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Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles
Magic by Starlight: Terra Haven Holiday Chronicles, Books 1-3
Merry solstice and happy new year!Celebrate the holidays with Mika, Kylie, and their beloved gargoyle companions in three heartwarming festive stories.
THE STOLEN SOLSTICE
Mika and Kylie are excited to host a winter solstice party—or they would be, but the decorations keep disappearing. So do the cookies. What’s next? The presents?
Teaming up with gargoyles Oliver and Quinn, Mika and Kylie vow to catch the thief. But can they track down the naughty culprit before the holiday is ruined?
THE MISTLETOE CROWN
Every winter solstice, newly engaged couples vie for the coveted Mistletoe Crown in the annual Darling Dearest Derby. In front of their family, friends, and fellow Terra Haven citizens, the couples battle it out in side-splitting challenges designed to test their compatibility, coordination, grit—and humility.
It’s a tradition well worth the price of admission, or at least that’s what Kylie thinks . . . until she and Grant are thrust into the outlandish competition.
THE MIDNIGHT SLEIGH
Nothing wraps up a winter solstice better than the fireworks competition. This year, Mika and Oliver are thrilled to be at the heart of it, cheering on Mika’s boyfriend, Marcus, and the city’s other top fire elementals.
But an unexpected threat lurks in the starry night, drawn to the fiery art. Unchecked, it will consume every scrap of warmth in the city, transforming Terra Haven’s cheerful winter wonderland into an icy tundra as inhospitable as the north pole. Unless Mika, Marcus, and Oliver can stop it . . .
This holiday, wrap yourself in the magic of the season with an enchanting trilogy that overflows with heart, humor, and festive fun.
Click Buy Now to read all 3 stories today!
OTHER NOVELS IN THIS WORLD
-Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles-
Magic of the Gargoyles
Curse of the Gargoyles
Secret of the Gargoyles
Flight of the Gargoyles
-Terra Haven Chronicles-
Deadlines & Dryads
Leads & Lynxes
Headlines & Hydras
Muckrakers & Minotaurs
THE STOLEN SOLSTICE
Mika and Kylie are excited to host a winter solstice party—or they would be, but the decorations keep disappearing. So do the cookies. What’s next? The presents?
Teaming up with gargoyles Oliver and Quinn, Mika and Kylie vow to catch the thief. But can they track down the naughty culprit before the holiday is ruined?
THE MISTLETOE CROWN
Every winter solstice, newly engaged couples vie for the coveted Mistletoe Crown in the annual Darling Dearest Derby. In front of their family, friends, and fellow Terra Haven citizens, the couples battle it out in side-splitting challenges designed to test their compatibility, coordination, grit—and humility.
It’s a tradition well worth the price of admission, or at least that’s what Kylie thinks . . . until she and Grant are thrust into the outlandish competition.
THE MIDNIGHT SLEIGH
Nothing wraps up a winter solstice better than the fireworks competition. This year, Mika and Oliver are thrilled to be at the heart of it, cheering on Mika’s boyfriend, Marcus, and the city’s other top fire elementals.
But an unexpected threat lurks in the starry night, drawn to the fiery art. Unchecked, it will consume every scrap of warmth in the city, transforming Terra Haven’s cheerful winter wonderland into an icy tundra as inhospitable as the north pole. Unless Mika, Marcus, and Oliver can stop it . . .
This holiday, wrap yourself in the magic of the season with an enchanting trilogy that overflows with heart, humor, and festive fun.
Click Buy Now to read all 3 stories today!
OTHER NOVELS IN THIS WORLD
-Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles-
Magic of the Gargoyles
Curse of the Gargoyles
Secret of the Gargoyles
Flight of the Gargoyles
-Terra Haven Chronicles-
Deadlines & Dryads
Leads & Lynxes
Headlines & Hydras
Muckrakers & Minotaurs
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2023
16 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Chastain
34 books293 followersREBECCA CHASTAIN is a feminist, animal advocate, and nature devotee. She believes empathy is a hero’s trait and love is a motive, an inside job, and a transformative energy that shapes each person’s world. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles series, the Terra Haven Chronicles series that begins with Deadlines & Dryads, and the Madison Fox urban fantasy series.
