Master of Starlight

by DW Ardern

Genres: Astronomy, Literary Fiction, Morocco, Humor

170 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

DW Ardern is a novelist, comic, and screenwriter living in Brooklyn, NY with a mischievous rabbit named Hazel and too many books.

He is the author of Master of Starlight (Stalking Horse Press, 2025) and their stories have appeared in The Fourth River, Quagmire Literary Magazine, Stanchion, Vestal Review, Best Microfiction 2023 anthology, Fictive Dream, Jabberwock Review, Oyster River Pages, and The Offbeat among others.

He is the founding editor of EXCERPT, a lit art magazine for emerging novelists. and holds an MFA in Fiction & Screenwriting from Queens University of Charlotte.

Reviews

[David Agranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the hit-or-miss things about being a podcaster and a critic is that I often get books sent to me by authors I have never heard of before. Sometimes it is clear the publisher didn’t really understand who they were sending an epic fantasy to. Thankfully, that was not the case this time. Stalking Horse Press is the publishing arm of James Reich, and he knew exactly what he was doing when sending this book.

Marketed as a novella, Master of Starlight is a beautiful, lyrical love letter to the night sky. You know who is passionate about the night sky - this guy. I mean there is an actual love story, and some of the best is when the loves are blurred.

I don’t know a thing about DW Arden that I didn’t learn from his website, a reporter a improv sketch comedian. I am not sure any of that plays a role in the short but powerful book. For such a short book, it feels epic and massive in scope at times despite being short in page count. Master of Starlight is the story of Oliver, an astronomer and stoner whose adventures start in the 70s. His love for the stars was only relieved by Vera.

“How much of his life had he spent alone, contemplating the mysteries of the cosmos coated in the stars? Existing somewhere between here and there, floating through life in a liminal space between the theoretical and actual, the imagined and the real, his mind analyzing all horizons, steering between all possible paths, all possible futures, detached from the anchored president of his body, the earth, the soil, and the sand. He had not cared until he met her. He had been content to live out his days as a radical philosopher of the stars, in exile in his heretical beliefs. And then the supernova of her eyes had set off a chain reaction of explosions, implosions, and formations that altered his orbit forever, drawn toward those thousand Suns in her gaze, the light of which seemed to dispel dark matter from the deepest parts of herself.”

The philosophical asides were my favorite parts…

“This place, earth, our goldilocks home in a perfect orbit around the sun -”
“A lucky accident.”

“Does that make it any less amazing? The serendipity of life, the evolution of all the curious little creatures contemplating for competing for survival, the astonishing phenomenon of human consciousness, the rapid genesis of languages, ideas, and civilization.” Vera raised her beer in honor of the stars. “We are witnesses of the miracle. What difference does our judgment of it make? The fact that we even have the cognitive power to question existence that's significant, miraculous, that matters.

What is amazing about this book is despite Oliver traveling around the globe, the novel feels as rooted in the stars above (or below, that distinction is meaningless in space). It is what seems a simple tale, Oliver has a rival in science who he feels prevented a relationship with fellow Astronomer Vera, but a stargazing trip into the wilderness might change everything.

The story did quite match for me the power of lyrical prose describing the night sky. There are plenty of darkly comical moments.

[Emily Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of Starlight left me longing to be among the stars, observe them and to know them as well as the protagonist, Olivier does. DW Ardern takes you on a magnificent journey through the Sahara, with unforgettable imagery of pure, dark, starlit skies. An adventure worth reading, rereading and lingering with as you get transported to a world of wonder and what ifs. Don’t miss out on this majestic, humorous, tangled love story.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I was enthralled as I plowed through it during a recent trip.
It’s exciting and well paced. The characters are deftly drawn, even the adorable scamp of a kitten, Tiku. There’s wonder, adventure and danger and it’s perfect as a beach read or while cozy by the fireplace.
Very impressed and can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight of a read that creates spaces as deftly as it observes it. I felt transported to the desert and I swear I could feel the sand in my shoes while reading this.

The main character, Olivier, is a grumpy self-exiled astronomer who desperately needs anything resembling hope, and definitely needs to get laid, like, bad. But even at his most cynical and desolate moments, his love of the cosmos grounds him and allows him to take his foolish leaps toward the future he thinks he wants.

He’s a pathetic poetic fool, and it’s easy to sympathize with the knucklehead. Almost as easy is visualizing the story, and it reads like it’s ready for adaptation, maybe a movie, or maybe a video game following the interstellar journeys of Olivier and his precocious stray kitten accomplice Tiku as they traverse the galaxies. I am already seated.

A spry, sassy read for people who enjoy outer space, the desert, adorable kittens, driving in jeeps, scorpions, revenge, and/or love stories. Highly recommended.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

DW Ardern has woven a story that was so vividly depicted that it leaves me feeling as though I should be emptying sand out of my own shoes. I felt as though I were looking up at the night skies of foreign lands, completely enchanted with them all.

This was an interesting read about an, at times, bitter and melancholic astronomer named Olivier who has found himself living an unfulfilled life in the desert of Morocco. While Olivier has lived a life that was anything, but ordinary, he's at his core quite unhappy. Throughout this novella we travel the world with Ollie on various adventures which ultimately culminates with his second trek into the Sahara. A trip that is certain to test him in every way.

