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Married By Starfall
Venya’s mother is dying—and Venya’s only remaining option is to bargain with a feared fae sorcerer, Kassimir the Dark, for a cure. She is desperate enough to do anything—or so she thinks, until Kassimir asks an impossible price.
Kass is no ordinary fae sorcerer. There's a demon bound to his heart, and the bonds are breaking. When they shatter on Starfall night, the demon will kill him—unless he can find a sacrifice to take his place. When a desperate elf maiden arrives upon his doorstep, an arranged marriage is the perfect ruse to keep her.
Venya finds Kass to be the opposite of the wicked necromancer she expected, and Kassimir cannot help but soften in the face of the shy elven librarian who unlocks his heart. Something forbidden and dangerous blooms between them—but the deadline of Starfall approaches, and Kassimir cannot evade the demon's lust for vengeance.
A terrible betrayal looms, and one is doomed to die on Starfall night unless fate itself can be defied by love.
Married By Starfall is a standalone enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance (guaranteed HEA and fade to black heat level) set in the existing Altarea world and featuring characters from the Chronicles of Pelenor and Darkness of the Living Forest series.
Married By Starfall is book six in the Arranged Marriages of the Fae series .
Kass is no ordinary fae sorcerer. There's a demon bound to his heart, and the bonds are breaking. When they shatter on Starfall night, the demon will kill him—unless he can find a sacrifice to take his place. When a desperate elf maiden arrives upon his doorstep, an arranged marriage is the perfect ruse to keep her.
Venya finds Kass to be the opposite of the wicked necromancer she expected, and Kassimir cannot help but soften in the face of the shy elven librarian who unlocks his heart. Something forbidden and dangerous blooms between them—but the deadline of Starfall approaches, and Kassimir cannot evade the demon's lust for vengeance.
A terrible betrayal looms, and one is doomed to die on Starfall night unless fate itself can be defied by love.
Married By Starfall is a standalone enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance (guaranteed HEA and fade to black heat level) set in the existing Altarea world and featuring characters from the Chronicles of Pelenor and Darkness of the Living Forest series.
Married By Starfall is book six in the Arranged Marriages of the Fae series .
244 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2022
87 people are currently reading
1604 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cowley
60 books202 followers✒️ Romantic Fantasy with courageous heroines, protective heroes, and endearing found families to sweep you away... ✨️
Meg Cowley is a USA Today bestselling fantasy author from England. Meg writes slow burn steamy epic fantasy romances with courageous and vulnerable heroines, protective and brooding heroes, and lovable and welcoming found family in stories that will steal your heart long after the last page.
Meg's favourite past times are reading, hiking, and cooking. She can usually be found curled up with a cup of tea and a riveting fantasy romance book, cooking up a fantasy-book worthy feast, or out walking the wild, windswept moors of Yorkshire dreaming up her next story.
Visit www.megcowley.com to find out more, discover Meg’s books, find exclusive reader bonus content, and join her Romantasy Fellowship newsletter.
Meg Cowley is a USA Today bestselling fantasy author from England. Meg writes slow burn steamy epic fantasy romances with courageous and vulnerable heroines, protective and brooding heroes, and lovable and welcoming found family in stories that will steal your heart long after the last page.
Meg's favourite past times are reading, hiking, and cooking. She can usually be found curled up with a cup of tea and a riveting fantasy romance book, cooking up a fantasy-book worthy feast, or out walking the wild, windswept moors of Yorkshire dreaming up her next story.
Visit www.megcowley.com to find out more, discover Meg’s books, find exclusive reader bonus content, and join her Romantasy Fellowship newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
October 10, 2022
"I can cure your mother. For life."
Her lips parted, her chest rose with a giant intake of breath, and her face lit up with fresh hope, any animosity between them vanishing in an instant. It made his heart ache.
He licked his lips. "I will make it so, if you do one thing."
"Anything." Her answer was instant.
"Marry me. On Starfall."
When I saw the gorgeous artwork for this book featuring the main characters - I'll be honest here - it gave me some major Feyre/Rhysand (ACOTAR) vibes. And while I knew from reading experience that it's not proper to expect the same thing, the artwork DID achieve the goal of enabling me to go into this story with plenty of happy hopes. (You can check it out - regardless of what I think of the story ;) >>> https://thesignedbookshop.com/product...)
First - what I LIKED: I think Cowley has a very distinctive style since most of it feels very traditional and literary and classical and elegant and very descriptive. It is beautiful especially when read aloud, and I especially admire her use of varied syntax (sentence structure). It certainly stands out from the crowd and from what I've typically read from fantasy authors of today. I think it feels a bit like Tolkien's? I haven't really read much of Tolkien yet, so I'm going with what I can recall here. xD (The negative part to this is explained below.) Venya and Kassimir are simply the PERFECT names in this story (actually, all the naming deserve points.) The setting, as a result, feels vivid enough for me to enjoy. I also like the redeemed hero trope (struggling against the darkness of demons).
Now - what I DISLIKED: Alas. The romance in the story doesn't quite work. Everything in the story feels too.... tropey. I'm all for the tropes but they MUST have good twists or spins or something solidly unique about the way they're utilized in the story, and... sadly, I don't get that here. I expect a lot of readers who are already familiar with Cowley' other, longer works to enjoy this much more since they're simply in for anything she writes (which I completely understand since I do the same). But, as it is, MARRIED BY STARFALL feels slow and dragged on as a result of the lack of suspense/intrigue/mystery. The beginning of good chemistry/relationship is present, but it should have been explored much more, instead of resorting to insta-love more or less. I would have enjoyed more dialogue between our main couple.
