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The Veiled Realm #2
A Veil of Stardust and Savagery
There’s a reason the Starlight Fae are known as the greatest tricksters of all.
Unfortunately for Delphine, she’s just begun to learn that for herself.
She was warned they were not to be trusted—even when those same fae claim to share the blood running through her own veins. True to his word, Seren did not let Delphine die in Avarath, but he didn’t take her home, either.
No, the king of the Starlight Court took her even further away. He took her to another faerie realm.
He took her to Elysia, a place so far from the human realm that stories of it never so much as made it to their legends.
Unlike Avarath, this realm’s glamour is still intact, untouched by the ravages of time. Elysia is everything that Delphine expected faerie to be. It’s everything that Avarath wasn’t.
It’s ethereal. Enchanting. Inviting.
But in some ways, the ways that matter the most, the two realms remain the same.
Elysia is still faerie, and so despite Seren’s promises to protect her, it’s the most dangerous place for Delph to be... especially when the four fae who tried to kill her once somehow do the impossible and find her again.
Caldamir. Tethys. Armene. Nyx.
The four princes of Avarath.
The four princes who betrayed her.
The re-emergence of the Starlight Court has changed everything, but not in the way Delph might have hoped. Certainly not in the way that would allow her to forgive the princes for what they tried to do—what they’ll inevitably try again. The collision of realms broke something, and it’s only a matter of time before even Delphine’s own fae turn on her too. She can feel it.
If she’s going to survive in the realms of faerie, she’s going to have to learn how to play the game. Or, more specifically, the art of the deal.
She’s already made one deal with the king of this new realm and lived to tell the tale. This time, she’ll make sure she gets what she wants out of it. This time, she’ll make sure she gets home.
Truly home.
To Alderia.
If the other fae don’t beat her there first.
Unfortunately for Delphine, she’s just begun to learn that for herself.
She was warned they were not to be trusted—even when those same fae claim to share the blood running through her own veins. True to his word, Seren did not let Delphine die in Avarath, but he didn’t take her home, either.
No, the king of the Starlight Court took her even further away. He took her to another faerie realm.
He took her to Elysia, a place so far from the human realm that stories of it never so much as made it to their legends.
Unlike Avarath, this realm’s glamour is still intact, untouched by the ravages of time. Elysia is everything that Delphine expected faerie to be. It’s everything that Avarath wasn’t.
It’s ethereal. Enchanting. Inviting.
But in some ways, the ways that matter the most, the two realms remain the same.
Elysia is still faerie, and so despite Seren’s promises to protect her, it’s the most dangerous place for Delph to be... especially when the four fae who tried to kill her once somehow do the impossible and find her again.
Caldamir. Tethys. Armene. Nyx.
The four princes of Avarath.
The four princes who betrayed her.
The re-emergence of the Starlight Court has changed everything, but not in the way Delph might have hoped. Certainly not in the way that would allow her to forgive the princes for what they tried to do—what they’ll inevitably try again. The collision of realms broke something, and it’s only a matter of time before even Delphine’s own fae turn on her too. She can feel it.
If she’s going to survive in the realms of faerie, she’s going to have to learn how to play the game. Or, more specifically, the art of the deal.
She’s already made one deal with the king of this new realm and lived to tell the tale. This time, she’ll make sure she gets what she wants out of it. This time, she’ll make sure she gets home.
Truly home.
To Alderia.
If the other fae don’t beat her there first.
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First published February 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
March 5, 2022
I think, realistically, this is a 3.5 for me. I just went back to read my review of the 1st book, and unfortunately I am going to carry over a few of those points to this one.
The most important is that despite these books being continuously promoted as "darker, spicier ACOTAR", they are just not living up to that and I'm afraid that the reviews are going to reflect that just as harshly as they did on the first one. There are two (?) spicey scenes in this book: one MFM threesome, and a MF scene. I honestly feel like it may be even less spicy than the first one? If you're looking for even ACOMAF-level spice, never mind actual graphic spice that you can find in some other fantasy RHs, you are going to be disappointed in this book. Just to elaborate further...this is the second in a three book series, and the FMC hasn't even slept with all the men yet, never mind formed some sort of working relationship with ANY of them.
This book is SO CLOSE to being really good (at least for what it is, which is an entertaining fae romantasy). Delphine is still, for the most part, a likable character for me. She's trying her hardest to stick up for herself and figure out her new identity. I still, two books in, feel like the only men who are reliably fleshed out into their own personalities are Nyx (love him) and maybe Tethys....Seren is getting there. Cal is still just forever pouting. And since we can't even get any fleshed out main characters, there's no hope for the secondary ones. Ayre, her lady's maid, is a murderer...but Delph doesn't even ask anyone the circumstances of it. And I just want to cry from Waylon withdrawals, he is a truly fun character and it's a shame that he popped in (literally) just twice.
I sat with it a bit after finishing it trying to figure out why I just didn't love it. I think I've boiled it down to: there's a lot of telling, not showing, as we enter a brand new fae world. Also, nothing really happens in this book, at least not compared to the little epic journey they went on in the first one. This is the sort of "filler" book that I would absolutely expect as the 3rd or 4th book in a longer series, but is weird to find as the second in a trio. I read it in a day, so it's definitely not just me forgetting all the things that happened. A lot is going to need to happen in the third to close up literally any of the plot lines, never mind all of them.
I'll read the third book whenever it comes out, but I am still debating whether this series will have the honor of having physical copies purchased for my shelves. The thing working in its favor from that perspective is that the cover designs are nice!
