Release Date: November 16th, 2021

Genre(s): Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, LGBT+

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 368

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Fierce Reads and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

EM Castellan’s Under a Starlit Sky is the captivating sequel to the YA historical Fantasy novel, In the Shadow of the Sun

Will her magic be the end of her?

Spring 1662. In the wake of Fouquet’s defeat, Henriette is keeping her promise to the Sun King and helping him build the enchanted Palace of Versailles he’s always dreamed of. But when her poor health worsens, her magic wanes and her husband Philippe fears for her well being to such an extent that he forbids her to remain Louis’ Source.

Forced to step aside, Henriette witnesses the swift rise of a new player at the French court: the handsome and self-assured Chevalier de Lorraine quickly becomes both Louis’s new Source of magic — and Philippe’s latest lover. With her ladies Louise and Athénaïs now both vying for the king’s attention, Henriette is more isolated than ever, and her place at Versailles has never felt more in jeopardy.

So when she starts to experience a new surge in power and makes unlikely allies out of old enemies, will she use her magic to help the House of Bourbon stay in power— or to secure her own place at the center of the court?

Review

When I first read the first book in this series, In the Shadow in the Sun, I found myself intrigued by the era that the author chose to write in, and the incorporation of magic. This, combined with the style of prose, made this an overall atmospheric reading experience. 

However, I found in the first book that I wanted more in terms of worldbuilding in relation to magic as well as character development. I found that there were too many plot conveniences for my liking, and I also felt like the main character lacked flaws, making her a bit too unrealistically perfect. I was curious to see if there would be more development and improvements on this front in Under A Starlit Sky, but the book turned out to be incredibly similar in these regards to the first book. Plot-wise, I found the first book more interesting as well, as the second book’s plot drags somewhat in some parts. 

With that being said, I’d recommend the sequel to those who enjoyed reading In the Shadow in the Sun. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll find the same writing and atmosphere in Under A Starlit Sky. But if you didn’t enjoy the first book as much, you may find too many similarities in the sequel.

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