Queen of the Night Sky

Starkeeper #2

by Amalie Howard

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

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

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

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

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

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

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Dragons, Adult, Why Choose

480 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2026

About the author

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

Reviews

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”I waited forever for you without any true hope of ever having you. What’s a few more hours? You are worth infinite lifetimes, Suraya.”

idk why, but i’ve grown so fond of these characters within the short timeframe of this duology. i was unsure how I’d feel about Suraya being away from Roshan, he hadn’t been acting like himself though and that really threw me off for a while. then we get the proper introduction of Darrius, who becomes someone close to Suraya and i honestly loved him so quickly.

”Darrius, the darkness of my night sky, and Roshan, the radiance of my rising sun. My soul-fated and my chosen.”

after finding out what Roshan had been going through, i felt so bad for him and im grateful Suraya was unwilling to give up on him. i loved the animals, especially Razulek and the bond he has with Suraya. this felt so fast paced and i was living for the why choose romance between Suraya, Darrius and Roshan. i just wanted them all to be happy and for Darrius to find a way around his curse.. im so satisfied with the end of their story.

➺ many thanks to NetGalley, the author, Harper Audio and Avon for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Amalie Howard writes it, I’ll read it. She is the Queen of Tension!

This is such a fun, sexy series. It’s fast-paced, easy to binge, and feels fresh!

Whats to love…
- India & Persian mythology based fantasy
- why choose
- amnesia
- SPICY
- TENSION!!!!
- Grade A Banter

I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first book, but mainly because I felt we got a lot of world building for a second book. I like to be done with the majority of the world building in book one when reading a duology. This would have been extra fabulous stretched out to a trilogy.

I actually really loved that I was so mad at the one character for most of book. It added a level of tension and frustration that I enjoy when reading.

Audio Narration:
Narrators: Ramiz Monsef & Anais Inara Chase
Length: 15 hrs 5 mins
I didn’t realize both male POVs were performed by the same narrator, so I guess that means the voice variation is good? But unfortunately I really disliked the voice the narrator used for the Night King. It was overly cartoonish? Overly idk how to explain it? It felt like he was trying way too hard. The female narrator absolutely killed it and I really liked the male narrator during King Roshan’s POVs. I’m not sure I would outright recommend this via audio. It certainly wasn’t bad but if I do a reread of this series, I’ll stick to eyeball reading.

4.5⭐️| TikTok | IG |

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of the Night Sky by Amalie Howard
Starkeeper series #2. Conclusion to the Duology. Romantasy. Needs to be read in order. Why choose trope.
King Roshan, once the chosen love of Sura, has changed. He won’t listen to her and is ruling from darkness and fear. He’s bound her and is using her Starkeeper powers on his own terms.
Sura is able to escape to Everlea, a land of magic and the man of her dreams, King Darrius.
Roshan won’t let the Starkeeper go so easily. Darrius will protect her. Who will win her heart?

🎧 I listened to an audiobook narrated by Ramiz Monsef and Anais Inara Chase. War, captivity, erotic dreams and a foretold destiny all have an huge impact on the emotions of the characters. The performances were gripping and intense following the action making the audiobook hard to put down. Alternating POV’s are heard with the narrator change but most of the story is from Sura.

An epic story with a wonderful conclusion that wasn’t too dark. Why choose? Be the queen and get all the benefits.

Intense. Erotic. Harrowing. Epic.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Avon, HarperAudio Adult.

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎]

Paused at 27%

Unfortunately my least favourite trope of all time was introduced. I will likely come back to this later when I feel like powering through the sections with it!

[Karly · Rating 4 out of 5]

(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 rating: 🌶️🌶️ (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.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have your soul and your body. I will conquer what's left until every part of you is irrevocably mine," he vows possessively.

The sequel to The Starlight Heir, a fast paced epic finale to the duology. Finally—the Night King finds his damned star-crossed, soul-fated mate, and it was so worth the wait. I felt like I was waiting the entire last book for him to find Suraya. This honestly makes Queen of the Night Sky ten times stronger. We get the heir of death himself, shadow daddy Darrius, and a angsty romance in the best way. But, the “why choose” conclusion is both surprising and satisfying, especially with Roshan still in the mix as her chosen love.


"Darrius, the darkness of my night sky, and Roshan, the radiance of my rising sun. My soul-fated and my chosen."

