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Starling's Weave
Truth is more dangerous than fiction…in this exhilarating upper YA fantasy that will capture fans of Shadow and Bone and Dark Water Daughter
In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.
And for the first time ever, one of their own has no magic.
Ostracized by her own people, Nieve is certain that the old stories hide a missing piece of the puzzle. It’s just a matter of unlocking the secret.
But when a stranger comes sailing into their harbor, Nieve’s world is suddenly blown wide open. Now she’s sailing on the seven seas—with a too-charming, swashbuckling pirate, a group of strange misfits, and a woman who claims to be one of the Elder Wrights.
It’s like Nieve is living one of the stories she’s always loved…only now, she’s weaving a legend of her own.
Except that the old tales don’t mention those journeys that end in tragedy, a king’s calculated interference, or a world poised on the tides of death.
And they certainly don’t mention mutineers with a talent for stealing a girl’s heart…and lying all the while.
In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.
And for the first time ever, one of their own has no magic.
Ostracized by her own people, Nieve is certain that the old stories hide a missing piece of the puzzle. It’s just a matter of unlocking the secret.
But when a stranger comes sailing into their harbor, Nieve’s world is suddenly blown wide open. Now she’s sailing on the seven seas—with a too-charming, swashbuckling pirate, a group of strange misfits, and a woman who claims to be one of the Elder Wrights.
It’s like Nieve is living one of the stories she’s always loved…only now, she’s weaving a legend of her own.
Except that the old tales don’t mention those journeys that end in tragedy, a king’s calculated interference, or a world poised on the tides of death.
And they certainly don’t mention mutineers with a talent for stealing a girl’s heart…and lying all the while.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
340 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2024
6 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Sterling
6 books136 followersOriginally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. Sterling spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van, inspiring her writing career. True Born, first in the True Born trilogy, was recognized with the 2017 Athena Award® in Young Adult Literature (paranormal) from the Young Adult chapter of the RWA. She lives in Quebec, Canada.
www.le-sterling.com
www.le-sterling.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 10, 2024
As always, thanks to Entangled Teen for providing me with ARCs! I have yet to read a book published by Entangled that I haven't rated 4 or 5 stars, they know a good story!
This book has EVERYTHING you would want in a YA romantasy!
Full of action - CHECK
Unique plot - CHECK
The ONE true love - CHECK
High stakes - CHECK
The end of the book finished perfectly and yet I feel like could very much leave it open to a sequel (PUHLEASE L.E. Sterling!)
There was so much backstory they gave us also through out the book that we could even get a prequel/novella talking about the history before this book (*cough cough*, L.E. Sterling are you listening!?)
This book comes out October 21st and definitely one to add to your TBR!
This book has EVERYTHING you would want in a YA romantasy!
Full of action - CHECK
Unique plot - CHECK
The ONE true love - CHECK
High stakes - CHECK
The end of the book finished perfectly and yet I feel like could very much leave it open to a sequel (PUHLEASE L.E. Sterling!)
There was so much backstory they gave us also through out the book that we could even get a prequel/novella talking about the history before this book (*cough cough*, L.E. Sterling are you listening!?)
This book comes out October 21st and definitely one to add to your TBR!
November 9, 2024
4⭐️
This was a fun, twisty read!
Starling's Weave follows Neive, an 18 year old woman who is shunned from her village due to her lack of powers in a town full of water magic users. However, when an opportunity to bring vitality back to her village arises, Nieve is determined to do her part to save her people. Her plans are changed after meeting a mysterious stranger, setting her on a new course full of adventure, twists and turns and love,
I really enjoyed the world building and magic system, I found the history of the Elder Wrights to be so intriguing and was so eager to watch everything unfold. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Keir and Neive, there is a bit of insta love involved which I ATE UP. I also really liked Arisame, what a punchy character!! Overall I found the book to be engaging, especially once we'd learnt more about the magic system and politics, the action was great as well! The book is dual POV and switched from First Person with Nieve to Third Person with Keir, I feel this is worth mentioning as I know it isn't for everyone! Looking forward to reading more from L.E. Sterling in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.
This was a fun, twisty read!
Starling's Weave follows Neive, an 18 year old woman who is shunned from her village due to her lack of powers in a town full of water magic users. However, when an opportunity to bring vitality back to her village arises, Nieve is determined to do her part to save her people. Her plans are changed after meeting a mysterious stranger, setting her on a new course full of adventure, twists and turns and love,
I really enjoyed the world building and magic system, I found the history of the Elder Wrights to be so intriguing and was so eager to watch everything unfold. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Keir and Neive, there is a bit of insta love involved which I ATE UP. I also really liked Arisame, what a punchy character!! Overall I found the book to be engaging, especially once we'd learnt more about the magic system and politics, the action was great as well! The book is dual POV and switched from First Person with Nieve to Third Person with Keir, I feel this is worth mentioning as I know it isn't for everyone! Looking forward to reading more from L.E. Sterling in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.
October 18, 2024
***I received a free ARC of this book from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley.***
It was a decent read. I did not really enjoy the fact that the book is in 3rd person point of view and switches between Manseray and Nieve. The confusion started for me in the Lotts where it gave Nieve’s full POV and then the next chapter back tracks and shows Manseray’s partial POV. The book is so long and all over the place that by the time you make it to the ending the beginnning feels like an entirely different book. The beginning talks so much about Nieve wanting to become a story teller and then halfway through the book that whole train of thought is dropped. A lot of random things go on and then they are like “hey we need to save the whole world.” The insta-love comes out of left field for me. The first 80% of the book seemed drawn out and the ending felt rushed with little to no answers. The ending doesn’t make me think there should be a sequel, I think the reader can come to their own conclusion, mine would be Nieve fixes everything she needs to and then traveling to finally gather her stories. But then again now that she is an Elder Wight and most likely immortal - that is not good for Manseray. Idk the book was all over the place, just like my review.
It was a decent read. I did not really enjoy the fact that the book is in 3rd person point of view and switches between Manseray and Nieve. The confusion started for me in the Lotts where it gave Nieve’s full POV and then the next chapter back tracks and shows Manseray’s partial POV. The book is so long and all over the place that by the time you make it to the ending the beginnning feels like an entirely different book. The beginning talks so much about Nieve wanting to become a story teller and then halfway through the book that whole train of thought is dropped. A lot of random things go on and then they are like “hey we need to save the whole world.” The insta-love comes out of left field for me. The first 80% of the book seemed drawn out and the ending felt rushed with little to no answers. The ending doesn’t make me think there should be a sequel, I think the reader can come to their own conclusion, mine would be Nieve fixes everything she needs to and then traveling to finally gather her stories. But then again now that she is an Elder Wight and most likely immortal - that is not good for Manseray. Idk the book was all over the place, just like my review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2024
L.E. Sterling writes good YA fantasy. I’ve read a few of her books and they’re always intriguing.
In Starling Weave, Nieve is heading to sea on an adventure. With magic, romance, action and pirates what could go wrong? This book is full of twists and turns that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.
An enjoyable journey to save the world.
In Starling Weave, Nieve is heading to sea on an adventure. With magic, romance, action and pirates what could go wrong? This book is full of twists and turns that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.
An enjoyable journey to save the world.
October 22, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read an E-ARC of Starling’s Weave.
Plot: Nieve is a member of the Talin race who are hidden mages and harness the power of Ocean - their deity. The power of Ocean is starting to wane for the Talin race and food sources are starting to die off and people are dying. Nieve swears that she is going to figure out the issue. Enter Keir Manseray who blows Nieve’s world wide open. She ends up traveling the seven seas with Keir and his crew and meeting Elder Wrights who help her find her true power.
Review: I enjoyed the book. I thought the storyline and concept was creative and inventive. I really liked the MMC, Keir. He was dark and broody but caring and sweet. He had total cinnamon roll vibes. Even though he had insta-love I still liked him for the way he supported Nieve and her journey. The FMC Nieve was determined and driven on her quest to find the story to help her people even though she gets thrown off course by Keir and his quest. However, there were a few things that I struggled with. It took about 50% of the book before I truly got into it but once it got going, it was so good. The slow burn was definitely burning. This one ended with an opening for a second book. I truly hope there is because Keir and Nieve’s story needs to be completed.
Fantasy Tropes
➡️Hero’s Journey
➡️Chosen One
➡️Mentor
➡️Good vs. Evil
➡️Magic
➡️Pirates “Mutineers”
➡️YA fantasy
Plot: Nieve is a member of the Talin race who are hidden mages and harness the power of Ocean - their deity. The power of Ocean is starting to wane for the Talin race and food sources are starting to die off and people are dying. Nieve swears that she is going to figure out the issue. Enter Keir Manseray who blows Nieve’s world wide open. She ends up traveling the seven seas with Keir and his crew and meeting Elder Wrights who help her find her true power.
