Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This was.. just ok. At times I was really invested and other times I had to stop myself from skimming the story because I just wasn't into it. There's definitely an audience for this, but it wasn't for me unfortunately. I think I've learned that I prefer adult romantasy.

"Illusions of Stars" by Sarah Marie Page is a perfect blend of romance and fantasy. From the start, Page's elegant prose, reminiscent of Jane Austen, draws you into Isa’s world. The portrayal of Isa’s inner struggles and grieving parental abandonment is deeply moving and authentic. Page’s world-building is compelling, making the minor era discrepancies negligible. The narrative is both intimate and captivating, leading to a cliffhanger that leaves you craving more. I highly recommend this book and eagerly await the sequel!

I *loved* this book. The writing was beautiful and poetic. I felt what Isabel (FMC) felt and I could picture the story unfolding all around me. Isabel is a (bad) spy, and Erik (MMC) is her target, and she has to "woo" him into giving her information as a war starts to brew - and they're on opposite sides. Her awkwardness is incredibly endearing and I found myself giddy over how adorable they were together.🥰 The slow burn between Isabel and Erik is filled with snarky back-and-forth, some unexpected friendships, secret glances, refreshingly honest conversations, and a lot of yearning 😍

And while it isn't 🔥super spicy🔥, the little peeks we do get of their steamy moments are 👌

I definitely recommend this one - I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelf as soon as it's available 👏 I'm already excited for the next one!!

Thanks @netgalley and #shadowforgepublishing for the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review😊

i absolutely adored this book! the atmosphere was so dreamy, aside from all the dark aspects. the way the characters personalities shone on page, made my heart swell. the plot of this book wasn’t anything i’ve read before so i really loved that. i really connected with Isabel since she is such an over thinker like i am. i absolutely adored Kasper, his banter and personality was perfect. the dynamic between Isabel and Erik was so much better than i imagined. everything about this story i loved so much. the cliffhanger has me peeling my skin off because i’m having to wait until the other one is written

The Nordic inspired world that the author crafted was so lush and picturesque. I felt like I was there. The characters are all developed so well. I related a lot to Isabel, the main character. This was a brilliant debut and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

3.75 ★s -

i was very quickly drawn into the story! the plot is fantastic - it has nice elements of fantasy, mystery, and romance in the midst of warring kingdoms. i very much enjoyed all of the various characters we are introduced to (ahem *erik* ahem) - the author does a great job of making each of their different personalities shine through. this story has elements of found family, cute/funny banter, badass female characters, swoon worthy MCM, and an overarching theme of “you are worthy/enough.”

i will say the writing was just a little hard to follow at times and the pacing in the middle was a tad slow. while there was a lot going on, it felt like we weren’t really moving the story forward in terms of the main plot points. it wasn’t always clear during dialogue who was saying what, and i found myself having to re-read passages more often than i would like, which really took me out of the story a bit at times.

lastly, i’m a big fan of scandinavian culture so i quite enjoyed those elements within the book as well. overall i enjoyed this read and i think there is so much potential for the next installment of this story, i look forward to reading the sequel!

⭐️ I see you ⭐️

I’m so happy I was able to read this ARC!

The magic system was unique and refreshing. The worldbuilding was rich and believable, while not being overwhelming.

The characters are well-developed and witty. Isabel is extremely relatable to anyone who has ever felt “less than” in their life. Erik is mysterious and troubled in his own right.

Their relationship is a slow-burn, fade-to-black, and got me hooked right away. Their banter was funny and so entertaining.

I can’t wait to see more of this world and this couple!!

💫Illusion of Stars💫
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level 🌶️ (closed door - some steamy moments but they are skippable if that’s not your thing)

THIS BOOK! 😭❤️ From the first page to the last page, I could not put this book down! It was absolutely so engaging! The characters are so interesting, Isy might be one of my favourite FMCs, she is so powerful and strong but in such a beautiful way, and she is so incredibly relatable. The relationship between the FMC and MMC had me on the edge of my seat… and may have had me giggling and kicking my feet at a few moments! The last 50 or so pages had me sobbing! And the ending!! Ugh my heart exploded! The writing is beautiful and evokes so much emotion! While the magic system is unique and so interesting, it’s also easy to understanding/follow! The world building was done so well, I never felt bogged down in detail, or like I was missing information. I hope the author is working on the next book because I need to know what happens next!! And I really want to get to know MMC more! I really like him, and he has kinda shadow daddy vibes, which every romantasy girlie can appreciate!

If you are a romantasy/fantasy reader, I really recommend that you pick up this book when it’s released on the 16th July!

*I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review 3.75 stars.

