Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

Illusions of Stars is a very emotional book, the author did a great job in conveying the emotions that the characters are feeling especially about Isabel’s grief over losing one of her best friends.

I really like the world building and the magic system, I found it very interesting. It was a bit hard to understand at first but it got easier once the story progresses.

I really like the sweet and tender moment of Isabel and Erik starts opening up to each other and find that they’re not so different after all. The moment where they said ‘I see you..’ that’s one of my favorite!
HOWEVER, I still felt like something was missing – there’s no spark between Isabel and Erik which prevented me from shipping them 100% together..

As much as I like this story, some parts of the book felt like it dragged on with repeated descriptions of a couple things throughout the story.
I also felt that the storyline has too many sub-plot to follow that could deviate from the main plot which confused me and sometimes pull me out of the story.

Nevertheless, this book was still an enjoyable and fun read to me!
The ending was unexpected seeing how Isabel broke through and became a completely new person, I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: grief, parental infidelity, parental abandonement, hazing, death of a parent and a friend, brief mention of sibling death, brief suggestion of being raped, self-harm ideation, self-harm (non-suicidal), strong language and brief mention of torture

For starters, I think this'd be perfect for fans of ACOTAR. It gave me a very similair feeling.

I ADORE the writing. Some parts even had me wheezing laughing, which is a huge bonus.
I also quite enjoyed the small time jumps - no unending boring things. My ADHD is grateful haha.
And then the ending? It kept me on my toes until the very last pages. Aside from the epilogue, it didn't go how I expected AT. ALL.

I would fucking LOVE a second book!!

Ugh how is it going to end like that!? I really enjoyed this book, there were parts that were kinda cringey but it was easy to overlook those! I liked the development of the characters and how Isy made friends with the other characters, it was giving “found family”. I also really liked the banter and teasing between Eric and Isy. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

This is a great YA Fantasy novel. Thank you Netgalley for giving me an arc of this author's debut novel! This book is such a fun adventure! It was a slow start for me and I wasn't sure about it at first but after the halfway point it really started picking up for me. I loved the magic system being illusion magic, it was a neat and unique way to use magic in this romantasy. I feel like a lot of romantasy novels use similar magic systems and this one felt more unique and fun. I also found the slowburn romance to be so well done! Isabel and Erik's banter is perfect! It made me smile and laugh throughout the book. I really enjoyed the fmc in this book. She goes from being a physician's apprentice in the castle to going on an adventure and being a spy. As the adventure goes you meet more fun side characters and get to watch Isabel grow in confidence. The overall message in this novel of 'You matter' is very well done and great for a YA Novel. I thought this was a well written, fun, easy to read, book with a great character driven storyline! I would definitely recommend this book! What a great debut novel! I can't wait to read more books from this author!

Isabel is a royal physician for an ill Queen and a mad King. When her best friend is found murdered on the beach, Isabel is thrust into the role of Spy as she attempts to find justice for her friend and help her Kingdom from neighboring Kingdom, Volgaard's, supposed deadly weapon. As she joins the enemy's company to seek truths, she is tasked to woo Erik Lothgarson, the general's son with illusion magic and gain truth and knowledge. Isabel finds herself not only on an adventure to find revenge and answers but one of inner strength and worthiness.

This is one of the better YA Fantasy books I've read recently! Enemies to Lovers, slow-burn romance, spying, and kingdom conflicts...all the tropes we love. It had just enough magical elements, an intriguing plot, and engaging character relationships to remind me of Divine Revival vibes. It has a sweetness that keeps you swooning and smiling. I read a few descriptions labeling this book with Dramione vibes... although personally, I feel that might be a little bit of stretch. I did love the flirtation, banter, and slow-burn romance that occurred between Isabel and Erik. There were some beautiful poetic elements to the writing, and the character arc that Isabel goes through to understand her worthiness and enoughness is relatable and inspiring. For anyone who has ever been told they aren't enough, lean into insecurities, and dream of more in their life...this book is for you. The way that the plot unfolds toward the end had me wanting more. The concept of illusions throughout the book mirrors the illusions that we often create for ourselves... the beliefs and stories we tell ourselves about our shortcomings and weaknesses. Can't wait for more!

