Cage of Starlight

by Jules Arbeaux

Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos.

Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras.

Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead.

There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay.

But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they'll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don't go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives?

A grumpy healer must work with his captor when a mission strands them in enemy territory in this action-packed, queer romantic fantasy by the author of Lord of the Empty Isles.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Romance, Queer, LGBT, Science Fiction, Fiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2025

About the author

Born in the big city but raised reckless and barefoot deep in the woods, Jules Arbeaux is a science fiction and fantasy author and inveterate enjoyer of visceral, wrenching poetry and prose, complex characters, and powerful relationships of every flavor.

Cat parent, artist, learner of languages, and professional neglector of many thriving succulents, Jules subsists on sour gummy worms and far-fetched dreams. LORD OF THE EMPTY ISLES, forthcoming from Hodderscape in summer 2024, is the author's debut novel.

Reviews

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of random read (listen, actually I got the audiobook but more on that later). The amazon subtitle "the stunning, heart-wrenching enemies-to-lovers fantasy" and blurb seem to be a serious mismatch of tone and marketing- it is actually a pretty good fantasy with a lot of verve in worldbuilding and plot. There is a romantic plot (mm) with some speeches and narrative focus on how much each means to the other, but that felt a bit milquetoast to me - I do not mean it was all very chaste (it was) but the yearning or personality was just not particularly compelling to me and I would have been happy enough if they were both just friends and asexual/aromantic (as hinted in the beginning regarding one MC). Think early Martha Wells fantasies maybe..

The marketing makes it seem like a scorching romantasy type novel or at least Everina Maxwell/Freya Marske type of romance and it is not - but the plot and worldbuilding is several cuts above Maxwell's offerings. The blurb also seems off, the events described occur only halfway through (45% mark at that) and the training facility is a military camp in a war between two nations with magic users as tools.

I listened to the audiobook and narrator, Sebastian Humphreys was pretty good, but I think this would be better in print than audio because it suffers from that thing common to fantasy novels, complex worldbuilding and cast of characters and it would have been nice to be able to go back and check what was this or what.

In all, nice effort, a bit different from expected, I am interested in checking more from the author but the romantic plot is underwhelming and it feels like what she was really enjoying writing was the worldbuilding and plot twists - maybe the author would be better writing full fledged multi cast fantasy than things meant to be romantasy.

[Jules Arbeaux]

For some reason, the Powers That Be have continued to allow me to write books. I am ecstatic. Apologies in advance!

I don't think I will ever stop feeling the awe that comes with being able to say, "I wrote this." Now that Cage of Starlight is up on Netgalley, this book belongs to readers (until DNF do you part), so it’s time for me to flee this site. Before I go, I wanted to leave some quick notes.

If you ever asked yourself, "What if X-Men, but sad and gay(er), with eldritch plants?" or even "What if Captive Prince met Fullmetal Alchemist?" this might be your preferred flavor of nonsense. If you, too, like character-focused stories, messy people doing their best (and sometimes their worst), gentle boys who could destroy the world, healers who want to tear out throats, indulgent original mythology, or enemies-to-lovers stories featuring a good dollop of hurt/comfort and yearning from prickly ace-spec and/or neurodivergent characters blindsided by the mortifying ordeal of falling in love—I got your back, friend.

But I go into this knowing, as I imagine all writers do, that the themes and things that sing to me won’t sing in the same way to every reader. Everyone has their own wants and needs and story elements that make them light up—ones they can love a thousand times in a thousand different forms. This book has a fair few of mine. I dare not hope mine will match yours, but if this story brings you joy or makes you feel seen or leads you on a journey you’re glad you took, I’m honored to have made your acquaintance through these pages. No matter what, thank you, thank you, thank you for spending time in my world.

Some quick notes:

✨ Is this standalone? Yes! There’s room for me to play around more in the universe if I’m ever allowed to, but this book stands alone.

✨ Is this romantasy? The book is focused around what I hope is a compelling, slow-burn hate-to-love story, but it doesn’t hit romance notes beat-for-beat! It’s more love story than capital-R Romance, if that makes sense. Slow burn, heavy on the yearning.

Content notes: graphic injury (in the context of healing), imprisonment and conscription, death, illness, depiction of a battle/mentions of war, death of a parent (off-page), abusive/coercive behavior (non-sexual) from an authority figure (neither of the leads)

Find me on my website, on Instagram, or on the crumbling garbage site formerly known as Twitter.

[Frances White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jules Arbeaux weaves a emotional tale of persevering hope against all odds in CAGE OF STARLIGHT. Sena and Tory are instantly iconic characters who I would die for!

If you thought Lord of the Empty Isles was emotional prepare to feel EVERYTHING in Cage of Starlight. THESE BOYS. I can't. Just read it.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am finding this a really, really tough one to review and I wish I could rate it higher because it had some truly strong points going for it. Some of the issues are probably just a matter of taste and reading preferences, but I do also think there were a few more technical thing that made this a little hard to get through.

First and foremost, our main characters Tory and Sena are fantastic. Both are multi facetted characters who are in ways total opposites and yet also have plenty in common which also makes them a great duo. I'd argue that this book is very light on the romance side but the slow burn was nonetheless well done and I generally loved how their enemies to allies dynamic gradually grew. The writing was well done and I liked the premise of this book.

The first issue I had has the pacing and info dumping. It was extremely slow to get the ball rolling, at around 25% I felt that I had read close to nothing but world building and explanations around the magic system. At around 65%, I felt very much the same. It was as though more than half of the book was a set up and the actual meat of the plot just wouldn't take off. But what makes it even worse, for all the worldbuilding and intricate magic system, I feel like I only have the vaguest idea of what this world is meant to be like.

I kind of went into this thinking it's more of a high fantasy setting but the magic system feels very much more like science fiction. There's more science than magic going on here. And that's fine! It's just that I am still unsure which of the two it's meant to be The original set up, the lore and general vibe feels like it's more of a medieval-esque setting. And yet the magic is largely based on psychic abilities and there are plenty of human experiements, high tech devices and weapons. So as far as world building goes, I am utterly confused.

