Mercy and Starlight

by Bridgette Valentine

For the last year, both the earth and fae realms have been cursed with a botanical plague known as The Becoming. The old gods have abandoned them and leave no trace that The Ether ever existed.

Mercy Brittlemore's reality as a mage's apprentice consists of concocting potions, ripping vines out of men, and toying with fae tavern folk just to feel something. Between nursing a catatonic princess back to health and contracting The Becoming herself, Mercy's life is already a whirlwind when she's thrown into an enchanted portal to the celestial realm.

Trapped in The Ether, Mercy's luck is tested when she's offered sanctuary by the high fae lord, Evander. An idyllic kingdom with lavender moons, extravagant balls, and swans who transform into princesses.

With her feelings for Evander growing daily while her condition worsens, Mercy is forced to face herself and find a way home. But when she gets there, will she find her old self?

A romantic fantasy with dark undertones grounded in concepts of found family, self love, and redefining home as an adult. Embedded with both whimsy and gothic imagery, Mercy and Starlight is a love letter to fairy tales both modern and classic.

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CONTENT WARNING:

This book is intended only for mature audiences of people eighteen years of age and older. It contains violence, explicit language, sexual depictions, and some gore. However, it does not (and books by this author will never) contain sexual violence of any kind. Please read with discretion.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Romance

363 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2024

About the author

Hi there, it’s Bridgette. I write romance, fantasy, and poetry. I’m married to my husband and we raise a few kitties and pups in the greater Cincinnati area. When I’m not reading or writing, you can find me watching horror movies, buying way too many fruity candles, and attending university where I study Human Services.

Reviews

[raven ୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Audrey Mercuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!!

i was incredibly privileged to receive this beautiful eARC, but all opinions are my own!

this book was so beautifully written and made my reading experience so magical! it felt like a love letter to fairytales with some horror sprinkled in, and felt very unique to me. there were moments i was smiling, moments where i couldn’t put it down, and moments that made my jaw drop! i fell in love with all the characters in this book and hope there are more books to come!

i do wish some scenes would’ve been longer or explained a little more, because it did feel like there was something small missing at times, but it didn’t distract from my overall enjoyment of this book! i can’t wait to see what other amazing things this author writes!

[Kate Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the absolute privilege to be an ARC reader for this AMAZING book by one of my beautiful friends, and it did not disappoint whatsoever. If I could write a review as stellar as a New York Time’s writer, I would sing nothing but praise for how beautifully she builds up the worlds and characters and delivers a story that’s both touching to the heart strings and a reminder of our own strengths and weaknesses. If you liked ACOTAR or fantasy fae novels, PLEASE consider preordering this beautifully done novel. It’s spicy, it’ll make you laugh and grip the edge of your seat, and it’ll make you swoon. Mercy is a strong female lead character who’s not afraid to be herself and Evander is the most divine love interest with the most romantic way of speaking.

Seriously ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5, I can’t wait to have this on my shelf when the physical copy comes out🖤

[Eden Huntsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in a way that made you interested almost at the beginning. The Characters are interesting, the plot is different than I have read before, the flow is good and it leaves you off with potential of another adventure. There were a few spots that weren’t drawing me in as much but it never made me pause for too long. Keep an eye out for more from this author.

[Sasha G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐
3.5 🌶️

I had the honour of being one of the ARC readers for the book Mercy and Starlight. All the views are my own.

This wonderfully poetic romantasy book features elements of horror. This certainly caught me by surprise, considering I am not too well acquainted with gothic literature. Nonetheless, the horror aspects fit the story extremely well and added a jaw-dropping factor that kept me hooked. The book is definitely character-driven, with a fast-paced plotline that takes us through different realms. The FMC, Mercy, radiates strong, self-confident and enchanting energy; yet, she learns to embrace her gentle side with the help of Evander, the high fae lord.

“He tastes like autumn nights and smells like the serendipitous pages of fairy tales.”

Evander is gentle and caring, which perfectly compliments Mercy’s feisty character. The witty sarcastic interactions between Mercy and Evander made me grin and kick my feet. Mercy’s dynamic character comes to life as she finds home in Evander’s embrace. The spicy scenes were a cherry on top and tasted like a treat between the chaos caused by ‘The Becoming,’ a plague overtaking some of the realms. Moreover, using the plant and nature elements in the creation of ‘The Becoming’ was extremely unique. All the magical creatures were beautifully portrayed as well.