Unique magic system with a slow burn romance. The story was a bit slower paced than my usual preferred story, but it touched on difficult types in a respectful manner and was beautifully written.

Brilliant book with brilliant writing. I have no words. AND THAT ENDING! OMG! This story was so epic, I couldn't put it down. There was so much going on, so many shocking twists--it was insane. I loved this book--simply AMAZING.

Illusion of Stars has a good storyline that ties in elements of fantasy, mythology, and enemy to lovers romance. The story follows Isabel, an apprentice physician who is tasked with spying on Erik, the general for a distant enemy. There’s a number of twists and turns throughout the book. It was a bit slow for me at the beginning but it picked up toward the end. I think there were some aspects that were confusing (certain parts of the writing, descriptions/events that don’t connect back to the plot). However, I am invested in Isabel and Erik’s story and want to see what happens next. Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for the eARC.

Really enjoyed reading Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page and I look forward to reading more from this author. The characters that Sarah creates are very likeable. Loved the character building and development, the plot development. I definitely went through all the emotions with this book: sadness, laughter, anger, shame, distrust, love. Great book, with lots of unexpected plot twists! Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys romantasy style books!

I really enjoyed this journey with Isy, our quirky, funny apprentice physician. It gave me all the feels- one minute I was howling, the next I was on the edge of my seat, or near sobbing! The magic system was amazing. I loved and hated our characters! The PLOT twists were so good- some I definitely wasn't expecting! A beautiful story between enemies to lovers. And the ending..... Looking forward to the next book!
Great first book in the series

This book was absolutely captivating! I loved everything about it and will strongly recommend it to all my friends! A solid 5 star read

The Author’s note really hit home, and I went into this book already invested in seeing her knock it out of the park. I was blown away. Thank you for writing this story, and showcasing your strength and resiliency. I think everyone can relate to the feeling of not being good enough, and I loved seeing the cycle of perseverance being depicted in an impactful manner throughout this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which flows effortlessly through colorful world building and a solid plot. I fell in love with the characters through their banter, quirks, courage, and sheer determination. The entire story felt organic, and my favorite types of stories have the most fun side characters. I loved reading about Isy & Erik and their slow burn romance. It felt natural and not forced, which you tend to see more and more in today’s romantasy. While I usually don’t read fade to black, I really did enjoy this book.


Read if you like:
Enemies To Lovers
Fade To Black
Slow Burn
One Horse
Shadow Daddy
Unique Magic System
Banter
Revenge

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Forge Publishing for an ARC of Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie.

Illusion of Stars is book one in a duology. We follow our FMC Isabel who is an apprentice to the Royal Physician. When tragedy strikes Isabel world is thrown upside down and there starts are adventure!

I really loved an Illusion of Stars. It has everything I'm looking for in a romatasy book! it's fast paced, the chemistry between our two lead characters is swoon worthy and best of all, our characters have depth! I can't wait for the second book to come out!

I really enjoyed reading Illusion of Stars! I thought that the magic system and elements of court intrigue were unique and fascinating. Isy is a lovable protagonist that you can't help but root for. The chemistry between Isy and Erik is amazing as well! I stayed up late reading this book because I couldn't put it down.

I had so much fun with this enemies to lovers book. I recommend you go into it blind (and don’t read the blurb on the back, because it does spoil a pretty shocking part, in my opinion.) I thought this book was beautifully written and the cover is gorgeous. Dramione vibes, but this felt different to me at the same time. 4 stars.

Loved this book. The main characters were amazing. I love the banter between the two of them. I really like the way the author wrote this book. This is one of my new favorite books this year. Definitely a must read.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was full of magic, mystery, murder, secrets, betrayals, twists, hopefulness, heartbreak, healing, humor, and romance. I will say that it felt a bit more upper YA than NA. The writing style made it an easy read overall, but some of the dialogue felt a bit juvenile at times (which is pretty much my only minor complaint). That said, there were also some lines that were written beautifully.

This book was more character-driven, but still had a compelling and solid plot. The MCs and supporting characters are very likeable. They were humorous, sometimes a bit mischievous, and good-hearted. The book featured good world-building that was seamlessly integrated into the story (rather than infodumping) and an interesting and kind of original magic system.

The romance felt a bit more like a subplot than I expected. It was more romantic fantasy than fantasy romance. That said, it was a sweet romance that was well-balanced with the plot. It was a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity situation with good build-up. I really enjoyed the banter in this book. It made me smile. The awkward flirting was also cute. The spice was fade-to-black, but still had some steaminess. Smut-loving readers may be a little disappointed by this; however, I honestly found it a bit refreshing considering that so many other romantasy books these days are filled with an overuse of spice to the point that it takes away from the story.

There were messages of learning to believe in yourself and recognizing your self-worth. I think this is something a lot of people can relate to and that some people might find this book healing for that reason. The FMC is stuck in a cycle of trying to prove her worth and trying to combat her internal monologue that she is “not good enough”. The MMC is also struggling with feeling like he matters and wanting to be seen for who he is. In trying to help the MMC see his worth, the FMC starts to see her own worth. The FMC and MMC repeatedly have “I see you” and “you matter” moments. It has “you drew stars around my scars” vibes. There is representation of anxiety, grief, self-harm, and unresolved childhood attachment issues. Bonus points for including my favorite microtrope: MMC helping FMC to breathe and calming her down from an anxiety attack. I thought there was a good balance of humor and lightheartedness with more emotional content.

I was a bit confused by the title for a while since there wasn’t really anything to do with night, stars, or celestials; however, once you finally learn where the title comes from, it’s perfect. 😍

This is the first book in a duology. I’m Definitely looking forward to book 2 especially after that cliffhanger ending!!!Overall, this was a great debut by the author. She seems very sweet and humble and I wish her much success!

Thank you to Sarah Page, Netgalley, and Victory Editing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*side note: this book had somewhat similar vibes to Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent so if you liked that one, you’d probably like this one and vice versa!

I absolutely loved this book. The writing and characters were so fun to read about. I related to the main characters, sometimes and I felt like I was actually in the story. The story was also pretty easy to follow. There were parts where I was laughing out loud and others where I was on the verge of tears. In all, this was such a fun and fast read. I could not put this book down to go to bed and I think that speaks volumes on a books quality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sarah’s writing style made it so easy to immerse myself into this story. There is a unique magic system where they are able to weave illusions. There is politics, humor, grief, adventure, and an enemies to lovers story. I loved that there were light and dark parts to this story. The romance and fantasy were written so well that one didn’t take over the other.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and Isabel and Erik were true enemies. Isabel is set out for vengeance. She is smart, fierce, and awkward in the best way. Erik is stone cold and closed off, but that’s until we get to see his other side. The slow burn with them is palpable. I loved that they fought, created an unusual friendship, and the banter was superb.

Mini blurb: She’s a spy and he’s her mark. When her best friend is found murdered, all clues lead to the neighboring kingdom of Volgaard and a weapon they possess. Her mission is to infiltrate the enemy, woo Erik the general’s son, and steal the weapon. But the longer she’s there and the more she learns, her quest for vengeance has to fight with her attraction to the enemy.

Illusion of Stars has:
🖤 Enemies to lovers
💖 Slow burn
🖤 One horse
💖 She’s a spy and he’s her mark
🖤 Forced proximity
💖 Banter
🖤 Dramione coded
💖 Fade to black spice

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for giving me this ARC!

A very enjoyable read! There were some pacing issues in the beginning, but the characters, plot, and themes more than made up for it. I'll definitely be checking out any other books Sarah Marie Page writes!