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FULL LIST OF SERIES
STANDALONE
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 10, 2023
In Brief
Magic by Starlight is a magical return to Terra Haven (Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles, Terra Haven Chronicles) with three stories featuring friends Mika and Kylie as they celebrate the winter solstice with their loved ones, and some adorable gargoyle companions. The Stolen Solstice has Mika, Kylie, and their indomitable landlady hunting down a cookie and ornament thief just before they’re due to host family and friends for a solstice party, all clues leading them to a frightened young creature seeking safety in a dangerous abandoned house. The Mistletoe Crown features a delightful competition for newly engaged couples, and it’s been Kylie’s dream to compete with her fiance, but Grant is a very serious Federal Pentagon Defense captain, and there’s merry mischief at every turn, testing their relationship in new and funny ways. The Midnight Sleigh closes out the solstice when a special sleigh whose job it is to escort giant moths that bring the snow has to crash land, leaving Mika and her boyfriend Marcus to help the women manning the sleigh and to escort the moths to their mating grounds to save Terra Haven from a deadly frigid winter. These three stories perfectly blend the holidays and fantasy, bringing a magical winter solstice while also returning to the lives of delightful characters. Magic by Starlight is a perfect holiday read for those looking for something beyond the usual winter holidays stories.
Extended Thoughts
I haven’t yet enjoyed the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles, a series that features gargoyle healer Mika, but absolutely adored the Terra Haven Chronicles, which features Mika’s best friend journalist Kylie. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Magic by Starlight, which features both women in three stories set during a single winter solstice night. Holiday reads aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but I adored how this blended fantasy and a winter holiday. Even better, the traditions managed to feel familiar while also being completely different yet also completely fitting for the world of Terra Haven. Reading each story was pure joy, and I didn’t want it to end.
Magic by Starlight contains three stories in sequential order, each one featuring a different solstice tradition. This follows after the events of both the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles and the Terra Haven Chronicles, so it was really nice to catch up with the characters after all of their adventures. I also liked how things were a lot less dangerous and felt more fun and festive. It was delightful to get to know these characters when death and danger aren’t hanging over their heads. Something about watching them relax and have fun somehow put me in the holiday mood. But I think my favorite thing was that these stories took Terra Haven and built upon it. The world expanded through the traditions the people observe, and they were just so fitting. I loved getting to know the city and the people better, and really enjoyed the little reminders of previous books.
The Stolen Solstice
This is the first story, setting the stage for the holiday and bringing Mika and Kylie together along with their landlady. The three of them are preparing to welcome their loved ones for an evening celebration, laying out a feast and decorations. But someone or something is stealing treats and decorations, and Mika and Kylie’s landlady isn’t going to stand for it. She doggedly follows the thief’s trail, Mika and Kylie in her wake, eventually discovering a frightened creature that leads the trio straight onto an abandoned property labeled as dangerous, and they’ll stop at nothing to protect themselves and the creature.
This was a really fun and exciting way to start Magic by Starlight. I liked how it started out with something familiar: preparing for a festive holiday. But it quickly reminded readers this is a fantasy world full of magic and magical creatures. It offered a bit on some of the traditions the people of Terra Haven partake in every winter solstice, creating such a cozy atmosphere full of joy and friendship. Even though I would have loved to see Mika’s and Kylie’s significant others, I loved that this one focused on Mika, Kylie, their landlady, and their gargoyle companions Oliver and Quinn.
Told from Mika’s perspective, I found it to be a nice change of pace from Kylie. I’ve yet to read her books, but very much appreciated how much more cautious she is. Where Kylie and Ms. Zuberrie would rush in, Mika hangs back a little, being more often thoughtful and cautious, creating a nice counterpoint, but she really has a heart of gold, especially when it comes to the creatures. I loved how tender and thoughtful she is, and really appreciated how she grounded Kylie and Ms. Zuberrie. I also absolutely adored Mika and Oliver’s relationship, and not just in this story but the third one as well. Oliver is adorable, and he and Mika are just such perfect companions.