Then there is the magic system - we spend so much time explaining how it works but it remains a vague concept to me. This also didn't help with the battle scenes and devices. There are items that are part plant and part machine or crystal - they're vaguely described as balls but they are vines wrapped around a crystal. They are extremely dangerous but I don't understand what it is they do or where they come from exactly. It's a device but it's also implied that it may have a mind of its own. From the moment they were mentioned to the last chapter, I did not understand their purpose, their origin, how they function or what exactly they looked like. And I fel tmuch the same about wider battle scenes. So much was happening and action scenes aren't always the most straight forward to write but I just spent so much time confused.

So, ultimately, I felt almost everything was extremely over and under explained - too much in some areas, not enough areas. That also made this a pretty slow read to get through and it is just such a shame as I truly enjoyed the characters. I will say that I personally would have liked just a wee bit m ore romance, but I think I understand what the author was aiming for and there are also plenty of readers out there who prefer no to little romance, so this is truly just a personal preference.

[Svea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cage of Starlight is one of those books I knew absolutely nothing about when I started it. I forgot to read the description and just let it blindside me with whatever story it wanted to tell. And I liked it!
At its core, it's nothing really new: There's an authoritarian regime, there's a rebellion, and two lovers that start out as enemies are thrown into the thick of it and inadvertently become important figures in the fight for justice. But Arbeaux does her own spin on this old tale. While the Evil Regime is clearly only Evil and I would have loved more nuance here, I did enjoy that the rebels aren't portrayed as the perfect group fighting for the perfect goal. There's a lot more realism and moral ambiguity involved, which elevates it from many other fictional rebellions in romantasy. The world-building is well-done though I remained a bit confused about some things, like the magic and political system. I often felt that important aspects of the world were underexplained and I couldn't really picture them clearly in my mind or make sense of them.
I did very much enjoy our two main characters. The book is written from Tory's perspective, a healer who might be much more than just a healer and who is caught and imprisoned in order to turn him into a weapon useable by the aforementioned Evil Regime. His captor is Sena, son of the Leader of said Evil Regime and at first seemingly loyal to a fault to him. Both of them are likeable, nuanced and complex. I enjoyed both their development as characters on their own and the slow relationship building between them. It's mostly actual slow-burn and their relationship makes sense within the context of their world and their roles in it. Sena especially tugged at my heartstrings more than I would have expected.
There are some likeable side characters, but neither of them is incredibly fleshed out. But I enjoyed them and felt for them. I liked the primary Surprise Antagonist, too, and enjoyed the twists about him.

All in all a beautiful start to what I think might be a duology or series, at least the ending definitely doesn't wrap up the story. Likeable characters, a romance full of yearning and tragedy, beautiful writing and an interesting world - give this one a try!
3,5 stars, rounding up to 4.

Many thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc!

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75⭐️

When I read Arbeaux's debut last year, I fell in love with their writing and it quickly became my joint favourite book of all time. As such, this was a very anticipated read for me, and I was very excited to dive in. And - for the most part - it did not disappoint!

One of Arbeaux's greatest strengths is their ability to write emotion, and this really shone in Cage of Starlight. And their strength lies not only in writing the characters' complex and nuanced emotions, and leading readers to become irreversibly attached and fall in love with them, but in how they produce emotions within the reader. Reading this felt like a visceral experience for me in the best of ways. I grew so attached to Tory and Sena that I felt their emotions alongside them, felt their pain as vividly as if it were my own, and cheered for them right through to the end. I think, on the whole, visceral is an excellent word to describe this story. Tory and Sena have both suffered immensely, and are now left fighting tooth and nail for freedom and agency, and its raw and brutal and emotional and heartbreaking, and yet still somehow beautiful and filled with hope and determination.

I fell in love with Tory's character immediately, and loved seeing a slightly different take on a protagonist. He's angry and hurting and scared to let others in and he never stops fighting, which I admired greatly. I also loved the asexual representation with him (I'm aroace, so this made me very happy), and very much enjoyed his gentle and subtle romantic bond with Sena alongside this. Speaking of Sena, his character may have broken me, in all the best ways. He, again, is a slightly different take on a protagonist, with a nuanced and layered backstory (that I do wish we got to see more of) which made his character so complex. Sena too is hurting and scared and his journey to finding hope again and allowing himself to indulge in freedom was beautiful. But I love him most for the neurodivergent representation. There's no confirmation on what sort of neurodivergent Sena is exactly, but as an autistic person, I related to him immensely and found such comfort in the representation. The representation was so thoughtful, and clearly so important to Arbeaux, and I adored seeing sensory issues and social struggles woven into this sci-fi/fantasy melded adventure. Whilst I think the character work with Tory and Sena was really strong, I don't think the side characters were as strong as those in Lord of the Empty Isles, and I found it much harder to connect with them.

The world in this book - based upon plants and energies and with subtle hints of science - is very expansive and complex, and a little tricky to get your head around at times, and I think does sometimes lean more towards sci-fi than fantasy, which I didn't mind at all! There's a lot of information on the worldbuilding and magic system fed to the reader at once at the start of the novel, which I usually would critique, but, even though it was a lot to wrap my head around, I actually didn't mind it! We spend most of the first part of the book in solely Tory's POV, and he doesn't know any of this information either, so I thought this worldbuilding method was actually quite effective with connecting readers with Tory and his journey and the new world he's acclimatising too. In a similar vein, I thought the plot of this book was strong, and worked with a similar effect to the worldbuilding. Tory and Sena spend most of the book in the dark about what is going on, piecing together the threads of intrigue themselves, as we readers do so alongside them, and I thought this was particularly effective for some of the antagonists' motivations and reveals.

