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Starkeeper #2
Queen of the Night Sky
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26The 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
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
480 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 17, 2026
21 people are currently reading
7563 people want to read
About the author
Amalie Howard
46 books3,304 followersAMALIE 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
March 4, 2026
(4.25/5) Queen of the Night Sky is SUCH a fun, fast-paced read.
📖 ARC Review 📖
🗓️ Pub date: March 17, 2026
🐉 Fantasy romance
🐉 1st person, multi POV
🐉 Why choose
🐉 Political intrigue
🐉 Persian & Indian mythology
Spice emoji: 🌶️🌶️ (MFM)
When Amalie Howard announced this was a why choose I SCREAMED because I'm a huge why choose lover. I was raised in the early 2000s and traumatized by one too many heart wrenching love triangles, so I was excited to not have to pick between our MMCs. That being said, I know a lot of people don't like why choose novels, so I am a bit surprised Amalie Howard didn't announce this trope when promoting book 1. I can see this negatively impacting the overall star rating for this book (not because the romance in this book is poorly executed but because many people don't like why choose romances and/or expected a love triangle).
I wish I had a better word than "fun" to describe this conclusion and duology as a whole, but that's what it is. I felt every emotion reading this book, and it was a total rollercoaster. Not only do we get 1 love story in this duology, but 2? And they're both obsessed with her?? Too good. As a why choose girly, the spice was SPICING. I gobbled it up.
Sura is a powerful, resilient, and quirky FMC. Her internal monologue is literally me if I were a FMC. Also, no notes for our MMCs. I love them both and wouldn't be able to choose either if I were her.
I had similar feelings when reading book 1, but, at times, Amalie Howard uses overly modern language and sayings that conflict with the overall time period and tone of the book. This would pull me out of the story. HOWEVER, I noticed there were fewer moments that this happened than book 1 so her writing has improved and feeling more cohesive.
While I enjoyed that this book is fast-paced, I also felt it came at the expense of diving deeper into certain plot points and scenes that I would've appreciated more time with. These two books almost feel like entirely different stories at times since we have a new cast of characters and setting. And when the two worlds (figuratively) collide it almost feels like they were smushed together when I would've appreciated more breathing room to make it more believable.
Overall, I love this duology and had a great time with it. I'll definitely be recommending it to my fellow why choose romantasy lovers!
A sincere thank you to Avon Books for gifting me an ARC ahead of its pub date.
📖 ARC Review 📖
🗓️ Pub date: March 17, 2026
🐉 Fantasy romance
🐉 1st person, multi POV
🐉 Why choose
🐉 Political intrigue
🐉 Persian & Indian mythology
Spice emoji: 🌶️🌶️ (MFM)
When Amalie Howard announced this was a why choose I SCREAMED because I'm a huge why choose lover. I was raised in the early 2000s and traumatized by one too many heart wrenching love triangles, so I was excited to not have to pick between our MMCs. That being said, I know a lot of people don't like why choose novels, so I am a bit surprised Amalie Howard didn't announce this trope when promoting book 1. I can see this negatively impacting the overall star rating for this book (not because the romance in this book is poorly executed but because many people don't like why choose romances and/or expected a love triangle).
I wish I had a better word than "fun" to describe this conclusion and duology as a whole, but that's what it is. I felt every emotion reading this book, and it was a total rollercoaster. Not only do we get 1 love story in this duology, but 2? And they're both obsessed with her?? Too good. As a why choose girly, the spice was SPICING. I gobbled it up.
Sura is a powerful, resilient, and quirky FMC. Her internal monologue is literally me if I were a FMC. Also, no notes for our MMCs. I love them both and wouldn't be able to choose either if I were her.
I had similar feelings when reading book 1, but, at times, Amalie Howard uses overly modern language and sayings that conflict with the overall time period and tone of the book. This would pull me out of the story. HOWEVER, I noticed there were fewer moments that this happened than book 1 so her writing has improved and feeling more cohesive.
While I enjoyed that this book is fast-paced, I also felt it came at the expense of diving deeper into certain plot points and scenes that I would've appreciated more time with. These two books almost feel like entirely different stories at times since we have a new cast of characters and setting. And when the two worlds (figuratively) collide it almost feels like they were smushed together when I would've appreciated more breathing room to make it more believable.
Overall, I love this duology and had a great time with it. I'll definitely be recommending it to my fellow why choose romantasy lovers!
A sincere thank you to Avon Books for gifting me an ARC ahead of its pub date.
arc-tbr
October 16, 2025
October 12, 2025
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!
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!
March 5, 2026
Queen of the Night Sky by Amalie Howard the sequel to Starlight Heir. I had a hard time rating this one so I will break it down as to why.
The story starts a little bit after Roshan is brought back from death and the war has ended. Roshan and (hold please while I look her name up, it was used maybe once,) Suraya (other names: Starbright, Starblessed, Starling, Patin, Sura.) are happily in love until Roshan makes her use her magic for evil. He gets progressively worse until he blocks her magic and controls her by magic nullifying cuffs. There’s something wrong with him and she can’t help him. She escapes and ends up with her shadow daddy (sorry Darrius King of Everlea.) who is surly but gentle. Does this sound kind of familiar? ACOTAR and ACOMAF and a mix of Fourth Wing. But she soon finds out he’s cursed. Also the evil that is in Roshan is spreading. Can Suraya and crew defeat the evil that is corrupting the kingdoms?
The main story takes place in Everlea and how she falls for the king, trains some more, bonds with a dragon, and finds her memories. Aw yes my least favorite trope when not done well, amnesia. This story doesn’t really need the memory loss but it’s there. So meh with that.
I like the general story. The new characters are interesting. The big bad is great. The plot is a common but a fun one. It was an enjoyable read.
******
SPOILERS:
So thoughts and some SPOILERS:
I love Roshan. I hated how he became the Tamlin of this story. But we do find out it’s not him but was possessed by an evil entity that made him that way. I like Darrius but my heart still loved Roshan so I was upset that quite possible Darrius would be end game and Roshan would be put aside as a friend or end up dead. Neither happened actually and we get my favorite a why choose. We get one combo spicy scene with both so yay.
I will have to say I didn’t form as much of a connection with Darrius as I did Roshan. I just feel like the development wasn’t there and we were just supposed to be like “aw okay they are soul fated they belong together.” and be alright with it. Roshan is definitely my boy and I think it’s because he’s your normal every day guy and not a shadow daddy.
Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc!
The story starts a little bit after Roshan is brought back from death and the war has ended. Roshan and (hold please while I look her name up, it was used maybe once,) Suraya (other names: Starbright, Starblessed, Starling, Patin, Sura.) are happily in love until Roshan makes her use her magic for evil. He gets progressively worse until he blocks her magic and controls her by magic nullifying cuffs. There’s something wrong with him and she can’t help him. She escapes and ends up with her shadow daddy (sorry Darrius King of Everlea.) who is surly but gentle. Does this sound kind of familiar? ACOTAR and ACOMAF and a mix of Fourth Wing. But she soon finds out he’s cursed. Also the evil that is in Roshan is spreading. Can Suraya and crew defeat the evil that is corrupting the kingdoms?
The main story takes place in Everlea and how she falls for the king, trains some more, bonds with a dragon, and finds her memories. Aw yes my least favorite trope when not done well, amnesia. This story doesn’t really need the memory loss but it’s there. So meh with that.