The writing is gloomy, emotive, and full of similes and metaphors that enhance the description of certain scenes and characters. Some of them are so vivid and enthralling that the readers are able to relate regardless of whether they have previously experienced something similar. One of my favourite ones is:

“My heart feels hollowed out. Like a family of termites ate through me like wood coated with sweet syrup.”

The final few chapters are packed with action and the events unfold quite quickly. The ending does leave us with questions and unresolved issues, so I am wondering if there is going to be a continuation of the story. It would have been fascinating to witness the resolution of the Divine Court Ball, as well as what happened to Meike and Graves. Nevertheless, I am obsessed with the main characters and I would undoubtedly read about their future adventures to see how their relationship evolves. It would be amazing if some of the aspiring artists created fan art of Mercy and Evander because it would be everything to see these characters brought to life!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Howl’s Moving Castle” meets “ACOTAR” meets “The Witcher” in this heartening, witty, yet strange and twisted tale “Mercy and Starlight”. The story is told in present tense first-person from the perspective of 28-year-old Mercy Brittlemore, an apothecary in the human Kingdom of Thalea. She works as an apprentice to royal half-fae mage Sybil to find a cure for fae and humans alike. A cure to stop them from The Becoming – a horrid plague where all are consumed by botanical entities, leaves, thorns and all. On top of all this, Mercy is cursed to slowly become The Becoming too. Major catastrophes occur in both the fae and human kingdoms in quick succession: a gender reveal party nobody is going to forget that quickly, and a summer solstice flower celebration where you can imagine what sprouted up instead of foxgloves. (Mandrakes. You know, the sort of monster you’d hire Geralt of Rivia to slay, had he been in this universe. Indeed, it reminds me of the Leshen in Sapkowski’s works).

After attempting to protect the kingdom and its princess, circumstances occur that cause Mercy to go through a portal fail-safe for centuries until now – and into the hands of tall, dark and handsome Evander, fae High Lord of the Celestial Court (the equivalent to the Night Court, for “ACOTAR” fans). Evander, intrigued by Mercy, decides to take her under his wings, quite literally, and brings her to his castle. He looks after and helps Mercy gain her confidence (much like Howl does with Sophie from “Howl’s Moving Castle”). But Evander has his own demons to face: one Cassius of the Divine Court, an old nemesis.

This was a great read, nicely paced with plenty of poetic and comparative imagery. To quote from Chapter 5 “I think everyone has a little magic in their bones”, Bridgette possesses such magic in her manner of writing – it is so splendid I cannot put it into words! She really transports you to another place and time, brings a smile to your face and at other times a shiver of delight or wince of revolt – and all in the best ways. There were some excellent twists I was not expecting and made sense when it was unveiled. And, in our own ways, we can relate to the aspects in this story: the feeling of isolation, some of which from the Covid pandemic we experienced not too long ago (as opposed to The Becoming epidemic in this story); love, or the fear of the incapability of being loved; finding family that is not related by blood but bound by loyalty; betrayals.

Not only was this book of the romance and fantasy genre but there were also aspects of horror I was not expecting to find. Many scenes (particularly the first half) were filled with gore and horror and quite quick-paced and it creates tension as you are just as confused and lacking information as Mercy. Reminds us that not all fairytales are as they seem and have darker twisted elements to them. Ophelia was certainly giving me the creeps, goodness!

In the next part of the story, when Mercy meets Evander, the pacing is calmer and more details about his castle, its furnishings, his observatory. Throughout the novel, there are plenty of humorous banter, but Mercy and Evander’s tit-for-tat is incredibly amusing and charming! He is the order to her chaos, his calm before her storm.

I cannot tell you how much I adore them both! What’s not to like about Mercy? She is a very strong, very well-fleshed-out main character. She is as real as people get: low self-esteem and insecure about her worth but a firm will; unafraid to get what she wants and wishes to be admired, yet has so much kindness and selflessness in her. Seeing her find that worth and grow stronger as a person thanks to the friends she makes along the way is something we can all relate to. Evander is the sweetest MMC I’ve read in a while. He is the sort you would want to have in real life: such a dear, a flirt, a sympathetic listener, very protective, respectful, handsome, sexy, wise, has a passion and excitement for astronomy – never mind a green flag, he is a whole green forest (botanical entity pun intended)! And hello, the man gives her a locket because Mercy wishes she could keep memories stored in one!

