The Lord of Stariel (Stariel #1) eBook PDF

User Reviews

Hélène Louise

Rating: really liked it
What a delicious read! So perfect for me! Just the false-light read I'm looking for, but usually can't find anymore these days, as romances tend to be heavy on the romance and explicit sexe to the detriment of the story, and even to characters' development, with stereotypical protagonists.
"Lord of Stariel" is just the kind of family story I love, a mix of fantasy, feminism, romance and humour, a mix of levity and profoundness: subtle but never simplistic. A very feminine read (and I don't mean "for girls"), which will delight readers who appreciate a classic style, beautiful and smart dialogues and an absence of clichés - or rather the presence of twisted ones!

I loved each aspect of the book, but I'll begin with the main character, Hatty, who's a superb feminine protagonist. She's quite feminine and sometimes a flirt (by her own admission), but is also her own person, capable, independent and occasionally irritated by male chauvinism. It was easy to root for her since the very beginning of the story.

The setting of the story is interesting, a mix of a fifties-ish atmosphere, where magic is mundane and used in a pseudo steampunk way as an energy, fuiling classical devices (cars, elektricity,..) and sometimes as an art - but not one well-mannered and respectable ladies should persue. There is also a touch of some romantic and mysterious magic, as the link between the land of Stariel and its family members...

The main tone of the story is rather perky, humorous and good-natured, with the kind of pragmatic romanticism I particularly love (as in Jane Austen's books, in a way). But never superficial. For instance one of the main theme is about festered family relations, how some are bound to be always difficult and even impossible, and won't even be absolved in death. Hatty is a strong minded person, able to accept the fact that her father died before she could see him again, and that they wouldn't have being reconciled even if she had come back home sooner.

The whole story was an easy read, clever and fun, with mysteries and revelations (some easy and exciting to guess, some others just exciting), a lovely bunch of various characters, and a pinch of romance!

I'm looking forward reading the sequences (it will be a quartet) and to buy this first book of the series in its paper version, which will soon be available: the cover is so beautiful!

(I thank Netgalley and Camberion Press for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)

Mona

Rating: really liked it
This book, a romantic fantasy, was too twee, precious, and cutesy for my taste. It just wasn’t my cuppa.

I didn’t give it a lower rating because the author has potential and she is able to put a coherent story together. There’s strong world building. Plus the ending was vaguely satisfying.

But the story dragged, and was predictable. Also, the author is trying so hard to be scintillating and original. That gets annoying really fast.

The characters weren’t that engaging either (except for Wyn, who’s been Stariel’s very capable butler for years). Or rather, the characters could have been interesting, but with most of them we barely get beyond the surface. They’re portrayed in a one dimensional way as types: macho, outdoorsy men of the land; overbearing, sour, critical, middle aged aunt; innocent ingenue cousin; scholarly brother; flamboyant theater people; beautiful fae tricksters, etc.

I found the main character, Hetta, shallow, vain, and annoying. She enjoys bragging about the great looking men falling all over her. She’s supposed to be very intelligent, but I didn’t see much evidence of that. The other characters are interesting, but one dimensional.

I’ve been reading a couple of masters of fantasy, Robin Hobb and Juliet Marillier. Both of these ladies tell great stories and go deep into their characters. So of course a book like this seems like silly fluff in comparison.

Finty Williams’ audio reading didn’t help matters. She sounded like an English school girl reading a primer. I found her reading style distracting and irritating.

I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of this series. A younger audience might enjoy this more than I did. Or an audience that loves romance (as opposed to fantasy which includes some loving relationships).

Melindam

Rating: really liked it
2,5 stars rounded up to three because the audiobook was included for free in my Audible membership and both the writing and the narration is quite good.

The same goes for the story: it is OK, mildly interesting but not outstanding in any way.

The worldbuilding starts interestingly enough. We are in an alternate land strongly resembling Victorian/Edwardian England with electricity and some form of cars AND magic and there are strong differences between an urban, more liberal South and a provincial, conservative North.
At first I thought that all landowners are magically connected to their lands and after their death, the lands choose their next heirs, but it later turns out to be true for the land called Stariel only.

Anyhow, as the story went on, the worldbuilding became thin and information was given in a rather haphazard and unsatisfying way, making the plot sloggy and a bit boring.