This is also an intensely political book, just like Lord of the Empty Isles was, and I think the social commentaries were handled excellently. This book tackles some heavy themes, and tackles them with respect and force and determination in the best of ways, weaving activism throughout this tale of rebellion and agency. Arbeaux tackles incarceration and labour camps, forced conscription and a world upturned by the military, imprisonment and agency, and the nuances of rebellion and the consequences of corruption. The interweaving of social commentaries is another of Arbeaux's greatest strengths, and it was definitely a standing out point of this book.

I desperately wanted to give this book 5⭐️ for all that it made me feel, and in my soul it deserves those stars, but I can't deny that I just wanted a bit more out of it. I wanted more out of Tory and Sena's backstories. I wanted more expansion on the worldbuilding and the war and how that all came to be. I wanted some plot points to be tidied up a bit and expanded upon. I just wanted more. This book is officially a standalone, but Arbeaux has said they left it open for possibly writing more in the future, and I desperately hope that they do. To me, this book didn't feel like a standalone (though I do think it can be read mostly satisfyingly as one), but instead felt like the start of something bigger, something incredible, and I think a sequel would allow space to expand upon the things I found to be a bit lacking or messy in this book. I want to spend more time with Tory and Sena and their sweet, slowly blooming bond. I want to see this world expand and dive more into the politics and war and see the oppressive system crumble. I just adored this story and this world so much and desperately want more of it because I know Arbeaux is incredible and there is so much potential here!

Overall, I did absolutely adore this book and was completely hooked from the very start. With excellent protagonists, nuanced social commentary, unique worldbuilding, this original sci-fi and fantasy blend was a beautiful tale of loss and suffering and yet also strength, rebellion, agency, and hope. I'm very honoured I got the chance to read this early and definitely recommend picking up a copy when it releases next month!

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cage of Starlight" by Jules Arbeaux impresses with its vivid characters, emotional depth, and an exciting blend of fantasy and sci-fi elements.
The writing style is easy to read, emotional, and I was immediately drawn into the story. It starts off a little slow, but that didn’t bother me much. Instead, it gave us more time to get to know the characters and understand the situation they are in. After that, the plot picks up significantly and surprised me with some twists I truly didn’t see coming.
One of the strongest aspects is the dynamic between Tory and Sena. Their initial enmity evolves convincingly into reluctant allies who regard each other with distrust but gradually learn to trust and understand one another.
This transition worked very well for me. However, the next step—from reluctant allies to lovers—only semi-worked in my eyes. Most of the time, it felt more like a deep friendship rather than a romantic relationship. I can't really judge how Arbeaux usually writes romance since this was my first book by her, but personally, I would have liked a bit more explicit development in that regard.
My favorite character is definitely Tory. He grows beautifully from a cautious outsider into a confident survivor. Sena, on the other hand, was harder for me to grasp at first. I leaned more toward finding him unlikeable and often wanted to shake him, but he also gained more depth as the story progressed.
I found the worldbuilding a little less convincing. It could have been much more detailed, especially regarding the magical elements, the structure of the world, and the general explanations, which all felt a bit thin to me. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun with the story—though, you know, something just felt a little missing.

Overall, Cage of Starlight is a captivating story about freedom, trust, and self-discovery that will especially appeal to readers who love strong characters and emotional growth. Despite some minor weaknesses, the book offers great reading enjoyment—I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

[angry axolotl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little bit conflicted about this one. Cage of Starlight was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 based on the blurb alone. So I was kind of confused when most of the events mentioned there didn't actually happen until around the halfway mark.

But that alone probably wouldn't have bothered me if the entire first third of the book hadn't felt like one big info-dump. It definitely got better after that- the last 50 pages or so were really great! But I still think the book was entirely too long for what little happened during its first half.
One could argue that the book was just character-driven, which would be why the plot dragged at times- but I can't shake the feeling that after almost 450 pages, I still barely even know these characters.

Also, I've seen this book marketed as a 'romantic fantasy'- which this is clearly not, and I wasn't expecting it to be. I mean it, there wasn't even a chaste kiss between the leads. And I'm definitely not complaining about that! But the marketing for this is just seriously off the mark. Still, I feel like the plot alone wouldn't have held up without the relationship between Tory and Sena.

Honestly, my thoughts are kind of all over the place right now, so you're getting bullet points.
Let's start with the things I liked about this book:

• Sena! Sena was just great. Although I would have loved to know more about his family and backstory.
• Sena and Tory's relationship development near the end was really well written.
• The concept of this book was very intriguing.
• The POV switches definitely added to the story.


Well, and now on to The Bad:

• The setting really confused me. At first I thought it was kind of medieval fantasy-adjacent, but then it was... not? There are also some sci-fi elements. And as I said, I'm confused. Which brings us to-
• The worldbuilding. The entire first third felt very info-dumpey. Which is bad, because I'm still confused. Some things were completely overexplained, while others... were kind of left unexplained. I'm sorry, but why exactly were those two nations waging war against each other again?
• It's basically the Evil Power-hungry Country vs. the Good Country We Don't Actually Know Much About. I guess I would have liked a bit more nuance. And a little bit more information on each country.
• The plot felt less like a plot and more like a random string of occurrences. I also thought there would be at least a little bit of political intrigue to tie everything together- you know, given there's a war going on. The open ending didn't help. It made everything feel somewhat unresolved.
• I really have no idea what some of the characters' intentions or goals behind their actions were. That includes our main villain(?).
• I... did not care about most of the side characters. (I liked Hasra, though!)
• The backstories of our leads, especially Tory's, were never really explored. It made them feel a little bit one-dimensional at times.