Honourable mentions are: Chapter 18 Mercy’s attitude of “Feigning an air of oh-yes-I-fall-into-enchanted-lakes-daily-this-is-nothing” really made me laugh out loud! Chapter 19 I loved this so much: the dance, then Evander apologising for making her feel uneasy, then making her laugh, the flirting, and then this:

“I’m used to being looked at—demanding it even. Demanding short-lived affection and kissing beautiful fae. Yet none of them have looked at me like this. Like we’re sharing something. A secret, a promise.”

This? This is beautiful! When she asks him to show her the moon and stars too like this chapter has it all, the perfect buildup for the slow burn romance. Then Chapter 20 the observatory, where they open up to each other. Reminds me of the Starfall chapter in “ACOMAF”, I suppose because there literally is a Starfall Gala in this story too. It is nice to see the reference. Chapter 23 *that* scene got me flushed yet giggling and kicking my feet (and screaming “Finally!”) – also, having Evander leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed: that is the best pose a man can do in literature and was an excellent touch! Chapter 29 – need I say any more?

There is not much fault to find with this book. My only negatives are the following: the story felt rushed towards the end and I feel like in some scenes, the descriptions could have been longer. This story mentions all sorts of creatures (fae, selkies, pixies, dwarves, nymphs, merfolk) which is delightful, but I should very much have liked to have had more characters or scenarios showing these different races. The same goes for The Ether: around a handful of High Lords and Ladies of the Courts are mentioned and I should very much have liked to have seen them more involved in this story.

There is certainly an opportunity to revisit these people in the future: perhaps as a trilogy or chronicle from other character perspectives like Gale, Everly and/or Meike?

For being Bridgette Valentine’s first debut fiction novel, I highly commend her efforts! It is not an easy thing to do and she should truly be very proud of what she has accomplished. I was so enticed by the plot I could not set it down. The world-building was rather well done, not too complicated, and gradually revealed as you go along.

Also, Bridgette is a real one for putting a quote from “Howl’s Moving Castle” in the epigraph! I can see a lot of similarities between Howl and Evander.

I am honoured to have been selected as an ARC reader for this book, and I’d like to thank Bridgette for the opportunity.

[Erin Rooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

mercy & starlight was the most beautiful and haunting book i’ve read in a long time.
i received this book as an ARC reader, and i truly loved it.
my favorite things about this novel would be the author’s writing style. Valentine’s background in poetry is on full display and the reader is given beautiful world building, and chilling, horrifying scenes.
my only complaint would be i wish this book was longer! i would have loved to learn more about evander, and how his relationship with mercy would evolve, and the politics of the realms.
over all this is probably my top 3 books of 2023!

[Haylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫{3.5}
🌶️🌶️🌶️{3}

I had the privilege of reading this book as an eARC, and all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own 😊

This book follows the story of Mercy, a young woman who is the healer/apprentice to a mage, Sybil. Sybil is half-fae and helped to raise Mercy, as Mercy’s mother died in childbirth. Mercy is a bit wild and is definitely a “fixer” (feels the need to solve others’ problems). A weird botanical plague known as The Becoming is taking over the mortal and fae realms (a very gruesome plague I may add- lots of gory and eerie details that had me 🫣 at times- but I loved it lol). Anywho, the princess is infected by the plague, eventually shoving Mercy into another realm where she meets smooth-talking and oh-so-sweet Evander, who is an Elder fae. She also meets Graves (Evander’s brother), and their friend Meike, who is trapped in their realm. Then of course, there’s the big bad guy, Cassius! Lots more happens, obviously, but I don’t wanna spoil it for you!! 🙃✨

This is a book I don’t know that I would have picked up on my own, but I definitely enjoyed as a whole, and definitely want to read the next one, because I need to know what they do about Cassius!! It was a darker fairytale that read kind of like you are dreaming.. in that it was very fluid at times, and felt choppy from one scene to another at other times and I both wasn’t sure what was happening and was so intrigued I couldn’t stop reading. Kind of felt like Mercy’s nightmares were blending with reality (and gave me some seriously weird dreams of my own- thanks NyQuil lol). It was truly just such an ethereal, haunting, and unique storyline, and if you are wanting something entirely different than your normal romantasy, this book is for you!!