The other thing that bothered me is a subpoint from the WHAT I LIKED section: it feels weird when I'd be enjoying the prose/writing (despite my loss of interest in the story itself), and then suddenly the characters would act or talk in such a way that is MUCH too modern for the atmosphere set up by the prose and what I expected. The sentences would have a non-standard structure (which is fine, and I actually like to learn from that!) but they don't always flow clearly. I suppose I'm trying to convey that while I enjoyed the prose for the most part, it became distracting due to (what I consider to be) inconsistency since I was thinking through all the possibilities this story has and all the benefits it would get from a good edit while reading. :( I'm afraid that, if this is The Thing Nowadays, I just couldn't get past the bump to enjoy the story. If you are okay with that sort of thing, you'd likely enjoy this much more than I have.
At this point (and, well, despite my lower than expected rating :(), I'm VERY willing to try out Cowley's other works, since I've a feeling they can be REALLY good since it sounds like they're more focused on action/epic adventure and such with romantic subplots. Plus, I WOULD love earn more from reading more of her prose (minus the caveats noted above ;).
✅ Characters: ✨✨
✅ Atmosphere/Setting: ✨✨✨✨
✅ Writing Style: ✨✨✨ (mostly very elegant, classy, traditional prose - even with the varying sentence structure, which I GREATLY admire and want to learn from - but then sometimes it would NOT be that way, and that greatly annoyed me since the characters then feel very... modern and it feels out of place)
✅ Intrigue: ✨✨
✅ Logic/Relationships: ✨✨✨
✅ Enjoyment: ✨✨
1.5 Stars, rounded up to 2
✨Tropes✨
💕 fae lord sorcerer
💕 enemies to lovers
💕 elf maiden
💕 arranged marriage
💕 only one bed
💕 forbidden love
💕 beauty and the beast vibes
💕 magical library/grimoires
💕 "touch her you die" vibes
💕 betrayal
💕 will die to save her
💕 forced proximity
💕 secret castle in a mountain forest valley
💕 sorcery and power
💕 demons and danger
💕 guaranteed happily ever after (HEA)
Content: PG-13 for language (of the light British style), and fade-to-black sexual content (occurs once). The d--m words became more frequent as the story went on. And technically it IS clean since it's fade-to-black (and it's not very descriptive leading up to it or at the kissing scene so I consider it tame enough), but there is pre-marital sex. Also, evil in the story takes the form of demons/literal darkness.
Thank you to the author/publisher for giving me a free ARC of this book. I am under no obligation to write a review or ensure my review is positive in exchange, nor am I compensated in any way. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thank you for reading! Please like this review if you’ve found it helpful, and feel free to leave a comment with any questions/comments!
My reviews for other books from this series (Arranged Marriages of the Fae is a standalone, multi-author series, which I think is a great starting point to explore/find other great authors. I hope you will find something you'll like! :)
Married by War by Sarah KL Wilson
Married by Scandal by Tessonja Odette
February 6, 2023
Contained within this book is a really good idea for a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
If it was about 30-50 pages shorter, I probably would have loved it, but there was just so much waffling while nothing happened, I just wanted to throw something at the characters. Would have also liked a bit more worldbuilding - exactly what is the difference between elves and fae in this world?
The messages are good. Just a bit heavy-handed in melodramatic waffling.
I do think that Sylvia Mercedes' Scarred Mage of Roseward is a better handling of the basic premise, though.
If it was about 30-50 pages shorter, I probably would have loved it, but there was just so much waffling while nothing happened, I just wanted to throw something at the characters. Would have also liked a bit more worldbuilding - exactly what is the difference between elves and fae in this world?
The messages are good. Just a bit heavy-handed in melodramatic waffling.
I do think that Sylvia Mercedes' Scarred Mage of Roseward is a better handling of the basic premise, though.
October 18, 2022
I have liked trying new authors threw this series. This author is an awesome world builder and writer. I loved this dark scary world! You really were pulled right in. The romance in this one started out so well and then went wonky. The setting was this old world and the romance was too modern and then they just fell in bed together..... This is a clean romance with some kisses. So no descriptions of anything. I would let my older teen read this. The demons in this were pretty freaky.
If this author and Lynn Kurland had a book baby together it would be my perfect book. Meg's world building and Lynn's romance....Can you imagine!
If this author and Lynn Kurland had a book baby together it would be my perfect book. Meg's world building and Lynn's romance....Can you imagine!
December 12, 2022
This author… writes like Yoda? I’m confused, a little bewildered, and am blinking like a cartoon character after this one.
Married by Starfall… well, all you need to know is already written in the synopsis. Elf is willing to marry random faerie anxt lord to save her mother. Random faerie anxt lord has a demon trapped inside him that is about to bust free and cause some chaos. That’s literally it.
You know, I was really excited going into this one. I thought there was a lot of potential with this idea, and I am a sucker for a good fantasy romance. Yet, the execution was a little lackluster. There was no real digging into the idea and the consequences of the circumstances both Venya and Cass are in. It’s incredibly straightforward, pretty surface level, and whenever there are attempts to dig into the characters’ psychology, it’s really just a hammering home of the same one point for each character. Cass thinks he’s evil and awful. Venya feels guilty. That’s it. Well, there’s also a lot of hinting at something awful in both of their pasts, but the same hints are used over and over. Consequently, it feels less like an exciting ramp up to the reveal as we start putting pieces together, and instead is just me, sighing because once again, I’m hearing how horrible Cass thinks he is using the exact same phrasing as fifteen pages before. There’s overall not a lot of detail for me to grab on to so I can like either of them. It’s just… it’s just one dimensional. Some people really like the more simplistic and quick approach, but I personally need more depth to my characters. Also, I need characters that don’t make me cringe when they talk. Seriously, look at this apology from Cass:
“I will gladly go to my death knowing you are safe. Please accept my deepest apologies. I never should have kept this from you. I did not wish you to find out, to have you know the depth of my cowardice, to know you would think so little of me for all I have done. I demand nothing of you, but I beg for your forgiveness” (202).
