not a mistake” he repeated, holding my gaze. “A beginning if you want it to be.”
I love them. I love this book. I cannot wait to read book two and for book three to be out soon!
I love how Madeleine does such a great job spacing out the world-building so it was easy to grasp while we were connecting to the characters. The flow of meeting all the characters was great! Hadrian gives me major Rhys/Az vibes and I'm loving it! And Ember gives me Gwyn/Elain vibes (the Gwyn part is probably in my head because of the Az vibes).
"At least I know why they pushed her" "Why?" "Because they were waiting for you."
I also love that this story didnt have a miscommunication trope or petty fights. Hadrian just told Ember exactly what he was thinking and didn't put up with Ember's passing off their kiss as a mistake.
“Not a mistake” he repeated, holding my gaze. “A beginning if you want it to be.”
I love them. I love this book. I cannot wait to read book two and for book three to be out soon!
November 25, 2022
Solid 4.5 Stars!
About a 2 on the spice scale for me!
I am so grateful and humbled to have been chosen as an arc reader for this book. The summary did not lie! This book was everything and more and I’m so excited to read anything more this author and series puts out. It has everything you need and the chemistry between the MMC and the FMC was electrifying and I was desperately turning the pages to soak in more of their relationship! Can we talk about slow burn? And the spiceeeee? Well done. Everything about this book was well done! I easily could’ve devoured a handful more chapters of their story!
About a 2 on the spice scale for me!
I am so grateful and humbled to have been chosen as an arc reader for this book. The summary did not lie! This book was everything and more and I’m so excited to read anything more this author and series puts out. It has everything you need and the chemistry between the MMC and the FMC was electrifying and I was desperately turning the pages to soak in more of their relationship! Can we talk about slow burn? And the spiceeeee? Well done. Everything about this book was well done! I easily could’ve devoured a handful more chapters of their story!
February 19, 2023
I devoured this book, it was so good and I was literally hooked from the first page. It checked all the boxes for me. I love the characters and how the author described the world and the magic in it. I really appreciate that the author didn’t make it too wordy, they really didn’t drag things on just to have a long book for the sake of it. I also love the cover, it is so beautiful. I am so excited to read the rest of the series!
January 19, 2023
Good but not great
May 15, 2023
I loved the first half of this book but the second half was a little messy. The timing of things was not making much sense and the author thought quantity was better than quality when it came to cheesy stuff they said to each other. Plus, their relationship jumped from oh we’re enemies to oh we’re lovers and mates in a chapter basically lol I needed more time for the build up.
June 6, 2023
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8 - 4/5)
Spice: 🌶️/🌶️/5 Only two passionate scenes but good!
Tropes :
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
He Falls First
Fake Marriage
Dark Prince who controls dark shadows *swoon
Are you tired of fantasy novels that lack a solid plot, well-developed characters, and a touch of romance? Look no further! "A Dream of Stars and Darkness" is a refreshing surprise that ticks all the right boxes. It reminded me of "Kingdom of Stars and Shadows," but it surpasses it in terms of writing style, plot intricacies, and character development. Finally, a fantasy novel that delivers on its promises! I was finding it hard to find some good ones on KU that weren't just zero plot and just smut tbh. Sometimes you just need an actual story and well balanced spice!
Set in a world divided between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, the story unfolds with the Unseelie kingdom reigning supreme, oppressing the Seelie people. Ember, our strong-willed and fearless protagonist, hails from the Seelie kingdom and secretly works as a spy for a rebel group aiming to overthrow the Unseelie King. It's refreshing to have a female lead who exudes strength and confidence rather than the usual insecurities found in many Fae Fantasy novels. Her powers are healing powers that have minimal at first because unbeknownst to her, her powers have been repressed which she find out why later...
Enter Hadrian, the brooding dark prince from the Unseelie court, who ventures into Ember's town in search of a Seelie bridge to bridge the growing tension between the two factions. He possesses the power to control powerful shadows that can be lethal. Naturally, circumstances conspire to throw Ember and Hadrian together, as they pretend to be betrothed for political reasons. Ember despises Hadrian, blaming his father for her parents' death and seeking revenge.