It did not help that some of the issues that should have been of great momentum, I guessed from almost the first. The intended "big reveals" that were being dangled in front of the reader's nose from time to time and then withheld became underwhelming when we were finally told of them. The author did not give enough information of the customs and social norms of the land for us to feel why some turn of events should be so shocking or had to be agonised over all the time.
Also the late discoveries of these issues by characters just made them appear incredibly dense and careless - not good. (view spoiler)

Characters, especially the MC Hetta, came off as annoyingly inactive, just drifting helplessly or carelessly with events or worse: catching up with them too late. Important details, like why the "choosing" went the way it did were glossed over for the sake of possible suspense. Instead, they just dwindled away into insignificance, as we did not know how it was conducted generally and how it should have gone in the first place. When some info was thrown in quite a few chapters later, the momentum had already been lost.
Hetta was fine with leaving it to her brother to find out about all the "land sense", the choosing and the history of the estate. Once again, this meant that neither she, nor the reader got to know about them in time. Marius conducted the digging in the background and we were only offered scraps here and there without structure or much impact.

The "love triangle" was a very thin smokescreen and the romance unconvincing. (view spoiler)

Kudos to the author as I understand this has been her first book and it was a good effort for that - but it did not made a lasting impression on me and I am not at all interested to go on with Book 2.

Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship

Rating: really liked it
This book is great fun, a historical fantasy with an early 20th century-inspired setting, featuring a large and complicated family, a pleasantly mature protagonist, some fae nonsense and a sweet bit of romance. An excellent choice for light or comfort reading, but with enough depth and personality to the characters and thought put into the story and world that it never feels dumb.

Hetta Valstar is the 20-something black sheep of her family, landed gentry who have a strong connection to their rural estate. Six years ago, Hetta ran away to study magic, and has wound up with a fun career as an illusionist in the theater, though disowned by her father. She returns home for his funeral and the estate’s magical choosing of the next heir, but is caught up in some family drama, fae incursions and local intrigue.

I liked Hetta a lot; there’s a combination of confidence and playfulness about her that makes her fun to read about. It’s refreshing to meet a grown-up heroine who’s used to living independently and supporting herself, and who can handle interpersonal and sexual situations with aplomb. I also enjoyed the drama of her large, complicated family: the endearingly nerdy older brother with a secret, who definitely doesn’t want to be lord; the rather patronizing man’s-man cousin who definitely does; the anxious, eager-to-please young stepmother; the teenage half-siblings who seem like good people but nevertheless, as teens, make some reckless and questionable choices; the eccentric, unflappable grandmother; and a bevy of extended family. It’s nice to read a fantasy that doesn’t have life-and-death stakes (generally) and focuses instead on people relating to one another. I also found both of the love interests teased for Hetta to be genuinely attractive, and the primary romance enjoyable.

The setting is also fun: it seems closely based on Edwardian England (with the estate being in Yorkshire, perhaps), the early days of cars and telephones, with modernity rubbing up against traditional attitudes. And I enjoyed the plot a lot. While it’s often predictable, my experience was greatly enhanced by having been spoiled in advance that Marius would become lord. (Spoilers that will not enhance your experience: (view spoiler)) It’s a fun story that pulled me right along. And there are other small elements I also appreciated, like the realistic portrayal of a head injury, in a genre that all too often plays these off as safe.

Overall, while this isn’t great literature or particularly groundbreaking fantasy, I had a ton of fun reading it, to the point of being pleased by how much the ending leaves open for future volumes. However, the primary plot arc does come to a close, so you can certainly stop here. It’s the first self-published novel I’ve read and very professionally presented, with a smooth, error-free writing style, so that I would not have guessed that to be the case had I not known in advance. While I’m not sure later books will retain the same charm, I’ve already moved on to the next!

Ann Aguirre

Rating: really liked it
Fantastic gaslamp fantasy

Loved this book. It's incredibly charming and beautifully written. If you enjoy romantic fantasy or fantasy romance, along with a strong-minded heroine and a fae prince, check this book out.

laurel [the suspected bibliophile]

Rating: really liked it
Hetta returns home after a six-year exile following the death of her father. She returns not in rags and shambles, but in triumph—eager to show her face, demonstrate her talents and then go back to the city after the estate of Stariel chooses its next Lord.