No one talks like this, but this was the entire novel. It feels like Phoebe from Friends trying to talk posh when meeting Mike’s parents. It’s just stilted and uncomfortable to read, and yet still not as uncomfortable as the romance arc overall. I’m not going to spoil everything, but these two are the definition of hot one second and cold the other, and then back to hot again after very little resolution. Also, they’re together for, like, three weeks. It’s basically instalove, which I can’t stand.
Overall, Married by Starfall was not it for me. If you like soft magic systems, smaller plots across fewer pages, and more simplistic characters, this is for you. Honestly, it feels like a perfect read for a middle grade book. Get rid of some of the fancier terminology, remove the sex implications, and you’re good to go.
*** Original review ***
Huh???
Married by Starfall… well, all you need to know is already written in the synopsis. Elf is willing to marry random faerie anxt lord to save her mother. Random faerie anxt lord has a demon trapped inside him that is about to bust free and cause some chaos. That’s literally it.
You know, I was really excited going into this one. I thought there was a lot of potential with this idea, and I am a sucker for a good fantasy romance. Yet, the execution was a little lackluster. There was no real digging into the idea and the consequences of the circumstances both Venya and Cass are in. It’s incredibly straightforward, pretty surface level, and whenever there are attempts to dig into the characters’ psychology, it’s really just a hammering home of the same one point for each character. Cass thinks he’s evil and awful. Venya feels guilty. That’s it. Well, there’s also a lot of hinting at something awful in both of their pasts, but the same hints are used over and over. Consequently, it feels less like an exciting ramp up to the reveal as we start putting pieces together, and instead is just me, sighing because once again, I’m hearing how horrible Cass thinks he is using the exact same phrasing as fifteen pages before. There’s overall not a lot of detail for me to grab on to so I can like either of them. It’s just… it’s just one dimensional. Some people really like the more simplistic and quick approach, but I personally need more depth to my characters. Also, I need characters that don’t make me cringe when they talk. Seriously, look at this apology from Cass:
“I will gladly go to my death knowing you are safe. Please accept my deepest apologies. I never should have kept this from you. I did not wish you to find out, to have you know the depth of my cowardice, to know you would think so little of me for all I have done. I demand nothing of you, but I beg for your forgiveness” (202).
No one talks like this, but this was the entire novel. It feels like Phoebe from Friends trying to talk posh when meeting Mike’s parents. It’s just stilted and uncomfortable to read, and yet still not as uncomfortable as the romance arc overall. I’m not going to spoil everything, but these two are the definition of hot one second and cold the other, and then back to hot again after very little resolution. Also, they’re together for, like, three weeks. It’s basically instalove, which I can’t stand.
Overall, Married by Starfall was not it for me. If you like soft magic systems, smaller plots across fewer pages, and more simplistic characters, this is for you. Honestly, it feels like a perfect read for a middle grade book. Get rid of some of the fancier terminology, remove the sex implications, and you’re good to go.
*** Original review ***
Huh???
September 18, 2022
ARC review: thank you very much to the writer for providing an advance copy!
Note: English is not my mother tongue, so kindly gliss over anything that might be worded weirdly.
I don't think I have much to say about this read: I really enjoyed it and I will for sure check other books from the writer (in particular since Venya, the female lead, comes from another series where, from what I got from the author's note, she's a secondary character).
The main characters were absolutely relatable and likeable and I liked how it was written in 3rd person. There's a bit of misunderstanding between the characters at the end, and usually I hate the miscommunication trope, but the whole story building makes what happens logic/understandable and not a spur of the moment "nope, not gonna hear your reasons just because, bye" deal.
If I really need to point out a "flaw", is that there were a few times where one of the characters "runs away" after a conversation, and I deemed that a bit weird, but, fortunately for me, after the first moment of shock/confusion, the protagonists do make decisions and talk, so all's good in my book.
I haven't checked the bonus content from the writer's website yet, but will do so ASAP.
Ending note: I had to rush in writing this review, so hope it does make sense. Wish Meg the best of luck with her future works!
Note: English is not my mother tongue, so kindly gliss over anything that might be worded weirdly.
I don't think I have much to say about this read: I really enjoyed it and I will for sure check other books from the writer (in particular since Venya, the female lead, comes from another series where, from what I got from the author's note, she's a secondary character).
The main characters were absolutely relatable and likeable and I liked how it was written in 3rd person. There's a bit of misunderstanding between the characters at the end, and usually I hate the miscommunication trope, but the whole story building makes what happens logic/understandable and not a spur of the moment "nope, not gonna hear your reasons just because, bye" deal.
If I really need to point out a "flaw", is that there were a few times where one of the characters "runs away" after a conversation, and I deemed that a bit weird, but, fortunately for me, after the first moment of shock/confusion, the protagonists do make decisions and talk, so all's good in my book.
I haven't checked the bonus content from the writer's website yet, but will do so ASAP.
Ending note: I had to rush in writing this review, so hope it does make sense. Wish Meg the best of luck with her future works!
September 14, 2022
This was everything I hoped it would be. So, so good!
June 7, 2023
Married by Starfall is the sixth book within the Arranged Marriages of the Fae series.
In this, you will meet Venya and Kass. These two, they were just made for one another. I absolutely fell in love with them very early on. I like how Kass had this actual demon within him, and he had to fight what was being said internally and externally throughout the entire book. Things weren't magically easy between them, but they learned to love one another anyways.