Review: I enjoyed the book. I thought the storyline and concept was creative and inventive. I really liked the MMC, Keir. He was dark and broody but caring and sweet. He had total cinnamon roll vibes. Even though he had insta-love I still liked him for the way he supported Nieve and her journey. The FMC Nieve was determined and driven on her quest to find the story to help her people even though she gets thrown off course by Keir and his quest. However, there were a few things that I struggled with. It took about 50% of the book before I truly got into it but once it got going, it was so good. The slow burn was definitely burning. This one ended with an opening for a second book. I truly hope there is because Keir and Nieve’s story needs to be completed.
Fantasy Tropes
➡️Hero’s Journey
➡️Chosen One
➡️Mentor
➡️Good vs. Evil
➡️Magic
➡️Pirates “Mutineers”
➡️YA fantasy
September 28, 2024
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you like a story full of action, stakes, an intriguing plot, a true love, and a unique plot and world, this is the book for you.
This is a book with plot twists and amazingly distinct and interesting characters. I also like the direction that this book went at the end, though of course, I don’t wanna spoiler anyone. But trust me when I say it’s really cool! It piqued my interest and made me want to know how the story continues.
The main character is courageous and strong. She’s incredibly selfless. The elder wright she meets and goes on a journey on is very cool.
These are the things I like. Now let’s get to what I didn’t enjoy. The love interest is 4 years older than the main character, and she is 18 years old. While some don’t mind this kind of age gap, I don’t like it all. It would be different if she was also an older adult, but 18 is just too young. It was also pretty insta-lovey. While it took a while for them to actually kiss and confess their love, the love interest talked about her at the beginning as if he already gained feelings for her so quickly. Many readers don’t like insta-love and I am one of them.
I also felt like the emotional scenes fell flat. I guess it’s just something about the authors writing style that made me not really feel what they felt. Not that the author is a shit writer or anything - her writing style is almost poetic and very fantasy-like - it’s just not my cup of tea, I think. Particularly the beginning of the story was something that I felt very disconnected to. We hardly really got to feel the life in that town/city/community. We only got to see the main character being hated on (lol) by the council, but we didn’t get to see her interact with anyone really except her family member and her best friend - and even then it felt very brief to me. I didn’t buy her relationship to her grandma and best friend, let’s say it like that.
Consequently to these things, I didn’t really enjoy reading the book, and my enjoyment plays into these ratings. But I believe that there will be many people who will enjoy this kind of book, and that it could go viral on BookTok because the romance later in the book is pretty decent and the story really is interesting. Just didn’t like the execution much.
If you like a story full of action, stakes, an intriguing plot, a true love, and a unique plot and world, this is the book for you.
This is a book with plot twists and amazingly distinct and interesting characters. I also like the direction that this book went at the end, though of course, I don’t wanna spoiler anyone. But trust me when I say it’s really cool! It piqued my interest and made me want to know how the story continues.
The main character is courageous and strong. She’s incredibly selfless. The elder wright she meets and goes on a journey on is very cool.
These are the things I like. Now let’s get to what I didn’t enjoy. The love interest is 4 years older than the main character, and she is 18 years old. While some don’t mind this kind of age gap, I don’t like it all. It would be different if she was also an older adult, but 18 is just too young. It was also pretty insta-lovey. While it took a while for them to actually kiss and confess their love, the love interest talked about her at the beginning as if he already gained feelings for her so quickly. Many readers don’t like insta-love and I am one of them.
I also felt like the emotional scenes fell flat. I guess it’s just something about the authors writing style that made me not really feel what they felt. Not that the author is a shit writer or anything - her writing style is almost poetic and very fantasy-like - it’s just not my cup of tea, I think. Particularly the beginning of the story was something that I felt very disconnected to. We hardly really got to feel the life in that town/city/community. We only got to see the main character being hated on (lol) by the council, but we didn’t get to see her interact with anyone really except her family member and her best friend - and even then it felt very brief to me. I didn’t buy her relationship to her grandma and best friend, let’s say it like that.
Consequently to these things, I didn’t really enjoy reading the book, and my enjoyment plays into these ratings. But I believe that there will be many people who will enjoy this kind of book, and that it could go viral on BookTok because the romance later in the book is pretty decent and the story really is interesting. Just didn’t like the execution much.
October 21, 2024
I devoured 'Starling's Weave', a captivating upper YA fantasy novel that held me spellbound from start to finish. In a world where magic is waning and sickness prevails, Nieve's lack of powers makes her an outcast. Yet, she refuses to be defined by others' judgments. Instead, she embarks on a quest to save her people and maybe even, her world. This gripping tale kept me on the edge, with twists and turns that defied prediction. It was lovely to see Nieve find friendship and love. The ending was a surprise! I’m already looking forward to the next book!
February 24, 2025
Starling's Weave is a young adult fantasy. It's told from Nieve and Keir's points of view. Nieve is eighteen. Keir is a twenty-two-year-old pirate captain. The story has elemental magic and a slow-burn romance. Powerful mages also play a big role in the novel.
Nieve was born without magic, unlike the rest of her people and they treat her badly because of this. She wants to know why magic is disappearing. The Elder Wright Mages used to fill the world with magic. Now, her world is dying. Captain Mansaray offers her a ride on his ship. He's handsome and so intriguing! This is where their romance begins. It seems destined that they would meet.
The story gains speed halfway through. You should expect conflict, battles, and fire, plenty of fire. You'll find adventure in a uniquely built world. Nieve and Keir both grow on their journeys of self-discovery. This clean romance is a perfect fit for teens new to fantasy. The ending hints at a sequel that Starling's Weave fans will eagerly await.
Nieve was born without magic, unlike the rest of her people and they treat her badly because of this. She wants to know why magic is disappearing. The Elder Wright Mages used to fill the world with magic. Now, her world is dying. Captain Mansaray offers her a ride on his ship. He's handsome and so intriguing! This is where their romance begins. It seems destined that they would meet.
The story gains speed halfway through. You should expect conflict, battles, and fire, plenty of fire. You'll find adventure in a uniquely built world. Nieve and Keir both grow on their journeys of self-discovery. This clean romance is a perfect fit for teens new to fantasy. The ending hints at a sequel that Starling's Weave fans will eagerly await.
October 21, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
L.E. Sterling's Starling's Weave is an upper Young Adult Fantasy novel that will likely appeal to readers of Shadows and Bones and Dark Water Daughter mainly because it has quite a few sexual situations. Key Characters: Nieve Septile (18), and Keir Manseray (22). In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
L.E. Sterling's Starling's Weave is an upper Young Adult Fantasy novel that will likely appeal to readers of Shadows and Bones and Dark Water Daughter mainly because it has quite a few sexual situations. Key Characters: Nieve Septile (18), and Keir Manseray (22). In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
October 16, 2024
Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling is a captivating fantasy that weaves together themes of magic, destiny, and self-discovery. The story follows a young protagonist as she navigates a richly imagined world filled with vibrant characters and intricate lore. Sterling's writing is both lyrical and engaging, drawing readers into the unfolding adventure. With its blend of enchantment and heartfelt moments, this novel is a delightful escape for fans of fantasy literature.
October 28, 2024
୧ ‧₊˚ starling’s weave！
❝A game with a game, masks within masks❞
★ | 3.75 Stars
thoughts ᡣ𐭩 •｡💌 ꪆৎ ˚⋅
Thank you Netgalley for this arc!
So you’re telling me i’m not getting a book two?! I feel like the world building and story of this book have SO much potential and that it can be built on so well! I liked how the romance wasn’t exactly slow burn since that wasn’t something I felt like reading but was more like a crush that turns into love, it was so cute and I was chanting “kiss, kiss, kiss!!” half the book. Sterling (her name matches this book so well omg) also made this cool decision when it came to narration view, the boom is dual pov and in our main character Nieve’s chapters it’s first person while our second protagonists chapters (Manseray) it’s third person. I do feel like Sterling can do better with a certain thing in her writing and that’s explaining actions it felt at times like I was lost because she only mentioned side character features once or if Manseray said or bobbed his head or something it wasn’t explained well and left the reader confused but I must say the way she wrote the Kiro island and the tree nymphs was beautiful.
Other than that and the semi-weird stuff that happened during the sea battle this book was great and what I needed after what felt like 300 contemporary books.
characters .ᐟ
Nieve 🎭
I found it really interesting how Sterling kind of wrote Nieve as like a Christian type character, like of course in the book she’s Talin but we can see how Sterling put in a lot of almost religious culture when explaining Talin and how her leaving is almost as a kid breaking free from a toxic religious environment (?) idk. anne i’m wrong but that’s how I saw it. Her character was cool but i’ll say again i feel we could build on so much more to her story especially with that ending (which was kind off rushed and hazy)
Manseray 🏴☠️🐦⬛
Ok Keir like you honestly did nothing wrong you weren’t annoying you rarely said the wrong thing and you fell from the start and let it happen, yet you don’t deserve to be called one of my book bfs because you did not eat THAT HARD.