I like the general story. The new characters are interesting. The big bad is great. The plot is a common but a fun one. It was an enjoyable read.
******
SPOILERS:
So thoughts and some SPOILERS:
I love Roshan. I hated how he became the Tamlin of this story. But we do find out it’s not him but was possessed by an evil entity that made him that way. I like Darrius but my heart still loved Roshan so I was upset that quite possible Darrius would be end game and Roshan would be put aside as a friend or end up dead. Neither happened actually and we get my favorite a why choose. We get one combo spicy scene with both so yay.
I will have to say I didn’t form as much of a connection with Darrius as I did Roshan. I just feel like the development wasn’t there and we were just supposed to be like “aw okay they are soul fated they belong together.” and be alright with it. Roshan is definitely my boy and I think it’s because he’s your normal every day guy and not a shadow daddy.
Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc!
December 11, 2025
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.
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.
December 22, 2025
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
This was a nice ending to the duology that we started very fast-paced in the first book. I've been getting into reading more standalones or duologies these days, so getting the ARC for this lovely book felt fantastic.
I have to say the author used a very unique approach to the love triangle/MFM situation in this series. I am used to being introduced to both, or however many love interests there are, at the same time, and then the FMC decides she loves them all. So this was a refreshing relationship intricacy: the FMC loved the first love interest in book 1 and then learned to love the second love interest without giving up on the first.
In my opinion, this world-building was too intense to be wrapped up in just 2 books. It felt cramped up to fit into a duology. But I also appreciated the author's decision not to stretch the plot for the sake of writing more books in the series.
The story was intriguing, the plot twists were well thought and the intimate scenes were delicious. It was just too fast and too much happening all at once for me to enjoy these books as much as I liked. It was so fast that she was injured and infected in the last battle scene, and they fixed the infection situation, but never mentioned the injury again, not once. Also, the storyline at the beginning of this book was too similar to a book every fantasy reader has already read. Yes, that one.
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a nice ending to the duology that we started very fast-paced in the first book. I've been getting into reading more standalones or duologies these days, so getting the ARC for this lovely book felt fantastic.
I have to say the author used a very unique approach to the love triangle/MFM situation in this series. I am used to being introduced to both, or however many love interests there are, at the same time, and then the FMC decides she loves them all. So this was a refreshing relationship intricacy: the FMC loved the first love interest in book 1 and then learned to love the second love interest without giving up on the first.
In my opinion, this world-building was too intense to be wrapped up in just 2 books. It felt cramped up to fit into a duology. But I also appreciated the author's decision not to stretch the plot for the sake of writing more books in the series.
The story was intriguing, the plot twists were well thought and the intimate scenes were delicious. It was just too fast and too much happening all at once for me to enjoy these books as much as I liked. It was so fast that she was injured and infected in the last battle scene, and they fixed the infection situation, but never mentioned the injury again, not once. Also, the storyline at the beginning of this book was too similar to a book every fantasy reader has already read. Yes, that one.
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
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.
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.
February 15, 2026
Holy mother of fantasy, this was such a great conclusion. I read the first book, the Starlight Heir and liked it. But I LOVED this one!
We find our FMC powerful, weaponized, and eventually heartbroken. It hurt MY feelings after everything we experienced in the first book.
Then we meet Darrius and OMG. Sulky and mean at first (okay, even mean, I swooned a little over the King.) he turns out to not be so bad after all. We were all thinking, “ We’re bored with shadow daddies” , the author introduced us to this KING, and suddenly I wasn’t so tired of them anymore.
We see our FMC go through something pretty traumatic, and loose her memories. Honestly broke my heart a little reading about it. Especially when she was so unsure who to trust. But through time, and preservation she finds her strength again. Betrayed and battered by all kinds of unexpected friends, allies, and loves, she comes out on top. You cant help but cheer for her the ENTIRE time.
The fantasy world gets deeper and more intricate, the magic system expanding as we meet new characters. The romance? It was giving me serious ACOTAR vibes, and I am SO glad I was wrong about where it was going! It talks about love making space, and that’s such a beautiful thought!
Overall, one of my favorite fantasy romance books I’ve read so far this year.
What you’ll find;
Fated mates
Chosen Love
Unique magic
DRAGONS
Two love interests
War
Betrayal
An expanded universe from book one.
We find our FMC powerful, weaponized, and eventually heartbroken. It hurt MY feelings after everything we experienced in the first book.
Then we meet Darrius and OMG. Sulky and mean at first (okay, even mean, I swooned a little over the King.) he turns out to not be so bad after all. We were all thinking, “ We’re bored with shadow daddies” , the author introduced us to this KING, and suddenly I wasn’t so tired of them anymore.
We see our FMC go through something pretty traumatic, and loose her memories. Honestly broke my heart a little reading about it. Especially when she was so unsure who to trust. But through time, and preservation she finds her strength again. Betrayed and battered by all kinds of unexpected friends, allies, and loves, she comes out on top. You cant help but cheer for her the ENTIRE time.
The fantasy world gets deeper and more intricate, the magic system expanding as we meet new characters. The romance? It was giving me serious ACOTAR vibes, and I am SO glad I was wrong about where it was going! It talks about love making space, and that’s such a beautiful thought!
Overall, one of my favorite fantasy romance books I’ve read so far this year.
What you’ll find;
Fated mates
Chosen Love
Unique magic
DRAGONS
Two love interests
War
Betrayal
An expanded universe from book one.
February 26, 2026
Queen of the Night Sky by Amalie Howard
THIS is how you do a second book. Chef kiss. This book is fast paced, and covered a lot in a quick read. I couldn’t put this book down. It broke my heart, put the pieces back together just to shatter the again.
Suraya is still have our horny little FMC whom I adore. She’s still a bit dense and unaware of what’s in right in front of her but she’s true to form. The way she professed through things in the first half of this book was so authentic and real. Her love of Roshan and trusting him, having hope, even to her detriment was so relatable to me. Roshan was my favorite golden retriever in the first book. He became so ruthless in this book but his storyline is epic.
After The Starlight Heir, I was very interested to see where the illusive lord of night character would go this book and it did not disappoint. This man of mystery is vicious and made this story even better.
I loved the story, the characters, the villains, the betrayal that cut so deep. It was enthralling.
The only thing I didn’t love was sometimes there was some word choice that picked words out of obscurity that didn’t seem to flow with the story. I could usually figure out the words with context clues but they did pop up from time to time and it throw me off.
THIS is how you do a second book. Chef kiss. This book is fast paced, and covered a lot in a quick read. I couldn’t put this book down. It broke my heart, put the pieces back together just to shatter the again.
Suraya is still have our horny little FMC whom I adore. She’s still a bit dense and unaware of what’s in right in front of her but she’s true to form. The way she professed through things in the first half of this book was so authentic and real. Her love of Roshan and trusting him, having hope, even to her detriment was so relatable to me. Roshan was my favorite golden retriever in the first book. He became so ruthless in this book but his storyline is epic.
After The Starlight Heir, I was very interested to see where the illusive lord of night character would go this book and it did not disappoint. This man of mystery is vicious and made this story even better.
I loved the story, the characters, the villains, the betrayal that cut so deep. It was enthralling.