I know, I know. This makes it sound like I didn't enjoy this book at all. But I did! Most of the time. I just think that this story kind of lacked focus? Or maybe it focused on the wrong things. I really wanted to like this more, if I'm being honest. It should have been exactly my thing, but it ended up just being fine.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

This isn't one of those 5* books where I'm like DAMN, EVERYONE READ THIS NOW! This is instead a book, much like Lord of the Empty Isles, which just feels catered to me personally. (Not that it's a super niche book that other people wouldn't like, I just imagine it would be more of a 4* read for most people). I could try and critique it properly but I don't want to, because sometimes a book feels like a warm hug and that's all that matters. (If I had to choose a favourite of Jules Arbeaux's books, it would be Lord of the Empty Isles, but that's the only "negative" I'll concede...)

Side note: both Lord of the Empty Isles and Cage of Starlight prove that ace-spec relationships can actually be just as charming and heart-wrenching as ~normal~ romantic relationships. Lord of the Empty Isles has an aro-ace main character, while the main characters of Cage of Starlight aren't really defined beyond a kind of homoromantic/queer platonic aceness (sometimes you don't need labels) and there are multiple beautiful relationships of all kinds depicted across both books. I need more of this, please.

Anyway, this was fab and leaves room for a sequel while also working as an open-ended-ish standalone. Can't wait to see what the author publishes next.

[Abi Walton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tory, an unregistered healer living on the fringes of society, is hiding his magical ability to avoid being imprisoned for the war effort, a setup with real promise. The story leans into the ‘chosen one’ trope, with Tory revealed to be the child of some ancient being. But the worldbuilding was so vague that it collapsed under its own weight when I tried to figure out what was going on. The magic system, which I think is something to do with star beasts and seeds, is underexplained and never tangible enough to hold onto, and I'm still not sure what a legion is.

Sena, Tory's love interest and the other POV character, is a child soldier turned loyal enforcer and should have been my favourite. His dynamic with Tory had real potential: full of conflict, tension, and buried emotion.

However, the turn of helping one another comes far too quickly, with none of the slow-burn payoff I was craving. And when we reach the emotional climax of the novel, when we should feel the most, I felt… nothing. That’s not what you want from a story like this.

Overall, it was disappointing, but not without glimmers of potential. It has a good concept, a solid lead, and a love interest who could’ve shone with more time. Maybe this will come with future books. For me tough this will be my last Arbeaux novel.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.
I think it might stem from the fact that I didn’t quite get along with the writing. I found it clunky at times which made the flow of the story not very smooth.

I also think we didn’t get to feel a lot of the emotions to the characters. I know this is written in third person but even then we always should be able to get a feel of the emotions and I just didn’t get it with these characters as much as I wanted to. And I love feeling attached to characters that’s my favourite thing to do when I read books and I so wanted to feel attached with both Tory and Sena because they definitely had the potential. Like they both had such interesting backstories but we never really get to know much about it or about them in general. I just wanted a little bit more.

Sena though I thought was the most interesting character and I just so wish we got his POV a little bit earlier rather than halfway through the book. I just wanted to know more about himmmm.
And I really did enjoy the first half of the book, I loved how the whole town was really protective of Tory and such. I kinda wanted this book to end where Tory maybe goes back ‘home’ to the town with Sena or something.

[Menoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what Jules Arbeaux could write the dictionary AND I WOULD FUCKING READ IT.
I’ll write my review later. But holly shit

Edit :

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.
Lord of the empty isles was one of my favorite book of last year. And Cage of starlight will be in my top 5 too.

I would kill people for Tory and Sena’s happiness. Like. I had to put the book down multiple times just to take a breath. This book made them go through a meat grinder, BUT SOMETIMES THEY HAD A LITTLE RESPITE and it was amazing.

Tory had to hide all is life, running away from the military who is hunting people like him who have powers. He lives a quiet life until an incident forces him to flees his safe place, aaaand he got captured by none other than Sena. Another being with similar power as Tory but Sena was born into the military, he had no choice but to join.

Their relationship is not the best from the start but little by little they start seeing something in each other, and it was just beautiful.

I won’t say more but, I loved how the story went, loved how protective they were of each other and I cannot wait to reread it.

[Liyaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on a wimb, so had no expectations. Cage of Starlight was a wonderful surprise with both interesting and in my opinion relatable story arks for the main characters. While also having an interesting magic system and good world building. Only complaints I have are that the book could have been longer, the magic of the MC could have been explored a bit more, the ending was rushed, and that the summary is misleading. According to the synopsis, this book is considered romantasy. Without giving any spoilers, I disagree with that label and am glad I didn't read the synopsis prior to giving this book a chance. I would consider this book fantasy with minimal romance. For these reasons, my rating is more of a 4.7/5.
Also, amazing narrating from Sebastian Humphreys.

[Tabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5🌟 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊.

I enjoyed Arbeaux's first book, Lord of the Empty Isles (a queer, low-key sci-fi novel about found-family and eco rebellion), but I didn't get on with Cage of Starlight nearly so well.

Tory Arknett is an unregistered healer living on the fringes of society. Though he has lived by a rule of never putting down roots or getting attached to a place, he's not as good at following that rule as he thinks. When a particularly showy bit of healing attracts the attention of the governing military, he's taken in by Sena Vantaras. Tory is prodded and probed and fitted with a kill switch, and trained up in an academy/prison setting to fight as fodder in a war against some rebels. Though there's plenty of animosity at first, Tory comes to realise that Sena (with his uniform, title and restrained countenance) might not be as free as he first thought. Perhaps they even have a few things in common...

The magic system has something to do with ancient star beasts and seeds and made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever - simultaneously overexplained and underexplained, it was never tangible enough to grasp hold of. There was the nugget of something interesting hidden amidst the viney tendrils, but it never quite made its way through.

The rebellion lore was also ill-defined. Why are these people fighting? Why have so many been thrown in prison? It's not enough to stick in a one-dimensional fascist villain (who barely features) and tell them all to have at it. A couple of characters turn out to be SUPER POWERFUL (we're talking chosen-one territory) and nobody around them really seems to care? I think with a book like this, you have a certain set of expectations going in, and when they're not met you're left kind of stumped.