The most important is that despite these books being continuously promoted as "darker, spicier ACOTAR", they are just not living up to that and I'm afraid that the reviews are going to reflect that just as harshly as they did on the first one. There are two (?) spicey scenes in this book: one MFM threesome, and a MF scene. I honestly feel like it may be even less spicy than the first one? If you're looking for even ACOMAF-level spice, never mind actual graphic spice that you can find in some other fantasy RHs, you are going to be disappointed in this book. Just to elaborate further...this is the second in a three book series, and the FMC hasn't even slept with all the men yet, never mind formed some sort of working relationship with ANY of them.
This book is SO CLOSE to being really good (at least for what it is, which is an entertaining fae romantasy). Delphine is still, for the most part, a likable character for me. She's trying her hardest to stick up for herself and figure out her new identity. I still, two books in, feel like the only men who are reliably fleshed out into their own personalities are Nyx (love him) and maybe Tethys....Seren is getting there. Cal is still just forever pouting. And since we can't even get any fleshed out main characters, there's no hope for the secondary ones. Ayre, her lady's maid, is a murderer...but Delph doesn't even ask anyone the circumstances of it. And I just want to cry from Waylon withdrawals, he is a truly fun character and it's a shame that he popped in (literally) just twice.
I sat with it a bit after finishing it trying to figure out why I just didn't love it. I think I've boiled it down to: there's a lot of telling, not showing, as we enter a brand new fae world. Also, nothing really happens in this book, at least not compared to the little epic journey they went on in the first one. This is the sort of "filler" book that I would absolutely expect as the 3rd or 4th book in a longer series, but is weird to find as the second in a trio. I read it in a day, so it's definitely not just me forgetting all the things that happened. A lot is going to need to happen in the third to close up literally any of the plot lines, never mind all of them.
I'll read the third book whenever it comes out, but I am still debating whether this series will have the honor of having physical copies purchased for my shelves. The thing working in its favor from that perspective is that the cover designs are nice!
March 29, 2022
nothing happened, once again, and i haven’t learned my lesson
March 9, 2022
So my review of this book is going to be pretty much the same as the first book… but I’ll add to it by saying: I don’t know who edited this book but the ebook has typos, wrong word written in a sentence or a word missing completely… so I had to reread sentences 2-3 times to understand them because of that…
This is supposed to be a reverse harem fantasy romance… it is fantasy and a RH… but I still fail to see the romance in all of it… and this is the second book in the series… don’t get me wrong, there are smut scenes… but I feel like they pop up at these awkward moments and aren’t part of the story itself… there’s a massive lack of depth to who the characters are and their relationship to one another… all there is is irresistible sexual attraction between them…
The books are short, like 250-300 pages… and there are more pages used to describe every new room the FMC finds herself in than necessary… usually right in the middle of a dialogue, where you have to go back because you don’t even remember what they were talking about…
That being said, I like the story… although not a lot of things happen all through the book except at the ending where it, again, ends on a cliffhanger… basically… read the blurb and you’ve read the book and only missed what the FMC’s environment looks like…
At this point, I am not sure if that is enough for me to continue reading this series… we’ll see if my curiosity wins 🤷🏻♀️
This is supposed to be a reverse harem fantasy romance… it is fantasy and a RH… but I still fail to see the romance in all of it… and this is the second book in the series… don’t get me wrong, there are smut scenes… but I feel like they pop up at these awkward moments and aren’t part of the story itself… there’s a massive lack of depth to who the characters are and their relationship to one another… all there is is irresistible sexual attraction between them…
The books are short, like 250-300 pages… and there are more pages used to describe every new room the FMC finds herself in than necessary… usually right in the middle of a dialogue, where you have to go back because you don’t even remember what they were talking about…
That being said, I like the story… although not a lot of things happen all through the book except at the ending where it, again, ends on a cliffhanger… basically… read the blurb and you’ve read the book and only missed what the FMC’s environment looks like…
At this point, I am not sure if that is enough for me to continue reading this series… we’ll see if my curiosity wins 🤷🏻♀️
May 29, 2024
This was luckily better than the first book 🙌. I think I might have DNF’ed the series if that wasn’t the case. There was a bit more spice in this one, and the storyline was more interesting. I hope the series continues this trajectory 🤞.
Delphine's journey continues; she doesn’t really feel safe anywhere or with anyone. Who can she trust in this realm?
A lack of trust, danger, still no change to the magic, dodgy deals, and lust! Great elements - I hope the next one is even better 🍀.
Rated 3.5 ⭐️
Delphine's journey continues; she doesn’t really feel safe anywhere or with anyone. Who can she trust in this realm?
A lack of trust, danger, still no change to the magic, dodgy deals, and lust! Great elements - I hope the next one is even better 🍀.
Rated 3.5 ⭐️
July 15, 2024
One star only because I finished it instead of DNF-ing. What a TERRIBLE book. Somehow worse than the first one? Good god, not a single well written character. The premise is SO promising. Just utterly wasted on terrible writing and even more terrible editing. Will not be reading the others.
April 10, 2022
I'll be honest here, I was so damn disappointed with this one, I'm so mad because I see the potential with this one. That's because I did enjoy book 1 and had high expectations. I loved the catsuga, I loved how funny and forward Delphine could be. She could be shy but she was progressing and you saw how she was standing up for herself and becoming stronger. I loved how unique and new this fae world was.
Now let's get into this.
Firstly, we're introduced to another fae realm and so much focus and attention was given to this one and I'm still lost as shit about the one from book 1.
Secondly, I felt like so much irrelevant crap was written!!! It infuriated me, unnecessary is an understatement!!!! I was so close to DNF.
Thirdly, the really fun and exciting things came within the last couple of chapters... LIKE SERIOUSLYY??? AJANSKSKSKSJ I WANT TO SCREAM 😤😤😤.
