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Starbound in Shadows
Princess Adelina
I have been someone’s possession my whole life.
My brother took the throne when I was seven. For forty years, he has reminded me exactly where I belong, with pain, fear, and punishments no one dares question. Now he’s trading me to a prince I’ve never met, and my body is the price of an alliance.
So I run. I would rather drown in the Celestial Sea than spend the rest of my life wondering if the next man who claims to protect me will only build a prettier cage.
But the prince follows. And the strange pull I felt the moment our eyes met only grows stronger with every mile between us. I don’t know what it is.
I only know it keeps pulling me toward him, and I cannot tell whether it is leading me to freedom or into another cage.
Prince Kaedryn
I was sent south to collect a bride and forge an alliance.
I’m the Shadow Prince of Elyrion, heir to the throne, and I learned long ago that attachment is a blade you hand your enemies. I do not want a Celestial Bond.
The stars do not care what I want.
The bond wakes the instant our eyes meet, and when she runs, it drags me after her. I tell myself the pull is duty. I have always been good at lying to myself.
My magic reaches her in ways neither of us asked for, and I have never hated my own power more. Because someone broke her long before I found her. Every time she flinches, I wonder if fate has made me another monster.
Some bonds are written in the stars. Others are forged in shadows.
Starbound in Shadows is the first book in The Celestial Bonds, a dark fae fantasy romance featuring an unwanted Celestial Bond, a runaway princess, the ruthless prince she was promised to, and a dangerous magic neither of them can fully control.
Perfect for readers who love morally gray fae, political marriages, forced proximity, wounded heroines, possessive but conflicted heroes, and fated bonds that feel more like a curse than a blessing.
Contains dark themes including abuse, captivity, trauma, coercive magic, and dubious consent. Reader discretion advised.
I have been someone’s possession my whole life.
My brother took the throne when I was seven. For forty years, he has reminded me exactly where I belong, with pain, fear, and punishments no one dares question. Now he’s trading me to a prince I’ve never met, and my body is the price of an alliance.
So I run. I would rather drown in the Celestial Sea than spend the rest of my life wondering if the next man who claims to protect me will only build a prettier cage.
But the prince follows. And the strange pull I felt the moment our eyes met only grows stronger with every mile between us. I don’t know what it is.
I only know it keeps pulling me toward him, and I cannot tell whether it is leading me to freedom or into another cage.
Prince Kaedryn
I was sent south to collect a bride and forge an alliance.
I’m the Shadow Prince of Elyrion, heir to the throne, and I learned long ago that attachment is a blade you hand your enemies. I do not want a Celestial Bond.
The stars do not care what I want.
The bond wakes the instant our eyes meet, and when she runs, it drags me after her. I tell myself the pull is duty. I have always been good at lying to myself.
My magic reaches her in ways neither of us asked for, and I have never hated my own power more. Because someone broke her long before I found her. Every time she flinches, I wonder if fate has made me another monster.
Some bonds are written in the stars. Others are forged in shadows.
Starbound in Shadows is the first book in The Celestial Bonds, a dark fae fantasy romance featuring an unwanted Celestial Bond, a runaway princess, the ruthless prince she was promised to, and a dangerous magic neither of them can fully control.
Perfect for readers who love morally gray fae, political marriages, forced proximity, wounded heroines, possessive but conflicted heroes, and fated bonds that feel more like a curse than a blessing.
Contains dark themes including abuse, captivity, trauma, coercive magic, and dubious consent. Reader discretion advised.
502 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Author
There is something almost indescribably special about being an ARC reader. You are given a book before it officially belongs to the world, before the reviews begin to pour in, before readers start dissecting characters and choosing sides, before the internet decides what it thinks. Starbound in Shadows by T.R. Nox officially releases on August 25, and I had the privilege of stepping into its world early. And it is a privilege, but I have always thought there is a certain weight attached to it as well.
When an author entrusts you with their work, gratitude inevitably becomes part of the experience. There is a real person behind those pages, someone who has spent months or years creating this world, and it is impossible not to feel grateful that they chose to place it in your hands. But on the other side of that gratitude is your own word. If I tell other readers that a book is extraordinary, I want them to know I mean it. Receiving an ARC should never purchase a glowing review, and gratitude should never quietly turn four stars into five.
I have been an ARC reader before, and I will admit that I have occasionally caught myself being more generous because of it. Perhaps forgiving a weakness I would otherwise have mentioned, perhaps rounding a rating upward because there is something strangely difficult about criticizing a book someone personally trusted you to read.
So, with Starbound in Shadows, I felt something very close to relief.
There was absolutely nothing to round up.
There was never a question of giving this book anything less than five stars.
All 800-plus pages of this first installment disappeared in roughly a day and a half, or, if we are being completely honest here, two very sleep-deprived nights. At some point you simply accept your fate, sacrifice tomorrow's functioning brain cells to the literary gods, and keep turning pages.
And after recently finishing a trilogy that completely swept me away, I am ridiculously happy that my streak of excellent fantasy reads has continued. There are books you enjoy, books you admire, and then there are books that make you look at the clock at some ungodly hour and think, Well, I have already made several poor decisions tonight. One more chapter cannot possibly make this worse.
It can.
It will.
You will read it anyway.
At the center of Starbound in Shadows is Adelina, a princess raised beneath the cruelty of her brother, Prince Varek, and his wife. To describe her childhood as merely unhappy would be far too gentle. Life at their court has been a systematic dismantling of a human being, a long and deliberate education in obedience and torture until Adelina has learned how to become quiet, compliant and almost invisible. She knows when to lower her eyes. She knows when silence is safer than truth. She knows how much the smallest act of defiance can cost.
Varek has not merely frightened her. He has taught fear to live inside her.
Then he promises her in marriage to a prince from another kingdom.
Kaedryn.
A dark prince with an equally dark reputation, a formidable soldier and politician whose black wings and ruthless demeanor have made fear arrive in a room before he does.
This is where T.R. Nox could very easily have taken the familiar road. Kaedryn could have been another mysterious fantasy prince whose entire appeal rested on being dangerous, beautiful and capable of delivering a few devastating lines while looking appropriately murderous.
Instead, she gave him something infinitely more attractive.
A brain.
Kaedryn watches people.
Really watches them.
He listens to what they say, certainly, but he is far more interested in what they do not say. He notices pauses, changes in posture, a glance held half a second too long, the tension beneath an apparently harmless response. He has an unnerving ability to recognize the distance between what a person is saying and what they actually mean.
And Adelina is practically an entire language composed of silences.
Because of the threats hanging over her, she cannot simply tell Kaedryn what Varek and his wife have done to her. She has been trained to conceal it. Yet there are some stories the mouth can refuse to tell while the body continues whispering them.
Their earliest encounters take place amid formal dinners dripping with wealth, ceremony, hypocrisy and carefully rehearsed courtly behavior. Everyone knows their role. Everyone knows which smile to wear. Everything gleams.
And something underneath it all is rotting.
Kaedryn senses it.
That was one of the first things that made me realize Starbound in Shadows was going to give me much more than I had expected. T.R. Nox understands the narrative power of what remains unspoken. She understands that sometimes a look across a dinner table can carry more menace than a sword, and that a perfectly polite sentence can become threatening when both characters understand the words beneath the words.
