Queen of the Night Sky

Starkeeper #2

by Amalie Howard

The sequel to The Starlight Heir and the epic conclusion to the romantasy duology that Rebecca Yarros calls, “a breathtaking, sexy romantasy full of twists and adventure.”

The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.

When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.

As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.

Queen of the Night Sky is a lush, fast-paced romantasy inspired by Indian and Persian mythology,

Open door spice “Why choose” trope Yearning and heartache Magic system inspired by Vedic astrology

Genres: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Adult

480 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 17, 2026

About the author

AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, most notably of The Beast of Beswick, “a smart, sexy, deliciously feminist romance,” and one of O-The Oprah Magazine’s Top 24 Best Historicals to Read. She is the co-author of the #1 bestsellers in regency romance and Scottish historical romance, My Rogue, My Ruin and What A Scot Wants, and has also penned several young adult novels, critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Kid’s INDIE NEXT selection. Of Indo-Caribbean descent, she has written articles on multicultural fiction for The Portland Book Review and Ravishly magazine. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. Visit her at amaliehoward.com.

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot]

I cannot wait to meet the dark shadow man, Darrius! EEEEEKKKKKK

Need this book!

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[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen
Hopelessness is not without hope; the dawn always comes, even at the cusp of a starless night.
~
Hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. I know I always say how much I adore Amalie and everything she writes, which is 100% fact, but the ride this one took me on was unmatched. Of course, I was trying to read it during quite literally the busiest week of the year for me to date, and every time I had to shut my kindle cover, it was with a deliberate slowness because I just didn’t want to stop reading. This world pulled me into its throes and book one and made me never want to ever leave in this second book. Sura and all that she is reads as such an inspiring and breath-taking story and her strength from all she endured in this book was unmatched. Nightsong. Wait until you meet NIGHTSONG!! I am utterly obsessed with a brand new Shadow Daddy who is the grumpiest of grumps but has the sweetest softside that had me swooning more times than I can count. I LOVED him and his kingdom very much. Roshan had so many demons to overcome in this book and the feelings I felt toward him gave me mental whiplash as the book progressed, and it was an interesting take that kept me on the edge of my seat whenever we was on page. The magical creatures and magic systems and divisions of countries and draws on Persian and Indian mythology, as I said about the first book, and it is so unique and fantastical! The ups and downs and emotional rollercoaster full of action, yearning, love, and sacrifice just left me another awestruck, and I 1000% sent Amalie many MANY messages in the vein of WTH WTF OMG and I can’t wait for all of you to experience this book when it comes out in March!

[Jennifer Olive · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's become the one thing she never wanted --a weapon.

Sura captured me with her story. Blessed with immense magical power, she finds herself lost as her betrothed turns against her. Her inner monologue is well written as she struggles with reconciling how the man she loves is now forcing her to use her magic as a weapon to subdue his kingdom.

Roshan. Sura brought him back to life with her magic. He's taken the crown, and will stop at nothing to show his might--including using his lovers magic for his own benefit.

Enter the grumpy, sexy Prince of Darkness. He is the King of the supposed enemy realm, someone to be feared, but the truth is rarely that easy.  His curse is to destroy his soul-fated mate, but his soul aches to claim to claim her as his own. He's sexy, powerful, has shadows (and knows how to use them) and is bonded to an azdaha (they're dragons)!

This is a book that demands to be read. Who is the enemy? The man she chose to love? Or the man who haunts her dreams?

The plot is dark and twisty amidst stunning worldbuilding. The characters are loveable and well developed in both their strengths and flaws. I wanted...no needed... to keep reading until late into the night.  I gasped when the plot took a turn in the end I never saw coming.  I was completely enthralled by this book.

Tropes:
Fated mates
Chosen love
Unique Magic
Bonded Dragons
Betrayal
Two MMCs


Solid 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC copy of this book. My review and opinions are completely my own.

[Aiysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful.

I have no words. Well I have some: incredible, magnificent, amazing. Seriously, I cannot believe this story is over and I want so much more, why isn’t this a trilogy. I wish it was a trilogy because the worldbuilding and magic system and characters were all so utterly brilliant, two books was just not enough. The betrayal, the plot, the story all came together to create one of the most addictive, unputdownable books I have read this year.

