Starshell

by Adara Vesper

As a newly freed prisoner, Lisia is ill-equipped to participate in the grueling training program that prepares the elite to venture offshore, though she must, as part of her probationary penance. It also happens to be the safest place to hide from another prisoner who is out for her blood.
Her situation doesn't improve when a chance encounter with a striking stranger triggers magic that illegally marks them both, a secret that could cost them their lives if discovered. The undeniable attraction she feels towards him exacerbates her surplus of problems. Graduating the training isn't the goal--it's the starting line in a fight for her life.

416 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 23, 2026

About the author

Adara Vesper is the pen name of a romantasy author living in the Mountain West area with her fiance and two dogs.

Her comfort genre is Romantasy, but she also reads and writes Contemporary, Paranormal, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Murder Mysteries, Romance, and Horror. Adara likes to write fantastical sprawling worlds and quirky flawed characters, usually in stories spanning multiple books with dark entangled plots.

Reviews

[Kati Gerard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author. Thank you Adara Vesper! What a fun read! I struggled to put this book down. Academy setting. Hot for teacher. Broody MMC. Mouthy, Stubborn FMC. I would not consider this an enemies to lovers as they just started out more annoyed with one another than actual enemies. Narcissistic family. The yearning was so good 🤌🏻The tattoo magic system was very cool. I wish there was a little more of it! The scene where Lisia gets tattooed… Steamy 🥵. I was heart broken for Lisia when I found out what happened to her. I can’t wait for the next book. I’m dying to find out the significance of the shared Skinscript! And for certain characters to get what they have coming!!! So many good twists in here that I don’t want to spoil anything. Such a great read!

[Mushmookie (Karla P) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advanced copy review-

This was a good read! It started off a bit slow but once it got moving I wanted to keep finding out what happens next. The world building and magic was unique and easy to follow. I enjoyed watching the flawed FMC grow into the tough, stabby character she was meant to be through all the threats and struggles she is forced to overcome. I also loved the side characters and the banter between Zevrial and Lisia was fun to watch.

The story had fun adventures and trials that had me rooting for the characters and wanting to wage war against others. And I loved the Wedding Bells chapter! Great job adding that fun bit in!

I can’t wait to see Lisia and Zevrial’s adventure continue!

[Matthew Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Was lucky enough to be chosen as an ARC reader for this - thank you very much Adara Vesper!-

Where do I even begin with how amazing of a read this was?! - ABSOLUTELY loved it from start to finish, COULD not put it down (though sleep and needing to sleep for work did force me to put it down the first night of reading and make me wait the WHOLE day to be able to get home to finish it - I know, how rude) - and I already NEED books 2-5+ lol - (DEFINITELY hoping we get more than just the one sequel clearly set up at the end for us.)

The characters are fantastic and fun to get to know:

- Lisia has an interesting and pretty unique backstory that we've only finally started to get some of the juicier details about by the end of the book, but the light she's been painted in we learn is so beyond messed up it's not even funny and I DEFINITELY hope to see what we haven't yet gotten to learn, see how if at all it comes into play in future books, etc. Definitely wouldn't mind getting to see more of her family, though again, by the end of the book there's definitely some conflict so who knows.
- Zivrial was a very fun counterpoint/contradiction in many ways as well as complementary in others to our FMC -he's broody, intense at times, far more understanding than initial impressions would lead you to think, and there's a lot about his backstory I think we still don't know, but the connection between him and Lisia DEFINITELY still has some explaining to do that I can't wait to see, get to find out about, watch them discover/explore/begin to understand hopefully, etc. However, his reaction to some of Lisia's past/truths..... without giving any spoilers all I can say in a kind way is BAD Ziviral - you got some SERIOUS apologizing, groveling, and changing your mind/opinion/take on things because the way he reacted - NOT COOL, at all. I have a feeling resolution and figuring that all out will come, but definitely was a bit jarring that the take he had was the take he had with how they'd been around each other to that point. I know I am dancing around the proverbial bush here, but iykyk, and once you read it you'll know. I VERY much can't wait to see how that affects things moving forward and how they get past that and all.

