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Nytefall #1
The Stars Are Dying
"The brightest star needs the darkest night."
In a world abandoned by the celestial guardians and left to suffer a tyrant king’s reign, all Astraea knows is safety in seclusion. With fragmented memories of only five years of her life, she’s determined to discover more about her past, even if that means fleeing the cruel arms that hold her safe from the wicked vampires rumored to roam the land.
But when Astraea stumbles upon the mysterious Nyte, she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart. He lingers like the darkness that expands between the stars, and soon she discovers her captor’s wicked means of control weren’t based on a lie to keep her under locks after all. In her desperation, Astraea accepts Nyte’s help before she can decide if she might have sold her allegiance to one of the bloodthirsty beings the people of her world fear.
Once their bargain is struck, Astraea’s chance to escape comes in the form of accompanying her best friend Cassia to the King’s Central. There on royal territory it’s the centenary of the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. So when tragedy strikes, Astraea must decide if taking the place of a murdered participant for the safety of her kingdom is a ruse worth dying for, or if protection—and the answers to her past—really are her strongest desires.
In a world abandoned by the celestial guardians and left to suffer a tyrant king’s reign, all Astraea knows is safety in seclusion. With fragmented memories of only five years of her life, she’s determined to discover more about her past, even if that means fleeing the cruel arms that hold her safe from the wicked vampires rumored to roam the land.
But when Astraea stumbles upon the mysterious Nyte, she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart. He lingers like the darkness that expands between the stars, and soon she discovers her captor’s wicked means of control weren’t based on a lie to keep her under locks after all. In her desperation, Astraea accepts Nyte’s help before she can decide if she might have sold her allegiance to one of the bloodthirsty beings the people of her world fear.
Once their bargain is struck, Astraea’s chance to escape comes in the form of accompanying her best friend Cassia to the King’s Central. There on royal territory it’s the centenary of the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. So when tragedy strikes, Astraea must decide if taking the place of a murdered participant for the safety of her kingdom is a ruse worth dying for, or if protection—and the answers to her past—really are her strongest desires.
562 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2023
7866 people are currently reading
136354 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,755 reviews
August 6, 2023
Dnf at page 206
The stars are dying.. And so is the person who reads this book.
The lesson here is to not get influenced by reels or positive reviews so easily 😕
From the prologue itself, it did not have a good start. The writing is not impressive at all, it's confusing, there is absolutely zero structure to it and it is leading to who knows what because there is no actual plot in sight. Even after reading 18 chapters, there is no clarity. The dialogues are out of place. The characters have no specified role or purpose in sight. They seem to be talking big but about what? NO DAMN CLUE. The romance?? Wtf was that. There is no chemistry, random tropes being thrown in together for the sake of popularity.
Am just glad I stopped reading it before it puts me in a slump.
~.~.~
Have heard nothing but positive reviews and apparently it is a mix of FBAA, ACOTAR and Serpent and the Wings of Night? OOF let's go
The stars are dying.. And so is the person who reads this book.
The lesson here is to not get influenced by reels or positive reviews so easily 😕
From the prologue itself, it did not have a good start. The writing is not impressive at all, it's confusing, there is absolutely zero structure to it and it is leading to who knows what because there is no actual plot in sight. Even after reading 18 chapters, there is no clarity. The dialogues are out of place. The characters have no specified role or purpose in sight. They seem to be talking big but about what? NO DAMN CLUE. The romance?? Wtf was that. There is no chemistry, random tropes being thrown in together for the sake of popularity.
Am just glad I stopped reading it before it puts me in a slump.
~.~.~
Have heard nothing but positive reviews and apparently it is a mix of FBAA, ACOTAR and Serpent and the Wings of Night? OOF let's go
August 17, 2023
I was also dying.
February 21, 2024
3.25 ⭐️
This series has massive potential, with world-building, political intrigue, and a magic system that will set it apart. However, its ambitious scope wasn’t a perfect success in this first installment. That being said, there’s a solid start here, and I’ll be reading book 2, which I anticipate highly!
The pacing was the biggest flaw here. The book is built to keep the reader hooked by withholding answers. However, questions continue to multiply for the first 300 pages, and the FMC does little to attempt to answer them. Due to the fact that the author is also trying to tell a deeply compelling story about a victim of abuse who has learned helplessness, the two initiatives kind of thwart one another. On one hand, there’s an intriguing plot full of mystery centering on our FMC as the chosen one of sorts, and on the other is our FMC who is reluctant to even have desires or any identity due to her abuse, so she’s not exactly out solving these mysteries with any urgency or focus.
As the plot moves, it’s unclear what the FMC is after. Her tiny purposes change multiple times, but her main dilemma from page one is that she has no memories before 5 years ago. It seems like an obvious initiative would be to try to figure out her own history so she can understand her own identity. But ultimately the secret of her past isn’t a priority for this book, instead each side character and their secrets become the reveals that drive the plot. So…frustratingly, for a book that kept me hooked for answers, at the end of book one I have NO IDEA what the FMC’s ultimate purpose is or was, what happened before her memory wipe, why she came back, and how being with the MMC will ultimately be a thematic good if they’re endgame.
I ultimately think the story suffers for the sake of the FMC getting a growth arc from victim to powerful, a worthy storyline in and of itself, but in the middle of a gripping mystery of identity and politics, it really dragged the story for me. As she grows in future installments, I have every confidence the pacing will improve.
The high points for me are the chemistry and development of the romance, the world-building, and the potential for high stakes and potent themes as Chloe explores the necessary integration of light and dark, and the power of memory and identity as these characters find their higher purposes.
Note: I received this book as a gift from the author.
This series has massive potential, with world-building, political intrigue, and a magic system that will set it apart. However, its ambitious scope wasn’t a perfect success in this first installment. That being said, there’s a solid start here, and I’ll be reading book 2, which I anticipate highly!
The pacing was the biggest flaw here. The book is built to keep the reader hooked by withholding answers. However, questions continue to multiply for the first 300 pages, and the FMC does little to attempt to answer them. Due to the fact that the author is also trying to tell a deeply compelling story about a victim of abuse who has learned helplessness, the two initiatives kind of thwart one another. On one hand, there’s an intriguing plot full of mystery centering on our FMC as the chosen one of sorts, and on the other is our FMC who is reluctant to even have desires or any identity due to her abuse, so she’s not exactly out solving these mysteries with any urgency or focus.
As the plot moves, it’s unclear what the FMC is after. Her tiny purposes change multiple times, but her main dilemma from page one is that she has no memories before 5 years ago. It seems like an obvious initiative would be to try to figure out her own history so she can understand her own identity. But ultimately the secret of her past isn’t a priority for this book, instead each side character and their secrets become the reveals that drive the plot. So…frustratingly, for a book that kept me hooked for answers, at the end of book one I have NO IDEA what the FMC’s ultimate purpose is or was, what happened before her memory wipe, why she came back, and how being with the MMC will ultimately be a thematic good if they’re endgame.
I ultimately think the story suffers for the sake of the FMC getting a growth arc from victim to powerful, a worthy storyline in and of itself, but in the middle of a gripping mystery of identity and politics, it really dragged the story for me. As she grows in future installments, I have every confidence the pacing will improve.
The high points for me are the chemistry and development of the romance, the world-building, and the potential for high stakes and potent themes as Chloe explores the necessary integration of light and dark, and the power of memory and identity as these characters find their higher purposes.
Note: I received this book as a gift from the author.
January 29, 2025
”When falls Night, the world will drown in Starlight.”
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
Angst/Tension: 🔥🔥🔥/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
What To Expect:
✔️ Villain gets the girl
✔️ Deadly trials
✔️ Forbidden, slowburn romance
✔️ Soul and blood vampires
✔️ Celestial/star magic
✔️ Impeccable world-building
✔️ Twists and betrayals
I binged this in one day/night and I have no regrets whatsoever! 🙈
Shadow Daddy: Nyte
"Think of me, and I will answer," he spoke to my mind. Then he pulled away, lingering against my mouth to say aloud, "Long for me, and I am right here with you."
