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Stolen Radiance
A cozy fantasy romance with stakes, yearning, banter, fairytale charm, and no spice.
He’s the witty fae lord escorting her to marry someone else (unfortunately, he’s already fallen for her).
She’s the human princess (with very little filter) choosing to pursue an arranged marriage.
Some truths were never meant to be buried—even the stars don’t believe the story she tells herself.
I was raised to marry a prince.
Instead, I was taken by the fae during the war.
All the years of tutoring and preparing…
and now I live in a cramped room without a window in my half-sister’s castle.
The fae love to stare.
Having human ears doesn’t help me blend in.
Neither does the sword I carry, and haphazardly wield.
It won’t matter for much longer.
The prince of Estlen has invited me to his kingdom to explore a marriage pact.
I said yes.
Now I’m being escorted by Fyn, the fae Lord Chancellor.
Provoking me is his favorite pastime.
The things he says could drive any woman mad.
But two can play that game.
A fairytale adult romantasy:
- he’s escorting her to marry someone else (unfortunately)
- one bed (and no one is happy about it)
- he falls first & yearns
- all the wrong nicknames
DUAL POV
Stolen Radiance is the first book in the Everlight Duology. It takes place in the same world as the Starwoven Duology, but follows a new couple and storyline. Prior reading is not required. Readers may enter this world with either duology.
He’s the witty fae lord escorting her to marry someone else (unfortunately, he’s already fallen for her).
She’s the human princess (with very little filter) choosing to pursue an arranged marriage.
Some truths were never meant to be buried—even the stars don’t believe the story she tells herself.
I was raised to marry a prince.
Instead, I was taken by the fae during the war.
All the years of tutoring and preparing…
and now I live in a cramped room without a window in my half-sister’s castle.
The fae love to stare.
Having human ears doesn’t help me blend in.
Neither does the sword I carry, and haphazardly wield.
It won’t matter for much longer.
The prince of Estlen has invited me to his kingdom to explore a marriage pact.
I said yes.
Now I’m being escorted by Fyn, the fae Lord Chancellor.
Provoking me is his favorite pastime.
The things he says could drive any woman mad.
But two can play that game.
A fairytale adult romantasy:
- he’s escorting her to marry someone else (unfortunately)
- one bed (and no one is happy about it)
- he falls first & yearns
- all the wrong nicknames
DUAL POV
Stolen Radiance is the first book in the Everlight Duology. It takes place in the same world as the Starwoven Duology, but follows a new couple and storyline. Prior reading is not required. Readers may enter this world with either duology.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Brit Bryndell
5 books55 followersBrit loves banter, yearning, and a bit of history too. She draws inspiration from her hands-on historical experiences, including archery, falconry, and exploring ancient ruins. When she’s not creating fantasy worlds, she loves to read, travel, and spend time with her family in Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
July 7, 2026
She’s a human in an arranged marriage with the human king. He’s the fae lord who has been training her in the fae court. And, he’s the one tasked with delivering her to the human prince. The struggle of mutual pining vs accepting duty for the betterment of the kingdoms gets a little messy. And there is a fun twist that makes it even more intriguing.
This book is absolutely wonderful. You get so much yearning and banter. I LOVED Ashlyn and how sassy and feisty and rebellious she is. I completely fell for Fyn as a side character in the last duology and he really got to shine in this book. These two really got themselves in a pickle and I enjoyed every second of it. I am so curious to see how their story continues in book two!!
You get all the high fantasy romantasy feels with political intrigue between the fae and human courts.
I highly recommend reading the Starwoven Duology first.
💜 Banter
💜 Arranged Marriage
💜 One Room at the Inn
💜 Sparring & Training
💜 Yearning
💜 Flirty Protective MMC
💜 Sassy Rebellious FMC
💜 Cozy with high stakes moments
🫑🫑 no spice, kisses only, with allusions to more in conversations
No language
This book is absolutely wonderful. You get so much yearning and banter. I LOVED Ashlyn and how sassy and feisty and rebellious she is. I completely fell for Fyn as a side character in the last duology and he really got to shine in this book. These two really got themselves in a pickle and I enjoyed every second of it. I am so curious to see how their story continues in book two!!
You get all the high fantasy romantasy feels with political intrigue between the fae and human courts.
I highly recommend reading the Starwoven Duology first.
💜 Banter
💜 Arranged Marriage
💜 One Room at the Inn
💜 Sparring & Training
💜 Yearning
💜 Flirty Protective MMC
💜 Sassy Rebellious FMC
💜 Cozy with high stakes moments
🫑🫑 no spice, kisses only, with allusions to more in conversations
No language
June 22, 2026
Brit does it again. After reading The Starwoven Duology, I was so excited to dive back into this magical world and see Fyn's story play out. Ashlyn and Fyn are dynamite. I loved their banter and their secret yearning. There is such high-stakes with the marriage agreement that Ashlyn has to travel for. The human kingdom is not all that it seems. The tension between the courts keep rising and it's difficult to choose what is right.
I loved getting into Ashlyn's mind and understanding her struggles and feelings. Her love and fierceness for her sister is admirable. Fyn is the king of banter and sarcastic comments. I loved getting into his mind and seeing his yearning and love for Ash. He is such a green-flag MMC and he deserves his HEA.
I can't wait for book 2 in this duology and seeing this story play out.
I loved getting into Ashlyn's mind and understanding her struggles and feelings. Her love and fierceness for her sister is admirable. Fyn is the king of banter and sarcastic comments. I loved getting into his mind and seeing his yearning and love for Ash. He is such a green-flag MMC and he deserves his HEA.
I can't wait for book 2 in this duology and seeing this story play out.
July 12, 2026
3 ⭐️
Thank you Brit & her team for giving me an arc of this read! I will say this delivered on the Knight & Princess trope so well! The forbiddeness of Ashlyn being forced to marry a human prince while Fyn, her fae bodyguard, must stand by and watch was quite sad (in a good one haha).
The romance: I went into this not realizing there was a previous series. Having gone in blind, I was confused that we never see these two meet. They seem to have some sort of banter/ established dynamic off the bat. There wasn’t even really an introduction to who the characters are at the beginning (I didn’t know Fyn was the MMC when we first meet him). This made the beginning feel like I was being dropped into the middle of the book. Missing out on the initial tension/ development also made their dynamic feel insta-lovey to me (especially on Fyn’s part). All that to say, I do appreciate that the romance in this was no spice. I also almost never read fantasy books with green flag fae men and it was refreshing to have a new sort of MMC.
The vibes/ fantasy aspect: While this is technically a low stakes fantasy, I found it was much more exciting than other books I’ve seen labeled like this (which is a good thing cause I usually read high stakes fantasy). I would have enjoyed to learn more about the politics and am wondering if the other series would give me more of that. Ashlyn, our FMC, has to venture back to then human kingdom to be married off (this book doesn’t clearly explain why she was with the fae to begin with 😅). Her life seemed pretty good to me with the fae, but she’s fixated on living with humans. Given her fiery personality, I am kind of surprised she agreed to an arranged marriage. I do appreciate a FMC that loves a sword fight and is authentically herself. On her journey to the humans, she comes to discover unique powers. I liked the type of powers the author gave Ashlyn and there were some clever scenes where the powers were used. I will say I was expecting them to be much more key to the story, given she’s supposed to be integrating with humans. In the end, her powers didn’t really do much for the overall story, which was too bad.
All in all, if you’re looking for a no spice regal fantasy vibe, I’d say give this a try.
Thank you Brit & her team for giving me an arc of this read! I will say this delivered on the Knight & Princess trope so well! The forbiddeness of Ashlyn being forced to marry a human prince while Fyn, her fae bodyguard, must stand by and watch was quite sad (in a good one haha).