Compared to the Terra Haven Chronicles, this is a relatively low stakes story, but it really brought Mika and Kylie into focus, and I loved getting to know Ms. Zuberrie better. These are three strong, powerful women who work really well together, so it was a lot of fun to see them work to solve this mystery. It was a fantastic introduction and an excellent way to set the stage for the next two stories. The story constantly moved, and I liked how it shifted as the three women and the gargoyles made discoveries. It was fantastic to see Kylie again and to get to know Mika.
The Mistletoe Crown
This one was so much fun. Set a bit of time after the first story, it features what appears to be a favorite solstice competition, the Darling Dearest Derby. The entire story is set on the field of the Central City Coliseum and is seemingly attended by everyone in the city to watch the city’s newly engaged couples vie for the Mistletoe Crown. This competition is known for breaking engagements as the trials are set to test the couples in different ways. Being newly engaged, Kylie has pulled her fiance Federal Pentagon Defense captain Grant into competing with her. Unfortunately, while Kylie has dreamed of competing for years, Grant has never been to a Derby and has no real idea of what they’re in for. With trials that seem deceptively easy, mischief lies at every turn, ready to knock every couple back to the starting line, and it’ll take everything Kylie and Grant have as a couple to make it to the end.
I am, of course, much more familiar with Kylie and Grant, so I was thrilled that this one is all about them. Kylie is a journalist who rushes headlong into danger for the sake of a story, but has quite a romantic streak, no thanks to her parents’ charming story of their time competing in the Derby. Grant, on the other hand, is an FPD officer tasked with protecting the city. He’s powerful and serious, and certainly not the type of person I’d imagine seeing competing here. They’re a delightful couple, but this Derby will test them. While I felt the first trial went on for a little too long, I appreciated that it really situated these two characters and introduced an absolutely bonkers solstice tradition. It tested Kylie and Grant in every way, and I loved how they shifted course while also butting heads.
After all the danger Kylie and Grant went through in the Terra Haven Chronicles, The Mistletoe Crown felt like a huge change of pace for them. I was intrigued to see how it would play out, what with so many tricks lying in wait for them and knowing just how serious Grant is. This was a ton of fun that I didn’t want to end, but I loved watching Kylie and Grant work through their differences and really come to rely on each other and what they brought to their relationship. It was sweet and lovely while also providing a good number of laughs.
The Midnight Sleigh
The last story is set at the end of the night, featuring the events that close out the winter solstice. Told again from Mika’s perspective, it focuses on her and her boyfriend Marcus, who is the fire elemental on Grant’s team. As such, he competes in a fireworks competition while Mika and Oliver look on. But an event that usually occurs after the competition unexpectedly starts a good deal sooner. The Midnight Sleigh is driven by a group of women from one of the world’s indigenous populations, serving to escort incredible beings called polar bell-wings to their mating ground. But these giant moths are also instrumental in bringing snow and ensuring there will be enough water throughout the year in Terra Haven. Something goes wrong, though, and the Sleigh unexpectedly lands in Focal Park, forcing Marcus into action and leaving Mika to help out where she can in order to ensure the tradition continues and to prevent a vulnerable Terra Haven from freezing.
I really had a fantastic time getting to know Mika in these stories, and this one was just lovely. While I adored seeing her with Marcus, I loved seeing her with Oliver just a tiny bit more. Mika and Oliver are wonderful together, and Oliver is just so incredibly adorable with childlike wonder and an eagerness to help and support the humans he loves. I really liked that this story focused more on Mika and Oliver’s relationship, because there’s just something really special about it. But I also really liked getting to know Mika a little better. She’s very different from Kylie, steering away from danger while also wanting to lend a hand wherever possible. While she felt like she was on the sidelines as everyone else was focused on helping the women manning the Midnight Sleigh, she had an important role to play, too, and I really appreciated the way she just quietly helped out.