But danger lurks in the fairy realm, and it turns out that the Lord of Stariel were once more than just impoverished backwater lordlings.

I have a soft spot for scary fairies and secondary-English-type fantasy worlds, particularly ones with trains, electricity and the beginnings of modernity that don't have a single fucking mention of corsets in sight.

Lemme repeat that for the kids in the back: NO. CORSETS.

description

While a lot of the plot could have been wrapped up rather quickly, I was fascinated by the detailings of Stariel and the world that it resided in. I also enjoyed that it very much is a fantasy of manners, with the feel of Newt's Emerald, All the Paths of Shadow, The Paper Magician, with the sense of isolation and magic like Iron Shoes.

The plot itself wasn't particularly twisty or turny (again, the writing, setting and Hetta are the keys), but there were a couple of twists that I didn't really see coming, so that was an added excitement.

The writing is enchanting, and Hetta herself is a fully developed character. Maybe I have a weak spot here, because I feel for characters who return home after a long absence from family and their previous life due to a particularly toxic family member. That moment Hetta has, when she realizes that nothing her family can do or say can impact her because she has her own life and means of support was so breathtakingly poignant.

I truly hope that more people pick up this wonderful book and stay tuned for the rest of the Stariel quartet, because the ending certainly leaves room for more development!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Olivia Atwater

Rating: really liked it
I deeply enjoyed The Lord of Stariel the first time I read it, and it holds up wonderfully on a second read-through! I only realised after finishing the book for the second time that I had never finished a review for it, and I thought that was a terrible shame, because I DO heartily recommend it. It's a book with all of my favourite elements: an enjoyable female main character, a bit of magical intrigue, a solid romantic interest, and—most importantly—faeries.

The premise is already fantastic from the opening: actress and illusionist Henrietta Valstar's father has died, and she is obliged to return home to his lands to be part of a ritual which will choose the next Lord of Stariel. No one really expects that Hetta will be chosen as the next lord, and she herself isn't terribly interested in the position. But something goes strange with the ritual, and Hetta does get chosen. Meanwhile, the fae that secretly live on the other side of Stariel are ready to take advantage of its new, inexperienced lord.

I enjoyed Hetta as a main character quite a bit. She's clever and no-nonsense, and she doesn't put on airs. She openly enjoys flirting and doesn't agonise over propriety, though she hasn't made a crusade out of the idea. Wyn, the butler who's been serving at Stariel since he was very young, was another character who stood out prominently. He struck me as particularly squishy and adorable, and I have a terrible weakness for that character type.

I think there may be something slightly off with the pacing near the end of the book, but it was perfectly dismissible, given that I kept eagerly reading anyway. Lord of Stariel was a hugely entertaining read, and I'm excited to finally open up the second in the series.

kiwi

Rating: really liked it
This book is like the anti-YA novel in almost all ways.

The characters have emotions but are mature. They age appropriately and are in their twenties instead of being trapped forever at the age of seventeen like most YA novel characters. Also, while mentioning teenagers, there is condemnation for the former Lord of Stariel for having married a seventeen-year-old after his first wife died (without condemning the poor under-aged girl herself). So that was nice to see.

And these male characters in their 20s are allowed to cry? Characters are allowed to wear glasses without being labeled as unattractive? A step-mother who isn't a horrible, wicked witch but is just...the girl the MCs father married after their mother died? Step-siblings with sibling-like relationships? Who actually call one another brothers and sisters? Banter?

The prose is....I mean I am jealous of it, it's so good at portraying action, comedy, and emotion concisely:

"Gregory appeared at breakfast looking wan but cheerful and promptly had a mild spat with his sister Alexandra over the allocation of blueberry muffins."

As I appreciate humor being thrown into the prose, I enjoyed the writing in this one.

I also ended up liking Hetta and Wyn together a lot. They had good chemistry both and friends and "maybe something more...?"s, which was nice. No awkward bumbling teenage girls falling over their feet for a brooding guy. Wyn's nice! He's a good friend! I also appreciated that both "love interests" for Hetta were people she already knew and was familiar with, and weren't random hot strangers.

It felt way more natural and comfortable.