The romance: I went into this not realizing there was a previous series. Having gone in blind, I was confused that we never see these two meet. They seem to have some sort of banter/ established dynamic off the bat. There wasn’t even really an introduction to who the characters are at the beginning (I didn’t know Fyn was the MMC when we first meet him). This made the beginning feel like I was being dropped into the middle of the book. Missing out on the initial tension/ development also made their dynamic feel insta-lovey to me (especially on Fyn’s part). All that to say, I do appreciate that the romance in this was no spice. I also almost never read fantasy books with green flag fae men and it was refreshing to have a new sort of MMC.
The vibes/ fantasy aspect: While this is technically a low stakes fantasy, I found it was much more exciting than other books I’ve seen labeled like this (which is a good thing cause I usually read high stakes fantasy). I would have enjoyed to learn more about the politics and am wondering if the other series would give me more of that. Ashlyn, our FMC, has to venture back to then human kingdom to be married off (this book doesn’t clearly explain why she was with the fae to begin with 😅). Her life seemed pretty good to me with the fae, but she’s fixated on living with humans. Given her fiery personality, I am kind of surprised she agreed to an arranged marriage. I do appreciate a FMC that loves a sword fight and is authentically herself. On her journey to the humans, she comes to discover unique powers. I liked the type of powers the author gave Ashlyn and there were some clever scenes where the powers were used. I will say I was expecting them to be much more key to the story, given she’s supposed to be integrating with humans. In the end, her powers didn’t really do much for the overall story, which was too bad.
All in all, if you’re looking for a no spice regal fantasy vibe, I’d say give this a try.
June 23, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FIVE STARS. This one is my favorite of @britbryndell ‘s books. I fell in love with Fyn during The Starwoven Song. He is SUCH a green flag and FULL of witty banter - so I knew he wouldn’t allow Brit to keep him in the corner as a “side” character.
He fills every room he walks into. He instantly makes everyone that he cares for happier, just by being himself and knowing he’s in their corner. You wrote a gem with this fae, @britbryndell .
Reading and watching his story with Ashlyn unfold was pure magical bliss. There’s one bed (where everyone is simultaneously unhappy and also secretly giddy about it at the same time). Ashlyn was just as strong and fueled with (and by) banter. He yearns y’all AND CAN YOU BLAME HIM? She lit up every dark room she stumbled into (IYKYK). The nicknames - I swooned and CACKLED.
Thank you for creating this beautiful world of lovely characters @britbryndell and THE ART! Oh em gee the ART! Xoxoxo.
If you’re looking for a closed door/fade to black/no to low spice romance with magic systems and magical worlds + characters - @britbryndell has you covered and you NEED to read her stories. 10 of 10 recommend. I can’t wait to see where Fyn + Ashlyn take us next on this journey through the stars. More fae wine and shenanigans perhaps?!
June 24, 2026
Omg this was such a great read! I loved everything about Fyn and Ashlyn. Their banter was 🤌🏽 and the way that he has always tried to protect her was truly the sweetest. You see that he really does care for her even though she doesn’t realize it.
There were some parts that I had no idea where it was gonna go and had me on the edge of my seat.
I kinda wish we would've been able to see more of Novena, after Ash had found out about what was happening but maybe we will see that in the next book.👀👀
Ashlyn, our FMC, is seriously a firecracker and I loved how she doesn't comply with being small or keeping her mouth shut. Something i can definitely relate to 😅 If it is not my mouth then it is my face 😂
I am so happy with how this book ended. I thought we'd be left on a bigger cliffhanger, still waiting. IYKYK.
Thank you Brit for giving me the privilege to read this. I am truly grateful!
There were some parts that I had no idea where it was gonna go and had me on the edge of my seat.
I kinda wish we would've been able to see more of Novena, after Ash had found out about what was happening but maybe we will see that in the next book.👀👀
Ashlyn, our FMC, is seriously a firecracker and I loved how she doesn't comply with being small or keeping her mouth shut. Something i can definitely relate to 😅 If it is not my mouth then it is my face 😂
I am so happy with how this book ended. I thought we'd be left on a bigger cliffhanger, still waiting. IYKYK.
Thank you Brit for giving me the privilege to read this. I am truly grateful!
June 23, 2026
"The light within her ignited me. I would keep the memory of it. Even if it burned me".
When Brit said she was writing a storyline with Fyn as the MMC, I was ecstatic! This is the perfect couple with banter and yearning. There is also fae, politics, magic, high stakes, etc. Watching our FMC grow, her thoughts/feelings, and forging her own path was refreshing. I cant wait to see where book 2 leads us! This book has cozy vibes, but also political intrigue. If you love frenemies to lovers, this book is for you!
When Brit said she was writing a storyline with Fyn as the MMC, I was ecstatic! This is the perfect couple with banter and yearning. There is also fae, politics, magic, high stakes, etc. Watching our FMC grow, her thoughts/feelings, and forging her own path was refreshing. I cant wait to see where book 2 leads us! This book has cozy vibes, but also political intrigue. If you love frenemies to lovers, this book is for you!
June 12, 2026
I received the ARC of this book and am so grateful to have the opportunity to review it! It was so good! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the banter between the FMC and MMC. I was also ready to throw hands with some of the characters because there was no way they said what they said. If you like the idea of sort of frenemies to lovers then I highly suggest you give this a try. This seems to be set in the world of the author’s previous Duology. I was unaware of that when I signed up as an ARC reader so I would recommend reading the first series first however if you’re ok with having a few things spoiled, you can absolutely read this book and follow the storyline. Such a great read and I’m so excited not only for the second book but also to go back and read the previous series so that I can enjoy it in it’s entirety
June 6, 2026
This was a very cute romance and amazing plot line. I read it in within a day it was so good and very easy read. I enjoyed the fae, magic, politics and etc in it. Gin is the greenest of flags when it comes to men. Ashlyn’s growing and coming into her own trying to step out of her sisters shadow is amazing. I love that she is steadfast in being herself and not allowing that douchebag Prince to say what she should wear or do. I’m also curious to see how the political tension grows between the kingdoms and I really want to know what happens at Locke!!! I’m also curious what the starlight did to her!!
May 26, 2026
Ashlyn, a human, feels trapped in the human realm and decides to embark on a journey to the world she longs for to marry a prince and help her family. Accompanying her is Fyn, the charming MMC a witty, green-flag fae who secretly yearns for Ashlyn.
Throughout the story, we follow their adventure into the human/fae realm, where Ashlyn encounters numerous obstacles. She soon discovers that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as she faces the challenge of others making decisions for her, leading to a loss of her freedom and slowly her sanity.
If you enjoy whimsical, cozy fantasy stories, this book is perfect for you. I’m eagerly anticipating what Book 2 will bring!
Throughout the story, we follow their adventure into the human/fae realm, where Ashlyn encounters numerous obstacles. She soon discovers that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as she faces the challenge of others making decisions for her, leading to a loss of her freedom and slowly her sanity.
If you enjoy whimsical, cozy fantasy stories, this book is perfect for you. I’m eagerly anticipating what Book 2 will bring!
May 27, 2026
I couldn’t wait for the Fyn love story book! I’ve read the other books in the series and knew his story would be witty, fun, and beautiful. Definitely book boyfriend material 🥰 I loved how selfless he was and how Ashlyn’s story transformed. I’m interested to see how their story ends in the next book! I’ll just be here waiting for it to come out 🧐
June 23, 2026
"The light within her ignited me. I would keep the memory of it. Even if it burned me."
I really enjoyed this one! This is the first book I've read by Brit, but it definitely won't be the last. It felt like a nod to all of my favorite fantasy romances but with a completely different culture and magic system. I didn't read her Starwoven duology before this one, but it was really easy to catch up and understand the characters and setting. Fair warning: you'll be adding the first duology to your TBR immediately after reading this one.
If you're looking for something that has depth but with a good dose of funny banter and cozy vibes, this is a great choice!
Read If You Enjoy:
Fae Romance
High Fantasy
Court Intrigue & Politics
He Falls First
SO Much Yearning
*Thank you so much to Brit for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own!