Spoiler Alert Surprisingly, Hadrian shares Ember's hatred for his father and secretly collaborates with the rebel group she belongs to, all in a bid to overthrow his own father. This revelation adds complexity to their feelings and brings them closer as they discover they are fighting for the same cause.
"I have many talents,” he replied in a near whisper. His voice promised seduction, and I shivered slightly. His aura of darkness had calmed, but I felt a tendril of night skated deliciously up my leg. What was this thing between us? Were we allies? We didn’t feel like enemies anymore at least. I was in dangerous territory."
The romance in this novel is a slow burn, which keeps you engaged and eager for more. However, I would have preferred if the author had stretched out their journey towards togetherness a bit more. Once they do get together, their connection deepens rapidly. Despite this minor flaw, Hadrian strikes an excellent balance between brooding and caring. What stands out is the author's portrayal of the shadows, which have their own sentience. They are described as warm and protective of Ember, adding depth to Hadrian's character and challenging the initial misconceptions surrounding him.
"I liked to think of them like a faithful pet, guarding and protecting us, and sometimes teasing and playing. Right now they were in full defense mode."
While the writing in the initial few chapters might feel slightly less mature, it quickly evolves and becomes captivating within the first 60 pages. The author's growth is evident, and the subsequent pages immerse you in a beautifully crafted world filled with intrigue, romance, and adventure.
Speaking of romance, the slow burn continues, with the spice finally making its presence felt around the 200-page mark. The anticipation is well worth it! The author strikes a satisfying balance by providing just enough detail to tantalize readers without delving into tooo overly explicit descriptions.
"A Dream of Stars and Darkness" is a fantasy novel that exceeded my expectations. It skillfully weaves together enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance, a protagonist who falls first, a fake betrothal, and a dark prince with the power to command formidable shadows. If you're seeking a captivating and well-rounded fantasy romance, this book should be on your reading list! Great KU find IMO.
Spice: 🌶️/🌶️/5 Only two passionate scenes but good!
Tropes :
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
He Falls First
Fake Marriage
Dark Prince who controls dark shadows *swoon
Are you tired of fantasy novels that lack a solid plot, well-developed characters, and a touch of romance? Look no further! "A Dream of Stars and Darkness" is a refreshing surprise that ticks all the right boxes. It reminded me of "Kingdom of Stars and Shadows," but it surpasses it in terms of writing style, plot intricacies, and character development. Finally, a fantasy novel that delivers on its promises! I was finding it hard to find some good ones on KU that weren't just zero plot and just smut tbh. Sometimes you just need an actual story and well balanced spice!
Set in a world divided between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, the story unfolds with the Unseelie kingdom reigning supreme, oppressing the Seelie people. Ember, our strong-willed and fearless protagonist, hails from the Seelie kingdom and secretly works as a spy for a rebel group aiming to overthrow the Unseelie King. It's refreshing to have a female lead who exudes strength and confidence rather than the usual insecurities found in many Fae Fantasy novels. Her powers are healing powers that have minimal at first because unbeknownst to her, her powers have been repressed which she find out why later...
Enter Hadrian, the brooding dark prince from the Unseelie court, who ventures into Ember's town in search of a Seelie bridge to bridge the growing tension between the two factions. He possesses the power to control powerful shadows that can be lethal. Naturally, circumstances conspire to throw Ember and Hadrian together, as they pretend to be betrothed for political reasons. Ember despises Hadrian, blaming his father for her parents' death and seeking revenge.
Spoiler Alert Surprisingly, Hadrian shares Ember's hatred for his father and secretly collaborates with the rebel group she belongs to, all in a bid to overthrow his own father. This revelation adds complexity to their feelings and brings them closer as they discover they are fighting for the same cause.
"I have many talents,” he replied in a near whisper. His voice promised seduction, and I shivered slightly. His aura of darkness had calmed, but I felt a tendril of night skated deliciously up my leg. What was this thing between us? Were we allies? We didn’t feel like enemies anymore at least. I was in dangerous territory."
The romance in this novel is a slow burn, which keeps you engaged and eager for more. However, I would have preferred if the author had stretched out their journey towards togetherness a bit more. Once they do get together, their connection deepens rapidly. Despite this minor flaw, Hadrian strikes an excellent balance between brooding and caring. What stands out is the author's portrayal of the shadows, which have their own sentience. They are described as warm and protective of Ember, adding depth to Hadrian's character and challenging the initial misconceptions surrounding him.
