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The Star Queen Chronicles #2
Of Light and Freedom
Step into the light and let the darkness swallow you whole...
Asteria’s life has been sent into chaos. With the truth of who she is revealed, she must reckon with what her future now brings. Unsure if that future should include the man who fate chose for her, but who hadn't chosen her, she soon finds even greater challenges awaiting them. She must quickly learn to control her new powers, but unfortunately, control is the one thing that has always alluded her, and the stakes are now higher than ever.
Calix has waited over four hundred years for his mate, and while he always knew finding her would be far from straightforward, he never expected these circumstances. With one kingdom clamoring for their prophesied queen, and another for their gods' chosen heir, they find themselves stuck between two kingdoms, with the threat of being torn apart just as they’ve found one another.
Everything hangs in the balance as the continent teeters on the line of chaos. With Cyrus’s plans put into action for his foul blood magic, Dusk and Night prepare for war, as rebellion finally begins to stir outside the shadows of Night. As prophecies converge and the seer speaks, the gods’ message comes through loud and clear—and one does not deny the gods.
The balance shifts, chaos thrives, and a war long foretold erupts, ensuring that the world as Asteria knew it, will never be the same…
Of Light and Freedom is the second book in a compelling new adult romantic fantasy series featuring contrasting light and dark love interests and the delicate line of balance and chaos for a magical land. Plus Fae shifters, court intrigue, slavery rebellion, a shadow daddy love interest who can shift into a dragon, and a heroine finding her own power and fighting for what she believes in. Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Jennifer L Armentrout, Clare Sager, Nisha J Tuli, Carissa Broadbent, Chloe C. Peñaranda, and Raven Kennedy!
Asteria’s life has been sent into chaos. With the truth of who she is revealed, she must reckon with what her future now brings. Unsure if that future should include the man who fate chose for her, but who hadn't chosen her, she soon finds even greater challenges awaiting them. She must quickly learn to control her new powers, but unfortunately, control is the one thing that has always alluded her, and the stakes are now higher than ever.
Calix has waited over four hundred years for his mate, and while he always knew finding her would be far from straightforward, he never expected these circumstances. With one kingdom clamoring for their prophesied queen, and another for their gods' chosen heir, they find themselves stuck between two kingdoms, with the threat of being torn apart just as they’ve found one another.
Everything hangs in the balance as the continent teeters on the line of chaos. With Cyrus’s plans put into action for his foul blood magic, Dusk and Night prepare for war, as rebellion finally begins to stir outside the shadows of Night. As prophecies converge and the seer speaks, the gods’ message comes through loud and clear—and one does not deny the gods.
The balance shifts, chaos thrives, and a war long foretold erupts, ensuring that the world as Asteria knew it, will never be the same…
Of Light and Freedom is the second book in a compelling new adult romantic fantasy series featuring contrasting light and dark love interests and the delicate line of balance and chaos for a magical land. Plus Fae shifters, court intrigue, slavery rebellion, a shadow daddy love interest who can shift into a dragon, and a heroine finding her own power and fighting for what she believes in. Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Jennifer L Armentrout, Clare Sager, Nisha J Tuli, Carissa Broadbent, Chloe C. Peñaranda, and Raven Kennedy!
756 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2025
177 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
October 7, 2025
**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑶𝒇 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒏 (𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 #2)
Release Date: May 5, 2025
5⭐️5🌶
This book has all the world building. While the first is about estabilishing Asteria and Calix as characters and the classism in this world, this book is all about Asteria exploring her abilities, and there are MANY!
Of course after the events that ended the first book, she is hesitant to jump into what she has with Calix. Why?! I don't know other than to torture me, the reader. However, I can understand her fear of losing Calix, so not want to start such a big relationship.
Most if this book is politicking. Where Asteria and Calix are trying to form as many allies as possible for the war to come with Dusk.
I CANNOT wait to read more from Ms. Rachel Fallon. She is one of my newest must-read authors.
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Enemies to lovers
🍁Human/fae relationship
🍁Human slaves-Fae in power
🍁Magical Warfare
🍁Hidden powers
🍁Chosen One
🍁Fated Mates
TW:
✨Graphic torture and whipping
✨Gaslighting
✨Battle/War sequences
✨Abusing others to keep one in line
✨Threating to abuse others to keep someone in line
✨Training sequences
Release Date: May 5, 2025
5⭐️5🌶
This book has all the world building. While the first is about estabilishing Asteria and Calix as characters and the classism in this world, this book is all about Asteria exploring her abilities, and there are MANY!
Of course after the events that ended the first book, she is hesitant to jump into what she has with Calix. Why?! I don't know other than to torture me, the reader. However, I can understand her fear of losing Calix, so not want to start such a big relationship.
Most if this book is politicking. Where Asteria and Calix are trying to form as many allies as possible for the war to come with Dusk.
I CANNOT wait to read more from Ms. Rachel Fallon. She is one of my newest must-read authors.
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Enemies to lovers
🍁Human/fae relationship
🍁Human slaves-Fae in power
🍁Magical Warfare
🍁Hidden powers
🍁Chosen One
🍁Fated Mates
TW:
✨Graphic torture and whipping
✨Gaslighting
✨Battle/War sequences
✨Abusing others to keep one in line
✨Threating to abuse others to keep someone in line
✨Training sequences
April 7, 2025
5 ⭐️ Holy hell, I freaking loved it. This book was juicy … so full of drama, emotion, and depth that I literally couldn’t put it down.
It picks up right where the last one ended and brings in even more POVs (which I loved … even though I wanted to punch Cyrus so many times). The tension, the stakes, the character growth, all of it just hit so well.
Calix and Asteria? Ugh, my heart. Their relationship grew even stronger in this one and I adored every second of it. Calix never wavered - he was by her side constantly, and honestly, I needed that. It’s so refreshing to have a MMC who doesn’t falter in his love or support. We love a loyal king.
Asteria is still reeling from the events of the last book, and she’s deep in that spiral of anxiety and self-doubt … and wow, did that hit home. Rachel portrayed her mental health so authentically. That fear of something good being ripped away, the relentless voice of self-doubt - yeah, I felt that. A little too much, if I’m honest haha.
The found family vibes in the Night Kingdom? Even stronger. I loved seeing Asteria’s circle grow - there’s such warmth and depth to the relationships she’s building.
And the ending? EPIC. There’s a cliffhanger, of course, and I am counting down the days until I can get my hands on the next one.
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book, and I’m so unbelievably grateful. If you enjoyed the first, I promise you’ll love this continuation.
It picks up right where the last one ended and brings in even more POVs (which I loved … even though I wanted to punch Cyrus so many times). The tension, the stakes, the character growth, all of it just hit so well.
Calix and Asteria? Ugh, my heart. Their relationship grew even stronger in this one and I adored every second of it. Calix never wavered - he was by her side constantly, and honestly, I needed that. It’s so refreshing to have a MMC who doesn’t falter in his love or support. We love a loyal king.
Asteria is still reeling from the events of the last book, and she’s deep in that spiral of anxiety and self-doubt … and wow, did that hit home. Rachel portrayed her mental health so authentically. That fear of something good being ripped away, the relentless voice of self-doubt - yeah, I felt that. A little too much, if I’m honest haha.
The found family vibes in the Night Kingdom? Even stronger. I loved seeing Asteria’s circle grow - there’s such warmth and depth to the relationships she’s building.
And the ending? EPIC. There’s a cliffhanger, of course, and I am counting down the days until I can get my hands on the next one.
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book, and I’m so unbelievably grateful. If you enjoyed the first, I promise you’ll love this continuation.