I really enjoyed this one! This is the first book I've read by Brit, but it definitely won't be the last. It felt like a nod to all of my favorite fantasy romances but with a completely different culture and magic system. I didn't read her Starwoven duology before this one, but it was really easy to catch up and understand the characters and setting. Fair warning: you'll be adding the first duology to your TBR immediately after reading this one.
If you're looking for something that has depth but with a good dose of funny banter and cozy vibes, this is a great choice!
Read If You Enjoy:
Fae Romance
High Fantasy
Court Intrigue & Politics
He Falls First
SO Much Yearning
*Thank you so much to Brit for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Human FMC brought into a fae world, she dreamt of leaving the fae world to go back to the human realm but it doesn't work out like how she imagined. Arranged marriage but the fae body gaurd MMC leads her to the human realm to her marriage but he falls first for her (forbidden romance.) There's tavern vibes, fae wine, royal balls, & swords. All the things. The author does banter & slow burn soooo gooood!
Love love love!!! It's a fast paced romantasy full of fae banter, no spice yearning romance, & politics.
You have to read it!
Love love love!!! It's a fast paced romantasy full of fae banter, no spice yearning romance, & politics.
You have to read it!
June 9, 2026
I loved the Starwoven Duology, so I had high expectations for this book. And let me just say, I was not disappointed.
While I do love some Lioran and Aleira, I was so excited for Fyn to get his own story. He is a walking green flag, absolutely perfect, every woman's dream. And while I will not give away any spoilers, believe me when I say you absolutely have to add this book to your TBR. But not the end of the TBR... the very top. Knock something else out of the way and scoot this book in its place. You'll thank me later.
While I do love some Lioran and Aleira, I was so excited for Fyn to get his own story. He is a walking green flag, absolutely perfect, every woman's dream. And while I will not give away any spoilers, believe me when I say you absolutely have to add this book to your TBR. But not the end of the TBR... the very top. Knock something else out of the way and scoot this book in its place. You'll thank me later.
May 17, 2026
Stolen Radiance is the first book of the Everlight Duology that takes place after the Starwoven Duology. Although you don’t have to, I would recommend reading the Starwoven Duology first as it provides the history leading up to this one and you’ll probably appreciate and enjoy it more. However, it does follow different main characters and its own storyline so the choice is yours. I’m glad I read the other two books first as my own opinion.
⚔️one bed
⚔️ fairytale vibes
⚔️ yearning
⚔️ nicknames
⚔️ arranged marriage
Stolen Radiance follows the storyline of our favorite side character from Starwoven Duology Fyn and Queen Aelira’s sister Ashlyn. Ashlyn, a human, was kidnapped and saved from the human realm only to agree to an arranged marriage to get back to the human realm she misses. Our witty, green flag MMC Fyn is willing to set aside his own feelings to get her safe as they journey from the Fae realm back to the human realm to meet her new prince and husband. A true testament to the grass is not always greener on the other side as Ashlyn finds out. Forced to acknowledge her true feelings and finally face a choice that only she can decide for her self, she is finally ready.
A whimsical, fairytale vibe that focus on the characters and fantasy world vs smutty romance. You get a dual POV and so much yearning and banter between the two characters. It’s an easy, relaxing, comfort read that makes you wanna cuddle up on a cold day with a warm cup of coffee and dive on in!
⚔️one bed
⚔️ fairytale vibes
⚔️ yearning
⚔️ nicknames
⚔️ arranged marriage
Stolen Radiance follows the storyline of our favorite side character from Starwoven Duology Fyn and Queen Aelira’s sister Ashlyn. Ashlyn, a human, was kidnapped and saved from the human realm only to agree to an arranged marriage to get back to the human realm she misses. Our witty, green flag MMC Fyn is willing to set aside his own feelings to get her safe as they journey from the Fae realm back to the human realm to meet her new prince and husband. A true testament to the grass is not always greener on the other side as Ashlyn finds out. Forced to acknowledge her true feelings and finally face a choice that only she can decide for her self, she is finally ready.
A whimsical, fairytale vibe that focus on the characters and fantasy world vs smutty romance. You get a dual POV and so much yearning and banter between the two characters. It’s an easy, relaxing, comfort read that makes you wanna cuddle up on a cold day with a warm cup of coffee and dive on in!
May 21, 2026
This was so fun! I think I finished it in about 4 hours. I absolutely love Fin and Ashlyn. Their banter had me giggling and laughing so much. For some reason, I thought this was a standalone so I was surprised about the cliffhanger but I can’t wait to read the next one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Author's blurb: I was raised to marry a prince. Instead, I was taken by the fae during the war. All the years of tutoring and preparing…and now I live in a cramped room without a window in my half-sister’s castle. The fae love to stare. Having human ears doesn’t help me blend in. Neither does the sword I carry, and haphazardly wield. It won’t matter for much longer. The prince of Estlen has invited me to his kingdom to explore a marriage pact. I said yes. Now I’m being escorted by Fyn, the fae Lord Chancellor. Provoking me is his favorite pastime. The things he says could drive any woman mad. But two can play that game.
🩷
Stolen Radiance is what I would consider a high stakes, cozy-ish fantasy. There are fae, and there is magic, and humans, but there is also mention of war and destruction (hence the high stakes). Our FMC Ashlyn is a human living in the fae world, and is being escorted by the fae MMC Fyn to meet the human prince for an arranged wedding. Fyn is all the green flags - super sweet, respectful, and utterly adorable. I love his random nicknames for Ashlyn and I love the banter and the yearning. This has dual POVs, which is nice to get to see inside Fyn's mind as well as Ashlyn's. It's a wonderful comfort read that also has an intricately built world and an exciting plot line. I will definitely be continuing this series! Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this early!
🩷
5/5⭐ The perfect read for a quiet day, maybe cuddled up with your favorite reading buddy, whomever that may be. Can definitely see this series becoming one of my comfort reads!
🩷
Stolen Radiance is what I would consider a high stakes, cozy-ish fantasy. There are fae, and there is magic, and humans, but there is also mention of war and destruction (hence the high stakes). Our FMC Ashlyn is a human living in the fae world, and is being escorted by the fae MMC Fyn to meet the human prince for an arranged wedding. Fyn is all the green flags - super sweet, respectful, and utterly adorable. I love his random nicknames for Ashlyn and I love the banter and the yearning. This has dual POVs, which is nice to get to see inside Fyn's mind as well as Ashlyn's. It's a wonderful comfort read that also has an intricately built world and an exciting plot line. I will definitely be continuing this series! Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this early!
🩷
5/5⭐ The perfect read for a quiet day, maybe cuddled up with your favorite reading buddy, whomever that may be. Can definitely see this series becoming one of my comfort reads!
June 24, 2026
Review of Advance Reader Copy provided by author
This is a cozy read. Really enjoyed the banter between Ashlyn and Fyn. The slow burn and yearning between these two was beautifully written. I was frustrated with Ashlyn at times of doing what she thinks she needs to do instead of following what her heart was telling her to do, but thats part of what makes this story good. So happy when they both came clean about their feelings and decided to give it a try between them. Too bad it was a little late. Cant wait for the second part of the story.
This is a cozy read. Really enjoyed the banter between Ashlyn and Fyn. The slow burn and yearning between these two was beautifully written. I was frustrated with Ashlyn at times of doing what she thinks she needs to do instead of following what her heart was telling her to do, but thats part of what makes this story good. So happy when they both came clean about their feelings and decided to give it a try between them. Too bad it was a little late. Cant wait for the second part of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
To Brit Bryndell: Thank you for the eARC of Stolen Radiance. 💕 You had a great idea, but unfortunately the setup wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sorry to ruin your average rating. 😫
To the readers: Do you hate giving low star reviews as much as I do? I always feel the need to explain myself (especially with early reviews), so here we go. I tried keeping this spoiler free.