Expect:
• Betrayal
• Epic conflict on the brink of war
• Gods, monsters, and dark magic
• Curses and dangerous destinies
• “Touch her and die”
• love triangle
• Multiple POVs


And yes—the spice is definitely there 🌶️🌶️🌶️ without overpowering the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Jordan Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5☆ This book completely surprised me in the best way. You know that feeling when you go into a story unsure of what to expect and it ends up pulling you in completely? That was my experience here.

I absolutely flew through this book. Sura is a fierce, powerful, and resilient FMC who was incredibly compelling to follow, and both MMCs were fantastic, truly chef’s kiss. After reading so many love triangles lately, it was refreshing to see a why choose dynamic instead.

The betrayals and twists kept me constantly on edge; there were multiple moments where my jaw was on the floor. The pacing made this a very intense and engaging read. It felt like a roller coaster from start to finish, and I was hooked the entire time.

The reason this didn’t quite reach five stars for me is that the fast pacing occasionally came at the expense of deeper exploration of certain plot points and scenes. Since the two books feature different settings and casts of characters, when everything connected toward the end it felt slightly compressed. I also noticed some modern language choices that didn’t always feel fully aligned with the time period and tone of the story. That said, this aspect was noticeably improved from book one, and I can see clear growth in the author’s writing.

If book one didn’t fully win you over or if you’ve been hesitant to start the series because of the lower ratings, I would definitely encourage you to continue. This installment delivered a thrilling, twist-filled story and was an incredibly entertaining read.

Thank you to netgalley for the alc and to Avon for the gifted copy!

[nihaarika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

reading both books in the duology one after the other was so worth it because it paid off spectacularly. i honestly don’t think i could have handled the wait between the two books. while reading queen of the night sky, i caught so many moments of foreshadowing, which i think i would have missed had i not read book 1 just before.

i feel like i immediately need to read all of amalie howard’s books because, once again, her writing was so freaking addicting. i did not want to stop reading and i simply devoured the book. the world building only gets better here, taking us to mysterious and mythical everlea, a realm with secrets of its own. the immersive nature and the pacing of this book felt like i was watching a slow-fast burn (ifykyk) and incredibly sexy fantasy tv show.

this book, although full of great banter, adopts a much darker tone from book 1, and i loved it. suraya is in constant danger, stuck in a distant realm and my girl suffers a lot. but she finds her happiness, accepts her powers and has such a great character arc. as for the romance, let’s just say, the trope was unexpected but awesome!!! the second i caught on to it, i may have let out a squeal of excitement. trust me, both roshan and darrius have their charms😮‍💨😮‍💨

queen of the night sky was a great ending to this fun, sexy, dark romantasy duology and like i said above, i will immediately be grabbing everything amalie howard writes!

thank you avon books for sending me an e-arc through netgalley!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[sam | sammylou.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I’ve been dyinggg for this sequel ever since I read The Starlight Heir as an ARC last year & I became even more feral when it was announced that it would become a why choose 😏.

Queen of the Night Sky was very fast paced and I literally could not put it down!! I started it one evening and stayed up until 2am to finish it (that’s v late for this grandma.) The drama 🤌🏻 the angst 🤌🏻 the betrayal!!! 🤌🏻 ALL SO GOOD.

DARRIUS, MY LOVE!!! I could not get enough of that freaky, 6’6”, silver-haired, tatted, shadow man. I was literally squealing every time we got a chapter from his POV. And I’m obviously still a big Roshan girly, although my love was tested for a chunk of the book 😅. The way those two love Suraya is everything. And the spicy scene we got with the three of them???!! 👹👹👹👹 AGGHHHH. Bless you, Amalie.

Thank you Avon for the ARC 💖

Fave quotes:
“I waited forever for you without any true hope of ever having you. What’s a few more hours? You are worth infinite lifetimes, Suraya.”

“You think a mere blade can stop me? I’d welcome any blade for a single taste of you. Let you bleed me dry.”

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because why should a girl have to choose? Sura, my girl… I’m so jealousss! I ate up every single crumbbb of the romance. The beginning made me SO ANGRY and I just had to keep speed reading to make sure everything turned out okay. This finale flushed out the world, magic, and politics more, but I wish some of these things had been mentioned earlier. Some of the story felt extremely rushed, but I’m also pretty sure I saw somewhere that the author initially intended for it to be more books, so I understand. The romance was SO GOOD, and that’s what I mostly cared about. Lol

[BookishKB]

🌌👑 Queen of the Night Sky 👑🌌
by Amalie Howard

📖 Bookish Thoughts
Full ARC review to come!