A & K 🔥🧝🏽♀️
All I have to say is I KNEW THEY WAS LOVERS OMGGG THE WHOLE BOOK THEY WAS EDGING US LIKE “My dear heart” and it was like YALL LOVERS OR REALLY ATTACHED?!
book playlist .ᐟ
0:00 ❍──────── -3:42
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Ocean Eyes - Billie Eillish
From The Start - Laufey
Fearless - Taylor Swift
Fathoms Below - The Little Mermaid
Vanessa’s Trick - The Little Mermaid
Dancing With Our Hands Tied - Taylor Swift
As The World Caves In - Matt Maltese
0:00 ────────❍ -0:00
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%
❝A pirate lord. A raven. A dangerous man.❞
❝A game with a game, masks within masks❞
★ | 3.75 Stars
thoughts ᡣ𐭩 •｡💌 ꪆৎ ˚⋅
Thank you Netgalley for this arc!
So you’re telling me i’m not getting a book two?! I feel like the world building and story of this book have SO much potential and that it can be built on so well! I liked how the romance wasn’t exactly slow burn since that wasn’t something I felt like reading but was more like a crush that turns into love, it was so cute and I was chanting “kiss, kiss, kiss!!” half the book. Sterling (her name matches this book so well omg) also made this cool decision when it came to narration view, the boom is dual pov and in our main character Nieve’s chapters it’s first person while our second protagonists chapters (Manseray) it’s third person. I do feel like Sterling can do better with a certain thing in her writing and that’s explaining actions it felt at times like I was lost because she only mentioned side character features once or if Manseray said or bobbed his head or something it wasn’t explained well and left the reader confused but I must say the way she wrote the Kiro island and the tree nymphs was beautiful.
Other than that and the semi-weird stuff that happened during the sea battle this book was great and what I needed after what felt like 300 contemporary books.
characters .ᐟ
Nieve 🎭
I found it really interesting how Sterling kind of wrote Nieve as like a Christian type character, like of course in the book she’s Talin but we can see how Sterling put in a lot of almost religious culture when explaining Talin and how her leaving is almost as a kid breaking free from a toxic religious environment (?) idk. anne i’m wrong but that’s how I saw it. Her character was cool but i’ll say again i feel we could build on so much more to her story especially with that ending (which was kind off rushed and hazy)
Manseray 🏴☠️🐦⬛
Ok Keir like you honestly did nothing wrong you weren’t annoying you rarely said the wrong thing and you fell from the start and let it happen, yet you don’t deserve to be called one of my book bfs because you did not eat THAT HARD.
A & K 🔥🧝🏽♀️
All I have to say is I KNEW THEY WAS LOVERS OMGGG THE WHOLE BOOK THEY WAS EDGING US LIKE “My dear heart” and it was like YALL LOVERS OR REALLY ATTACHED?!
book playlist .ᐟ
0:00 ❍──────── -3:42
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Ocean Eyes - Billie Eillish
From The Start - Laufey
Fearless - Taylor Swift
Fathoms Below - The Little Mermaid
Vanessa’s Trick - The Little Mermaid
Dancing With Our Hands Tied - Taylor Swift
As The World Caves In - Matt Maltese
0:00 ────────❍ -0:00
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%
❝A pirate lord. A raven. A dangerous man.❞
October 18, 2024
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had gone into it expecting a slower-paced more character-focused book than the swashbuckling, magical pirate adventure that the synopsis talks about.
Nothing much happens in this book until about 70%, after which point too much happens too quickly. Again, I think if I'd been expecting a slower-paced book this might not have bothered me as much as it did.
The premise was interesting, with an interesting world that I just wanted more detail about as some things were skimmed over leaving me a bit confused.
The characters were the main focus, and I did enjoy them. I liked their development in learning to trust one another, and as the FMC learned to trust herself and her abilities.
The romance was insta-attraction and most of the romance throughout is repetitive pining. It is sweet though.
Overall, I had too many issues with this book to really recommend it, but maybe if I'd gone into it expecting something different I would have enjoyed it more, which bumped up my rating a little.
Thanks to the author and to Entangled Teen for the copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
Nothing much happens in this book until about 70%, after which point too much happens too quickly. Again, I think if I'd been expecting a slower-paced book this might not have bothered me as much as it did.
The premise was interesting, with an interesting world that I just wanted more detail about as some things were skimmed over leaving me a bit confused.
The characters were the main focus, and I did enjoy them. I liked their development in learning to trust one another, and as the FMC learned to trust herself and her abilities.
The romance was insta-attraction and most of the romance throughout is repetitive pining. It is sweet though.
Overall, I had too many issues with this book to really recommend it, but maybe if I'd gone into it expecting something different I would have enjoyed it more, which bumped up my rating a little.
Thanks to the author and to Entangled Teen for the copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
October 27, 2024
A perfect YA romantasy! I received an advanced copy for free, and this review is entirely my own opinion and is being left voluntarily.
We start by meeting Nieve in her village. She lives with her grandmother, the village healer. Everyone around her is able to manipulate water with their powers, except for Nieve. She's left feeling very unwanted as she is unable to train with anyone (due to her lack of magic), but tradition dictates that she's not allowed to leave either. We also learn that the magic seems to be waning. Their crops aren't as fruitful, the fishermen's catches aren't as plentiful. Because their village is slowly starving, the village council allows outsiders to trade with them for the first time, and we meet Keir Manseray. He seems very taken with Nieve after a member of the head council assigns her to be his guide while they are trading in the village. She also finds him very attractive, but knows that she should not act on any feelings.
After an immense tragedy, Nieve goes off in search of the Old Ones or a relic of their magics in an attempt to bring magic back to her village, and perhaps give herself some magic as well. One thing leads to another, and she is captured and brought to the black market. We get the first glimpse of possible magics that Nieve has when she doesn't want anyone to look at her, and the whole crowd of purchasers leaves. She is then rescued by 2 women, and discovers that one of these women is one of the Old Ones that she needs! But this one doesn't remember much except her name, Arisame aka Dragon Fire. After they make their way back to her village, she discovers that they have packed up and left, and didn't bother doing a head count or waiting for her. This stings, but also she didn't have a role to play in the village so they might've been relieved that she wasn't around when they left.
After making plans to get to another Talin village, she bumps (quite literally) into Manseray again. This is when she learns that he's not really a trader, but a pirate (or mutineer, in his words). And that while he'll take her and her new friends to this village (his old Talin village), he has bigger plans that he needs Nieve for. She loses trust in him, especially in all the flirtations they've shared, because she thinks he's just buttering her up so she'll go along with his plans. This is when I love having the second POV to show that while yes he wants her for his plans, he's actually remade his plans just to revolve around her and is falling for her. His plans feature her because of his attraction to her, although he tries to tell himself that this is for the sake of his mission.
His mission: saving another Elder Wright aka Old One. They are successful in this, largely due to Nieve's newfound magics. When she bleeds, she is able to manipulate anything, including bringing this other Elder Wright back from the dead. She then manipulates the minds of the soldiers to stay in the dungeons and not move while they escape. She then takes out a fleet of their ships while they sail away.
Throughout the story, we see Nieve fall a little more for Manseray the more time they spend together. But she tries to hold her heart back knowing what kind of man he is. Manseray seems to be trying to convince himself to not form attachments to her when he's been protective and possessive since the first time he met her.
"Harm one hair on her head and we'll both learn how creative I can get with your murd3r."
All this show of magic really cements Manseray's feelings for her, and after Nieve asks him if he's only acting interested in her because of his mission, he answers with a smoldering kiss (putting her doubts to rest). They then have a good old-fashioned high school make-out in his quarters.
When they reach the end of their journey, Arisame and Nieve are able to fix the stopper of magic and let it flow back around the Earth. As Nieve lays dying, Arisame and Ocean work to save her life, turning her into an Old One, aka Blood Song. Nieve is now scared that as her new self, Manseray won't want to be with her anymore. He quickly quiets that fear and vows to sail with her and love her where-ever they should travel.
"I keep trying to tell you, Starling. Without you, there's no such thing as freedom. There is no life without you."
This is a beautiful YA romantasy perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Dark Water Daughter. Definitely give this book a read if you love a coming of age story, social issues, overcoming the odds, secrets, found family, and touch her and d!e vibes.
I received an advanced review copy for free. This review contains my honest opinion and is being left voluntarily.