I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that I wish the ending had not been so abrupt. Overall it was an enjoyable read as the author has a gift for bringing the story to life.

[Ryan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of Starlight is the kind of book you take out when you want to be transported. You can't help but get swept up in Olivier's journey and feel as though you're gazing into the fathoms of space along side him. The book is equal parts levity and intrigue. If you're searching for your next book, perhaps Master of Starlight can fill that void.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragicomic globe trekking journey with astronomical intrigue and a cast of interwoven characters. Fast read on the airplane- left me wanting to know what happens next?

[Sharri Bombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A saga as mesmerising as the stars in the heavens, as sun scorched as the sands in the deserts. An unrequited love, and a betrayed friendship held together by the poison of a Black Scorpion and a saucy kitten. Kaleidoscopes of stars named and never visited. Names on the globe that few have ever seen. Quite an engaging plot and well researched with unknown consequences and a love withheld. Glimpses of manifestation and extraterrestrial landscapes. I love the way Vera expressed it sitting on the dunes late at night under the stars, "born of the cosmos, progeny of Stardust. Iron in our blood, phosphorus in our DNA. Matter and anti matter annihilating each other in a quantum game of ping-pong until the slightest asymmetry let the first photons escape, forming quarks, electrons, neutrons, protons, nucleuses, nebula, stars and galaxies". I love that the author portrayed Ollie as someone with a mind before his time, but for whom no one would accept his theories because they hadn't been scientifically proven yet which led him down a long, unrequited, lonely road. He, along with many geniuses with ideas before their time, nameless until after death. The Vista of the Sahara is surreal and extremely well laid out for the reader. Totally engaging from the beginning until the end.

[Prince Ukomadu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for free and boooyyy this novel is a rollercoaster, it now has a special place in my heart because I lived in morocco for about 8 years. I loved the crazy adventures, like Olivier surviving snakes, scorpions, deserts, kidnappers, and somehow pulling off these insane hero moves. The flashbacks to Paris and Guatemala were interesting too, it gave the story depth and made the characters feel real. Fritz is hilarious and lovable, Olivier is messy but you can’t help rooting for him, and Vera is badass in a way that makes you respect her even when she’s pissed. The desert scenes had me holding my breath, and the cat Tiku stealing the show was just genius.
On the flip side, some parts felt kinda long and bulky with detail. I got lost in all the astronomy stuff at times and some of Olivier’s thoughts went in circles. Stiiiilll, the mix of danger, friendship, love, and comedy kept me hooked till the very end. Overall it was a wild, fun, and messy ride, I didn’t want to stop reading. I highly recommend.

[Emma Schall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. The descriptions of the Saharan night sky above the riad in the Tinfu Dunes are genuinely beautiful and evocative. However, I struggled to connect with Olivier as a protagonist because his behavior felt petty and often irrational. His obsessive rivalry with Fritz and the disturbing attempt to use black scorpion venom to cause harm made it very difficult to sympathize with him. The pacing in the first half is quite slow, which made the reading experience feel like a chore at times. The shift into a kidnapping plot in the Chegaga Dunes was exciting, though it felt like a jarring change in tone. While I am glad I saw the resolution in the RV, the journey to get there was inconsistent. It is a decent book with some strong imagery, but it ultimately lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of Starlight is an intriguing read and well-written. It follows Olivier from his dissertation review at the Sarbonne to him finagling his way into a position worthy of his skills while visiting the States, his friend of financial wealth, Fritz, and their love interest, Vera; all coming together around the commonality of astronomy and astrophysics. These characters are well-developed, taking a trip that is a whirlwind of discovery where a mastery of skills is put on display by each, revelations about their relationships, years of playful tricks being tested and becoming risky gestures impacting on a greater scale, and the ultimate self-reflection to bring this cast full circle. This was enjoyable read.

[Jess (bookwyrmbella) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m DNFing this book. The description of the book sounded interesting to me but the writing style just wasn’t for me. There is a lot of very descriptive sentences that, from my perspective, could have been shorter and gotten the same message or feeling across. Olivier as a character is also too cynical for me. I tend to prefer stories that are a mix of plot and character driven, so this was too character driven for my tastes, as it felt like nothing happened by the time I decided to not finish it.

If you enjoy character driven narratives with a heavily descriptive writing style you should give this a try, otherwise it may not be good for you.

I received a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

[Krislyn Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over a month ago, and I still remember it. The prose is stunning--a true work of art. It's hard to find books like this these days. Leaving a review cause I'm building a reader app and I want it for my app and hoping you have the rights and why is your fb page locked down please I love your book!

[Margaret Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect read for this endless winter! Escape on an adventure to the beauty of the Moroccan desert and the endless wonder of its night skies as you travel with a charming group of characters on a journey of intrigue and romance.

[Gerad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joy to read, was drawn in immediately! Felt every possible emotion following Olivier’s journey. Sympathy, anger, frustration, pride, shame, disappointment. It was great!