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮:
🌱 Strong and witty FMCs
🌱 LGBTQIA Rep
🌱 Slow burn with spice that’s worth the wait (𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘬)
🌱 A cinnamon roll, fae lord MMC
🌱 A unique dreamlike, magical world

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:

“𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙸'𝚖 𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚍𝚖𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚢. 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚣𝚎 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎.”

“𝙸 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚙. 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢. 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚜, 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚜—𝚗𝚘, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚖𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚘. 𝙰 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚌𝚛𝚢. 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝙸 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕.”

"𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗," 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚢, 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛. 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚊𝚣𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗. "𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚔."

"𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝...𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚐𝚒𝚌, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝙸'𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝚂𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔-𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚢, 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚞𝚙. 𝙿𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎. 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚓𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚎𝚢𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚝… 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎, 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍."

“𝙶𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚏 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚞𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝. 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎. 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎."

"𝙸'𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞”

“𝙸𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎, 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.”

“𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎. 𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚒𝚝. 𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚝. 𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚝.”

[PurpleGypsyBookLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

It appears from nowhere taking over bodies from the inside out. Leaves, roots, and branches appear to be tearing open humans and destroying their bodies from the inside out. That was just the first few pages! This book is action packed and centers around this disease they cannot fix and have coined it The Becoming. If you are affected, you become the earth again.

Sybil, who raised Mercy, is a healer and what is considered to be a doctor of her town. She is able to also enchant and make potions. Mercy has been training along Sybil since her mother died. Mercy does cross over to the closest Fae realm but never without taking a special elixir from Sybil so Mercy is not affected by the enchanting the Fae and their realm can deliver.

After trying to help Princess Ophelia, they find she was not with child, but rather with The Becoming. She forced Mercy into another realm called The Ether. Here she meets Evander and learns of so much. Evander treats her with kindness and respect while ensuring she stays safe in the realm. Not much more can't be said without spoilers so I will stop there.

The characters have great depth to them and the way the author portrays what they are saying and the unspoken words of their thoughts gives great detail and insight. Watching Mercy grow, develop, and learning her inner demons lends great depth to her character which I really enjoyed. She is one kick-butt FMC. It broke my heart when the beginning of the book revealed her fingers, ears, and eye were turning to a shade of blue every time she was exposed to The Becoming and it was persistently getting worse.

The last 3 chapters will have you on an emotional rollercoaster! Parts I never saw coming. That's one of my favorites of this book. Just when you think you have it figured out.....SURPRISE!

If you like fantasy, romantasy, and especially Fae this book is a fantastic match for you!

Thank you @bybridgettev for an ARC copy in exchange for a voluntary review!

[Hannah Harkness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to give this book 4.25 stars, as it is surely above the line of 4. I received this book as an ARC, and it is was such a privilege to read it. Valentine's writing is absolutely exquisite in her debut romantasy novel, drawing from her roots as a poet, she is able to enchant readers with her gothic and whimsical elements. Her prose is elegant as it flows to enrapture the reader and visualize each scene as she sees it. Immediately, I felt her words wrap around me like vines dragging me in more until I had finished the last sentence.

Valentine creates a world and realms riddled with a plague, mental health struggles, magic, found family, self-love, and the essence of humanity. This novel truly spoke to me as the plague and trauma occurring were parallel with the pandemic and my own issues with mental health while working through it. It is worthy to note that the spicy scenes were also quite brilliantly written.

I wish Valentine had focused more on scenes with emotional depth and placed more story during scenes of tension, as it may have enhanced the overall reading and understanding of the novel. And the ending felt rather rushed, which was a slight disappointment. But overall, I will still gush about this novel and praise Valentine's alluring literary voice.

If you love ACOTAR, fae fantasies, light horror, or strong female characters, this book was written for you!

There is definitely an opening for continuing the journey, where she might highlight more plot lines that I wanted more detail on. I look forward to seeing more from Valentine for she is a true fantasy novelist. And yes, I shall be running to get a paperback copy the moment it's released.