We start by meeting Nieve in her village. She lives with her grandmother, the village healer. Everyone around her is able to manipulate water with their powers, except for Nieve. She's left feeling very unwanted as she is unable to train with anyone (due to her lack of magic), but tradition dictates that she's not allowed to leave either. We also learn that the magic seems to be waning. Their crops aren't as fruitful, the fishermen's catches aren't as plentiful. Because their village is slowly starving, the village council allows outsiders to trade with them for the first time, and we meet Keir Manseray. He seems very taken with Nieve after a member of the head council assigns her to be his guide while they are trading in the village. She also finds him very attractive, but knows that she should not act on any feelings.
After an immense tragedy, Nieve goes off in search of the Old Ones or a relic of their magics in an attempt to bring magic back to her village, and perhaps give herself some magic as well. One thing leads to another, and she is captured and brought to the black market. We get the first glimpse of possible magics that Nieve has when she doesn't want anyone to look at her, and the whole crowd of purchasers leaves. She is then rescued by 2 women, and discovers that one of these women is one of the Old Ones that she needs! But this one doesn't remember much except her name, Arisame aka Dragon Fire. After they make their way back to her village, she discovers that they have packed up and left, and didn't bother doing a head count or waiting for her. This stings, but also she didn't have a role to play in the village so they might've been relieved that she wasn't around when they left.
After making plans to get to another Talin village, she bumps (quite literally) into Manseray again. This is when she learns that he's not really a trader, but a pirate (or mutineer, in his words). And that while he'll take her and her new friends to this village (his old Talin village), he has bigger plans that he needs Nieve for. She loses trust in him, especially in all the flirtations they've shared, because she thinks he's just buttering her up so she'll go along with his plans. This is when I love having the second POV to show that while yes he wants her for his plans, he's actually remade his plans just to revolve around her and is falling for her. His plans feature her because of his attraction to her, although he tries to tell himself that this is for the sake of his mission.
His mission: saving another Elder Wright aka Old One. They are successful in this, largely due to Nieve's newfound magics. When she bleeds, she is able to manipulate anything, including bringing this other Elder Wright back from the dead. She then manipulates the minds of the soldiers to stay in the dungeons and not move while they escape. She then takes out a fleet of their ships while they sail away.
Throughout the story, we see Nieve fall a little more for Manseray the more time they spend together. But she tries to hold her heart back knowing what kind of man he is. Manseray seems to be trying to convince himself to not form attachments to her when he's been protective and possessive since the first time he met her.
"Harm one hair on her head and we'll both learn how creative I can get with your murd3r."
All this show of magic really cements Manseray's feelings for her, and after Nieve asks him if he's only acting interested in her because of his mission, he answers with a smoldering kiss (putting her doubts to rest). They then have a good old-fashioned high school make-out in his quarters.
When they reach the end of their journey, Arisame and Nieve are able to fix the stopper of magic and let it flow back around the Earth. As Nieve lays dying, Arisame and Ocean work to save her life, turning her into an Old One, aka Blood Song. Nieve is now scared that as her new self, Manseray won't want to be with her anymore. He quickly quiets that fear and vows to sail with her and love her where-ever they should travel.
"I keep trying to tell you, Starling. Without you, there's no such thing as freedom. There is no life without you."
This is a beautiful YA romantasy perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Dark Water Daughter. Definitely give this book a read if you love a coming of age story, social issues, overcoming the odds, secrets, found family, and touch her and d!e vibes.
I received an advanced review copy for free. This review contains my honest opinion and is being left voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Starling’s Weave” by L.E. Starling is a YA fantasy that combines several unique ideas like elemental magic, pirates-who-totally-aren’t-pirates, hidden histories, and a swoony romance into an adventure driven by a heroine who refuses to let her lack of power define her. The story follows eighteen-year-old Nieve Septîle, the only member of her water-magic-gifted village born without magic; this absence marks her as an outsider in a community built on what she cannot do. When the land begins to wither and an old legend hints at a forgotten source of magic capable of restoring the world, Nieve sees her chance to finally prove her worth. But everything changes when Captain Keir Manseray and his crew arrive, pulling her into a quest filled with danger, political tension, and secrets that challenge everything she believes.
One of the story’s greatest strengths is its worldbuilding and lore. Starling creates a universe shaped by the long-absent Elder Wrights, powerful figures whose disappearance left the world’s magic fractured and fading. The mythology surrounding them and how it intertwines with Nieve’s personal journey is compelling and gives the story a sense of mystery and scope. If you enjoy untangling the history behind magic systems and learning the rules of a unique world, then you will find much to savor once the plot gains momentum.
Told through dual perspectives with Nieve in first person and Keir in third, the story allows glimpses into both characters’ motives, creating tension as their goals intersect and assumptions collide. The age gap between the characters (18 and 22) and the quick intensity of their feelings wasn’t my favorite, though those who enjoy love-at-first-sight energy will likely be swept up; I prefer slower emotional development between a couple, but their relationship did feel real and authentic.
As adventure pushes Nieve and Keir beyond their sheltered knowledge, battles, betrayals, and literal fire keep the stakes high. The pacing accelerates in the second half, where action and magic take center stage. Some parts of the book felt a bit undeveloped as I wanted to feel more connected to the side characters, the village culture, and the relationships that shaped Nieve before the story began.
Where “Starling’s Weave” truly shines is in its sense of potential: vibrant mythos, an intriguing magic system, and characters whose journeys of self-discovery leave room to grow. This book delivers exactly what a YA fantasy should with high stakes, adventure, romance, and a world worth returning to. The ending hints at more to come, and I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel.
Overall, “Starling’s Weave” is an engaging debut that balances excitement and heart, even if some elements could have used more depth. Those new to fantasy or those who love magic-and-romance stories with a mythic backdrop may find themselves captivated by Nieve’s journey and ready to follow her into whatever comes next.
“Starling’s Weave” by L.E. Starling is a YA fantasy that combines several unique ideas like elemental magic, pirates-who-totally-aren’t-pirates, hidden histories, and a swoony romance into an adventure driven by a heroine who refuses to let her lack of power define her. The story follows eighteen-year-old Nieve Septîle, the only member of her water-magic-gifted village born without magic; this absence marks her as an outsider in a community built on what she cannot do. When the land begins to wither and an old legend hints at a forgotten source of magic capable of restoring the world, Nieve sees her chance to finally prove her worth. But everything changes when Captain Keir Manseray and his crew arrive, pulling her into a quest filled with danger, political tension, and secrets that challenge everything she believes.
One of the story’s greatest strengths is its worldbuilding and lore. Starling creates a universe shaped by the long-absent Elder Wrights, powerful figures whose disappearance left the world’s magic fractured and fading. The mythology surrounding them and how it intertwines with Nieve’s personal journey is compelling and gives the story a sense of mystery and scope. If you enjoy untangling the history behind magic systems and learning the rules of a unique world, then you will find much to savor once the plot gains momentum.
Told through dual perspectives with Nieve in first person and Keir in third, the story allows glimpses into both characters’ motives, creating tension as their goals intersect and assumptions collide. The age gap between the characters (18 and 22) and the quick intensity of their feelings wasn’t my favorite, though those who enjoy love-at-first-sight energy will likely be swept up; I prefer slower emotional development between a couple, but their relationship did feel real and authentic.
As adventure pushes Nieve and Keir beyond their sheltered knowledge, battles, betrayals, and literal fire keep the stakes high. The pacing accelerates in the second half, where action and magic take center stage. Some parts of the book felt a bit undeveloped as I wanted to feel more connected to the side characters, the village culture, and the relationships that shaped Nieve before the story began.
Where “Starling’s Weave” truly shines is in its sense of potential: vibrant mythos, an intriguing magic system, and characters whose journeys of self-discovery leave room to grow. This book delivers exactly what a YA fantasy should with high stakes, adventure, romance, and a world worth returning to. The ending hints at more to come, and I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel.
Overall, “Starling’s Weave” is an engaging debut that balances excitement and heart, even if some elements could have used more depth. Those new to fantasy or those who love magic-and-romance stories with a mythic backdrop may find themselves captivated by Nieve’s journey and ready to follow her into whatever comes next.
October 23, 2024
Nieve has always had a fascination with stories about the Old Ones, especially the lost stories. She learns there’s a story about a reservoir of magic that could possibly restore their dying land and the magic in it, and wants to find it to hopefully restore respect towards her being the only one of her people without magic.
Well, one day, for the first time ever, a ship filled with strangers arrives, and Nieve is directed to greet and take care of their guest, Keir Manseray.
Keir Manseray is on a mission to retrieve a man by the name of Edsel Bo from the most notorious prison in the world, but is having difficulties coming up with the right person for their plan, until he meets Nieve and realizes she could be the key to the execution of their plan. And now has to figure out how he could ask her to sail away with him.
This book had such potential. The world sounds unique, but was not explained in detail. The magic system sounds interesting, but again, not explained in detail. The romance is swoony, and although took awhile for them to finally kiss, it was still too insta-love and fast to be believable. The characters seem wonderful, but are not well rounded and not fully likable since we did not really get to know them that well.