There is something almost Poe-like about the atmosphere at times. The horror does not always announce itself. Sometimes it simply breathes behind the wall. You cannot see it yet, but you know it is there.
Varek's court often feels like a theatre of shadows in which everyone is performing a carefully constructed version of themselves. People say one thing, conceal another and want you to believe a third. Nox pays attention to those tiny fractures in the performance, and the result is a story in which intrigue actually feels intriguing rather than existing merely as decoration around the romance.
There is, of course, a much larger political game unfolding behind Adelina and Kaedryn. Alliances must be forged between kingdoms, including the rigid, frozen kingdom of the North and the very different world Adelina comes from. There are political calculations, unrest, secrets, bargains and people who view marriage less as the joining of two human beings than as the movement of valuable pieces across a board.
Yet the politics never swallow the people.
That balance impressed me enormously.
Adelina herself is a mystery in more ways than one. Her magic is considered weak. She possesses fairy wings she is barely permitted to use, turning something that should symbolize freedom into another source of vulnerability. She has an extraordinarily self-sacrificing heart, but she has spent so long being taught that her own needs do not matter that her kindness sometimes becomes painfully close to self-erasure.
And then there is her trauma.
This may have been the element of the book that surprised me most.
Fantasy often gives its characters horrific pasts because tragedy is a convenient shortcut to depth. Something terrible happened, we are shown a few memories, the protagonist becomes suitably haunted, and the adventure moves on.
That is not what happens here.
Adelina's trauma lives with her.
It exists in her reflexes, in her relationship with touch, authority, danger and trust. It exists in the way she interprets kindness and in the terrible expectation that safety is merely the quiet moment before something bad happens again. Nox understands something very important: escaping the place where you were hurt does not mean the place immediately leaves you.
You can leave the room.
You can leave the castle.
You can cross the border into another kingdom.
But how do you escape the voice your tormentor left inside your head?
That is where Starbound in Shadows becomes something far more emotionally intelligent than I expected from its premise. Yes, we have magic, wings, kingdoms, dangerous journeys, princes, political intrigue and all the delicious ingredients that make me reach for high fantasy and romantasy in the first place. But beneath all of that is an intimate story about a person trying to understand the difference between surviving and actually living.
And opposite Adelina stands the man everyone has already decided she should fear.
Kaedryn is known for ruthlessness, darkness and those enormous black wings. He is intimidating, sharp and capable of being genuinely frightening, and the story does not need to soften him into harmlessness to make him compelling. What makes him fascinating is not that the darkness disappears around Adelina. It is that beneath the reputation exists a man with an almost merciless ability to see through deception.
No one seems to have accounted for how closely he would watch her.
And perhaps nothing is more terrifying to someone who has survived by making herself invisible than meeting a person who sees too much.
That gives their relationship a weight I desperately wanted from this kind of story. Their connection is not built solely from attraction and conveniently seductive dialogue. There is suspicion between them. Caution. Resistance. Curiosity. Fear. There is the slow recognition of another person beneath all the roles both of them have been expected to play.
And somewhere inside all of that is something neither of them entirely understands.
An invisible bond.
A thread between them that feels older and stranger than either of their intentions, something that appears determined to exist regardless of how much they, their kingdoms or perhaps the entire world might object to it. The more the story reveals, the stronger the sense becomes that another mystery lies underneath the one we are currently reading. Magic has layers. The past has not finished speaking. People are rarely exactly what they first appear to be, and there are secrets here that feel as though they have been waiting a very long time to be uncovered.
Yet for all the darkness, the novel would not have nearly as much heart without the people surrounding Adelina.
Freya, Mara and Vera are not merely background characters placed around the heroine so that she can technically have friends. Their loyalty matters. Freya's quiet, long-term preparation for Adelina's escape affected me especially because there is something deeply beautiful about that kind of devotion. Not every rebellion begins with a sword raised in the air. Sometimes rebellion is a secret kept for years. Sometimes it is a plan prepared quietly, patiently, for the day when the person you love finally has a chance to run.
And then there is the family Adelina begins to encounter through Kaedryn, a very different kind of family from the one into which she was born.
Sylas, Rowen, Merritt and the others bring warmth into a story that desperately needs those small pockets of light. Sylas in particular completely won me over. He is charming, funny and possesses enough emotional intelligence that even Kaedryn could occasionally take notes. Characters like him matter enormously in dark stories because they do not diminish the darkness. They remind us why light is worth fighting for.
That contrast may be one of the things T.R. Nox handles best throughout the novel.
Beauty is not always a gift. Family is not always a refuge. Home is not always the place where you are safest. Reputation is not necessarily truth. Escape is not the same thing as freedom. And the person the world has taught you to fear may not be the person from whom you actually need to run.
Adelina's journey brings very real dangers with it: threats, blackmail, secrets, rebellion, political maneuvering and the possibility that the destiny others have designed for her may be far more difficult to escape than she imagined. But the greatest danger following her into a new life may still be the shadow of the man who spent years teaching her to be afraid.
That is why this book affected me far more deeply than I expected.
It is lavish without being hollow, dark without mistaking cruelty for depth, and romantic without pretending love is a magical cure for everything a human being has survived. There are magnificent courts, magic, wings and kingdoms, yet some of the strongest moments occur when one person simply looks at another and understands something they were never told.
There is a particular kind of beauty in this novel that reminded me, in spirit rather than imitation, of the gothic sensibility I love in Edgar Allan Poe: the sense that beauty and darkness are not always opposites. Sometimes they grow from the same soil. Sometimes the most magnificent palace casts the longest shadow. Sometimes moonlight makes the ruins more beautiful without making them any less ruined.
Perhaps that is the image I will carry with me from Starbound in Shadows: something breathtaking standing beneath moonlight, while somewhere just beyond what the eye can see, darkness is still breathing.
And that is why my five stars have absolutely nothing to do with gratitude toward T.R. Nox for allowing me to read this book early. In fact, that may be the greatest relief of this entire ARC experience. I do not have to choose between being grateful to the author and being honest with myself.
I can simply say what I mean.
Starbound in Shadows is lush, haunting, addictive, emotionally intelligent and wonderfully atmospheric. It has enough magic to pull us out of our own world and enough human darkness to remind us of it. It gave me political intrigue, rebellion, friendship, trauma, mystery, dangerous magic, an infuriatingly perceptive dark-winged prince, a heroine I desperately wanted to see reclaim herself, and a bond between two people that feels powerful enough to make the world itself regret standing in their way.
And when I finally closed the book after more than eight hundred pages, I did not think it had been too long.
I thought I had left too soon. And i can't wait for the book 2
When an author entrusts you with their work, gratitude inevitably becomes part of the experience. There is a real person behind those pages, someone who has spent months or years creating this world, and it is impossible not to feel grateful that they chose to place it in your hands. But on the other side of that gratitude is your own word. If I tell other readers that a book is extraordinary, I want them to know I mean it. Receiving an ARC should never purchase a glowing review, and gratitude should never quietly turn four stars into five.
I have been an ARC reader before, and I will admit that I have occasionally caught myself being more generous because of it. Perhaps forgiving a weakness I would otherwise have mentioned, perhaps rounding a rating upward because there is something strangely difficult about criticizing a book someone personally trusted you to read.
So, with Starbound in Shadows, I felt something very close to relief.
There was absolutely nothing to round up.