It contains some nice ideas and images, but structurally doesn't really hold together. When I learned the author had drafted the second half of the book first it actually made a lot of sense. That's where all the interesting stuff happens!

The main characters are well-written and dynamic and complex. I think Arbeaux actually excels at writing in the grey areas. It was the world-building that let it down for me. I just couldn't see it.

[Oli (oliverreadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Updated: 05/06/2025

🌒 Title: Cage of Starlight
🖋 Author: Jules Arbeaux
⭐ Rating: ★★★★
📚 Genre: Fantasy / Enemies‑to‑Lovers / LGBTQ+ Representation
📖 Format: eARC via NetGalley & Hodderscape
📅 Finished Read: 27 February 2025

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✦ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodderscape, for granting me early access to this novel. I’ll admit, the formatting on my Kindle was odd—so odd that I switched to the NetGalley Reader app just to make it readable. Aside from that minor hiccup, the prose is solid and immersive.

Early on, the pacing felt slow—perhaps a typical fantasy‑initiation phase, or maybe I was distracted by exam season. Once the plot truly launched, however, it delivered a hard, satisfying smack to the face. The author’s world‑building, character voices, and tension all clicked once the central conflict ignited.

Also, as a UK reader, I can’t look at the name “Tory” without imagining the Conservative Party—cue the internal giggles every time his name popped up.

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✦ 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
This is a story of two heirs—Sena and Tory—from rival kingdoms on the brink of war. Both were raised expecting rigid futures: Sena groomed to inherit a tyrannical legacy, and Tory molded into a political trophy. When circumstances force them onto a shared quest, each must confront what they’ve been taught to believe—and what they truly want for themselves and their people.

I approached this novel expecting a straightforward high‑fantasy romance. Instead, I got a layered exploration of identity, societal expectations, and queer representation that I hadn’t anticipated—because I hadn’t checked the tropes beforehand. Once I realized there was LGBTQ+ representation woven into the narrative, I was thrilled. We desperately need more queer protagonists in fantasy.

The plot twist near the end caught me off‑guard—partly because I was juggling conflicting expectations in my own head. Once it landed, though, it made perfect sense within the world’s political scheming. The author’s pacing and reveals are clever; I tip my hat to that.

At around 96% in, I was mentally sobbing (no tears, because “built different”) and even drafting suggestions on how to push the emotional stakes further. If there’s a sequel—please, please give us more of Sena and Tory bickering at home, learning to talk to each other, and maybe a proper, slow‑burn kiss.

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✦ 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
This world features two warring realms separated by treacherous terrain—think sweeping mountain passes and shadowed forests that test our heroes at every turn. I may be a “privileged reader” because I kept wishing for a map. My mind kept comparing the capitals to Ba Sing Se in Avatar: The Last Airbender or the wall‑surrounded Paradis in Attack on Titan. A glossary would’ve helped decode certain cultural terms and place names, but the prose is clear enough that I never felt completely lost.

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✦ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
- Tory: A chaotic force of nature—equal parts stubborn and surprisingly loyal. He’s brash, hot‑headed, and constantly on the brink of physically “sinking his teeth” into anyone who crosses him (hence the Chihuahua energy). Despite his impulsiveness and “complete and utter stupidity” in tight spots, he grows steadily stronger. Watching him transform from entitled heir to someone willing to challenge his own legacy is part of this book’s best journey.
- Sena: Tortured by a cruel father and burdened with a twisted upbringing, Sena is the quieter counterpart to Tory’s noise. At first, his motivations seem inscrutable—his cruelty toward Tory in the prologue left me wary. But as the story unfolds, his vulnerability and fierce loyalty shine through. By the midpoint, I was genuinely invested in his survival and moral arc.
- Harsa (Supporting): Fearless and fiercely protective of Tory, Harsa emerged as my personal favorite. Her willingness to risk everything for him—despite the ever‑looming threat to her own life—adds heart and stakes.
- Iri (Supporting): Equally devoted, Iri’s loyalty and compassion deepen the emotional core. Whenever the protagonists are on the brink of despair, these two remind us why their quest matters beyond politics and prophecy.

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✦ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This novel may begin at a gentle crawl, but the payoff is worth every slow‑burn page. The political intrigue, the enemies‑to‑lovers tension, and the authentic queer representation elevate it above a generic fantasy romance. If you’ve ever been frustrated by characters who “should just talk,” this book shows how real miscommunication can be—especially when larger forces (family, legacy, war) are pulling the strings.

My only quibbles are the initial formatting glitches on Kindle and the desire for more POV switches—particularly from secondary characters. Still, on balance, this is a compelling read. I’d welcome a sequel or even a novella that shows Sena and Tory navigating peace (and awkward domestic conversations) back home. And yes, I want that kiss.

(Cross‑posted to Fable and StoryGraph and NetGalley and Goodreads)

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on chokehold the entire time. I like the worldbuilding and the characters a lot.
I was really how all of that was supposed to be solved between the two main characters.
I need myself a sequel, thank you very much.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

*flaming elmo gif*

[Olivia]

AHhh this was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I wanted to like it so much after devouring Lord of the Empty Isles, but overall it felt a little lacklustre. The book description was making it out to be a star crossed romance, which it definitely wasn't. To be clear, this was not because the characters were ace-spec, but I just felt they didn't have enough romantic chemistry/yearning, i.e. moments that I could tell were meant to be romantic but honestly I would've loved for that page time to have been used for more clarity on the magic system and Arlune. I also found the female side characters more compelling than the main characters, especially Dr Helner.

[Annette]

DNF @45%

This book and I don't match for some reason. It's a pity. Lord of the Empty Isles was one of my favourite books of last year. I was therefore really looking forward to this one. I kept on hoping that the book would grab me at some point. That something would happen to change my feelings on this book. There just is a point where I can no longer wait.

The main issue of this book is the world building. I'm almost halfway and I still don't really understand what's going on. There is a lot of info in the beginning. Maybe a lot of it was explained there, but the explanation didn't stick. I have issues understanding what those people are fighting for, who they are fighting against and how this situation could happen.

