Her love is in a deep sleep, trapped between the realms of life and death. Her enemy has vanished, Enzo’s only connection to the waking world with him. And a life that Elara has never wanted has been thrust upon her, along with a new power she can not control.
Now a disgraced queen, Elara must go on a quest to find a way to wake Enzo, while also seeking help from the Titans, a league of gods who ruled the world long before the Stars. But there is a darker power at play, one that even Ariete, King of the Stars, is afraid of. With enemies at every turn, Elara must tread carefully if she has any hope of waking her soulmate, and keeping the promise she made - that every Star will fall.
Wooowww it was so fun to be back in this world but we went EXPLORING! All the siren, seafaring vibes in this one making it such an atmospheric read for fall.
New character POVS, found family expanding and a new sub plot line I did NOT expect that I am going completely feral over (I cannot wait for book 3 I think it might be my favourite one yet 😭)
All the celestial vibes and we got even more lore with the gods in this, a really fun follow up from book 1!!!
4.5🌟 what an incredible follow on from heavenly bodies! I adore Imani’s storytelling, her characters and the world she has created in these books. The plot has THICKENED and I’m so invested in where this is going and the deeper insights to side characters. And guys I’m going to be so for real, I am absolutely feral for Ariete and I honestly can not wait for the next book to get more of that evil demon man!! Those last chapters had me on my knees 😩😩😩🔥🔥
THANK YOU IMANI FOR THE ARC COPY 🫶🏼 so grateful to have been able to read and review this early.
Massively disappointed in Fallen Stars, which turns out to be a torturous filler, falling flat into the middle book syndrome.
Imani didn't even try with this one. it was so infuriating to read...there was no plot whatsoever, just vibes, which is why I gave it a three, the plot is barely there, like 15%. see, now that's what I hate. romances should almost never be pursued in the first book like let the slow burn go on or something because only a few authors can maintain relationships well throughout the series but I'm afraid that Imani failed at that because the romance between Elara and Lorenzo was so dull and smut every other page did not help it was so smutty like 70% of the book was smut. why was it so smutty?? I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the characters or the romance.
The remaining 15% was the action. It was good, I enjoyed that, and I also saw the writing style improve, which I'm really happy to see. I think this should be a trilogy or a quartet because it can't drag on.
AUTHORS, PLEASE STOP WRITING 800+ PAGES OF BOOKS IF YOU ONLY WANT THEM TO END UP AS FILLERS. ~~~ I actually started this right after finishing Heavenly bodies, but the pacing is so slow...
I had SO much fun reading the first book, and thought this one was… sort of just OK?
Let’s start with things I loved: - fast-paced plot - expansion of the world - seafaring pirate(!!!) adventure - mind & dream magical exploration - easy & quick to read - unique take on magic that is tied to mental health - new POVs & subplots with side characters
Buttttt…. I didn’t love the fact that: - we moved through the plot SO fast that I feel like we just skimmed over the surface of many things. I wanted to pause and dive deeper! - magic system feels very soft. It’s creative but the rules aren’t there and don’t make sense. - chemistry between Elara & Enzo seems to have disappeared and just turned into a “but you’re my mate, therefore I love you” situation. - ended with a shock value twist (IMO). It’s the type of twist I’d love in a bingeable TV show, but unfortunately not one that I love in a book.
All in all, this was still a fun and easy read. It truly feels more like a YA fantasy, but with spice (which is fine, depending on what you’re in the mood for!)
Will likely continue to the third to see how everything plays out, because I am excited to see more of these additional side character POVs. But didn’t love this one as much as the first!
unfortunately, dnf @ 33% — this is nothing to do with the book, but moreso the fact that i read book one quite literally a year ago and do not remember much about the plot other than the fact that i enjoyed it.
so alas, with me not being connected to the characters or plot anymore, i must dnf this series, i may come back, but i’m not sure
——
don’t mind me, my libby hold is expiring (as per usual)🫣 but i remember i enjoyed book one, so hopefully i remember enough to enjoy this next in series ✨
ETA: It has come to my attention that some plot points were changed between the indie version of this book and the traditionally published edition. Please bear in mind that my review is based on the original indie version I read at the time.