There was never a question of giving this book anything less than five stars.
All 800-plus pages of this first installment disappeared in roughly a day and a half, or, if we are being completely honest here, two very sleep-deprived nights. At some point you simply accept your fate, sacrifice tomorrow's functioning brain cells to the literary gods, and keep turning pages.
And after recently finishing a trilogy that completely swept me away, I am ridiculously happy that my streak of excellent fantasy reads has continued. There are books you enjoy, books you admire, and then there are books that make you look at the clock at some ungodly hour and think, Well, I have already made several poor decisions tonight. One more chapter cannot possibly make this worse.
It can.
It will.
You will read it anyway.
At the center of Starbound in Shadows is Adelina, a princess raised beneath the cruelty of her brother, Prince Varek, and his wife. To describe her childhood as merely unhappy would be far too gentle. Life at their court has been a systematic dismantling of a human being, a long and deliberate education in obedience and torture until Adelina has learned how to become quiet, compliant and almost invisible. She knows when to lower her eyes. She knows when silence is safer than truth. She knows how much the smallest act of defiance can cost.
Varek has not merely frightened her. He has taught fear to live inside her.
Then he promises her in marriage to a prince from another kingdom.
Kaedryn.
A dark prince with an equally dark reputation, a formidable soldier and politician whose black wings and ruthless demeanor have made fear arrive in a room before he does.
This is where T.R. Nox could very easily have taken the familiar road. Kaedryn could have been another mysterious fantasy prince whose entire appeal rested on being dangerous, beautiful and capable of delivering a few devastating lines while looking appropriately murderous.
Instead, she gave him something infinitely more attractive.
A brain.
Kaedryn watches people.
Really watches them.
He listens to what they say, certainly, but he is far more interested in what they do not say. He notices pauses, changes in posture, a glance held half a second too long, the tension beneath an apparently harmless response. He has an unnerving ability to recognize the distance between what a person is saying and what they actually mean.
And Adelina is practically an entire language composed of silences.
Because of the threats hanging over her, she cannot simply tell Kaedryn what Varek and his wife have done to her. She has been trained to conceal it. Yet there are some stories the mouth can refuse to tell while the body continues whispering them.
Their earliest encounters take place amid formal dinners dripping with wealth, ceremony, hypocrisy and carefully rehearsed courtly behavior. Everyone knows their role. Everyone knows which smile to wear. Everything gleams.
And something underneath it all is rotting.
Kaedryn senses it.
That was one of the first things that made me realize Starbound in Shadows was going to give me much more than I had expected. T.R. Nox understands the narrative power of what remains unspoken. She understands that sometimes a look across a dinner table can carry more menace than a sword, and that a perfectly polite sentence can become threatening when both characters understand the words beneath the words.
There is something almost Poe-like about the atmosphere at times. The horror does not always announce itself. Sometimes it simply breathes behind the wall. You cannot see it yet, but you know it is there.
Varek's court often feels like a theatre of shadows in which everyone is performing a carefully constructed version of themselves. People say one thing, conceal another and want you to believe a third. Nox pays attention to those tiny fractures in the performance, and the result is a story in which intrigue actually feels intriguing rather than existing merely as decoration around the romance.
There is, of course, a much larger political game unfolding behind Adelina and Kaedryn. Alliances must be forged between kingdoms, including the rigid, frozen kingdom of the North and the very different world Adelina comes from. There are political calculations, unrest, secrets, bargains and people who view marriage less as the joining of two human beings than as the movement of valuable pieces across a board.
Yet the politics never swallow the people.
That balance impressed me enormously.
Adelina herself is a mystery in more ways than one. Her magic is considered weak. She possesses fairy wings she is barely permitted to use, turning something that should symbolize freedom into another source of vulnerability. She has an extraordinarily self-sacrificing heart, but she has spent so long being taught that her own needs do not matter that her kindness sometimes becomes painfully close to self-erasure.
And then there is her trauma.
This may have been the element of the book that surprised me most.
Fantasy often gives its characters horrific pasts because tragedy is a convenient shortcut to depth. Something terrible happened, we are shown a few memories, the protagonist becomes suitably haunted, and the adventure moves on.
That is not what happens here.
Adelina's trauma lives with her.
It exists in her reflexes, in her relationship with touch, authority, danger and trust. It exists in the way she interprets kindness and in the terrible expectation that safety is merely the quiet moment before something bad happens again. Nox understands something very important: escaping the place where you were hurt does not mean the place immediately leaves you.
You can leave the room.
You can leave the castle.
You can cross the border into another kingdom.
But how do you escape the voice your tormentor left inside your head?
That is where Starbound in Shadows becomes something far more emotionally intelligent than I expected from its premise. Yes, we have magic, wings, kingdoms, dangerous journeys, princes, political intrigue and all the delicious ingredients that make me reach for high fantasy and romantasy in the first place. But beneath all of that is an intimate story about a person trying to understand the difference between surviving and actually living.
And opposite Adelina stands the man everyone has already decided she should fear.
Kaedryn is known for ruthlessness, darkness and those enormous black wings. He is intimidating, sharp and capable of being genuinely frightening, and the story does not need to soften him into harmlessness to make him compelling. What makes him fascinating is not that the darkness disappears around Adelina. It is that beneath the reputation exists a man with an almost merciless ability to see through deception.
No one seems to have accounted for how closely he would watch her.
And perhaps nothing is more terrifying to someone who has survived by making herself invisible than meeting a person who sees too much.
That gives their relationship a weight I desperately wanted from this kind of story. Their connection is not built solely from attraction and conveniently seductive dialogue. There is suspicion between them. Caution. Resistance. Curiosity. Fear. There is the slow recognition of another person beneath all the roles both of them have been expected to play.
And somewhere inside all of that is something neither of them entirely understands.
An invisible bond.
A thread between them that feels older and stranger than either of their intentions, something that appears determined to exist regardless of how much they, their kingdoms or perhaps the entire world might object to it. The more the story reveals, the stronger the sense becomes that another mystery lies underneath the one we are currently reading. Magic has layers. The past has not finished speaking. People are rarely exactly what they first appear to be, and there are secrets here that feel as though they have been waiting a very long time to be uncovered.
Yet for all the darkness, the novel would not have nearly as much heart without the people surrounding Adelina.
Freya, Mara and Vera are not merely background characters placed around the heroine so that she can technically have friends. Their loyalty matters. Freya's quiet, long-term preparation for Adelina's escape affected me especially because there is something deeply beautiful about that kind of devotion. Not every rebellion begins with a sword raised in the air. Sometimes rebellion is a secret kept for years. Sometimes it is a plan prepared quietly, patiently, for the day when the person you love finally has a chance to run.
And then there is the family Adelina begins to encounter through Kaedryn, a very different kind of family from the one into which she was born.
Sylas, Rowen, Merritt and the others bring warmth into a story that desperately needs those small pockets of light. Sylas in particular completely won me over. He is charming, funny and possesses enough emotional intelligence that even Kaedryn could occasionally take notes. Characters like him matter enormously in dark stories because they do not diminish the darkness. They remind us why light is worth fighting for.
That contrast may be one of the things T.R. Nox handles best throughout the novel.
Beauty is not always a gift. Family is not always a refuge. Home is not always the place where you are safest. Reputation is not necessarily truth. Escape is not the same thing as freedom. And the person the world has taught you to fear may not be the person from whom you actually need to run.