And because I felt a little lost in the world, I also had issues connecting with the characters. I just didn't feel a connection. Both the main characters clearly had their fair share of hurt and pain in their life, but since we only get snippets of their past, it's hard to understand them and their reasons for doing things, saying things and taking certain risks.

I was also waiting for the plot to catch up with the summary of it. The moment promised however, where both characters are sent on a mission and will have to choose between freedom and living, still has not happened.

I therefore noticed that picking up this book was hard. It felt like a chore. And I decided that both I and the book don't deserve that. I'm sure there are a lot of people who will enjoy this book, I saw some really positive reviews, but this book and I are not a match and I gave up hope that it will happen later in the story.

[Erika George]

This cover is STUNNING 😍

[rachel x]

"A grumpy healer must work with his captor when a mission strands them in enemy territory in this action-packed, queer romantic fantasy."

[Nina van der Kooij · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley & Hodderscape for the ARC!

Lord of the Empty Isles was one of my favorite books from last year, and as a result this was one of my most anticipated books for this year. It did not disappoint.
Similar to LOTEI, Cage of Starlight is a heavy, emotional book with gritty world building and lots of trauma. A major theme in this book is about defying authority or acquiscening to it to attempt damage control, and especially how in the long run the latter just doesn't really work.

The book is set in a country that used to be run by four families, which each handling their own aspect of the government. But sometime before the MC was born, the leader of the military family took over and plunged the country into a military dictatorship. They're at war with a neighboring country for basically bullshit reasons. Prison sentences are now for life, in labor camps. People born into labor camps basically have to stay there too. And there's people with magical abilities called seeds, who are all rounded up and conscripted for the war effort.

Tory is a healer who escaped such a labor camp where he grew up, and has kept his healing abilities mostly secret. He hides out in a mining town where he heals people in exchange for getting to live there and they keep his existence secret. But Tory can never quite put roots down, is always at risk of needing to leave, as people like him are hunted down.

When Tory fucks up and draws too much attention, he is captured by Sena and taken to the Box, a military compound specifically for seeds (the people with the powers). He wants nothing more than to get out, but he'd also very much like to make Sena pay for what he did.

What I like about Tory is how defiant he is. He was basically taught his entire life to be polite, stay hidden, appease authority, not make it worse for himself etc, and he's fucking done. He consciously makes this decision around the time he's captured. He is rebellious, openly defiant in the military environment. And it's easy to think he's making it worse for himself by acting this way, but his situation sucks no matter what. At least this way he can take as much control as he can of the situation, reclaim the minimal amount of agency he has left.

Sena is the opposite. He's very much what Tory was taught to be. He appeases. He does exactly what he's told and hopes they'll treat him better for it. He's the son of the general who is in charge of the military dictatorship, but his power within this situation is very limited and he's treated more like a weapon than a person. He keeps telling Tory to stop making it so hard for himself, and his character arc is very much about learning that appeasing the people in power doesn't work. That he needs to remove himself from the situation entirely, and cannot let them keep hurting him and using him. It took me a moment to warm up to him, because at first we see Sena only from Tory's POV, who understandly hates him. But from about halfway in Sena also gets a POV, and we begin to understand his actions a bit more. He's not the villain who did this to Tory, he's another person trying to survive and having very little agency in the situation. I really liked his characterization as a very sweet person who was forced into this and made into a weapon, who believes he's fundamentally destructive due to his power I'm also pretty sure Sena is supposed to be read as autistic, which I appreciated.

There's several side characters I enjoyed, but I have to give a shoutout to Dr. Helner. She's insane. She's morally grey. She's really cool and competent. She's a Reacher which basically means she can do surgery without actually cutting someone open but through magic. I love her. I'm about as obsessed with her as I was with Yves in LOTEI.

The main relationship is between Tory and Sena and it took its time to develop considering Tory starts out hating Sena for good reason, but they slowly warm up to each other. Tory is ace, and their relationship remains quite undefined. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be romantic, and they clearly love each other, but there's pretty much nothing physical happening that traditionally signifies romance, so it was a very interesting take on a romance by a a-spec writer, which I enjoyed seeing.

Would recommend it to people who enjoy heavy, character driven stories such as Lord of the Empty Isles or Arcane

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodderscape for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: slavery, injury, violence, death, grief, torture, abuse, imprisonment

For years, having escaped a prison camp as a child, Tory Arknett has been on the run. Fleeing the military who would use his healing ability on the frontlines of an endless war, he’s tried for years to avoid connection- and to stop anyone from seeing the tattoos that marks him as the child of a prisoner. Having hidden himself in a small mining town, Tory has carefully made a life for himself but this is all ruined when, in a desperate attempt to heal an injured miner, his powers alert the authorities. Tory attempts to run, only to be captured by Sena Vantaras, the cold and brilliant son of the head of the military. Caught, fitted with a tracker that’ll kill him if he escapes and caged inside a training facility for those with magic (Seeds), Tory is determined to break free, but not before he makes Sena pay. However, Sena is already suffering and he’s paying for his mistakes in ways that Tory barely understands. When a mission into enemy territory goes wrong, Tory and Sena are stranded in an environment determined to kill them. Forced to rely on each other, and better understanding what made both of them into the people they are, Tory and Sena come to realise that there’s things more important than just surviving. With only three days before their trackers kill them, and growing more and more frail as time passes, they have to decide if their lives are more valuable than their freedom.