I also felt like Hetta was a good character in terms of her "hussiness". I was a little worried at first since I'm usually very annoyed by "modernized" female characters because 99.9% of the time, "spurring conventions" just means "I have a lot of sex and therefore am just as good as a man!" but Hetta was actually her own person and had a non-annoying character. She also didn't do things "just to be contrary". She stayed her own person but, if she knew something would annoy or bother someone, she didn't do it on purpose.

This was a nice change for once. When everyone else is described as "old fashioned" to the point that Hetta rolls her eyes, it's in terms of them not letting women wear pants and thinking women don't have, ah...romantic impulses, only men do. So for Hetta to kick that stuff to the curb?

Right on, girl.

[Note: upon reading further installments, the author DOES push harder and harder into the modern-secular concept of letting women sleep "the same as men" around instead of condemning men for being allowed to get away with it, but that does not change my opinion of the portrayal in this installment.]

Hetta also isn't the center of the universe. Granted, it should be obvious from just reading the book description what's going to happen. But when Hetta returns home, she is neither completely shut out and outcasted from her family, nor is she the most important person to breathe in Stariel. That was a nice reprieve.

She is also practical and thinks before she acts.

I really like her relationships with her siblings as well. It felt natural, and each was their own person and character without being made to do stupid, unreasonable things just for the sake of drama. For example, even after he's not named lord of Stariel, Marius doesn't get mad at his sister and in fact apologizes to her rather dramatically that he wasn't chosen since he knows she didn't want to be.

My lad.

My good good lad. With infinite wisdom. Which reminds me....:

"Greg [17] is too young to tell love from infatuation."

Yes. Thank you.

Finally, a book that recognizes teenagers for being under-aged.

The whole book ambles in a relaxed manner, but it focuses more on relationships than plot necessarily. I mean there is a main conflict and that main conflict is solved by the end, but the main action sequence is not the same as the conflict resolution portion of the book. This is very much a "setting things up" type of story and I'm okay with that. It's a very calming read, weirdly, and you get the feeling that the side characters actually matter.

Also also: I swear this is the first book I've ever read where an LGBTQ character is treated as an actual person with development and not shoe-horned into a ridiculous romance just for the sake of pushing representation a step further. I honestly don't think people understand that gay people are...still...human.

Whoa. Amazing. You CAN make characters without their sexuality being 90% of the character and the other 10% being: "I need them to be this way for the plot".

Basically, you should read this book if you want to actually be able care about characters for once. Is there a certain level of fantasy-esque cheesiness to it? Yes. Like literally ALL fantasy books. BUT:

The romance is actually sweet.

You worry when the characters get hurt

Actions mean something and have consequences

I actually WANT to read the next book.

So....there's that.

I really can't talk too much about it without giving off major spoilers and since there's not that much to spoil (because there really aren't any twists or anything) it would mean basically just telling the whole plot of the story. But, overall: good family and sibling and character dynamics. Huzzah. Someone knows family is important still!

The only things I didn't like are:

a) In general, I do like to have more plot to my novels

b) It did feel as if there were some pacing issues on occasion, especially toward the end.

c) In addition to b, it occasionally felt as if there were scenes missing or that could have helped explain more.

Andi C Buchanan

Rating: really liked it
A non-exhaustive list of why I really liked The Lord of Stariel:

- it captures both the excitement of growing cities but also the warmth of a more rural home
- elements of both Austenesque (is that a word?) fiction and modern urban fantasy, but it doesn't read as derivative
- a dry, humorous voice that underscores a self-aware heroine who doesn't take herself overly seriously
- a pleasant, respectful step-mother/stepdaughter relationship, people who can understand they may not ever be close but they can still behave like kind, decent human beings to each other.
- a protagonist who enjoys flirting and (it is implied) casual sex and is unashamed of it without it being A Thing
- people who make bad decisions without being Bad People
- the confidence that it's okay if estrangements never result in reconciliation
- a character who basically forced me into liking him despite the fact I completely saw through how he was there to be likeable. Outrageous!
- a protagonist who, when faced with responsibility and uncertainty about where to take her life has feelings but also manages to own her choices without angsting about it for 300 pages.
- a system of succession I'd never come across before and really liked; I want to see more of the implications of it.