The only thing I didn’t love was sometimes there was some word choice that picked words out of obscurity that didn’t seem to flow with the story. I could usually figure out the words with context clues but they did pop up from time to time and it throw me off.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
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!
November 24, 2025
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.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Queen of the Night Sky is a fantasy romance set in a mythical Indian-inspired world, the second in a duology by Amelie Howard. Our story picks up soon after the previous book left off, and gives enough context to explain what happened previously. Our main character, Suraya, is helping her love, Roshan, with stabilizing his rule following the death of his brother and stepmother. Their relationship begins to undergo some trouble, and we as the audience can see that Roshan is beginning to be less than an ideal partner.
This book was an improvement over the first book, as the writing is generally better. However, the story had a few major problems that I couldn’t get over when reading.
The first half of this book felt like an Indian-inspired version of the second book in the most popular Romantasy series on the market. The story followed almost all the same beats, with small differences, around the romance plot. We have two love interests, one of whom is controlling for his own gain and for her protection, and one who has been coming to her in dreams because of a soul-bond. She is whisked away from one for her protection and then is able to fall in love with the other.
I was very unhappy with the way the love triangle was handled; I wouldn’t have read the book if it was addressed in the marketing. I understand wanting it to be a surprise, but I wish this book had been advertised as a why-choose romance with monster smut. I would not have read it if I had known it was how it would end. I don’t love a love triangle in general, but this one felt especially frustrating. Howard spends a significant amount of time explaining why Darrius is a better partner, better lover, better friend than Roshan, even before his change in personality. I would have preferred that Sura be thankful for her first love, be happy to save him and be ready to let him go. Showing us that one partner is significantly better than the other and then trying to get us to accept both simply doesn’t work.
After the first half, the story tries to diverge from the most popular acronym in the publishing world by creating different levels of political situations. This part of the story was fine, and the reveal of the villain at the end of the story was interesting but didn’t feel set up well.
There is a huge plot hole in the final battle scenes that I read the chapter three separate times to see if it was addressed. One of the most frustrating moments in the entire story is when our character is dying from injuries and then gets infected with the magical rot. She has a tearful goodbye with both of her partners because of multiple stab wounds to vital organs. She then gets infected, they fix the infection, but then they never address the stab wounds? She’s never healed by magic, but the characters conveniently ignore her final goodbyes. It really deflated all of the emotional energy in the scene, which I think was supposed to serve as a climax of sorts.
This book was very explicit, with two very detailed explicit scenes. One of them is unconventional. Explicit scenes involve pain play, multiple partners and mythical non-human encounters.
The final conclusion was nice, and I was generally open to the decisions that were made, though it seems like the political decisions didn’t go towards the initial messaging of the book. The story ends with Roshan advocating to become a republic, which sounds great except then he gives power exclusively to the noble families who our characters repeatedly show are not great, either. We get a small moment that Sura’s father is a rebel leader, which is never addressed again, and Sura never pushes to allow commoners to participate in their governance which seems opposite to her characterization.
Altogether, this book is probably worth reading if you really enjoyed the first book and you’re okay with unconventional ends to love triangles. I think this book was an improvement over the first, but the similarities to a certain franchise were distracting. I don’t think I would recommend the book unless you were specifically looking for the tropes involved.
Thank you to Harper Collins for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was an improvement over the first book, as the writing is generally better. However, the story had a few major problems that I couldn’t get over when reading.
The first half of this book felt like an Indian-inspired version of the second book in the most popular Romantasy series on the market. The story followed almost all the same beats, with small differences, around the romance plot. We have two love interests, one of whom is controlling for his own gain and for her protection, and one who has been coming to her in dreams because of a soul-bond. She is whisked away from one for her protection and then is able to fall in love with the other.
I was very unhappy with the way the love triangle was handled; I wouldn’t have read the book if it was addressed in the marketing. I understand wanting it to be a surprise, but I wish this book had been advertised as a why-choose romance with monster smut. I would not have read it if I had known it was how it would end. I don’t love a love triangle in general, but this one felt especially frustrating. Howard spends a significant amount of time explaining why Darrius is a better partner, better lover, better friend than Roshan, even before his change in personality. I would have preferred that Sura be thankful for her first love, be happy to save him and be ready to let him go. Showing us that one partner is significantly better than the other and then trying to get us to accept both simply doesn’t work.
After the first half, the story tries to diverge from the most popular acronym in the publishing world by creating different levels of political situations. This part of the story was fine, and the reveal of the villain at the end of the story was interesting but didn’t feel set up well.
There is a huge plot hole in the final battle scenes that I read the chapter three separate times to see if it was addressed. One of the most frustrating moments in the entire story is when our character is dying from injuries and then gets infected with the magical rot. She has a tearful goodbye with both of her partners because of multiple stab wounds to vital organs. She then gets infected, they fix the infection, but then they never address the stab wounds? She’s never healed by magic, but the characters conveniently ignore her final goodbyes. It really deflated all of the emotional energy in the scene, which I think was supposed to serve as a climax of sorts.
This book was very explicit, with two very detailed explicit scenes. One of them is unconventional. Explicit scenes involve pain play, multiple partners and mythical non-human encounters.
The final conclusion was nice, and I was generally open to the decisions that were made, though it seems like the political decisions didn’t go towards the initial messaging of the book. The story ends with Roshan advocating to become a republic, which sounds great except then he gives power exclusively to the noble families who our characters repeatedly show are not great, either. We get a small moment that Sura’s father is a rebel leader, which is never addressed again, and Sura never pushes to allow commoners to participate in their governance which seems opposite to her characterization.
Altogether, this book is probably worth reading if you really enjoyed the first book and you’re okay with unconventional ends to love triangles. I think this book was an improvement over the first, but the similarities to a certain franchise were distracting. I don’t think I would recommend the book unless you were specifically looking for the tropes involved.
Thank you to Harper Collins for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to Avon books, NetGalley, and Amalie Howard for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
If you haven't read "The Starlight Heir" yet, please be forewarned that this review contains references to major plot events and characters.
Picking up right where the first novel leaves off, we find our FMC, Suraya Saab, assuming her new role as the consort to King Roshan Acharia of Oryndhr. Once the leader of a rebellion against the monarchy, King Roshan dismantled a plot of destruction by his half-brother, Prince Jared and his mother, Queen Moravid, both of whom were serving Fero, the god of death and darkness. The attack cost Roshan his life and nearly freed Fero from his binding by his brother, Saru, god of light. Brought back to life through Suraya's potent Starkeeper powers, Roshan now rules Oryndhr with an increasingly iron hand, bringing the surrounding areas under his rule. When they fail to capitulate, he uses Suraya's lethal powers against them, choosing to govern by fear instead of diplomacy.
Suraya and Roshan's frayed relationship comes to a breaking point with a single, brutal act that causes Suraya to lose all faith in trust in the man she thought she knew. Heartbroken and barely alive, she manages to escape from the palace, but her adventure is only beginning.