Oh this book. It took me through every possible emotion from the very first page and didn’t let up until the end. It explores so much- self determination, autonomy, queer love, social commentary and freedom- while never becoming boring, which is what I loved so much about this author’s debut ‘Lord of the Empty Isles’. Tory is brash and impulsive, driven by rules given to him by his dying mother, while Sena is more regimented and severe. I loved that this book centres on an asexual relationship (I’m ace) and the many different ways that Sena and Tory connected meant the world to me. I also loved the importance of some of the side characters- particularly Iri, who I would read an entire book about. The atmosphere within the training facility is oppressive and claustrophobic, the scenes set in the woods just as tense. One of the highlights of ‘Cage of Starlight’ is how it handles really difficult topics while combining sci-fi and fantasy. The writing is seamless and emotional and powerful. I would love to see a sequel to this book, it definitely ends in a way where more could happen, and I’m very eagerly awaiting Jules Arbeaux’s next work.

[Smallbob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Cage of Starlight grabbed my attention right off the bat and didn't let me go for a single page. Seriously. Usually when I read I take breaks every other chapter, but I couldn't put this down for literal hours!!

The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with a lots of suspense and tension. Tory is constantly in dangerous situations; while he's constantly planning ways to escape, he also doesn't take shit from anyone, and is more than willing to antagonise Sena just for the sake of it.

The cover is giving cozy high fantasy vibes, so I was pretty surprised by how high tech and militaristic the setting is. A lot of it takes place in a high tech military training facility, and guns are pretty commonplace in this world. This isn't to say that this book is all dystopian gloom; there are some really intimate, magical moments, that feel all the more precious contrasted with the intense high stakes of everything else.

Speaking of intimate moments, let's talk about the romance! This one is a little complicated. The author has described the relationship in this book as "enemies to lovers", but Tory and Sena's relationship didn't read as romantic to me. They definitely start off as enemies; sometimes you read something pitched as enemies to lovers and the "enemies" just argue a little while making eyes at each other, but in this case Tory feels pure, unadulterated loathing for Sena from the second they meet.

I feel that enemies to lovers can be hit or miss, depending on how it's executed, but in this case the author did a wonderful job. I love how Tory and Sena gradually deepen their understanding of each other, and the way they grew closer over the course of the story felt very natural. While I don't feel like their relationship is romantic, it can certainly be read that way, and regardless, the relationship development is brilliant and also better than a lot of enemies to lovers romances out there.

This is a standalone novel. The ending wraps it up pretty well but there is definitely room for a sequel. I am being so serious when I say this, if the author wants to write another book following Tory and Sena I AM SO DOWN PLEASE I'LL READ ANYTHING I NEED THEM TO STAY TOGETHER FOREVER.

Obviously, I'm chill and normal about this book. Go read it y'all <3

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Cage of Starlight is a standalone queer fantasy from Jules Arbeaux. Tory Arknett is a young runaway with secret healing magic, hiding his power so he won’t be conscripted into his country’s unnecessary war. But when he is discovered and captured by Sena Vantaras the youngest son of the warlord dictator, he is sent to a training facility then to the frontlines of the war. After a botched mission leaves them both stranded in enemy territory, they must work together if they want to survive and earn both their freedoms.

I loved the author’s debut novel, the devastatingly beautiful Lord of the Empty Isles, a queer-platonic science fiction that reads like a fantasy. This time around, Jules Arbeaux has written a fantasy that reads like a YA dystopian science fiction. Unfortunately, I have mostly moved past this phase of my reading and didn’t like it quite as much. The far-too-complex magic system comes across like superpowers and the presence of so much science and technology and the typical militaristic government made this comparison all too accurate. The plot is slow to progress yet each story beat somehow feels like it’s going too fast as well. There’s a lot of action, some tists and turns, and a few frustratingly YA-feeling moments. While telling a standalone story, the book leaves us off with an impression of it being the first of a series.

The best part of the book is its two main protagonists, seen in limited dual PoV that mostly follows Tory. Tory is brash, emotional, and impulsive, often reacting before he thinks things through. Sena is closed off and in control, raised to be an example and used by his father as another tool in his ongoing war. In Sena, Tory sees the worst type of person that allows themself to be used to perpetuate evil. In Tory, Sena sees the person he can never be—someone who acts how he feels and connects with others. But as they are forced to see each other’s perspectives, they grow to understand and learn to trust each other. They are both relatable and understandable characters that you will want to root for despite some frustrating traits. Although there is an Achillean romance between them, it is mostly just suggested and they don’t even kiss or go so far as to admit any feelings to each other.

Cage of Starlight is not exactly the queer romantic fantasy it was advertised to be.

*Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC via NetGalley

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I genuinely think this is a great book and I truly hope it gets a lot of attention because I feel so many readers will absolutely LOVE it. It is a wonderful blend of fantasy and science fiction with also a sense of dystopian peeking through.

the highlight of this book for me was definitely Tory and Sena. I think the growth of their relationship was beautiful to see and although I wouldn’t say it was very romance heavy, you could definitely see the building of this amazing love between them. individually I thought they were both such strong characters, each with their own things to work through and build on. I love how their powers complimented each other too, I felt it was very symbolic of how they compliment each other as people.

the powers were definitely interesting and I enjoyed seeing the different powers in this world and also finding out more about Tory and Sena’s in particular. However, I did feel like I got slightly confused with aspects of this world building and the magic/powers. it felt like we had a lot thrown at us from the start which was helpful but at times a bit too much, leading to my confusion - however this could just be a me thing and not an issue for others! I wouldn’t say the confusion hindered any enjoyment of this for me anyway.

I enjoyed how the story developed and wrapped up as a stand-alone but with potential for more. that being said, I do think it was a strong plot, but it wasn’t always clicking for me. I felt a lot more of a connection to the characters than the plot itself, again this is probably just a personal thing and I wouldn’t let it put you off as the plot does have a lot of features that readers would definitely enjoy. it could just be that it felt more sci-fi to me at times, more than I was anticipating, which is a genre I’m not as used to. this did get better as we got further into the book and the action started happening as I was more engaged then.

overall, this was a solid read and I would definitely recommend!