Nyteeee 🫠. He was✨everything✨and more… if he has red flags then red is my new fav colour 🚩. In all seriousness, his charisma and energy reminded me of what all the bitties make Azriel from the ACOTAR series out to be, and also a sprinkle of Rhys from ACOMAF, so I LOVED that. He also was like a hot version of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland in my mind (iykyk). It was the way he moved and it’s very much you have to read it to understand where I’m coming from with that one haha
Our Star Girl: Astraea
”I couldn't become that frightened girl again. I couldn't allow her to crawl from the fresh grave I'd laid her in.”
My shaylaaaaaa!!! She underwent so much growth throughout this book and I honestly cannot what to see her come even more into her own power in the next book. I know that under the surface she has bad bish energy brewing waiting to be let out and I can’t wait to see her release it. She was such a fascinating FMC and reminded me a lot of Auren from the first Plated Prisoner book (Gild) with what she was being subjected to early one in the book. Her powers were so cool to read about and truly unique. I cannot wait to see where her story goes from here!
A Star-Defying Love
"You're perfect for me, Starlight. So fucking perfect the gods reject it out of spite."
"I wish you were real so I could slap you." "I shouldn't find your violence so attractive."
The tension. THE ANGST. THE SPICE PAYOFF!!!! Ugh. Their relationship is everything I could have hoped for and more. The ending has me so shook though and I’m very interested to see how that changes the dynamic… but, all I can’t say is the bell tower scene will live in my head rent-free (as will the fanart) ✨🖤
Why Not 5⭐️?
I am still slightly confused around some of the lore and history we learn in book one. I’m not sure if this is due to the speed at which I read the book, or if it’s because there is also a lot to be still revealed. I’m planning on doing a reread to see if this remedies the issue also!
The pacing is another reason as to why I’m not giving it 5⭐️. I feel like we could’ve gotten to the trials sooner and spent less time travelling to get to the capital. Once there, the book does speed up a lot and I really enjoyed this!
Final Thoughts
I need book 2. Immediately. K thx bye 💋
I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review 💖
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
Angst/Tension: 🔥🔥🔥/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
What To Expect:
✔️ Villain gets the girl
✔️ Deadly trials
✔️ Forbidden, slowburn romance
✔️ Soul and blood vampires
✔️ Celestial/star magic
✔️ Impeccable world-building
✔️ Twists and betrayals
I binged this in one day/night and I have no regrets whatsoever! 🙈
Shadow Daddy: Nyte
"Think of me, and I will answer," he spoke to my mind. Then he pulled away, lingering against my mouth to say aloud, "Long for me, and I am right here with you."
Nyteeee 🫠. He was✨everything✨and more… if he has red flags then red is my new fav colour 🚩. In all seriousness, his charisma and energy reminded me of what all the bitties make Azriel from the ACOTAR series out to be, and also a sprinkle of Rhys from ACOMAF, so I LOVED that. He also was like a hot version of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland in my mind (iykyk). It was the way he moved and it’s very much you have to read it to understand where I’m coming from with that one haha
Our Star Girl: Astraea
”I couldn't become that frightened girl again. I couldn't allow her to crawl from the fresh grave I'd laid her in.”
My shaylaaaaaa!!! She underwent so much growth throughout this book and I honestly cannot what to see her come even more into her own power in the next book. I know that under the surface she has bad bish energy brewing waiting to be let out and I can’t wait to see her release it. She was such a fascinating FMC and reminded me a lot of Auren from the first Plated Prisoner book (Gild) with what she was being subjected to early one in the book. Her powers were so cool to read about and truly unique. I cannot wait to see where her story goes from here!
A Star-Defying Love
"You're perfect for me, Starlight. So fucking perfect the gods reject it out of spite."
"I wish you were real so I could slap you." "I shouldn't find your violence so attractive."
The tension. THE ANGST. THE SPICE PAYOFF!!!! Ugh. Their relationship is everything I could have hoped for and more. The ending has me so shook though and I’m very interested to see how that changes the dynamic… but, all I can’t say is the bell tower scene will live in my head rent-free (as will the fanart) ✨🖤
Why Not 5⭐️?
I am still slightly confused around some of the lore and history we learn in book one. I’m not sure if this is due to the speed at which I read the book, or if it’s because there is also a lot to be still revealed. I’m planning on doing a reread to see if this remedies the issue also!
The pacing is another reason as to why I’m not giving it 5⭐️. I feel like we could’ve gotten to the trials sooner and spent less time travelling to get to the capital. Once there, the book does speed up a lot and I really enjoyed this!
Final Thoughts
I need book 2. Immediately. K thx bye 💋
I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review 💖
September 21, 2023
Disclaimer: while my rating are and always will be about the books, not authors, i would like to say something about this author.
Chloe’s recent Instagram post about how “seeing the bad rating on GoodReads upsets her” and encouraging her followers to (if they liked her book) remember to rate and review doesn’t sit well with me.
Now, I am all for making sure to leave good reviews (if you liked the book) on indie authors.
What I don’t like, is how she worded it.
like I’ve always said, GoodReads is a place for reviewers. It is a review site, and people can rate books however they wish there.
People are allowed to not like a book.
Most authors stay off of GR for that very reason, and accept they will get bad reviews, because everyone has different tastes.
On Instagram, it’s completely fair not to want bad reviews.
But on a book review site?
If we stop leaving bad reviews, how will people know what they will dislike about a book?
Are people just meant to trust marketing team?
I am not changing my rating because of this (because my rating is for the BOOK), but I just wanted to add this disclaimer anyway.
—🌟 2 stars 🌟—
“Because you are the brightest star,” he said, a murmur over my lips. “And the brightest star needs the darkest night.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Vampires, Faeries,
Writing: 5/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 5/10
Characters: 4/10
Romance: 5/10
My rating: 5/10
trigger warnings: Domestic Violence, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Gaslighting, Grief and Death, Violence and Gore, Suicidal Ideation, Addiction, etc.
Many thanks to Chloe Peñaranda for this digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
———my thoughts———
In a world abandoned by its celestial guardians, all Astraea knows is seclusion.
Her memories are fractured, and her so-called saviour might just be the thing that’s holding her back.
But when she meets the mysterious Nyte, and strikes a deal with him, her determination to discover her past grows and grows.
And as she grows closer and closer to the truth, it becomes harder to ignore the attraction she feels towards Nyte...
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book.
And I just want to preface my thoughts with the assurance that it’s not the book, it’s me.
I was fully expecting to adore this.
It had all the tropes, all the ideas I loved, and the most beautiful cover.
But I didn’t.
I think I should have realised that maybe The Stars Are Dying wasn’t for me after it took me so long to get into it.
I was stuck on the first 20% for a few weeks, because I simply could not find the motivation to continue.
There wasn’t even any particular part I had a problem with, it was just that I found the writing style dissociated me from the story.
I couldn’t connect with the characters at all, and it ended up being more of a case of me making myself finish it than me being interested in any of the plotlines.
It didn’t particularly grip me at any point, but there were parts (especially in the middle section) where I began to enjoy it more.
However...I was still mostly making myself push though.
It wasn’t that I found it uninteresting, but simply that I didn’t care about where the story was going.
It felt extremely slow, and even the action scenes felt lacklustre.
I didn’t particularly like the protagonists either.
(I had to pause my review here to go look up their names as I couldn’t remember)
Astraea and Nyte.
They felt like they had potential, but it was so wasted!
I couldn’t feel their chemistry, their dialogue almost felt flat, and I didn’t even remotely related to them at all.
It just felt like everything that is popular right now squashed into one book.
And believe me, that’s not a good thing.
Yes, the quotes are quote-able.
But again...it just feels like I’ve read it all before.
Maybe there is a point when you’ve read enough books where nothing feels new anymore, but I don’t think I’ve reached that yet.
So it had potential, yes.
But in my opinion?
It didn’t live up to it.
————quotes————
“Think of me, and I will answer,” he spoke to my mind. Then he pulled away, lingering against my mouth to say aloud, “Long for me, and I am right here with you.”
