ARC Review: "All the Chaos of Constellations" by Hillary Raymer ★★★★★
ARC Review: All the Chaos of Constellations by Hillary Raymer
If you like “Bridgerton” except in the fae world with a touch of “Shadow & Bone”, I am pleased to inform you that you might love this as much as I do!Also, can we just appreciate the fact there is a dragon in this book?? A dragon! They are my absolute favourites. A story with a combination of historical fiction and fantasy? Sign me up, please!
[Contains some spoilers]
PLOT SUMMARY
This story is told from the dual POV of Lady Novalise (Nova) Starstorm, eldest daughter of House Celestine, and Lord Asher (Ash) Firebane, only son of House Emberspire – these are, essentially, your Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset but in the fae kingdom of Aeramere also filled with seasonal balls, celebrations and arranged (and oftentimes political) marriages. Asher keeps to himself and prefers reading to the grandeur of social gatherings (same, Ash, same). And Nova is tired of being told what to do and how to be but if she doesn’t have a mate come the end of Midsummer, the stars – or her own family – will choose one. There is also this secret that she possesses starfire magic, an ancient forbidden magic believed to have disappeared from her bloodline a century before, which has the power to bring about destruction.
We begin at the Yuletide Ball where, of course, Asher and Nova meet as they both hide from the festivities. With the aid of an enchanted mistletoe debate, they kiss but unexpectedly form a mating bond which Asher wants nothing to do with and thus rejects Nova. Midsummer begins and The Veil (a protective shield around Aeramere) is lifted, allowing magical beings and mortals from other realms to visit. Enter The Darkling 2.0, dangerous and cruel Prince Drake Kalstrand of Brackroth, the only Shadowblade Assassin left. He wields shadow magic, lingers in the shadow and owns a dragon, Svartos. He strikes a deal with Novalise: he will court her to attract Asher, providing she will help him secure a deal with her family. And the plot thickens, with threats of an impending war.
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| Asher and Novalise by panna_mara |
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was such a good read; I did not want to put it down! It’s fast-paced even from the first chapters (even I was not expecting things that quick), incredibly descriptive that one could imagine the setting and characters, with plenty of parallels you could draw from “Bridgerton” as well as its own unique elements. The Starstorm family has 8 children (same as the Bridgertons) which nicely matches their House’s eight-pointed star crest; Asher does not believe in love and is bitter due to how his father treated his mother, like Simon.
The writing itself is very clever, especially with names: for instance, take the surnames in relation to the houses – they all match the element they control:
🠚House Celestine - stars - Starstorm
🠚House Azurvend - water – Marintide
🠚House Emberspire - fire - Firebane
🠚House Galefell - air - Skyhelm
🠚House Terensel - earth – Everland
Then there are their first names: Drake, for example, means "dragon" in Old English and Old Norse, rather fitting considering he owns one; Asher means "happy, blessed" in Hebrew, an irony of what his life has been like up til this point; Novalise means "bright star, God's promise" in America, perfect for the fact she has starfire magic. These little touches just add a whole other layer to the characters!
CHARACTERS
<< Ashton and Nova >> The characterisation is also amazing. I absolutely adore Ash and Nova, they have my heart! I like that Novalise grows from being a dutiful delight to someone who stands up for herself and what she believes and ultimately the man she loves, against all odds –even on her wedding day. Asher is very sweet and dashing, and his own growth is lovely to see especially emotionally – also his nickname for Nova "Starlight" aww!
<< Prince Drake >>
Drake arguably is the best character of them all because while most of the time his sarcasm and emotionless state are on full display, he is shrouded in mystery (as well as literal shadow) and the times he does show emotion what he says or does is rather surprising. Definitely the most unpredictable. Indeed, the Epilogue from his perspective makes me want to read a story about him. And this situation he has gotten into – with Creslyn, no less!
<< Other Characters >>
I especially loved the sibling discussions and bonds, all very wholesome. It is nice how supportive Nova’s siblings are of her. My favourites have to be Ash’s sister Cyra, and Nova’s older brother Solarius: they are fun to be around and Cyra’s particular reactions are amusing.
NEGATIVE THINGS
The only negative thing was this book had the tendency to reveal things through the POV, and some of them felt too soon: I prefer being shown rather than told, thus learning along with the POV of the other character. One such example was Asher's deal he made with Drake two years before – let me learn about this with Nova. I also think there ought to have been a gap between the cellar scene and then the scene after, as it felt unrealistic: nobody can go straight from witnessing a guy punching a wall, leaving, to then requesting said guy to read you a children's story like that did not just happen. There should have been some sort of "I'm not okay with this" or "do I really want this as a mate?" from Nova's side.