One thing I really loved about The Midnight Sleigh, though, was that it really built on the world. I loved the way the polar bell-wings impact the climate, and the importance everyone places on them making it to their mating ground in order to ensure the survival of Terra Haven. It really highlighted how people and nature rely on each other to keep the world turning, and the delicate balance that relies on them. But it was also a lot of fun getting to know other characters, some I’m familiar with from the Terra Haven Chronicles and some I’ve never met before. I really enjoyed Mika’s interactions with them, and loved how they just leapt to life on the page.
This was a fantastic story to close out Magic by Starlight, and a wonderful way to end the winter solstice. I loved that it managed to feel quieter considering the serious problem on their hands, and I think a lot of that had to do with Mika’s quieter nature. While I would have loved to see more of Kylie and Grant, I really loved spending time with Mika and Oliver. This was a truly heartwarming story with some wonderful, tender moments, and it just felt like there was a lot of love in this one.
Conclusion
Magic by Starlight is a wonderful holiday read that blends the winter holidays and fantasy and drops it into a fantastical world. And I think that’s why this holiday read worked for me. It isn’t about the winter holidays we know, so there’s a lot more room to create new traditions and build the world. I adored this blend of holiday read with the fantastical. It was sweet and sentimental while also offering a good dose of magic and fun. I loved spending the winter solstice with Mika and Kylie and their loved ones. These stories are sweet and fun, and just absolutely warmed my heart. It’s the perfect holiday read for me, and I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to enjoy it.
Thank you to the author, Rebecca Chastain, for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Magic by Starlight is a magical return to Terra Haven (Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles, Terra Haven Chronicles) with three stories featuring friends Mika and Kylie as they celebrate the winter solstice with their loved ones, and some adorable gargoyle companions. The Stolen Solstice has Mika, Kylie, and their indomitable landlady hunting down a cookie and ornament thief just before they’re due to host family and friends for a solstice party, all clues leading them to a frightened young creature seeking safety in a dangerous abandoned house. The Mistletoe Crown features a delightful competition for newly engaged couples, and it’s been Kylie’s dream to compete with her fiance, but Grant is a very serious Federal Pentagon Defense captain, and there’s merry mischief at every turn, testing their relationship in new and funny ways. The Midnight Sleigh closes out the solstice when a special sleigh whose job it is to escort giant moths that bring the snow has to crash land, leaving Mika and her boyfriend Marcus to help the women manning the sleigh and to escort the moths to their mating grounds to save Terra Haven from a deadly frigid winter. These three stories perfectly blend the holidays and fantasy, bringing a magical winter solstice while also returning to the lives of delightful characters. Magic by Starlight is a perfect holiday read for those looking for something beyond the usual winter holidays stories.
Extended Thoughts
I haven’t yet enjoyed the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles, a series that features gargoyle healer Mika, but absolutely adored the Terra Haven Chronicles, which features Mika’s best friend journalist Kylie. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Magic by Starlight, which features both women in three stories set during a single winter solstice night. Holiday reads aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but I adored how this blended fantasy and a winter holiday. Even better, the traditions managed to feel familiar while also being completely different yet also completely fitting for the world of Terra Haven. Reading each story was pure joy, and I didn’t want it to end.
Magic by Starlight contains three stories in sequential order, each one featuring a different solstice tradition. This follows after the events of both the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles and the Terra Haven Chronicles, so it was really nice to catch up with the characters after all of their adventures. I also liked how things were a lot less dangerous and felt more fun and festive. It was delightful to get to know these characters when death and danger aren’t hanging over their heads. Something about watching them relax and have fun somehow put me in the holiday mood. But I think my favorite thing was that these stories took Terra Haven and built upon it. The world expanded through the traditions the people observe, and they were just so fitting. I loved getting to know the city and the people better, and really enjoyed the little reminders of previous books.