May 14, 2025
I really enjoyed the first book, Of Darkness and Ruination, but Of Light and Freedom was a major disappointment in comparison. The descriptions were overly wrought and a waste of the massive word count of this book. No one needs a room or dress described in such detail that I could sew it or recreate it in real life. Literally, descriptions of simple garments or settings went on for pages - it made me want to pull my hair out. I also got very sick of the repetitive physical descriptions of both Calix and Asteria - I GET IT!!! Calix has white hair, is stupid tall and muscular and Asteria has blue eyes and curves in the right places just please move on!!!! I think the author should've either stuck to the single POV like the first book or only kept it as dual POV, as she wasn't able to distinguish a different voice for each character, they all read the exact same. The battle sequences were definitely the best part and I overall enjoyed Cyrus's chapters because he was just comically unhinged.
I think the author should focus more on expanding her craft and ability before continuing the series, as this book was not an improvement from the last one, it was actually worse. I will most likely not be continuing the series but wish Rachel the best.
Thank you to the author for sending me an early copy.
I think the author should focus more on expanding her craft and ability before continuing the series, as this book was not an improvement from the last one, it was actually worse. I will most likely not be continuing the series but wish Rachel the best.
Thank you to the author for sending me an early copy.
May 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
Oh my, this book was everything. The perfect sequal to the first. I loved this book, so freaking much!
It picks up from where book one left us (you know, that cliffhanger that has us screaming) and dives straight into the action and story from there. And boy, the story didn't disappoint. It's emotional, it's full of drama, and there's epic battles. I love a strong-willed female, and that's exactly what Asteria is, even more so in this book. She's loyal, she's fierce, and she'll do anything to protect those she loves. Calix is the perfect balance to her light and is extremely protective, whilst also letting her be her own person. And he's a shadow daddy dragon shifter, yum!
In this book, you will find, court intrigue, magic training, found family, and an epic quest that our MCs have to take to the underworld. Did I mention that it's spicy 😉
If you haven't started this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so, as book 2 is now available for purchase. Be warned, it does end on another cliffhanger, but it's totally worth it.
🌶🌶🌶
Oh my, this book was everything. The perfect sequal to the first. I loved this book, so freaking much!
It picks up from where book one left us (you know, that cliffhanger that has us screaming) and dives straight into the action and story from there. And boy, the story didn't disappoint. It's emotional, it's full of drama, and there's epic battles. I love a strong-willed female, and that's exactly what Asteria is, even more so in this book. She's loyal, she's fierce, and she'll do anything to protect those she loves. Calix is the perfect balance to her light and is extremely protective, whilst also letting her be her own person. And he's a shadow daddy dragon shifter, yum!
In this book, you will find, court intrigue, magic training, found family, and an epic quest that our MCs have to take to the underworld. Did I mention that it's spicy 😉
If you haven't started this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so, as book 2 is now available for purchase. Be warned, it does end on another cliffhanger, but it's totally worth it.
June 7, 2025
OF LIGHT AND FREEDOM
Releases May 5th!
Of Light and Freedom is book 2 in the Star Chronicles series by @rachelfallonauthor.
There's so many amazing things here.
Court Intrigue
Prophesies
Gods and Fae
Celestial Magic
Shifters
Touch her and die
Found Family
Fated Mates
What I enjoyed the most about Rachel's writing is she doesn't hold back on the more "severe" wording of descriptors. Instead of alluding to a body part she will just fearlessly write out the body part using whatever word she deems fit and doesn't make it more butterflies and rainbows. This made the intimate scenes feel that much more realistic and the conflict scenes that much better. Rachel's world-building and character descriptions will reel you further into this world. It was a truly immersive and refreshing read. I literally cannot wait for her spin off series to take off "the chronicles of adamah" and learn so much more about this unique world she has created.
If I could give this series more than 5 stars.
✨✨✨✨✨
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Releases May 5th!
Of Light and Freedom is book 2 in the Star Chronicles series by @rachelfallonauthor.
There's so many amazing things here.
Court Intrigue
Prophesies
Gods and Fae
Celestial Magic
Shifters
Touch her and die
Found Family
Fated Mates
What I enjoyed the most about Rachel's writing is she doesn't hold back on the more "severe" wording of descriptors. Instead of alluding to a body part she will just fearlessly write out the body part using whatever word she deems fit and doesn't make it more butterflies and rainbows. This made the intimate scenes feel that much more realistic and the conflict scenes that much better. Rachel's world-building and character descriptions will reel you further into this world. It was a truly immersive and refreshing read. I literally cannot wait for her spin off series to take off "the chronicles of adamah" and learn so much more about this unique world she has created.
If I could give this series more than 5 stars.
✨✨✨✨✨
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
April 8, 2025
✨Of Light and Freedom✨
Another epic read from Rachel in both size and story! We jump in right where we left off from book one’s insane cliffhanger and the wait for this second book was so worth it. We continue to follow the POV’s of our FMC, MMC, and villain, adding a couple new ones in that are so delightful.
Asteria has been through the wringer, her life completely turned upside down. Callix and his found family are set on ushering her and the kingdom’s into a healthier age. Prophecies are revealed and fulfilled. Bonds are tested and accepted. War is amassing. Humans are being murdered by the hundreds. The kingdoms are split down the center. Chaos is ensuing! But within that is a beautiful family, romance, and spicy spice. The world expands. The characters grow. So much is going on within this cover!
Tropes you may find in OLAF are fated mates, fae shifters and humans, epic villain, medium high spice, chosen family, high stakes, he comforts her, elemental magics, and winged shadow daddy.
Thank you for once again allowing me to be an arc reader for you, Rachel. What a wild ride that was!
Another epic read from Rachel in both size and story! We jump in right where we left off from book one’s insane cliffhanger and the wait for this second book was so worth it. We continue to follow the POV’s of our FMC, MMC, and villain, adding a couple new ones in that are so delightful.
Asteria has been through the wringer, her life completely turned upside down. Callix and his found family are set on ushering her and the kingdom’s into a healthier age. Prophecies are revealed and fulfilled. Bonds are tested and accepted. War is amassing. Humans are being murdered by the hundreds. The kingdoms are split down the center. Chaos is ensuing! But within that is a beautiful family, romance, and spicy spice. The world expands. The characters grow. So much is going on within this cover!
Tropes you may find in OLAF are fated mates, fae shifters and humans, epic villain, medium high spice, chosen family, high stakes, he comforts her, elemental magics, and winged shadow daddy.
Thank you for once again allowing me to be an arc reader for you, Rachel. What a wild ride that was!
September 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Romantasy Perfection
Of Light and Freedom has me staring, reeling, and desperate for more. This is romantasy at its absolute finest-lush worldbuilding, sizzling romance, and twists that knock the breath right out of you.
Somebody HELP ME, I NEED BOOK 3 STAT. That cliffhanger? Illegal. It has me in a chokehold, and I am not okay.
I'm beyond excited for the spinoff, but right now I'm still recovering from that ending. If you love romance, magic, and stories that take over your entire brain-READ. THIS. SERIES.
Of Light and Freedom has me staring, reeling, and desperate for more. This is romantasy at its absolute finest-lush worldbuilding, sizzling romance, and twists that knock the breath right out of you.
Somebody HELP ME, I NEED BOOK 3 STAT. That cliffhanger? Illegal. It has me in a chokehold, and I am not okay.
I'm beyond excited for the spinoff, but right now I'm still recovering from that ending. If you love romance, magic, and stories that take over your entire brain-READ. THIS. SERIES.
May 15, 2025
4/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
Picking up right where Of Darkness and Ruination left off, Of Light and Freedom follows Asteria as she deals with the truth of who she is, the man who is fated to her, and the scorned male of her past. As the continent teeters on the brink of war, Asteria and Calix must figure out how to put an end to Cyrus’ acts of terror… while figuring out what they truly mean to one another.