“If there’s one thing you’re not allowed to give up on, it’s love, Astraea. That’s a demand.”
“I would meet you in the darkness. Every time you called,”
“I’ve always been right here. Waiting for you.”
———random extra thoughts———
The cover is GORGEOUS though 😭
Thanks for reading! ❤️
Chloe’s recent Instagram post about how “seeing the bad rating on GoodReads upsets her” and encouraging her followers to (if they liked her book) remember to rate and review doesn’t sit well with me.
Now, I am all for making sure to leave good reviews (if you liked the book) on indie authors.
What I don’t like, is how she worded it.
like I’ve always said, GoodReads is a place for reviewers. It is a review site, and people can rate books however they wish there.
People are allowed to not like a book.
Most authors stay off of GR for that very reason, and accept they will get bad reviews, because everyone has different tastes.
On Instagram, it’s completely fair not to want bad reviews.
But on a book review site?
If we stop leaving bad reviews, how will people know what they will dislike about a book?
Are people just meant to trust marketing team?
I am not changing my rating because of this (because my rating is for the BOOK), but I just wanted to add this disclaimer anyway.
—🌟 2 stars 🌟—
“Because you are the brightest star,” he said, a murmur over my lips. “And the brightest star needs the darkest night.”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Vampires, Faeries,
Writing: 5/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 5/10
Characters: 4/10
Romance: 5/10
My rating: 5/10
trigger warnings: Domestic Violence, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Gaslighting, Grief and Death, Violence and Gore, Suicidal Ideation, Addiction, etc.
Many thanks to Chloe Peñaranda for this digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
———my thoughts———
In a world abandoned by its celestial guardians, all Astraea knows is seclusion.
Her memories are fractured, and her so-called saviour might just be the thing that’s holding her back.
But when she meets the mysterious Nyte, and strikes a deal with him, her determination to discover her past grows and grows.
And as she grows closer and closer to the truth, it becomes harder to ignore the attraction she feels towards Nyte...
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book.
And I just want to preface my thoughts with the assurance that it’s not the book, it’s me.
I was fully expecting to adore this.
It had all the tropes, all the ideas I loved, and the most beautiful cover.
But I didn’t.
I think I should have realised that maybe The Stars Are Dying wasn’t for me after it took me so long to get into it.
I was stuck on the first 20% for a few weeks, because I simply could not find the motivation to continue.
There wasn’t even any particular part I had a problem with, it was just that I found the writing style dissociated me from the story.
I couldn’t connect with the characters at all, and it ended up being more of a case of me making myself finish it than me being interested in any of the plotlines.
It didn’t particularly grip me at any point, but there were parts (especially in the middle section) where I began to enjoy it more.
However...I was still mostly making myself push though.
It wasn’t that I found it uninteresting, but simply that I didn’t care about where the story was going.
It felt extremely slow, and even the action scenes felt lacklustre.
I didn’t particularly like the protagonists either.
(I had to pause my review here to go look up their names as I couldn’t remember)
Astraea and Nyte.
They felt like they had potential, but it was so wasted!
I couldn’t feel their chemistry, their dialogue almost felt flat, and I didn’t even remotely related to them at all.
It just felt like everything that is popular right now squashed into one book.
And believe me, that’s not a good thing.
Yes, the quotes are quote-able.
But again...it just feels like I’ve read it all before.
Maybe there is a point when you’ve read enough books where nothing feels new anymore, but I don’t think I’ve reached that yet.
So it had potential, yes.
But in my opinion?
It didn’t live up to it.
————quotes————
“Think of me, and I will answer,” he spoke to my mind. Then he pulled away, lingering against my mouth to say aloud, “Long for me, and I am right here with you.”
“If there’s one thing you’re not allowed to give up on, it’s love, Astraea. That’s a demand.”
“I would meet you in the darkness. Every time you called,”
“I’ve always been right here. Waiting for you.”
———random extra thoughts———
The cover is GORGEOUS though 😭
Thanks for reading! ❤️
September 23, 2023
DNF @ 35% 😩
*updated*
Added disclaimer: the author has suggested to readers to rate and review this book *if* they liked it (See: IG post made on their account). This felt like a push to, not only swing reviews in their favour (for their benefit), but to also discredit the current reviews of this book and the readers capacity to understand the book. I want to make it clear that I gave this review honestly. I, to the best of my ability, critically engaged with this media, and believe I have to capability to read books as they are intended to be read. I have read plenty of well structured books with complicated plots and unreliable narrators, that I could understand and engage with.
I am not changing my review in light of this new post. But I do want to encourage everyone to always remain steadfast in their honest reviews, regardless of when authors infiltrate the reader space.
My biggest issue with this book is the writing. It’s readability is lacking due to continuity issues(e.g. how does she get back inside a room with a locked door?), strange phrasing, sentence structure, scene choreography and ‘floating head syndrome’. It definitely needed a few more rounds of edits though I know the author and her team rejected this idea to all ARC readers.
From the beginning, I found it difficult to find the character in the scene and understanding who Astrae is, and any and all motivations. The frequency in which I had to reread sentences and paragraphs was alarming, and it pulled me out of the story every time.
I’m aware of things that are revealed later on in the book that might explain away some of these issues, though I still found that these reasons do not help the overall readability. Not to mention that it required spoilers in order to gain that information.
The premise was promising, a girl lacking memories of who she is, locked up by her ‘savior’ for protection. Trials occurring every 100 years to save the city from Vampires (if only a little predictable and lacking any understanding as to the ‘why’), dark, gritty.. Star crossed lovers. A protective, loving side character. All great things. I could see this book having so much potential. But the potential was ultimately lost in the clunky writing style.
Unfortunately, reading this became a task and I never want to feel that way when reading.
*thank you Chloe and team for sending the ARC for review*
*updated*
Added disclaimer: the author has suggested to readers to rate and review this book *if* they liked it (See: IG post made on their account). This felt like a push to, not only swing reviews in their favour (for their benefit), but to also discredit the current reviews of this book and the readers capacity to understand the book. I want to make it clear that I gave this review honestly. I, to the best of my ability, critically engaged with this media, and believe I have to capability to read books as they are intended to be read. I have read plenty of well structured books with complicated plots and unreliable narrators, that I could understand and engage with.
I am not changing my review in light of this new post. But I do want to encourage everyone to always remain steadfast in their honest reviews, regardless of when authors infiltrate the reader space.
My biggest issue with this book is the writing. It’s readability is lacking due to continuity issues(e.g. how does she get back inside a room with a locked door?), strange phrasing, sentence structure, scene choreography and ‘floating head syndrome’. It definitely needed a few more rounds of edits though I know the author and her team rejected this idea to all ARC readers.
From the beginning, I found it difficult to find the character in the scene and understanding who Astrae is, and any and all motivations. The frequency in which I had to reread sentences and paragraphs was alarming, and it pulled me out of the story every time.
I’m aware of things that are revealed later on in the book that might explain away some of these issues, though I still found that these reasons do not help the overall readability. Not to mention that it required spoilers in order to gain that information.
The premise was promising, a girl lacking memories of who she is, locked up by her ‘savior’ for protection. Trials occurring every 100 years to save the city from Vampires (if only a little predictable and lacking any understanding as to the ‘why’), dark, gritty.. Star crossed lovers. A protective, loving side character. All great things. I could see this book having so much potential. But the potential was ultimately lost in the clunky writing style.
Unfortunately, reading this became a task and I never want to feel that way when reading.
*thank you Chloe and team for sending the ARC for review*
August 26, 2024
2.5 ⭐️ I can’t lie… I had no idea what was happening most of the time.
I really liked the premise of the plot (it was giving Blood and Ash X The Serpent and the Wings of Night vibes). The writing was a little choppy for me, the pace and plot jumped around a lot.
I had to go back and re-read a few chapters and pages because I felt like I kept missing major plot points even though I hadn’t.
It was a little bit of a confusing read and I struggled to see the overall plot, there was so many things happening at once it felt like we were jumping from one thing to the next randomly rather than following a specific direction. I do really like the characters though and want to read the next book as I think it could potentially be better!