Fourthly, I get it, seren is attractive and there's some pull to him and all you wanna do is get busy with him, BUT WHERE'S THE PLOT? WHY IS IT WITH THE Male MC THERE ISN'T ANY PLOT?? EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THEIR LOOKS, DESIRES, THAT SORTA THING?? and I know it's possible for well written relationships here. Example, Wylan + Delp, I love that friendship. It's wholesome and cute. I feel like we saw a real sort of friendship formed there. From book one where she was sorta afraid of of him to them bonding a bit and clearly caring for the other. Even her relationship with Elvie and Ayre, those had structure to them. But the male mc felt like all they were seen for was their sexual appeal 🥲.
I don't have the words to get into Seren's chafacter. I have no idea what was his purpose here. HELL I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HIM AS A CHARACTER. THE STRUCTURE OF THIS REALM AS IN THE RULING BODY WAS NOT EXPLAINED. Neither in book 1. Like there's princes but a high king.. how? Why? The purpose? Avarath was devided into various ruling courts. Each having a prince and a High king over the realm? None of it was explained in detail. WHAT WAS THE WAR ABOUT? WHY DID THEY SEAL THE KING AWAY LOOSING MAGIC? What made/gave the princes their title??? Elysia was an entire realm, one court, and 7 kings...????
Furthermore we got nowhere with the princes.. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE? WHAT WAS THE REASON??? it felt like such a run around with the male mc honestly speaking. No depth, no details nothing except their fuxking sex appeal
In conclusion I'm very annoyed because I really was expecting more. Again I felt like I did not see what was marketed for this book. There were gaps and missing pieces that left me unsure.
Now let's get into this.
Firstly, we're introduced to another fae realm and so much focus and attention was given to this one and I'm still lost as shit about the one from book 1.
Secondly, I felt like so much irrelevant crap was written!!! It infuriated me, unnecessary is an understatement!!!! I was so close to DNF.
Thirdly, the really fun and exciting things came within the last couple of chapters... LIKE SERIOUSLYY??? AJANSKSKSKSJ I WANT TO SCREAM 😤😤😤.
Fourthly, I get it, seren is attractive and there's some pull to him and all you wanna do is get busy with him, BUT WHERE'S THE PLOT? WHY IS IT WITH THE Male MC THERE ISN'T ANY PLOT?? EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THEIR LOOKS, DESIRES, THAT SORTA THING?? and I know it's possible for well written relationships here. Example, Wylan + Delp, I love that friendship. It's wholesome and cute. I feel like we saw a real sort of friendship formed there. From book one where she was sorta afraid of of him to them bonding a bit and clearly caring for the other. Even her relationship with Elvie and Ayre, those had structure to them. But the male mc felt like all they were seen for was their sexual appeal 🥲.
I don't have the words to get into Seren's chafacter. I have no idea what was his purpose here. HELL I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HIM AS A CHARACTER. THE STRUCTURE OF THIS REALM AS IN THE RULING BODY WAS NOT EXPLAINED. Neither in book 1. Like there's princes but a high king.. how? Why? The purpose? Avarath was devided into various ruling courts. Each having a prince and a High king over the realm? None of it was explained in detail. WHAT WAS THE WAR ABOUT? WHY DID THEY SEAL THE KING AWAY LOOSING MAGIC? What made/gave the princes their title??? Elysia was an entire realm, one court, and 7 kings...????
Furthermore we got nowhere with the princes.. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE? WHAT WAS THE REASON??? it felt like such a run around with the male mc honestly speaking. No depth, no details nothing except their fuxking sex appeal
In conclusion I'm very annoyed because I really was expecting more. Again I felt like I did not see what was marketed for this book. There were gaps and missing pieces that left me unsure.
July 9, 2022
For some reason I thought this was supposed to end in two books and so that made me read this one too. Well… it won’t end in two books and I will not be reading other installments in this series.
First of all, kindle version has some editing mistakes. Words are in wrong places, there are missing letters or words are doubled. Lots of repeats too which was annoying when you read the same word for the fifth time in two pages…
The events of this book were stretching out terribly, almost like the author didn’t have any idea of what to write, but decided beforehand to write multiple books so she had to fill this one with words regardless. Every now and then I kept thinking “is anything going to happen any time soon?” And most of the time it didn’t.
If you hoped to learn more about the new court like the FMC was promised to be taught, then you will be disappointed since the only and lengthy at that, descriptions given in this book were about the layout of the palace, silver silks the fae were wearing and how much Delphine wanted to go back to her human home for her brother, that literally didn’t give two damns about her. Multiple mentions of Sol throughout the book were giving me vibes of Katniss yelling for Peeta and it annoyed me so much!
If you hoped for a romance like it was promised by the author herself… you will be disappointed too. First out of the ONLY two romantic interactions in the whole book is at about 65% in the book. The vibe between romantic interests is definitely weird and a small semblance of chemistry comes with Seren, but that’s also a little weird especially with the way the story progresses later on.
The four princes got no development in this book at all and the ending just made me roll my eyes soooooo hard. Honestly, this book could have been cut in half with how much (or little) actually happened and how much was unnecessary descriptions.
It was clearly not as enjoyable read as I’d like. I found out about this author and her books from instagram and wanted to support her, but now more than ever I know that her books are just not for me.
First of all, kindle version has some editing mistakes. Words are in wrong places, there are missing letters or words are doubled. Lots of repeats too which was annoying when you read the same word for the fifth time in two pages…
The events of this book were stretching out terribly, almost like the author didn’t have any idea of what to write, but decided beforehand to write multiple books so she had to fill this one with words regardless. Every now and then I kept thinking “is anything going to happen any time soon?” And most of the time it didn’t.