Rachel truly does write a beautiful story, painting quite the image of her characters, the setting and every single scene. I’m obsessed with her characters… Asteria is brave, strong and sexy as all heck, and Calix is patient, understanding and HOT HOT HOT. The devolving of our villain, told in his POV, was super fun to read. The development of relationships in the story was wonderful and the overall plot was incredibly enticing. I want to live in Night court with our characters! … especially to join their special parties they’re always throwing! (IYKYK).
That being said… this book is LONGGGGG. Squeaking in at just over 750 pages this is a MASSIVE book. Rachel likes to write them thick, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quicker read.
What I Loved About This Story:
✨Fated mates
✨Fae, shifters and humans
✨Different courts with different powers
✨Love triangle
✨Distrust, betrayal and shifting alliances
✨HOLY TOLEDO THAT SPICE WAS AMAZING
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via the author, but my review is all my own.
3/5🌶️
Picking up right where Of Darkness and Ruination left off, Of Light and Freedom follows Asteria as she deals with the truth of who she is, the man who is fated to her, and the scorned male of her past. As the continent teeters on the brink of war, Asteria and Calix must figure out how to put an end to Cyrus’ acts of terror… while figuring out what they truly mean to one another.
Rachel truly does write a beautiful story, painting quite the image of her characters, the setting and every single scene. I’m obsessed with her characters… Asteria is brave, strong and sexy as all heck, and Calix is patient, understanding and HOT HOT HOT. The devolving of our villain, told in his POV, was super fun to read. The development of relationships in the story was wonderful and the overall plot was incredibly enticing. I want to live in Night court with our characters! … especially to join their special parties they’re always throwing! (IYKYK).
That being said… this book is LONGGGGG. Squeaking in at just over 750 pages this is a MASSIVE book. Rachel likes to write them thick, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quicker read.
What I Loved About This Story:
✨Fated mates
✨Fae, shifters and humans
✨Different courts with different powers
✨Love triangle
✨Distrust, betrayal and shifting alliances
✨HOLY TOLEDO THAT SPICE WAS AMAZING
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via the author, but my review is all my own.
April 28, 2025
Of Light and Freedom by Rachel Fallon
Book 2 in the Star Queen Chronicles
Release day 5/5!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours and Rachel Fallon for entrusting me with an early copy!
Multiple POV, shadow daddy, starlight mommy, dragon shifters (and other shifters), amazing found family, hidden power/identity, gorgeous world description that is well built out, different fae courts and magics, court politics, high stakes with world at risk and brewing war, "mine" from both 😈, elemental magic based on celestial kingdoms, magic training, the outfit descriptions (!), mental health rep, meddling gods, fated mates, so many revelations, prophecies, cliffhanger!
The rest is a bit spoilery if you haven't read book 1 but I've tried to be a bit vague 🤣
Asteria's life has been completely turned inside out and upside down. With the revelation of who she is, coming to terms with what this means for her past and her future is completely overwhelming. While navigating that, she must learn to control her new powers, plan for the coming war, and decide what to do with her complicated feelings about Calix. Meanwhile, Cyrus is spiraling further into chaos and is more determined than ever to see Asteria chained to his throne. But our crew learns there is even more at risk with who is controlling Cyrus' decent into madness.
The gorgeous world building continues to expand in this books as the gods and higher stakes are brought into the equation. Asteria and Calix struggle through what their new development means with their recent past of Calix staying away from her. Gives us some more slow burn and them building up their relationship. The found family is top notch and I adored seeing Asteria become even more a part of it. I also enjoy books like this where there are some nice interludes of peace and fun before everything turns to stress again! We get a villain point of view here too, which always to me raises the tension a bit! The cliffhanger is a big one - I'm yearning for the next book already!
Book 2 in the Star Queen Chronicles
Release day 5/5!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours and Rachel Fallon for entrusting me with an early copy!
Multiple POV, shadow daddy, starlight mommy, dragon shifters (and other shifters), amazing found family, hidden power/identity, gorgeous world description that is well built out, different fae courts and magics, court politics, high stakes with world at risk and brewing war, "mine" from both 😈, elemental magic based on celestial kingdoms, magic training, the outfit descriptions (!), mental health rep, meddling gods, fated mates, so many revelations, prophecies, cliffhanger!
The rest is a bit spoilery if you haven't read book 1 but I've tried to be a bit vague 🤣
Asteria's life has been completely turned inside out and upside down. With the revelation of who she is, coming to terms with what this means for her past and her future is completely overwhelming. While navigating that, she must learn to control her new powers, plan for the coming war, and decide what to do with her complicated feelings about Calix. Meanwhile, Cyrus is spiraling further into chaos and is more determined than ever to see Asteria chained to his throne. But our crew learns there is even more at risk with who is controlling Cyrus' decent into madness.
The gorgeous world building continues to expand in this books as the gods and higher stakes are brought into the equation. Asteria and Calix struggle through what their new development means with their recent past of Calix staying away from her. Gives us some more slow burn and them building up their relationship. The found family is top notch and I adored seeing Asteria become even more a part of it. I also enjoy books like this where there are some nice interludes of peace and fun before everything turns to stress again! We get a villain point of view here too, which always to me raises the tension a bit! The cliffhanger is a big one - I'm yearning for the next book already!
dnf
May 2, 2025DNF @50%
I tried so hard to like this. I really enjoyed the story of book 1. That being said, I absolutely hated every single one of the spice scenes. Dubious consent for most of them in my opinion. Then she finally gets her Mate and I hoped it would get better for book 2.
But so far, I also hate every single one of the spice scenes in this book too. Major ick for me. And it just ruined the story. Why was I forcing myself to sit through it when it is not written for me?
"my c-ck split her open"
"swore I saw my stomach bulge with the impression of his c-ck for a moment"
"I swallowed every bit of it [c-m], despite some difficulties in doing so. I had to keep swallowing quickly to take the volume "
Not trying to hate on the book because the story is very interesting, but just wanted to make clear why the book isn't for me. Plenty of other people are into this and it wouldn't be a deterrent for them!
Thank you to the author for the eARC. My thoughts are entirely my own.
I tried so hard to like this. I really enjoyed the story of book 1. That being said, I absolutely hated every single one of the spice scenes. Dubious consent for most of them in my opinion. Then she finally gets her Mate and I hoped it would get better for book 2.
But so far, I also hate every single one of the spice scenes in this book too. Major ick for me. And it just ruined the story. Why was I forcing myself to sit through it when it is not written for me?
"my c-ck split her open"
"swore I saw my stomach bulge with the impression of his c-ck for a moment"
"I swallowed every bit of it [c-m], despite some difficulties in doing so. I had to keep swallowing quickly to take the volume "
Not trying to hate on the book because the story is very interesting, but just wanted to make clear why the book isn't for me. Plenty of other people are into this and it wouldn't be a deterrent for them!
Thank you to the author for the eARC. My thoughts are entirely my own.
April 19, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the first one and was dying to see where it went but this book just fell short for me.
I can love me a thicc book but this book was unnecessary long. The descriptions were to the point where it was over explaining what the scene looked like and the character interactions were wordy and didn’t add to the growing relationships. I think with better editing this could have been a good story with half the words.
What’s soo hard is that this really is a great intricate story overall and that’s what kept me reading.
I can love me a thicc book but this book was unnecessary long. The descriptions were to the point where it was over explaining what the scene looked like and the character interactions were wordy and didn’t add to the growing relationships. I think with better editing this could have been a good story with half the words.
What’s soo hard is that this really is a great intricate story overall and that’s what kept me reading.