Adelina's journey brings very real dangers with it: threats, blackmail, secrets, rebellion, political maneuvering and the possibility that the destiny others have designed for her may be far more difficult to escape than she imagined. But the greatest danger following her into a new life may still be the shadow of the man who spent years teaching her to be afraid.
That is why this book affected me far more deeply than I expected.
It is lavish without being hollow, dark without mistaking cruelty for depth, and romantic without pretending love is a magical cure for everything a human being has survived. There are magnificent courts, magic, wings and kingdoms, yet some of the strongest moments occur when one person simply looks at another and understands something they were never told.
There is a particular kind of beauty in this novel that reminded me, in spirit rather than imitation, of the gothic sensibility I love in Edgar Allan Poe: the sense that beauty and darkness are not always opposites. Sometimes they grow from the same soil. Sometimes the most magnificent palace casts the longest shadow. Sometimes moonlight makes the ruins more beautiful without making them any less ruined.
Perhaps that is the image I will carry with me from Starbound in Shadows: something breathtaking standing beneath moonlight, while somewhere just beyond what the eye can see, darkness is still breathing.
And that is why my five stars have absolutely nothing to do with gratitude toward T.R. Nox for allowing me to read this book early. In fact, that may be the greatest relief of this entire ARC experience. I do not have to choose between being grateful to the author and being honest with myself.
I can simply say what I mean.
Starbound in Shadows is lush, haunting, addictive, emotionally intelligent and wonderfully atmospheric. It has enough magic to pull us out of our own world and enough human darkness to remind us of it. It gave me political intrigue, rebellion, friendship, trauma, mystery, dangerous magic, an infuriatingly perceptive dark-winged prince, a heroine I desperately wanted to see reclaim herself, and a bond between two people that feels powerful enough to make the world itself regret standing in their way.
And when I finally closed the book after more than eight hundred pages, I did not think it had been too long.
I thought I had left too soon. And i can't wait for the book 2
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was given this book as an ARC and let me tell you something this book was SO AMAZING!!!!
I genuinely don’t even know how to put all of my thoughts about this story into words because I was completely obsessed with this book from beginning to end😭🖤 One of the biggest things that stood out to me was Adelina and the way her trauma from King Varek followed her throughout the entire story. Because of the abuse she endured she struggles so much with trusting anyone, believing she is safe or even feeling like she is worthy of kindness. She is constantly afraid that she has done something wrong or that one small mistake is going to lead to her being punished again, and knowing while reading it that she isn’t in that situation anymore while she still believes she is absolutely broke my heart. I really loved that her trauma didn’t just disappear once her circumstances changed. It affected the way she saw herself, the people around her and especially Kaedryn. Watching her slowly begin to understand that not everyone is going to hurt her and that she doesn’t have to live in constant fear was such an emotional part of this story. I loved the dual POV because we get to see both sides of their relationship, especially all of Adelina’s fear and distrust while also knowing what Kaedryn is feeling. I also really loved that their bond didn’t automatically fix everything. Adelina still had to learn to trust him and Kaedryn had to prove that he wasn’t another Varek. The romance, tension, fantasy elements and depth had me completely hooked but Adelina’s journey was definitely what made this book hit the hardest for me. AND THEN THAT ENDING??? That cliffhanger absolutely WRECKED me. I finished the last page and genuinely could not believe that was where it ended😭 If you love dark romantasy, fated mates, dual POV, protective MMCs, trauma and healing and a romance where trust actually has to be earned I absolutely recommend this one. 🖤
I genuinely don’t even know how to put all of my thoughts about this story into words because I was completely obsessed with this book from beginning to end😭🖤 One of the biggest things that stood out to me was Adelina and the way her trauma from King Varek followed her throughout the entire story. Because of the abuse she endured she struggles so much with trusting anyone, believing she is safe or even feeling like she is worthy of kindness. She is constantly afraid that she has done something wrong or that one small mistake is going to lead to her being punished again, and knowing while reading it that she isn’t in that situation anymore while she still believes she is absolutely broke my heart. I really loved that her trauma didn’t just disappear once her circumstances changed. It affected the way she saw herself, the people around her and especially Kaedryn. Watching her slowly begin to understand that not everyone is going to hurt her and that she doesn’t have to live in constant fear was such an emotional part of this story. I loved the dual POV because we get to see both sides of their relationship, especially all of Adelina’s fear and distrust while also knowing what Kaedryn is feeling. I also really loved that their bond didn’t automatically fix everything. Adelina still had to learn to trust him and Kaedryn had to prove that he wasn’t another Varek. The romance, tension, fantasy elements and depth had me completely hooked but Adelina’s journey was definitely what made this book hit the hardest for me. AND THEN THAT ENDING??? That cliffhanger absolutely WRECKED me. I finished the last page and genuinely could not believe that was where it ended😭 If you love dark romantasy, fated mates, dual POV, protective MMCs, trauma and healing and a romance where trust actually has to be earned I absolutely recommend this one. 🖤
August 25, 2026
I was lucky enough to receive an Advance Reader Copy of this book, and I’m so grateful for the chance to read it early! All thoughts and honest opinions below are entirely my own.
I devoured this nearly 600 page book in just three days, staying up far past my bedtime because putting it down simply was not an option. Right out of the gate, this story snagged my soul and refused to let go. It is an intense, raw, and at times infuriating emotional rollercoaster that put my heart through the wringer—I cried, I gasped, and I experienced every emotion on the spectrum.
Adelina is an unforgettable heroine whose quiet bravery, fierce will, and realistic journey toward healing broke my heart and earned my immediate loyalty. Paired with beautifully written, atmospheric worldbuilding rich in fae lore and shadow magic, every step of her journey feels vivid and vital.
The dynamic with Prince Kaedryn is a masterclass in tension and moral complexity. By the end of Part 1, I was devastated and furious with him, but watching his arc evolve made for compelling reading. The deeply rooted reasons behind his fierce protectiveness make his actions all the more heartbreaking. While I didn't always agree with his methods, seeing a harsh warrior earnestly stumble while trying to learn gentleness made their connection deeply earned.
The standout brotherhood among Kaedryn and his inner circle—along with his incredible mother—brought genuine warmth and unforgettable found-family depth to the story.
The final act left me completely flabbergasted, in tears, and staring at a cliffhanger that has me starving for Book 2. This author is officially an automatic-buy, new favorite for me. If you love dark, high-stakes romantic fantasy packed with deep emotional resonance, check the trigger warnings and dive in immediately.
I devoured this nearly 600 page book in just three days, staying up far past my bedtime because putting it down simply was not an option. Right out of the gate, this story snagged my soul and refused to let go. It is an intense, raw, and at times infuriating emotional rollercoaster that put my heart through the wringer—I cried, I gasped, and I experienced every emotion on the spectrum.
Adelina is an unforgettable heroine whose quiet bravery, fierce will, and realistic journey toward healing broke my heart and earned my immediate loyalty. Paired with beautifully written, atmospheric worldbuilding rich in fae lore and shadow magic, every step of her journey feels vivid and vital.