Definitely got some beauty and the beast vibes with this one. Which is probably why I enjoyed it even more and read it so quickly. Towards the end, I saw that Kass has his own trilogy. Which means I basically have to drop everything around me and try to devour that. I hope we get to know more about his backstory since we got a little piece of it in this one.
Other than that, I'm really happy that I found my way to this series and can't wait to see what will happen in the next one.
In this, you will meet Venya and Kass. These two, they were just made for one another. I absolutely fell in love with them very early on. I like how Kass had this actual demon within him, and he had to fight what was being said internally and externally throughout the entire book. Things weren't magically easy between them, but they learned to love one another anyways.
Definitely got some beauty and the beast vibes with this one. Which is probably why I enjoyed it even more and read it so quickly. Towards the end, I saw that Kass has his own trilogy. Which means I basically have to drop everything around me and try to devour that. I hope we get to know more about his backstory since we got a little piece of it in this one.
Other than that, I'm really happy that I found my way to this series and can't wait to see what will happen in the next one.
September 16, 2022
A few years ago I read my first series of books by different authors following the same kind of theme. I really liked the idea. I mostly like discovering new authors and having the chance to figure out if I want to read more by them or not. So, when I saw this series being announced I immediately added all the books to my wishlist and now I'm slowly adding them to my collection until I'm complete. This week I added this installment.
I really loved how this book was entirely different from the other book in the series I read so far and yet had the same kind of vibe and idea. Just like the other book there is loads of magic in this book and just like the other book there is a not entirely conventional marriage in this book. However, where the other book was about djinns and Gods, this book is about sorcerers and demons. And where the first book was a friends to lovers, this book was more an enemies to lovers kind of book.
I really loved the world building in this book. While reading the book I felt the world was rich and big and yet I never realized that the author had already written more books in this world. Everything that needed to be explained was explained and a lot of the explanations weren't boring info-dumps, but were action scenes where we actually got to experience all the possibilities. Now I do know there are more books in this world, I'm really eager to check them out!
I also really enjoyed the romance in this book. The book is relatively short so both characters are developing feelings quite quickly, but the author did take the time to show us why these characters fell in love so easily and what is there to love in the other. There was time for honest conversation, for confessions and also for getting to see the bad character traits of the other. I really could believe those characters were exactly right for each other!
O, and if you include libraries with living books, you already can't go wrong anymore!
I really loved how this book was entirely different from the other book in the series I read so far and yet had the same kind of vibe and idea. Just like the other book there is loads of magic in this book and just like the other book there is a not entirely conventional marriage in this book. However, where the other book was about djinns and Gods, this book is about sorcerers and demons. And where the first book was a friends to lovers, this book was more an enemies to lovers kind of book.
I really loved the world building in this book. While reading the book I felt the world was rich and big and yet I never realized that the author had already written more books in this world. Everything that needed to be explained was explained and a lot of the explanations weren't boring info-dumps, but were action scenes where we actually got to experience all the possibilities. Now I do know there are more books in this world, I'm really eager to check them out!
I also really enjoyed the romance in this book. The book is relatively short so both characters are developing feelings quite quickly, but the author did take the time to show us why these characters fell in love so easily and what is there to love in the other. There was time for honest conversation, for confessions and also for getting to see the bad character traits of the other. I really could believe those characters were exactly right for each other!
O, and if you include libraries with living books, you already can't go wrong anymore!
October 17, 2022
Married by Starfall is a stand alone book taking place in Meg Cowley's Altarea world. In hopes of getting a cure to save her mother's life Venya risks her life traveling through the dangerous Wildewood in search of Kassimer the Dark, a fae sorcerer. Kassimer has an ulterior motive for being willing to bargain with Venya for the cure.
I do not ordinarily read a lot of this type of fantasy anymore as it seems to have become a genre that has been adopted to thinly disguise a romance story. Not the case here as this book is high on the fantasy aspect with a small percent of romance thrown in which made it a very enjoyable read for me. I am a huge fan of good fantasy novels. Ms. Cowley spins an enthralling tale filled with sorcery and some swordplay. The plot is well written. The book is filled with vivid descriptions. The romance is faded to black. For readers who like a little more heat in their romances, I understand Ms. Cowley has an alternate chapter available. She had me rooting for Kassimer to overcome his darkness and make a happy life with Venya.
I did receive an ARC of this book which in no way influenced my opinion given voluntarily in this review.
I do not ordinarily read a lot of this type of fantasy anymore as it seems to have become a genre that has been adopted to thinly disguise a romance story. Not the case here as this book is high on the fantasy aspect with a small percent of romance thrown in which made it a very enjoyable read for me. I am a huge fan of good fantasy novels. Ms. Cowley spins an enthralling tale filled with sorcery and some swordplay. The plot is well written. The book is filled with vivid descriptions. The romance is faded to black. For readers who like a little more heat in their romances, I understand Ms. Cowley has an alternate chapter available. She had me rooting for Kassimer to overcome his darkness and make a happy life with Venya.
I did receive an ARC of this book which in no way influenced my opinion given voluntarily in this review.