[Andrea Conn · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.25/5
🌶️ 2.5/5

This was my first fantasy romance and the slow start had me wondering if this was a genre I might have to pass on.
Around 20% in, when Mercy enter The Ether, I realized this is absolutely a genre I love! I was hooked on Mercy and Evander 🤩

“To be seen—to be known—is uncharted territory.”

Mercy, who has spent her entire life as a healer and caretaker for others, (literally and figuratively) enters a whole new world when she meets Evander and crosses over into The Ether. The high lord Evander cares for Mercy in her entirety, causing her some internal struggle as she learns to love and be loved. To accept that she is worthy.

“If my days are numbered, then I should spend them in gratuity and the most decadent, deadly sins.”

As Mercy’s emotions alter The Ether and her being, she comes to terms with her human life ending. She spends what time she can loving Evander, learning about her true self, and doing everything she can to break down the portals and save the human and fae worlds from an entity much darker than she could have imagined.

Parts of the story felt a little rushed, but the magic between the pages made up for that. It was an action packed fairy tale that depicted a journey of self-actualization and true love in every form.
It was beautiful and breathtaking.

Thank you, Bridgette, for creating such a masterpiece and introducing me to the beauty that is fantasy romance.

[Alenka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read this book as an eARC and all opinions and comments are my own.

Let me start with what I loved about this book. Bridgette chose a great premise with a violent plague terrorizing both fae and human worlds alike. I also thought there were several strong moments of beautiful writing that stuck with me. If you are a spice fan then this book is also for you and I could see how readers might enjoy that type of writing.

However, there were too many things I struggled with in this book, hence the low rating. I would say in general the writing was about 3 star quality. Parts of the story did not connect, in particular it seemed to just jump randomly into The Ether (the world of the High Fae) in order to get to the romance. The moments of Mercy and Evander getting to know each other felt forced and unnatural and Mercy's character came off like she was trying too hard to be loved. Overall I didn't find connection with any of the characters and some of them were not entirely thought through.

I think this book has some really good aspects, but it needed more development and time spent revisiting and revising.

[Cynthia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4⭐️
🌶️3🌶️
The world building and the writing in this novel is beautiful. The main FMC , Mercy, is super strong and so level headed throughout everything. She’s a healer so she’s on the front line battling this plague that has taken over her kingdom, but she’s also a fighter and does everything she can to end it. She meets the MMC, Evander, when she’s thrown through a portal. He does his best to welcome her to his realm, and he says all the right things at all the right times. The spice? ✨chefs kiss✨ It’s as beautifully written as the rest of this book. The ONLY issue I had with this book, and why I’m not rating it 5 stars is because I felt the final battle/ ending was a little rushed. But I can’t wait to see what happens next with Cassius, Meike, and Graves (I hope he gets a love interest because I actually really loved him.)

“Here you come, and just by existing you have left me and everything else in your wake absolutely enchanted,” Evander finishes.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[SailorVera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review from someone that Beta AND Arc read the book

Mercy and Starlight is truly a beautiful nightmare. The worldbuilding was well done and I was quickly able to be immersed in a magical world facing devastating times. I enjoyed the writing. I am not a gore fan but how the gore was written throughout this story (and oh-boy is it throughout) I wasn't turned off or away. The plot and pacing were sound. Mercy is a wonderful MC.

How the illness plaguing the world was described and how those living in the world chose to adopt to it captivated me. It also came off to me as an exciting and new concept I've not personally seen in a lot of Fantasy before. I loved learning more about it and felt the same hope and loss of hope the MC did.

And as someone who beta and Arc read I can say that this author is someone who cares a lot about her craft and stories. And I think such a love and passion does come across in how great a story is told.

If you are a lover of nightmares, fantasies, romance, and found home I highly recommend this book.

[Edtznah Verdejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

"Say you will go where I go.”

"I will go wherever you go.

If you enjoy love fantasy fae novels, this book is a must-read. It's a thrilling blend of spice, laughter, and gripping moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Mercy, a strong female lead in her late 20s, fearlessly embraces her true self in the enchanting fae world. Evander, the divine love interest, speaks with romantic charm.