“Elaraʼs light is gone. She has nothing to save her. Nothing to hold her back. It is not him we should fear. It is her.”
It started off well. Elara was out for blood, feminine rage at its finest—I'll always support women's wrongs. But it was downhill from there.
In the first book, there's only one POV (Elara's). In this one, there are multiple POVs (at least 5) and it changed the tone quite a bit with that. Personally, the fact there was only Elara's POV in the first book was one of my favorite things about it. However, I'm glad there were other POVs, otherwise, I'd have gone crazy because Elara was ✨unbearable✨ (I'm gonna circle back to this later)
When I read Heavenly Bodies, it reminded me of Crescent City (Asteri X Stars, for instance). Now, it felt like I was reading Crescent City, ACOTAR, Kingdom of the Wicked, and even TOG. It was very... Unoriginal. Some scenes, interactions, and dynamics were very similar. It made me truly uncomfortable.
“Adrian had never heard of the book before, and Eli had smugly reminded him that it was because the books in his library were restricted—knowledge that only the Stars possessed—books that had been wiped out and stolen by the Stars when they fell to Celestia.” Does this remind you of anything? 🙃
There are some inconsistencies in the story. Seriously, editors, alpha/beta readers, what the fuck were you doing? Also, proofreading is badly needed.
This one annoyed me the most. Enzo says he barely remembers his mother's face, but he does remind her singing to him. However, we learned in Heavenly Bodies that Enzo's mother had died during childbirth. I even thought I could have misunderstood it, so I went back to said dialogue in the first book:
“My mother is dead. But it’s good to know that Asterian royals teach their women tact when they raise them.” Heat flooded Elara with mortification. “I’m sorry, I forg—” “Don’t be. She died in childbirth. I never knew her.”
Well, he specifically says: “I never knew her.”
Now fast forward to the scene in question in Fallen Stars:
“He staggered. That voice... It had sounded like his mother. He barely remembered her face, but he remembered the sound of her voice as she would sing him to sleep.”
Oopsie 🙊
But let's get to the book, shall we?
The first part was INSUFFERABLE. Elara was obnoxious, whiny, and just plain dumb. I really considered DNFing but I forced myself to finish it because in addition to having bought the book (it's not on KU), I knew Enzo's time to shine (pun intended) was yet to come... But it never did.
Tell me about ruining two great characters. That's what happened to Elara and *sad sigh* Enzo. This no longer is an Enzo's fan account. I think their new powers made them idiots, that's the only explanation. I knew I had enough of them when they started fucking not only in a temple but also on Piscea's coffin, in the fucking Limbo no less. Lovely. I understand it was supposed to be sexy, but it sure wasn't. I got second-hand embarrassment, to be completely honest.
And do you want to know something that was really tiresome? Every time Elara and Enzo were having sexy times they were interrupted somehow. It happens at least four times in the book. Four. Times. In. ONE. Book. AND WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED IN THE DAMNED GRAVEYARD, THEY HAVEN'T.
Elara and Enzo's protectiveness toward each other was also exhausting. I love it when it's addressed here and there, but not ALL THE TIME. No one can so much as look the wrong way to Elara/Enzo that the bullshit starts. It got old super fast.
Thankfully from the second part of the book on, we were graced with Adrian's presence. Adrian is the most relatable of the characters. He and Oceanne/Cancia though 👀 HOT HOT HOT HOT For their first tryst alone I was glad I insisted on reading. They were easily the best part of the book. Also, the reveal that Oceanne was Cancia was pretty predictable if you were paying attention to it. And so was that Adrian was Water.