This was a fun ready that was easy to breeze through. The pacing was good, not very spicy if that's a pro or con for you. I would have liked to see more character and world building. The use of "modern" slang felt out of place at times with the world.

I"ll probably read the next one though since I'm curious where it'll go.

Illusion of Stars is a beautiful story of loss and healing, love and growth.
I have never read a book that so accurately depicted grief as this one does, and this broke me and pieced me together, just from knowing my own grief can be put into words, and others can understand it too.

I enjoyed this book throughout, the writing is exquisite, the banter between the fmc and mmc is hilarious and the magic system is original and unique.

Unlike many romantasy books, the writing isn't sloppy and/or repetitive, making it a nice easy read.

Easy 5 stars.

I love this book, I love it!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Illusion of Stars is a YA Fantasy based on a small island in the middle of kingdoms on the precipice of war. I loved the world building, the strong and compassionate FMC Isabel. Illusion of Stars has a very unique magic system and amazing characters which make you laugh.

This book had such loveable characters, found-family elements, great back stories to all of the characters and I just love the writing and storytelling. As the first book in a series by Sarah Marie Page, I’m so excited to see where the next book goes!

💫 Banter
🏹 Witty FMC
⚔️ Unique magic system
🤍 Slow, slow burn
✨ One-horse trope
🫶 Closed-door romance

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Illusion of Stars
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book with high hopes after reading the description and seeing the high star rating. So here’s how I found it.

Isabel “Isy” Moller is a terrible spy. To be fair to her she was never trained and never planned on becoming a spy. She wants to be the royal physician. But when her best friend is murdered she finds herself caught up in politics far beyond anything she has dealt with before. She does this to honour her best friend. She sets out with a group from Volgaard including Erik - the enemy general’s son. She’s been tasked with flirting with him to get information on a secret weapon while being their “guide” as they scout different parts of her island country.

One thing that a lot of people find with fantasy books is the world building. It takes forever and can be very confusing. Page on the other hand has built her world and described it as and when it’s needed. She doesn’t start the book with an info dump on each little town and city that is going to be mentioned in the book going forward which was refreshing. When a new character was introduced in a meaningful way that is when you would learn about them. So many times in books I feel as though I’ve forgotten half of the characters before they even appear on the page. This time I felt each character was given the introduction at the right time for the story.
The story itself was wonderful - without going into too much detail - the pacing felt right. There was no drop off point where it felt like the book was due to come to an end and certain plot points hadn’t been covered yet. It flowed perfectly. At the same time it didn’t feel slow. The scouting section of the book is understandably the longest part but at no point did it feel like it was dragging.
The characters were well written. You can see the changes in the characters as the time goes on. Not just Erik and Isy but Signey as well. She was my unexpected stand out character. Love love loved her.

I blew though this book as quickly as I could and have no regrets. I’ll be impatiently waiting for book 2 which has been confirmed on the author’s Instagram!

I. Loved. This. Book.

Isy has so much character that she explodes from the page. The attention that was put into layering her character was phenomenal. I enjoyed reading about her so much.
Pretty much ALL the characters were well thought out and constructed. Between the complexity of the castle staff, to the rugged nature of Erik’s men, I just couldn’t get enough of the people brought forth by Sarah’s mind. She paid special attention to really brining these people to life in a creative, but in a natural way.
She built the world beautifully. I felt engulfed by the vivid writing style. I had no questions as to what everything looked/felt like.
I truly loved every second of this story and I’m burning for the next book. This was such an enjoyable read from start to finish.
The serious topics in the book are haunting, painful, healing, traumatic and just so so so real. The range of emotions you go through with these characters is insane. I don’t want to spoil too much or risk giving anything away but Sarah did a wonderful job of communicating difficult topics.
There was humor, grief, spying, adventure, romance and much much more to this book. This book comes out July 15th and you should pre-order/mark your calendars for this one. You don’t want to miss this story. I’m already feeling a book hangover coming on 😮‍💨

3.5☆ rounded up to 4. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! All views are my own.

I really enjoyed this! It felt like a good change of pace from some of the romantasy that I've read before, and when I say I devoured it, I really mean it. The beautiful front cover was the first thing that drew me in, and honestly, it just kept getting better from there.

The characters feel very fleshed out, and I found myself relating to Isabel with her sassy attitude and wit. It's an overall really sleek and sexy read without shoving spice down your throat, something that I didn't realise I was so used to. It was quite 4, and the fade to blacks are precisely at the right times without leaving you without.

This also has tonnes of tension building, and in my opinion, is a perfect example of an enemies to lovers done well. The only downsides for me that I felt were a little slow to start, but that might be more because I'm so used to diving straight into the action with my latest reads.

Overall, a solid start to the duology!