As she finds herself in a completely foreign land, Suraya must free her magic and recover the many pieces of herself that she's lost, one shattered memory at a time. Under the care of the land's shadow-laden and inscrutable ruler, Suraya soon realizes that there are things about magic, gods, and powers that she never dreamed possible, and that war is no longer on the horizon, but sitting on her doorstep.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was the mystical, vibrant worlds the author introduces. There's a tangibility in her descriptions that made me feel the wonder and awe that Suraya encounters when she learns new powers or finds herself in new places. For the lack of a better word, her words bloom with color even in the land of shadows, and it made those worlds come to life for me. I also loved how magical creatures were woven into the very fabric of the novel with souls, needs, and heartbreaks of their own.
At its heart, this novel is about personal growth, the yoke of duty, and how people choose to wield power even when under horrible circumstances. Suraya still shows much of her trademark sass that was present in the first novel, but events in this novel immediately dampen her spirit and make her lose not only her sense of self, but her sense of trust in everyone around her. I appreciated that she struggled with doubt and guilt, even when that doubt extended to whether she believed in herself.
Queen of the Night Sky also introduces a dark and sultry shadow king, brimming with power but possessed of, shall we say, a sour disposition. The attraction Suraya feels is almost as powerful as her annoyance when he continues to keep secrets from her even as their fragile trust grows. I love a yearning and devoted MMC, especially when he happens to be ever-so-slightly (okay, REALLY) possessive. The magnetism grows between the two of them until it finally immolates, leaving Suraya (and, okay, ME) breathless.
The novel is broken up into three parts, and the final act is a whirlwind of heartbreak, hope, rapid-fire plot-twists, and an ultimate showdown that threatens the very existence of the world. While I enjoyed most of these developments, there were one or two that seemed a little too out-of-character for me, but I was able to overlook it simply because the pacing and world-building swept me off my feet and I was able to just go with it.
I think you'll enjoy this book if you enjoy intricate magic systems (and especially those based on Indian and Persian mythology and culture; this was a highlight for me!), strong FMCs who forge strength despite setbacks and doubt, and an enemies-to-lovers relationship that blossoms into beautiful devotion. There are one or two other tropes that figure prominently into this story, but I think both of them would qualify as major spoilers so I'm not going to list them here. Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and would love to see where the story goes next, but I think the ending is satisfying and the story still works as a duology.
If you haven't read "The Starlight Heir" yet, please be forewarned that this review contains references to major plot events and characters.
Picking up right where the first novel leaves off, we find our FMC, Suraya Saab, assuming her new role as the consort to King Roshan Acharia of Oryndhr. Once the leader of a rebellion against the monarchy, King Roshan dismantled a plot of destruction by his half-brother, Prince Jared and his mother, Queen Moravid, both of whom were serving Fero, the god of death and darkness. The attack cost Roshan his life and nearly freed Fero from his binding by his brother, Saru, god of light. Brought back to life through Suraya's potent Starkeeper powers, Roshan now rules Oryndhr with an increasingly iron hand, bringing the surrounding areas under his rule. When they fail to capitulate, he uses Suraya's lethal powers against them, choosing to govern by fear instead of diplomacy.
Suraya and Roshan's frayed relationship comes to a breaking point with a single, brutal act that causes Suraya to lose all faith in trust in the man she thought she knew. Heartbroken and barely alive, she manages to escape from the palace, but her adventure is only beginning.
As she finds herself in a completely foreign land, Suraya must free her magic and recover the many pieces of herself that she's lost, one shattered memory at a time. Under the care of the land's shadow-laden and inscrutable ruler, Suraya soon realizes that there are things about magic, gods, and powers that she never dreamed possible, and that war is no longer on the horizon, but sitting on her doorstep.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was the mystical, vibrant worlds the author introduces. There's a tangibility in her descriptions that made me feel the wonder and awe that Suraya encounters when she learns new powers or finds herself in new places. For the lack of a better word, her words bloom with color even in the land of shadows, and it made those worlds come to life for me. I also loved how magical creatures were woven into the very fabric of the novel with souls, needs, and heartbreaks of their own.
At its heart, this novel is about personal growth, the yoke of duty, and how people choose to wield power even when under horrible circumstances. Suraya still shows much of her trademark sass that was present in the first novel, but events in this novel immediately dampen her spirit and make her lose not only her sense of self, but her sense of trust in everyone around her. I appreciated that she struggled with doubt and guilt, even when that doubt extended to whether she believed in herself.
Queen of the Night Sky also introduces a dark and sultry shadow king, brimming with power but possessed of, shall we say, a sour disposition. The attraction Suraya feels is almost as powerful as her annoyance when he continues to keep secrets from her even as their fragile trust grows. I love a yearning and devoted MMC, especially when he happens to be ever-so-slightly (okay, REALLY) possessive. The magnetism grows between the two of them until it finally immolates, leaving Suraya (and, okay, ME) breathless.
The novel is broken up into three parts, and the final act is a whirlwind of heartbreak, hope, rapid-fire plot-twists, and an ultimate showdown that threatens the very existence of the world. While I enjoyed most of these developments, there were one or two that seemed a little too out-of-character for me, but I was able to overlook it simply because the pacing and world-building swept me off my feet and I was able to just go with it.
I think you'll enjoy this book if you enjoy intricate magic systems (and especially those based on Indian and Persian mythology and culture; this was a highlight for me!), strong FMCs who forge strength despite setbacks and doubt, and an enemies-to-lovers relationship that blossoms into beautiful devotion. There are one or two other tropes that figure prominently into this story, but I think both of them would qualify as major spoilers so I'm not going to list them here. Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and would love to see where the story goes next, but I think the ending is satisfying and the story still works as a duology.
December 3, 2025
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!!
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!!
January 20, 2026
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. My thoughts are my own.
**
If Starlight Heir, the first book in this duet, was one of my favorite reads of 2025, Queen of the Night Sky might be that for 2026. Every time I was forced to take a break from the book, I kept thinking about the plot, about Suraya and how everything would turn out. I was so eager to finish the story, I kept sneaking in pages during my breaks at work.
The author continues the route of painting beautiful worlds and places and I love how she deepens the lore from the first book. We still see plenty of old characters and places we’ve visited before (including Sura’s home with Papa and Amma) but we are also introduced to a new kingdom, a slew of new characters and magical creatures galore. I found it fresh and interesting and it hooked me completely. Also the way the author pulled for Persian mythology when it comes to the creatures, what a wonderful thing to see. Catch me diving into that deeper.
The story is divided into three sections which I felt was smart because the story has three major events that shape it and giving equal focus to all of them was a smart thing to do. I also feel this paced the book well and didn’t make things too complicated. I also really enjoyed how all the characters in the book have flaws and layers and not everyone is who they seem. That kept me guessing right until the Big Reveal on who would turn out to be the villain or if it would be a completely unknown entity. You will not be disappointed by this part of the book, I can say. My jaw was on the floor.
The romance is guaranteed Amalie Howard and I loved it! Sura definitely hasn’t got it easy and her heartstrings (and mine) are out to the ultimate test. I also feel the big romantic elements were treated with care and the slow burn felt so good. I do admit that I was not expecting all the turns with the romance but let me tell you, I’m one happy reader after this.
I do hope we return to this world once more because Suraya and this world have my heart.
**
If Starlight Heir, the first book in this duet, was one of my favorite reads of 2025, Queen of the Night Sky might be that for 2026. Every time I was forced to take a break from the book, I kept thinking about the plot, about Suraya and how everything would turn out. I was so eager to finish the story, I kept sneaking in pages during my breaks at work.