I really liked the premise of the plot (it was giving Blood and Ash X The Serpent and the Wings of Night vibes). The writing was a little choppy for me, the pace and plot jumped around a lot.
I had to go back and re-read a few chapters and pages because I felt like I kept missing major plot points even though I hadn’t.
It was a little bit of a confusing read and I struggled to see the overall plot, there was so many things happening at once it felt like we were jumping from one thing to the next randomly rather than following a specific direction. I do really like the characters though and want to read the next book as I think it could potentially be better!
July 15, 2023
again... a fuckin-gain. nothing new, nothing changed, same old shit. romantasy genre is one story regurgitating over and over again in different fonts. some don't even change the font ffs. im so tired i wanna scream. i cannot wrap around the fact how readers read the same shit over and over again and gush about it like its pulitzer winning literature. yeah, you go after the things you like but at what point do they get tired? bc im over it. i want people to start speaking up so we can start getting back originality and authenticity. pls. indie stuff from 4-5 years back used to slap. something changed and we know what, or who, triggered it
coming back to this book, it wasn't written poorly. and it got a little hot. two stars for two points. everything else just annoyed me. you have the bland girlie who has special powers but is too dumb to notice she's getting used. then you have the dark guy that is using her and also being incredibly possessive at the same time for no fucking reason. now tell me you haven't seen this before a million times. oh god... my head is throbbing
coming back to this book, it wasn't written poorly. and it got a little hot. two stars for two points. everything else just annoyed me. you have the bland girlie who has special powers but is too dumb to notice she's getting used. then you have the dark guy that is using her and also being incredibly possessive at the same time for no fucking reason. now tell me you haven't seen this before a million times. oh god... my head is throbbing
August 27, 2023
1.00 stars.
I am so so so so so disappointed 😭 man I thought I'd like this one because the reels that the author was posting were really intriguing but this was just blah like I really liked the start but 150 pages through it just fell and I just couldn't read this anymore.
This author is a miss for me I think I only liked one book of her which was the second book in her series an heir comes to rise. That series was also disappointing which I dnf'd.
Wouldn't recommend.
I am so so so so so disappointed 😭 man I thought I'd like this one because the reels that the author was posting were really intriguing but this was just blah like I really liked the start but 150 pages through it just fell and I just couldn't read this anymore.
This author is a miss for me I think I only liked one book of her which was the second book in her series an heir comes to rise. That series was also disappointing which I dnf'd.
Wouldn't recommend.
March 24, 2025
OKAY EDIT - I’ve decided it was just the audio that I loved so much. After a few days, I already can’t remember hardly anything from this book 😂 still giving it 3⭐️ since I did enjoy myself while actually listening to it.
I need to reflect on this before I give an official rating… I think the next book in the series might affect it.
While I did enjoy this book, I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I listened to it on Audible, and it’s narrated in duet style by 2 of my favorites. Had I been reading with my eyeballs, I think I would have agreed with the reviews that think it’s too wordy.
The actual plot was very confusing, but I’m not sure that it wasn’t supposed to be??? This is why I’m giving it book 2 until I decide a rating. If things start clicking and this first book was a purposeful mystery, it’s a 4⭐️ at least for me. So we’ll have to see!
Generally, I LOVE the repressed memories trope, so I really did enjoy the idea of this book. While it did resemble other books (mainly FBAA), it was original enough to hold my interest. I was definitely intrigued enough to start the next book, so that’s what I’m currently reading! Will check back in after for my final verdict on this series before book 3 comes out.
I need to reflect on this before I give an official rating… I think the next book in the series might affect it.
While I did enjoy this book, I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I listened to it on Audible, and it’s narrated in duet style by 2 of my favorites. Had I been reading with my eyeballs, I think I would have agreed with the reviews that think it’s too wordy.
The actual plot was very confusing, but I’m not sure that it wasn’t supposed to be??? This is why I’m giving it book 2 until I decide a rating. If things start clicking and this first book was a purposeful mystery, it’s a 4⭐️ at least for me. So we’ll have to see!
Generally, I LOVE the repressed memories trope, so I really did enjoy the idea of this book. While it did resemble other books (mainly FBAA), it was original enough to hold my interest. I was definitely intrigued enough to start the next book, so that’s what I’m currently reading! Will check back in after for my final verdict on this series before book 3 comes out.
March 18, 2024
DNF 33%
Now, I hate DNFing a book. My FOMO and anxiety battle it out, and I internally freak out for an entire day about what if I am doing the book an entire disservice by not completing it.
BUT I JUST CAN'T CONTINUE WITH THIS...
From the first line of the prologue, I was confused. I wasn't sure if it was because it was late or I was tired, so I read it again the next day, and I still didn't understand what was going on. I think it came down to overall this book made me feel stupid as I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND....
Firstly, the worldbuilding felt messy and confusing and didn't really make sense - there are fae, vampires, and celestials but are celestials types of either? The names and places seem like they are thrown together and not pieced together well, and the lore is a weird amalgamation of all three's general "backstory" when you think of fae, vampires, and celestials.
The writing was also just as messy; sentences felt overly metaphorical or there were just random additional words added. I found that a lot of aspects had to be inferred as it wasn't clearly explained, so I wasn't sure if it happened or not. The sentences just felt so convoluted and complex but just ended up confusing the living daylights out of me.
I also have no clue what the plot is - I read almost 200 pages, and I don't know what the purpose of the story is - what the prophecy has to do with anything as it just feels like random things thrown together.
Overall, I don't like it if books are overly confusing and make me feel stupid so this was not for me.
Now, I hate DNFing a book. My FOMO and anxiety battle it out, and I internally freak out for an entire day about what if I am doing the book an entire disservice by not completing it.
BUT I JUST CAN'T CONTINUE WITH THIS...
From the first line of the prologue, I was confused. I wasn't sure if it was because it was late or I was tired, so I read it again the next day, and I still didn't understand what was going on. I think it came down to overall this book made me feel stupid as I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND....
Firstly, the worldbuilding felt messy and confusing and didn't really make sense - there are fae, vampires, and celestials but are celestials types of either? The names and places seem like they are thrown together and not pieced together well, and the lore is a weird amalgamation of all three's general "backstory" when you think of fae, vampires, and celestials.
The writing was also just as messy; sentences felt overly metaphorical or there were just random additional words added. I found that a lot of aspects had to be inferred as it wasn't clearly explained, so I wasn't sure if it happened or not. The sentences just felt so convoluted and complex but just ended up confusing the living daylights out of me.
I also have no clue what the plot is - I read almost 200 pages, and I don't know what the purpose of the story is - what the prophecy has to do with anything as it just feels like random things thrown together.
Overall, I don't like it if books are overly confusing and make me feel stupid so this was not for me.
July 16, 2023
DNF @ ~50%
This read like really bad ACOTAR fan fiction, I’m sorry.
Overdone plot, bland characters, confusing writing, and a definite need for an editor.
This read like really bad ACOTAR fan fiction, I’m sorry.
Overdone plot, bland characters, confusing writing, and a definite need for an editor.