May 7, 2025
Y’all…this book had me feeling all the feelings! We jumped in right where we left off from Book 1, and Asteria is still reeling and trying to come to terms with the events of the last book. Her spiraling anxiety and self-doubt hit so close to home for me, and I applaud Rachel Fallon for how well she portrayed Asteria’s struggle with her own mental health. There were times I felt like Asteria’s thoughts were ripped straight from my own head, and that made me connect with her as a character on such a deep level.
Calix and Asteria this book - chef’s kiss. The angst and tension between them for the first 25-30% of the book while Asteria is still coming to terms with her new normal was amazing. And the spice throughout had me fanning my face at times! 🌶️🥵 but honestly, that wasn’t even the best part of their relationship. Watching their relationship and bond strengthen and grow as Asteria became more comfortable with opening up to Calix was probably one of my favorite things about the book. Seeing her learn to trust in her love for Calix and his love for her was beautiful.
The political intrigue and war planning was great. We got to learn and see more of some of the other courts, and I really enjoyed that portion of the book. But don’t even get me started on the ending and that cliffhanger! I know it’ll be worth the wait to see how it all ends, but I’m dying for Book 3 now!
Thank you so much to Rachel Fallon and Twisted Tales PR for the gifted ARC!✨
Calix and Asteria this book - chef’s kiss. The angst and tension between them for the first 25-30% of the book while Asteria is still coming to terms with her new normal was amazing. And the spice throughout had me fanning my face at times! 🌶️🥵 but honestly, that wasn’t even the best part of their relationship. Watching their relationship and bond strengthen and grow as Asteria became more comfortable with opening up to Calix was probably one of my favorite things about the book. Seeing her learn to trust in her love for Calix and his love for her was beautiful.
The political intrigue and war planning was great. We got to learn and see more of some of the other courts, and I really enjoyed that portion of the book. But don’t even get me started on the ending and that cliffhanger! I know it’ll be worth the wait to see how it all ends, but I’m dying for Book 3 now!
Thank you so much to Rachel Fallon and Twisted Tales PR for the gifted ARC!✨
May 8, 2025
{4.5/5}
CW: spice, violence, gore, slavery, mental health, SA (not by MC), others.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Of Light and Freedom” is available now!
Who needs therapy when you can just charbroil your enemies?
Still in shock at the discovery of her true heritage, Asteria is left with a laundry list of things to figure out: her real parents, her powers, the soulmate bond, and, most pressingly, Cyrus. With chaos encroaching ever further into the realm, Asteria and Calix are running short on time to find the answers Asteria seeks.
First of all, this book was solid. Second of all, that ending ought to be a war crime (in the best way).
We’re starting with the setting and world building, because the descriptions here are just unreal. Without even touching on the actual world part of the equation, the different lands? The palaces? The *outfits*?? Unreasonably amazing, and so incredibly described that I can’t decide if I want to visit or if I've actually seen these things in person before. When I tell you the detailing is exquisite, I’m not even coming close to doing any of it justice. Absolutely insane. Oh, and the actual world part that I skipped over before? Equally fantastic. How one person can not only come up with the visuals but also the history and the religions and the experiences and stories the people here have lived both on and off page, and then render all of that in a way that is both clear and engaging I will never know.
That doesn’t even begin to cover the actual characters. We get 3 POVs here, and all of them do an excellent job illustrating just how much each of the characters are struggling with everything going on. We have Calix, an absolute gem of an MMC, doing his very best to keep himself, his mate, and his kingdom together while dealing with a whole lot of familial loss and personal conflict. We have Asteria, who’s been through what probably equates to at least 3 different people’s worth of trauma and upheaval in approximately 0 time. And, horrifyingly enough, we have Cyrus, whose slow descent into unhinged paranoia and madness would set any psychologist up for the rest of their life. The guy has less than 0 redeeming features, but the glimpses into his thought process and actions when we’re away from Asteria and Calix serves as an excellent narrative tool in literally every way possible. Slowly creeping doom because we know things the other two don’t? Check. Ever-growing disgust at how terrible he is? Check. Excellent use of an unreliable narrator without sweeping the whole story’s structure into madness? Check. It’s such a well-use POV, even if it does make you feel a little slimy after reading those parts.
Watching Asteria discover who she is was a really nice character arc, and I don’t just mean ‘oh look I have magic now,’ although that was also enjoyable. I mean watching her figure out who she is in a relationship that’s actually safe. Book 1 predominately saw our FMC full of stress and anxiety and rage, and we saw a lot of that coming out in a variety of ways, but mainly in [spicy] situations (do y’all know how long I sat trying to figure out phrasing that wouldn’t get me censored?). Bless the author for being kind enough to educate me a little bit on how certain mental health issues can play into hyper[spiciness], because that wasn’t something I was familiar with at the time, but seeing our FMC finally in a space where the people around her are there to support her as she processes and decompresses in a way that doesn’t put her at risk and with a partner who can see the distinction between what she needs and what she physically wants? I absolutely know I’m not explaining this well enough, but there are not enough green flags in the world for the way this character was able to grow and relearn some of her thought processes. (The spice is absolutely still deliciously spice-ing, just in much healthier ways)
I’m way too many sentences into this review and I haven’t even touched on the plot, but just know that Things are happening, and however you think this will end, you’re probably wrong. This is a long book, but it was so easy to get wrapped up in the story and to stay excited and engaged with where things were going along the way. There’s plenty of character growth, but it’s balanced with plenty of action, making for an entertaining read no matter which angle you prefer.
All of that is a very long winded way of saying that I really enjoyed this book, I would definitely read it again, and I need book 3 posthaste.
CW: spice, violence, gore, slavery, mental health, SA (not by MC), others.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Of Light and Freedom” is available now!
Who needs therapy when you can just charbroil your enemies?
Still in shock at the discovery of her true heritage, Asteria is left with a laundry list of things to figure out: her real parents, her powers, the soulmate bond, and, most pressingly, Cyrus. With chaos encroaching ever further into the realm, Asteria and Calix are running short on time to find the answers Asteria seeks.
First of all, this book was solid. Second of all, that ending ought to be a war crime (in the best way).
We’re starting with the setting and world building, because the descriptions here are just unreal. Without even touching on the actual world part of the equation, the different lands? The palaces? The *outfits*?? Unreasonably amazing, and so incredibly described that I can’t decide if I want to visit or if I've actually seen these things in person before. When I tell you the detailing is exquisite, I’m not even coming close to doing any of it justice. Absolutely insane. Oh, and the actual world part that I skipped over before? Equally fantastic. How one person can not only come up with the visuals but also the history and the religions and the experiences and stories the people here have lived both on and off page, and then render all of that in a way that is both clear and engaging I will never know.
That doesn’t even begin to cover the actual characters. We get 3 POVs here, and all of them do an excellent job illustrating just how much each of the characters are struggling with everything going on. We have Calix, an absolute gem of an MMC, doing his very best to keep himself, his mate, and his kingdom together while dealing with a whole lot of familial loss and personal conflict. We have Asteria, who’s been through what probably equates to at least 3 different people’s worth of trauma and upheaval in approximately 0 time. And, horrifyingly enough, we have Cyrus, whose slow descent into unhinged paranoia and madness would set any psychologist up for the rest of their life. The guy has less than 0 redeeming features, but the glimpses into his thought process and actions when we’re away from Asteria and Calix serves as an excellent narrative tool in literally every way possible. Slowly creeping doom because we know things the other two don’t? Check. Ever-growing disgust at how terrible he is? Check. Excellent use of an unreliable narrator without sweeping the whole story’s structure into madness? Check. It’s such a well-use POV, even if it does make you feel a little slimy after reading those parts.