None of this detracts from how good this story is. I love everything about it! I understand this is the first part of the "Starstorm Series" so I am looking forward to that. I want more Drake, more Solarus – and definitely more dragons!
FAVOURITE QUOTES
“If she was the stars, he was her sky. If he was the fire, she was his frost. She captivated him. Completed him” “He’d always hated that nickname, but when it fell from her lips, it was like a lullaby.” “Cold power emanated from him, chilling the space. His demeanor projected that of an eerie quiet, like the stillness left behind in the wake of death.” “His plans had gone out the window. Quite literally.” “Do not compare her to sunshine and rainbows when she is so clearly moonlight and stardust.”
I am honoured to have been selected as an ARC reader for this book, and I’d like to thank Hillary for the opportunity.
This was such a good read; I did not want to put it down! It’s fast-paced even from the first chapters (even I was not expecting things that quick), incredibly descriptive that one could imagine the setting and characters, with plenty of parallels you could draw from “Bridgerton” as well as its own unique elements. The Starstorm family has 8 children (same as the Bridgertons) which nicely matches their House’s eight-pointed star crest; Asher does not believe in love and is bitter due to how his father treated his mother, like Simon.
The writing itself is very clever, especially with names: for instance, take the surnames in relation to the houses – they all match the element they control:
🠚House Celestine - stars - Starstorm
🠚House Azurvend - water – Marintide
🠚House Emberspire - fire - Firebane
🠚House Galefell - air - Skyhelm
🠚House Terensel - earth – Everland
Then there are their first names: Drake, for example, means "dragon" in Old English and Old Norse, rather fitting considering he owns one; Asher means "happy, blessed" in Hebrew, an irony of what his life has been like up til this point; Novalise means "bright star, God's promise" in America, perfect for the fact she has starfire magic. These little touches just add a whole other layer to the characters!
CHARACTERS
<< Ashton and Nova >> The characterisation is also amazing. I absolutely adore Ash and Nova, they have my heart! I like that Novalise grows from being a dutiful delight to someone who stands up for herself and what she believes and ultimately the man she loves, against all odds –even on her wedding day. Asher is very sweet and dashing, and his own growth is lovely to see especially emotionally – also his nickname for Nova "Starlight" aww!
<< Prince Drake >>
Drake arguably is the best character of them all because while most of the time his sarcasm and emotionless state are on full display, he is shrouded in mystery (as well as literal shadow) and the times he does show emotion what he says or does is rather surprising. Definitely the most unpredictable. Indeed, the Epilogue from his perspective makes me want to read a story about him. And this situation he has gotten into – with Creslyn, no less!
<< Other Characters >>
I especially loved the sibling discussions and bonds, all very wholesome. It is nice how supportive Nova’s siblings are of her. My favourites have to be Ash’s sister Cyra, and Nova’s older brother Solarius: they are fun to be around and Cyra’s particular reactions are amusing.
NEGATIVE THINGS
The only negative thing was this book had the tendency to reveal things through the POV, and some of them felt too soon: I prefer being shown rather than told, thus learning along with the POV of the other character. One such example was Asher's deal he made with Drake two years before – let me learn about this with Nova. I also think there ought to have been a gap between the cellar scene and then the scene after, as it felt unrealistic: nobody can go straight from witnessing a guy punching a wall, leaving, to then requesting said guy to read you a children's story like that did not just happen. There should have been some sort of "I'm not okay with this" or "do I really want this as a mate?" from Nova's side.
None of this detracts from how good this story is. I love everything about it! I understand this is the first part of the "Starstorm Series" so I am looking forward to that. I want more Drake, more Solarus – and definitely more dragons!
FAVOURITE QUOTES
“If she was the stars, he was her sky. If he was the fire, she was his frost. She captivated him. Completed him” “He’d always hated that nickname, but when it fell from her lips, it was like a lullaby.” “Cold power emanated from him, chilling the space. His demeanor projected that of an eerie quiet, like the stillness left behind in the wake of death.” “His plans had gone out the window. Quite literally.” “Do not compare her to sunshine and rainbows when she is so clearly moonlight and stardust.”
I am honoured to have been selected as an ARC reader for this book, and I’d like to thank Hillary for the opportunity.
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