The author continues the route of painting beautiful worlds and places and I love how she deepens the lore from the first book. We still see plenty of old characters and places we’ve visited before (including Sura’s home with Papa and Amma) but we are also introduced to a new kingdom, a slew of new characters and magical creatures galore. I found it fresh and interesting and it hooked me completely. Also the way the author pulled for Persian mythology when it comes to the creatures, what a wonderful thing to see. Catch me diving into that deeper.
The story is divided into three sections which I felt was smart because the story has three major events that shape it and giving equal focus to all of them was a smart thing to do. I also feel this paced the book well and didn’t make things too complicated. I also really enjoyed how all the characters in the book have flaws and layers and not everyone is who they seem. That kept me guessing right until the Big Reveal on who would turn out to be the villain or if it would be a completely unknown entity. You will not be disappointed by this part of the book, I can say. My jaw was on the floor.
The romance is guaranteed Amalie Howard and I loved it! Sura definitely hasn’t got it easy and her heartstrings (and mine) are out to the ultimate test. I also feel the big romantic elements were treated with care and the slow burn felt so good. I do admit that I was not expecting all the turns with the romance but let me tell you, I’m one happy reader after this.
I do hope we return to this world once more because Suraya and this world have my heart.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Love is infinite, perfectly imperfect, and layered in its complexity. It might bring hardship and take sacrifice or work, but it never dies. It endures through any storm. Love only fails if you give up on it."
Queen of the Night Sky throws us right back into the action. King Roshan is working to stabilize Onyndr and Sura is doing her best to stand alongside in support. Darkness lurks beneath the surface, and everything is about to change. After an attempt on her life, Sura finds herself in Everlea, the wild northern kingdom. Everlea is steeped in magic, fraught with political unrest hiding beneath the surface, and ruled by a mysteriously powerful — and deliciously grumpy — king, Darrius. Sura is pulled between her own human choice and star-written fate. She struggles with the bond to her magic and the elusive Oracle who seeks to destroy all the peace Sura fights to keep. Will she be able to keep the banished gods from gaining power once again?
What continues to set this series apart is its use of mythology. It’s not an over told story. Queen of the Night Sky is perfect for readers who enjoy middle eastern mythology and astrology, and for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. It delivers many of our favorite romantasy tropes including:
Found Family
A yearning shadow king
Enemies to Lovers
Betrayal and heartache
Expanded, fascinating magic system
Why-choose romance and spice
Amalie Howard’s world reminds us that power is neither good nor bad; it depends on how you wield it. Political strife and shifting loyalties exist in every kingdom, and betrayal often comes from where you least expect it. Hope, however, is a choice. Our circumstances may be completely beyond our control - even fated - but we can still choose how we respond. And true love is always worth fighting for.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Amalie Howard for the opportunity to read this book and share my honest review.
Queen of the Night Sky throws us right back into the action. King Roshan is working to stabilize Onyndr and Sura is doing her best to stand alongside in support. Darkness lurks beneath the surface, and everything is about to change. After an attempt on her life, Sura finds herself in Everlea, the wild northern kingdom. Everlea is steeped in magic, fraught with political unrest hiding beneath the surface, and ruled by a mysteriously powerful — and deliciously grumpy — king, Darrius. Sura is pulled between her own human choice and star-written fate. She struggles with the bond to her magic and the elusive Oracle who seeks to destroy all the peace Sura fights to keep. Will she be able to keep the banished gods from gaining power once again?
What continues to set this series apart is its use of mythology. It’s not an over told story. Queen of the Night Sky is perfect for readers who enjoy middle eastern mythology and astrology, and for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. It delivers many of our favorite romantasy tropes including:
Found Family
A yearning shadow king
Enemies to Lovers
Betrayal and heartache
Expanded, fascinating magic system
Why-choose romance and spice
Amalie Howard’s world reminds us that power is neither good nor bad; it depends on how you wield it. Political strife and shifting loyalties exist in every kingdom, and betrayal often comes from where you least expect it. Hope, however, is a choice. Our circumstances may be completely beyond our control - even fated - but we can still choose how we respond. And true love is always worth fighting for.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Amalie Howard for the opportunity to read this book and share my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow, so many amazing and conflicting thoughts and feelings about this - definitely 5 ⭐️ novel. Where I thought the first installment in this series was somewhat slow to move the plot along, this one gripped you on page 1 and continued to move at a breakneck speed!
Let’s start with Darrius - the God of Night is a swoon-worthy incredible addition as an MMC. The soul-fated bond angle has added so much to this story, complete with push-pull dynamic and so much angst, which made the slow burn - and eventual conflagration - explosive.
Then Sura - she had a very interesting journey. I typically am emphatically not a fan of the amnesia storyline, and this is the only book where it did not only work for me, but was so essential to the story. She carries through from book 1, though, her habit of making the strangest decisions, akin to those in a horror movie, where the audience is screaming for someone not to go in into the dark room.
The why choose angle, I am sorry to say, fell a little flat to me. It is typically a favorite trope of mine, but here Roshan fades from the view sufficiently that it is hard to get back on the King of Oryndhr bandwagon towards the end. While I found Sura and Darrius to be sizzling, Roshan did not add sufficiently to their pairing.
And then the storyline itself - so much happened, all loose ends wrapped up beautifully. And still I have a “but”, which is that there was at times too many storylines happening simultaneously, especially in the end where justice was rushing to be meted out to all deserving parties. In fact, perhaps the “why choose” angle could have been fleshed out more in favor of slowing the pacing some. But no complaints on the overall outcome still.
And finally, Amalie Howard has an amazing way with words and created a masterfully crafted world, full of vivid and perfectly imperfect characters. What a spectacular ride!
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this advance read!
Let’s start with Darrius - the God of Night is a swoon-worthy incredible addition as an MMC. The soul-fated bond angle has added so much to this story, complete with push-pull dynamic and so much angst, which made the slow burn - and eventual conflagration - explosive.
Then Sura - she had a very interesting journey. I typically am emphatically not a fan of the amnesia storyline, and this is the only book where it did not only work for me, but was so essential to the story. She carries through from book 1, though, her habit of making the strangest decisions, akin to those in a horror movie, where the audience is screaming for someone not to go in into the dark room.
The why choose angle, I am sorry to say, fell a little flat to me. It is typically a favorite trope of mine, but here Roshan fades from the view sufficiently that it is hard to get back on the King of Oryndhr bandwagon towards the end. While I found Sura and Darrius to be sizzling, Roshan did not add sufficiently to their pairing.
And then the storyline itself - so much happened, all loose ends wrapped up beautifully. And still I have a “but”, which is that there was at times too many storylines happening simultaneously, especially in the end where justice was rushing to be meted out to all deserving parties. In fact, perhaps the “why choose” angle could have been fleshed out more in favor of slowing the pacing some. But no complaints on the overall outcome still.
And finally, Amalie Howard has an amazing way with words and created a masterfully crafted world, full of vivid and perfectly imperfect characters. What a spectacular ride!
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this advance read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Avon Books and Harper Voyager for the gifted ARC!
I read the first book through Avon gifting me a Libro.fm audiobook, and where it wasn't my favorite read, it was enough of a draw that I said that I would read the second book and see how it all played out. I would say that this duology just wasn't the right read for me. It wasn't bad by any means, I just think I was the wrong audience.