✨ What to Expect
• Why choose MFM
• Fated mates
• Shadow guardian MMC
• Dragon like creatures
• Magic and prophecy
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: March 17, 2026
📝 Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I just binged this sequel pretty much in one sitting was crazy! This book is spicy and damn didn't know I would love a threesome in this duology but I did! I felt like this one dragged a little bit in the beginning but halfway through it's picked up. Sad that this series is over and excited to see what Amalie Howard would do next fantasy wise! Five out five new favorite read of 2026

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one surprised me.

I genuinely did not see the endgame being a why choose romance. Looking back, there were definitely hints in the first book, but it still caught me off guard when the story actually went there.

There were also parts of the book where I was honestly frustrated with the direction the story was taking. Some choices and plot turns had me a little upset while I was reading because I wasn’t sure how everything was going to resolve.

That said, by the time I reached the ending, it all came together in a way that felt satisfying and made sense for the story. Even the parts that frustrated me earlier ultimately paid off.

I will say I liked the first book a little more overall. Something about the story and pacing in book one just worked better for me. But this was still an entertaining conclusion to the duology and I’m glad I read it. Thanks to the publisher for the gifted arc. I received the audiobook too and I liked it. I listened to book one on audio and it was nice to continue with book 2. I loved the female narrator!

[Samantha Gaudious · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4⭐️

Did I just read a why choose and enjoy it?!? YES!

This duology is such a great time with a great balance of fantasy and romance. It’s fun and full of action. Not to mention a very easy read with magical creatures we all love.

If you are looking for a why choose romantasy that doesnt feel like copy and paste and you can binge, absolutely start this duology!

[lia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

Another series that was advertised as a love triangle and seemed as if the author could not choose which MMC to go for so she just decided to turn it into a why choose.

I wish more authors would be more responsibility and taking into account readers who aren’t fond of why choose and just want to read a good ole fashioned romantasy with one couple involved. The very least you can do if you want to put out a why choose series is market it as such from the very beginning and not blindside your readers who spend time and money on your books. Smh.

Also, not marking this as a spoiler because apparently, it’s already tagged as a why choose here in the second book.

[Mylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

uhhhh i thought i wasn’t a why choose girly but this book is making me question that 🫪

i really loved how a concept was introduced in the first book, and not really explained so you’re just like HUH DID THE AUTHOR FORGET???? NOPE! it came back in a huge way in this book and i did not know where the story was going but i’m glad it went here!!

the pacing of this book was breakneck at times (in a fun way) (mostly) and there was so much action!! i really enjoyed the conclusion and thought things were wrapped up in a really satisfying way BUT i do wish (and i cannot believe i’m saying this) that there was less action?? maybe it would’ve been nice if some things were explored more/happened slower/had more development- the worldbuilding was really cool but i just wish more time had been taken with it.

if you’re looking for a romantasy that has all your favorite tropes (and maybe tropes you don’t even know are your favorite heh), and has a cool magic system with lush worldbuilding (inspired by Indian and Persian mythology!!!) this is for you!!

thank you to Avon for the ARC and ALC!! <3

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK. So, I’m not sure where to even start with this one…
If you read book #1, like me, you might’ve been CRYING 😭 real tears, (hysterical) like me, with the whole Roshon thing…

So then I ask… after all of that, how could he do this??? (I know, I know), it wasn’t his choice… but still! 😳😮😟

So, Sura (Suraya) has come into her powers quite well, and is with the love of her life. BUT, she also still has the dark, fragmented shadow dreams… The ones that terrify and yet calm and excite her too…
She has pledged her love to Roshon… but they are not married or engaged.

And as the tide starts to turn, and things start to utterly come apart in the kingdom…well, Sura has some big decisions to make!

King Darrius is the Night King. He rules a whole other kingdom…full of Magicks, potions, healers, crafters, and a whole lot of magical creatures.

So, when Sura follows her heart, and does the ‘right thing’ for a magical beast… it’s no surprise that at some point, that favor might just be returned!

And, when all of this is happening… well, Sura might just get to ‘meet’ the dark creature of her dreams/nightmares…

This was phenomenal! How this authors mind works is just incredible! She weaves together love and magic and worldliness and friends and family and rivals and black/dark magic, shape-shifting, romantasy and fantasy and magical/mythical beings, and flying machines with mates, and…. So much more!