From beginning to end I was captivated by Amalie’s writing. I haven’t read any of her other works outside this series but I hope she continues to write more fantasies and stories as her storytelling is so illustrative and compelling. Suraya was such a badass FMC I adored her and don’t get me started on the two MMCs, both Darrius and Roshan were absolute gems and another reason why I wish this was a trilogy as we could’ve delved into the relationship more.

One thing I know is that this story has so much more potential for spin offs as I want to know what may happen to Fero and the Apsacana.

[Tessa Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a goodreads giveaway, I had not read the first book yet but it was in my tbr so it moved up the list when i wont this one. I loved the first book but this book blew me outta the water! I don't wanna post to much so I don't give anything away but this book kept me on my toes, the edge of my seat, hanging off the edge, whatever metaphor you can think of! One thing to another! My emotions were all of the place and not gunna lie the author made me think I'd went crazy or read something wrong in the first book at the beginning and I was not happy lol (ask my notebook)🤣 but this is a 10 outta 10 Fantasy read and a great way to start 2026!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up (I think if this was trilogy instead of biology it would be higher)

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Amalie Howard for the eARC, all opinions my own.

Overall I enjoyed this book and more so than book 1. However, I think the ending to this supposedly generational battle feels very rushed and I think could have benefitted from a third book and more time to breathe.

The story picks up right where we left off following Sura and Roshan but quickly moves to new realm of Eversea. I think the blurb does admirable job here so that’s all for summary really.

I really liked the move to Eversea and loved the world there and really enjoyed Darius. I loved exploring magic system and connections to magic creatures (mainly dragons). While I’m usually not the biggest fan of amnesia trope it worked well here and its rationale made sense in the grand scheme of the plot and not just as narrative device. I would definitely recommend this series for easy fun read but I do have some issues that held back my score.

This book starts out introducing a new big bad is out there but we get basically zero information of them until 85% through when it’s revealed and defeated before book ends. It gives very little time for the story to breathe and I think would have been more effective ending on the reveal and leaving the battle for book 3.

Gotta get into some spoilers now too so you’ve been warned.
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The other thing that feels completely rushed is the reunion and working together of all the characters from book 1. It comes very late and all of sudden everything is good and they devise a plan to defeat evil in no time. It really lessens the “this is battle for all life in the realm” nature of the final battle.

Also I’m not opposed to Sura having Roshan and Darius but I was never big Roshan fan and loved Darius so that’s that.

One of my other issues with first book is that I only really got sense of world building towards the end and was excited to learn more in book 2. However, the shift in location to Eversea basically meant that the exact same thing happened in book 2 and I really wanted to know more about Eversea itself and lore/world.

Again overall I enjoyed this duology and would definitely recommend to Romatasy fans though I do wish it was trilogy not duology.

[Jenna Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

I read The Starlight Heir last year, and it was the first Amalie Howard book I'd ever read. I quickly became a fan! I'd been waiting for book two, Queen Of The Night Sky, ever since. Low and behold, it did not disappoint!! The wait was so worth it. This sequel picks up right where The Starlight Heir leaves off, and its everything a sequel should be. Sura and Roshan are learning to live in this new reality they've found themselves in. They have fought for what they believe in and have won.. so everything should be all rainbows and sunshine. But everything is not as it seems. When Roshan starts to act unlike himself, Sura finds herself in quite the predicament. What she hoped would be their happily ever after turns into a nightmare. Will she fight for the man she loves, and let herself be controlled and manipulated.. or fight for herself, which brings her directly to the shadowed man from her dreams? I was drawn in immediately. A dark and twisty plot, excellent pacing and stunning worldbuilding. I dont know how Amalie fit so much into one book. The character growth is exceptional. The heartbreak and betrayal literally left me with a visceral feeling. We get to explore more of this world. We get introduced to all kinds of new characters and finally get answers we've been waiting for since book one. We get to know a certain shadow daddy better which I LOVED. We get an animal companion and all kinds of new creatures are introduced. We get an action packed adventure. Theres training montages and all the tension and banter you could hope for. This story really helped me through a hard time in my life which I'm extremely grateful for. The only thing I will say is that I'm not a huge "why choose" fan, and I wish more books would be advertised that way if that's how it's going to end up. With that said, Im still satisfied with the ending and loved every step of this journey.