Watching Asteria discover who she is was a really nice character arc, and I don’t just mean ‘oh look I have magic now,’ although that was also enjoyable. I mean watching her figure out who she is in a relationship that’s actually safe. Book 1 predominately saw our FMC full of stress and anxiety and rage, and we saw a lot of that coming out in a variety of ways, but mainly in [spicy] situations (do y’all know how long I sat trying to figure out phrasing that wouldn’t get me censored?). Bless the author for being kind enough to educate me a little bit on how certain mental health issues can play into hyper[spiciness], because that wasn’t something I was familiar with at the time, but seeing our FMC finally in a space where the people around her are there to support her as she processes and decompresses in a way that doesn’t put her at risk and with a partner who can see the distinction between what she needs and what she physically wants? I absolutely know I’m not explaining this well enough, but there are not enough green flags in the world for the way this character was able to grow and relearn some of her thought processes. (The spice is absolutely still deliciously spice-ing, just in much healthier ways)
I’m way too many sentences into this review and I haven’t even touched on the plot, but just know that Things are happening, and however you think this will end, you’re probably wrong. This is a long book, but it was so easy to get wrapped up in the story and to stay excited and engaged with where things were going along the way. There’s plenty of character growth, but it’s balanced with plenty of action, making for an entertaining read no matter which angle you prefer.
All of that is a very long winded way of saying that I really enjoyed this book, I would definitely read it again, and I need book 3 posthaste.
April 22, 2025
A year on we finally get what we have waited for….. finding out what happens to Asteria! Thank you so much to Rachel for giving us the opportunity of reading this as an Arc.
This series has my heart! I think every fantasy bookish girl dreams of being someone like Asteria!
The world built is fantastic and this book just keeps adding to it. There are lots of details but it doesn’t complicate things, it just adds to the experience!
I still love all of the characters except for Cyrus. I think he is probably my most hated character ever and deserves everything he gets!! So his character is definitely written well!
As in book one it is a nice mixture of romance and action. Some of it is very spicy so may not be to the taste of everyone, and it can be a bit far fetched, but then it is a fantasy after all!
I literally went through so many emotions reading this and again the ending has left me desperate to read the third book!
This series has my heart! I think every fantasy bookish girl dreams of being someone like Asteria!
The world built is fantastic and this book just keeps adding to it. There are lots of details but it doesn’t complicate things, it just adds to the experience!
I still love all of the characters except for Cyrus. I think he is probably my most hated character ever and deserves everything he gets!! So his character is definitely written well!
As in book one it is a nice mixture of romance and action. Some of it is very spicy so may not be to the taste of everyone, and it can be a bit far fetched, but then it is a fantasy after all!
I literally went through so many emotions reading this and again the ending has left me desperate to read the third book!
April 15, 2025
Wow! Just….wow! This was an absolute 11/10 for me
The book picks up exactly where we left off in Of Darkness and Ruination. and I have to say it felt like I never left the world of Celesterra.
The book had me so immersed in the world that I didn’t want to put it down, and I felt like I was right there beside Asteria, Calix, and the whole Night Kingdom gang.
Reading all the different POV’s definitely made me feel more in tune with each individual character too. Reading and relating to Asteria’s anxiety and self doubt about everything that she was essentially pushed into after becoming Fae was an experience I wouldn’t want to trade for anything. Not many books have mental health struggle representation, but Rachel did an amazing job at showcasing what its like inside the psyche of someone who has anxiety.
The thing that made me cling to this book the most was the sense of family that everyone has. Each individual character has their own personality and backstory, and being able to see all of them come together as family and UNDERSTAND each other without prejudice or bias made my heart happy. You don’t have to be blood to be family, and that value is abundantly clear in this book.
It was truly an honor to be gifted this eARC by the wonderful Rachel Fallon. Thank you so much, and I’m truly excited to see where this series goes next 💜
The book picks up exactly where we left off in Of Darkness and Ruination. and I have to say it felt like I never left the world of Celesterra.
The book had me so immersed in the world that I didn’t want to put it down, and I felt like I was right there beside Asteria, Calix, and the whole Night Kingdom gang.
Reading all the different POV’s definitely made me feel more in tune with each individual character too. Reading and relating to Asteria’s anxiety and self doubt about everything that she was essentially pushed into after becoming Fae was an experience I wouldn’t want to trade for anything. Not many books have mental health struggle representation, but Rachel did an amazing job at showcasing what its like inside the psyche of someone who has anxiety.
The thing that made me cling to this book the most was the sense of family that everyone has. Each individual character has their own personality and backstory, and being able to see all of them come together as family and UNDERSTAND each other without prejudice or bias made my heart happy. You don’t have to be blood to be family, and that value is abundantly clear in this book.
It was truly an honor to be gifted this eARC by the wonderful Rachel Fallon. Thank you so much, and I’m truly excited to see where this series goes next 💜
April 20, 2025
What a wild ride! Ahhh! It was so great to be back with Asteria and Calix. Adapting to her powers being released finally and claiming her fae heritage, Asteria has a long road ahead of her. Hesitant to accept the mate bond between herself and Calix complicates things as well. Fate may decide a lot, but Asteria refuses to give up all of her choices to it.
Calix is doing his best to give Asteria time to cope with the changes of being Fae, but much bigger problems loom above them as Cyrus works to bring Asteria to his side, and attain as much control as possible, despite the cost.
This was such a rollercoaster. I love how Asteria and Calix grow with one another. Cyrus's descent to chaos was very well done, and the way information unfolded was so, so good!
Calix is doing his best to give Asteria time to cope with the changes of being Fae, but much bigger problems loom above them as Cyrus works to bring Asteria to his side, and attain as much control as possible, despite the cost.
This was such a rollercoaster. I love how Asteria and Calix grow with one another. Cyrus's descent to chaos was very well done, and the way information unfolded was so, so good!
May 9, 2025
Anything Rachel Fallon writes, I will read. Period.
Asteria and Calix’s love just fills my heart and UGH they’re perfect. She was getting me a little anxious at first but she figured out herself.
It’s so important that this book explains why it’s imperative to live in the now and not let fear of losing what you have debilitate you, or else you can’t enjoy it in the moment. I know it’s something I’m guilty of and am working on, just like my girl Asteria :)
ASLO THE ENDING?? I’m dying and need the next book like yesterday 🤣
If you like:
✨enemies to lovers
✨acotar
✨game of thrones
✨dragon shifters
✨found family
✨strong FMC
✨MMC who only has eyes for her
✨touch her and die ♥️
✨fated mates
✨LGBTQ rep that is BEAUTIFUL
✨sunshine x grumpy
… then you’ll absolutely adore this book. 🥰💕
Asteria and Calix’s love just fills my heart and UGH they’re perfect. She was getting me a little anxious at first but she figured out herself.
It’s so important that this book explains why it’s imperative to live in the now and not let fear of losing what you have debilitate you, or else you can’t enjoy it in the moment. I know it’s something I’m guilty of and am working on, just like my girl Asteria :)
ASLO THE ENDING?? I’m dying and need the next book like yesterday 🤣
If you like:
✨enemies to lovers
✨acotar
✨game of thrones
✨dragon shifters
✨found family
✨strong FMC
✨MMC who only has eyes for her
✨touch her and die ♥️
✨fated mates
✨LGBTQ rep that is BEAUTIFUL
✨sunshine x grumpy
… then you’ll absolutely adore this book. 🥰💕
May 5, 2025
WOW just wow. thie is 5 stars for sure. This book was amazing and had be wanting more with every page. I love the way Rachel Falon writes and builds her characters and world. If you haven't started this series you need to ASAP
April 24, 2025
Such a whirlwind! This one has so much action I felt like it was multiple books in one. I loved the adventures in this one and the trials! That ending has me ready for more!!