June 12, 2025
“when falls night, the world will drown in starlight.”
i saw a lot of mixed reviews and ratings for this book after being fortunate enough to receive an e-arc of the second book, the night is defying. it came at no surprise that this then left me with some honest concerns and justifiable terror to read this series, as the reviews made me wonder what hellish situation i stumbled into. this series came to me at the best time as a faultless mood reader and with that, i recommend readers to approach this with certain expectations. in other words, don’t expect this to be an inventive or innovative narrative as the stars are dying isn’t all that different in an over-saturated market filled with an abundance of enemies to lovers romances that realistically are nothing more than instant-love/lust, with a love interest who wields shadows and the lead female character coming into an extreme amount of power.
what drew me towards the stars are dying is the combination of various things—the title and the motif of stars and constellations; it being a greek mythological re-telling; a villainous, morally grey love interest named rainyte, who also wields shadows (i’m a cliche, i know); and our main female character is searching for answers amongst trials, bargains and vampires. it sounded like an interesting and riveting romantasy filled with adventure shrouded in dark elements—essentially, two of my favourite romantic genres interwoven with each other. while there’s an extreme amount of well-known tropes and characteristics featured in this book, including enemies to lovers intertwined with star-crossed lovers and slow-burn romance, these are loved and well received. for me, i love them no matter how overused they are, as it’s some of my favourite features in romantasy, and adore the basic comforts they present.
in the stars are dying, we’re introduced to astraea, a sheltered and mistreated woman missing the last five years of her memories, who’s no sooner finding answers. trapped within the confines of her lover’s establishment and shackled to his brutish treatment towards her, a chance encounter with a handsome stranger lurking within the shadows allows astraea an opportunity to escape the safety and security of all she knows in search of her coveted answers. as astraea traverses the wilderness and local towns towards vesitire, where the trials of the libertatem for the selected are hosted, astraea is assisted by the seductive and illusive nyte, who invades her every waking thought and moment, in overcoming the trials set before her. offering guidance and protection during astraea’s travels, nyte and astraea form a bond that transcends fate.
i couldn't become that frightened girl again. i couldn't allow her to crawl from the fresh grave i'd laid her in.
♡ astraea
for someone who’s missing a collection of crucial memories and life altering information, astraea was not a weak-minded or feeble character. she underwent serious and admirable character growth, becoming stronger and confident in herself as she navigated distressing situations and searched for her answers. underneath, you could sense that there’s an honest amount of hidden power dormant within her waiting to be unleashed at the most opportune moment. when astraea eventually transforms after rediscovering and regaining her abilities in the libtertatem trials, the unveiling is different and refreshing to read because her kind of power isn’t common in romantasy. it made it more exciting and riveting, despite the strength behind her abilities, as it’s uncommon.
“the brightest star needs the darkest night.”
♡ rainyte/nyte
there is no doubt about nyte’s love and affection towards astraea. i love a male love interest who uses words to express his feelings, but more so when his love language is demonstrated through actions as it feels more sincere and heartfelt. the way nyte guided and protected astraea on her travels and within the trials, even from afar by occupying her thoughts, was more than sweet. it was so precious, it made my heart burst that they couldn’t physically be together, making their first tangible interaction more bittersweet! nyte possesses a swoon-worthy amount of charismatic and flirtatious charm—despite his actions being without ulterior motive—that i don’t blame astraea for falling for the illusive fae vampire.
“destiny is cruel to bring us together. because you are the most precious gift i can never have.”
♡ nyte + astraea
the romance between nyte and astraea was everything. the combination of enemies and star-crossed lovers? it left me reeling from a million different emotions, watching two enemies fall in love when fate tells them otherwise. the second chance at romance? i fear my emotions have become so twisted and flustered, i’m suffering from an incurable heartache, as these two become defiant towards everything that threatens to separate them. the slow burn? it was slow, but the end result burned. nyte was damn in love with astraea and smitten, i wanted to burst into tears because it was perfect! i love nothing more than a slow burn, fated mates romance with enemies to lovers to make the unfolding relationship hotter and spicier.
“i wish you were real so i could slap you.”
“i shouldn’t find your violence so attractive.”
♡ the side characters
i adore a found family in any romance, but there’s something extraordinary when it’s used within a fantasy/romantasy setting. to me, found families enrich the leading characters’ personalities, however they also introduce extra elements to scenes involving trials and adventures. it makes high stake situations more exciting and riveting, having added characters enmeshed in tension filled moments. in the stars are dying, astraea is accompanied by a small albeit loving and comforting cohort of friends/confidants, comprised of rose, cassia and zathrian—cassia, her best and closest friend, her number one supporter; rose, a reluctant opponent who becomes a trusted confidant; and zathrian, her guardian from when she was confined to her ex-lover’s home. together, these characters wonderfully support astraea’s character.
“you all have secrets and games, and i have nothing but fragments of a twisted existence.”
despite my love for this book and the series overall, i recognise its inherent issues and understand that some readers will either struggle or find it frustrating to read the stars are dying. the writing is awfully flowery, has an air of haunting poeticism to it and the language is oftentimes vague to maintain the mysteriousness of astraea’s missing memories, which creates convoluted and difficult to follow sentences. personally, i’m fond of this form of writing (though this oftentimes varies with my mood), but realise other readers would rather have an easier, more straightforward reading experience that doesn’t require a couple of rereads to understand the narrative.
this book is also dense, in that it contains an extensive but fascinating collection of different cultures, histories and creatures that is sometimes a little overwhelming to follow. the overall pacing is jarring and the narrative unravels in slow increments, whereby astraea encounters smaller crises that overshadow the long-plot of her missing memories; however the side characters’ secrets and motivations are what, in the end, fill the gaps in her missing history. considering this is one-of-three within a trilogy, there is bound to be a focus on world-building but this can cause the introduction of the characters, the romance and the overall narrative to feel underwhelming. at the end of the day, it will come down to preference whether you love, hate or feel indifference towards this book.
nytefall series
the stars are dying — 4 stars
the night is defying — 4 stars
────────────────────
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
the reviews and ratings have me kind of scared and concerned.
follow me on: instagram
February 10, 2024
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
✧. 2,5 (shamefully disappointing) stars
╰┈➤ ❝ You're mine, Starlight.
✧. Vampire trope, enemies to sorta lovers
✧. Nyte is the villain (kinda fell for him)
»»———- ———-««
✧. ┊ I decided to read this book since I saw the author marketing this book, sadly it disappointed and its nothing like she made it out to be.
✧. ┊ The FMC is not enjoyable and quite stupid (+ I found her whiney, bland)
✧. ┊ Nyte was the only enjoyable character that made it till the end of the book.
✧. ┊ Hunger games / ACOTAR type of book (felt like a ripoff)
✧. ┊ Around the 50% till the 80% of the book it felt repetitive and long and it was genuinely boring.
✧. ┊ That ending was quite confusing and odd
✧. ┊ The book contains a bit of spice (and Nyte delivered that)
✧. ┊ Genuinely expected more and the book should have been shorter.
»»———- ———-««
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Love was a drug laced with its own cure.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Something about the night always awakened me more than the daytime.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You think that I want your soul or your blood. I'll admit, one is highly tempting to hold, the other is to taste.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''No one can tell you how to feel. You observe, you draw on your knowledge, and you handle the responses your judgment makes.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Think of me and I will answer. Long for me and I am right here with you.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''The truth? I want you to fucking despise me. Your anger is my pleasure, your darkness is my light.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Like you, I find the nights alive. Perhaps we both can find means of drifting off peacefully with a tale.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''I may have moments of peace in mind but you are a truly maddening temptation, Starlight.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''His promixity consumed me like a fever.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You deserve to be worshipped- every damn inch of you.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You're perfect for me, Starlight. So fucking perfect that the gods reject it out of spite.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''For a beat of time, we were two falling stars.''
- The author is apparently really problematic, wish I knew that before but oh well
- I dont know if the author is planning to make a #2 soon but I will NOT be reading that!!
✧. 2,5 (shamefully disappointing) stars
╰┈➤ ❝ You're mine, Starlight.
✧. Vampire trope, enemies to sorta lovers
✧. Nyte is the villain (kinda fell for him)
»»———- ———-««
✧. ┊ I decided to read this book since I saw the author marketing this book, sadly it disappointed and its nothing like she made it out to be.
✧. ┊ The FMC is not enjoyable and quite stupid (+ I found her whiney, bland)
✧. ┊ Nyte was the only enjoyable character that made it till the end of the book.
✧. ┊ Hunger games / ACOTAR type of book (felt like a ripoff)
✧. ┊ Around the 50% till the 80% of the book it felt repetitive and long and it was genuinely boring.
✧. ┊ That ending was quite confusing and odd
✧. ┊ The book contains a bit of spice (and Nyte delivered that)
✧. ┊ Genuinely expected more and the book should have been shorter.