If you hoped to learn more about the new court like the FMC was promised to be taught, then you will be disappointed since the only and lengthy at that, descriptions given in this book were about the layout of the palace, silver silks the fae were wearing and how much Delphine wanted to go back to her human home for her brother, that literally didn’t give two damns about her. Multiple mentions of Sol throughout the book were giving me vibes of Katniss yelling for Peeta and it annoyed me so much!
If you hoped for a romance like it was promised by the author herself… you will be disappointed too. First out of the ONLY two romantic interactions in the whole book is at about 65% in the book. The vibe between romantic interests is definitely weird and a small semblance of chemistry comes with Seren, but that’s also a little weird especially with the way the story progresses later on.
The four princes got no development in this book at all and the ending just made me roll my eyes soooooo hard. Honestly, this book could have been cut in half with how much (or little) actually happened and how much was unnecessary descriptions.
It was clearly not as enjoyable read as I’d like. I found out about this author and her books from instagram and wanted to support her, but now more than ever I know that her books are just not for me.
March 26, 2022
Plot – 5*
Characters – 4*
Writing – 4*
Overall – 5*
Summary:
Delphine has been taken into the realm of the Starlight Court and despite being told she is safe; she feels anything but. The princes are looking for her, magic hasn’t returned to Avarath, and some of the Starlight Fae don’t quite trust her. If she’s going to survive, she’s going to have to learn how to and fast.
My Thoughts:
The first book only got that four-star rating from me, but this one just tipped it over the edge. The ending was a brilliant twist that threw everything completely out of order, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out so I can find out what’s happening next.
There are some points where I feel like I need to roll my eyes at some of the characters and the obliviousness/choices they make, but not bad enough for me to rate them any less than a four-star. If anything, I guess that makes them more realistic.
I do recommend this series, especially if you’re fans of the good old enemies-to-lovers trope, stories about fae (such as ACOTAR and the Married to Magic series) and are good with a decent heaping of spice, you’ll enjoy this series.
Characters – 4*
Writing – 4*
Overall – 5*
Summary:
Delphine has been taken into the realm of the Starlight Court and despite being told she is safe; she feels anything but. The princes are looking for her, magic hasn’t returned to Avarath, and some of the Starlight Fae don’t quite trust her. If she’s going to survive, she’s going to have to learn how to and fast.
My Thoughts:
The first book only got that four-star rating from me, but this one just tipped it over the edge. The ending was a brilliant twist that threw everything completely out of order, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out so I can find out what’s happening next.
There are some points where I feel like I need to roll my eyes at some of the characters and the obliviousness/choices they make, but not bad enough for me to rate them any less than a four-star. If anything, I guess that makes them more realistic.
I do recommend this series, especially if you’re fans of the good old enemies-to-lovers trope, stories about fae (such as ACOTAR and the Married to Magic series) and are good with a decent heaping of spice, you’ll enjoy this series.
March 6, 2022
I liked this book, but honestly I have no idea what happened in it. It felt a good bit like a filler book, I think the details were probably necessary, but I wish we had seen more plot development.
March 11, 2022
Not the best.
Very slow and hard to read book. The author writing is difficult to follow and the story didn't progress for most of the book.
Very slow and hard to read book. The author writing is difficult to follow and the story didn't progress for most of the book.
September 15, 2024
fantastic fantasy
I really appreciate the dazzling world building in the veiled realm book series. This is book 2 of that series… A veil of Stardust and Savagery written by Analeigh Ford.
I can appreciate the strong characters and the princes, Seren and our heroine. I definitely recommend this series. I cannot wait for the next book!
I really appreciate the dazzling world building in the veiled realm book series. This is book 2 of that series… A veil of Stardust and Savagery written by Analeigh Ford.
I can appreciate the strong characters and the princes, Seren and our heroine. I definitely recommend this series. I cannot wait for the next book!
December 18, 2022
3.5⭐️
RTC
RTC
October 10, 2023
MUCH better than the first book. And the ending plot twist actually got me, ngl.
March 13, 2022
This was... not great imho
The first book was the good kind of bad where it was entertaining and exactly what I was looking for. The second book was just straight up bad. There were elements that I liked, such as the friendship between Delphine and Tarrak, and the atmosphere of the Starlight Court. But the plot was barely there, the writing incredibly repetitive and full of typos, and I wasn't feeling the romance whatsoever. I wasn't even sure who the romance was supposed to be towards, since there was really only lust between her and the main "love interest" in this book.
I'll still read the third book whenever it comes out, because the plot did get interesting right at the end there and I'm curious to see where it goes. But if there are plans for this to be more than a trilogy then I'm probably going to drop it tbh
The first book was the good kind of bad where it was entertaining and exactly what I was looking for. The second book was just straight up bad. There were elements that I liked, such as the friendship between Delphine and Tarrak, and the atmosphere of the Starlight Court. But the plot was barely there, the writing incredibly repetitive and full of typos, and I wasn't feeling the romance whatsoever. I wasn't even sure who the romance was supposed to be towards, since there was really only lust between her and the main "love interest" in this book.
I'll still read the third book whenever it comes out, because the plot did get interesting right at the end there and I'm curious to see where it goes. But if there are plans for this to be more than a trilogy then I'm probably going to drop it tbh
October 26, 2024
The way the MC is just solely guided by her sexual desires even when she has people that care for her and is worried about her is... disappointing.
She just simply wants to have sex so she does what she wants even though those men tried to kill her and offered no apologies, not even tried to do anything for gaining her trust.
Because of something which I imagine is fated mates idea, she just goes ahead and invite the men who wanted her dead to fuck her inside of her room. Even after being advised by the only fae that actually seems to give a shit about how she feels.
Is just disappointing. She's very stubborn (to not say stupid) when she shouldn't be and when her pride should speak louder she's just there being reckless because sex is good.