And when you get towards the end, the two chapters with the love… hmmm… triangle… hmmm… well, you’ll just have to see for yourself…

Never in a million years did I see THIS happening… but here we are! 😳

4 1/2 magical, celestial, dark, bright, spine-tingling, twisted, convoluted, emotional stars for me! Rounded up to 5! ( But the ONLY REASON it was not 5 from the start was what happened to Roshon…) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#QueenOfTheNightSky by @AmelieHoward and narrated wonderfully by @RamizMonsef and @AnaisInaraChase.

*** THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! Look 👀 for it on March 17, 2026!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @HarperAdultAudio and @AvonPublishing for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[✨Tam✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an electronic advanced reader copy.

Amalie Howard hits more of her stride in book 2 of this series than she did in book 1. I was instantly captivated and wanted nothing more than to be able to sit and voraciously take in the story.

The world building we get in this book is so wonderful and vast that I wish this had been a trilogy. I would have loved to have seen our FMC experience more of the culture and find some ways to slow things down just for my own selfish curiosity as well as to fully understand things a bit more. Some of the items were told to us and we see the magic used in the book but sometimes I feel like I glossed over it because I didn’t quite remember everything.

I’ve never read a “Why Choose” trope before and this didn’t quite convince me to read more of them but I appreciate what the author was going for.

All in all, I enjoyed this book much more than the first and I look forward to reading more from Amalie Howard.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between 2.5 to 3 stars rounded up. It was fine, much like the first book, but the pacing was all over the place and the obvious influence of ACOTAR/ACOMAF and Fourth Wing were particularly glaring - the similarities were borderline off-putting. I also didn't know this was going to end in a MFM poly situation where the boyfriends aren't also boyfriends, and maybe it's just me (I love to hold a grudge), but girlie pop forgave the Tamlin dude waaaay too fast... lol I didn't forgive him at all, even if the single scene of double team spice was spicing. The emotional development to end in a throuple wasn't there (is it still a throuple if the boyfriends aren't boyfriends?), and it made no sense to me because it felt more like avoiding a decision than actively making one to have both.

If I had a nickel for every time a book's love triangle ended in a surprise (to me) throuple that I read this year, I'd have two nickels which isn't a lot but it's still funny... at least the first one the boyfriends were also boyfriends.

[Gigi Ropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to start it and devastated to finish! Howard does such a great job of pacing with almost painful tension that makes each book feel forever long and also dreadfully short. If you’re looking for a new fantasy series, pick this one!

[Aiysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful.

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

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

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

[embookedandbusy · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Kira Sivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Amalie Howard, Avon | HarperCollins and BookSirens for this free ARC.


'Love only fails if you give up on it.'

The cover for Queen of the Night Sky is just as gorgeous as the first book, though I felt that the azdaha depicted should have been green instead of red—thought I get why, due to the title!


✍🏽📖 The Reading Experience

The story is just as engaging as the first installment, though at times the pacing felt a bit rushed, particularly the arc between Sura and Darrius. While they were framed as 'enemies-to-lovers', they fell into each other's arms rather swiftly. I understand they are soul-bound and a magical connection is at play, but I expected a bit more resistance—especially from Darrius, who was initially very adamant about keeping his distance.

That said, I found the whole mystery of the oracle's identity intriguing (though in hindsight, it was annoyingly obvious!). The shifting perspectives between Sura, Darrius, and Roshan worked better in this book, adding to the overall narrative. I was also relieved to find much less modern vernacular used this time; it felt less jarring and more in keeping with the fantasy world depicted.

Note: While I'm not one for erotica, I don't mind spice, which is good because it does get quite explicit a few times.


📚 The Story: A Royal Decay

Sura, the Starkeeper blessed with the power of the stars, has thwarted the return a dark god and is settling into her role beside the new king of Oryndhr. But something is wrong. Roshan has changed, becoming more like the dictator that fought to overthrow, and long Sura is soon forced to flee.

In Everlea, she meets the mysterious Darrius Nightsong and learns of a fated bond that could spell ruin for them both. Meanwhile, a dark rot has begun to spread through the realms. It's up to the three of them to uncover the source and destroy it before all the land succumbs to the rot. Will Sura burn brightly enough to push back the darkness, or will it consume all?