Big thanks to Amalie Howard, netgalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this arc!!

[Anna ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the NetGalley eARC!

I received an eARC of The Starlight Heir late last year, so I was so excited to see I got approved to read the second half of this duology! Queen of the Night Sky definitely builds upon what transpires in The Starlight Heir, but what it does deliver is a bit of a mixed bag.

The beginning had me hooked. Sura is struggling with her relationship with Roshan, wondering if she's charting towards a future she actually desires or if she's just doing what is best for others. We finally meet Darrius and I took more of a liking to him than I did Roshan almost right away. Everything is built up to be an interesting and thrilling conclusion to the duology... but things start to fall apart for me here. I think Amalie laid the groundwork for an interesting course of events for our characters, but said events are just not given enough time to be built upon. I felt like we were constantly hopping from one plot point to the next while barely going into any details of what just occurred. There were multiple developments that transpire that I found very interesting, but since they weren't built up or expanded upon, it feels like these plot points were just thrown in there to get us closer to the next sequence of events as quickly as possible. The sex scenes felt more fleshed out than a lot of the plot points to me and while I can appreciate a spicy book, I don't want a subpar plot. I feel like if events and relationships were given more time to develop, I would've had more fun with this one. Certain events definitely would've packed more of a punch if they were given the time they needed.

I really wanted to like this one, but it feels like an extra 100-200 pages were needed at least in order for things to be more fleshed out. If you're content with spice for the sake of spice and messy love triangles, this'll be more up your alley than it is for me.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a great read and I am thankful for getting to read it early! I think that Amalie Howard is an amazing Romantasy writer and I think you can see that in this book. I think the pacing was on point and the different POVs helped to really move the story along. I was on the edge of my seat at multiple points during this read and overall I rate it 4.5 ⭐️ (if only we had the choice to pick that here).

NO BIG spoilers, just mentions characters you will meet and tropes present.

Parts I loved: I loved seeing Suraya grow in her powers and confidence. The book being divided into three parts was great. That first part had me shook. There was so much going on I could not put it down. Sura figuring out who the night king is was a great part as well. I also loved the Manticore and everything to do with that relationship. The Azdahas might have been one of my favorite parts overall.

Parts that were not my favorite but others might absolutely love: There is some why choose in this book and that trope is just not one of my favorites.

[L. Duggs (duggintoreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Amalie Howard for the opportunity to read this eARC. The following review and thoughts are my own:

Wow, this book is SO much better than Book One (The Starlight Heir) and I feel like Amalie has really come into her writing style more with this one. The modern day slang that took me out of the first book is less in this one, which helped keep me intrigued and invested in the plot.

This book is such a fun read as it does not follow your typical romanatasy plot line. (I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything). But basically all my predictions as I was reading were wrong (in a good way). I love being pleasantly surprised!

My only criticism is the love story seemed a little rushed and there isn't much slow burn or yearning. It's a bit "insta love". But, all in all, this book is a solid 4 star read.

Read Queen of the Night Sky if you enjoy:
-Indian and Persian mythology
-magical creatures
-magic awakening
-duologies
-unique romantasy plot

Happy Reading!

[Amber Spiewak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for ARC access to this book!

When I first found The Starlight Heir at Spicy Librarian here in Denver I was excited to get to know a local author. After reading the first book I saw that Queen of the Night Sky was going to be published soon and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get an early look at this book!

WOW what a fun and exciting adventure for Suraya! This was my first why choose book and it's was quite fun. I honestly had a very hard time putting down the book through the first 3/4 and I slowed down on the last quarter to truly savor it.

I am not as familiar with Persian and Indian mythology so I absolutely loved that this book highlighted so many new things for me. Like others I do wish that the final battle had a little more room to breathe but I loved the twists and turns throughout this book. Overall, really enjoyed this series and will look forward to reading more from Amalie Howard!