October 15, 2022
Loved this, the writing was so evocative it sweeps you up right from the start. Was so easy to visualise the world and the characters. Venya is desperate to find a cure for her ailing mother. Her last resort is the ‘evil’ sorcerer Kassimir the Dark. The characters are well rounded with layers that are peeled back as the book progresses. The attraction between the two of them is built up slowly, with a dark secret in the background which is a seemingly impossible barrier to them having a hea. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they worked together to get through this
October 10, 2022
ARC REVIEW
ESP/ENG
3.75
Esta ha sido mi primera experiencia leyendo a esta autora y debo decir que me ha gustado. También es la segunda historia que leo de esta iniciativa hecha por varias autoras. “Arranged Marriages of the Fae” es una serie de historias donde podrás encontrar un tema en común, los matrimonio arreglados. Las historias pueden leerse de manera independiente, ya que no tienen relación entre sí, solo que algunas estarán relacionadas con historias viejas de las mismas autoras. En este caso, “Married By Starfall” de la autora Meg Cowley está relacionada con el mundo de Altarea (que contiene un par de sagas, por lo que vi).
No sabía que esperar al ser mi primera introducción a este mundo. Pero, debo decir que la he disfrutado. A pesar de ser la historia más reciente en situarse en el mundo de Altarea, no sientes que sea necesario leer las demás historias para entender. Me ha gustado que la historia no se haya distraído con los argumentos de las otras y que la autora dejara que nos encariñáramos con los personajes y sus vidas. No fueron desatendidos.
Kass me pareció un hombre muy dulce y protector. Como lo dice la sinopsis, es un hechicero fae y tiene una atadura con un demonio muy peligroso y poderoso. Sin embargo, este lazo se está empezando a romper y si Kass no hace algo, el demonio quedará libre y Kass morirá. Venya llega como caída del cielo, buscando una cura para su madre, decide encontrarse con el famoso hechicero y pedirle que le ayude a cambio de cualquier cosa, una chica fuerte que solo necesitaba un empujoncito para encontrarse a sí misma. Entre ambos se genera un lazo que poco a poco empieza a fortalecerse, aunque ambos se resisten. El libro es corto, así que su relación puede sentirse un poco rápida al principio, pero no es algo que moleste como en otros libros, no es insta love. Me ha gustado mucho esta pareja, uno le aporto al otro lo que le hacía falta, se complementaron muy bien. El tema del demonio también me ha gustado, sentí la desesperación de Kass por no dejarlo libre y por su vida. Y me ha gustado que Venya decidiera vivir su propia vida y entender que la culpa que cargaba, no era suya.
Me ha gustado la narración, porque a pesar de no ser en primera persona, pude obtener los pensamientos de ambos personajes, que es algo que me encanta.
Solo puedo decir, que muchas gracias por este ARC y que por supuesto leeré las otras historias de este universo creado por la autora, buscaré si hay algún orden en particular o si no hay problema con leerlas en desorden.
Pd. Amé a Pata. Jajaja….
“Become the lady of my lands”.
This has been my first experience reading this author and I must say that I liked it. It is also the second story I read of this initiative made by several authors. "Arranged Marriages of the Fae" is a series of stories where you can find a common theme, arranged marriages. The stories can be read independently, as they are not related to each other, only that some of them will be related to old stories by the same authors. In this case, "Married By Starfall" by Meg Cowley is related to the world of Altarea (which contains a couple of series, from what I saw).
I didn't know what to expect being my first introduction to this world. But, I must say I enjoyed it. Despite being the most recent story to be set in the world of Altarea, you don't feel like you need to read the other stories to understand. I liked that the story didn't get distracted by the plots of the others and that the author let us become attached to the characters and their lives. They were not neglected.
“Let yourself be, for once, Venya. You are glorious. Let me worship you.”
Kass struck me as a very sweet and protective man. As the synopsis states, he is a fae sorcerer and has a bond with a very dangerous and powerful demon. However, this bond is starting to break and if Kass doesn't do something, the demon will go free and Kass will die. Venya arrives as if she had falling from the sky, looking for a cure for her mother, she decides to meet the famous sorcerer and ask him to help her in exchange for anything, a strong girl who just needed a little push to find herself. Between the two a bond is generated that gradually begins to strengthen, although both resist. The book is short, so their relationship can feel a little fast at first, but it's not something that bothers like in other books, it's not insta love. I really liked this couple, one brought to the other what was needed, they complemented each other very well. I also liked the demon theme, I felt Kass's desperation for not letting him go free and for his life. And I liked that Venya decided to live her own life and understand that the guilt she carried, was not hers.
I liked the narration, because even though it wasn't in first person, I was able to get the thoughts of both characters, which is something I love.
I can only say, thank you very much for this ARC and I will of course read the other stories in this universe created by the author, I will look for if there is any particular order or if there is no problem with reading them out of order.
“And I do not appreciate the interruption to my sweet dreams”.
Pd: I loved Pata.
ESP/ENG
3.75
Esta ha sido mi primera experiencia leyendo a esta autora y debo decir que me ha gustado. También es la segunda historia que leo de esta iniciativa hecha por varias autoras. “Arranged Marriages of the Fae” es una serie de historias donde podrás encontrar un tema en común, los matrimonio arreglados. Las historias pueden leerse de manera independiente, ya que no tienen relación entre sí, solo que algunas estarán relacionadas con historias viejas de las mismas autoras. En este caso, “Married By Starfall” de la autora Meg Cowley está relacionada con el mundo de Altarea (que contiene un par de sagas, por lo que vi).
No sabía que esperar al ser mi primera introducción a este mundo. Pero, debo decir que la he disfrutado. A pesar de ser la historia más reciente en situarse en el mundo de Altarea, no sientes que sea necesario leer las demás historias para entender. Me ha gustado que la historia no se haya distraído con los argumentos de las otras y que la autora dejara que nos encariñáramos con los personajes y sus vidas. No fueron desatendidos.