The dynamic with Prince Kaedryn is a masterclass in tension and moral complexity. By the end of Part 1, I was devastated and furious with him, but watching his arc evolve made for compelling reading. The deeply rooted reasons behind his fierce protectiveness make his actions all the more heartbreaking. While I didn't always agree with his methods, seeing a harsh warrior earnestly stumble while trying to learn gentleness made their connection deeply earned.
The standout brotherhood among Kaedryn and his inner circle—along with his incredible mother—brought genuine warmth and unforgettable found-family depth to the story.
The final act left me completely flabbergasted, in tears, and staring at a cliffhanger that has me starving for Book 2. This author is officially an automatic-buy, new favorite for me. If you love dark, high-stakes romantic fantasy packed with deep emotional resonance, check the trigger warnings and dive in immediately.
Review of advance copy
Starbound in Shadows follows princess Adelina a survivor of her brother (the king) and his wife’s abuse. She has been raised to stay hidden and obedient. Her life is not her own and her cage tightens when her brother reveals that he has arranged for her to wed a ruthless shadow prince Kaedryn. Adelina feels she has no other choice but to RUN!
The story begins in the Fae Kingdoms and starts in the northern kingdom of Dravaryn. Its cold and harsh climate mirrors the Kings strict and oppressive environment. The kingdom of Elyrion is where the shadow prince, Kaedryn is from, it is mentioned but not much detail given on it yet!
Upon meeting for the first time Adelina and Kaedryn feel a Celestial bond form, Kaedryn knows exactly what is happening, but Adelina is too blindsided by the arranged marriage and in fear for her well being because of her brothers abuse, she knows it’s something but doesn’t fully understand it.
The pacing is so good! The author doesn’t over explain things, or over tell. The book moves at a really good pace that doesn’t leave the reader bored but keeps the reader engaged.
The author takes us on a journey throughout the kingdoms and the world building is so easy to follow!
Every-time I thought I could predict what was going to happen.... NOPE TOTALLY WRONG. And I read so much I honestly never have that happen. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. It's amazing. As it stands right now it might be my highest recommended book of the year for me. And I'm not just saying that.
The story begins in the Fae Kingdoms and starts in the northern kingdom of Dravaryn. Its cold and harsh climate mirrors the Kings strict and oppressive environment. The kingdom of Elyrion is where the shadow prince, Kaedryn is from, it is mentioned but not much detail given on it yet!
Upon meeting for the first time Adelina and Kaedryn feel a Celestial bond form, Kaedryn knows exactly what is happening, but Adelina is too blindsided by the arranged marriage and in fear for her well being because of her brothers abuse, she knows it’s something but doesn’t fully understand it.
The pacing is so good! The author doesn’t over explain things, or over tell. The book moves at a really good pace that doesn’t leave the reader bored but keeps the reader engaged.
The author takes us on a journey throughout the kingdoms and the world building is so easy to follow!
Every-time I thought I could predict what was going to happen.... NOPE TOTALLY WRONG. And I read so much I honestly never have that happen. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. It's amazing. As it stands right now it might be my highest recommended book of the year for me. And I'm not just saying that.
August 23, 2026
Phenomenal Story, Perfect Execution, Excellent Plot Development, Diabolical Ending. This is exactly the first book we needed in this series and an absolute must read.
You know those books where the FMC has had a tragic life? A life most people could never survive? And then in the span of a single page an event happens and all of a sudden she went from the frail woman to a warrior and has left that trauma behind???
THIS BOOK IS NOT THAT!!!
Our FMC Adelina survived the worst of the worst in physical and emotional abuse and she struggles to work through that. The author didn’t just gloss over Adelina’s recovery. Instead she was allowed the space to heal both physically and emotionally from the trauma she endured without rushing it. She was given the space needed to heal and the author has illustrated that trauma recovery takes time.
Nox also illustrated the other side with Kaedryn, our MMC perfectly as well. His trying to be supportive and protective and encouraging without knowing how. He has to work through understand the struggles Adelina is going through and sometimes because of this he struggles to know how to act and second guesses himself constantly.
They are both healing in their own right, drawn together through an ancient bond and learning each other.
This is honestly such a strong novel. Also, Nox, that ending was absolutely diabolical. Five Stars No Notes. I will be on the lookout for the second installment!
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read their work. I received this book as an ARC and this is my true and honest review!
You know those books where the FMC has had a tragic life? A life most people could never survive? And then in the span of a single page an event happens and all of a sudden she went from the frail woman to a warrior and has left that trauma behind???
THIS BOOK IS NOT THAT!!!
Our FMC Adelina survived the worst of the worst in physical and emotional abuse and she struggles to work through that. The author didn’t just gloss over Adelina’s recovery. Instead she was allowed the space to heal both physically and emotionally from the trauma she endured without rushing it. She was given the space needed to heal and the author has illustrated that trauma recovery takes time.
Nox also illustrated the other side with Kaedryn, our MMC perfectly as well. His trying to be supportive and protective and encouraging without knowing how. He has to work through understand the struggles Adelina is going through and sometimes because of this he struggles to know how to act and second guesses himself constantly.
They are both healing in their own right, drawn together through an ancient bond and learning each other.
This is honestly such a strong novel. Also, Nox, that ending was absolutely diabolical. Five Stars No Notes. I will be on the lookout for the second installment!
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read their work. I received this book as an ARC and this is my true and honest review!
August 11, 2026
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
I don’t even know where to start. I absolutely devoured this book. I literally couldn’t put it down and don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait until book 2 because that ending was intense! (I’m writing this at 1 am if that tells you anything). I REALLY hope karma comes for certain people in this book, because damn they deserve it. This book made me feel all the feels—the way that trauma is depicted is spot on and the realness of how trauma impacts both the victim and the people who care about them is very accurate—it’s messy, confusing, frustrating, and sad, but also empowering. The fmc is so strong even though she thinks she is weak. I love that her love for others is stronger than the power of her suffering, but I can’t wait for her to finally let it out and let people in. The author said that I would probably want to punch the mmc, and she was right—many times in fact. I groaned out loud frequently because communication between them would improve and he and fmc would finally have a positive moment and then he would put his foot in his mouth and ruin all the progress—but I also think he is written perfectly, because it can be hard to care for someone with trauma, especially when they do not understand it or know what to say or do. I cannot wait for book 2 and will definitely be reading everything this author releases in the future!