"I liked to think of them like a faithful pet, guarding and protecting us, and sometimes teasing and playing. Right now they were in full defense mode."
While the writing in the initial few chapters might feel slightly less mature, it quickly evolves and becomes captivating within the first 60 pages. The author's growth is evident, and the subsequent pages immerse you in a beautifully crafted world filled with intrigue, romance, and adventure.
Speaking of romance, the slow burn continues, with the spice finally making its presence felt around the 200-page mark. The anticipation is well worth it! The author strikes a satisfying balance by providing just enough detail to tantalize readers without delving into tooo overly explicit descriptions.
"A Dream of Stars and Darkness" is a fantasy novel that exceeded my expectations. It skillfully weaves together enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance, a protagonist who falls first, a fake betrothal, and a dark prince with the power to command formidable shadows. If you're seeking a captivating and well-rounded fantasy romance, this book should be on your reading list! Great KU find IMO.
February 16, 2023
First I want to thank @madeleineeliotwrites for allowing me to be on her permanent ARC team and after reading this first book in the series I’m so excited for your third to be coming out soon!
I have some homework as I’m going to now start book 2 so I’m ready for the 3rd!
(Book 1 and 2 are available in paperback and on KU!)
I also want to thank you for the audio version it was a fun new experience listening + following along in the book, making this one of the fastest reads for me ever!
I will not lie when I say the enemy to lovers was not a trope I love but I am always up for trying something new and let me say I’m fully converted after this!
Madeleine does such an amazing job at making such an intricate story and world without over complicating it, does amazing characters that I quickly grew to love and care about, she handles the spice with such class that it will make you wish your love talked to you this way, the dialect in this was dreamy and other worldly and it made me wish we all talked like this.
I love that I’m branching out and trying knew genres (although fantasy isn't new to me) and adding some spice to my life because I sure have been missing some amazing things!
I absolutely love love love Ember and Hadrians story and I CAN NOT WAIT to start book 2 to see where there journey goes!
Thank you @abookshelfofmagic for the book recommendation not only have I found an amazing series meeting and talking to Madeleine about her books have been amazing and something I will cherish forever!
This book was so well written, so magically beautiful and sensual, and over all an amazing journey!
“𝑰’𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕.” -Ember
This book has it all:
✨Fae/Seelie/Unseelie
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Court scheming
✨Strong FMC
✨Strong handsome Male Fae
✨Classy steam + and a crazy slow burn
✨Amazingly well written
✨Dreamy banter
Read this book stat!
I have some homework as I’m going to now start book 2 so I’m ready for the 3rd!
(Book 1 and 2 are available in paperback and on KU!)
I also want to thank you for the audio version it was a fun new experience listening + following along in the book, making this one of the fastest reads for me ever!
I will not lie when I say the enemy to lovers was not a trope I love but I am always up for trying something new and let me say I’m fully converted after this!
Madeleine does such an amazing job at making such an intricate story and world without over complicating it, does amazing characters that I quickly grew to love and care about, she handles the spice with such class that it will make you wish your love talked to you this way, the dialect in this was dreamy and other worldly and it made me wish we all talked like this.
I love that I’m branching out and trying knew genres (although fantasy isn't new to me) and adding some spice to my life because I sure have been missing some amazing things!
I absolutely love love love Ember and Hadrians story and I CAN NOT WAIT to start book 2 to see where there journey goes!
Thank you @abookshelfofmagic for the book recommendation not only have I found an amazing series meeting and talking to Madeleine about her books have been amazing and something I will cherish forever!
This book was so well written, so magically beautiful and sensual, and over all an amazing journey!
“𝑰’𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕.” -Ember
This book has it all:
✨Fae/Seelie/Unseelie
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Court scheming
✨Strong FMC
✨Strong handsome Male Fae
✨Classy steam + and a crazy slow burn
✨Amazingly well written
✨Dreamy banter
Read this book stat!