Kass me pareció un hombre muy dulce y protector. Como lo dice la sinopsis, es un hechicero fae y tiene una atadura con un demonio muy peligroso y poderoso. Sin embargo, este lazo se está empezando a romper y si Kass no hace algo, el demonio quedará libre y Kass morirá. Venya llega como caída del cielo, buscando una cura para su madre, decide encontrarse con el famoso hechicero y pedirle que le ayude a cambio de cualquier cosa, una chica fuerte que solo necesitaba un empujoncito para encontrarse a sí misma. Entre ambos se genera un lazo que poco a poco empieza a fortalecerse, aunque ambos se resisten. El libro es corto, así que su relación puede sentirse un poco rápida al principio, pero no es algo que moleste como en otros libros, no es insta love. Me ha gustado mucho esta pareja, uno le aporto al otro lo que le hacía falta, se complementaron muy bien. El tema del demonio también me ha gustado, sentí la desesperación de Kass por no dejarlo libre y por su vida. Y me ha gustado que Venya decidiera vivir su propia vida y entender que la culpa que cargaba, no era suya.
Me ha gustado la narración, porque a pesar de no ser en primera persona, pude obtener los pensamientos de ambos personajes, que es algo que me encanta.
Solo puedo decir, que muchas gracias por este ARC y que por supuesto leeré las otras historias de este universo creado por la autora, buscaré si hay algún orden en particular o si no hay problema con leerlas en desorden.
Pd. Amé a Pata. Jajaja….
“Become the lady of my lands”.
This has been my first experience reading this author and I must say that I liked it. It is also the second story I read of this initiative made by several authors. "Arranged Marriages of the Fae" is a series of stories where you can find a common theme, arranged marriages. The stories can be read independently, as they are not related to each other, only that some of them will be related to old stories by the same authors. In this case, "Married By Starfall" by Meg Cowley is related to the world of Altarea (which contains a couple of series, from what I saw).
I didn't know what to expect being my first introduction to this world. But, I must say I enjoyed it. Despite being the most recent story to be set in the world of Altarea, you don't feel like you need to read the other stories to understand. I liked that the story didn't get distracted by the plots of the others and that the author let us become attached to the characters and their lives. They were not neglected.
“Let yourself be, for once, Venya. You are glorious. Let me worship you.”
Kass struck me as a very sweet and protective man. As the synopsis states, he is a fae sorcerer and has a bond with a very dangerous and powerful demon. However, this bond is starting to break and if Kass doesn't do something, the demon will go free and Kass will die. Venya arrives as if she had falling from the sky, looking for a cure for her mother, she decides to meet the famous sorcerer and ask him to help her in exchange for anything, a strong girl who just needed a little push to find herself. Between the two a bond is generated that gradually begins to strengthen, although both resist. The book is short, so their relationship can feel a little fast at first, but it's not something that bothers like in other books, it's not insta love. I really liked this couple, one brought to the other what was needed, they complemented each other very well. I also liked the demon theme, I felt Kass's desperation for not letting him go free and for his life. And I liked that Venya decided to live her own life and understand that the guilt she carried, was not hers.
I liked the narration, because even though it wasn't in first person, I was able to get the thoughts of both characters, which is something I love.
I can only say, thank you very much for this ARC and I will of course read the other stories in this universe created by the author, I will look for if there is any particular order or if there is no problem with reading them out of order.
“And I do not appreciate the interruption to my sweet dreams”.
Pd: I loved Pata.
November 11, 2022
great novella
Venya is travelling searching for the dark fae sorcerer to save her mothers life. Little did she know the fae male who saves her is the one she seeks. Kessimir has his own troubles, a demon will consume him and more if he doesn’t take a life by starfall, but is Venya a gift in another form. Can Venya trust the renowned dark sorcerer who is not as he has been described or will she succumb to the charms of this handsome Fae male.
Cowley has done a fantastic job of world building in this story. We are quickly transported to the world of Alarea and it’s monsters that lurk in the woods. Venya and Kass’s plights are easily understood and tension built well. The one thing I found missing was a physical description of the two although we are given hints.
A great enemies to lovers, forced proximity trope that would be suitable for adults and teens (Fades to black in the romantic scene).
My only gripes it does all happen a bit quickly and reads very much like a well written outline but I believe this may be due to Cowley writings normally being more substantial novels. Also there was an extreme over use of the word enveloped (thesaurus anyone!) and a couple of sentence read as if Yoda had written them (a strange use of grammar, Cowley has). I’m not sure if this was done to attempt a more poetic writing style, but I found it confusing.
Overall a fun little book and I look forward to others in the Arranged Marriages of Fae multi author series.
Venya is travelling searching for the dark fae sorcerer to save her mothers life. Little did she know the fae male who saves her is the one she seeks. Kessimir has his own troubles, a demon will consume him and more if he doesn’t take a life by starfall, but is Venya a gift in another form. Can Venya trust the renowned dark sorcerer who is not as he has been described or will she succumb to the charms of this handsome Fae male.
Cowley has done a fantastic job of world building in this story. We are quickly transported to the world of Alarea and it’s monsters that lurk in the woods. Venya and Kass’s plights are easily understood and tension built well. The one thing I found missing was a physical description of the two although we are given hints.
A great enemies to lovers, forced proximity trope that would be suitable for adults and teens (Fades to black in the romantic scene).
My only gripes it does all happen a bit quickly and reads very much like a well written outline but I believe this may be due to Cowley writings normally being more substantial novels. Also there was an extreme over use of the word enveloped (thesaurus anyone!) and a couple of sentence read as if Yoda had written them (a strange use of grammar, Cowley has). I’m not sure if this was done to attempt a more poetic writing style, but I found it confusing.
Overall a fun little book and I look forward to others in the Arranged Marriages of Fae multi author series.