I don’t even know where to start. I absolutely devoured this book. I literally couldn’t put it down and don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait until book 2 because that ending was intense! (I’m writing this at 1 am if that tells you anything). I REALLY hope karma comes for certain people in this book, because damn they deserve it. This book made me feel all the feels—the way that trauma is depicted is spot on and the realness of how trauma impacts both the victim and the people who care about them is very accurate—it’s messy, confusing, frustrating, and sad, but also empowering. The fmc is so strong even though she thinks she is weak. I love that her love for others is stronger than the power of her suffering, but I can’t wait for her to finally let it out and let people in. The author said that I would probably want to punch the mmc, and she was right—many times in fact. I groaned out loud frequently because communication between them would improve and he and fmc would finally have a positive moment and then he would put his foot in his mouth and ruin all the progress—but I also think he is written perfectly, because it can be hard to care for someone with trauma, especially when they do not understand it or know what to say or do. I cannot wait for book 2 and will definitely be reading everything this author releases in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Author
TW: abuse | captivity | coercive magic | dubious consent | disordered eating
In all honesty, this book reminded me why I love romantasy so much.🤍
Princess Adelina lives a life under the rule of her oppressive brother. When she finds out that she is being sold to the southern Prince Kaedryn, she decides to run. But the Prince is never far behind. Prince Kaedryn is adamant that he follows her because of duty, but he knows deep down that the bond runs deeper.💫
This fae romantasy was perfect - it was dark, suspenseful and kept me invested. I completely fell in love with the witty but protective character of Kaedryn’s brother - he had me laughing out loud more than once! I love how developed every single character was and that I felt so immersed in this world. Both the MMC and FMC were so artfully thought out, and I genuinely loved experiencing both of their character developments (the frustration I felt at some of their choices was very intense - I’m talking grab them by the shoulders and shake). I wish I could experience Maralis in person, it sounded so beautiful and idyllic. I loved the contrast between the different kingdoms. The balance between romance and fantasy was so beautifully crafted. And the cliffhanger? I cannot wait for book two🤞🏻
Thank you so much to T.R. Nox for letting me read your ARC. Your craft is truly magical🩵
In all honesty, this book reminded me why I love romantasy so much.🤍
Princess Adelina lives a life under the rule of her oppressive brother. When she finds out that she is being sold to the southern Prince Kaedryn, she decides to run. But the Prince is never far behind. Prince Kaedryn is adamant that he follows her because of duty, but he knows deep down that the bond runs deeper.💫
This fae romantasy was perfect - it was dark, suspenseful and kept me invested. I completely fell in love with the witty but protective character of Kaedryn’s brother - he had me laughing out loud more than once! I love how developed every single character was and that I felt so immersed in this world. Both the MMC and FMC were so artfully thought out, and I genuinely loved experiencing both of their character developments (the frustration I felt at some of their choices was very intense - I’m talking grab them by the shoulders and shake). I wish I could experience Maralis in person, it sounded so beautiful and idyllic. I loved the contrast between the different kingdoms. The balance between romance and fantasy was so beautifully crafted. And the cliffhanger? I cannot wait for book two🤞🏻
Thank you so much to T.R. Nox for letting me read your ARC. Your craft is truly magical🩵
August 25, 2026
I had the privilege of reading Starbound in Shadows as an ARC and I’m so excited that it’s finally release day!
This book is dark fae fantasy romance following a princess caught in a world of power, secrets, danger and unexpected twists. Nothing about this story went quite the way I expected.
I absolutely loved the story, the twists kept me guessing, but the ending 😭 It’s an open ending and normally I’m not a fan of that at all. It worked this time though! I really really really need book two! I did not want this story to end yet and I’m definitely not ready to leave these characters behind.
There were a few moments where the story felt a little slow for me and I think some parts could have moved a bit faster. That’s probably the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m definitely (desperate 🤣) looking forward to the next one.
⚠️ This is a dark fae fantasy romance intended for adult readers and it comes with an extensive list of trigger warnings. Please read them before starting! They are there for a reason.
Many thanks to the author for trusting me with an ARC of the book and for letting me be part of its release!
4,5 ⭐️
This book is dark fae fantasy romance following a princess caught in a world of power, secrets, danger and unexpected twists. Nothing about this story went quite the way I expected.
I absolutely loved the story, the twists kept me guessing, but the ending 😭 It’s an open ending and normally I’m not a fan of that at all. It worked this time though! I really really really need book two! I did not want this story to end yet and I’m definitely not ready to leave these characters behind.
There were a few moments where the story felt a little slow for me and I think some parts could have moved a bit faster. That’s probably the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m definitely (desperate 🤣) looking forward to the next one.
⚠️ This is a dark fae fantasy romance intended for adult readers and it comes with an extensive list of trigger warnings. Please read them before starting! They are there for a reason.
Many thanks to the author for trusting me with an ARC of the book and for letting me be part of its release!
4,5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was hooked from the beginning. The immediate tension between Kaedryn and Adelina is so strong, and I loved how it foreshadows just how powerful the bond between them is going to be.
Adelina is such a delicate, beautiful character, while Kaedryn feels like her complete opposite. That contrast works so well between them and makes their connection even more compelling. They balance each other in a way that made me want to keep reading just to see how their relationship would develop.
The pacing was excellent. This isn’t one of those fantasy books where you have to push through a hundred pages before things start happening. I was invested almost immediately, and the story kept moving without sacrificing the characters or the world-building.
The writing itself was probably one of my favorite parts. The descriptions are so vivid that I could actually picture everything as I was reading. Even little details, like the texture and appearance of Adelina’s wings, felt tangible in my head. The world is beautifully built without overwhelming you with information, and it was easy to become completely immersed in it.
Overall, I loved the characters, the tension, the world, and especially Kaedryn and Adelina together. I’m already invested in their bond and can’t wait to see where the series takes them.
Lastly, a huge thanks to TR Nox for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! I recommend her book and myself will be reading future books!
Adelina is such a delicate, beautiful character, while Kaedryn feels like her complete opposite. That contrast works so well between them and makes their connection even more compelling. They balance each other in a way that made me want to keep reading just to see how their relationship would develop.
The pacing was excellent. This isn’t one of those fantasy books where you have to push through a hundred pages before things start happening. I was invested almost immediately, and the story kept moving without sacrificing the characters or the world-building.
The writing itself was probably one of my favorite parts. The descriptions are so vivid that I could actually picture everything as I was reading. Even little details, like the texture and appearance of Adelina’s wings, felt tangible in my head. The world is beautifully built without overwhelming you with information, and it was easy to become completely immersed in it.
Overall, I loved the characters, the tension, the world, and especially Kaedryn and Adelina together. I’m already invested in their bond and can’t wait to see where the series takes them.
Lastly, a huge thanks to TR Nox for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! I recommend her book and myself will be reading future books!
August 21, 2026
I am incredibly honoured to have read this ARC. As much as this book caused emotional damage, it was so beautifully written that I did not want it to end. I gasped, I laughed and boy did I cry (happy and sad tears). I was completely engrossed in this book, constantly fearing for the MFC and hoping that she would trust the MMC to share her burdens with him.
I fell in love with the characters, so much so that I found myself wanting to shield and protect Adelina, getting annoyed when she allowed fear to dictate her actions, feeling anger when she would convince herself that Kaedryn was just like Varek and sadness when she would rather stay silent and in pain than open up and ask for help. Sylas would have to be my favourite side character lol I found him to be a breath of fresh air to such a very heavy and tense story.
And now I am now currently a blubbering mess after reading that devastating cliff hanger. Truly such a perfect read for me! I need book 2 ASAP.
I fell in love with the characters, so much so that I found myself wanting to shield and protect Adelina, getting annoyed when she allowed fear to dictate her actions, feeling anger when she would convince herself that Kaedryn was just like Varek and sadness when she would rather stay silent and in pain than open up and ask for help. Sylas would have to be my favourite side character lol I found him to be a breath of fresh air to such a very heavy and tense story.
And now I am now currently a blubbering mess after reading that devastating cliff hanger. Truly such a perfect read for me! I need book 2 ASAP.
August 25, 2026
Alright, firstly I want to thank the author for taking a chance on me and offering an ARC copy in exchange for a review…
I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started this book, only that it started off with action. From the very beginning shit is going down, to the point I felt like I was at a tennis match. The action was coming from both sides!