What I did enjoy was the magic system, I thought that was super fun and unique. I also enjoyed the love interests, I thought they were both interesting and had their own special personalities that were fun to read. The characters themselves were probably my favorite part of this book, they were dynamic and interesting.
Where I did enjoy the characters, I didn't always enjoy the dialogue between them all. In the first book I had an issue with the modern slang that was used and that continued in this second book in parts. Modern slang in fantasy books just takes me out of the fantastical feel, and that is purely a me issue, not an issue with the story.
The spice was also just a bit too much for me. I knew going in that it would be spicy, but it was just a bit over the top for me personally. It also took me a long time to get into this book, and I'm not even fully sure that I did get invested completely. I did enjoy some of the revelations and twists, and the ending was mostly satisfying, it just wasn't a knock out for me unfortunately. I think if it had been a little longer or even pushed into being a trilogy to give more space for things to develop a little bit slower and more natural feeling, I think it would have been a better read.
I read the first book through Avon gifting me a Libro.fm audiobook, and where it wasn't my favorite read, it was enough of a draw that I said that I would read the second book and see how it all played out. I would say that this duology just wasn't the right read for me. It wasn't bad by any means, I just think I was the wrong audience.
What I did enjoy was the magic system, I thought that was super fun and unique. I also enjoyed the love interests, I thought they were both interesting and had their own special personalities that were fun to read. The characters themselves were probably my favorite part of this book, they were dynamic and interesting.
Where I did enjoy the characters, I didn't always enjoy the dialogue between them all. In the first book I had an issue with the modern slang that was used and that continued in this second book in parts. Modern slang in fantasy books just takes me out of the fantastical feel, and that is purely a me issue, not an issue with the story.
The spice was also just a bit too much for me. I knew going in that it would be spicy, but it was just a bit over the top for me personally. It also took me a long time to get into this book, and I'm not even fully sure that I did get invested completely. I did enjoy some of the revelations and twists, and the ending was mostly satisfying, it just wasn't a knock out for me unfortunately. I think if it had been a little longer or even pushed into being a trilogy to give more space for things to develop a little bit slower and more natural feeling, I think it would have been a better read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
From shackles to shadow daddy, book two takes a notably darker turn.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Star Read
Our rather cute first volume MMC unfortunately devolves into a power hungry, toxic idiot, going so far as to put Suraya in literal shackles to coerce her magic. She escapes via dragon equivalent into the neighboring kingdom, ruled by Darrius Nightsong, who thankfully ticks all the required shadow daddy boxes moody, broody, beautiful, cursed. Interestingly, the monster he turns into is far more pleasant than the man himself.
Between necromancy, encroaching rot across the realms, and the lingering question of whether her former lover can be saved at all, the stakes feel higher this time around. Suraya remains somewhat naive and shortsighted, but at least her desires are finally met. What I struggled with was the sudden shift in dynamics: the previously jealous, possessive, very much fated mate is surprisingly relaxed about a why choose situation. That pivot felt a little too convenient for me.
Still captivating overall, with an appreciated ending.
If you like
• Dragons
• Moody broody shadow daddies
• Necromancy and cursed rulers
Not for you if
• You dislike why choose dynamics
• A still naive FMC tests your patience
Scents
The monster woodsy earth, petrichor, smoldering hearths
Nightsong rich and earthy, smoke and oud
I am still wondering how old Darrius Nightsong actually is, given that the god of death is his father, he helped ban him centuries ago, and yet somehow never was in a meaningful relationship before.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Star Read
Our rather cute first volume MMC unfortunately devolves into a power hungry, toxic idiot, going so far as to put Suraya in literal shackles to coerce her magic. She escapes via dragon equivalent into the neighboring kingdom, ruled by Darrius Nightsong, who thankfully ticks all the required shadow daddy boxes moody, broody, beautiful, cursed. Interestingly, the monster he turns into is far more pleasant than the man himself.
Between necromancy, encroaching rot across the realms, and the lingering question of whether her former lover can be saved at all, the stakes feel higher this time around. Suraya remains somewhat naive and shortsighted, but at least her desires are finally met. What I struggled with was the sudden shift in dynamics: the previously jealous, possessive, very much fated mate is surprisingly relaxed about a why choose situation. That pivot felt a little too convenient for me.
Still captivating overall, with an appreciated ending.
If you like
• Dragons
• Moody broody shadow daddies
• Necromancy and cursed rulers
Not for you if
• You dislike why choose dynamics
• A still naive FMC tests your patience
Scents
The monster woodsy earth, petrichor, smoldering hearths
Nightsong rich and earthy, smoke and oud
I am still wondering how old Darrius Nightsong actually is, given that the god of death is his father, he helped ban him centuries ago, and yet somehow never was in a meaningful relationship before.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don’t love it when sequels tell a recap of the prior book within the text. I appreciate separate recaps on the author’s website or before the book (Susan Dennard is a great example of the former, and The Burning Queen, sequel to The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma, an example of the latter) and I would encourage more authors to do that! For this reason, the first chapter of this book was a quick read, and there’s also immediate smut.
I did, however, appreciate how it picks up where the prior book left off and shows the aftermath of the rebellion and battle.
There is a lot of telling rather than showing in this book, and unfortunately, it delves into several tropes of which I am not a fan . I enjoyed The Starlight Heir as a quick, fun, tropey romantasy, so to see that the sequel undid much of Suraya’s and Roshan’s character development was very disappointing to me. Despite that, I appreciated the introduction of Darrius and the further developed worldbuilding. I LOVED the scene where Suraya officially meets Razulek and Indira. The sex scenes were incredibly hot throughout, and there are some beautiful lines about the power of love and making the world a better place.
The pacing is inconsistent; I skimmed through a training scene, and the end wraps up very quickly, and I felt that Suraya’s battle with went on for too long.
Trigger warnings for torture, blood, gore.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for my free e-ARC! It has not affected my honest review.
I did, however, appreciate how it picks up where the prior book left off and shows the aftermath of the rebellion and battle.
There is a lot of telling rather than showing in this book, and unfortunately, it delves into several tropes of which I am not a fan . I enjoyed The Starlight Heir as a quick, fun, tropey romantasy, so to see that the sequel undid much of Suraya’s and Roshan’s character development was very disappointing to me. Despite that, I appreciated the introduction of Darrius and the further developed worldbuilding. I LOVED the scene where Suraya officially meets Razulek and Indira. The sex scenes were incredibly hot throughout, and there are some beautiful lines about the power of love and making the world a better place.
The pacing is inconsistent; I skimmed through a training scene, and the end wraps up very quickly, and I felt that Suraya’s battle with went on for too long.
Trigger warnings for torture, blood, gore.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for my free e-ARC! It has not affected my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Suraya is puzzled at first by Roshan’s odd behavior but when she senses the corruption inside him, and he manages to commandeer her own magic and twist it to suit his own purposes she realizes that he is no longer her best friend or the man she chose to love. She is unconscious when she finally manages to escape with the azdaha captured by Roshun’s brother and the former king of Oryndhr, and she will awaken to find herself in Everlea, a land far from her own, full of magic, and the home of her dream lover. Darrius, the Night King of Everlea, knows that Suraya is his soul fated mate but had already decided that the bond could never be completed for fear that the curse placed on him by his father would take over and put her at risk. Soul fated mates are stronger together, but before Suraya and Darrius can even figure out how to rid her of the cuffs suppressing her power, the corrupted King of Oryndhr will start moving his forces toward Everlea.