May 5, 2025
Asteria and Calix are back! She has become fae to some would be a dream to her, she’s confused. All her life she’s known one thing but now it’s all been a lie.
On this journey to figure out how to stop Cyrus she meets new friends and allies, including her twin brother. They must stop this war from coming or the possibility of something worse could be unleashed. Will they prevail or will chaos consume their world
On this journey to figure out how to stop Cyrus she meets new friends and allies, including her twin brother. They must stop this war from coming or the possibility of something worse could be unleashed. Will they prevail or will chaos consume their world
May 12, 2025
Yall aren’t ready for this!!!!
Fallon knows how to write an emotional tale!
You feel so much of what the characters are feeling in their POV. You are immersed in their pov, character trauma, scenes and the storyline. The story is intricate but easy to grasp and so easy follow along while reading. The hints and clues piece together so nicely and are not confusing. This was such a great read! I love these characters.
Fallon knows how to write an emotional tale!
You feel so much of what the characters are feeling in their POV. You are immersed in their pov, character trauma, scenes and the storyline. The story is intricate but easy to grasp and so easy follow along while reading. The hints and clues piece together so nicely and are not confusing. This was such a great read! I love these characters.
May 5, 2025
I was so excited to jump into book 2 and get some answers after the way book one left us. (Which I loved btw) but holy moly I was not prepared for the conflict that Asteria and crew would face!! The book kept me on the edge of my seat both with the political intrigue and while watching Asteria navigate her new life. She’s such a warrior. I loved all of the yummy scenes between her and Caldris and can’t wait to see where book 3 leads us.
May 5, 2025
✨𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨
📖: Of Light and Freedom (The Star Queen Chronicles Book 2)
⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
In Book 2, Asteria grapples with her new reality, a new fae court, and the mystery of her heritage. With the prophecy and war on the horizon, will all the realms descend into chaos?
Tropes:
👀Multi POV
💞Fated Mates
🧑🧑🧒🧒Found Family
🏰Court Intrigue
📜Prophecies
💫Magic Training
⚔️Brewing War
🐉Morally Grey Shadow Daddy Dragon Shifter 🌟Starlight Mommy
🏛️Gods and Goddesses
🗺️Journey to the Otherworld
The MMC must balance the needs of his kingdom and that of his longing for Asteria and her acceptance of their interwoven fates. Asteria’s struggles with deep-rooted fears of past traumas and the need for self discovery incites an angsty and tumultuous journey.
We get insight into Cyrus and his deranged mind and malicious machinations as well as new POVs and characters in this installment. The stakes have never been higher!
In OLAF, Rachel paints an alluring world of light/dark magic, fae intrigue, deep character studies, and spicin’ spice.
So grateful to the author for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.
📖: Of Light and Freedom (The Star Queen Chronicles Book 2)
⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
In Book 2, Asteria grapples with her new reality, a new fae court, and the mystery of her heritage. With the prophecy and war on the horizon, will all the realms descend into chaos?
Tropes:
👀Multi POV
💞Fated Mates
🧑🧑🧒🧒Found Family
🏰Court Intrigue
📜Prophecies
💫Magic Training
⚔️Brewing War
🐉Morally Grey Shadow Daddy Dragon Shifter 🌟Starlight Mommy
🏛️Gods and Goddesses
🗺️Journey to the Otherworld
The MMC must balance the needs of his kingdom and that of his longing for Asteria and her acceptance of their interwoven fates. Asteria’s struggles with deep-rooted fears of past traumas and the need for self discovery incites an angsty and tumultuous journey.
We get insight into Cyrus and his deranged mind and malicious machinations as well as new POVs and characters in this installment. The stakes have never been higher!
In OLAF, Rachel paints an alluring world of light/dark magic, fae intrigue, deep character studies, and spicin’ spice.
So grateful to the author for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 13, 2025
I loved this book!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It has such a great plot with twists and turns. I binged read this book and the cliff hanger had me wanting more!! There is great details in the book that makes it feel like you are a character in the book.
This is the second book in the Star Queen Chronicles and takes off right where book one ends. Rachel continues to introduce you in to the world full of fae shifters, other shifters, gods & goddesses.
This dark romance is filled with forbidden love, spice, epic battles, and a challenging quest. Book two ends with a cliff hanger having you screaming for book three! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
This is such a great Romantasy! I cannot believe it is not as popular as fourth wing! I also love the character art that Rachel posts on her social media pages. It helps with the story.
It has such a great plot with twists and turns. I binged read this book and the cliff hanger had me wanting more!! There is great details in the book that makes it feel like you are a character in the book.
This is the second book in the Star Queen Chronicles and takes off right where book one ends. Rachel continues to introduce you in to the world full of fae shifters, other shifters, gods & goddesses.
This dark romance is filled with forbidden love, spice, epic battles, and a challenging quest. Book two ends with a cliff hanger having you screaming for book three! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
This is such a great Romantasy! I cannot believe it is not as popular as fourth wing! I also love the character art that Rachel posts on her social media pages. It helps with the story.
April 25, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the author and am honored to share this completely honest review!
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
💜 Starlight Mommy FMC Dragon Shifter
🖤 Shadow Daddy MMC Dragon Shifter
✨ Fated Mates
💜 Fae Shifters
🖤 Magic Training
✨ Court Intrigue
💜 Forbidden Love
🖤 Gods and Goddesses
💜 Prophecies
✨ Epic Journey
💜 Slave Rebellion
I received a copy of this book from the author and am honored to share this completely honest review!
This sequel is incredible! I'd say it's even better than the first book in the series, Of Darkness and Ruination (ODAR), but I can't! Both books are equally amazing.
This book picks up right where ODAR left off, thank you for that Rachel!! We get several points of view in this book, giving us some great insight into each character's mindset and motivations. I loved getting the story from so many different angles.
Among prepping for an inevitable war, there is training, an epic journey, dealing with the events of the first book and coming to terms with some of them, plenty of political intrigue, and, of course, sizzling spice!
There are some very satisfying answers provided in this book which I really enjoyed and appreciated. The book does end on a cliffhanger though so there is still plenty I'm wondering about and eager to discover in the next book!
I absolutely love Asteria and Calix in this book, as well as their found family. Every character in this book is multilayered and interesting. Asteria's struggle and growth in particular was emotional to read, but I loved it so much. This sequel gave me everything I wanted and more!! It's so hard to write this review without spoiling anything, so I'll leave it at that.
Of Light and Freedom is a spectacular sequel! I recommend this book and this series!
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
💜 Starlight Mommy FMC Dragon Shifter
🖤 Shadow Daddy MMC Dragon Shifter
✨ Fated Mates
💜 Fae Shifters
🖤 Magic Training
✨ Court Intrigue
💜 Forbidden Love
🖤 Gods and Goddesses
💜 Prophecies
✨ Epic Journey
💜 Slave Rebellion
I received a copy of this book from the author and am honored to share this completely honest review!
This sequel is incredible! I'd say it's even better than the first book in the series, Of Darkness and Ruination (ODAR), but I can't! Both books are equally amazing.
This book picks up right where ODAR left off, thank you for that Rachel!! We get several points of view in this book, giving us some great insight into each character's mindset and motivations. I loved getting the story from so many different angles.
Among prepping for an inevitable war, there is training, an epic journey, dealing with the events of the first book and coming to terms with some of them, plenty of political intrigue, and, of course, sizzling spice!
There are some very satisfying answers provided in this book which I really enjoyed and appreciated. The book does end on a cliffhanger though so there is still plenty I'm wondering about and eager to discover in the next book!
I absolutely love Asteria and Calix in this book, as well as their found family. Every character in this book is multilayered and interesting. Asteria's struggle and growth in particular was emotional to read, but I loved it so much. This sequel gave me everything I wanted and more!! It's so hard to write this review without spoiling anything, so I'll leave it at that.