Its a shame women get to write female characters like these. Under these conditions I would not expected a MC that would react this way...
She just simply wants to have sex so she does what she wants even though those men tried to kill her and offered no apologies, not even tried to do anything for gaining her trust.
Because of something which I imagine is fated mates idea, she just goes ahead and invite the men who wanted her dead to fuck her inside of her room. Even after being advised by the only fae that actually seems to give a shit about how she feels.
Is just disappointing. She's very stubborn (to not say stupid) when she shouldn't be and when her pride should speak louder she's just there being reckless because sex is good.
Its a shame women get to write female characters like these. Under these conditions I would not expected a MC that would react this way...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2025
Better than book one.. she wrote tension a little better here with Seren.. but I feel like the plot is just all over the place with so many holes and no backstory for the decisions the characters are making? They flip flop constantly and do things that just make no sense.. and Nyx is still a stupid unlikable idiot 😂 also again, not much spice and where there was spice it felt so weird because there wasn’t really tension written between the characters before hand? Especially with the princes. Yes I’m still going to read book 3 I’m already this far😅
November 18, 2022
So like, half a plot point happened, and that was it?? Also the author was all over tik tok saying this was spicier than ACOTAR and unless Salt is considered spicy now….I didn’t see it. I’m disappointed
Read
March 30, 2022DNF 19%
J'étais curieuse à la fin du tome 1 de voir comment est-ce que les choses allaient évoluer, mais ma curiosité s'est vite tassée... cette saga n'est pas faite pour moi.
J'étais curieuse à la fin du tome 1 de voir comment est-ce que les choses allaient évoluer, mais ma curiosité s'est vite tassée... cette saga n'est pas faite pour moi.
August 1, 2024
Somehow worse than the first book. Only saving grace is that it's so short that you don't have to suffer through it for too long
November 7, 2024
damn this girl is getting passed around like a rag doll. but anyways, the plot twist at the end was a shock for sure. these books stay keeping me on my toes. onto the next.
June 9, 2024
Invested justtt enough to keep going, hoping for it to get smuttier
May 28, 2024
I read this to see if it was better than the first book, I can safely say it was worse.
November 1, 2024
She just wants to be hot and powerful and have sex, and I want that for her too. That would be a much better plot than whatever the fuck this is
January 15, 2024
DNF like 20% maybe. No progress, super slow, no character progression, not really RH. Just not good.
March 5, 2022
First thing I have to say is I like this book more than the first one! Both are pretty well written, but I feel like this one is more comfortable? Natural maybe? As per the last book, I wish this book was longer. Part of me kind of feels like the first two books could just be one book, HOWEVER, if the books being only about 260 pages long each make it easier to publish more quickly, then so be it. I'll definitely be buying the third book.
The spoiler free version of this review is that the writing is good, the love interests gain more depth as I hoped they would and I was happy to be introduced to new characters who quickly became high on the list of characters I like. Nyx still doesn't have much depth to him till about the end though, which still means I'm relatively indifferent to him. The two smut scenes that are there are good and definitely worth the wait in my opinion. The world building also gets better and slightly more concise, which makes it easier to imagine the world around Delphine! Now on to the spoiler bit of this review:
Delphine kind of annoyed me more? Maybe it's because I'm a pretty independent person, but Delphine being mostly useless is a tad aggravating. I understand that she's small compared to all fae and her magic skills are next to non-existent, but i feel like she could do anything other than rely on everyone. Maybe train a little more? I'm not entirely sure what more I want from her, but I feel as if she's written to be a damsel in distress up until the last minute when she turns out to be incredibly powerful.
On top of that, her whole "for my brother" thing feels a tad flimsy. In the first book, she had like three scenes with her brother and one of those was her giving him candy because he was the only one who wasn't a dick to her. There hasn't really been a relationship built between them that mad me think "yeah her doing everything to protect him makes sense". She uses Sol for her reasons, when really I think she is mostly doing things out of curiosity, her nature, or for her own gain and there is nothing wrong with that. I wanna fuck all of those fae too girl. Tethys could huff in my general direction and I'd be on me knees. I get it, trust me. She needs to accept that some decisions she makes for herself.
Then there's her hatred for Caldiamir. There is a strong possibility I'm just bias because he and Tethys are my favorites, but having said that, it feels manufactured. There has to be some small part of Delphine that understands why he wants the glamour back. I could understand if she was mostly mad because he wants to enslave humanity, but it's mostly "after what you did to me." Like yes, we've established that he lied to you and tricked you. So have the rest. So far, the only love interest fae who hasn't tried to kill her is Seren. Her being mad he wanted to kill her makes sense, yes, but there is no true acknowledgement that he has hundreds of people to protect that trump her feelings. Especially because one of her biggest reasons to accept she's fae, leave her home, or really do anything is protecting Sol. She of all people should understand sacrificing to save someone. It really brothers me how childish she acts. But I digress. Now to the bits I really enjoyed.
At first I was a little annoyed by sexual tension that built up between Seren and Delphine, but when they finally had sex, the satisfaction for all of that build up was unrivaled. That was a great set up and i really appreciated it. I also liked Seren and was happy to see that he had an interesting personality.
Obviously, I'm always going to be a fan of Tethys smut scenes and then I got hints that he's a little fruity? I was so excited man! Of course my fav is 💅, we can always spot our own.
I actually really love Tarrack. I was a bit weary of him when he was first introduced because I worried he might do something weird, but I turned out to be wrong and I'm happy about that. He's so sweet and adorable even though he's incredibly old. He reminds me of a puppy that I wanna take home and allow to thumb through my books. He's the perfect balance between wise old man who is put together and book smart old professor who has ADHD and doesn't understand social ques. It's perfect. As a small side note, I was also happy to see Waylan as I've grown overly attached to them.