I loved this cast of characters, those previously met, and those introduced in this book. They are all well written, complex, and utterly fascinating, even the “bad” guys. Fast-paced and witty dialog, (I adore the way Suraya manages to put the men in her life in their place), and some very steamy interactions between Suraya and her men kept me completely engrossed in this fantastic story. Bloody war, magic, betrayal, mythical creatures come to life, and enough twists and turns in the plot to make me dizzy made it impossible to put this book down. This is a dark fantasy romance with lots of action and adventure that I highly recommend to any reader.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sirens.
I loved this cast of characters, those previously met, and those introduced in this book. They are all well written, complex, and utterly fascinating, even the “bad” guys. Fast-paced and witty dialog, (I adore the way Suraya manages to put the men in her life in their place), and some very steamy interactions between Suraya and her men kept me completely engrossed in this fantastic story. Bloody war, magic, betrayal, mythical creatures come to life, and enough twists and turns in the plot to make me dizzy made it impossible to put this book down. This is a dark fantasy romance with lots of action and adventure that I highly recommend to any reader.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sirens.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The second of The Starlight Heir duology, Queen of the Night Sky picks up where the first book left off... but something isn't quite right with King Roshan. As things get worse and Roshan gets more possessive, Suraya's questions continue to grow and she starts to push back. Things really start to take a turn for the worse and she winds up with an azdaha (similar to a dragon) bringing her to the neighboring land of Everlea. There, she finally meets the Night King Darrius, who is known as a nightmare king in her home lands. Sura's power continues to grow and evolve alongside Darrius who may actually be her soul-fated mate. But don't worry... Roshan will be back for her.
Wow were there a lot of twists in this book. It was hard to keep up with where the rot was, who was fighting, what characters were backstabbing each other... just a lot. But it was one of those books that I was staying up late reading to see what the next chapter held. I really enjoyed the background about the azdaha as well and the relationships with them and their riders. While I don't think this had a higher percentage of spice really above the first book, it does have a why-choose type element (or rather, don't-choose), so if you don't like that then you may want to steer clear. I definitely enjoyed the book and would recommend the duology to those who enjoy a fantasy books with all types of mythological creatures, fated mates, and a fairly easy magical system to understand. I would give this a 4.25 stars, rounded down to 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced reader copy!
Wow were there a lot of twists in this book. It was hard to keep up with where the rot was, who was fighting, what characters were backstabbing each other... just a lot. But it was one of those books that I was staying up late reading to see what the next chapter held. I really enjoyed the background about the azdaha as well and the relationships with them and their riders. While I don't think this had a higher percentage of spice really above the first book, it does have a why-choose type element (or rather, don't-choose), so if you don't like that then you may want to steer clear. I definitely enjoyed the book and would recommend the duology to those who enjoy a fantasy books with all types of mythological creatures, fated mates, and a fairly easy magical system to understand. I would give this a 4.25 stars, rounded down to 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced reader copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Absolutely phenomenal read. This is a case where the second book is even better than the first!!!
I was so freaking deep into this story. So invested in these characters that I lost track of time.
There’s a special kind of reader magic that sometimes happens with books… where you lose yourself so completely in the story that the world just disappears for a while. Girlz… this happened here.
Darrius Nightsong just might be my new favorite shadow daddy.
6'6.
Brown skin.
Silver hair.
Tattoos all over his BODY.
I'M A PUDDLE FOR THIS MALE.
Suraya went THROUGH it in this book. Her struggles with Rohan, meeting Darrius, the bonding… or honestly the multiple bonding that happens. Losing trust in people closest to her and still somehow not becoming bitter.
Ugh I love her so much.
You already know I’m a sucker for a woman who can wield or create weapons… and my queen can do both.
Rohan was endlessly frustrating… but for good reasons.
Darrius was perfection.
Together they’re overwhelming and I’m begging…
Please overwhelm me.
Please let me be the center of your king sandwich.
OMG.
Amalie’s writing is one of my favorite discoveries this year. It’s just an immense pleasure to read her words. To fall into her stories.
I’m a huge fan.
THIS BOOK.
THIS SERIES.
Please read it.
It’s fun, it’s addictive, and these characters will have you completely head over heels.
Obsessed forever with:
Suraya — my queen
Darrius Nightsong — my king
Rohan can stay 😏
And Razulek… their bond is perfection. His character was so good.
I was so freaking deep into this story. So invested in these characters that I lost track of time.
There’s a special kind of reader magic that sometimes happens with books… where you lose yourself so completely in the story that the world just disappears for a while. Girlz… this happened here.
Darrius Nightsong just might be my new favorite shadow daddy.
6'6.
Brown skin.
Silver hair.
Tattoos all over his BODY.
I'M A PUDDLE FOR THIS MALE.
Suraya went THROUGH it in this book. Her struggles with Rohan, meeting Darrius, the bonding… or honestly the multiple bonding that happens. Losing trust in people closest to her and still somehow not becoming bitter.
Ugh I love her so much.
You already know I’m a sucker for a woman who can wield or create weapons… and my queen can do both.
Rohan was endlessly frustrating… but for good reasons.
Darrius was perfection.
Together they’re overwhelming and I’m begging…
Please overwhelm me.
Please let me be the center of your king sandwich.
OMG.
Amalie’s writing is one of my favorite discoveries this year. It’s just an immense pleasure to read her words. To fall into her stories.
I’m a huge fan.
THIS BOOK.
THIS SERIES.
Please read it.
It’s fun, it’s addictive, and these characters will have you completely head over heels.
Obsessed forever with:
Suraya — my queen
Darrius Nightsong — my king
Rohan can stay 😏
And Razulek… their bond is perfection. His character was so good.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Queen of the Night Sky, the second installment in Amalie Howard's Starkeeper duology, continues the journeys of Suraya and Roshan as they embrace their roles as rulers of the Kingdom of Oryndhr. Amid rising corruption subtly infiltrating the court, a formidable new presence emerges. Darrius, the king of the magical realm of Everlea, boldly stakes his claim on Suraya's heart. Suraya must navigate her growing powers while balancing her feelings for two men, a love that holds the potential to save both kingdoms or plunge them into darkness.
This sequel shows clear improvement over the first installment. Howard’s prose is more refined, and the pacing is better thought out, resulting in richer character development and greater reader engagement. The romantic interplay among the three main characters is compelling, particularly the slow-burn romance between Suraya and Darrius that unfolds in the first three-quarters of the story. However, Roshan's reappearance near the end feels abrupt and insufficiently fleshed out, causing that relationship arc to seem hurried and less impactful.
Overall, the book is enjoyable and engaging, but it would have benefited from additional length to fully develop its characters and plotlines. With more space, each element could have received the depth and attention it deserved. I would give it 3.5 stars if Goodreads would let me.
Thank you so much to Amalie Howard, Avon Publishers, and NetGalley for the eARC.