[embookedandbusy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this e-arc. I initially found myself enjoying this more than the first book and felt optimistic about the direction the story was taking. Early on, I felt validated in my initial impressions of certain characters from the first book. However, the introduction of the why choose dynamic ultimately did not work for me. The multiple relationships did not feel cohesive or balanced. One relationship in particular seemed more fully developed and emotionally grounded, making the ultimate direction of the romance feel unsatisfying. Rather than engaging in necessary confrontation or exploration of emotional stakes, the resolution felt overly convenient.

[Laura Holley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly fantastic, and quite frankly I am not sure how to write a spoiler free review because there were SO many plot twists and heel turns that would ruin the fun if discussed. This book picks up immediately following the events of the Starlight Heir, and Sura has begun to deal with the fall out. Beyond that, all I will say is this book felt like hanging on to the top of a speeding train by your FINGERNAILS, breathless but not wanting the ride to end. The magic system is so unique and beautiful, I would absolutely LOVE to read more from this world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. I will absolutely be purchasing a shelf trophy of this gorgeous book.

[Jasminegalsreadinglog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of the Night Sky has everything a romantasy reader could wish for. A dose of magic, romance, high stakes, and a cast of compelling characters.

Picking up immediately after The Starlight Heir, this sequel is best enjoyed with the first book fresh in mind. Suraya continues to shine as a formidable heroine, and it’s fascinating to witness the evolution of her powers. The plot kept me engaged throughout, weaving tension and wonder in equal measure.

While I personally don’t gravitate toward explicit scenes, readers who enjoy a generous dose of spice will find plenty here.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of the Night Sky lived up to the hype from Starlight Heir. This book was packed with action, romance/yearning, and multiple POV's. Halfway through, I started getting worried whether the story would get dragged into a third book (because there were so many plot shifts and changes) but thankfully it doesn't. If you enjoyed Starlight Heir then run and saddle up for a fun ride (maybe on an azdaha).

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this duology. The author’s writing style kept me engaged. The twists and delicious turns of this book shocked most of time. I had a tiny inkling by the end of book one, and I am pleased to say I enjoyed the outcome. I devoured the second book. I was ecstatic to find out I was able to read the ARC prior to publication because I don’t think I could have waited any longer. And I never felt lost in the world building, which I appreciate as a fantasy reader. Enjoy the read!

[Moukthika ✧*。 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy of Queen of the Night Sky.

Queen of the Night Sky is the sequel to The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard. After successfully saving the Oryndhyr kingdom, all are not as it seems for Sura. Roshan has changed showing signs of corruption and strange dreams of her shadow guardian become a common occurence. There is a lot more exploration of the other kingdoms and how the rot spread by the God Fero is far reaching. I liked the new characters that were introduced in this book and the exploration of Sura's magic as well. I was apprehensive at the direction the romance was going but by the end of the book I liked how it turned out. I didn't realize this series was a duology and was disappointed that this series ended soon. This book definitely felt like the plot was stronger and characters became well rounded. As with the first book, I did feel ill convinced by the romance. Overall, this was definitely a great romantasy duology.

[Bonnie (BookedWithBonnie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -

The first 2/3 of this book had me in a chokehold!!! But sadly the last bit seemed rushed and an attempt to get everything into the story in a short amount of time.

The tension in the beginning with Roshan kept me on the edge of my seat, the introduction to Everlea and the Night King was perfection - Sura's strength through all of that? Amazing to read. The lore and the mythology kept me hooked, but I wish we had had more time for the problem solving and conclusion.

I can't wait to see what other fantasy Amalie writes for us in the future! Thanks, Avon, for the ARC in exchange for a review!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An absolutely stunning sequel!

I devoured the first book and was thrilled to dive into the second installment of Queen of the Night Sky. As a longtime fan of Amalie Howard, I already knew I was in for something special—and I was so grateful to be approved. This book twisted and turned in ways I never saw coming.

Howard captures the culture with such richness and authenticity, and the love between the main characters is written with so much heart. I adored the addition of the creatures and the legends surrounding them—they added depth, magic, and a sense of wonder that made the world feel even more alive.

It’s the perfect blend of fantasy and romance, with even more spice this time around (and of course, Amalie Howard writes it tastefully and beautifully).

I’m already counting down the days until the audiobook releases. This series just keeps getting better