»»———- ———-««
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Love was a drug laced with its own cure.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Something about the night always awakened me more than the daytime.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You think that I want your soul or your blood. I'll admit, one is highly tempting to hold, the other is to taste.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''No one can tell you how to feel. You observe, you draw on your knowledge, and you handle the responses your judgment makes.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Think of me and I will answer. Long for me and I am right here with you.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''The truth? I want you to fucking despise me. Your anger is my pleasure, your darkness is my light.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''Like you, I find the nights alive. Perhaps we both can find means of drifting off peacefully with a tale.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''I may have moments of peace in mind but you are a truly maddening temptation, Starlight.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''His promixity consumed me like a fever.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You deserve to be worshipped- every damn inch of you.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''You're perfect for me, Starlight. So fucking perfect that the gods reject it out of spite.''
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ''For a beat of time, we were two falling stars.''
- The author is apparently really problematic, wish I knew that before but oh well
- I dont know if the author is planning to make a #2 soon but I will NOT be reading that!!
September 27, 2023
2.5⭐️ Ok. It’s been a little bit since I’ve read this. Now that the “high” has worn off, this book isn’t as good as I initially thought. All of these issues I noticed while reading, but I didn’t seem to care at the time. There were so many issues. First-there are A LOT of similarities from other books. Mainly what I noticed is The Plated Prisoner series and FBAA. There are also a lot of inconsistencies. Especially with the FMC having no memories and she doesn’t seem to care to find out who she is and why she has no memories. I also had to reread paragraphs a lot because it seemed to jump-it got confusing. It was entertaining, but I don’t know if I’ll end up read the rest of the series.
July 7, 2023
When I saw this book being advertised on social media it sounded so good I did not hesitate to apply for an arc, and was so happy and grateful when I was approved. I have never read a book from this author before, but I know her other series is quite popular, but this was my first Chloe Peñaranda book.
That being said… oh my, where should I even begin. This is a tricky one to rate because it isn’t outright bad, so anything below three stars felt a bit unfair.
It is my belief that this book would have benefited from at least another round of editing, to tighten things up and make it flow better.
This is very much a plot driven book, and the plot is solid. The problem is that the characters just come across as pawns on a gameboard to be shuffled around in order to fit the plot and making it move forward. Certain instances felt very much like boxes being checked off in order to move things along to where they needed to go, rather than actual events I should feel invested in.
Astrea is our main character and she only has five years of memories, anything before that is a blank. My main problem with her character is (but not limited to) that she only questions things when it is convenient for the plot, if it isn’t she decides it’s not important right now, over and over again.
At one point in the beginning she is able to retrieve an object which is not in the room with her, and she just NEVER questions that or tries to do it again until towards the end of the book, it’s a bit like “huh that’s weird, but it got me what I wanted/needed”
There is one instance early on where something bad happens and she wakes up in a foreign place with a stranger, and instead of making sense of the situation we move into dialogue with world building/history lesson, and THEN comes the “where am I, who are you, what’s going on” which you’d expect from the moment she wakes up. Natural character reactions/responses take a back seat to everything to do with world building and the pre decided plot.
There is a very obvious disconnect from the plot to its main character.
The book picked up around 50% and it’s clear the story had arrived at a point where the author had wanted to go, but if this hadn’t been an arc I would have dnf’d before getting this far, I only finished it because I felt a sense of obligation to.
Anything Nyte says in the first 40% is pure nonsense. It’s a classic case of wanting a character to be “mysterious” but as a result anything that comes out of their mouth is just utter nonsense.
Example:
Astrea says: “You have an intrusive habit of touching me.” To which Nyte replies “You have an inquisitive will to allow it.”
And then right after she asks: “The shadows, do you command them?” And Nyte responds with: “Some things are far more thrilling to be felt rather than told.” Just shut up and stay silent if you’re not going to make any sense at all?
That is also an accurate representation of anything Nyte says for the first half of the book.
The characters are all over the place and it’s sad because I can really see the potential in the book, but it just falls short from where it wants to go. The only character who seems like an actually fully fledged person who isn’t being puppeteered to move things along is Zath.
I won’t go too much into the parallels between other popular books, but whether or not it was intentional on the author’s part doesn’t matter; they’re there. From the very beginning when Astrea escapes into a seemingly empty room to hide (in a questionable establishment) to find a stranger waiting for her and his “you are not what I expected.” To an mmc who can read and speak into minds and controls the shadows/night, and “It was all real. Everything I feel for you is real. When the dawn comes, please remember that.” Sound familiar?
Anyway, this became unintentionally long, I’m sorry. To sum up: should’ve undergone more editing to tighten everything up, the characters seem disconnected from the plot (and reality lol), and some times it’s just jumping all over the place as if to reach a word count goal, and there are a few more similarities to other popular books than what is comfortable; the potential was there, but it fell short. Will not be reading the sequel.
That being said… oh my, where should I even begin. This is a tricky one to rate because it isn’t outright bad, so anything below three stars felt a bit unfair.
It is my belief that this book would have benefited from at least another round of editing, to tighten things up and make it flow better.
This is very much a plot driven book, and the plot is solid. The problem is that the characters just come across as pawns on a gameboard to be shuffled around in order to fit the plot and making it move forward. Certain instances felt very much like boxes being checked off in order to move things along to where they needed to go, rather than actual events I should feel invested in.
Astrea is our main character and she only has five years of memories, anything before that is a blank. My main problem with her character is (but not limited to) that she only questions things when it is convenient for the plot, if it isn’t she decides it’s not important right now, over and over again.
At one point in the beginning she is able to retrieve an object which is not in the room with her, and she just NEVER questions that or tries to do it again until towards the end of the book, it’s a bit like “huh that’s weird, but it got me what I wanted/needed”
There is one instance early on where something bad happens and she wakes up in a foreign place with a stranger, and instead of making sense of the situation we move into dialogue with world building/history lesson, and THEN comes the “where am I, who are you, what’s going on” which you’d expect from the moment she wakes up. Natural character reactions/responses take a back seat to everything to do with world building and the pre decided plot.
There is a very obvious disconnect from the plot to its main character.
The book picked up around 50% and it’s clear the story had arrived at a point where the author had wanted to go, but if this hadn’t been an arc I would have dnf’d before getting this far, I only finished it because I felt a sense of obligation to.
Anything Nyte says in the first 40% is pure nonsense. It’s a classic case of wanting a character to be “mysterious” but as a result anything that comes out of their mouth is just utter nonsense.
Example:
Astrea says: “You have an intrusive habit of touching me.” To which Nyte replies “You have an inquisitive will to allow it.”
And then right after she asks: “The shadows, do you command them?” And Nyte responds with: “Some things are far more thrilling to be felt rather than told.” Just shut up and stay silent if you’re not going to make any sense at all?
That is also an accurate representation of anything Nyte says for the first half of the book.
The characters are all over the place and it’s sad because I can really see the potential in the book, but it just falls short from where it wants to go. The only character who seems like an actually fully fledged person who isn’t being puppeteered to move things along is Zath.
I won’t go too much into the parallels between other popular books, but whether or not it was intentional on the author’s part doesn’t matter; they’re there. From the very beginning when Astrea escapes into a seemingly empty room to hide (in a questionable establishment) to find a stranger waiting for her and his “you are not what I expected.” To an mmc who can read and speak into minds and controls the shadows/night, and “It was all real. Everything I feel for you is real. When the dawn comes, please remember that.” Sound familiar?
Anyway, this became unintentionally long, I’m sorry. To sum up: should’ve undergone more editing to tighten everything up, the characters seem disconnected from the plot (and reality lol), and some times it’s just jumping all over the place as if to reach a word count goal, and there are a few more similarities to other popular books than what is comfortable; the potential was there, but it fell short. Will not be reading the sequel.