(Disclaimer: I know the author but purchased this with my own money and these are my honest thoughts, I swear.)

thatreadinggirl

Rating: really liked it
I tried with this book. I really did.

Fae? Magic? Wealthy estates? Um, yes, please! After a somewhat interesting -- if over-dramatic-- prologue, this book was...not good. When I genuinely try to think of redeeming qualities, I honestly cannot think of any. That sounds harsh, I know! I think, at the end of the day, this book is a mixture of "it's probably not for me," and "this book is just objectively BAD." I'm going to explain why. So bear with me, because this might be a long-ish review.

I confess, I'd not heard of this book before. But I was scrolling through Netgalley, and the cover and premise sounded intriguing -- so request, please! And I was thrilled when it was accepted. Like I mentioned above, the prologue seemed interesting (words I never thought I'd say when it comes to prologues...): Fae, magical gates, mentions of magic... But after that, Fae are BARELY mentioned until the halfway point in the book.

One of the biggest issues with this book was pacing. Pacing, pacing, pacing! It's important, people! This book -- for the most part -- was BORING. There was nothing to push it forward, especially in the first half of the book. Yes, you read that right. HALF. The plot picked up ... slightly ... from that point, but barely. It really did drag, to the point where I just had to skim to get through it. That's never a good sign.

And if you don't have good pacing, then you at least need good writing or engrossing the characters, neither of which this book had. Hetta, the main character, was achingly bland, as was the rest of the cast of characters who I've already forgotten.

The world was also disappointing and barely developed. This book suffered from a case of Unnecessarily Capatalized Words to make it feel like more of a Fantasy Book™️, instead of real world development. For example: North, South, Gate, Choosing, and so on. There was also a few times where the phrase "gods!" was used as an exclamation, but WHAT gods? Unless I missed it, there was nothing mentioned, leading only to just confusing. And boredom. I can't get swept up in the world that author has tried to create when I don't even understand it. This leads me to my next point -- where/when was this book supposed to be set? A fantasy world? Steampunk? The dialogue seemed old-fashioned, there was magic (which I didn't understand how it worked, either) but there were also things mentioned such as electricity, telephones, guns, and trains. So...? Huh? Some kind of alt-reality Earth? I have no clue, because NOTHING WAS EXPLAINED. EVER. I felt like this would've worked much, much better as a historical fantasy.

I wasn't quite sure I understood the audience for this book, either. Adult, I think, considering the character's ages, and even then I'm not entirely sure how old the protagonist was? But it felt very young at points and the tone/mood didn't seem to fit the story.

This was just...not good.

OVERALL VERDICT: borrow, don't buy, and even then, I can't recommend.

Treece

Rating: really liked it
A Delightful Read

Rating: 4 1/2

Henrietta/Hetta Valstar is independent, loyal and courageous. I enjoyed her fierce temper which was triggered by a strong sense of right and wrong. She understands everyone she is close to except Wyn who has secrets. But she is respectful and responsible. Most of all, I loved her direct manner of speaking which reminds me of myself. This book resonates with clean premise storytelling and lyrical descriptions. The themes of family, inheritance and tradition made this a fabulous story. Add a touch of intrigue with fascinating characters which brought it all together. I got a kick out of the mix of science, tech and magic. Looking for to more!

Alex ✴︎

Rating: really liked it
What a delightful read to kick off 2022!

The Lord of Stariel is a charming and atmospheric gaslamp fantasy with a dash of romance. It's exactly what I was in the mood for during my cozy holiday between Christmas and New Year.

Hetta is the eldest daughter of the Lord of Stariel and is called back to her home estate when her father dies. All of her relatives must be there to take part in the Choosing, when the magical Star Stone picks the next heir. Hetta is a bit of a black sheep and pretty much everyone knows Stariel will go to her eldest brother or cousin. But things go a bit awry and Hetta has to work with her family to set things right.

I loved this book. It had the perfect amount of magic and whimsy. It was not too heavy or too intense which I appreciated. I love books with high stakes, but sometimes it's nice to know that the end of the world isn't on the line or there is some great evil that must be stopped. That's to say, if you're looking for a more epic fantasy, this may not be for you. It's not a tale full of twists either and plays out fairly linearly. I enjoyed it immensely anyway as I don't need the crazy twists and "subverted expectations" to really enjoy a book such as this one. But I wanted to mention it as I could see it being a potential point of disappointment to some readers.