I thought they were giving Ruhn & Day because of that strangers to lovers to enemies (but not really enemies) thing. But when I really looked into it, it was awfully similar, as you can see next:
Exhibit A. When we meet Adrian for the first time in this book he is eating out some woman (ahem, HOSAB chapter 3) Exhibit B. Adrian starts talking to Oceanne who he can't see but whom he's definitely drawn to despite that Exhibit C. Oceanne turns out to be his enemy in disguise (or so he thought) and she's romantically involved with a true enemy
That's... basically a copy-paste of Ruhn and Day's plot line 🙃🙃🙃
And what about Ariete calling on their bargain on Elara and Enzo's wedding day. Seems similar, darling??? And the worst thing is that I did see it coming, because, you know, it's apparently a fanfic of SJM's universe.
As for the big reveal, who was the Dark/Piscea, I already knew by that moment that was Sofia. All the clues lead to that. I'm not gonna say I knew it since book 1 because we didn't know yet about the Dark, but I was indeed suspicious of Sofia by then. Actually, the only twist that really surprised me was the fact that the Dark was Piscea in the first place.
Along with Adrian, Eli was another saving grace for me in this book. He is a far more interesting character than I first thought. He's complex and mysterious, I was expecting to learn more about him—and scared to death he would end up murdered. I would have DNFed if he did.
Final thoughts because this review is just as messy as the book itself. I had high hopes for this sequence. The first book although not a five-star read for me was really good and piqued my interest.
There is still interesting things about the plot but it was very hard to ignore those "inspirations" from SJM. And I'm truly a fan of SJM work, I love everything that woman writes, so this isn't the problem. The fact that I liked Adrian and Cancia's plot doesn't make the fact that it was basically a copy-paste of Ruhn and Day any less wrong. Sorry, but that's borderline plagiarism.
The next book comes soon, but I won't be reading it, I think. It was hard enough finishing this book as it was. Which is a shame because the story had so much potential 🥲
this gave ✨𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓉ℯ𝓈 ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝒾𝒷𝒷ℯ𝒶𝓃✨ vibes and i ateee it up!!!
✧˚₊‧ ⠂⠄⠄⠂— ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ — ⠂⠄⠄⠂‧₊˚✧
i loved the world expansion + new characters and perspectives being added. some are already becoming a fav of mine ahhhh😩 ughhh and the plot is GOOD. i was fully invested. i was sat for this adventure💫⚓️ the pirate vibes, the mermaids/sirens + more celestial lore obsessed!!!
‧₊˚✧𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚊 & 𝚎𝚗𝚣𝚘✧˚₊‧ their love for one another 🥹💓 their story is everything. the things they do for each other, what they are willing to do UGH perfection ⋆˙⟡♡ “𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴” “𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯” ♡⟡˙⋆
🌞𝓈𝓊𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂ℴℴ𝓃🌚
⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆
i’m so excited for book 3!! that ending!! oh my word!! GAGGED
Considering I rated the first book 5 stars and actively raved about it, this was so disappointing. The plot made little to no sense. The characters who were so captivating and three dimensional in the first book were suddenly reduced to minimal basic traits and were borderline annoying. The dialogue was corny and almost childish at times. I had such high hopes for this one. It just really felt like a totally different author wrote this book. Bummer.
Thank you to the publisher Penguin for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Elara is vengeful. Enzo is trapped somewhere between life and death, her enemy has disappeared taking her soulmates tether to the waking world with him. But dark forces awaken, forces that even the King of Stars Ariette is scared of. On the run with enemies at every turn, Elara must rely on her friends and new allies, learn to control her powers if she even stands a chance at waking her soulmate. One thing is she is certain of is that Stars will fall.
Omg I was so excited when the approval to read this Arc came through, I did my happy dance around the living room. That cliffhanger at the end of Heavenly Bodies broke me, I was dying to find out what happens next and this book did not disappoint. The action starts from the first page and we get lots of Easter eggs into Elara and Enzo’s previous lives as the Sun and Mood and what their rule looked like. We meet new characters and beloved favorites return, Leo, Merissa, Eli, Isra, Adrian and a new favourite Oceanne. I loved the introduction of the Dark and wanted to know more, honestly I can’t rave about this book enough as I absolutely loved it. My heart broke for Elara at certain points in this book and I need the next one now, particularly after that ending. I can’t rate or recommend this book enough, it’s a very easy 5 stars from me. I’m very much looking forward to listening to the audiobook.