October 16, 2022
Venya and the Dark Fae Sorcerer
The story of Venya and Kass unfolds from two different viewpoints, so you understand the fears and guilt of the two main characters. At times the writing was excessively dramatic, but most of the time, the writing flowed smoothly from event to event. I liked Kass’s constructs and their loyalty, particularly wise Pata. I liked the unselfish goodness of Venya, and the gentlemanly kindness of Kass. I didn’t like the premarital sex, even though it wasn’t explicit. To me, it was out of character for Kass to give up his gentlemanly code of honor to request Venya give him that which was most precious to her and then not speak to her for days; and out of character for Venya, who was adamant about not having “to engage in despicable intimacies with a male”, and who stated she would never put herself at the mercy of male whims, and then within days, to do such things with Kass. It was no wonder Venya was confused and felt betrayed. Not romantic at all. I liked the way Venya solved the problem of the demon, even though she felt betrayed. I liked it when Kass and Venya worked on problems together. The story has a satisfactory conclusion. I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story of Venya and Kass unfolds from two different viewpoints, so you understand the fears and guilt of the two main characters. At times the writing was excessively dramatic, but most of the time, the writing flowed smoothly from event to event. I liked Kass’s constructs and their loyalty, particularly wise Pata. I liked the unselfish goodness of Venya, and the gentlemanly kindness of Kass. I didn’t like the premarital sex, even though it wasn’t explicit. To me, it was out of character for Kass to give up his gentlemanly code of honor to request Venya give him that which was most precious to her and then not speak to her for days; and out of character for Venya, who was adamant about not having “to engage in despicable intimacies with a male”, and who stated she would never put herself at the mercy of male whims, and then within days, to do such things with Kass. It was no wonder Venya was confused and felt betrayed. Not romantic at all. I liked the way Venya solved the problem of the demon, even though she felt betrayed. I liked it when Kass and Venya worked on problems together. The story has a satisfactory conclusion. I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 21, 2025
This is a solid 3.5 Star read for me.
Married by Starfall is part of a collection of books written by different authors with an arranged marriages theme. Ms Cowley has used the opportunity to take characters from her previous works and take their story a little further; this particular story acts as a good stand alone and you don't need a huge amount of back story to get settled in with this one. It's a short book and that's probably why my star rating is just off a 4 star - I wanted more! I needed more detail, a little more spice and more depth - but under the brief the author was given for this book (and I've been lucky enough to speak to the author in person) I can appreciate what she did with the text and the characters.
I enjoyed the feeling of slipping almost into a new beauty and the beast story and I loved the constructs. I think Pata might have to become my imaginary companion.
Married by Starfall is part of a collection of books written by different authors with an arranged marriages theme. Ms Cowley has used the opportunity to take characters from her previous works and take their story a little further; this particular story acts as a good stand alone and you don't need a huge amount of back story to get settled in with this one. It's a short book and that's probably why my star rating is just off a 4 star - I wanted more! I needed more detail, a little more spice and more depth - but under the brief the author was given for this book (and I've been lucky enough to speak to the author in person) I can appreciate what she did with the text and the characters.
I enjoyed the feeling of slipping almost into a new beauty and the beast story and I loved the constructs. I think Pata might have to become my imaginary companion.
October 14, 2022
Meg Cowley never disappoints. This is a wonderful fantasy story about the lengths a young woman will go to save her mother and the terrible secrets of the man she turns to for help. Ms Cowley has a magical pen when she writes her characters. You feel all of their joys and sorrows right down to your toes. Great world building and riveting plot contribute to a perfect balance of writing and imagination.
November 16, 2022
An unexpected new favourite!
I did not anticipate to like this story beyond a nice little pallatte cleanser but here we are... Venya and Kassimir share such a chemistry -the banter, the pining, the epic love sacrifice thing... absolitely love it! Still, I do wish it was a bit longer and that we spent a bit more time with them before the end of the world plot came barging in but ih well 🤷🏻♀️💕
side note: pata is the best boi, he is the sweetest and we stan that adorable sassy panther 😽💖
I did not anticipate to like this story beyond a nice little pallatte cleanser but here we are... Venya and Kassimir share such a chemistry -the banter, the pining, the epic love sacrifice thing... absolitely love it! Still, I do wish it was a bit longer and that we spent a bit more time with them before the end of the world plot came barging in but ih well 🤷🏻♀️💕
side note: pata is the best boi, he is the sweetest and we stan that adorable sassy panther 😽💖
October 14, 2022
Love it
This was amazing. I highly enjoyed the world and the characters. The love story was adorable. I’m looking forward to reading more Meg’s work. I highly recommend this novella and series.
This was amazing. I highly enjoyed the world and the characters. The love story was adorable. I’m looking forward to reading more Meg’s work. I highly recommend this novella and series.
October 14, 2022
Love love love this book so much! I really enjoyed the intrigue, mystery and plots within plots. This book will go on my to be read again list. A must read!
October 14, 2022
The story from the first page to the last was action packed. Well written, loved the twists and hints of what would come next. Each of the characters was well described.
Kass was a surprise. You think one thing and it turns out completely wrong. His character evolves throughout the story.
Venya was everything I thought she should be. Smart, quick thinking and of course feisty. Loved that she was a librarian. and well traveled. Not afraid to venture out into the world to help her mother. This is a standalone with a wonderful HEA for the couple.
I would highly recommend any and all of Ms. Cowley's books.
I was given this book as an ARC via Bookfunnel with no obligation to my honest review.
Kass was a surprise. You think one thing and it turns out completely wrong. His character evolves throughout the story.
Venya was everything I thought she should be. Smart, quick thinking and of course feisty. Loved that she was a librarian. and well traveled. Not afraid to venture out into the world to help her mother. This is a standalone with a wonderful HEA for the couple.