This sequel shows clear improvement over the first installment. Howard’s prose is more refined, and the pacing is better thought out, resulting in richer character development and greater reader engagement. The romantic interplay among the three main characters is compelling, particularly the slow-burn romance between Suraya and Darrius that unfolds in the first three-quarters of the story. However, Roshan's reappearance near the end feels abrupt and insufficiently fleshed out, causing that relationship arc to seem hurried and less impactful.
Overall, the book is enjoyable and engaging, but it would have benefited from additional length to fully develop its characters and plotlines. With more space, each element could have received the depth and attention it deserved. I would give it 3.5 stars if Goodreads would let me.
Thank you so much to Amalie Howard, Avon Publishers, and NetGalley for the eARC.
January 31, 2026
This fast paced, spicy, Romantasy sequel to The Starlight Heir takes magic, romance, political intrigues, betrayal, an amnesia plot and a sneaky evil God, throws them all together in a almost 500 page pot and hopes for the best.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
While I enjoyed the addition of a new love interest for FMC Sura the pacing of this book was so off that it never felt like I really got to see Sura and Darrius actually fall in love. This is another well they are fated mates so they just feel it and please go along for the ride situation. This really felt like a book series that was meant to be a trilogy, but was shortened into a duology so entire situations were crammed in.
How did we spend so much of this book focusing on Roshan’s betrayal, Suras amnesia and attempts to regain her power and then essentially have the last 15% of the book flying along in a OK we can all get along as long as everyone love Sura now let’s go fight a whole war and wrap it up in 50 pages.
Honestly I would have been ok with a third book focusing on this potentially polyamous trio building a real (spicy) bond together and combining their magics together and then going off to a big epic war, but this book was just too slapped together feeling for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
While I enjoyed the addition of a new love interest for FMC Sura the pacing of this book was so off that it never felt like I really got to see Sura and Darrius actually fall in love. This is another well they are fated mates so they just feel it and please go along for the ride situation. This really felt like a book series that was meant to be a trilogy, but was shortened into a duology so entire situations were crammed in.
How did we spend so much of this book focusing on Roshan’s betrayal, Suras amnesia and attempts to regain her power and then essentially have the last 15% of the book flying along in a OK we can all get along as long as everyone love Sura now let’s go fight a whole war and wrap it up in 50 pages.
Honestly I would have been ok with a third book focusing on this potentially polyamous trio building a real (spicy) bond together and combining their magics together and then going off to a big epic war, but this book was just too slapped together feeling for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2026
I was so excited to read the finale to this series and my expectations were blown away! We pick up after the previous book with Roshan and Suraya leading their kingdom after defeating corrupt rulers. Something soon becomes amiss with Roshan, and Sura escapes into the Night King’s territory. With her magic shackled and her memories gone, she’s left to pick up the pieces and save both kingdoms.
I wasn’t sure how the story would proceed for Roshan and Sura but I really enjoyed how everything played out! Introducing Darrius and new characters kept the plot interesting and I was so happy everyone got their happy ending.
The romance between Darrius and Sura was soooo good! Their banter was excellent and I love how protective he is of her. I would have liked to see a bit more progression between all three main characters, but liked how Sura got to keep both of her loves.
Another aspect of the story I really enjoyed was the continuation of the magic system. Sura learns more about her magic and herself throughout the book, and it was so cool to read! I also loved her bond with the azdahas, which brought a unique element to the book.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a unique magic system and strong main characters in a romantasy world!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I wasn’t sure how the story would proceed for Roshan and Sura but I really enjoyed how everything played out! Introducing Darrius and new characters kept the plot interesting and I was so happy everyone got their happy ending.
The romance between Darrius and Sura was soooo good! Their banter was excellent and I love how protective he is of her. I would have liked to see a bit more progression between all three main characters, but liked how Sura got to keep both of her loves.
Another aspect of the story I really enjoyed was the continuation of the magic system. Sura learns more about her magic and herself throughout the book, and it was so cool to read! I also loved her bond with the azdahas, which brought a unique element to the book.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a unique magic system and strong main characters in a romantasy world!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
ARC Review✨
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I will say, the second book is better than the first. I felt that we finally got the Suraya back that they introduced at the beginning of book one. This book was difficult for me because I loved Roshan in the first book and he starts to become less of himself. We are introduced to another MMC love interest and more of the magic system and realm.
There were some good plot twists in this book while other parts felt predictable. Mainly, it’s predictable because it follows the same convention as other popular.
I believe it could have been better covered if there was one more book. It felt that most of the book was developing the second romance and building to the battle. The battle lasted one chapter and felt anticlimactic in a way.
As an FYI, this becomes a why-choose romance with a little bit of monster smut. This did not bother me, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It just also felt that the development of this love triangle and resulting ending did not explain much. They left us with some political decisions but I would have liked a little more on how they plan to maintain this relationship and the transition of power. That could have been what the epilogue actually focused on. Rather I felt that we were left hanging a bit.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I will say, the second book is better than the first. I felt that we finally got the Suraya back that they introduced at the beginning of book one. This book was difficult for me because I loved Roshan in the first book and he starts to become less of himself. We are introduced to another MMC love interest and more of the magic system and realm.
There were some good plot twists in this book while other parts felt predictable. Mainly, it’s predictable because it follows the same convention as other popular.
I believe it could have been better covered if there was one more book. It felt that most of the book was developing the second romance and building to the battle. The battle lasted one chapter and felt anticlimactic in a way.
As an FYI, this becomes a why-choose romance with a little bit of monster smut. This did not bother me, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It just also felt that the development of this love triangle and resulting ending did not explain much. They left us with some political decisions but I would have liked a little more on how they plan to maintain this relationship and the transition of power. That could have been what the epilogue actually focused on. Rather I felt that we were left hanging a bit.
March 4, 2026
The sequel doesn’t just continue the story—it escalates it. What began as a sweeping fantasy romance deepens into something sharper, darker, and far more complicated. The pacing is relentless, but it never sacrifices emotional weight; every revelation lands with purpose.
Suraya’s journey is the heart of it all. Once hopeful and fiercely in love, she’s forced to confront what happens when devotion curdles into betrayal. Watching her navigate power, memory loss, and manipulation is both painful and empowering. She’s no longer just a girl with magic—she’s something far more dangerous, and far more formidable.
Roshan’s evolution is equally striking. The boy who once felt safe now wears a crown that changes everything. And just when loyalties seem clear, the enigmatic ruler of the rival realm steps into the spotlight, blurring the lines between enemy and savior in the most compelling way.
With expanded worldbuilding, higher stakes, and a romance that crackles with tension and fate, this installment raises the bar. It’s immersive, dramatic, and impossible to walk away from.
Thank you to Booksirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily..
Suraya’s journey is the heart of it all. Once hopeful and fiercely in love, she’s forced to confront what happens when devotion curdles into betrayal. Watching her navigate power, memory loss, and manipulation is both painful and empowering. She’s no longer just a girl with magic—she’s something far more dangerous, and far more formidable.
Roshan’s evolution is equally striking. The boy who once felt safe now wears a crown that changes everything. And just when loyalties seem clear, the enigmatic ruler of the rival realm steps into the spotlight, blurring the lines between enemy and savior in the most compelling way.
With expanded worldbuilding, higher stakes, and a romance that crackles with tension and fate, this installment raises the bar. It’s immersive, dramatic, and impossible to walk away from.
Thank you to Booksirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily..
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