This book was stunning. The pacing compared to book 1 is a LOT different, and the atmosphere has completely changed- so anyone looking to pick up this book after book 1: please don’t have expectations that this book will be more of the same.
That being said, for me, I LOVED this! The action was so fun, the new characters, and the pirate x mermaid additions were SO FUN! I think this world got so much more fleshed out.
I also loved the additive of the character development from the events of book 1, it felt very consistent, and made you love the characters even more! Merissa’s storyline specifically, I am dying for after this book. There were so many shocking developments, characters that will make you change your mind on them, and toe curling tension from all fronts. I am so impressed!
The ONLY qualm I really had was the ending felt a bit rushed- a LOT happens. But I still really loved this book! 4.5 stars from me ✨
Fallen Stars is an explosive sequel that not only introduces us to new characters, but whole worlds and plot lines we didn’t see coming.
How do you make a story of celestial beings even more expansive? Why, add more of them of course. I adore how Imani winds together various myths and folklores, the will of stars and planets becoming messily entangled in love and power. Not only that, but Elara becomes a literal powerhouse - for good or for bad - and there’s just something so satisfying about seeing her rage in this book. The stakes are higher, the emotions are intense, and the plot takes some turns only described as twisty.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel, and am all the more eager for Holy Monsters to release!
I feel kind of disappointed? I guess I had a lot of hopes for this one, because I really loved the first book. I just felt kind of bored, and I had a hard time really getting in to it. Don't get me wrong, the plot is good. But I feel like the first 2/3 of the book was just not much happening. The last bit did get better, with a lot going on, so that will put my rating up a bit.
I was so invested in the relationship between Elara and Enzo in the first book. But yeah that felt kind of boring too, in this book, unfortunately.
Not quite up to the first book for me, but still action packed and interesting! It seems from the reviews that the trad published version changed quite a lot from the indie release, and it seems like that is a very good thing 😅 I love the additional POVs that were added, and the plot twist was great!
Imani has done it again - she has ripped my heart and soul into a million pieces with this book. Fallen Stars was a beautiful and heart wrenching book that had me on the edge of my seat with each chapter. The story itself was hauntingly beautiful and I found myself honestly SO SCARED as to where the story was going. Larger forces come into play in this book and the world opens up with the introduction of new characters and new lands. It was such a fun adventure and I loved meeting the new characters such as Adrian and Oceanne, and learning more about characters we already know, such as Eli and Ariete! Enzo and Elara’s romance was stunning as usual, but for some reason the found family and romance among the side characters pulled me in more heh. Overall, LOVED this one and I can’t wait until book 3 is in my hands!!
I will never forget, nor will I ever forgive, the scene in which all the characters are drunk, create a ghost piano, want to sing an “old folk song” from their magical fantasy land, and proceed to sing fucking WOULD THAT I BY HOZIER.
Oh my gooooooooood I get so ANGRY just thinking about.
Also. Can we talk. About. The sex.
Jesuuuuuuus have yall NEVER heard of TIME AND PLACE
There were several times I had to put this book down because it was truly ludicrous.
And once again I am begging the author to get an editor because the book is rife with grammar and spelling errors and words that aren’t even worlds.
Snook?? SNOOK??? I googled that word because I thought I was going crazy and maybe it really was a real word but no a snook is a type of fish AND THE NOT THE PAST TENSE OF SNEAK
I just….i don’t….whyyyyy the first book was so good and this was actual garbage.
trad version audiobook review: the narrator continues to knock it out of the park, performing each character in a way that conveys their personalities and subtleties. can’t recommend it enough!
indie reread 2025 this book will always & forever hold such a special place in my heart. from the stunning romances to the heart bursting found family, fallen stars makes my heart SING. these characters feel like people i know so well, and closing the book feels like such a painful reality check. imani’s ability to weave magic into a world full of so much lore is immaculate. each page is bursting with mysticism and pure atmosphere.