It seemed the story and plot was rushed, but was the primary focus in this book rather than building on the world and building on the history of the world and its magic system. The character building could have been expounded on as well since I never felt connected with either of them. They had a history, but I was just thrown into the now of their lives, rather than learn how they got to where they are now. I felt like I entered into the middle of the book and its story, rather than the start of a book and the start of the story.
Now, I didn’t hate it, but I did not love this story. It wasn’t horrible, I just wish there was more detail to allow me to connect to the story and the characters more. I did for the most part enjoy the romance and the plot, but everything else just fell flat. The overall picture was just lacking the depth to feel immersed in the story and in the characters’ lives.
There were also small details that drove me nuts, like the travel time from one place to another. In one page, they’re going back to a town, and by the next page, they’re there, but how? Like, is everything two steps from each other?? And small details, like one time Nieve started eating a snack, and on the next page, on the same day mind you, she’s complaining about when did she eat last. It must have been 24 hours ago, when she literally was eating two seconds ago. It was silly details like that, that just kind of drove me nuts 😅
Definitely a solid 3 ⭐️ read for me. If you enjoy books with pirates, and a swoony romance, then give it a chance. This one just wasn’t quite for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Well, one day, for the first time ever, a ship filled with strangers arrives, and Nieve is directed to greet and take care of their guest, Keir Manseray.
Keir Manseray is on a mission to retrieve a man by the name of Edsel Bo from the most notorious prison in the world, but is having difficulties coming up with the right person for their plan, until he meets Nieve and realizes she could be the key to the execution of their plan. And now has to figure out how he could ask her to sail away with him.
This book had such potential. The world sounds unique, but was not explained in detail. The magic system sounds interesting, but again, not explained in detail. The romance is swoony, and although took awhile for them to finally kiss, it was still too insta-love and fast to be believable. The characters seem wonderful, but are not well rounded and not fully likable since we did not really get to know them that well.
It seemed the story and plot was rushed, but was the primary focus in this book rather than building on the world and building on the history of the world and its magic system. The character building could have been expounded on as well since I never felt connected with either of them. They had a history, but I was just thrown into the now of their lives, rather than learn how they got to where they are now. I felt like I entered into the middle of the book and its story, rather than the start of a book and the start of the story.
Now, I didn’t hate it, but I did not love this story. It wasn’t horrible, I just wish there was more detail to allow me to connect to the story and the characters more. I did for the most part enjoy the romance and the plot, but everything else just fell flat. The overall picture was just lacking the depth to feel immersed in the story and in the characters’ lives.
There were also small details that drove me nuts, like the travel time from one place to another. In one page, they’re going back to a town, and by the next page, they’re there, but how? Like, is everything two steps from each other?? And small details, like one time Nieve started eating a snack, and on the next page, on the same day mind you, she’s complaining about when did she eat last. It must have been 24 hours ago, when she literally was eating two seconds ago. It was silly details like that, that just kind of drove me nuts 😅
Definitely a solid 3 ⭐️ read for me. If you enjoy books with pirates, and a swoony romance, then give it a chance. This one just wasn’t quite for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 18, 2024
“That story–what it promised, however improbable��was all I had.”
Starling’s Weave follows the story of Nieve Septîle, a young woman from an isolated village of hidden mages. In this world, land and ocean suffer as the Elder Wrights, gods that have disappeared over time, are no longer able to breathe their magic into the world. Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. When things in the village go wrong, Nieve finds herself thrust headfirst into an adventure to help her people as Captain Keir Manseray and his pirates visit her tribe. Manseray has his own objectives that rely on Nieve’s assistance, but with the added challenges of an amnesiac Elder Wright and a tyrannical King’s vendetta, both Nieve and Manseray find that their quests might not be so simple.
L.E. Sterling’s novel is thrilling and wonderfully complex, with a well-crafted magic system and world building. I am always a fan of pirate stories, especially when they’re set in a world with magic and mystery, and this one did not disappoint—even if the Captain claims that they are mutineers, not pirates. The story is told through the dual perspectives of Nieve and Manseray, allowing readers to understand their respective motives and desires, even when one creates misconceptions about the other. I liked that Nieve formed her beliefs through the stories of her people and how Manseray formed his through the stories from his mentor. Both characters aligned in the right way but were different enough to make them intriguing on their own. There were moments where they made mistakes and lied, but knowing the truth as a reader only added to the tension of the novel and made the development throughout the story intriguing to follow. In addition, the book was very well-paced, which made it possible for Sterling’s writing and style to shine. The magical elements stuck out to me, as the main perspective is a girl without magic. How Nieve sees and understands the use and significance of magic affects not just her and her village, but the entire world. Starling’s Weave was an excellent story that reminded me why I love fantasy and I could barely put it down!
Starling’s Weave releases on October 21st, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Starling’s Weave follows the story of Nieve Septîle, a young woman from an isolated village of hidden mages. In this world, land and ocean suffer as the Elder Wrights, gods that have disappeared over time, are no longer able to breathe their magic into the world. Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. When things in the village go wrong, Nieve finds herself thrust headfirst into an adventure to help her people as Captain Keir Manseray and his pirates visit her tribe. Manseray has his own objectives that rely on Nieve’s assistance, but with the added challenges of an amnesiac Elder Wright and a tyrannical King’s vendetta, both Nieve and Manseray find that their quests might not be so simple.
L.E. Sterling’s novel is thrilling and wonderfully complex, with a well-crafted magic system and world building. I am always a fan of pirate stories, especially when they’re set in a world with magic and mystery, and this one did not disappoint—even if the Captain claims that they are mutineers, not pirates. The story is told through the dual perspectives of Nieve and Manseray, allowing readers to understand their respective motives and desires, even when one creates misconceptions about the other. I liked that Nieve formed her beliefs through the stories of her people and how Manseray formed his through the stories from his mentor. Both characters aligned in the right way but were different enough to make them intriguing on their own. There were moments where they made mistakes and lied, but knowing the truth as a reader only added to the tension of the novel and made the development throughout the story intriguing to follow. In addition, the book was very well-paced, which made it possible for Sterling’s writing and style to shine. The magical elements stuck out to me, as the main perspective is a girl without magic. How Nieve sees and understands the use and significance of magic affects not just her and her village, but the entire world. Starling’s Weave was an excellent story that reminded me why I love fantasy and I could barely put it down!
Starling’s Weave releases on October 21st, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
October 15, 2024
Thank you NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and LE Sterling for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.
I struggled a bit with this book. There were portions where I was ready to give it a higher rating, and then others where I was really frustrated. We start with Nieve, a young woman that is an outcast in her village due to her not having magic. This community is very reclusive and not much is known or taught about the outside world. Their world is now starting to have death and decay and the loss of the gods that brought magic to the world is thought to be its cause.
I enjoyed the characters themselves and their relationships amongst each other. There is a found family component to the pirates/mutineers, which seems to be a common theme in books with pirates. I really liked the intent and the plotlines, I just was lost in some of the execution. I typically enjoy POV switches, but I did struggle a bit with the construction of those switches. Nieve has a fairly typical hero’s journey so you can expect the leaving of her homeland, tragedy, a mentorish type person, etc. There is also a lot of the plot that isn’t explained. You are told that the Elder Wrights brought magic to the world, but nothing more than the Talin have water magic. There is mention of threads and weavers, but not who they are or what they do. The evil king is present, but no backstory on why he nor his ancestors are trying to rid the world of magic. The back quarter of the book seemed to be a bit rushed with a lot going on in order to get us to the end. I also didn’t feel like the end really tidied up a lot of the plot points.
I enjoyed the book and I wouldn’t tell someone not to read it. And it had a lot of high points, but was missing just enough to keep it from getting a higher rating from me.
1* - DNF
2* - finished the book but disliked it and won’t read again
3* - fine, likely won’t read again but no major issues, may check out sequels
4* - really enjoyed, will definitely read any sequels and will likely put on my shelf and will look into author’s other work
5* - outstanding, definitely will own and re-read, will read all sequels and put author on automatic check-out of new books
I struggled a bit with this book. There were portions where I was ready to give it a higher rating, and then others where I was really frustrated. We start with Nieve, a young woman that is an outcast in her village due to her not having magic. This community is very reclusive and not much is known or taught about the outside world. Their world is now starting to have death and decay and the loss of the gods that brought magic to the world is thought to be its cause.
I enjoyed the characters themselves and their relationships amongst each other. There is a found family component to the pirates/mutineers, which seems to be a common theme in books with pirates. I really liked the intent and the plotlines, I just was lost in some of the execution. I typically enjoy POV switches, but I did struggle a bit with the construction of those switches. Nieve has a fairly typical hero’s journey so you can expect the leaving of her homeland, tragedy, a mentorish type person, etc. There is also a lot of the plot that isn’t explained. You are told that the Elder Wrights brought magic to the world, but nothing more than the Talin have water magic. There is mention of threads and weavers, but not who they are or what they do. The evil king is present, but no backstory on why he nor his ancestors are trying to rid the world of magic. The back quarter of the book seemed to be a bit rushed with a lot going on in order to get us to the end. I also didn’t feel like the end really tidied up a lot of the plot points.