🪄 The Magic System & Creatures

Since this book is set in the magic-rich kingdom of Everlea, we get a more structured system, though it is a shame it wasn't explored further. I was also disappointed that we didn't get more varied applications of Sura's star magic, but given this is a duology, and due to her circumstance for most of it, the focus remained on the immediate conflict.

Then there are the creatures. The azdahas (wyverns) have a telepathing dragon-rider bond. We also see Griffins and manticores, and I liked that the latter of which wasn't a mindless, bloodthirsty, evil monster for once.


👥 Characters

Sura: She certainly goes through the ringer in this one. It nice to see her grow into her role, and accept her power, even when she struggles with its destructive potential. I particularly appreciate that while she's powerful, she doesn't diminish the capability or experience of the men around her just for the sake of her being 'a powerful female character'. That she doesn't do everything herself because of the plot and that she has a role to play as the others do.

Roshan: Arguably has it worse than Sura. I thought something was off with him from the start, which is clarified later. Thankfully, he still the noble, flirty Ro' I loved from the first book, and his decision at the end only made me love him more.

Darrius: I couldn't help but picture him as a cross between Aleksander Morozova (Shadow & Bone) and Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher), which made Sura's struggle to resist him very understandable! I loved that his shadow manipulation wasn't treated as 'evil' or 'revile', but simply as a power like any other. I only wish we could have seen more of him as in his capacity as ruler.

Razulek & Indira: These two manage to steal the show in every scene they're in (they're dragons, of course they would!). Indira is as fierce and regal as a dragon queen should be while Razulek is the calmer more mischievous one which was nice to see after his experience in the first book.


✔️ Final Thoughts

An overall satisfying conclusion for a duology that answers the love triangle question with a 'why choose' resolution. The Starkeeper series is perfect for those looking for West and South Asian mythology, gods, good vs. evil, and polyamory pairings! 😊

[Goksu · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer Olive · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Solid 3.5 stars.

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

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Blair Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Starlight Heir very recently, but I also read it so fast that I think I missed the hint if there was any that this ended up being MFM! I was very pleasantly surprised and screaming internally. Because that is one of my favorite dynamics. And I enjoyed myself entirely way too much with this. The pacing was fantastic. I blew through it and one sitting I couldn’t tear myself away from it.. I love Darrius. The spice was fantastic. I think the writing is equally just as good if not better than the first. This is told in multiple POV and in first person. I really liked the chapters from The Night Kings POV (Darrius). They were like super short, but I just really like the back-and-forth of it sometimes when that happens in Books, I’m not a big fan, but I really like how this was done. I’m super sad that this duology is done. It is one that I’m definitely gonna be coming back to again in the future and I really hope that. Amalie Howard continues to write Romantasy in the future! I am super exited to see what she does next.
I was able to get my hands on an ALC. And let me tell you it brought my rating up after a reread. I was able to listen to the first book and let me tell you they did a fantastic job on the first book and this one they just knocked it out at the park. I found that I was really waiting for those Night King chapters even more! I’m totally addicted to both of them. They just brought everyone to life and made my second read through just so much more fun! Highly recommend grabbing the audios for this!
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Harper audio for the complementary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Voyager for the ARC and ALC of this book!

So I definitely recommend rereading The Starlight Heir before this one if it's been awhile--the action picks up pretty much where Starlight Heir left off, and if you jump in blind like I did, it's going to take you a hot minute to catch up. But it was so worth it.

I really enjoyed the narration of this too. It was on the slower side for me (I usually listen to fantasy at 2x-2.2x and listened to this one on 2.5x speed), and I definitely enjoyed Anais' narration more than Ramiz. That might be due to Anais having the VAST Majority of the book, so when Ramiz showed up it kept jarring me because I forgot there was also a male narrator. I did enjoy the experience as a whole though, and definitely recommend it. Especially the last 20% of the book. Phhhewwww!

This did take me a bit to get into--the first 20%ish felt a little slow to me, but that could be because I was playing catch up and trying to remember what happened in the first book. Did I mention I highly recommend rereading if it's been awhile? But once I hit a specific event in the book, I was INVESTED and flew through the rest of it. Y'all every time it feels like Sura catches a break, BAM. She absolutely does not. If anyone deserves an HEA after all is said and done, and an HEA on HER terms--it's this girl.

I really enjoyed this duology and thought it was the perfect length to tell the story it set out to tell. It's fast paced, it's "fun", it's a little dark--it's everything I personally enjoy in a romantasy story in a romance to fantasy ratio that works for me. Overall, I highly recommend these!