fallen stars has quite literally everything i love for in a fantasy romance book. if you’re able to get your hands on an indie copy, prepare yourself for vengeful gods, twisted fate, and betrayal like no other.
add this to the list of books i would sell my soul to read again for the first time 🙂↕️
first read 2023 … has this just become one of my favorite books of all time? yes.
imani owns me- mind, body, soul (please be gentle with my heart in holy monsters)
i read heavenly bodies back in january, and i had been breathlessly anticipating fallen stars and it did not disappoint (it was my fav read of november)!!
i live for when the world in fantasy books expands and we got the high seas and new characters (and povs!) and I absolutely loved every second.
elara is in her villain era and she’s so strong and enzo is one of my fav mmcs ever. their relationship is so special to me. and the found family vibes in this one hit so hard for me.
if you’re craving a new fantasy romance series with high stakes and a perfect romance I can’t recommend this series enough!!
Where do I even begin with this book…. Everything about this book I am in love with, as a massive fantasy lover, Imani covers every fantasy readers dream. From the world building to the characters to the spice *did someone say spicy cove scene and spicy gangplank scene* You will fall in love with it all! Celestia is my comfort home and escape going back and reading more about the worlds and learning more about the characters I’m unsure if a book out there can place my love for this one! Imani has totally out done herself with this book! The plots everything I’m left speechless and needing more already!!
If you believe Fallen Stars will be the same as Heavenly Bodies, you’re wrong in the best way.
Book two picks up right where Heavenly Bodies leaves off however the world building is unlike any other book I’ve read. My favorite element to it was the dream-walking and getting to familiarize myself with every Star and Celeste. The different kingdoms the group traversed to was so well described. I also enjoyed the focus on the seas realm and the sirens that rule it. It was such a nice touch to the adventure.
As you get further into the story there’s so much more darkness and wow, 🤯 chills. I LOVED IT.
The plot went wayyyy deeper this go around and I was nervous the whole time. The intensity was cruel but wow, it ended in a bang.
Elara and Enzo are definitely a perfect duo. Their dynamic is absolutely one of my favorites. I don’t wanna spoil it but if you’re reading this…. Pick up these books….
Imani did such a great job in creating this story and I am sooo looking forward to Holy Monsters.
wow this was AMAZING!!!! ma'am really came through with book 2
im happy i didnt read reviews for this because the top ones are generally low and negative. i wasn't blown away by book 1, not to say it was bad but it just wasn't as amazing as everyone was saying, so my expectations for this one were generally low and im glad because it ended up being better than i could've expected or wanted!!! it was so much better than book one with so much more development and twists and turns that kept me invested. i read the first 200 pages in maybe an hour and a half. i was absolutey HOOKED.
I WILL SAY I DONT CARE ABOUT ENZO!!! he kinda gives me the ick i'm ngl!!! everything he says feels so forced and i genuinely do not care about his relationship with elara. he's a walking cliche that always has me rolling my eyes. i was lowkey hoping that adrian would boot him out of place but unfortunately that didn't happen LMAO also i kept imagining ariete as an old man but the more i think of him as a hottie the more i prefer him over enzo oopsss
imani has done it once again!! this world and magic system is one of my favs ever with how unique it is, and i absolutely LOVE the way the story is developing!
I don’t want to say I didn’t think the first book could be topped because Imani is such a talented writer and the way that she’s set up her books is perfect for expansion, but I didn’t expect it to blow me out of the water like it did (pun intended…you’ll get it after you read the book).
Yet again I was captivated by the imagery and beautiful world Imani has written and how it works so well with the plot and the characters, and with the exploration of more of the world in this I was just speechless. I felt the need to put on the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack to match the vibe, and it fit perfectly if that tells you anything.
I cannot wait for the rest of the series because this book opened doors with characters we’ve already met and it definitely changed my opinion or at least altered how I see some of the characters. I love an author who can write a complex or mysterious character well and this was the perfect example.