The twist at the end actually completely threw me off (in a good way). There was no way on God's green Earth I expected Delphine's dad to be fae. I was honestly terrified either Seren or Tarrack were going to drop dead because it's always the ones high on my list of characters I like. On top of that, Nyx of all fae being the one to steal the magic genuinely surprised me, but at the same time I made complete sense for his character. He's pretty and loves his forest. It fits. Especially when he was getting all pissy about the bracelet colour. Even though it fit the shallow personality given to him, it still felt like he was planning something, and that just made him stealing the glamour better. It proves he's more than a pretty face and shows just how important he views his court. It made me respect and understand him, even if it did annoy me for the Starlight Court's sake.
That's really all I have to say. Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this book and look forward to the third one. I'll try to reformat this when I'm a little less tired.
The spoiler free version of this review is that the writing is good, the love interests gain more depth as I hoped they would and I was happy to be introduced to new characters who quickly became high on the list of characters I like. Nyx still doesn't have much depth to him till about the end though, which still means I'm relatively indifferent to him. The two smut scenes that are there are good and definitely worth the wait in my opinion. The world building also gets better and slightly more concise, which makes it easier to imagine the world around Delphine! Now on to the spoiler bit of this review:
Delphine kind of annoyed me more? Maybe it's because I'm a pretty independent person, but Delphine being mostly useless is a tad aggravating. I understand that she's small compared to all fae and her magic skills are next to non-existent, but i feel like she could do anything other than rely on everyone. Maybe train a little more? I'm not entirely sure what more I want from her, but I feel as if she's written to be a damsel in distress up until the last minute when she turns out to be incredibly powerful.
On top of that, her whole "for my brother" thing feels a tad flimsy. In the first book, she had like three scenes with her brother and one of those was her giving him candy because he was the only one who wasn't a dick to her. There hasn't really been a relationship built between them that mad me think "yeah her doing everything to protect him makes sense". She uses Sol for her reasons, when really I think she is mostly doing things out of curiosity, her nature, or for her own gain and there is nothing wrong with that. I wanna fuck all of those fae too girl. Tethys could huff in my general direction and I'd be on me knees. I get it, trust me. She needs to accept that some decisions she makes for herself.
Then there's her hatred for Caldiamir. There is a strong possibility I'm just bias because he and Tethys are my favorites, but having said that, it feels manufactured. There has to be some small part of Delphine that understands why he wants the glamour back. I could understand if she was mostly mad because he wants to enslave humanity, but it's mostly "after what you did to me." Like yes, we've established that he lied to you and tricked you. So have the rest. So far, the only love interest fae who hasn't tried to kill her is Seren. Her being mad he wanted to kill her makes sense, yes, but there is no true acknowledgement that he has hundreds of people to protect that trump her feelings. Especially because one of her biggest reasons to accept she's fae, leave her home, or really do anything is protecting Sol. She of all people should understand sacrificing to save someone. It really brothers me how childish she acts. But I digress. Now to the bits I really enjoyed.
At first I was a little annoyed by sexual tension that built up between Seren and Delphine, but when they finally had sex, the satisfaction for all of that build up was unrivaled. That was a great set up and i really appreciated it. I also liked Seren and was happy to see that he had an interesting personality.
Obviously, I'm always going to be a fan of Tethys smut scenes and then I got hints that he's a little fruity? I was so excited man! Of course my fav is 💅, we can always spot our own.
I actually really love Tarrack. I was a bit weary of him when he was first introduced because I worried he might do something weird, but I turned out to be wrong and I'm happy about that. He's so sweet and adorable even though he's incredibly old. He reminds me of a puppy that I wanna take home and allow to thumb through my books. He's the perfect balance between wise old man who is put together and book smart old professor who has ADHD and doesn't understand social ques. It's perfect. As a small side note, I was also happy to see Waylan as I've grown overly attached to them.
The twist at the end actually completely threw me off (in a good way). There was no way on God's green Earth I expected Delphine's dad to be fae. I was honestly terrified either Seren or Tarrack were going to drop dead because it's always the ones high on my list of characters I like. On top of that, Nyx of all fae being the one to steal the magic genuinely surprised me, but at the same time I made complete sense for his character. He's pretty and loves his forest. It fits. Especially when he was getting all pissy about the bracelet colour. Even though it fit the shallow personality given to him, it still felt like he was planning something, and that just made him stealing the glamour better. It proves he's more than a pretty face and shows just how important he views his court. It made me respect and understand him, even if it did annoy me for the Starlight Court's sake.
That's really all I have to say. Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this book and look forward to the third one. I'll try to reformat this when I'm a little less tired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
please use a spellchecker
April 15, 2022
A interesting follow up with a whole slew of new characters and even more questions.
✨Rating Breakdown ✨
Overall Rating: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Setting: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Ending: 3/5 (book 2 of 3)
Age Rating: NA, 18+ (contains mature themes and smut)
This sequel excelled in expanding the world, the starlight court was fascinating and coldly beautiful to learn about and It was also incredibly satisfying to finally learn more about magic/glamour!
I did mistake this series for a duology which is reflected in my ending review score, as both of these books so far have ended in a spot that feels more like half way through a chapter rather than the end of a book. That being said it was a quick fun read overall and I will likely read the next one just for some answers!
I did find the new cast of characters intriguing in their own individual ways, but I do wish once again we’d had more time to learn about them on a less than superficial level. The two chapters from other characters POVs helped with that somewhat and I wish we’d had more of them!
✨Mild Spoilers Ahead ✨
‘Betrayal because they’re fae’ being a common theme began to feel a little overused by the end, and a little judgmental considering Delphine uses it as an excuse to both feel slighted and do what she wants in return. There was also a ‘surprise twist’ as the ending that went along these themes but the shock factor was somewhat lessened by the fact we only knew the betraying character superficially anyway so It was well within the realm of possibility rather than a complete behavioural flip.