I was drawn to this book because of the fantasy setting, the arranged marriage to the wrong man, and the promised banter. While Stolen Radiance absolutely delivered a unique fantasy world with stars given magic, and the overall idea was good, the details unfortunately left me wanting. 🫣
I'm absolutely aware ARCs aren't finalized copies, yet Stolen Radiance is well edited (I only caught a single typo), but plot wise I felt like there were several things that just didn't add up. Lore is scattered throughout the book like pieces of a blurry puzzle, and by the time I was done reading it felt like I was missing most of the frame pieces... (In true nature of a puzzle I absolutely might've just overlooked them, but it made trying to make sense of everything very tedious!). 👉👈
Ashlyn doesn't feel at home among the fae who keep staring at her because she's different, and I get wanting to return to being seen as normal. BUT she doesn't care for her brother who has made her a pawn to get Lira back, and chooses to become a political tool among humans (complete strangers!) over being with the sister (who cares for her) among fae...? I couldn't relate, but I'm fine blaming this on it being YA and me being old. 😅
For a story that so heavily relies on politics for its plot (the arranged political marriage starts in chapter one!), I need to be told what happened before the story begins in order to make sense of what follows. Without this knowledge, the politics felt suface-level until Soren started playing his own game - that actually had me curious. 👀
The characters kept referring to a war, and only half way into the book is mentioned that there were two wars?! With the war being a turning point in Ashlyn's life it felt like something that should've been clarified from the start! Btw, is the war still ongoing? When was the divide created? How did it come to be? Has the war officially ended because they couldn't attack each other anymore? 🤔
And I never fully understood their family history either. When exactly did Lira become queen of the fae, if she helped raise Ash? Agan started the second war and sent Ash beyond Bailoc's borders to protect her from it, but where did he send her? Surely not to Estlen, as it's implied that there's hostile history between the human kingdoms, too? And how did Lira even know where Fyn would find Ash? 🤨
Personally, I was most disappointed by the promised banter. Yes, the dialogues were alright, but we aren't shown how any of it affects the MCs, and as a result there was no tension. Zero. At some point their "banter" even felt like a disguise for miscommunication, which I hate with a fiery passion.
All in all, I cannot justify giving Stolen Radiance more than two stars.
To the readers: Do you hate giving low star reviews as much as I do? I always feel the need to explain myself (especially with early reviews), so here we go. I tried keeping this spoiler free.
I was drawn to this book because of the fantasy setting, the arranged marriage to the wrong man, and the promised banter. While Stolen Radiance absolutely delivered a unique fantasy world with stars given magic, and the overall idea was good, the details unfortunately left me wanting. 🫣
I'm absolutely aware ARCs aren't finalized copies, yet Stolen Radiance is well edited (I only caught a single typo), but plot wise I felt like there were several things that just didn't add up. Lore is scattered throughout the book like pieces of a blurry puzzle, and by the time I was done reading it felt like I was missing most of the frame pieces... (In true nature of a puzzle I absolutely might've just overlooked them, but it made trying to make sense of everything very tedious!). 👉👈
Ashlyn doesn't feel at home among the fae who keep staring at her because she's different, and I get wanting to return to being seen as normal. BUT she doesn't care for her brother who has made her a pawn to get Lira back, and chooses to become a political tool among humans (complete strangers!) over being with the sister (who cares for her) among fae...? I couldn't relate, but I'm fine blaming this on it being YA and me being old. 😅
For a story that so heavily relies on politics for its plot (the arranged political marriage starts in chapter one!), I need to be told what happened before the story begins in order to make sense of what follows. Without this knowledge, the politics felt suface-level until Soren started playing his own game - that actually had me curious. 👀
The characters kept referring to a war, and only half way into the book is mentioned that there were two wars?! With the war being a turning point in Ashlyn's life it felt like something that should've been clarified from the start! Btw, is the war still ongoing? When was the divide created? How did it come to be? Has the war officially ended because they couldn't attack each other anymore? 🤔
And I never fully understood their family history either. When exactly did Lira become queen of the fae, if she helped raise Ash? Agan started the second war and sent Ash beyond Bailoc's borders to protect her from it, but where did he send her? Surely not to Estlen, as it's implied that there's hostile history between the human kingdoms, too? And how did Lira even know where Fyn would find Ash? 🤨
Personally, I was most disappointed by the promised banter. Yes, the dialogues were alright, but we aren't shown how any of it affects the MCs, and as a result there was no tension. Zero. At some point their "banter" even felt like a disguise for miscommunication, which I hate with a fiery passion.
All in all, I cannot justify giving Stolen Radiance more than two stars.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Princess Ashlyn of Bailoc, currently residing in her sister Queen Aelira’s kingdom of Nythrel, had always expected to be married off for a political alliance. When the opportunity arises for an arranged marriage to Prince Soren of Estlen, and to be among humans again, she at least wants to give it a chance.
Lord Chancellor Fyn of the elvish realm of Nythrel is to escort Ashlyn to Estlen, but the task will be made monumentally difficult by his own long-suppressed feelings for Ashlyn.
I absolutely loved the banter between Ashlyn and Fyn. For example, the following exchange comes as the book opens in sword-fighting practice:
“It always amazes me how wildly confident you are with that thing when you are—”
“Human?” I (Ashlyn) asked. How utterly predictable of him.
“I was going to say chaotic with it, but sure we can go with that.”
I mean, come on!!!!
On that subject, the fact that Fyn agrees to teach Ashlyn sword fighting as a way to be close to her without pushing her boundaries was so sweet! I appreciate how he is able to balance his desire to know her, yet he respects her wishes and desires! I found Fyn’s character to be so refreshing, especially in a market flooded with morally-gray elvish MMC’s. Also, I thought it was funny to have Fyn be a terrible dancer.
On another note, I admit I had not read the Starwoven duology prior to Stolen Radiance. There were a few moments in the book when I felt lost, only to realize that those were plot points covered in the previous books. I will be reading those in the future.
As a warning, the dealings between the kingdoms and the political dancing frustrated me at times, as the different kingdoms had what we will call varying opinions on a woman’s place. Oh, how angry I felt at Soren and the whole Estlen kingdom, AND Ashlyn’s brother’s kingdom of Bailoc! They are so demeaning to women, and on top of that, they were underhanded at getting what they wanted for their realms!
Stolen Radiance has no spice, but the book pulls no punches in the previously mentioned diplomatic dealings.
this was the first book I’ve read by Brit Bryndell, and it definitely won’t be the last. Not only do I have to read the Starwoven duology, but I also will have to read the sequel to Radiance when it comes out! Make sure to read Stolen Radiance when it comes out on June 23!
Lord Chancellor Fyn of the elvish realm of Nythrel is to escort Ashlyn to Estlen, but the task will be made monumentally difficult by his own long-suppressed feelings for Ashlyn.
I absolutely loved the banter between Ashlyn and Fyn. For example, the following exchange comes as the book opens in sword-fighting practice:
“It always amazes me how wildly confident you are with that thing when you are—”
“Human?” I (Ashlyn) asked. How utterly predictable of him.
“I was going to say chaotic with it, but sure we can go with that.”
I mean, come on!!!!
On that subject, the fact that Fyn agrees to teach Ashlyn sword fighting as a way to be close to her without pushing her boundaries was so sweet! I appreciate how he is able to balance his desire to know her, yet he respects her wishes and desires! I found Fyn’s character to be so refreshing, especially in a market flooded with morally-gray elvish MMC’s. Also, I thought it was funny to have Fyn be a terrible dancer.
On another note, I admit I had not read the Starwoven duology prior to Stolen Radiance. There were a few moments in the book when I felt lost, only to realize that those were plot points covered in the previous books. I will be reading those in the future.
As a warning, the dealings between the kingdoms and the political dancing frustrated me at times, as the different kingdoms had what we will call varying opinions on a woman’s place. Oh, how angry I felt at Soren and the whole Estlen kingdom, AND Ashlyn’s brother’s kingdom of Bailoc! They are so demeaning to women, and on top of that, they were underhanded at getting what they wanted for their realms!
Stolen Radiance has no spice, but the book pulls no punches in the previously mentioned diplomatic dealings.
this was the first book I’ve read by Brit Bryndell, and it definitely won’t be the last. Not only do I have to read the Starwoven duology, but I also will have to read the sequel to Radiance when it comes out! Make sure to read Stolen Radiance when it comes out on June 23!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
As a princess, Ashlyn has always known that she is a political pawn. While she has been living in the relative safety of the fae realm, Nythrel, she's been painfully aware of her humanity. So when an invite from a neighboring kingdom to a marriage between Ashlyn and Prince Soren, she chooses to accept the invitation. Unfortunately, the infuriating Lord Chancellor, Fyn, will accompany her to Estlen. While she enjoys her visit to human lands, her time in Nythrel has changed Ashlyn more than she realized, and she soon has to confront her long held beliefs about what she wants for her future.
Ashlyn is extremely pragmatic and rather jaded. She knows better than to want for happiness, having seen the long lasting repercussions of her own mother's desire for love. She also is confident that she isn't wanted in Nythrel. Her step-sister is busy being a queen and a mother, and the fae largely treat her with benign neglect. For example, her clothes are largely cast-offs of her sister, and her bedroom has been created out of a storage room. It's clear that she wants to be loved, but is unwilling to pay what it might cost her, so she has hardened her heart. This hardness initially seems like a strength, but as she is confronted with the harsh realities of what a marriage to Soren will entail, she has to make some very difficult decisions.
In comparison, Fyn has been in love with Ashlyn for quite some time, even if he hasn't recognized the reality of her life with the fae. But his strong sense of honor and the belief that men should allow women to decide their own fate keeps him from making his feelings known. His yearning creates a continued angst as he is stuck observing and protecting as best he can, while still abiding by Ashlyn's decisions.
Stolen Radiance is an excellent romantasy with political maneuvering and two people who deeply love each other but are horribly in denial about it. I absolutely loved every page, and can't wait to see where the next story in the duology goes. A fantastic read with plenty of tension and yearning.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ashlyn is extremely pragmatic and rather jaded. She knows better than to want for happiness, having seen the long lasting repercussions of her own mother's desire for love. She also is confident that she isn't wanted in Nythrel. Her step-sister is busy being a queen and a mother, and the fae largely treat her with benign neglect. For example, her clothes are largely cast-offs of her sister, and her bedroom has been created out of a storage room. It's clear that she wants to be loved, but is unwilling to pay what it might cost her, so she has hardened her heart. This hardness initially seems like a strength, but as she is confronted with the harsh realities of what a marriage to Soren will entail, she has to make some very difficult decisions.
In comparison, Fyn has been in love with Ashlyn for quite some time, even if he hasn't recognized the reality of her life with the fae. But his strong sense of honor and the belief that men should allow women to decide their own fate keeps him from making his feelings known. His yearning creates a continued angst as he is stuck observing and protecting as best he can, while still abiding by Ashlyn's decisions.
Stolen Radiance is an excellent romantasy with political maneuvering and two people who deeply love each other but are horribly in denial about it. I absolutely loved every page, and can't wait to see where the next story in the duology goes. A fantastic read with plenty of tension and yearning.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
* I received this book as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review. I greatly thank the author for giving me a chance to read her work before it is released to the world!
So something I did not realize before reading this book was that this was a spinoff to a duology that featured the FMC’s sister. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have been nearly as lost as I was the whole time. I think that this book (if the author wanted it to be read as its own standalone spinoff) would have benefitted from some kind of recap about this fae versus human war that happened before the timeline of this story. I was confused for a while and hoping that there would be a point where everything got broken down for the reader and then the book ended 😂. So many details like why the FMC was living in a broom closet even though she was a princess, why the war started and ended, etc should’ve been explained more because I almost couldn’t continue reading because I thought I had missed whole chapters or plot.
I think this book also would’ve benefited greatly if it was much longer. I made it to the end of the book and thought “I don’t see these two main characters as endgame”. I think some more dialogue and flirty banter between the two would have gone a lot longer of a way. I think hearing her inner thoughts about the MMC and how she found him attractive or saw him as a “forbidden potential love” would have made so much more sense here. To me, it felt like she maybe knew he liked her, but she didn’t really give a hoot about him and saw him as just a friend and not in any romantic capacity until the end. And I know that this book was marketed as having no spice, but the story could have benefited from some intimacy- not necessarily the explicit kind, but just sweet moments where they found themselves unable to be without touching a hand on the other or something! It just felt very much like these people didn’t really have a history, they just met each other and took a journey together, and then at the very end the FMC got bored and went, “oh actually I think we should kiss a lil”. But then it did a 180° and she suddenly wanted to rush it all for him. It in general just felt very disjointed and I think that having some extra chapters and monologues could’ve gone a lot longer of a way for this story.
Overall this was a good read. It definitely needs to be beefed up a little bit more, but it was a simple read that I knocked out in under a day.
So something I did not realize before reading this book was that this was a spinoff to a duology that featured the FMC’s sister. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have been nearly as lost as I was the whole time. I think that this book (if the author wanted it to be read as its own standalone spinoff) would have benefitted from some kind of recap about this fae versus human war that happened before the timeline of this story. I was confused for a while and hoping that there would be a point where everything got broken down for the reader and then the book ended 😂. So many details like why the FMC was living in a broom closet even though she was a princess, why the war started and ended, etc should’ve been explained more because I almost couldn’t continue reading because I thought I had missed whole chapters or plot.
I think this book also would’ve benefited greatly if it was much longer. I made it to the end of the book and thought “I don’t see these two main characters as endgame”. I think some more dialogue and flirty banter between the two would have gone a lot longer of a way. I think hearing her inner thoughts about the MMC and how she found him attractive or saw him as a “forbidden potential love” would have made so much more sense here. To me, it felt like she maybe knew he liked her, but she didn’t really give a hoot about him and saw him as just a friend and not in any romantic capacity until the end. And I know that this book was marketed as having no spice, but the story could have benefited from some intimacy- not necessarily the explicit kind, but just sweet moments where they found themselves unable to be without touching a hand on the other or something! It just felt very much like these people didn’t really have a history, they just met each other and took a journey together, and then at the very end the FMC got bored and went, “oh actually I think we should kiss a lil”. But then it did a 180° and she suddenly wanted to rush it all for him. It in general just felt very disjointed and I think that having some extra chapters and monologues could’ve gone a lot longer of a way for this story.
Overall this was a good read. It definitely needs to be beefed up a little bit more, but it was a simple read that I knocked out in under a day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
First and foremost, thank you to Brit Bryndell and her team for allowing me the opportunity to experience this world and book early with an ARC copy!
When I was scrolling Instagram, I saw a post listing the tropes including banter and he falls first and then I saw Fyn’s betrayal list (which was so funny!) and I knew I had to look into this book more! After reading the description, I was quick to add this to my TBR.
This was a fun read that felt a little more cozy (which unique from my go to reads) and was set in such a magical world. It felt unique too in the sense that, to me, the human realm almost felt a little more whimsical than the fae world (but maybe that was because of Ashlyn’s excitement to be there).
I also always love some good banter and Fyn was easily my favorite character. He was so precious!
In regards to my 3⭐️ rating, for me personally, the story did feel a little choppy at times or it felt like I needed more details to understand what was going on or to make the stakes feel higher. However, if I’m being honest, I think this could’ve been easily remedied had I realized there was a previous duology set in the same world (that’s 100% my bad). I kind of wish I would’ve read that first because I think it would’ve maybe given me the world building or background information I felt was missing (it seems others who read the other duology first felt it provided the background they needed).
Also, I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between Ashlyn and Fyn. Despite some really fun, banter filled moments that had me giggling, I often found myself having to reread a section because it felt like they would be talking then almost seem like they were suddenly mad or annoyed with each other out of the blue - but not in like a cute flirty way.
With all that being said, I’m definitely interested in continuing this duology and, more importantly, going back to the previous duology! I really enjoyed this world and the characters and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the set up for book two has me eager to know what might happen next!
When I was scrolling Instagram, I saw a post listing the tropes including banter and he falls first and then I saw Fyn’s betrayal list (which was so funny!) and I knew I had to look into this book more! After reading the description, I was quick to add this to my TBR.
This was a fun read that felt a little more cozy (which unique from my go to reads) and was set in such a magical world. It felt unique too in the sense that, to me, the human realm almost felt a little more whimsical than the fae world (but maybe that was because of Ashlyn’s excitement to be there).
I also always love some good banter and Fyn was easily my favorite character. He was so precious!
In regards to my 3⭐️ rating, for me personally, the story did feel a little choppy at times or it felt like I needed more details to understand what was going on or to make the stakes feel higher. However, if I’m being honest, I think this could’ve been easily remedied had I realized there was a previous duology set in the same world (that’s 100% my bad). I kind of wish I would’ve read that first because I think it would’ve maybe given me the world building or background information I felt was missing (it seems others who read the other duology first felt it provided the background they needed).
Also, I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between Ashlyn and Fyn. Despite some really fun, banter filled moments that had me giggling, I often found myself having to reread a section because it felt like they would be talking then almost seem like they were suddenly mad or annoyed with each other out of the blue - but not in like a cute flirty way.
With all that being said, I’m definitely interested in continuing this duology and, more importantly, going back to the previous duology! I really enjoyed this world and the characters and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the set up for book two has me eager to know what might happen next!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.75 rounded up
1 Spice
This was an interesting book and my first by Brit Bryndell. The beginning was very choppy for me and I realize now that it is because there was a previous duology before this book. Essentially this is more like book 3 in a series that follows couples (a la Bridge Kingdom) then it's own. I also thought for some reason this was a standalone. Regardless I was a little lost and I think a synopsis of what happened in the first duology would really help before chapter 1.
I absolutely adored Ashlyn. She was stolen from her father's castle ( I'm assuming this happened in the first duology) saw war, watched people die and is now living among her half sister's people who are fae. She is constantly be stared at for being human and doesn't want to take up space and ask for anything as her sister is already under enormous strain from being queen after a large scale war. Ashlyn sleeps in a tiny room where the door doesn't even work with no window, she wears her sister's old gowns though they don't really fit her and she doesn't make any requests or give her preferences except for her request to learn to wield a sword. It's almost like she is Cinderella except it is obvious that her sister adores her just busy with her own family and ruling a kingdom.
As the story continues Ashlyn is just trying to find a space for herself in this world and she thinks accepting a marriage proposal from the human prince would both alleviate the burden she is on her sister and perhaps find her own slice of happiness.
My big issue with the plot is it does feel slightly disjointed and the conversations between Fry and Ashlyn are frustrating. They go from friends to somehow secretly both in love with each other with not much in between. There could be some more finesse there.
Overall the plot was interesting and I will probably pick up book 2 when it comes out to see how it ends.
Tropes
- Friends to lovers
- Secret powers
- Court politics
- One bed
- Forced engagement not to MMC
1 Spice
This was an interesting book and my first by Brit Bryndell. The beginning was very choppy for me and I realize now that it is because there was a previous duology before this book. Essentially this is more like book 3 in a series that follows couples (a la Bridge Kingdom) then it's own. I also thought for some reason this was a standalone. Regardless I was a little lost and I think a synopsis of what happened in the first duology would really help before chapter 1.
I absolutely adored Ashlyn. She was stolen from her father's castle ( I'm assuming this happened in the first duology) saw war, watched people die and is now living among her half sister's people who are fae. She is constantly be stared at for being human and doesn't want to take up space and ask for anything as her sister is already under enormous strain from being queen after a large scale war. Ashlyn sleeps in a tiny room where the door doesn't even work with no window, she wears her sister's old gowns though they don't really fit her and she doesn't make any requests or give her preferences except for her request to learn to wield a sword. It's almost like she is Cinderella except it is obvious that her sister adores her just busy with her own family and ruling a kingdom.
As the story continues Ashlyn is just trying to find a space for herself in this world and she thinks accepting a marriage proposal from the human prince would both alleviate the burden she is on her sister and perhaps find her own slice of happiness.
My big issue with the plot is it does feel slightly disjointed and the conversations between Fry and Ashlyn are frustrating. They go from friends to somehow secretly both in love with each other with not much in between. There could be some more finesse there.
Overall the plot was interesting and I will probably pick up book 2 when it comes out to see how it ends.
Tropes
- Friends to lovers
- Secret powers
- Court politics
- One bed
- Forced engagement not to MMC
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Stolen Radiance felt like stepping into a fairytale. If you sprinkled pixie dust over a romantasy, this would be it.
This isn't the type of book I normally read. I usually gravitate toward darker romantasy with more spice, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in. However, the green flag MMC blurb caught my attention and I'm so glad it did because this book completely charmed me!
The story follows a human princess who goes to live with her half-Fae sister after war breaks out between the human and Fae realms. Months later, she goes back to the human kingdom to meet the prince whom she's considering a marriage pact (arranged marriage, really) with in order to establish lasting peace between the two kingdoms. Enter Fyn, the witty Fae Lord Chancellor, who will be escorting her.
The book is really about what happens on that journey (one bed!) and what happens when they get there and how these two characters feel about each other while being too afraid to admit it.
The banter between them just gets cuter and cuter as the story goes on. It's equal parts funny and romantic, and the relationship itself feels like a warm hug.
Fyn was easily my favorite part of the book. Give me a Fyn any day and I'm there. This man yearns but not in an emotionally stunted way we often see in MMCs.
I also really liked the FMC. She's determined, wistful, and definitely not someone who's willing to just do what she's told.
I would have liked to see how Fyn fell for her. By the time the story begins, they've already known each other for months and he's already fallen. Since the book is dual POV, you know from the beginning how he feels, and I found myself wishing I could have seen more of that journey.
HOWEVER this book is proof that you can create yearning without spice. And, this is the first book I've read in this genre that does it well. Thank you for opening me up to this world!
I will definitely be picking up the second book in this duology to see how their story concludes!!!
Reading Stolen Radiance felt like stepping into a fairytale. If you sprinkled pixie dust over a romantasy, this would be it.
This isn't the type of book I normally read. I usually gravitate toward darker romantasy with more spice, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in. However, the green flag MMC blurb caught my attention and I'm so glad it did because this book completely charmed me!
The story follows a human princess who goes to live with her half-Fae sister after war breaks out between the human and Fae realms. Months later, she goes back to the human kingdom to meet the prince whom she's considering a marriage pact (arranged marriage, really) with in order to establish lasting peace between the two kingdoms. Enter Fyn, the witty Fae Lord Chancellor, who will be escorting her.
The book is really about what happens on that journey (one bed!) and what happens when they get there and how these two characters feel about each other while being too afraid to admit it.
The banter between them just gets cuter and cuter as the story goes on. It's equal parts funny and romantic, and the relationship itself feels like a warm hug.
Fyn was easily my favorite part of the book. Give me a Fyn any day and I'm there. This man yearns but not in an emotionally stunted way we often see in MMCs.
I also really liked the FMC. She's determined, wistful, and definitely not someone who's willing to just do what she's told.
I would have liked to see how Fyn fell for her. By the time the story begins, they've already known each other for months and he's already fallen. Since the book is dual POV, you know from the beginning how he feels, and I found myself wishing I could have seen more of that journey.
HOWEVER this book is proof that you can create yearning without spice. And, this is the first book I've read in this genre that does it well. Thank you for opening me up to this world!