Enemies to lovers isn’t my usual genre, but was pleasantly surprised by this book. The romance and banter made it a solid 4 stars. I will look out for more from this talented author.

In an era where romantasy inevitably ends up being compared to the ever popular SJM, "Illusion of Stars" stands out with its own unique voice, and what a magical voice it is with its mysterious, misty island vibes. I could feel the sand crunch under my feet, hear the cries of birds, and smell the smoky fire defy the pattering rain.

I usually side eye books that overdo similes and metaphors (what are you trying to hide hm?!) but the writing here is earnest and descriptions made sense with the story. I also appreciated:

-Romance that doesn't smother the plot.
-There is a plot!
-Characters with distinctive personalities (hooray).
-Tropes but executed in ways that are not cringey or overdone.
-Interesting magic system.

Really looking forward to book two!

(arc from netgalley 🤍)

2.25?

this story kept me entertained enough to keep going but have to mention that it does start off quite a bit slow for me.

pros are that the writing style wasn’t bad and i appreciated that the fmc was quite likeable so i didn’t mind being in her head. the mmc was also very interesting and i liked the way the etl romance was setup!

cons are that i wish we had gotten more with the worldbuilding, and i found that there were quite bit of filler scenes here and there as well as some minor spelling mistakes. and my biggest pet peeve of all as a fantasy reader is modern slang… which is unfortunately present in this book :(

overall i think this had potential and was atleast fast and easy to read!

I desperately wanted to like this, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me… 😕

However, I believe this might be one of those “It’s not you, it’s me” moments.
This story is heavily inspired by Scandinavian naming, history and culture. For me, as a Scandinavian, this made everything feel just a little bit less magical. Seeing names that reminded me of my uncle, neighbour, or former teacher made it harder for me to immerse myself in the story.

The writing style was another blocker for me related to this book. The language used often felt quite juvenile and sometimes even cringy, especially in dialogues between characters.
The descriptions and overuse of similes often left me confused rather than engaged. This combination made it challenging for me to connect with the characters and become fully absorbed in the narrative.

Despite these issues, I do believe the plot has such potential. We follow Isabel, an apprentice physician and general hard worker at the royal castle in the newly independent Sanok Islands, located between several powerful nations. One day, she gets the opportunity to spy on one of these neighbouring countries, The Volds, through Erik (second-in-command and somewhat reminiscent of Draco Malfoy) and his men. As she spies and gets to know the enemy, she realises that everything is maybe not as it seems.

Whilst it took me a while to get into this with the slower pacing, I did find it intriguing towards the end. I did find the general vibe, magic system and setting of the book to be both unique and fascinating.

The underlying message that Sarah is trying to convey- You are not nobody, you matter - is so important and something I would’ve loved hearing in my teens, which I think might be the right demographic for this novel overall.
For me personally I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sarah's personal story at the end of the book, as I found it inspiring.
I am grateful to Sarah & Netgalley for the opportunity to have read Sarah's debut novel this early on. I am rooting for you for any future releases!🩵

3.5 stars - fade to black fantasy romance.

Isabel, a physicians apprentice, is sent undercover as a spy when a neighbouring island, looks to use her island as a starting point to wage war on another neighbouring island. Isabel sets to woo the generals son Erik to find out more information on their mysterious weapon but is Erik really as bad as he seems.

Only after finishing the book I realised this is marketed as an adult fantasy and not a YA fantasy. Given the characters ages of 17/18 and the lack of spice I was quite shocked by this and I think it would be better catergorised as a YA.

I loved the windswept island setting of the story and the banter between Isabel and Erik. Isabel is such a fun character but a really bad spy! I loved her revenge on Erik’s men. I also liked the character of broody Erik but felt like he wasn’t written as in depth as Isabel. Possibly due to the story being told from Isabel’s point of view but I think this contributed to the lack of emotion I felt between them and I couldn’t fully root for their romance. Described as steamy slow burn - definitely slow just not enough steam or tension.

I thought the plot was interesting but I found that it got away from itself and tried to include too many side plots. I still don’t think we found out what the mysterious weapon was from the start of the story as it was stated the secondary “weapon” was not it.

Overall I did like the story but felt like it could have been more. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of the ebook to review.

Isabel is a physician’s apprentice who becomes a spy for country to keep an eye on the Volgaard army that has entered her town. She is tasked to woo the general’s son, Erik. Along the way she must realize what side she’s on and who is the real enemy.

I appreciated the magic in this book. It was original and something I hadn’t read before. Some parts of it did leave me asking questions but I assume the next book will answer that.

This book was a fade-to-black romance but some of it was still a little too spicy and unnecessary for me. I do not plan on reading the second book because of that.