December 20, 2023
How do I even explain my experience reading The Stars are Dying? I've read a lot of unoriginal books, but oh my god, this was on a whole other level. It took me months to get through this, because not only was there literally not one element of originality to this book, but it's also just extremely dense. And trust me, I love a good indie book. I read the description of The Stars are Dying and thought maybe I had found an underrated gem. Even now, I want to give it the benefit of the doubt, but it was so mind-numbing. The problem is that it wasn't just a case of lots of popular tropes crammed into an otherwise okay story, no, literally everything about this book is borrowed. The character's motives, their dynamics, their dialogue, the writing style, elements of the world building, the story tropes (such as a deadly competition) ... And there was nothing tethering any of this together. If you can't give me originality, at least give the story some glue to hold it all together. Normally I don't care about books being similar to one another, because with the vast number of stories being produced today, of course some are going to come out alike, but this book is different. There's no way that you can take elements from every popular story in the last 5 years without realizing. And because everything was borrowed, and nothing was grounded, the pacing was all over the place. The pacing of the world building explanations, fantasy plot, and romance were genuinely unhinged. The first 200 pages were so slow, and then all of a sudden moving at lightning speed with crazy levels of info-dumping. And don't even get me started on the back and forth reveals and allegiance changes of the last 100 pages.
This review has no structure, and could definitely be more concise. For that I am sorry, but then again, that's the nature of this book as well.
This review has no structure, and could definitely be more concise. For that I am sorry, but then again, that's the nature of this book as well.
January 29, 2025
4.5⭐️
“one touch would make the stars collide, and neither of us would care if we collapsed the world with it.”
If you're obsessed with star-crossed lovers and the lost memory trope, this has to be your next read!
The Stars are Dying is the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and trials. Astraea, our FMC with missing memories, embarks on a journey of self-discovery in a world teeming with vampires, deceit, and danger. As her quest to uncover the truth behind her lost memories unfolds, she faces heartbreaking discoveries and is left questioning everyone and everything.
“The brightest star needs the darkest night.”
The chemistry between Astraea and the MMC, Nyte, is electric, to say the least. Their slow-burn romance is filled with tension, witty banter, and unexpected twists that keep you hooked. While the author’s narrative style leaves readers piecing together clues, the emotional payoff is absolutely worth it. I've seen lots of people DNF the book due to gaps in the timeline and the blending of reality and hallucination, but persistence is key—it’s SO worth it!
The world-building is immersive, and the spice factor? Oh my goodness, YES! The Stars are Dying is a must-read for fans of When the Moon Hatched, as it evokes a similar emotional impact. Be prepared to have your jaw on the floor while eagerly awaiting the release of book two.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the e-book to review.
“one touch would make the stars collide, and neither of us would care if we collapsed the world with it.”
If you're obsessed with star-crossed lovers and the lost memory trope, this has to be your next read!
The Stars are Dying is the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and trials. Astraea, our FMC with missing memories, embarks on a journey of self-discovery in a world teeming with vampires, deceit, and danger. As her quest to uncover the truth behind her lost memories unfolds, she faces heartbreaking discoveries and is left questioning everyone and everything.
“The brightest star needs the darkest night.”
The chemistry between Astraea and the MMC, Nyte, is electric, to say the least. Their slow-burn romance is filled with tension, witty banter, and unexpected twists that keep you hooked. While the author’s narrative style leaves readers piecing together clues, the emotional payoff is absolutely worth it. I've seen lots of people DNF the book due to gaps in the timeline and the blending of reality and hallucination, but persistence is key—it’s SO worth it!
The world-building is immersive, and the spice factor? Oh my goodness, YES! The Stars are Dying is a must-read for fans of When the Moon Hatched, as it evokes a similar emotional impact. Be prepared to have your jaw on the floor while eagerly awaiting the release of book two.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the e-book to review.
December 7, 2023
First off, my reason for the deduction of a star is, the pacing felt a bit off at the beginning of the book. And there were times where the plot seemed to drag on a bit. THAT BEING SAID. Keep. Reading. Because omg that last 150 pages made everything worth it.
Nyte and Astraea’s tension was so well written, their banter and chemistry was the best part of this book. I honestly can’t wait for the rest of this series. It has such potential!
Spice:
Nyte and Astraea’s tension was so well written, their banter and chemistry was the best part of this book. I honestly can’t wait for the rest of this series. It has such potential!
Spice:
Read
September 2, 2024DNF
The story lacked a good introduction and setup; had to double-check if it was book one. It says Nytefall #1. I attempted to continue reading, but I couldn't establish a connection with the writing. Overall, not for me.
Update Sept 01, 2024: This is now noted as book 5 of An Heir Comes to Rise series.
***Thank you to NetGalley, C.C. Penaranda, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
The story lacked a good introduction and setup; had to double-check if it was book one. It says Nytefall #1. I attempted to continue reading, but I couldn't establish a connection with the writing. Overall, not for me.
Update Sept 01, 2024: This is now noted as book 5 of An Heir Comes to Rise series.
***Thank you to NetGalley, C.C. Penaranda, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
July 17, 2023
I really wanted to love this book but it was unreadable.
Most sentence structures are so convoluted that they make no sense and we are just dumped into the world with no explanation with people having conversations about things we know nothing about.
I had to DNF.
Most sentence structures are so convoluted that they make no sense and we are just dumped into the world with no explanation with people having conversations about things we know nothing about.
I had to DNF.
July 20, 2023
DNF'd @ 12%. I tried to give this a shot but my god the sentence structure and purple prose had my head hurting. I was constantly re-reading sentences to make sense of what I was reading. The FMC is also really bland; there is no personality to her.
August 25, 2024
Rated 3.5/5 stars
June 13, 2023
WHERE DO I BEGIN.
Goodness, this book is incredible. I’ve no words to express how incredible this story is and the new cast of characters are equally amazing!! Not to mention a villain love interest? *chef’s kiss* Nyte is the perfect mix of Luc (Addie LaRue), Patch (Hush, Hush), and maybe even a bit of dark magician Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle). You all know how much I love Reylan from Chloe’s An Heir Comes to Rise series and I hope you’re ready to make room for yet another book husband to add to your lineup.
Astraea is our new FMC in this world and I absolutely ADORE her to pieces. Truly I can’t say enough good about her and I’m excited for you all to go on this epic journey across Solanis with her. I connected with her right away from the start and I felt/laughed/cried with her till the very last page. I can’t wait to scream with you guys!! Her dynamic with Nyte is utter perfection and top tier swoon worthy.
I think that’s all I can say for now without spoiling anything. If you are new to Chloe’s books and have not read her AHCTR series I think you will do just fine reading this without feeling like you’re missing out on anything major. However those who have read AHCTR I think you will appreciate the little Easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout the story. ;)
Goodness, this book is incredible. I’ve no words to express how incredible this story is and the new cast of characters are equally amazing!! Not to mention a villain love interest? *chef’s kiss* Nyte is the perfect mix of Luc (Addie LaRue), Patch (Hush, Hush), and maybe even a bit of dark magician Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle). You all know how much I love Reylan from Chloe’s An Heir Comes to Rise series and I hope you’re ready to make room for yet another book husband to add to your lineup.
Astraea is our new FMC in this world and I absolutely ADORE her to pieces. Truly I can’t say enough good about her and I’m excited for you all to go on this epic journey across Solanis with her. I connected with her right away from the start and I felt/laughed/cried with her till the very last page. I can’t wait to scream with you guys!! Her dynamic with Nyte is utter perfection and top tier swoon worthy.
I think that’s all I can say for now without spoiling anything. If you are new to Chloe’s books and have not read her AHCTR series I think you will do just fine reading this without feeling like you’re missing out on anything major. However those who have read AHCTR I think you will appreciate the little Easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout the story. ;)
August 7, 2024
Some might say that dnf'ing this at 15% isn't giving this enough of a chance. I'd argue that by 15%, I should at least have a care or an interest in the characters or the plot, and I don't have either.
I can see the potential in this world, but the writing in this is so clunky and confusing. Reading it felt like work, and I was constantly rereading sentences to try and make sense of them.
PLEASE. If you're going to include deadly trials as the main plot device, give a plausible reason for the why of it. Trials are held every 100 years between 5 human nations, and the winner gains their nation 100 years of safety from vampire attacks....but why?! It makes no sense. Maybe the reasoning is explained later in the book, but it should have been done when the idea was introduced.