February 8, 2023
Excuse me while I obsess over this book for a good long while! Why did I not read this sooner? It’s the perfect Romantasy. I grinned throughout the entire thing. There are several twists that made my jaw drop and the big one at the end had me shedding tears! Guys, if this is still on your tbr, move 👏🏼 it 👏🏼 to👏🏼 the 👏🏼 top! The writing is so so good. And dare I say that this enemies-to-lovers romance has risen to my top favorites, akin to Feysand! Yes I said it. It’s that good! 🖤 I will also say this: This is like Faerie Bridgerton and I am here for it!! 😍
““𝑰 𝒗𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝑰 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 … “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒌. “𝒀𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆.””
“”𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆. “𝑨 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.””
☝🏼this quote. I love when parts of the book make you throw your head back against your pillow with a childish grin on your face! ☺️
Synopsis in my own words:
In the realm of the fae, decades have passed under the Unseelies evil rule. Seelie magic all but vanished with the death of its queen and now a secret resistance is building with hopes to take back what was lost. Ember has no magic, or so she believes. She uses her passion as a healer working for the resistance and spying at every social event possible. When she catches the dark Unseelie Prince’s eye at a ball, and finds herself in a deal for marriage with the enemy, she must battle not only against the court scheming and threats that lie all around her, but also with her own heart.
It has everything:
👑 Fae / Seelie / Unseelie
👑 Enemies to lovers
👑 Court scheming
👑 Strong FMC / handsome, dark, broody Prince
👑 Magic
👑 Tasteful steam + a lovely slow burn
👑 Touch her and you die
👑 Well written Romance
👑 Charming Banter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Go read it now!!🖤
““𝑰 𝒗𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝑰 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 … “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒌. “𝒀𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆.””
“”𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆. “𝑨 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.””
☝🏼this quote. I love when parts of the book make you throw your head back against your pillow with a childish grin on your face! ☺️
Synopsis in my own words:
In the realm of the fae, decades have passed under the Unseelies evil rule. Seelie magic all but vanished with the death of its queen and now a secret resistance is building with hopes to take back what was lost. Ember has no magic, or so she believes. She uses her passion as a healer working for the resistance and spying at every social event possible. When she catches the dark Unseelie Prince’s eye at a ball, and finds herself in a deal for marriage with the enemy, she must battle not only against the court scheming and threats that lie all around her, but also with her own heart.
It has everything:
👑 Fae / Seelie / Unseelie
👑 Enemies to lovers
👑 Court scheming
👑 Strong FMC / handsome, dark, broody Prince
👑 Magic
👑 Tasteful steam + a lovely slow burn
👑 Touch her and you die
👑 Well written Romance
👑 Charming Banter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Go read it now!!🖤
March 14, 2023
REVIEW: A Dream of stars and darkness by xxxxx follows ember, a Seelie Fae female living in an Unseelie ruled world. Our heroine is healer with no grand magical talents who lives a double life. A seelie noble living amongst high fae society and a spy and healer for the rebel cause seeking to overthrow the unseelie king. Ember, hoping to spare her best friend and fellow rebel Auriela a dangerous assignment volunteers herself for the most important mission of all, seducing and marrying thr Unseelie Prince Hadrian. Will Ember successfully infiltrate the Unseelie Court? Read the book to find out ;).