I would highly recommend any and all of Ms. Cowley's books.
I was given this book as an ARC via Bookfunnel with no obligation to my honest review.
October 19, 2022
Enchanting
I found this story to be very enchanting. I enjoyed reading every page of it. Always trying to determine what would happen next. I was usually wrong. This is a very entertaining story that should be read by all.
I found this story to be very enchanting. I enjoyed reading every page of it. Always trying to determine what would happen next. I was usually wrong. This is a very entertaining story that should be read by all.
October 20, 2022
EXCELLENT!
What a drastic, but idealistic story. My fault. Many twists and turns.
Held my breath a couple of times,,wow!!
I don't want to leave any spoilers, but this IS A MUST READ 👍
What a drastic, but idealistic story. My fault. Many twists and turns.
Held my breath a couple of times,,wow!!
I don't want to leave any spoilers, but this IS A MUST READ 👍
January 30, 2023
The cover is pretty and the writing style was immersive. Beyond that I found this to be an okay book and the romance was a let down.
March 22, 2025
fun, short read, low stakes.
September 6, 2023
Time stamp: I finsihed it exactly at 00.59 AM.
I was hooked from the start to finish. It’s a gorgeous book. A little Beauty and The Beast inspired. But the world building, the plot, the charcter, and the overall story - everything is orginal. It's mindblowingly amazing. Feels like a fairytale. The beautiful writing oh my Goddess ✨❄️🌠
I was hooked from the start to finish. It’s a gorgeous book. A little Beauty and The Beast inspired. But the world building, the plot, the charcter, and the overall story - everything is orginal. It's mindblowingly amazing. Feels like a fairytale. The beautiful writing oh my Goddess ✨❄️🌠
October 18, 2022
Full of tension
This book has a lot of lovely tropes and beauty and the beast nods that were lovely. The prose was great and it was full of emotional drama and tension
This book has a lot of lovely tropes and beauty and the beast nods that were lovely. The prose was great and it was full of emotional drama and tension
November 24, 2022
This was a great little novella!!! Although it was a little wordy in the beginning, I really enjoyed how easy it was to fall into the world. Kas and Venya were so cute together and I feel like they had a great dynamic I wish I could read more about them. I'm half tempted to read her other series that take place in the same world now
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2022
Meg Cowly's Married by Starfall is a great read. Venya will do anything to save her mother. Kass will do anything to save his soul. Steamy attraction of enemies.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
September 29, 2022
“𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐦𝐞,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝.
I need to talk to someone about why Meg Crowley felt like she had to tear my heart into a million pieces, just to repair it by the end again. Because I’m upset. 😅
In the best possible way. ✨🤍
Venya and Kass’s story was so frustrating and yet so magical in every way. Meg Cowley wrote their emotions in a way that I felt them through every scene.
I also really enjoyed that every character in this novella had an important piece. Even missing one side character, the story wouldn’t be the same.
Oh and did I mention it has: Enemies to Lovers, One bed, Touch her and die.🤍
I’ll be recommending this to all my fantasy loving friends ✨
I need to talk to someone about why Meg Crowley felt like she had to tear my heart into a million pieces, just to repair it by the end again. Because I’m upset. 😅
In the best possible way. ✨🤍
Venya and Kass’s story was so frustrating and yet so magical in every way. Meg Cowley wrote their emotions in a way that I felt them through every scene.
I also really enjoyed that every character in this novella had an important piece. Even missing one side character, the story wouldn’t be the same.
Oh and did I mention it has: Enemies to Lovers, One bed, Touch her and die.🤍
I’ll be recommending this to all my fantasy loving friends ✨
September 25, 2022
I was offered an ARC for an honest review
Definitely enjoyed this book it has a beauty and beast vibes. It was a nice read that lets you escape while you are reading.
This books follows Venya and her quest to help her mother and she meets Kass who is the one she is attempting to find to as her last attempt to save her mother.
The tension that Venya has with her obligation and what she truly wants is something that is relatable for me. Kass has the same tension but he has another issue that he has to deal with on top of all it. It was nice to see them work through their issues and come to the realization of what they want.
Definitely enjoyed this book it has a beauty and beast vibes. It was a nice read that lets you escape while you are reading.
This books follows Venya and her quest to help her mother and she meets Kass who is the one she is attempting to find to as her last attempt to save her mother.
The tension that Venya has with her obligation and what she truly wants is something that is relatable for me. Kass has the same tension but he has another issue that he has to deal with on top of all it. It was nice to see them work through their issues and come to the realization of what they want.
September 17, 2022
This is one hell of a captivating tale, one that kept me up for most of the night as I could not put the book down till the last line was read. It is an enemies to lovers tale, about an elf of Pellenor called Venya, who was travelling through the Wildewood in search of the evil dark sorcerer, a fae known as Kassimir. She was seeking a cure for her ailing mother who would die at starfall and she was ready to do anything the sorcerer asked of her to save her mother. Venya had travelled all over Altarea and this was her last resort. However when she did come across Kassimir, who in fact saved her life, she was not prepared for what he asked of her, but as she was so guilt ridden she capitulated. During her stay at his castle though her opinion of him started to change until she found out that he was possessed by the demon Ozul, and that he would betray her to save his own life. But Kassimir was changed through getting to know Venya and he would do anything to save her life rather than his. I found this book to be magical and enchanting, I loved both the characters but most especially Kassimir who showed his vulnerability to Venya and I really loved Pata his construct who kept him in line. Well done Ms. Cowley for an excellent tale, full of guilt, doubt, vulnerability, intrigue and so much love!
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