This book contains:
Forced proximity
Dark themes
Abuse
Wings (need I say more)
I felt everything whilst reading this book, I laughed, cried and got very angry all within the space of a minute I want to say. There were points where I was screaming at Kaedryn for being such a c**t to Adelina. But at the same time I was praying Adelina would finally stand up for herself. To put it bluntly, my feelings were very confused about everything.
The plot in this book is seriously up there with some of the very popular books (not similar) just amazingly done. I didn’t guess anything on what was going to happen. I don’t know if I’m frustrated at myself for not guessing or not. Also HOW CAN IT END ON THAT CLIFF HANGER!!!!!!!
I don’t know what will happen next. I again still have a lot of thoughts and feeling and I will probably add stuff to this review as I either reread or can think of them!
Again thank you to the author. I can see big things coming your way!
I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started this book, only that it started off with action. From the very beginning shit is going down, to the point I felt like I was at a tennis match. The action was coming from both sides!
This book contains:
Forced proximity
Dark themes
Abuse
Wings (need I say more)
I felt everything whilst reading this book, I laughed, cried and got very angry all within the space of a minute I want to say. There were points where I was screaming at Kaedryn for being such a c**t to Adelina. But at the same time I was praying Adelina would finally stand up for herself. To put it bluntly, my feelings were very confused about everything.
The plot in this book is seriously up there with some of the very popular books (not similar) just amazingly done. I didn’t guess anything on what was going to happen. I don’t know if I’m frustrated at myself for not guessing or not. Also HOW CAN IT END ON THAT CLIFF HANGER!!!!!!!
I don’t know what will happen next. I again still have a lot of thoughts and feeling and I will probably add stuff to this review as I either reread or can think of them!
Again thank you to the author. I can see big things coming your way!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received Starbound in Shadows as an ARC (advanced reader copy). I am so glad I did! If you’re looking for something that is going to pull you in and feel all the feels, I would recommend this, with a caveat. There is extreme abuse described. Know your triggers.
Adelina is a fae princess dependent on her brother, King Varek. He is far from benevolent and his queen is even worse. In an effort to save his kingdom from the encroachment of an enemy land, he betroths Adelina to the shadow prince, Prince Kaedryn as part of an alliance against a hostile enemy. What follows is an intense story of courage, pain, determination, betrayal and fear that ends in a cliffhanger that leaves you demanding more!
I laughed. I cried. I was so angry with some of the characters that I wanted to scream. It was riveting! I really wanted to be able to give it a five star review but there was some spice (about one chili pepper) and profanity.
Adelina is a fae princess dependent on her brother, King Varek. He is far from benevolent and his queen is even worse. In an effort to save his kingdom from the encroachment of an enemy land, he betroths Adelina to the shadow prince, Prince Kaedryn as part of an alliance against a hostile enemy. What follows is an intense story of courage, pain, determination, betrayal and fear that ends in a cliffhanger that leaves you demanding more!
I laughed. I cried. I was so angry with some of the characters that I wanted to scream. It was riveting! I really wanted to be able to give it a five star review but there was some spice (about one chili pepper) and profanity.
August 28, 2026
review of advanced copy received from author
I did receive this as an ARC, but this is my honest review. All in all, this was a solid 4-star read and I see so much potential with this world and these characters!
I loved Adelina and was rooting for her the whole time and my heart absolutely breaks for her with everything she’s gone through 😭
Kaedryn annoyed me half the time, I won’t lie, but there’s something there and I hope that he’ll eventually grow as a character and be more understanding of Adelina. His magic is also super cool and I’d love to know more about how it works!
As far as the ending? I knew something was coming, but that’s wasn’t how I expected it to go at all and now I absolutely need the next book asap!
Thank you so much to T.R. Nox for letting me read your book! You definitely have a gift for writing ♥️
I did receive this as an ARC, but this is my honest review. All in all, this was a solid 4-star read and I see so much potential with this world and these characters!
I loved Adelina and was rooting for her the whole time and my heart absolutely breaks for her with everything she’s gone through 😭
Kaedryn annoyed me half the time, I won’t lie, but there’s something there and I hope that he’ll eventually grow as a character and be more understanding of Adelina. His magic is also super cool and I’d love to know more about how it works!
As far as the ending? I knew something was coming, but that’s wasn’t how I expected it to go at all and now I absolutely need the next book asap!
Thank you so much to T.R. Nox for letting me read your book! You definitely have a gift for writing ♥️
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was such an intriguing and unique take on fae and magic! I really enjoyed getting swept into a world filled with mystery, magic, and secrets. Our princess has endured such a harsh past, and watching her struggle with which path to take and who she can trust made her journey especially compelling.
The story kept me interested, and I loved the unique elements woven throughout the world. My only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there were a few moments where the storyline felt slightly repetitive. That said, it didn’t take away from how enjoyable the overall story was.
If you love fae, magic, strong but complicated heroines, and a story filled with difficult choices and secrets, this is definitely one to pick up! ✨🧚♀️
The story kept me interested, and I loved the unique elements woven throughout the world. My only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there were a few moments where the storyline felt slightly repetitive. That said, it didn’t take away from how enjoyable the overall story was.
If you love fae, magic, strong but complicated heroines, and a story filled with difficult choices and secrets, this is definitely one to pick up! ✨🧚♀️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Unputdownable!! 4,75 stars!
I LOVED it. I was captivated throughout. The only thing I didn't like was the back and forth with Kaedryn. The nicest guy in the world or the biggest douche.
I will read the second installment to learn more about his reasoning for being the way that he is. And I hope he'll take good care of the precious Adelina! Hope to see more of Kaydryn's parents and brother as well. I loved them immensly :D
The writing was absolutely beautilful and captivating. You will feel ALL the emotions and you will want to hurt someone really bad. Can't wait to read more from this author. HIGHLY recommend.
I LOVED it. I was captivated throughout. The only thing I didn't like was the back and forth with Kaedryn. The nicest guy in the world or the biggest douche.
I will read the second installment to learn more about his reasoning for being the way that he is. And I hope he'll take good care of the precious Adelina! Hope to see more of Kaydryn's parents and brother as well. I loved them immensly :D
The writing was absolutely beautilful and captivating. You will feel ALL the emotions and you will want to hurt someone really bad. Can't wait to read more from this author. HIGHLY recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this book as an ARC reader, so all opinions and thoughts are of my own. I was intrigued by the cover of the story and then description of what this narrative will be about. However, the author was very clear about the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book which helps many readers decide if this was one to pick up and dive into. I am not a huge fan of some of the trigger warnings especially domestic abuse, physical violence, trauma or suicidal ideas because this isn't my typical book to read. However, she was clear and concise on how each trigger warning playing a part in this book, so I was willing to give it a chance. I read this story within a week, and I can honestly say I have a much deeper appreciation for people that deal with abuse and trauma. Throughout the whole book, I felt my emotions become more invested into what the FMC was dealing with and I felt like it was breaking for her and hoping in one sitting. I would rather understand someone than make complete and unconscious decisions knowing that they are struggling and not helping them. The greatest takeaway I have from reading Starbound In Shadows, is how the author truly gives the FMC a physical sense that there are people there to help you no matter what is going on and hope still lives on even in the littlest thing like a snowflake or flower blooming in a garden outside. (Thank you though, to T.R. Knox for adding some commentary into this mix with the sibling and motherly love, it made it sooo much better and helped make even the smallest conversations a little easier to get through in a tough situation.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Starbound in Shadows by T.R. Nox is an absolute triumph. It’s the kind of sci fi fantasy that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go, blending cosmic mystery, razor sharp tension, and deeply human emotion into a story that feels both epic and intimate. Nox’s worldbuilding is breathtaking, the characters pulse with life, and every twist lands with cinematic force.