I enjoyed the book and I wouldn’t tell someone not to read it. And it had a lot of high points, but was missing just enough to keep it from getting a higher rating from me.
1* - DNF
2* - finished the book but disliked it and won’t read again
3* - fine, likely won’t read again but no major issues, may check out sequels
4* - really enjoyed, will definitely read any sequels and will likely put on my shelf and will look into author’s other work
5* - outstanding, definitely will own and re-read, will read all sequels and put author on automatic check-out of new books
November 8, 2024
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
The book is fine: meaning, the characters were the typical overidealized "unique snowflake" and "gruff but sweet male love interest" that is so common to the YA genre. It was hard not to roll my eyes at all the clichés or shake off the feeling that I've read this so many times, just different window dressings.Story: Nieve is born into an island community of minor Earth mages but has no magic of her own. She longs to adventure and steals away on a ship as soon as she can. For the world is dying, her people are slowly starving, and she thinks she has the clue from old fairy tales on how to save everyone. Besides, no one will miss her because she has no magic and is useless anyway Cue 'pirate' love interest who helps her out.
So yes, another unique snowflake who thinks she doesn't have any magic but suddenly realizes near the end that she is the most powerful person in the world and can save it. And yes, a pirate captain comes along to help her and be a heart of gold savior in her time of need and carry her to where she needs to be to do the world saving. Cue instaluv and some adventures along the way.
I think the problem for me will always be that the protagonist just does things that frankly should get her killed but only serves to provide an opportunity for the love interest to save her. The world saving gets to be a silly set of circumstances at that point and the heroine looks too stupid to be alive, all action with no thought or brains behind them.
The best thing I can say is that it is an easy and quick read and certainly completely inoffensive. Great for younger audiences, then. But lacking sophistication, depth, and originality to appeal to more mature or experienced readers. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
March 21, 2025
I received an advanced copy of Starling's Weave from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.
While Starling's Weave had everything I could have wanted in a story, it unfortunately did not meet my expectations. In one of my last reviews, I talked about how confused I was during the book; the same thing happened here. It was extremely difficult to follow what was going on. Don't get me wrong, the story was interesting. Though confused, I did continue reading because I was curious to see where the story was going. I wanted to understand why everything was happening and how the characters would fix the problem. But it was never explained or, at the most, not explained well. Everything about the plot, world, magic, and characters was surface-level.
I honestly have no idea why the big bad was doing what they were doing. Or how they were doing it. This whole part of the story was huge but never explained. This person was the cause of the decline of magic for the entire world, but we have no idea how they did it or why they wanted magic to go away. We meet the person once! One single time. The rest of the time they're just talked about, about how terrible they are and how they're doing all these horrible things. But WHY. Do I always need to know the why? No. But in this case, I had no idea what was happening, and it got frustrating.
I think it comes down to the writing. It was very easy to read but almost too easy. There was no depth, no nuance. The pace was slow until suddenly it wasn't. We had a weird switch between POV chapters where Nieve's were in first person, and Manseray's were in third person. There was insta-love. The magic came out of absolutely nowhere (and somehow, the person knew exactly how to use it?). I could keep listing things, but I think you understand. There was just so much more development that could have been done that wasn't.
A lot of people will like Starling's Weave. It was a good story of self-discovery and adventure. But there were a lot of missing pieces that would have made this story so much better.
While Starling's Weave had everything I could have wanted in a story, it unfortunately did not meet my expectations. In one of my last reviews, I talked about how confused I was during the book; the same thing happened here. It was extremely difficult to follow what was going on. Don't get me wrong, the story was interesting. Though confused, I did continue reading because I was curious to see where the story was going. I wanted to understand why everything was happening and how the characters would fix the problem. But it was never explained or, at the most, not explained well. Everything about the plot, world, magic, and characters was surface-level.
I honestly have no idea why the big bad was doing what they were doing. Or how they were doing it. This whole part of the story was huge but never explained. This person was the cause of the decline of magic for the entire world, but we have no idea how they did it or why they wanted magic to go away. We meet the person once! One single time. The rest of the time they're just talked about, about how terrible they are and how they're doing all these horrible things. But WHY. Do I always need to know the why? No. But in this case, I had no idea what was happening, and it got frustrating.
I think it comes down to the writing. It was very easy to read but almost too easy. There was no depth, no nuance. The pace was slow until suddenly it wasn't. We had a weird switch between POV chapters where Nieve's were in first person, and Manseray's were in third person. There was insta-love. The magic came out of absolutely nowhere (and somehow, the person knew exactly how to use it?). I could keep listing things, but I think you understand. There was just so much more development that could have been done that wasn't.
A lot of people will like Starling's Weave. It was a good story of self-discovery and adventure. But there were a lot of missing pieces that would have made this story so much better.
October 23, 2024
🌊If you're craving a YA fantasy full of swashbuckling pirates, epic quests, and a magic system that'll make your jaw drop—Starling’s Weave is it!
Nieve’s story is one of fighting against the odds, discovering hidden truths, and falling for a charming (but oh-so-mysterious) pirate along the way. 😏✨
Nieve may not have magic like her people, but that doesn't stop her from diving headfirst into an adventure that could save—or doom—the world.
Alongside the brooding pirate Keir Manseray (who had me swooning with his cinnamon roll vibes 🍂), she unlocks ancient secrets, finds unexpected allies, and weaves her own legend. But trust me, this isn't just a simple voyage—it’s a wild ride filled with betrayal, heart-stopping action, and a few stolen kisses that had me blushing. 😍🔥
Some favorite moments? Check these out:
🏴☠️”Harm one hair on her head and we'll both learn how creative I can get with your murd3r." Um, excuse me? Keir is serving major “touch her and die” energy! 🖤
🏴☠️And who can resist: "I keep trying to tell you, Starling. Without you, there's no such thing as freedom." 🥺💫
The slow burn romance between Nieve and Keir is EVERYTHING! It's the kind of tension that leaves you on the edge, waiting for that one moment—and when it hits, OH BOY. 🔥💋
And did I mention the twists? Because Starling’s Weave delivers with shocking surprises that left me counting down for the next book.
If you’re a fan of Shadow and Bone or Dark Water Daughter, trust me, this fantasy gem needs to be on your radar!🗺️✨
⭐️ Fantasy Tropes Galore!
➡️ Chosen One
➡️ Found Family
➡️ Pirates (yes, with attitude 😏)
➡️ Slow Burn
➡️ And the ultimate battle of Good vs. Evil
📚 If you want magic, mutineers, and an adventure that keeps you guessing, grab Starling’s Weave! I promise it’ll hook you!
Nieve’s story is one of fighting against the odds, discovering hidden truths, and falling for a charming (but oh-so-mysterious) pirate along the way. 😏✨
Nieve may not have magic like her people, but that doesn't stop her from diving headfirst into an adventure that could save—or doom—the world.
Alongside the brooding pirate Keir Manseray (who had me swooning with his cinnamon roll vibes 🍂), she unlocks ancient secrets, finds unexpected allies, and weaves her own legend. But trust me, this isn't just a simple voyage—it’s a wild ride filled with betrayal, heart-stopping action, and a few stolen kisses that had me blushing. 😍🔥
Some favorite moments? Check these out:
🏴☠️”Harm one hair on her head and we'll both learn how creative I can get with your murd3r." Um, excuse me? Keir is serving major “touch her and die” energy! 🖤
🏴☠️And who can resist: "I keep trying to tell you, Starling. Without you, there's no such thing as freedom." 🥺💫
The slow burn romance between Nieve and Keir is EVERYTHING! It's the kind of tension that leaves you on the edge, waiting for that one moment—and when it hits, OH BOY. 🔥💋
And did I mention the twists? Because Starling’s Weave delivers with shocking surprises that left me counting down for the next book.
If you’re a fan of Shadow and Bone or Dark Water Daughter, trust me, this fantasy gem needs to be on your radar!🗺️✨
⭐️ Fantasy Tropes Galore!
➡️ Chosen One
➡️ Found Family
➡️ Pirates (yes, with attitude 😏)
➡️ Slow Burn
➡️ And the ultimate battle of Good vs. Evil
📚 If you want magic, mutineers, and an adventure that keeps you guessing, grab Starling’s Weave! I promise it’ll hook you!