The novel's beauty lies in Valentine's immersive writing style—a love letter to fairytales with a hint of horror, creating a unique and magical reading experience. The story, filled with both beautiful and grotesque moments, captivates from start to finish. Though some scenes could have been more detailed, this small issue didn't significantly impact my overall enjoyment of the book.

This book provided a magical journey with moments of smiles, unputdownable sections, and jaw-dropping revelations. I grew fond of the characters and eagerly anticipate more books in the future.

[Jessiereadsfantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for an eARC to review in return for an honest review!

It is a gorgeously written, haunting tale about a disease that is ripping through the human and fae realms. The story follows the FMC, Mercy, who is 28 years old (thank you author for late 20s MC!) and the assistant to a healer who is combating the disease. Though she feels helpless, she learns of the root cause of the disease and comes to learn that she really can assist in the fight against it.

The book is written beautifully, especially when it comes to the scenes where the disease consumes its victims. They're so descriptive that you will squirm in a good way. The world-building is great as well and is easy to digest.

The characters are very interesting. From humans, to fairies, to pixies, to merfolk, there is an abundance of characters.

Lastly, there is spice. The FMC shares her bed with men and women and is quite sexual which I love.

4/5 stars; 2.5/5 spice - some close door, description when the sexy times happen

[M Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story! I was unsure what to anticipate in this book, as this is my first time reading anything by the author. What I found was lovely. This author takes her time in adding fine details in her scenes, allowing me to fully picture Mercy's world. Plagued by a curse called The Becoming, we watch this strong heroine battle for the lives of others, sacrificing all to save the world. The story is well laid out, with great descriptions of the different towns or realms. There are no details spared. This is not a read in one sitting story, though you may be tempted. I took my time over several days to read and ruminate the plot. Without spoiling the ending, I want to say the story was riveting, complex and definitely to be continued. I need more of this world. More of Mercy and of the very quirky cast of side characters in both the human and Fae realms.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Juliet Hartell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced Readers Copy - - - Releases January 26,2024

Talk about action packed, holy shit! This was incredible. I am absolutely honored to have been on the ARC team for this book. I have been wanting to get into more fantasy and I love a romance. This was perfect for me.

The writing was amazing, all the metaphors for descriptors were beautiful. I need a movie or show of this, though I don’t think it could do this book justice. I need more of Mercy and Evander. Anyone that likes fantasy should read this.

The Becoming was intense in all it’s chaos. I loved it so much. I have no critiques of this book. Valentine did incredible work. I could not put this down, it hooked me from the first page and never stopped. There was never any boring filler, if anything I wish this had been longer.

Please buy this book when it comes out. I will be shouting about it again in January.

[Hannah Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercy and Starlight is absolutely exquisite, a romantic fantasy that I surely won’t stop thinking about anytime soon! It’s been a while since I’ve drifted off to sleep after finishing a book, still fully immersed in the world an author created — my mind whirled with imagery of how I envisioned Thalea, Swan Hall, the Divine Court, and Hazelmere.

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC of this book and truly believe that Bridgette created a masterpiece with this one. Her writing is so very beautiful, and her background in poetry is evident throughout this book in all of the best ways. (Even the spicier scenes were gorgeously written!)

✨ Release day is January 26th, 2024… Go ahead and add this one to your TBR right now! ✨

If you need me, I’ll be in my own lil dream realm fantasizing about a certain celestial fae lord.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyment:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ease of Reading: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

“And if we know anything about magic, it’s that it doesn’t always want to be managed”

I was selected as an Arc reader for this wonderful book and I am so happy i was!

The book did have a slow start that took me a bit to get through, probably because I am new to the fantasy genre but once I was in I couldn’t put it down!

I knew there were romance scene but because of earlier implied ones I thought it was a fade to black, but boy howdy was I wrong!

The horror aspects give the perfect amount of detail, not too gory but just enough to create the perfect mental image of everything happening.

There were so many portions where I was at the edge of my seat and was biting my lip in anticipation.

So excited to see where these characters go and all the action that will take place!