What makes this book shine is its balance — dazzling action woven seamlessly with quiet, powerful moments that linger long after you’ve finished. It’s imaginative, immersive, and effortlessly addictive. A standout read that proves T.R. Nox is a storyteller to watch.
Starbound in Shadows by T.R. Nox is an absolute triumph. It’s the kind of sci fi fantasy that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go, blending cosmic mystery, razor sharp tension, and deeply human emotion into a story that feels both epic and intimate. Nox’s worldbuilding is breathtaking, the characters pulse with life, and every twist lands with cinematic force.
What makes this book shine is its balance — dazzling action woven seamlessly with quiet, powerful moments that linger long after you’ve finished. It’s imaginative, immersive, and effortlessly addictive. A standout read that proves T.R. Nox is a storyteller to watch.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow!! Okay this book was so good! I really enjoyed everything about this book. I thought the trigger warning was helpful. The way Adelina and Kaedryn had this instant connection was so sweet. Yet with Adelina’s past (no spoilers on that) made it difficult for there to be trust. Kaedryn tries to earn trust but messes up frequently with Adelina…but he is trying!
The GIANT cliffhanger?? Hello?!? What?!? When will book 2 come out? What will it be about? I have so many questions here. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read it! Slow burn ish, with a dash of trauma, and trust building.
The GIANT cliffhanger?? Hello?!? What?!? When will book 2 come out? What will it be about? I have so many questions here. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read it! Slow burn ish, with a dash of trauma, and trust building.
August 25, 2026
Advanced Reader Copy
OMG. I read this book in a day, I’m absolutely obsessed with it. Like I stayed up till 2 am because I couldn’t put it down. It’s genuinely one of my favorite fantasy reads to the date. The way the chemistry bounced off the characters and how in tune I was with them. It was like I was right beside them for the whole book, I related to each so much. I cried so much, I laughed, I just felt every emotion. It was truly an incredible experience, I love when a book really makes you yearn for more. It was a lovely world to explore in live in for a while, I’m so excited for the next book. Thank you for the opportunity! I highly recommend, I hope you love it as much as I do.
OMG. I read this book in a day, I’m absolutely obsessed with it. Like I stayed up till 2 am because I couldn’t put it down. It’s genuinely one of my favorite fantasy reads to the date. The way the chemistry bounced off the characters and how in tune I was with them. It was like I was right beside them for the whole book, I related to each so much. I cried so much, I laughed, I just felt every emotion. It was truly an incredible experience, I love when a book really makes you yearn for more. It was a lovely world to explore in live in for a while, I’m so excited for the next book. Thank you for the opportunity! I highly recommend, I hope you love it as much as I do.
August 30, 2026
I did receive a free copy of this book and I am doing this review voluntarily.
This book took me on an absolute roller coaster of emotions, and I loved every minute of it!!
Varek, the older brother, is just an all-around villain. I couldn’t stand him! Kaedryn had me feeling conflicted at times. There were moments when he genuinely upset me, but he also made me rethink my opinions of him and see things from a different perspective.
And Adelina… she is SO strong. After everything she has been through, I really admire her resilience and the way she keeps pushing forward.
I’m officially invested, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Bring on book two!
This book took me on an absolute roller coaster of emotions, and I loved every minute of it!!
Varek, the older brother, is just an all-around villain. I couldn’t stand him! Kaedryn had me feeling conflicted at times. There were moments when he genuinely upset me, but he also made me rethink my opinions of him and see things from a different perspective.
And Adelina… she is SO strong. After everything she has been through, I really admire her resilience and the way she keeps pushing forward.
I’m officially invested, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Bring on book two!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh my goodness, I have maybe shed a few tears in certain books that I have read, but this book from beginning to end was heart wrenching. Adelina for all the abuse from her brother and his wife, thought she would find relief with Kaedryn, but he did not have the patience to see she was broken.
T R Nox, wove this beautiful tale and I am so desperate to see where book two will put our FMC and MMC. This books needs to be read. By the way, I could not put this book down, I stayed up until I was done.
T R Nox, wove this beautiful tale and I am so desperate to see where book two will put our FMC and MMC. This books needs to be read. By the way, I could not put this book down, I stayed up until I was done.
August 26, 2026
ARC reader. So glad I was chosen to read this book. T. R. Nox hit a home run with this debut novel. Great character development and superb world building. I was hooked from page one. Kaedryn and Adelina are betrothed to secure an alliance between two fae kingdoms. They are both tortured souls who carry and deal with their pain in vastly different ways. At times you will want to throttle them both, but you will fall in love with them too. I finished the book and was already wanting more of this story. Don’t wait to read this amazing book!
August 29, 2026
I received a free advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review and thank you for this book!
It was deep, intriguing and beautifully written. 600 pages to follow the story of Adelina, a Princess and Kaedryn, her betrothed and Prince of another realm.
Each character had its own personality, background and opinions. The whole book is well done : the writing style is very detailed and the characters have depth and you root for them from the beginning.
Curious to see book 2.
It was deep, intriguing and beautifully written. 600 pages to follow the story of Adelina, a Princess and Kaedryn, her betrothed and Prince of another realm.
Each character had its own personality, background and opinions. The whole book is well done : the writing style is very detailed and the characters have depth and you root for them from the beginning.
Curious to see book 2.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. Its about a princess that has been abused by her brother the king and his wife. Between all the challenges this girl has she was a scared girl that becomes so much more. I loved this story and cant wait for the next book
August 30, 2026
ARC REVIEW
Omg what did I read and when is the next one!?!?!?!?!? Such a good read highly recommend, slow burn, such brilliant story telling!
Love love loved
Omg what did I read and when is the next one!?!?!?!?!? Such a good read highly recommend, slow burn, such brilliant story telling!
Love love loved
September 1, 2026
This book is addicting I loved this story and charectors could not put it down read most of it in one day highly reccomened you reads this book
Review of advance copy received from Author
WOW!! This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. I fell in love with the characters. The atmosphere was great. The plot was great. The romance was great and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!!
You definitely need to check trigger warnings before reading this book, but the author did so well with the subjects that she put into the story!
I don’t think that I got bored not one time reading this and I read it within the span of two days time! When I was away from my Kindle, I was thinking about picking my Kindle up to read more of this story!
I found this to be different and a pleasant surprise! With me being a romantic/fantasy reader I kind of get bored with the same plot and characters in romantasy, but this was so unexpected and so enjoyable!
You definitely need to check trigger warnings before reading this book, but the author did so well with the subjects that she put into the story!
I don’t think that I got bored not one time reading this and I read it within the span of two days time! When I was away from my Kindle, I was thinking about picking my Kindle up to read more of this story!
I found this to be different and a pleasant surprise! With me being a romantic/fantasy reader I kind of get bored with the same plot and characters in romantasy, but this was so unexpected and so enjoyable!
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