Whilst I overall enjoy the underlying theme of Romance in my reads i do feel this books particular relationships feel a bit hollow and unexplored. Perhaps the most filled out one is with a new character that questionably might be some great great great great ancestor… that’s not resolved in this book as warning. The other 4 have barley a handful of interactions most of them smut based and/or betrayal based, fun to read but superficial. Cadamir is perhaps the worst of the five though, I believe the aim is a ‘misunderstood enemy to a lover vibe’ but honestly the man tried to kill her and insists he was in the right for it; the other three at least seem to be/said sorry. A villain will kill for their love, a hero would let their love die to save the world. Cadamir has done both and I still don’t find him an interesting prospect for Delphine.
✨end spoilers✨
Despite some frustrations this was overall a quick fun read plus giant fae cat! 😂🤷♀️
✨Rating Breakdown ✨
Overall Rating: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Setting: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Ending: 3/5 (book 2 of 3)
Age Rating: NA, 18+ (contains mature themes and smut)
This sequel excelled in expanding the world, the starlight court was fascinating and coldly beautiful to learn about and It was also incredibly satisfying to finally learn more about magic/glamour!
I did mistake this series for a duology which is reflected in my ending review score, as both of these books so far have ended in a spot that feels more like half way through a chapter rather than the end of a book. That being said it was a quick fun read overall and I will likely read the next one just for some answers!
I did find the new cast of characters intriguing in their own individual ways, but I do wish once again we’d had more time to learn about them on a less than superficial level. The two chapters from other characters POVs helped with that somewhat and I wish we’d had more of them!
✨Mild Spoilers Ahead ✨
‘Betrayal because they’re fae’ being a common theme began to feel a little overused by the end, and a little judgmental considering Delphine uses it as an excuse to both feel slighted and do what she wants in return. There was also a ‘surprise twist’ as the ending that went along these themes but the shock factor was somewhat lessened by the fact we only knew the betraying character superficially anyway so It was well within the realm of possibility rather than a complete behavioural flip.
Whilst I overall enjoy the underlying theme of Romance in my reads i do feel this books particular relationships feel a bit hollow and unexplored. Perhaps the most filled out one is with a new character that questionably might be some great great great great ancestor… that’s not resolved in this book as warning. The other 4 have barley a handful of interactions most of them smut based and/or betrayal based, fun to read but superficial. Cadamir is perhaps the worst of the five though, I believe the aim is a ‘misunderstood enemy to a lover vibe’ but honestly the man tried to kill her and insists he was in the right for it; the other three at least seem to be/said sorry. A villain will kill for their love, a hero would let their love die to save the world. Cadamir has done both and I still don’t find him an interesting prospect for Delphine.
✨end spoilers✨
Despite some frustrations this was overall a quick fun read plus giant fae cat! 😂🤷♀️
May 15, 2022
After reading the first book in the series, my expectations for the second book were pretty low. However, this was completely unnecessary because this second one was much better (at least in my opinion).
This second book picks up with Delph at the Starlight court, slowly transitioning into life there- however fleeting she may expect it to be. She is having a hard time trusting any of the fae there and getting increasingly worried about the prince’s getting into Elysia (if that’s how you spell it). As she’s fishing for information about getting back to Alderia she ends up striking a deal with Seren (who is just the hottest fae man ever) (team Seren 1000%) about learning what it is to be fae she finds that maybe it isn’t all that bad. That is until tension rises and things regarding the princes become increasingly worrying for both Delph as well as all of the starlight court.
It was much much much better than the first one. I do have many of the same complaints regarding character development and detail, but if you can just accept that that isn’t gonna happen then this series is quite enjoyable.
At first the description of the star court as well as the people there really put me off. It seemed very temporary regarding its being in the story because of how non inviting it was, but one thing I really liked about the story was that as Delph warms up to it, so did I (or I guess we as readers).
One thing I really didn’t like about this book (and this might actually be one of the only things) was some of the choices the main character makes- specifically while in the fucking PUBLIC bath house. Yea that was super annoying and unnecessary. I also don’t understand Delph’s lack of acknowledgment that the princes tried to actually kill her… that was 100% going to happen until it didn’t.
Other than that though I was really pleased with the story and how different it was from the first one. I am really hoping for another one and everything about the ending of the second one leads me (and anyone else who reads it) to believe there would be, but I haven’t seen anything about one. Fingers crossed.
3.9/5 stars.
This second book picks up with Delph at the Starlight court, slowly transitioning into life there- however fleeting she may expect it to be. She is having a hard time trusting any of the fae there and getting increasingly worried about the prince’s getting into Elysia (if that’s how you spell it). As she’s fishing for information about getting back to Alderia she ends up striking a deal with Seren (who is just the hottest fae man ever) (team Seren 1000%) about learning what it is to be fae she finds that maybe it isn’t all that bad. That is until tension rises and things regarding the princes become increasingly worrying for both Delph as well as all of the starlight court.
It was much much much better than the first one. I do have many of the same complaints regarding character development and detail, but if you can just accept that that isn’t gonna happen then this series is quite enjoyable.
At first the description of the star court as well as the people there really put me off. It seemed very temporary regarding its being in the story because of how non inviting it was, but one thing I really liked about the story was that as Delph warms up to it, so did I (or I guess we as readers).
One thing I really didn’t like about this book (and this might actually be one of the only things) was some of the choices the main character makes- specifically while in the fucking PUBLIC bath house. Yea that was super annoying and unnecessary. I also don’t understand Delph’s lack of acknowledgment that the princes tried to actually kill her… that was 100% going to happen until it didn’t.