Fantastic Read! ✨

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I was very blessed to receive this as my first ARC, and while it did take me a bit longer than I would like to finish this book that had nothing to do with how captivating this story is
This story takes you on fantastical adventure through multiple realms. I fell in love with the stark contrast between the gritty realities of the mortal realms and the whimsical fae realms. Mercy is a well developed FMC who interacts in a realistic way with the world around her. This story captured me from start to finish; now there are some scenes throughout the book that I would have loved for them to be elaborated, but it completes itself nicely. Over all though I would love to see where the author goes after this

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 5 stars

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this was such a good story! Like many books, Mercy and Starlight has fae courts however, these courts are different to anything I've read before. The fantasy elements are great but I was also surprised by the horror which is the plague that causes vines to rip out the body 😱 that was surprisingly gruesome. It makes sense to find out that Bridgette is a poet because her writing is beautiful but I was shocked to realise that this was her first fiction book. She did an amazing job of weaving this tale and making wonderful characters. I was immediately in love with the MMC Evander when we met him 😍 I definitely hope that this story continues and there are some characters who's stories are not resolved yet.

[MaddyReads (maddy simmons) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I’m nowhere near as eloquent as Bridgette, this book certainly is. Her writing style flows seamlessly and she paints such vivid scenes in your mind. The imagery of the thorns and vines from The Becoming to the beauty in her story, I could not put it down. Mercy is such a strong female lead and Evander is the sweetest love interest. This book was as magical as it was gripping. The spice was well written and the storyline was compelling and moving. If you’re a romantasy lover, this book is definitely for you. I want to thank Bridgette for letting me be on the ARC list, but my thoughts above are my own.

[SJ Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this. My review will be honest and spoiler-free.

It was an interesting story. We are launched into this fantasy world with fae, humans, and who knows what else. The main character is a 28-year-old queer (as evident by her love interests and plights with both women and men) helper of the healer in the castle of the mortal realm.

At first, I thought I was launching myself into a fantasy novel where the heroine saves the world from the Becoming (basically a plague), but partway through it becomes that and also a love story- heavy on the love. There is spice, romantic gestures, and silly decisions.

Overall, it was a well-written story. I would recommend this.

[Amanda Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
2.75🌶️

💫”Falling asleep is hard, falling in love is harder. Falling into a sense of safety— that’s something I didn’t know was possible”💫

HAUNTINGLY beautiful prose. 💕 Intriguing characters you instantly love(and hate coughcoughcassuiscoughcough). Spicy scenes🌶️ and a dreamy atmosphere.

I will say there are a few lulls, and as much as I enjoyed the ~atmosphere~ I was craving more world building.

I sincerely hope we see more fiction from Bridgette in the future 🫶

-I had the pleasure of receiving the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.-

[⛧*.⋆marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh. my. god. i guess 2024 is the year i find a new batch of chronic rereads bc this one is definitely going at the top of my “read when you need to feel something again” list. the writing is absolutely gorgeous, it makes total sense that this author has been a poet for a long time bc this book is poetry, it is so stunning. my only complaint is i wish i had *more*. i love these characters so much, i felt connected with them the entire time. i squealed in girlish delight, i gasped in horror, i wrinkled my nose in disgust, & i cried my little eyes out. READ THIS BOOK!!

[Jessica Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book was a bit of a slow start for me but things started picking up pretty rapidly. Once Mercy got to The Ether, I refused to put my Kindle down. Evander... our High Lord Starhaven-us-in-a-chokehold. He is just so graceful and understanding when it comes to Mercy. I also loved the unique bonds that the characters have with each other: Mercy and Sybil, Mercy and Gale, the trio that is Evander, Graves, and Meike. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for more from Bridgette!

[Cas Tomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so incredibly thankful for receiving this as an ARC. I loved this book! Overall I’m giving it at 4.5. The story is nothing like I read before from beginning to end I couldn’t get enough! The banter between the FMC and the Fae Prince had me kicking my feet!🥰 The disease that runs rampant through this book scares the crap out of me! lol I don’t want to be turned into a plant EVER! Highly recommend this book and can’t wait to support once this book come out!

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author!
Wonderful book! The world building was beautiful! I cannot wait for more from this author!

I do wish some parts of the novel were fleshed out more. It overall I enjoyed it!

[amber ❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Mercy and Starlight captured my full attention quickly and kept my interest all the way through. I’m completely enamored with this author’s writing style. Such a wonderful story for Bridgette Valentine’s debut fantasy novel!