Also with the epilogue, I’m kinda freaking out because the possibility of a certain future was hinted at, and if it goes there, holy crap this is going to be epic. And I don’t mean that in a cliche way. I literally mean epic. Who knew this unassuming little romantasy could turn out this way? I’m in love.
This book was fucking amazing omg it was such an honour to receive an ARC. This definitely is now my top 1 romantasy books of all time.
I will have review this book properly tomorrow today I just need omg this book top tier if you reading it, I don’t even know what you’re doing with your life.
It deserves a proper review and I will definitely give it that. Took me out of a slump.
Rating: All the freaking stars in the sky Spice 4/5 like holy shit I’m panting for dear life
Plus dear sweet celestials I cried at 4% of this book.
OMG where to freaking begin?! This book is just beyond amazing. If you loved BOOK 1 Heavenly Bodies. DUDE. YOU WILL BE IN AWE by the time you get to Fallen Stars. There was never a dull moment in this book. Like I cried by 4%. It is a struggle for me to pay attention to a book, but this has EVERYTHING IN IT! I declare this my favorite fantasy series of all books I have read.
Book 1 ended just ugh my heart, but then omg when you get to Book 2 Everything is going to make freaking sense. You will be invested with the characters, the villains, and omg the PLOT TWIST AFTER PLOT TWIST just made me scream and just the devastation. Every scene played out in this book is like a movie in my head! The last time I felt this way was when I read the Throne of Glass series last year.
Elara is so freaking bad ass the bad assery escalated by a TON! It was them against the Stars ( celestial gods) and now they dealing with something bigger than them.
Daddy Pirate Adrian was my freaking favorite. Of course I'm very biased. The chemistry with all of the characters in the book just fit well. Enemies to lovers. Friends to enemies omg! Infreaking sanity! Plus the SMUT SCENES are beyond immaculate by chapter 6 you will change your freaking mind. I had my jaw drop several times! So if you love romantasy, then this is the perfect series to pick up! Imani is just ahhh my heart she definitely took my heart.
⭐ A Eros and Psyche - love story in reverse - for one couple ⭐ Enemies to lovers ⭐ The spice isn't NA and it's holy crap I'm panting like a dog for these characters ⭐ Angsty romance with great banter ⭐Celestial beings ⭐Mermaid and pirates
i’m so gutted by this because i LOVED the first book. heavenly bodies is one of my favorite fantasy romances that i’ve ever read. i was so hyped for the sequel and i’ll admit my expectations were high. but this installment was such a let down. elara felt like she was acting so out of character in the first half of this book and it felt like all her character development in book 1 was all for nothing. same with enzo. he just didn’t really feel like the enzo i loved in HB. i don’t know if that’s because they were already together so the pining wasn’t doing it or because the hate to love aspect was missing.
there were also so many more POVs in this book. and i love a multi POV book, but this just didn’t hit. it felt a little disjointed.
also, 50% of this book was smut. and i’m a smut lover. i am here for the steamy, sexy times. but it was like every other scene was a sex scene and after the halfway point, i honestly just started skimming the smut scenes to get back to the actual plot. i love a smut scene when the pining is done well and it gets to the point that i’m begging for it. but it was like every chapter had a smut scene (with all the different POVs) and i just got bored with it.
and truly, i was bored for most of the book. it definitely suffered from the second book slump syndrome. the first half dragged and dragged and by the point where things did get better i had already lost most of my interest. to the point where i’m not even sure if i’ll pick up the next book or not. i’m just so disappointed 😔
(4.25/5) This book was a solid 4-star read until the last few chapters, which easily earned .25 stars.
Fallen Stars gave me very similar feelings to Heavenly Bodies: I had a great time and found the plot & twists to be both predictable and unpredictable.
One of my favorite things about Heavenly Bodies was the fantastic banter, so I was curious to see what I would end up loving about this book. While I thought it was going to Elara, it was actually the other POVs. I love that Imani Erriu took the time to develop other characters and their POVs. Given the length of this series (expected to be 5 books), it'd be really hard to just make Elara and Enzo the only "stars" (pun intended). I was especially swooning over Adrian's POV, and MERISSA. I SEE YOU. I love a good villain too, my friend.