The setting in particular further contributed to the comforting nature of the book. The Stariel estate was suitably pastoral and the upcoming winter tidings gave an appropriately festive flair, along with the more rural natural aspects of the setting.

The main relationships in this book are family relationships, especially the ones between Hetta and her siblings and cousins. I really enjoyed how there was not one big villain in the story. The conflicts were more about flawed people doing bad things without being bad people. I'm a bit sick of stories that feel as though they must make their villains those of the mustache-twirling variety. One where they can't just have a bout of selfishness, no. They must kick puppies as well. I enjoyed the more leveled take A.J. Lancaster took in this story where most everyone could be redeemable.

Hetta was a particularly agreeable character and I loved her practicality. She was certainly more on the progressive side but didn't take herself so seriously that she felt out of place. I really appreciate characters such as her and I like that the feminism in this book was more nuanced and "realistic" instead of an author making some unhinged caricature who's only there to scream at men and be totally ridiculous.

There was a sweet romance here as well, but it was definitely more of a subplot. I read this for a "Happily Ever After" Fantasy Book Club, and while the romance was very enjoyable, this book to me is more fantasy than romance (not a bad thing!) Who knows how further books will develop though.

The fae also make an appearance in this one, and the book portrayed them in my favorite way: alien, nymph-like, inhuman, and a little uncanny. It all contributed even more to the nature-forward, fairy tale feeling of the book.

I'm really looking forward to continuing this series and I'm happy that I've gotten my 2022 reading off to a stellar start!

Katie

Rating: really liked it
Now THIS I was so into that I downloaded the rest of the books before I was done with this one. It's just . . . nice? Kind of lightweight fantasy with great characters and a romance I was into.

Iona Baird

Rating: really liked it
Rating: 1.5 stars

I don't have the heart to give this 1 star. It had such high potential, and I think that is why I resent this story because it just...doesn't live up to everything it promised.

The first 35% of the story you get introduced to an awesome main character who's badass and is not afraid of her family anymore; you also get introduced to a crazy & fun family with all different sets of personalities, and a few mysteries & squabbles, and some drama.... and there we go, as soon as the author is done introducing the setting and characters and plot, everything falls from there.

For one, the story was incredibly, mind-numblingly slow. It dragged and dragged, often taking up whole chapters with useless information instead of getting right to the juicy stuff. As the story drags on, the characters seem less and less appealing and dynamic, they all start to blend together in a big jumbled mess.

The plot was...well it had potential. With the wealthy estate, the Lord of Stariel business, the Fae business, it definitely had something working for it. But the author just took the story too slow; and although I don't mind slower reads if the character dynamics are cool, the author just didn't have enough character depth to entertain.

Unfortunately this book fell short to me. I would even maybe consider it a DNF because there were times I was so bored I skipped entire chapters. The story had a lot of potential, had all the makings to fly, but unfortunately never left the runway.

Kitty G Books

Rating: really liked it
I read this as it was an #SPFBO semi finalist and I hoped it would be a fun ride. It certainly has some fun elements of far shenanigans and women standing up for themselves in a fantasy of manners setting, but it’s also a romance, something I often find doesn’t always work for me.

This is the story of Hetta Valstar who is kind of the black sheep of her family. She left them years ago as she wanted to practise her illusion-magic but her father strongly disapproved. She knows she is the odd one out and really doesn’t have much incentive to return until her father dies and there is a choosing ceremony for the new Lord of Stariel. Everyone knows it’s likely between Hetta’s older brother or the seemingly more qualified cousin Jack….

Hetta’s return is changed significantly after the shocks of the ceremony and the story gets more twisty and turny after that. We follow her as she tried to unlock Stariel’s secrets, discovers the fae, and learns of the true state of the estate.

I like Fantasy of manners style stories a lot and this one has some fun moments that kept me reading but it also didn’t feel to me as though it was super different or memorable. I had a good time with it but the chances of me continuing the series are lower as it was a good standalone story and I’m happy leaving it there. 3*s

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The Lord of Stariel (Stariel #1)

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