The Stolen Solstice
This is the first story, setting the stage for the holiday and bringing Mika and Kylie together along with their landlady. The three of them are preparing to welcome their loved ones for an evening celebration, laying out a feast and decorations. But someone or something is stealing treats and decorations, and Mika and Kylie’s landlady isn’t going to stand for it. She doggedly follows the thief’s trail, Mika and Kylie in her wake, eventually discovering a frightened creature that leads the trio straight onto an abandoned property labeled as dangerous, and they’ll stop at nothing to protect themselves and the creature.
This was a really fun and exciting way to start Magic by Starlight. I liked how it started out with something familiar: preparing for a festive holiday. But it quickly reminded readers this is a fantasy world full of magic and magical creatures. It offered a bit on some of the traditions the people of Terra Haven partake in every winter solstice, creating such a cozy atmosphere full of joy and friendship. Even though I would have loved to see Mika’s and Kylie’s significant others, I loved that this one focused on Mika, Kylie, their landlady, and their gargoyle companions Oliver and Quinn.
Told from Mika’s perspective, I found it to be a nice change of pace from Kylie. I’ve yet to read her books, but very much appreciated how much more cautious she is. Where Kylie and Ms. Zuberrie would rush in, Mika hangs back a little, being more often thoughtful and cautious, creating a nice counterpoint, but she really has a heart of gold, especially when it comes to the creatures. I loved how tender and thoughtful she is, and really appreciated how she grounded Kylie and Ms. Zuberrie. I also absolutely adored Mika and Oliver’s relationship, and not just in this story but the third one as well. Oliver is adorable, and he and Mika are just such perfect companions.
Compared to the Terra Haven Chronicles, this is a relatively low stakes story, but it really brought Mika and Kylie into focus, and I loved getting to know Ms. Zuberrie better. These are three strong, powerful women who work really well together, so it was a lot of fun to see them work to solve this mystery. It was a fantastic introduction and an excellent way to set the stage for the next two stories. The story constantly moved, and I liked how it shifted as the three women and the gargoyles made discoveries. It was fantastic to see Kylie again and to get to know Mika.
The Mistletoe Crown
This one was so much fun. Set a bit of time after the first story, it features what appears to be a favorite solstice competition, the Darling Dearest Derby. The entire story is set on the field of the Central City Coliseum and is seemingly attended by everyone in the city to watch the city’s newly engaged couples vie for the Mistletoe Crown. This competition is known for breaking engagements as the trials are set to test the couples in different ways. Being newly engaged, Kylie has pulled her fiance Federal Pentagon Defense captain Grant into competing with her. Unfortunately, while Kylie has dreamed of competing for years, Grant has never been to a Derby and has no real idea of what they’re in for. With trials that seem deceptively easy, mischief lies at every turn, ready to knock every couple back to the starting line, and it’ll take everything Kylie and Grant have as a couple to make it to the end.
I am, of course, much more familiar with Kylie and Grant, so I was thrilled that this one is all about them. Kylie is a journalist who rushes headlong into danger for the sake of a story, but has quite a romantic streak, no thanks to her parents’ charming story of their time competing in the Derby. Grant, on the other hand, is an FPD officer tasked with protecting the city. He’s powerful and serious, and certainly not the type of person I’d imagine seeing competing here. They’re a delightful couple, but this Derby will test them. While I felt the first trial went on for a little too long, I appreciated that it really situated these two characters and introduced an absolutely bonkers solstice tradition. It tested Kylie and Grant in every way, and I loved how they shifted course while also butting heads.
After all the danger Kylie and Grant went through in the Terra Haven Chronicles, The Mistletoe Crown felt like a huge change of pace for them. I was intrigued to see how it would play out, what with so many tricks lying in wait for them and knowing just how serious Grant is. This was a ton of fun that I didn’t want to end, but I loved watching Kylie and Grant work through their differences and really come to rely on each other and what they brought to their relationship. It was sweet and lovely while also providing a good number of laughs.