- her friends - they are a fantastically fun and interesting group of characters for sure - one of her closest and oldest friends and his arc is definitely interesting, some of the friends she meets during their training and all and the unexpected bonds she finds forming that she hadn't expected to are fantastic - LOVED getting to see her finding people she could let in and be herself with and all, cannot wait to see how things go and what all they find and get to do as Voyagers.

The setting is amazing too - tropical/jungle island, corrosive/acidic/deadly miasmic sea surrounding them, horrifically aggressive and dangerous monsters lurking in the miasma more than happy to take out anyone they can, Starshells, a crazy cool and unique magic tattoo rune system, the revelation at the end of what the starshells are implied/appear to actually be/what they are from, some of the state secrets being kept from the residents, the Ascendency and it's rules and policies, there are SOOOOO many things I think we've only scratched the surface of and I cannot wait to get to learn more details and specifics, more of the history, where they go, how their missions out into the outer islands go, especially with where we see the story end with them at - how do they find their way back, is that actually water, I have sooo many questions!

I cannot wait for book 2, VERY much hope I get to be an ARC reader for it at well, and VERY much cannot recommend this one enough - 100000% would LOVE to see a pretty hardcover SE edition of this book to get post haste for my shelves, not gonna lie. Will 100% be pre-ordering or buying this asap for myself :D

[🥀Katica🥀 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to first thank the author for giving me an advance copy of her work. I am so grateful.

So, let’s get into it. I want to be honest so I will say this read for me is a 3.8-4 star read. I did enjoy the story and loved how unique it was.

The FMC is Lisia and she is a stubborn feisty woman but it doesn’t get in the way of her learning throughout the story. Her character development was so good. I think her character was written pretty realistic in the way her emotions developed and how she would handle situations thrown at her.

The MMC is Zevrial and he is the calm strong one. I would describe him as the lighthouse that Lisia needs at times. The one that knows what to say to her and how to not sugar coat things. I appreciated this because he knew she wasn’t someone that needed to be coddled. It took a bit but she did finally realize everything he was training her for even with the emotional aspects of the training was to keep her alive.

This story is full of adventure and trials. This is set in a very different world from ours in which people are born with certain destinies they must full-fill in order for their civilization to survive.

For Lisia her destiny is to become a Voyager and to find the Starshells that are needed to bring back home. Lisia is not so thrilled about this aspect considering that becoming a Voyager means long months of training and then of the possibility of never returning. Now why is this such a fear of hers you may wonder? In order to find the Starshells she must (along with a crew) fight against the beasts that live in the water and near by.

Now where does Zevrial come into the story?

She meets him prior to her training and wasn’t real impressed by his arrogant annoyingly handsome self. The day she leaves for training is when she finds out that he is one of the main instructors and a Voyager as well.

This is where the fun really is in the book. These two have tension that is so hot but of course training for such a dangerous mission is really important ( 😉 ) so they keep each other in check.

The side characters are so fun. I have a favorite side character but I don’t want to spoil the story.

The tropes:

Instructor/student
More annoyance to love
Tension is crazy between the two
Found Family
Skinscript/magic
Danger/Adventure
A new found purpose for the FMC
Both MMC are possessive of one another
Forced proximity
A magic system that is unique (not difficult to understand)

I gave this a 3.8-4 star rating due to the pacing of the storyline. The training seemed to have taken a really long time but I also understood why. I loved the trials and the missions. I loved the danger aspect of some of the characters and not just that the becoming a Voyager was the only dangerous thing Lisia had to overcome.

I don’t want to spoil things but I definitely did not like certain characters which I am pretty sure we weren’t supposed to like by the end lol. I was invested and tried to figure out some of the mysteries throughout the story.

I know this is so long and for that I apologize. I can go on even more so but if I do I’ll end up spoiling somethings so I’ll end it right here :)

This was a fun read and I enjoyed how different the storyline was. Thank you again for the chance to be able to read your work :)

[D E Y J · Rating 2 out of 5]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

“𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒕𝒉.”

🌺📚🌴

Before I get into what I didn’t like about this book, I would like to say I wish this author the best of luck with their writing.

The idea of a fantasy taking place in a tropical environment is something refreshingly new, which I really appreciate.

Not only that, but the FMC wasn’t your typical overpowered, perfect-in-every-way and completely flawless FMC, which I believe books could do with more of so applause to the author for that!

I believe the concept of this story was very intriguing, the world, creatures and general plot. The premise is amazing, I just had a few small issues with the execution which is no hate at all to the author.

What I didn’t like?

The story felt a little rushed, in my personal opinion, though I know that pace is perfect for some people.

To me, it seemed as if the goal was to dump as much information about the world in as possible, which is great for readers to imagine the world and its creatures in depth, however, the descriptions were more like throwaway comments rather than detail and in an attempt to achieve this, relationships between the characters and even the characters to me as a reader were lost.

I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters the way I should have been, especially with such a unique plot. I didn’t have time to bond with the FMC enough to care when things happened to her. I didn’t know enough information about the villains to be surprised when they turned out to be… well, villains.

The plot twists, as a result of this, became dull and I found myself struggling to read to the end. I am glad I did and I pray the author gets more support as I know there will undoubtedly be so many people who adore this, but personally, it wasn’t enough for me to enjoy: world-building, characters and even the prose altogether.

On the topic of the writing style (apologies in advance if that is just how the author writes), but I honestly felt like I was reading an AI novel which I personally do not support at all and this idea was further by the fact the author’s Goodreads profile picture is also created by AI. Again, apologies if that is not the case, just speaking from what I’m seeing and what my opinions are :)

No hate to the author, though! If you like fast-paced action and an easy read then I would definitely recommend this, it just wasn’t my cup of tea 🙂‍↕️

[Malisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, thank you to the author for early access to Starshell. This was such a fun read!

Starshell scratches the itch in the best ways if your favorite fantasy tropes are trials, military academy, unique magic system, found family, and of course a hot MMC instructor that leads to lots of tension and yearning.

What really set this story apart for me was the almost fanatic religious aspect of the established civilization. We're first introduced to a coastal world in which their entire way of life is centered around the "ocean" and the terrifying, legendary creatures that live in it. There is a very structured population hierarchy with incredibly strict rules and laws that govern all aspect of life like job assignments, marriage, and family sizes. But when the FMC starts her training, we see the fractures in the system. Why are we blindly believing everything we're told? What do the leaders and priests know vs what knowledge has been lost to history?

Then there's the magic system. Once again, we're working off the limited knowledge that has been shared with the FMC, but clearly there's so much more to it. Why is so much knowledge and information being kept from the general public, including the military...the only people who can tap into this power?!

I didn't have any expectations going into the story, but wow does the story take off running once you hit that first trial. I can't wait to learn more about this world in book 2!

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.75

🌶 1.5 of 5- for some serious tension and one lightly descriptive, interrupted intimate scene and 1 play by play intimate scene.

⚠️ some strong language throughout, and discussed death of a child

❤️‍🔥 slow burn, tension

Starshell was so unique. I loved the story, the world and magic, and the main and side chatacters. I suppose this would be considered academy setting which I normally don't like because it feels juvenile. I was able to get past that for the most part. The writing was excellent and the dialogue flowed naturally. The wedding scene had me laughing out loud! I am definitely invested in the story and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Lisia is is such a great character. She has a heart of gold but will also fight tooth and nail to protect herself and those she loves. Her parents absolutely suck and every part of her life they are involved in, they ruin. This girl puts up with betrayal after betrayal, gets knocked down, and keeps going!

Zevrial is trouble. The kind that gives you butterflies and makes your toes curl. He's brash and guarded, except he spills all his secrets to *her*.

Thank you to the author, Net Galley for the ARC! These opinions are my own.

[Bailey Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advance copy review 📖

I absolutely ate this book up!

🌎 I loved the fantasy world the author created with a tropical/jungle aesthetic that was unlike anything I've read before. The environments and different creatures were so unique and interesting. I love when a world is so well described that I can picture it in my mind as I read - and that was the case with Starshell.

🪄 Starshell has a completely unique tattoo-based magic system that was so intriguing. There's heavy political significance and tons of mystery surrounding the magic and its wielders. The author did such a good job giving enough information to understand the basics of the magic, while having so much left to develop in future books.

❤️ The slow-burn, forbidden romance had me HOOKED and left me absolutely wanting more. The banter, the tension, the will-they-won't-they... I just loved it all. There are a few instances of spicy on-page description, but Starshell is mostly plot forward with the spice enhancing the storyline. I also loved the cast of side characters the author developed throughout the story.

Overall, such a good read! My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger that left me wanting the next book IMMEDIATELY.

[Niki Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

Starshell by Adara Vesper hooked me almost immediately. The story wastes no time pulling you in, and the pacing kept me turning pages the entire way through. Even within its dystopian fantasy setting, the characters felt incredibly realistic and emotionally grounded, which made every tense moment hit even harder.
There were multiple scenes that had my stomach in knots, wondering what was going to happen next, balanced perfectly with moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud. And the chapter “Wedding Bells”? I was absolutely ROLLING.
This book had such a great mix of tension, humor, emotion, and chaos in the best way possible. I loved it and cannot wait to see where the series goes from here!

[Sarah Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing story! I have to admit when I first started this book I wasn't sure it was for me but as I went through i was swept up in the incredible world the author created. Lisia is strong, determined, honorable (more so towards the end) and the chemistry between her and Zevrial is fire! I loved them together.

My only complaint is I didn't like how Zevrial reacted to her confession at the end - which almost made me remove a star. Still this book is incredibly well written i just wish I had the next one already.

[Monique Tutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn in from the first few pages. The pacing was done well; I didn't feel rushed and had a lot of information coming to me at once, but it also didn't drag on. I have been slowly diving into more dystopian fantasy, and this was a great book to dive into. It felt emotionally grounding, which made certain scenes and tense moments hit harder. I had to close the book and breathe through them for a bit. The bits of humour put in helped with the tension and those moments that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I loved this book and can't wait for more from the series.

[Demri Lone Fight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy to review this book. I found the story building unique. Chapter 35 made me laugh, and the next couple of chapters had me thinking WTH! The only thing I hated, was that it ended. I'm ready to find out how this story continues. Sometimes the healthiest relationships are your friends and those you are drawn to [literally inked], and not your biological family or your arranged marriages.

[MicaelaRenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it did take me awhile to figure out the world building and magic system. It was an easy quick read for me.

The only thing is that I didn't really feel
Connected to the FMC. The plot twist I didn't enjoy and mainly because it justified the why I didn't have an affinity to her. I did prefer the MMC and could feel the tension between the two which is what made me continue reading.

[Jodie Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Started pretty slow, I almost dnf’d in the first 40%. But I’m glad I stuck with it. Once it picked up, the engaging characters, unique magic system, and developing love interest kept me interested. Some twists I saw coming and some I didn’t. Over all I’m glad I stuck with it, will most likely continue on with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this eARC.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisia is a strong female protagonist who is in the fight for her life. I love the non stop action. The twists kept coming and so did the fantasy. Overall it's a exciting start of a series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just absolutely amazing. The detail and storytelling phenomenal. I was absolutely hooked! I could not put it down. I can’t wait for more!