[KK Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm struggling to verbalise this one - I will start by saying I did enjoy it ... BUT ... for me, who is a fantasy reader and not a sci fi reader at all, this one felt like it crossed genres a bit. It does have a fantasy feel but it's also quite dystopian (a corrupt leader / government that is mistreating it's people in the name of war) and sci fi (the language around abilities, implanted devices to track / destroy people, devices of war that have been created to kill) - like it all ties back to their magic but it was tricky for me to get into for this reason, and it was a slower read for me.

I loved Tory and his reluctant chosen one vibes, the found family that has but isn't sure if they actually like him, because he thinks he's so unlikeable. He's sassy and devil may care, but he is hell bent on surviving no matter the cost. He's a great MMC!
But I also loved Sena, he needs a hug! He is convinced of his evilness thanks to his abilities, his family, his role in the military. The untouchable Rogue from X Men vibes broke my heart a little bit.
And these two together, two sad boys who kind of hate each other until they warm up to each other and become friends that think they aren't friends because neither of them deserves it, until their eyes linger and they feel warm when the other smiles - perfection. I love yearning, slow burn, will they won't they and the hint of something more and this ticked the box for me.

In terms of the world and plot, we've got a military facility, a war (which could do with a little more explaining for me and some development of the 'other side'), an evil dictator, rebels who may or may not be doing the right thing for the right reasons, and some fierce protective vibes between our MMCs as they grow to like each other.

I would read something by this author again for sure but I would want to go in with a better understanding of the genre I guess, because it was tricky for me to wrap my head around and I'd want to do it when it suits me.

[Kobina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cage of Starlight surprised me in the best way. Based on the marketing, I was expecting an intense, swoony enemies-to-lovers romantasy. What I got instead was something quieter, more emotionally complex, and far more impactful than I’d anticipated.

At its heart, this is a story about survival, trust, and finding hope in impossible circumstances. The romance between Tory and Sena is a very slow burn—gentle, aching, and deeply human. It’s not flashy or dramatic, but it fits the tone of the story perfectly. The asexual and neurodivergent representation is handled with care and made me feel seen in ways that are rare in this genre.

What really stayed with me, though, is how raw and intimate the emotional writing is. Arbeaux doesn’t just describe pain—she makes you feel it. I loved Tory’s fury, his refusal to give in, and Sena’s careful vulnerability as he slowly starts to believe in something outside of duty and fear. Their dynamic isn’t just romantic, it’s healing. Speaking of healing: the magic system involving self-sacrifice to heal others? Absolutely my favorite kind. There's something deeply moving about characters who give of themselves—literally—to help others. That detail alone would’ve won me over.

The worldbuilding is rich, if a bit dense at the beginning. There's a lot to absorb, from energy-based magic to political systems and military structures, and some parts remained a little murky. Still, the world feels textured and lived-in, and I appreciated that the rebellion isn’t painted as perfect either. The moral ambiguity adds weight and realism.

This book won’t be for everyone. If you're looking for nonstop action or fiery banter, this might feel too introspective. But if you want a story that lingers—one that balances sorrow and softness, resistance and resilience—Cage of Starlight is more than worth your time.

[Y.N.]

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC

3,5/5

I loved "The lord of the empty isles", so when I saw a new book by the same author was coming out, I was excited, especially since this time, there more of a romantic love story too. I can't really say I was disappointed, but I didn't love it as much as I expected.

The book felt long, a bit too "on the surface" too. I don't know why, but it lacked the complexity I was looking for. Not a high complexity, "The lord of the empty isles" didn't have that either, but still, something to get my grip into. I couldn't find it, and yet the characters and plot aren't bad. A bit easy to guess and decipher, but that's because I did read enough story with the same workings. The relationships are nice, not that there are a lot of them. Come to think of it, it might be one reason for my lack of big envolvment. We mainly follow our main character and his "love interest". Be aware that it is not a romance in the sense that the relationhip's construction doesn't work like one. It felt more like a big friendship to me, to be honest, but it's open to interpretation, and the feelings are definitely there.

I think the worldbuilding and the narration were the main things to throw me a bit off. Present tense is hard to do well with me. And I am also an annoying reader when it comes to a mix of fantasy with sci-fi elements : here, we have stones that basically make electric and electro-magnetic like forces and uses possible, and it felt way too easy to me. I would have liked to have more of a feel for the world too, but I undertsand it wasn't the goal of the story.

Despite all these little things, I still read the whole story and had a bit of fun. "Cage of starlight" will appeal to reader searching for a love story outside of what we see in romance, with fantasy mixed with sci-fi-ish elements, and young characters seeking their place in the world, even when the world doesn't want to make place for their freedom.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the eARC.

'Solitude can make even the vastest domain into a cage, and starlight is no gentler a prison than any other.'

Having enjoyed Lord of the Empty Isles I knew I'd be in for a treat with Cage of Starlight. In a lot of respects it delivered. Jules Arbeaux's writing just really hits the spot for me. It flows beautifully, the descriptions rich and immersive. The world created in Cage of Starlight was in many ways brutal and unforgiving but there is such wonderful imagery and raw depictions of tender moments that it was easy to lose myself in.

The characters, as in LotEI, were probably my favourite part of the book. Whilst it centered around Tory and Sena there were a couple of side characters I particularly liked who provided some comic relief, too. But the main two messes of human beings were loveable and I enjoyed their enemies-to-kind of lovers arc (there is plenty of love, trust me, just nothing physical). One idiot deprived of love and another who has kept it at bay lest he lose it all, forced proximity, the revelation of one's true nature—excllent stuff.

It's hard to explain why I didn't really feel like this hit for me, though. I enjoyed the beginning and end but the middle sort of lulled, and it was somewhat predictable in a lot of ways sticking to a very familiar fantasy formula. The worldbuilding was okay, and I did enjoy the world itself, but it also left a lot of questions for me. It doesn't look like there's a sequel planned which is a shame as I would have liked to follow on the journey.

All in all it was an enjoyable read and perfect for anyone who fancies a touching slow burn amongst themes of survival, betrayal and learning to love.