The Dawn of Stars

by Krista Ross

She stole the stars. He was born to wield them.

Seren is a thief and a poisoner—a witch in a realm where witches are banished. When she accidentally reveals her forbidden power to Prince Silas, she exposes the secret she’s spent her life concealing —and binds her fate to the one man who should have condemned her.

Silas was born to wield the magic of the stars, yet the light of his bloodline has never burned in him. Together with his father, he conceals the truth from a kingdom that crowns him divine, even as the weight of that deception begins to fracture him. But as old magic stirs beneath the earth and the stars begin to burn anew, their collision threatens to unearth more than secrets. To save the realm, Silas must choose between duty, love, and the truth about his own magic.

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

KRISTA ROSS is a fantasy author who grew up in a small, developing community in Canada. Always a creator, she would spend her days roaming the woods, building tree forts with construction scraps, and getting lost in the made-up worlds of her imaginings. That passion for worldbuilding never went away, and now she loves to throw her characters into those beloved wooded adventures that took up so many of her days.

Outside of the creatives, she is deeply fascinated with psychology, particularly the fields of early development, trauma, and psychopathology. This is something she strives to incorporate into her writing, particularly when it comes to creating deeply relatable, flawed, and morally grey characters.

When she is not writing, she is probably painting, learning a new craft, playing ukulele, or dancing in the grass with her son.

Reviews

[Stephanie Deveau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Loved the way it was done, with meeting some new characters that added to the plots! Now I can't wait for the second one!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a good read! The plot is so thick, full of suspense, betrayals, lies and hidden secrets. I absolutely loved the magic aspects in this book. The world building is so easy to follow and it's immersive. It's easy to feel like your right there in the story. I loved the characters and their relationships between eachother. The pasts are explained and you don't feel any disconnect in their stories together and individually. There are a few good twists that are unexpected and I loved that! I've already ordered book 2 and I can't wait to see which direction the story and the characters take.

[Kristy Yorke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dawn of Stars by Krista Ross is an absolute gem in modern fantasy, delivering a five-star reading experience that completely pulled me in from the very first pages.
The world-building is masterfully done—rich and imaginative without ever feeling heavy or tedious. The story unfolds naturally, drawing you deeper with each chapter. It’s the kind of book that hooks you quickly and refuses to let go.
From the start, there’s a sense that not everything is as it seems, which adds intrigue and tension to every interaction.
Silas and Seren are magnetic together; their chemistry is deliciously palpable from early on, and I found myself devouring pages just to see how their dynamic would evolve.
The plot twists blind-sighted me. There’s emotional weight and suspense throughout. Events arise that seriously challenge the bond between Seren and Silas, leaving readers unsure how their relationship can possibly recover in the next installment.

Overall, this is a gripping, unputdownable read that I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone who loves fantasy with romance, layered characters, and a compelling morally gray heroine. I’m already counting down the days until the sequel!!

[Karley Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

I absolutely had the best time reading this! was very action packed, I kept looking forward to picking it back up to see what happens next! I felt like everything came together so nicely! The FMC was so funny and witty, I absolutely adored the MMC. The magic system was different from anything I have ever read before and I gobled that up! So informative and easy to follow with world building!. I cannot wait until book 2, you bet I will be ordering that one right away!!

[Ariyana W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a wonderful find! Between the unique magic system, the twists and turns and the pacing I really enjoyed from start to finish. I felt a particular love for Silas and Lucas both, they were such sweethearts.
I can’t wait for the second book to drop!

[Paisly M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't usually leave reviews but I really enjoyed this one and I'm glad I stumbled across it. Will definitely be reading the sequel!! Reading about a kind MMC that isn't an angry shadow daddy who treats the FMC like garbage is refreshing. Loved everything about this.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed the book, the fantasy immersed me completely and I found myself quite drawn to the intrigue of the obvious tether between Seren and Silas from the first meeting. I will admit I felt a wee bit of whiplash at times, with the sudden introduction of young Lucus- it seemed his arrival, or introduction was so sudden that it left me confused, thinking on it for several chapters before that lightbulb went off in my head like “oops, that makes sense,” with more being clarified further in- which I love as a reader.

The characters are well written in my opinion and I have a love/hate/distrust with Mala, to be honest, she irks me. Haha.

As a reader who consumes a book all in one sitting this one left me going “What? You left me with THAT?” And no date of a sequel in sight -prolonged sigh-

As a girl forever in love with the stars, magic and whimsy and wonder, I thoroughly enjoyed this, there was a slight beautifully tasteful build to the pending lovers arch. I will be definitely giving it a happy re-read when I know the sequel is coming and looking forward to know more and more of the twins, of Seren, of Lyriel, and -mutters- even Serius, as I feel like there are some deep layers to these characters just waiting beneath the surface to leap out at us.

[Raymond Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

First-time author Krista Ross delivers an impressive debut with The Dawn of Stars, a reading experience absolutely worth seeking out. Ross’s world-building is vivid and immersive, and her characters are layered with depth, making the story feel both fresh and emotionally resonant.

I don’t believe “Dawn of Stars” is getting much of a wide release, which is unfortunate because it is a is a captivating read that stands out in the fantasy genre. Still, there’s something special about discovering a story this magical and engaging, one that feels truly unique.

[Zelda · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn't for me. I personally didn't like the writing. didn't feel connected to either MCs. read about 53% of the book and just can't bring myself to finish it. no hate towards the author, just not my thing

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ To be completely honest I was confused majority of the book. There were many characters to follow and I never fully grasped the magic concept. This might do really well for others but I just didn’t connect with the characters/story.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I managed to get a pre-release copy of Dawn of Stars and it is fantastic! If you like fantasy, I would highly recommend this.

[Josh Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Captivating from the start

Tolkien-esk in the depth of description and detail

I cannot wait for the sequel

[Dan Filion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was spot on, the character development made me actually care, and the magic system had me wanting more every time it showed up.
The romance was perfectly timed. Not too fast, not dragged out. Just right.

I will 100% be reading book two. Krista Ross has built something I am not ready to leave.

Highly recommend.