Of Light and Freedom is a spectacular sequel! I recommend this book and this series!
May 11, 2025
“I would rather burn down my own kingdom than face a day without you, and if that’s what it took to keep you, I’d torch it all tomorrow.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
What you’ll find in this book:
- NA Romantic Fantasy
- Celestial Kingdoms
- Elemental Magic
- Fated/Reluctant Mates
- Magic Training
- Court Intrigue
- Fae Shifters
- Royal Power Couple
- Hidden Identities
I loved book one in this series, the revelation at the end was mind boggling, and I can very happily say that book two lived up to all of my expectations. There are so many layers within this book, and to say that this book demands you attention is so much of an understatement. With so many different POV’s during this story, you get to full explore the story and the goings on within Celesterra from every angle, and for Rachel to drop us hints that we will have even more POV’s in book three this has me even more excited to find out what is going to happen next. This series is perfect if you’re looking for a story set in a world on the precipice of two potential futures, where the characters are fighting for not only their survival but for that of their people and those they love. The stakes in this book could not be higher, and it has you on edge from start to finish. Rachel has created characters that are both so easy to love or hate depending on who they are, IYKYK, and I know that the plot is a massive part of this story but it wouldn’t be what it is without these incredibly characters and the amazing magical system. When I say this book will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, positively loosing your mind waiting to see what happens next, I mean it in the best possibly way.
As I mentioned previously we pick this book up directly following on from the events at the end of book one, and I could not be gladder, I frankly had very little interest in the other characters at the start following on the cliffhanger events and just needed to know what was happening to our FMC and MMC. From this point we hit the ground running, with Asteria now walking a new and unfamiliar path it falls to her loved ones to help her find her feet and support her on her quest for revenge. With the realisation that Calix is her mate but that he didn’t choose her when this wasn’t revealed to them both still stinging, Asteria quickly realises they have bigger problems at hand and that she must find a way to control her powers to go up against the coming storm. Finding out she is the prophesied queen of one kingdom and the gods chosen of another only further complicates matters between the two, Calix must fight to show Asteria what she means to him while Asteria figures out if her freedom that she always craved and choosing Calix as her mate aligns. However, with war on the horizon and Cyrus tipping the balance more towards chaos with every passing day, will these two be able to sort through their issues and everything else thrown their way to fight side by side and ultimately succeed?
The characters within this series is one of my favourite parts, there are so many characters that play a pivotal part in the story, with Rachel still being able to throw some surprises in the mix. Asteria is such a well rounded FMC, she has her flaws of course, but it is the eventually acceptance of these flaws within this book that leads her to fully accept who she has become and what she can achieve. She is fiercely protective and is not afraid to voice her opinions, even when she is keeping herself at arms length to both protect herself and those around her. Reading as Asteria comes to term with all of the changes and realisations she had to go through, only in my opinion makes her more loveable as a character, you understand where she has come from and all she has been through making her character easier to resonate with. Calix, oh gosh, where do I begin. Talk about being a supportive king, he knows exactly when to let Asteria handle things herself, and when to jump in and be protective and I am here for all of it. Despite Asteria going through the biggest character development, you can see Calix shifting as a character as well. He has to work to break down Asteria’s walls and show her what they can truly be together while looking after his kingdom and his people. We get to understand in this book how different Night operates in comparison to the other kingdoms in Celesterra which further informs us of him as a character. Main characters aside there are so many other amazing characters throughout, from Arien to Titan and beyond, you see that found family unit for the main characters form and remain strong throughout.
In this book being able to explore more of Celesterra and everything it has to offer, was such a highlight, getting to see how different the kingdoms are and how their lands reflect their namesake and their royal hierarchy further enhanced the world that Rachel has created. The plot that Rachel has created perfectly balances with characters relationship development, we don’t get lost in one or the other and it made for a captivating read. With the political intrigue a continuing theme throughout alongside the looming war and potential downfall of everything the characters know and love, the story keeps you guessing and I can firmly say I did not see that ending coming and that I am not sure how I am meant to go on waiting for book three. This book is on the longer side, but with so much that happens throughout you quickly understand why this is the case, the pacing wasn’t slow despite the larger word count, everything felt like it needed to happen when it did and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC to read and review early.
Author: Rachel Fallon
Series: The Star Queen Chronicles
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: May 5th, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
What you’ll find in this book:
- NA Romantic Fantasy
- Celestial Kingdoms
- Elemental Magic
- Fated/Reluctant Mates
- Magic Training
- Court Intrigue
- Fae Shifters
- Royal Power Couple
- Hidden Identities
I loved book one in this series, the revelation at the end was mind boggling, and I can very happily say that book two lived up to all of my expectations. There are so many layers within this book, and to say that this book demands you attention is so much of an understatement. With so many different POV’s during this story, you get to full explore the story and the goings on within Celesterra from every angle, and for Rachel to drop us hints that we will have even more POV’s in book three this has me even more excited to find out what is going to happen next. This series is perfect if you’re looking for a story set in a world on the precipice of two potential futures, where the characters are fighting for not only their survival but for that of their people and those they love. The stakes in this book could not be higher, and it has you on edge from start to finish. Rachel has created characters that are both so easy to love or hate depending on who they are, IYKYK, and I know that the plot is a massive part of this story but it wouldn’t be what it is without these incredibly characters and the amazing magical system. When I say this book will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, positively loosing your mind waiting to see what happens next, I mean it in the best possibly way.
As I mentioned previously we pick this book up directly following on from the events at the end of book one, and I could not be gladder, I frankly had very little interest in the other characters at the start following on the cliffhanger events and just needed to know what was happening to our FMC and MMC. From this point we hit the ground running, with Asteria now walking a new and unfamiliar path it falls to her loved ones to help her find her feet and support her on her quest for revenge. With the realisation that Calix is her mate but that he didn’t choose her when this wasn’t revealed to them both still stinging, Asteria quickly realises they have bigger problems at hand and that she must find a way to control her powers to go up against the coming storm. Finding out she is the prophesied queen of one kingdom and the gods chosen of another only further complicates matters between the two, Calix must fight to show Asteria what she means to him while Asteria figures out if her freedom that she always craved and choosing Calix as her mate aligns. However, with war on the horizon and Cyrus tipping the balance more towards chaos with every passing day, will these two be able to sort through their issues and everything else thrown their way to fight side by side and ultimately succeed?
The characters within this series is one of my favourite parts, there are so many characters that play a pivotal part in the story, with Rachel still being able to throw some surprises in the mix. Asteria is such a well rounded FMC, she has her flaws of course, but it is the eventually acceptance of these flaws within this book that leads her to fully accept who she has become and what she can achieve. She is fiercely protective and is not afraid to voice her opinions, even when she is keeping herself at arms length to both protect herself and those around her. Reading as Asteria comes to term with all of the changes and realisations she had to go through, only in my opinion makes her more loveable as a character, you understand where she has come from and all she has been through making her character easier to resonate with. Calix, oh gosh, where do I begin. Talk about being a supportive king, he knows exactly when to let Asteria handle things herself, and when to jump in and be protective and I am here for all of it. Despite Asteria going through the biggest character development, you can see Calix shifting as a character as well. He has to work to break down Asteria’s walls and show her what they can truly be together while looking after his kingdom and his people. We get to understand in this book how different Night operates in comparison to the other kingdoms in Celesterra which further informs us of him as a character. Main characters aside there are so many other amazing characters throughout, from Arien to Titan and beyond, you see that found family unit for the main characters form and remain strong throughout.