It was also giving mad Plated Prisoner vibes.
I wouldn't recommend this book, but it is about to be trad published (Oct 2024), so I assume the necessary revisions have been done in the editing process for the rereleased version, if you wanted to try it then.
I can see the potential in this world, but the writing in this is so clunky and confusing. Reading it felt like work, and I was constantly rereading sentences to try and make sense of them.
PLEASE. If you're going to include deadly trials as the main plot device, give a plausible reason for the why of it. Trials are held every 100 years between 5 human nations, and the winner gains their nation 100 years of safety from vampire attacks....but why?! It makes no sense. Maybe the reasoning is explained later in the book, but it should have been done when the idea was introduced.
It was also giving mad Plated Prisoner vibes.
I wouldn't recommend this book, but it is about to be trad published (Oct 2024), so I assume the necessary revisions have been done in the editing process for the rereleased version, if you wanted to try it then.
March 3, 2025
**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒚 𝑪.𝑪. 𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂 (𝑵𝒚𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)
Release Date: August 8, 2023
5⭐️4🌶
This book is deliciously complex, and I loved every second of it! If you mash ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Hunger Games together then you get something like this book.
Astraea has been living under the protection of the "mafia" leader Hector for the last 5 years. She has no memory of her life before then. She just knows that everything beyond Hector's protection is dangerous to her. She spends her evenings sneaking out of Hector's establishment to see her friend Cassia, who is the daughter of the local lord. Cassia teaches her knife fighting and archery, and Cassia plans on becoming the Selected for their portion of the Kingdom.
Each Selected must travel to the Central and participate in the High King's "games." Whichever Selected wins the games for their Kingdom, that Kingdom becomes protected from the Vampire's proclivities for the next couple of decades.
Astraea has tired of Hector's "protection", and decides to travel with Cassia to the Central, but not all goes as planned.
Astraea is also trying to find the secrets of her past and learn why she has mysterious celestial markings all of her arms. Plus, a dark brooding male named Nyte keeps popping up when she least expects, but she's the only person who can see him.
Release Date: August 8, 2023
5⭐️4🌶
This book is deliciously complex, and I loved every second of it! If you mash ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Hunger Games together then you get something like this book.
Astraea has been living under the protection of the "mafia" leader Hector for the last 5 years. She has no memory of her life before then. She just knows that everything beyond Hector's protection is dangerous to her. She spends her evenings sneaking out of Hector's establishment to see her friend Cassia, who is the daughter of the local lord. Cassia teaches her knife fighting and archery, and Cassia plans on becoming the Selected for their portion of the Kingdom.
Each Selected must travel to the Central and participate in the High King's "games." Whichever Selected wins the games for their Kingdom, that Kingdom becomes protected from the Vampire's proclivities for the next couple of decades.
Astraea has tired of Hector's "protection", and decides to travel with Cassia to the Central, but not all goes as planned.
Astraea is also trying to find the secrets of her past and learn why she has mysterious celestial markings all of her arms. Plus, a dark brooding male named Nyte keeps popping up when she least expects, but she's the only person who can see him.
November 10, 2024
This book felt like a wattpad fanfiction of ACOTAR 🫠
I honestly struggle to believe this book went through editing. The writing was choppy and the sentences never ending. You just never knew what the point of the sentence was or what was actually going on.
The tropes were thrown in your face constantly. And the FMC was SO NONCHALANT?? She never asked questions?? She just seemed like a bubble head.
I honestly struggle to believe this book went through editing. The writing was choppy and the sentences never ending. You just never knew what the point of the sentence was or what was actually going on.
The tropes were thrown in your face constantly. And the FMC was SO NONCHALANT?? She never asked questions?? She just seemed like a bubble head.
May 24, 2025
Plot? Vibes. Logic? Optional. But yearning? Astronomical. If you like your slow burn with a side of chaos and a few eyerolls at the FMC, welcome home.
September 5, 2023
DNF AT PAGE 28 ( 5%)
I think is the fastest dnf of all my life.
The prologue is like a big fat spoiler.Avoid it at all costs
The mmc and FMC met at page 10 and by then you know exactly what the book is going to be about and how it will end.
The beginning is exactly the same from FBAA .
The writing was too much tell and not show and random tropes were thrown just from page one making it blatantly obvious ..
I love a well placed " who did this to you.." but in page 20???...come on...
Despite all this, if you are a new fantasy romance reader and you haven't read From Blood and Ash and/or Acotar this book may appeal to you.
I think is the fastest dnf of all my life.
The prologue is like a big fat spoiler.Avoid it at all costs
The mmc and FMC met at page 10 and by then you know exactly what the book is going to be about and how it will end.
The beginning is exactly the same from FBAA .
The writing was too much tell and not show and random tropes were thrown just from page one making it blatantly obvious ..
I love a well placed " who did this to you.." but in page 20???...come on...
Despite all this, if you are a new fantasy romance reader and you haven't read From Blood and Ash and/or Acotar this book may appeal to you.
September 28, 2023
UPDATE: after sitting on this review for months every time I think about this book the more annoyed I get. When I enjoy a book I usually look back on it with fondness, and this I only look back at with growing distaste for the use of other author’s creations that worked well with a fan base and copy pasting them into a new book. Adjusting my rating to 2 stars. I have read 3 books by this author now and I will not be continuing due to lack of originality.
*******
I am struggling with how to rate this book and keep going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. It had HUGE potential but ultimately… eh.
I went into this book looking to give the author a second chance after reading the first two books in her other series and not enjoying them due to the lack of original content.
I like the male characters in this series for their deliciousness 🥵 and all powerful, obsessive, consuming natures. But the female characters are either too overbearing or too dumb 😅 I need a main character that doesn’t make stupid choices. In this one, the FMC doesn’t seem to care that she’s missing memories for over 5 years of her life… glosses over a HUGE revelation and barely reacts to some major plot points. She also switches gears with her feelings more times than I can keep up with which annoyed me.
There were also issues with fluidity of scenes. How does she get back inside a locked room? The scenes tended to skip around and you were left guessing how we got from one point to another. She stabbed a man? When? I found myself re reading paragraphs to make sure I knew where we were now.
While the plot was unique and definitely intriguing we have several things pulled from other books. Basically scenes or characters that worked for other series like the hunger games and the plated prisoner series were put into this book almost word for word or descriptions were staggeringly similar.
I know it may sound like I didn’t enjoy this book at all, but I did in ways. There is a huge focus on celestial beings, true magic and cosmic energies. I loved how this concept was brought in, described and utilized throughout. I wish there was more emphasis on the magic but I get why it was slowly introduced.
I may have to think on this rating more but for now, as it stands it’s a 3.
*******
I am struggling with how to rate this book and keep going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. It had HUGE potential but ultimately… eh.
I went into this book looking to give the author a second chance after reading the first two books in her other series and not enjoying them due to the lack of original content.
I like the male characters in this series for their deliciousness 🥵 and all powerful, obsessive, consuming natures. But the female characters are either too overbearing or too dumb 😅 I need a main character that doesn’t make stupid choices. In this one, the FMC doesn’t seem to care that she’s missing memories for over 5 years of her life… glosses over a HUGE revelation and barely reacts to some major plot points. She also switches gears with her feelings more times than I can keep up with which annoyed me.
There were also issues with fluidity of scenes. How does she get back inside a locked room? The scenes tended to skip around and you were left guessing how we got from one point to another. She stabbed a man? When? I found myself re reading paragraphs to make sure I knew where we were now.
While the plot was unique and definitely intriguing we have several things pulled from other books. Basically scenes or characters that worked for other series like the hunger games and the plated prisoner series were put into this book almost word for word or descriptions were staggeringly similar.
I know it may sound like I didn’t enjoy this book at all, but I did in ways. There is a huge focus on celestial beings, true magic and cosmic energies. I loved how this concept was brought in, described and utilized throughout. I wish there was more emphasis on the magic but I get why it was slowly introduced.
I may have to think on this rating more but for now, as it stands it’s a 3.
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