October 29, 2024
Fantastic, totally transported to another realm
Starling’s Weave by L.E. Sterling is a gripping heroine’s journey inside a gorgeous fantasy romance. I fell entirely into Sterling’s magical realm and adored the young Nieve, the sensitive main character, whose journey allows her to discover latent powers and, with that knowledge, unlock the courage and ability to inhabit her destiny. Along the way, she falls in love with the charming (and handsome) Keir Mansaray, a mutineer (aka pirate) who was as much fun to get to know as Nieve.
Nieve was born without magic in a world in which this absence is unprecedented. Her secretive community doesn’t know what to do with her, and her grandmother’s death leaves her unprotected. Simultaneously, the Ocean is drying up—the people’s source of food—and slow death for the entire tribe seems imminent. Nieve sets off on a journey to find the people who know the ancient stories that might help her understand why she has no magic. After Keir shows up on their shores with food to trade, she decides to join him (and his crew) on his ship for the journey, but Keir has other plans for Nieve. Will their goals eventually intersect? Yes, in totally unexpected ways, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more. No spoilers here.
This is a beautifully written and powerfully optimistic story. Sterling’s attention to detail in her world-building is exquisite. I felt entirely at home in her magical realm, inside of which she addressed the serious topic of environmental blight in a way that never felt forced. I enjoyed this novel immensely and recommend Starling’s Weave to anyone who likes romantic fantasy with strong women characters and a plot line anchored in love, loyalty and renewal.
Starling’s Weave by L.E. Sterling is a gripping heroine’s journey inside a gorgeous fantasy romance. I fell entirely into Sterling’s magical realm and adored the young Nieve, the sensitive main character, whose journey allows her to discover latent powers and, with that knowledge, unlock the courage and ability to inhabit her destiny. Along the way, she falls in love with the charming (and handsome) Keir Mansaray, a mutineer (aka pirate) who was as much fun to get to know as Nieve.
Nieve was born without magic in a world in which this absence is unprecedented. Her secretive community doesn’t know what to do with her, and her grandmother’s death leaves her unprotected. Simultaneously, the Ocean is drying up—the people’s source of food—and slow death for the entire tribe seems imminent. Nieve sets off on a journey to find the people who know the ancient stories that might help her understand why she has no magic. After Keir shows up on their shores with food to trade, she decides to join him (and his crew) on his ship for the journey, but Keir has other plans for Nieve. Will their goals eventually intersect? Yes, in totally unexpected ways, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more. No spoilers here.
This is a beautifully written and powerfully optimistic story. Sterling’s attention to detail in her world-building is exquisite. I felt entirely at home in her magical realm, inside of which she addressed the serious topic of environmental blight in a way that never felt forced. I enjoyed this novel immensely and recommend Starling’s Weave to anyone who likes romantic fantasy with strong women characters and a plot line anchored in love, loyalty and renewal.
October 23, 2024
Starling’s Weave - Review
Starling’s Weave is a captivating Young Adult fantasy that will appeal to readers who appreciate a slow-burn romance between the main characters, Nieve Septile and Keir Manseray.
Set in a world where Elder Wrights once breathed magic into the seven seas, Nieve is the only Talin—an elusive race of magical mages—in her village without powers. As magic fades and everything around her begins to wither, Nieve takes it upon herself to save her people, even though they treat her as an outcast for her lack of magic.
Keir Manseray, a “pirate” or mutineer with his own magical abilities, arrives in her village with a hidden agenda. Upon meeting Nieve, he realizes that he needs her to complete his mission. Without revealing too much, the two are forced to shed their “masks” and learn to trust each other, embarking on a journey where Nieve, the girl without magic, discovers her true potential.
I loved the vivid and descriptive world-building L.E. Sterling created, and the dual narration provided a rich perspective into both main characters’ minds. However, I found myself wanting more—more backstory on the different types of water magic the Talin possess, a deeper understanding of what weavers and threads are, and more details on why the Elder Wrights are being hunted down. The pacing, while immersive, felt slower than I had anticipated, and the ending seemed a bit rushed, leaving some threads untied. Just as I found myself fully invested in the story, it ended rather abruptly.
Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, with its blend of fantasy, magic, action, and adventure. I would recommend it to any young adult reader who loves diving into richly imagined worlds and getting lost in a tale of magic and self-discovery.
Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Starling’s Weave is a captivating Young Adult fantasy that will appeal to readers who appreciate a slow-burn romance between the main characters, Nieve Septile and Keir Manseray.
Set in a world where Elder Wrights once breathed magic into the seven seas, Nieve is the only Talin—an elusive race of magical mages—in her village without powers. As magic fades and everything around her begins to wither, Nieve takes it upon herself to save her people, even though they treat her as an outcast for her lack of magic.
Keir Manseray, a “pirate” or mutineer with his own magical abilities, arrives in her village with a hidden agenda. Upon meeting Nieve, he realizes that he needs her to complete his mission. Without revealing too much, the two are forced to shed their “masks” and learn to trust each other, embarking on a journey where Nieve, the girl without magic, discovers her true potential.
I loved the vivid and descriptive world-building L.E. Sterling created, and the dual narration provided a rich perspective into both main characters’ minds. However, I found myself wanting more—more backstory on the different types of water magic the Talin possess, a deeper understanding of what weavers and threads are, and more details on why the Elder Wrights are being hunted down. The pacing, while immersive, felt slower than I had anticipated, and the ending seemed a bit rushed, leaving some threads untied. Just as I found myself fully invested in the story, it ended rather abruptly.
Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, with its blend of fantasy, magic, action, and adventure. I would recommend it to any young adult reader who loves diving into richly imagined worlds and getting lost in a tale of magic and self-discovery.
Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
October 23, 2024
Book:Starling's Weave
Author: L.E. Sterling
Publisher: Entangled
Length: 321 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating; 5 Saltire Flags
This YA romantasy is fast moving and action packed right from the start. A book I could not put down with so many twists and turns. It has every element a reader could want with phenomenal world building, magic, exceptional banter, multi dimensional characters, love and a dazzling storyline!
The FMC is Nieve who is part of the Talin race who are secretly mages who control the power of the ocean. The MMC is Keir who supported Nieve and her Journey. As the Ocean was dying out for Talin people which had been the main food source and now people were dying! This is how she meets Keir and they start to travel the seven seas together where she meets Elder Wright and discovers her hidden power!
Overall I absolutely loved everything about this book from start to finish. The surprise ending definitely knocked me for a loop that was definitely mind blowing! Absolutely brilliant! If you love YA, magic and romance you definitely don’t want to miss this epic novel!
This is my first read by L.E. Sterling but definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to more books by this talented author. It was definitely a book that kept me reading late into the night. A book I highly recommend that fantasy and science fiction readers will absolutely love!
Disclaimer: I received a free advance readers copy from Entangled publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair, review and blog through netgalley. All words, thoughts, ideas are my own.
Author: L.E. Sterling
Publisher: Entangled
Length: 321 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating; 5 Saltire Flags
This YA romantasy is fast moving and action packed right from the start. A book I could not put down with so many twists and turns. It has every element a reader could want with phenomenal world building, magic, exceptional banter, multi dimensional characters, love and a dazzling storyline!
The FMC is Nieve who is part of the Talin race who are secretly mages who control the power of the ocean. The MMC is Keir who supported Nieve and her Journey. As the Ocean was dying out for Talin people which had been the main food source and now people were dying! This is how she meets Keir and they start to travel the seven seas together where she meets Elder Wright and discovers her hidden power!
Overall I absolutely loved everything about this book from start to finish. The surprise ending definitely knocked me for a loop that was definitely mind blowing! Absolutely brilliant! If you love YA, magic and romance you definitely don’t want to miss this epic novel!
This is my first read by L.E. Sterling but definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to more books by this talented author. It was definitely a book that kept me reading late into the night. A book I highly recommend that fantasy and science fiction readers will absolutely love!
Disclaimer: I received a free advance readers copy from Entangled publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair, review and blog through netgalley. All words, thoughts, ideas are my own.
October 21, 2024
In ancient times, the Elder Wrights infused magic into the seas, but now those oceans are dying, leading to starvation among the Talin, a race of hidden mages. Nieve, one of the Talin, finds herself without magic and ostracized, determined to uncover the truth behind the old stories. Her life changes when a charming pirate arrives, launching her on an adventure across the seven seas alongside an eclectic crew and a woman claiming to be an Elder Wright. As Nieve navigates this new world, she discovers the realities of tragedy, royal interference, and betrayal. While she seeks to weave her own legend, she must also contend with the risks of love and deceit that could change everything.
I really enjoyed Nieve and Keir's story; it was exactly what I was looking for. However, I found the beginning to be quite slow and not quite aligned with my expectations. At times, I questioned the purpose of the story during those early chapters and had to keep myself pushing forward. While the conclusion offered some interesting twists, I felt it was a bit rushed and left me wanting more from the big reveal (avoiding spoilers here). There were moments in the middle that felt like filler, which detracted from the overall pacing. I would have liked to see more action in between, more obstacles, and a bit longer of a conclusion.