I was expecting to love Elara being in her vengeance era, but she actually felt lost in this book and unsure of who she is. INTERESTINGLY, the ending of this book sets up book 3 for her to be in her vengeance area (which I believe I'm going to love).
Side note—I really wish authors would maintain flirty energy even when the enemies become lovers. While I love the endearing devotion and I'm not me without you energy—I still would've liked a bit more of the flirtiness Enzo gave in book 1. (when I say "authors" I'm thinking of how I felt with the sequels to Quicksilver and A Fate Inked in Blood)
The pacing of this book was a bit wonky at times and things dragged a bit until 50% in. At ~50%, I flew through the majority of this book in a day. I'm also still very iffy about the magic system and my understanding of it, so I'm hoping Imani Erriu develops it a lot more in the next book.
Can't wait to see where this story goes in book 3!
A sincere thank you to Random House Canada for gifting me a paperback ARC.
I don’t totally know how I feel about this book because I’m like in love with the potential of this series but the execution on this wasn’t the best to me. What I liked: - the found family vibes 🩵🫶🏻😭 - Merissa????? MERISSA. Give her more plot. Give her a romance. It’s merissa’s time. - Eli!!! He’s so hot. I’m bummed his development and storyline was dropped like hot potato halfway through this book - Many of the simpler scenes that had earnest friendship dynamics
What I didn’t like: - how long this book was and for literally no reason :( - The drop off of character developments I feel like we meet a character then I’m intrigued then we just drop them and move on and never touch back on their development (I.e. Eli to Adrian) - The lack of emotional build in Elara and Enzo’s relationship like Heavenly Bodies slayed then I feel like we just stopped developing Enzo’s character - too many plot points? This series attempts epic which I really respect but the pacing between plot points makes me lose interest and makes the epic plot point just really not feel that epic.
I will be SAT for the next book because I do like this series and I enjoyed times of my reading experience but this just felt too all over the place to be a total winner for me.
It felt so amazing to be back in the world. It started off with a bang with Elara on a mission. I think what always enraptures me with this storyline is the atmosphere; it’s ethereal, almost evoking a fairy tale with divinity/celestial like gods. It was exploratory and adventurous, and I can’t get enough.
‘Everything I touch, I curse.’
‘A curse by your hand is my sweetest benediction,’ he said softly. ‘Without your darkness, my light wouldn’t shine at all. And don’t forget your own silver light…the brightest light of all in the night… Doubt yourself, if you must. But never doubt my love for you.”
I read this as a buddy read; we had so much fun, and a whiteboard was created as a necessity because of the amount of foreshadowing we found. Some of my theories were spot on, and others were WAY OFF. Fallen Stars is a unique and mythos-based plot that consistently left me eager for more.
Elara’s character unveils itself as more sassy, fierce, and above all, devoted to her love. I feel as if we are still left with questions about her, and I can’t wait to continue peeling back those layers. Enzo? I mean, every time he spoke, it was poetic, that man is down bad for her Queen, and he will not tolerate anyone who disrespects her. I also am still hoping we get his POV. I need more of their relationship and chemistry to be steaming off the pages.
We got more of a multi-pov, which I genuinely loved and overall helped the build-up. I even have a keen interest in some side characters. The found family in this series is everything, from the banter to their dynamics; it was so natural that it’s quite literally infectious. I love them so much and all the character growth!
The villains? You often want to hate, but you can’t. At least in this context, Ariete leaves me intrigued. His personality is charismatic yet mischievous. I’m hopeful we get more of him in the next book.
4 ⭐️
I got a little sidetracked from the plot at times because of the overwhelming amount of world-building. There were many revelations and hidden lore that left me spiraling, but I think that was the author’s intention: to get us prepared for what’s to come because that plot twist? I am still shook.
Book 2 is the definition of plotting and scheming, and I am so ready for book 3 because I need more of them NOW.