I will definitely be picking up the second book in this duology to see how their story concludes!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dual POV & No Spice
This is the first book in the Everlight Duology and takes place after the Starwoven Duology. This is interconnected with the Starwoven but it focuses on different main characters and can be read on its own. You will appreciate our MMC more if you get him from the Starwoven series first.
Princess Ashlyn, a human, was kidnapped and brought to live in the human realm where her half sister is Queen. She doesn’t feel like she belongs and yearns to return to the human world. So much so that she hastily agrees to the proposition of a proposed arranged marriage with another human kingdom.
She is escorted by our MMC Fyn, a charming green flag Lord Chancellor, who is secretly in love with Ashlyn but will always put his feelings aside to do what’s best for her.
Along the journey, Ashlyn tried to deny any idea that there is a connection between her and Fyn. She even panics and runs away, leading to her drinking sacred Starlight. No one knows what this could mean for a human….
They venture to the human kingdom of Estlen to meet her possible bethrothed Prince Soren, but Ashlyn learns quickly the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and maybe she doesn’t want to live in the human world as much as she thought. Her brother, king of the other human realm is highly invested in this arrangement to put pressure on the fae world who he has been at war with. The royal family hate magic and have strong expectations of how she will act as the future bride to a prince.
Forced to confront her feelings for Fyn, and risk political consequences for following her heart, Ashlyn must make tough choices.
I’m very excited to see what happens in part 2 of the Duology and am thankful for the author for the eARC of this book!
Tropes:
- forced proximity
- Banter
- He falls first
- Yearning
- Nicknames
- One bed
- Court politics
-
Favorite Quotes:
- My soul burns because yours does.
This is the first book in the Everlight Duology and takes place after the Starwoven Duology. This is interconnected with the Starwoven but it focuses on different main characters and can be read on its own. You will appreciate our MMC more if you get him from the Starwoven series first.
Princess Ashlyn, a human, was kidnapped and brought to live in the human realm where her half sister is Queen. She doesn’t feel like she belongs and yearns to return to the human world. So much so that she hastily agrees to the proposition of a proposed arranged marriage with another human kingdom.
She is escorted by our MMC Fyn, a charming green flag Lord Chancellor, who is secretly in love with Ashlyn but will always put his feelings aside to do what’s best for her.
Along the journey, Ashlyn tried to deny any idea that there is a connection between her and Fyn. She even panics and runs away, leading to her drinking sacred Starlight. No one knows what this could mean for a human….
They venture to the human kingdom of Estlen to meet her possible bethrothed Prince Soren, but Ashlyn learns quickly the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and maybe she doesn’t want to live in the human world as much as she thought. Her brother, king of the other human realm is highly invested in this arrangement to put pressure on the fae world who he has been at war with. The royal family hate magic and have strong expectations of how she will act as the future bride to a prince.
Forced to confront her feelings for Fyn, and risk political consequences for following her heart, Ashlyn must make tough choices.
I’m very excited to see what happens in part 2 of the Duology and am thankful for the author for the eARC of this book!
Tropes:
- forced proximity
- Banter
- He falls first
- Yearning
- Nicknames
- One bed
- Court politics
-
Favorite Quotes:
- My soul burns because yours does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2026
A quick, banter-filled fantasy romance with high stakes and a delightful slow-burn! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love the "forbidden road trip" trope, a witty and protective MMC, and a light fantasy romance that focuses heavily on character development, Stolen Radiance is a fantastic choice.
The story follows Ashlyn, a human princess who is whisked away to the Fae realm by her sister to save her from a war. Feeling like an unwanted outsider in a court that dislikes humans, Ashlyn jumps at a diplomatic marriage proposal from a neighboring kingdom, viewing it as her only escape. What follows is a journey across realms escorted by Fyn, the king's witty Lord Chancellor—who clearly has feelings for her that our stubborn FMC is entirely oblivious to!
What I Loved:
The Banter: Fyn is a fantastic MMC. He masks his absolute devotion with sarcasm, playful teasing, and sharp comebacks that kept me turning the pages.
The Protagonist: While Ashlyn can be incredibly stubborn and self-sacrificing, her urge to escape and her desire for a fresh start make total sense given her lack of choices.
The Pacing & Magic: At 320 pages, it’s a quick, accessible read. The story unfolds over a few weeks, meaning the plot and character growth have room to breathe. Plus, a unique magical twist involving a sacred Fae spring completely shakes up the political intrigue just when things get dangerous.
This is a light fantasy romance with no explicit scenes, making it a wonderful, comforting read for fans of cozy yet high-stakes fantasy. It is the first book in a duology and leaves the door wide open for high-stakes political fallout. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up book two to see how the story concludes!
If you love the "forbidden road trip" trope, a witty and protective MMC, and a light fantasy romance that focuses heavily on character development, Stolen Radiance is a fantastic choice.
The story follows Ashlyn, a human princess who is whisked away to the Fae realm by her sister to save her from a war. Feeling like an unwanted outsider in a court that dislikes humans, Ashlyn jumps at a diplomatic marriage proposal from a neighboring kingdom, viewing it as her only escape. What follows is a journey across realms escorted by Fyn, the king's witty Lord Chancellor—who clearly has feelings for her that our stubborn FMC is entirely oblivious to!
What I Loved:
The Banter: Fyn is a fantastic MMC. He masks his absolute devotion with sarcasm, playful teasing, and sharp comebacks that kept me turning the pages.
The Protagonist: While Ashlyn can be incredibly stubborn and self-sacrificing, her urge to escape and her desire for a fresh start make total sense given her lack of choices.
The Pacing & Magic: At 320 pages, it’s a quick, accessible read. The story unfolds over a few weeks, meaning the plot and character growth have room to breathe. Plus, a unique magical twist involving a sacred Fae spring completely shakes up the political intrigue just when things get dangerous.
This is a light fantasy romance with no explicit scenes, making it a wonderful, comforting read for fans of cozy yet high-stakes fantasy. It is the first book in a duology and leaves the door wide open for high-stakes political fallout. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up book two to see how the story concludes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much to Brit for the gifted ARC of this book! All opinions are my own and very freely given.
WOW. Just wow. I absolutely devoured this book. I’ve read all of Brit’s books, and I am just so blown away by her growth and the way she has transformed this world.
“Stolen Radiance” is the first in a duology, focused on Fyn. Fyn is a character from the Starwoven duology, and I am so excited he has his own book! In the other series, he is the best friend, the comedic relief, but there is so much more to him, and I’m thrilled Brit gave him his own story.
Without spoilers, Fyn is tasked with escorting Queen Aelira’s sister to another kingdom for a potential alliance. Between fae wine, starlight, and other shenanigans, Fyn’s feelings get complicated. He gets torn between his heart, his duty, and doing what’s right.
AND I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN.
Truly, the relationship, the banter, the feminine rage (which, this is a cozier fantasy novel, so the incorporation of feminine rage in this setting is BEAUTIFUL, well done, Brit!), all of it is perfection.
Our FMC is absolutely loved. Her fire juxtaposed with her desire to do what she was taught as a royal bride is handled really well. She wants to do what is expected, wants to do what she thinks is right for her, but along the way learns to listen to herself and take control of her own destiny. Her resistance starts small, but as the story continues and her confidence grows, she rebels more fully and honors herself.
I’ve always been a Fyn fan, but this book may just be my favorite of this world! Our MMC and FMC are so well matched. I am floored by this one!
WOW. Just wow. I absolutely devoured this book. I’ve read all of Brit’s books, and I am just so blown away by her growth and the way she has transformed this world.
“Stolen Radiance” is the first in a duology, focused on Fyn. Fyn is a character from the Starwoven duology, and I am so excited he has his own book! In the other series, he is the best friend, the comedic relief, but there is so much more to him, and I’m thrilled Brit gave him his own story.