Overall, I did enjoy this and really loved the characters. I just wanted more of a conclusion.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC / Entangled Teen for the ARC.
I really enjoyed Nieve and Keir's story; it was exactly what I was looking for. However, I found the beginning to be quite slow and not quite aligned with my expectations. At times, I questioned the purpose of the story during those early chapters and had to keep myself pushing forward. While the conclusion offered some interesting twists, I felt it was a bit rushed and left me wanting more from the big reveal (avoiding spoilers here). There were moments in the middle that felt like filler, which detracted from the overall pacing. I would have liked to see more action in between, more obstacles, and a bit longer of a conclusion.
Overall, I did enjoy this and really loved the characters. I just wanted more of a conclusion.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC / Entangled Teen for the ARC.
October 12, 2024
ARC Review
Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling was not quite the pirate adventure I expected, but it blew me away with its magic and mystery🌊✨
Nieve, the main character, finds herself caught between the return of long-dead gods and the search for answers about her own path. This book is all about self-discovery, responsibility, and the journey toward freedom. The romance is perfectly balanced, but the focus really lies on Nieve’s growth and the magical world she uncovers.
While I expected a swashbuckling pirate adventure, the real focus is on the deeply magical and mysterious aspects of the story, with gods long thought dead suddenly reappearing, sparking intrigue, danger, and an urgent quest for answers.
The book delves into Nieve's personal journey of self-acceptance, as she navigates the weight of her responsibilities, her past, and the newfound truths she uncovers about herself. There’s a beautiful romance woven through the story, but it complements rather than overshadows her personal growth.
If you love magic, gods, and a heroine finding her way in the world, this one’s for you! 💫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling was not quite the pirate adventure I expected, but it blew me away with its magic and mystery🌊✨
Nieve, the main character, finds herself caught between the return of long-dead gods and the search for answers about her own path. This book is all about self-discovery, responsibility, and the journey toward freedom. The romance is perfectly balanced, but the focus really lies on Nieve’s growth and the magical world she uncovers.
While I expected a swashbuckling pirate adventure, the real focus is on the deeply magical and mysterious aspects of the story, with gods long thought dead suddenly reappearing, sparking intrigue, danger, and an urgent quest for answers.
The book delves into Nieve's personal journey of self-acceptance, as she navigates the weight of her responsibilities, her past, and the newfound truths she uncovers about herself. There’s a beautiful romance woven through the story, but it complements rather than overshadows her personal growth.
If you love magic, gods, and a heroine finding her way in the world, this one’s for you! 💫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2024
I loved this book! This book earned a 4.5/5 stars for me, which is amazing, as I am very picky about books 5 star reviews or 4.5. I really fell for Nieve's journey and all the trouble she went through just to try to feel like she fit in, while also feeling her heartbreak at the beginning of the book with all the tragedies that befell her. I do love seeing some good green flag men and Manseray was ~mostly~ a green flag for me. This book had no spice, but it was still an absolutely adorable romance through and through. All the characters had such great development throughout the book, and there was not one character that I felt was not done justice (other than Leander because of course I loved him). Additionally, I sometimes am weary of shorter books that seem to be solo, as I never know if they will have everything I want in them story, plot, and description wise, but this book did an amazing job of making me feel as though I had everything I wanted and not leaving me feeling as though I was missing something. Thank you so much to the Entangled Publishing group and L.E. Sterling for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It definitely delivered, and I cannot wait for it to come out to look at getting a permanent copy!
October 28, 2024
YA Fantasy
Pirates
Hidden Magic
Mystery
Romance
Slow Burn
Nieve is an anomaly, the first and only Talisman born without magic.
Her aging grandmother teaches her the ways of the Talisman mages in the form of potions for healing and tries to offer her some sort of future for a Talisman without magic. After the death of her Grandmother, Nieve goes on an adventure on a pirate ship with a handsome Pirate to seek the truth of a story that could save her home and her people from a deadly disease that has swept in to kill everyone including her friends and family.
Keir Mansory needs the help of Nieve and her magical friends to free Edsel Bo from prison and save the dying ocean and magic. He is immediately smitten with her beauty and her incredible ability for storytelling. She is the key to help him save his dearest friend from a prison that comes with daily torture and a very low survival rate.
This a magical pirate adventure that is suitable for young adults. It has action and a little romance but the whole story needed a little more detail for me to fully enjoy it.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a free copy of this advanced copy of this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.
October 29, 2024
Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling was an incredible adventure. A fantasy novel geared towards youth I fell in love with another world crafted by Sterling. Nieve is the only Talin girl in around 14 thousand years to be born without magic. Growing up feeling rejected and outright discrimanated, Nieve still wants nothing more than to save her people, because the world is dying. Plants will not grow, nets cast turn up empty, and theres a sickness spreading through the land.
So let me go on a tangent here and say theres this cool world building but still the author chose to go in the direction of a romantasy so here we go. When everything looks bleak, who shows up in a suave super cool way? a handsome pirate with a mysterious past. Because its clearly meant to be a romance with a dash of fantasy, personally I felt like the book and plot suffered from a predictable fate. The ending came rushed because we spent so much time focusing on the main two that the fact there was a dying world seemed to be forgotten until the last minute.
The book itself was wrapped up neatly per say and can work as a stand alone novel. I loved the writing and prose from Sterling and will look forward to her next novel, whether its in this universe or another.
So let me go on a tangent here and say theres this cool world building but still the author chose to go in the direction of a romantasy so here we go. When everything looks bleak, who shows up in a suave super cool way? a handsome pirate with a mysterious past. Because its clearly meant to be a romance with a dash of fantasy, personally I felt like the book and plot suffered from a predictable fate. The ending came rushed because we spent so much time focusing on the main two that the fact there was a dying world seemed to be forgotten until the last minute.
The book itself was wrapped up neatly per say and can work as a stand alone novel. I loved the writing and prose from Sterling and will look forward to her next novel, whether its in this universe or another.
Read
November 12, 2024Nieve is a Talin female, part of a reclusive magical race of mages. She has not shown her powers yet, which most Talin come into once they come of age. She should already be paired up with someone within the community and given an apprenticeship in order to help contribute to the community. One day she is instructed by the elders in her village to show a pirate crew marauding as traders the respect intended to the Elder Wrights, a long lost ancestral magic race, and she ends up making friends with a Talin male who is their captain. Her world is dying, and she tries to seek out the source of all magic in order to make things right again. She teams up with an Elder Wright and the creator of magic, Arisame, her Priestess Hiram, and Manseray, the Raven lord pirate she previously met in her village. She is recruited to help Weave the fabric of everything back together.
Nieve has a lot of character development along the way on her journey, as does Manseray. She meets and loses many new characters, some that help her and some that hinder her. This is an end-of-the-world/ save-the-world with a hint of romance type trope. It was a fast and easy read, and the ending leaves it open for a follow-up story to continue.
Nieve has a lot of character development along the way on her journey, as does Manseray. She meets and loses many new characters, some that help her and some that hinder her. This is an end-of-the-world/ save-the-world with a hint of romance type trope. It was a fast and easy read, and the ending leaves it open for a follow-up story to continue.
October 13, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a gifted eARC!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Nieve is the first of her race to be born without magic, but she is determined to save her people from a mysterious blight—even if it means traveling with a secretive mutineer who may have an agenda of his own.
I’ll just say it—there aren’t enough pirate books out there, and the ones out there aren’t getting enough buzz, at least on my corner of the internet. This is one that *deserves some buzz* without a doubt! I loved the characters and the universe was super original and interesting. Keir is *chef’s kiss* and I DEVOURED the romance elements of this one for sure. The book is also fast-paced with a plot that keeps moving the entire way through and a good amount of action and adventure.
I’m not sure if this is planned as a series or a standalone (the ending works well but I’d be more than happy to revisit this world and dive deeper!) but I highly recommend all YA fantasy fans dive in (see what I did there?!) the second this one releases!
CW: Death (including child death); blood/injury; grief; violence
Rating: 4/5 stars
Nieve is the first of her race to be born without magic, but she is determined to save her people from a mysterious blight—even if it means traveling with a secretive mutineer who may have an agenda of his own.
I’ll just say it—there aren’t enough pirate books out there, and the ones out there aren’t getting enough buzz, at least on my corner of the internet. This is one that *deserves some buzz* without a doubt! I loved the characters and the universe was super original and interesting. Keir is *chef’s kiss* and I DEVOURED the romance elements of this one for sure. The book is also fast-paced with a plot that keeps moving the entire way through and a good amount of action and adventure.
I’m not sure if this is planned as a series or a standalone (the ending works well but I’d be more than happy to revisit this world and dive deeper!) but I highly recommend all YA fantasy fans dive in (see what I did there?!) the second this one releases!
CW: Death (including child death); blood/injury; grief; violence
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