This was a overall fun read. Pacing was good, the dynamic between Hadrian and Ember was charming enough. However it is a story I've read 100 times over before. Not to say it didn't have its own flair and exciting moments. But at its core it is a basic enemies to lovers between an seelie and unseelie fae with a little (very predictable) surprise about the FMC at the end. Oh also it's another shadow daddy with our boy prince Hadrian. This book is a guilty pleasure romantasy. It's like me watching lord of the rings return of the king for the 10000th time. I know what I'm gonna get, there are no surprises, and the guy is hot. Also there are 2 more books in the series and I'm probably going to read those also since they follow different couples. I'm a sucker for an easy romance read. Spice was also not bad 🤷♀️
Overall Review: 🌟 🌟 🌟. 5
Spice: 🌶. 5
This was a overall fun read. Pacing was good, the dynamic between Hadrian and Ember was charming enough. However it is a story I've read 100 times over before. Not to say it didn't have its own flair and exciting moments. But at its core it is a basic enemies to lovers between an seelie and unseelie fae with a little (very predictable) surprise about the FMC at the end. Oh also it's another shadow daddy with our boy prince Hadrian. This book is a guilty pleasure romantasy. It's like me watching lord of the rings return of the king for the 10000th time. I know what I'm gonna get, there are no surprises, and the guy is hot. Also there are 2 more books in the series and I'm probably going to read those also since they follow different couples. I'm a sucker for an easy romance read. Spice was also not bad 🤷♀️
Overall Review: 🌟 🌟 🌟. 5
Spice: 🌶. 5
February 17, 2023
This pulled me out of a nasty book slump where I even started to hate my comfort reads. Huge thanks to the author on that front. 😅
Anyways, on to the review. This was a compilation of contradictory themes wrapped in a perfect little book. We have Seelie and Unseelie, heavy and light, cozy and cold, love and (well not necessarily hate (although that’s said a few times)) reluctance with misunderstandings. While this sounds chaotic, and easily could have been, it wasn’t. The story was woven in such a way that you don’t notice the feelings of contradiction until you realize you’re not feeling them, that sounds weird, but it makes sense in my mind. The big reveal and the ending was a little predictable (or maybe I’ve just read enough fantasy to see what’s coming), but the predictability didn’t take anything away from the story overall.
HFN (happy for now)- as the story continues in book 2 but you’re following a different set of main characters. I hate to put “HEA” when you have no idea where the next few books will take these characters.
Spice - 2/5 😉 Spice scales are incredibly subjective so I am rating based on quantity not quality. Quality was good, the verbiage used wasn’t my favorite (I don’t enjoy flowery language when it comes to spice) but again, subjective.
Recommend for anyone who enjoys classic literature in a fantasy setting with a little spice.
Anyways, on to the review. This was a compilation of contradictory themes wrapped in a perfect little book. We have Seelie and Unseelie, heavy and light, cozy and cold, love and (well not necessarily hate (although that’s said a few times)) reluctance with misunderstandings. While this sounds chaotic, and easily could have been, it wasn’t. The story was woven in such a way that you don’t notice the feelings of contradiction until you realize you’re not feeling them, that sounds weird, but it makes sense in my mind. The big reveal and the ending was a little predictable (or maybe I’ve just read enough fantasy to see what’s coming), but the predictability didn’t take anything away from the story overall.
HFN (happy for now)- as the story continues in book 2 but you’re following a different set of main characters. I hate to put “HEA” when you have no idea where the next few books will take these characters.
Spice - 2/5 😉 Spice scales are incredibly subjective so I am rating based on quantity not quality. Quality was good, the verbiage used wasn’t my favorite (I don’t enjoy flowery language when it comes to spice) but again, subjective.
Recommend for anyone who enjoys classic literature in a fantasy setting with a little spice.
June 9, 2023
"I have loved you since the moment you first called me a monster. Since the moment you said you'd rather take poison than pretend to marry me."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Dream of Stars and Darkness is the first book the Queen of All Fae series by Madeleine Eliot and it was incredibly easy to fall in love with. I listened to this story on audible and read along via kindle. The narrator was wonderful!
This story has enemies to lovers, fated mates, found family, passion, fake dating, a brave, sarcastic, and intelligent FMC, deliciously shameless banter, and a possessive MMC.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters we met,the relationship our FMC has with her best friend, the mysteries uncovered, and the tender yet claiming romance that blossomed.
A Dream of Stars and Darkness executes all the makings of an amazing, cozy, fae fantasy romance. I highly recommend this story to those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and fantasy romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Dream of Stars and Darkness is the first book the Queen of All Fae series by Madeleine Eliot and it was incredibly easy to fall in love with. I listened to this story on audible and read along via kindle. The narrator was wonderful!
This story has enemies to lovers, fated mates, found family, passion, fake dating, a brave, sarcastic, and intelligent FMC, deliciously shameless banter, and a possessive MMC.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters we met,the relationship our FMC has with her best friend, the mysteries uncovered, and the tender yet claiming romance that blossomed.
A Dream of Stars and Darkness executes all the makings of an amazing, cozy, fae fantasy romance. I highly recommend this story to those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and fantasy romance.