Without spoilers, Fyn is tasked with escorting Queen Aelira’s sister to another kingdom for a potential alliance. Between fae wine, starlight, and other shenanigans, Fyn’s feelings get complicated. He gets torn between his heart, his duty, and doing what’s right.
AND I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN.
Truly, the relationship, the banter, the feminine rage (which, this is a cozier fantasy novel, so the incorporation of feminine rage in this setting is BEAUTIFUL, well done, Brit!), all of it is perfection.
Our FMC is absolutely loved. Her fire juxtaposed with her desire to do what she was taught as a royal bride is handled really well. She wants to do what is expected, wants to do what she thinks is right for her, but along the way learns to listen to herself and take control of her own destiny. Her resistance starts small, but as the story continues and her confidence grows, she rebels more fully and honors herself.
I’ve always been a Fyn fan, but this book may just be my favorite of this world! Our MMC and FMC are so well matched. I am floored by this one!
May 21, 2026
Jumping back into the same fantasy world, but this time following the queens younger sister and the lord sworn to protect her.
You drop back into the fae realm, this time following an FMC who’s been raised to be married off to a human prince, and when she feels as though she no longer fits in her sisters realm after the war, she makes plans to visit the princes kingdom to see if their marriage is something she wants. Unfortunately for her, the broody fae lord Fyn will be her escort to this kingdom and chaperone her while she decides what she wants. The only thing is, the more time she spends with him, the more conflicted she becomes on what she truly wants, especially after an accident leads to an unexpected change in her own body and the life in this human kingdom isn’t all she imagined it to be.
I so enjoyed all the banter and bickering between the FMC and MMC and how they slowly drive each other mad. It makes the tension between them grow each chapter and I kept rooting for her to pick him and a quiet life instead of the crown she was raised for. The way magic came into play and seeing through all the nefarious plots around her had me so worried for the FMC and that sequence the last few chapters has me excited for the next book and what will happen next for this pair as a consequence of the choices they made! It was great to jump back into this world and I can’t wait for what’s next. My rating 4.6/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
You drop back into the fae realm, this time following an FMC who’s been raised to be married off to a human prince, and when she feels as though she no longer fits in her sisters realm after the war, she makes plans to visit the princes kingdom to see if their marriage is something she wants. Unfortunately for her, the broody fae lord Fyn will be her escort to this kingdom and chaperone her while she decides what she wants. The only thing is, the more time she spends with him, the more conflicted she becomes on what she truly wants, especially after an accident leads to an unexpected change in her own body and the life in this human kingdom isn’t all she imagined it to be.
I so enjoyed all the banter and bickering between the FMC and MMC and how they slowly drive each other mad. It makes the tension between them grow each chapter and I kept rooting for her to pick him and a quiet life instead of the crown she was raised for. The way magic came into play and seeing through all the nefarious plots around her had me so worried for the FMC and that sequence the last few chapters has me excited for the next book and what will happen next for this pair as a consequence of the choices they made! It was great to jump back into this world and I can’t wait for what’s next. My rating 4.6/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Part of the ARC team and holy crap this story was amazing!
The story is about a Princess named Ashlyn who is human and lives in the fae realm with her sister and brother in law. Ashlyn feels like an unwanted burden so when a letter comes in asking for Ashlyn to come too the human realm for a chance to meet the Prince and decide if she'll marry him, she jumps at the chance.
She's escorted by her friend the Lord Chancellor Fyn to The Divide so both of them may cross into the human realm.
Ashlyn has been dreaming to return to the only realm she has ever known but quickly discovers its anything but the sweet fantasy she had longed for.
📢 Quick PSA: if you *need* spice to read a book, this isn't it for you. There is no spice in this and honestly, it doesn't need it because the story is that good📢
The banter, the tension between Fyn and Ashlyn! It was palpable from the first page.
The way Ashlyn thinks she's a bother, takes up space and wishes for nothing other than to leave so she no longer is anyone's burden broke me because... sadly, same girl. Same.
Fyn being distant, not because he's an asshole or amything but because he's afraid that she would never like him back is also me.
Both of them without truly realising it found something important, something that belonged in each other that made all the craziness of the world disappear to just both of them
Prince Soren kind of reminds me of the Prince in Anne Rice's The Taming of Sleeping Beauty. Not to his extent of harshness but definitely his in half truths and demeaner
I personally cant wait for book 2!
The story is about a Princess named Ashlyn who is human and lives in the fae realm with her sister and brother in law. Ashlyn feels like an unwanted burden so when a letter comes in asking for Ashlyn to come too the human realm for a chance to meet the Prince and decide if she'll marry him, she jumps at the chance.
She's escorted by her friend the Lord Chancellor Fyn to The Divide so both of them may cross into the human realm.
Ashlyn has been dreaming to return to the only realm she has ever known but quickly discovers its anything but the sweet fantasy she had longed for.
📢 Quick PSA: if you *need* spice to read a book, this isn't it for you. There is no spice in this and honestly, it doesn't need it because the story is that good📢
The banter, the tension between Fyn and Ashlyn! It was palpable from the first page.
The way Ashlyn thinks she's a bother, takes up space and wishes for nothing other than to leave so she no longer is anyone's burden broke me because... sadly, same girl. Same.
Fyn being distant, not because he's an asshole or amything but because he's afraid that she would never like him back is also me.
Both of them without truly realising it found something important, something that belonged in each other that made all the craziness of the world disappear to just both of them
Prince Soren kind of reminds me of the Prince in Anne Rice's The Taming of Sleeping Beauty. Not to his extent of harshness but definitely his in half truths and demeaner
I personally cant wait for book 2!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Firstly, thank you to Brit Bryndell for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Thoughts...
This book was absolutely precious! 💕 As someone who reads a lot of romantasy, it can sometimes be difficult to find a story that feels fresh while still delivering everything I love about the genre, but this one completely swept me away.
Ashlyn, our human princess, is an absolute force to be reckoned with. She's strong, independent, fierce, and never afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Fyn, the Fae Lord, quickly earned a spot on my book boyfriend roster because he is the definition of a green flag. The banter, the yearning, and the unwavering support they have for one another made it impossible not to fall in love with them.
If you're looking to dip your toes into romantasy, this is such a great place to start. The fantasy elements are easy to follow, the romance is beautifully developed, and there are no spicy scenes, making it accessible for a wide range of readers. For my fellow spice lovers, don't worry. The tension and longing are so well written that you'll still be kicking your feet and screaming into a pillow. And let's not forget one of my favorite tropes... one bed. Need I say more? 😏
And that ending?!?!?! Excuse me?! THE ENDING?! 😱 I genuinely need book two immediately because there is no way I can be expected to wait after that.
This was my first book by Brit Bryndell, but it definitely won't be my last. Consider the rest of her books officially added to my TBR. 📚✨
My Thoughts...
This book was absolutely precious! 💕 As someone who reads a lot of romantasy, it can sometimes be difficult to find a story that feels fresh while still delivering everything I love about the genre, but this one completely swept me away.
Ashlyn, our human princess, is an absolute force to be reckoned with. She's strong, independent, fierce, and never afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Fyn, the Fae Lord, quickly earned a spot on my book boyfriend roster because he is the definition of a green flag. The banter, the yearning, and the unwavering support they have for one another made it impossible not to fall in love with them.
If you're looking to dip your toes into romantasy, this is such a great place to start. The fantasy elements are easy to follow, the romance is beautifully developed, and there are no spicy scenes, making it accessible for a wide range of readers. For my fellow spice lovers, don't worry. The tension and longing are so well written that you'll still be kicking your feet and screaming into a pillow. And let's not forget one of my favorite tropes... one bed. Need I say more? 😏
And that ending?!?!?! Excuse me?! THE ENDING?! 😱 I genuinely need book two immediately because there is no way I can be expected to wait after that.
This was my first book by Brit Bryndell, but it definitely won't be my last. Consider the rest of her books officially added to my TBR. 📚✨
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