In this book being able to explore more of Celesterra and everything it has to offer, was such a highlight, getting to see how different the kingdoms are and how their lands reflect their namesake and their royal hierarchy further enhanced the world that Rachel has created. The plot that Rachel has created perfectly balances with characters relationship development, we don’t get lost in one or the other and it made for a captivating read. With the political intrigue a continuing theme throughout alongside the looming war and potential downfall of everything the characters know and love, the story keeps you guessing and I can firmly say I did not see that ending coming and that I am not sure how I am meant to go on waiting for book three. This book is on the longer side, but with so much that happens throughout you quickly understand why this is the case, the pacing wasn’t slow despite the larger word count, everything felt like it needed to happen when it did and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC to read and review early.
Author: Rachel Fallon
Series: The Star Queen Chronicles
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: May 5th, 2025
May 19, 2025
I really really loved Of darkness and ruination, and I had such high expectations for this.. but it just put me to slump.. too many repetitions, too many descriptions.. why constantly mentioning how Asteria and Calix look like? Why clothing description on 2,3 pages? Even the spice was described in that way that made me feel nothing.. and honestly, so many mentions of his huge, massive, bulge in his pants, her thinking it would split her cause he was shifting in the middle of it.. so exaggerated.. and tongues battling for dominance on so many pages.. like you're in the middle of battlefield and humping each other and battle just waits for you ti finish? I don't know, I was just looking forward to Cyrus POVs cause he was so unhinged and funny..
May 18, 2025
I adored the first book, but not the sequel. Dual pov is great because you can see different perspectives, but the chapters were sooo repetitive with Asteria & Callix’s POV! So much could have been cut from this story to make it flow better. After so much buildup the ending seemed sudden and not satisfying. Especially since this series was sold as a duet. You waited the whole book to see the fate of one character, only for it to be unresolved. Very frustrating!
April 29, 2025
This was a huge book, and half of it could have been taken out. It has great bones, but it lacked so much. There are way too many POVs. The story was all over the place, which made the book longer. It didn't need all that. I will not be reading the third book
May 8, 2025
UGH, that freaking cliffhanger! I swear I almost crashed out over it, but I'm excited to see more of the Star Queen and Night King🖤🖤🖤
It's hard to express how much I've loved following Asteria's and Calix's story!! They've both overcame so much internally and externally and have come together to make a beautiful love story.
Asteria goes from being a slave her whole life, not letting anyone in and being overly pessimistic, not believing she will ever have any control over her own life to suddenly having her whole world up-ended by not only being saved from a life of slavery but being confronted with the truth that she's not only Fae, mate to the man she's been yearning for but could never truly have but also the rightful heir of a kingdom of people she's despised her whole life! On top of that, her parents aren't her parents. She has a brother she never knew about, and she's Fates and the God's chosen champion to bring balance back to the world. She struggles with her fear of losing Calix and her anxiety of not being worthy or good enough to be Queen of two kingdoms and the responsibility the God's have given her throughout the whole book, but even with everything that's been put on her shoulders, it's undeniable how much she loves Calix with everything in her! Watching her let love into her heart and working through her fear and anxiety for the future she's starting to let herself believe in has been inspiring.
Calix, of course is an amazing King even without Asteria by his side, but it is amazing to see how much having her there beside him has made him such an amazing man. We didn't know much about Calix in the first book other than he was a supposed ruthless King hell-bent on killing humans. Turns out, he was saving them from slavery all along after feeling his mates feelings on the subject. When he meets Asteria, he believes her to be human but can't resist the pull to her. He grapples with his real feelings towards a mate he may never meet and the real-life woman standing in front of him that he's starting to fall in love with. After Asteria is taken, Calix throws caution to the wind and fights to get her back, regardless of him feeling like he's betrayed his mate. Only to be reunited with Asteria and confronted with the fact that she is not only Fae but his soul-mate. Throughout this book, we see Calix struggle to allow Asteria to reconcile with the changes to her life, body and destiny but ultimately doing right by her and making her stronger for it all while struggling with his own fears of not being good enough for her because of the darkness in his past and of what he feels inside of him. They both go through so many trials and become much better for it. Along the way, they make peace with their past and work towards a future together. Now they just have to defeat Cyrus and his deranged army and put the world back to balance.
Now to the BIG BAD, Cyrus 🙄
Okay, so I despised this POS in the first book, and I can say with certainty that I don't like him anymore in the second, but having his POV this time around makes me feel for him and I'm not used to that. He is absolutely rotten, but he's also being manipulated by a deranged God, and at the end of the day, he was never treated very well by his Father and was looked down upon by many of his family members. This doesn't excuse his actions, but I can see how it was so easy for him to be turned into a tyrant. In a perfect world, he would have listened to reason when Asteria pleaded with him, even when she could have just written him off, but we all know that would just be anticlimactic! I hope he can redeem himself some come the third book, but he obviously deserves to be in Tartarus!!
I really hope we don't have to wait too long to get the ending to Asteria and Calix's story, but I'm excited to see how it all plays out!!
It's hard to express how much I've loved following Asteria's and Calix's story!! They've both overcame so much internally and externally and have come together to make a beautiful love story.
Asteria goes from being a slave her whole life, not letting anyone in and being overly pessimistic, not believing she will ever have any control over her own life to suddenly having her whole world up-ended by not only being saved from a life of slavery but being confronted with the truth that she's not only Fae, mate to the man she's been yearning for but could never truly have but also the rightful heir of a kingdom of people she's despised her whole life! On top of that, her parents aren't her parents. She has a brother she never knew about, and she's Fates and the God's chosen champion to bring balance back to the world. She struggles with her fear of losing Calix and her anxiety of not being worthy or good enough to be Queen of two kingdoms and the responsibility the God's have given her throughout the whole book, but even with everything that's been put on her shoulders, it's undeniable how much she loves Calix with everything in her! Watching her let love into her heart and working through her fear and anxiety for the future she's starting to let herself believe in has been inspiring.
Calix, of course is an amazing King even without Asteria by his side, but it is amazing to see how much having her there beside him has made him such an amazing man. We didn't know much about Calix in the first book other than he was a supposed ruthless King hell-bent on killing humans. Turns out, he was saving them from slavery all along after feeling his mates feelings on the subject. When he meets Asteria, he believes her to be human but can't resist the pull to her. He grapples with his real feelings towards a mate he may never meet and the real-life woman standing in front of him that he's starting to fall in love with. After Asteria is taken, Calix throws caution to the wind and fights to get her back, regardless of him feeling like he's betrayed his mate. Only to be reunited with Asteria and confronted with the fact that she is not only Fae but his soul-mate. Throughout this book, we see Calix struggle to allow Asteria to reconcile with the changes to her life, body and destiny but ultimately doing right by her and making her stronger for it all while struggling with his own fears of not being good enough for her because of the darkness in his past and of what he feels inside of him. They both go through so many trials and become much better for it. Along the way, they make peace with their past and work towards a future together. Now they just have to defeat Cyrus and his deranged army and put the world back to balance.
Now to the BIG BAD, Cyrus 🙄
Okay, so I despised this POS in the first book, and I can say with certainty that I don't like him anymore in the second, but having his POV this time around makes me feel for him and I'm not used to that. He is absolutely rotten, but he's also being manipulated by a deranged God, and at the end of the day, he was never treated very well by his Father and was looked down upon by many of his family members. This doesn't excuse his actions, but I can see how it was so easy for him to be turned into a tyrant. In a perfect world, he would have listened to reason when Asteria pleaded with him, even when she could have just written him off, but we all know that would just be anticlimactic! I hope he can redeem himself some come the third book, but he obviously deserves to be in Tartarus!!
I really hope we don't have to wait too long to get the ending to Asteria and Calix's story, but I'm excited to see how it all plays out!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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