November 16, 2022
Oh my how can I say this…… I loved it! I literally read it in one sit and the story sucked me in from the first page. The book is well paced, doesn’t have down time and keeps your interest from beginning to end. What I loved about it is I was able to form my own theories about the characters and the plot and I kept reading to see if my said theories were right. The characters are likeable and the growth in all their relationships is a nice point. I loved seeing the main characters developed as individuals but also together. Just enough spice for my taste and I could’ve take at least another 100 pages with Ember and Hadrian. I was sad to see this part of the story end but I cannot wait to see what’s in store in the next book. I will definitely read it again and recommend it to anyone who loves spicy romantasy with enemies to lover and fae lovers.
February 16, 2023
I picked this one up randomly and am so glad I did because it got me out of my reading slump. Lots of Cruel Prince and ACOTAR vibes so if you enjoyed those, this one will be right up your alley. Loved the banter and the enemies to lovers romance and all the beautiful dresses. Hadrian and his shadows were too adorable! Though I doubt he’d like being described that way. And Ember’s friendship with Aurelia was so sweet. Can’t wait to dive into the next book with Aurelia and Aspen’s story!
What you can expect:
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Only one bed
✨ Fake engagement
✨ Hidden identify
✨ Who hurt you
✨ Morally grey characters
✨ Fated mates
✨ Build up to 🌶️🌶️
✨ Each book follows a couple though there is an overarching plot
What you can expect:
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Only one bed
✨ Fake engagement
✨ Hidden identify
✨ Who hurt you
✨ Morally grey characters
✨ Fated mates
✨ Build up to 🌶️🌶️
✨ Each book follows a couple though there is an overarching plot
March 18, 2023
The one thing that I absolutely adored about this book was the nods to herbology and of course healing magic.
Fake engagement, enemies to lovers, slow burn romance and fated mates is everything I love in a book. This is then all wrapped up with loveable characters and beautifully described rich environments.
The FMC being part of a secret seelie organisation to overthrow the evil unseelie King is a great plot line!
I am already reading the second book and can’t wait for the third to be released.
I just want to say that the writing in this book is beautiful and smooth and that it really does the story absolute justice. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes.
Fake engagement, enemies to lovers, slow burn romance and fated mates is everything I love in a book. This is then all wrapped up with loveable characters and beautifully described rich environments.
The FMC being part of a secret seelie organisation to overthrow the evil unseelie King is a great plot line!
I am already reading the second book and can’t wait for the third to be released.
I just want to say that the writing in this book is beautiful and smooth and that it really does the story absolute justice. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes.
December 22, 2024
This is the epitome of cozy fantasy. It’s not exactly what I would consider low stakes, but it’s not the high tension and stress of some other series. You can be reasonably confident with this author that things are going to turn out for the best. These are part of a larger universe and I love the world she has built and the characters. It would benefit from some additional editing, if I had to nitpick. Overall I love the story and the characters, and this is a great palate cleanser between huge, 700 page, monstrosities that make ne stressed the entire time. Heading straight into the next installment!
November 19, 2022
Well this one just sucked me in from the get go. Ember an orphaned seelie fae is doing all she can to help the resistance fight against the evil Unseelie king. But when she must play the part of the betrothed to the cruel unseelie prince in order to help the cause, what she discovers will change everything.
I was hooked from the start! Wonderfully developed characters, detailed world building that is unique and a story that moves at a perfect pace. With little hints and twists throughout (some easily predicted) that slowly unfold into a great story. Some editing was needed (spelling errors and a confusion of how many people were in the room) but this did not take away to much from the book. Best of all the book finished tied up enough that you weren’t stuck on a cliffhanger but open to welcome a sequel with ease.
If you like SJM then quick go get yourself a copy!
I was hooked from the start! Wonderfully developed characters, detailed world building that is unique and a story that moves at a perfect pace. With little hints and twists throughout (some easily predicted) that slowly unfold into a great story. Some editing was needed (spelling errors and a confusion of how many people were in the room) but this did not take away to much from the book. Best of all the book finished tied up enough that you weren’t stuck on a cliffhanger but open to welcome a sequel with ease.
If you like SJM then quick go get yourself a copy!
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