Other than that though I was really pleased with the story and how different it was from the first one. I am really hoping for another one and everything about the ending of the second one leads me (and anyone else who reads it) to believe there would be, but I haven’t seen anything about one. Fingers crossed.
3.9/5 stars.
August 1, 2024
I’m very disappointed with this book. It’s ironic because, after finishing it, I realized it was a "why choose" fantasy romance—a genre I absolutely love and supposedly similar in style to ACOTAR. I nearly DNF’d this at the start due to the constant confusion and frustration. As a reader, you feel completely ignorant, constantly searching for information that the protagonist should already have. By 60% into the book, there still hadn't been a spicy scene, just some sexual tension, so smut, it is not. The few intimate scenes were extremely underwhelming, lacking any believable or relatable chemistry among the characters.
The plot itself isn't terrible, but it's a struggle because you don't understand what's happening for a long time. I still don't know how her fae parent is related to the starlight court (add in more confusion here because there’s a twist that of course there’s no explanation for, no breadcrumbs for you to analyse to follow how we got there and surprise surprise, you don’t find out how it came to be), whether she's related to Seren, or how the male characters fit into the harem, as their characters aren't well developed. Delphine’s character is particularly irritating for someone who knows nothing about anything. Caldamir remains stony and excessively grumpy; even in the first book, his POV was just anger and a desire to sacrifice Delphine while simultaneously wanting her. Seren shows potential in the second book, but his dialogue with Delphine is often vague. The other three men are barely fleshed out. I also don’t understand how the harem is actually supposed to work as apart from lust for the characters, there’s no real reason for Delphine to love any of them.
The second book continues to suffer from excessive telling rather than showing. I pushed myself to finish it not out of pleasure but obligation. Despite this story being right up my alley, I found it a chore. The rubbish cliffhanger didn’t help, it felt almost like a last Hail Mary to make up for the fact that the book hasn’t got much going for it. If someone asked me to recommend it, I wouldn’t. Will I read book 3? I doubt it.
The plot itself isn't terrible, but it's a struggle because you don't understand what's happening for a long time. I still don't know how her fae parent is related to the starlight court (add in more confusion here because there’s a twist that of course there’s no explanation for, no breadcrumbs for you to analyse to follow how we got there and surprise surprise, you don’t find out how it came to be), whether she's related to Seren, or how the male characters fit into the harem, as their characters aren't well developed. Delphine’s character is particularly irritating for someone who knows nothing about anything. Caldamir remains stony and excessively grumpy; even in the first book, his POV was just anger and a desire to sacrifice Delphine while simultaneously wanting her. Seren shows potential in the second book, but his dialogue with Delphine is often vague. The other three men are barely fleshed out. I also don’t understand how the harem is actually supposed to work as apart from lust for the characters, there’s no real reason for Delphine to love any of them.
The second book continues to suffer from excessive telling rather than showing. I pushed myself to finish it not out of pleasure but obligation. Despite this story being right up my alley, I found it a chore. The rubbish cliffhanger didn’t help, it felt almost like a last Hail Mary to make up for the fact that the book hasn’t got much going for it. If someone asked me to recommend it, I wouldn’t. Will I read book 3? I doubt it.
June 5, 2022
I gave the first book 3 stars because it was the first in a series and those can sometimes be rocky. I give this one 2.5 stars because the same problems I had with book 1 are still happening. There's no real character development, I don't feel like I know any of the characters, and I don't feel like any of them are truly sympathetic. I don't really care about any of them and I don't understand the main characters motivations at all. There is no reason for Delphine to want to sleep with any of the four princes who literally tried to murder her, yet she does. There is no reason for her to want to go back to a village of people who all hated her, yet she does.
The level of spice the author keeps talking about simply isn't there, the dark fantasy elements aren't there, the reverse harem isn't there, the romance isn't there. I actually truly wonder if the author understands that reverse harem isn't just one woman sleeping around. And despite this being book 2 of 3, nothing has really happened, the plot hasn't progressed much, and we still don't know anything about these characters.
This book also felt very rushed. Not just the writing, but the editing. There were wrong words, repeated words in a sentence, past tense switching at random to present tense, and it was surprising considering that for all its faults, book 1 was actually pretty well done.
I'll still read book 3, because for some reason, I'm still holding out hope. I do still think the premise is interesting and it all had a lot of promise. I think the author is a decent writer, and I'm curious to see what she comes up with next, she just needs to polish her writing more. And I actually think that, if she hadn't hyped up the level of spice SO MUCH on social media, no one would really have a problem with it. The sex scenes aren't bad, just not spicy, but when she's using that as the main draw to get people to read, well, it needs to deliver, and these books just haven't.
The level of spice the author keeps talking about simply isn't there, the dark fantasy elements aren't there, the reverse harem isn't there, the romance isn't there. I actually truly wonder if the author understands that reverse harem isn't just one woman sleeping around. And despite this being book 2 of 3, nothing has really happened, the plot hasn't progressed much, and we still don't know anything about these characters.
This book also felt very rushed. Not just the writing, but the editing. There were wrong words, repeated words in a sentence, past tense switching at random to present tense, and it was surprising considering that for all its faults, book 1 was actually pretty well done.
I'll still read book 3, because for some reason, I'm still holding out hope. I do still think the premise is interesting and it all had a lot of promise. I think the author is a decent writer, and I'm curious to see what she comes up with next, she just needs to polish her writing more. And I actually think that, if she hadn't hyped up the level of spice SO MUCH on social media, no one would really have a problem with it. The sex scenes aren't bad, just not spicy, but when she's using that as the main draw to get people to read, well, it needs to deliver, and these books just haven't.
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