The Midnight Sleigh
The last story is set at the end of the night, featuring the events that close out the winter solstice. Told again from Mika’s perspective, it focuses on her and her boyfriend Marcus, who is the fire elemental on Grant’s team. As such, he competes in a fireworks competition while Mika and Oliver look on. But an event that usually occurs after the competition unexpectedly starts a good deal sooner. The Midnight Sleigh is driven by a group of women from one of the world’s indigenous populations, serving to escort incredible beings called polar bell-wings to their mating ground. But these giant moths are also instrumental in bringing snow and ensuring there will be enough water throughout the year in Terra Haven. Something goes wrong, though, and the Sleigh unexpectedly lands in Focal Park, forcing Marcus into action and leaving Mika to help out where she can in order to ensure the tradition continues and to prevent a vulnerable Terra Haven from freezing.
I really had a fantastic time getting to know Mika in these stories, and this one was just lovely. While I adored seeing her with Marcus, I loved seeing her with Oliver just a tiny bit more. Mika and Oliver are wonderful together, and Oliver is just so incredibly adorable with childlike wonder and an eagerness to help and support the humans he loves. I really liked that this story focused more on Mika and Oliver’s relationship, because there’s just something really special about it. But I also really liked getting to know Mika a little better. She’s very different from Kylie, steering away from danger while also wanting to lend a hand wherever possible. While she felt like she was on the sidelines as everyone else was focused on helping the women manning the Midnight Sleigh, she had an important role to play, too, and I really appreciated the way she just quietly helped out.
One thing I really loved about The Midnight Sleigh, though, was that it really built on the world. I loved the way the polar bell-wings impact the climate, and the importance everyone places on them making it to their mating ground in order to ensure the survival of Terra Haven. It really highlighted how people and nature rely on each other to keep the world turning, and the delicate balance that relies on them. But it was also a lot of fun getting to know other characters, some I’m familiar with from the Terra Haven Chronicles and some I’ve never met before. I really enjoyed Mika’s interactions with them, and loved how they just leapt to life on the page.
This was a fantastic story to close out Magic by Starlight, and a wonderful way to end the winter solstice. I loved that it managed to feel quieter considering the serious problem on their hands, and I think a lot of that had to do with Mika’s quieter nature. While I would have loved to see more of Kylie and Grant, I really loved spending time with Mika and Oliver. This was a truly heartwarming story with some wonderful, tender moments, and it just felt like there was a lot of love in this one.
Conclusion
Magic by Starlight is a wonderful holiday read that blends the winter holidays and fantasy and drops it into a fantastical world. And I think that’s why this holiday read worked for me. It isn’t about the winter holidays we know, so there’s a lot more room to create new traditions and build the world. I adored this blend of holiday read with the fantastical. It was sweet and sentimental while also offering a good dose of magic and fun. I loved spending the winter solstice with Mika and Kylie and their loved ones. These stories are sweet and fun, and just absolutely warmed my heart. It’s the perfect holiday read for me, and I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to enjoy it.
Thank you to the author, Rebecca Chastain, for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 21, 2023
Another gargoyle winner from author Rebecca Chastain. This book features 3 stories centered in Terra Haven during the winter solstice, complete with Chastain's wonderfully creative world-building and her amazing gargoyles! A magical read!
October 25, 2025
Great stories
I loved all three holiday stories with Mika and Kylie's gargoyle and men. They were entertaining with that warm family feel at the holidays. Definitely a recommendation compilation.
I loved all three holiday stories with Mika and Kylie's gargoyle and men. They were entertaining with that warm family feel at the holidays. Definitely a recommendation compilation.
December 19, 2023
If you need fun and holiday and magical creatures and check-ins with your favorite humans, head here for your fix.
September 8, 2025
Brilliant
This authors wonderful imagination has created a truly unique world populated with incredible beings. I love every minute of these story's. Highly recommended
This authors wonderful imagination has created a truly unique world populated with incredible beings. I love every minute of these story's. Highly recommended
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews