Every hundred years, a Starfall signifies the arrival of the next queen of Pixie Hollow who will emerge from the embers of the dying star to inherit the crown. Since her fated arrival Princess Clarion, the queen in training, has struggled to learn the teachings of her governing talent and master the magic brimming inside her. Though she inhabits the most renowned position within Pixie Hollow she has never felt more alone, left to spend her days being shunted between meetings and locked inside her bedroom. Not entirely without its charms, Clarion’s bedroom affords a perfect view of the snowy peaks of the Winter Woods – the one season entirely cut off from the other three. No one has seen winter fairies in many years, and the theories of this strange snow-capped world have become extremely far-fetched. When reports of a monster crossing over from winter reach the attention of the palace, Clarion resists the order to remain in place and travels to the boundary between winter and summer. There she meets Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods and someone just as burdened by duty as she is. Meeting at sunset on the boundary, Clarion and Milori hatch a plan to save their respective worlds but their growing emotional connection could be infinitely more consequential than the nightmares plaguing their lands.
If you watched Secret of the Wings back in 2012 and had your young heart irrevocably shattered, then Wings of Starlight is the book to heal those wounds. When Wings of Starlight was announced a few weeks after I had rewatched the entire Pixie Hollow movie series and dissected at length the plot that should have existed for Clarion and Milori’s love story, it felt like fate and prophecy were working in my favor – not to mention that one of my all-time favorite authors would be writing the love story for the ages. A star-crossed lovers’ plot that resolves in a second chance arc many years later was a job only Allison Saft could accomplish. With her innate ability to give voice to the desperate longing and the callings that connect us across distance, Saft has long been an author I have turned to for romance. No one else could have given voice to a story so full of loneliness and longing, and it’s a wonder that I survived reading this at all. Even if you’ve never seen the iconic films, or stepped into the Pixie Hollow lore, Wings of Starlight is the kind of romance that transcends both things and can be read entirely on its own, although its ending will certainly leave you wanting to experience more from this world and its characters.
Returning to Pixie Hollow, a world that made up so much of my childhood was a comforting slip back into something forgotten, yet indescribably familiar. Allison Saft sweeps you away on a crisp summer breeze into a realm made up of tiny little details down to the colors of the autumn leaves and the sparkling dewdrops on a spider’s web. This intricately detailed world left me wanting nothing more than to sit on the leaves of a tree in the springtime and the overwhelming desire to be a fairy in Pixie Hollow has never been stronger than in reading this novel. Wings of Starlight combines the world of Pixie Hollow against an ardent star-crossed romance between two leaders adrift in a swirling sea of responsibility. With Clarion as queen in training Saft reveals a side of this character previously unseen, someone unsure and alone desperate to master their skills. Clarion’s characterization as someone who feels deeply but has been taught to close off that part of herself to be an effective ruler provides a unique view into leadership and whether or not leaders can retain some semblance of themselves at all. Her profound loneliness as she shoulders the responsibility of her role alone is immensely sad but mirrored in the character of Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, her great love. Meeting at twilight on the borders between their respective worlds Clarion and Milori find a similar desire to take action and the borders separating them become insignificant in the face of danger and their growing connection. Containing that quiet yearning that Allison Saft has honed over time, Wings of Starlight pays homage to two iconic characters and the cost of the love that they find with one another. Bringing in dream magic and long-forgotten lore, Saft shapes the mysterious world of winter and all of Pixie Hollow, rounding out this romantic fantasy standalone. Wings of Starlight is a contradiction– a story encapsulating all the beauty in knowing one’s self and the discovery of love, to the agonizing heartbreak in having to sacrifice something you’ve only just begun to call yours. It’s as emotionally devastating as I expected and still, I would not change a thing. Undoubtedly going to return to this one again and again.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Folklorist Lorelei Kaskel has always been set apart from her peers. None more so than Sylvia von Wolff, her long-time academic adversary, whose scintillating intelligence is matched only by an arresting beauty. All Lorelei dreams of is becoming a naturalist, a profession that will open up the borders to her world and allow her to travel without restriction. But first, she will have to prove her talents on a dangerous expedition to unearth the location of the fabled Ursprung – believed to be the source of all magic and said to harbor untold power. The untested power found within its waters is coveted by Brunnestaad’s king, Wilhelm, who wishes to claim it so that he can forcibly unify his patchwork kingdom. Alongside five nobles and her fearsome mentor, Ingrid Ziegler, Lorelei embarks on an expedition never believing what is in store is the murder of her mentor on their first night on board. Trapped with five other people with competing motivations, one of whom is the murderer, Lorelei faces the likelihood that the violence has not been curbed. Finding their way to the spring has become more pertinent, but Lorelei will have to rely on the only person she knows is innocent, her bitter rival, to make it there. Unburying the truth and discovering a spring known only in myth is enough of a challenge, without bruised hearts and unkindled longing setting them even more adrift.
A Dark and Drowning Tide is an elegantly fashioned fantasy novel that delves deep into the heart of folktales and their origin, as two women in academia fight for their place in the world and what they mean to one another. In her adult debut, Allison Saft serves up a fantasy adventure with a slice of academic rivalry that is both endearing and ardently romantic. Part romantic adventure, but centered strongly around a murder plot, A Dark and Drowning Tide brings a lot into focus but expertly uncovers what lies beneath its mirrored surface. As a longtime reader and admirer of Saft’s writing, there was little doubt in my mind that the yearning in this novel would be excruciating and the prose sublime. Since reading her young adult debut back in the pandemic, Saft has leveled up her craft tremendously and that is no more evident than with her foray into adult romantic fantasy. Exposing the flawed foundations of folklore and their influence, Allison Saft highlights the enduring power of connection in transforming ourselves and finding belonging, with love itself as the catalyst.
Reading A Dark and Drowning Tide was undeniably immersive like the crystalline pools our academics trek towards, holding the key to immeasurable power. As if ensorcelled by a faerie spell, Saft draws you down into dark waters and hits the mark with her mesmerizing prose and snippy back and forth between heated rivals. Stuck on an expedition with five nobles hardened by their shared experiences in childhood and war, Lorelei Kaskel is the odd one out. A Yeva in the kingdom of Brunnestaad, she is granted the status of a second-class citizen, kept inside a gated community with restrictions on travel outside of those walls. Lorelei is haunted, caught up in the grief of the murder of her brother and the feeling of sundering her Yevani identity the further she wades into academia. Trapped with only a narrow way forward, as ghosts from her past and her brother, Aaron, linger on, Lorelei adds another individual to her hauntings – Ingrid Ziegler, her mentor horrifically murdered on the night they depart on their expedition. Hardening her heart and barbed with protective thorns, Lorelei sticks to what she knows to uncover the truth about the murder, yet her rival Sylvia manages to worm her way past those defenses, and all for the better.
Wishing to be a naturalist, Lorelei was instead handed a pen and told to document folktales. In accepting her fate as a folklorist, folktales have become their own kind of armor – something worn as a shield against the horrors of the world but also protection for her vulnerable heart. Allison Saft attaches the meaning behind every story across this novel, as Lorelei uses folktales to make sense of her world, contextualizing human behavior and her experiences along the Ruhigburg expedition. Opening up to Sylvia is in part removing the barriers that have protected her for so long, and acknowledging how they have pushed away someone who could have been a friend and ally. The romance between Lorelei and Sylvia was the slowest of slow burns for one reason and one reason only: these two are idiots. Lorelei and Sylvia were idiots to lovers first and academic rivals second and I love them all the more for it. There’s tension between their misperception of the state of their relationship that plays out rather comedically as they begrudgingly become allies. Lorelei is head too full of thoughts, none of them the right ones, and Sylvia is just unbridled longing and a desire to be seen. Dissolving these barriers is a journey in itself, as they ride across snowy plains on the back of Mara’s, go deep sea diving with Nixies, and endure only one tent trope one night after the next. Allison Saft takes her time drawing together the story these two can write side by side, but it’s one that is entirely hopeful and leaves them in control of the narrative.
In A Dark and Drowning Tide, Allison Saft harnesses folktales as a reflection of societal wounds, and the hurt and hate they reflect and in turn, spur. Lorelei is intrinsically caught up in this as a folklorist and a young Jewish woman, but she inadvertently becomes trapped by story. Lorelei deals with having to sunder parts of herself and her faith if she ever wants to survive outside of the Yevanverte and make a name for herself as a naturalist. Caught up in grief and enduring memory, Lorelei finds power in charting her own story and honoring the memory and sacrifices of those who came before her. Her love story with Sylvia is an extension of that as they navigate a course out of an impossible situation discovering exactly how they were wrong about each other and choosing a future that they can write together. A Dark and Drowning Tide has struck a wonderful harmony with a romance between misunderstood rivals and lost souls finding respite. It’s the kind of book I want to stay wrapped up in forever. Wonderfully layered like what lies beneath some hidden well of power, Allison Saft’s talent lies in her capacity to depict intense yearning, the flaws in believing you know your enemy, and the traumas endured but ultimately survived. This is a story that will undoubtedly resonate with many, leaving behind a kernel of hope that will kindle and then spark into an inferno.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Coming up on the Mid-year Book Freakout Tag so late, but better late than never to share my thoughts on the books I’ve read in this first half of the year. I’ll reflect on some of my favorites across genres and my overall reading goal as we move into the second half of 2024. At a glance, I have hit my midway count for my overall reading goal of 300 books and have been hitting heavy on the science fiction and fantasy genres which is so evident here. For those of you unfamiliar with how this tag works, this will be a little snapshot of some favorite reads ala bookish awards categories. All of these will have a singular title as an answer because I love mess and making myself choose between my favorites. This is one of my favorite tags and yet I’ve somehow never actually blogged about it on here. Would love to hear about your answers to these so be sure to comment yours below!
BEST BOOK OF 2024 (SO FAR)
If you’ve been keeping up with my reading over on Goodreads then it shall come as no surprise that a category sweep is Samantha Shannon’s Bone Season series. This was a series I attempted to reconnect with after picking up The Bone Season back in 2020. Twas simply a book I could never have connected to at the time (I was deep in finals season) so I didn’t end up continuing with the next book in the series. They say the right book comes at the right time and never has that been more true for this book series. In my transition into life in London I gave this series another shot and fell in love with it alongside my discovery of the city. It was like I was seeing the city through new eyes, Seven Dials, Soho, and the overall London atmosphere enlivened through the character of Paige Mahoney. The Bone Season is fantasy series excellence and taps into so much of what I love in the genre. The Dark Mirror is the fifth installment and is assuredly Samantha Shannon at her strongest. This fifth book is this series fully realized, in its themes, characters, and deftly constructed plot finally blossoming. After the intense events that concluded The Mask Falling, this sequel is as much a soul-deep reconciliation between Paige and Arcturus as it is an expansion in the fight over bringing the Republic of Scion to its knees. I can’t say more as we’re still 7 months out from publication but I will be reviewing this in November so stay tuned!
BEST SEQUEL OF 2024 (SO FAR)
Allow me to wax poetic about the Burning Kingdoms trilogy for a second. A series innately entangled in rage and morally grey characters uniting to transform an empire draws to a close in this final book that brings all the action and consequences from the end of The Oleander Sword and takes it to another level entirely. Priya and Malini have been further set apart with the cost of their connection blooming with astonishing sacrifice at the end of book two. On opposing sides of the incoming war with the mysterious Yaksa, they will have to sacrifice more of themselves than they ever realized. Alongside Bhumika, these women will fight for the fate of their world and their place within it. Ahead of this read and its publication in November I made an effort to sit down and dive back into the former two books and I really think it enhanced The Lotus Empire all the more (because I had truly forgotten so much). Getting to read the entire series in succession was such a pinch-me moment and it was given such a beautiful ending that connects across books one to three. Tasha Suri, you are a beautiful genius and I will be billing you for the cost of my tears.
New release I’m excited for, but haven’t read yet
The Spellshop is a book I swear I have been seeing everywhere recently. My amazing bookseller coworker and friend, Coco was raving about it in the months leading up to its release and she’s so rarely wrong I really think this is going to be the coziest book ever. So far all I know is that it includes jam, magic, and a little bit of romance, but this all sounds like a recipe for how to reach straight into my heart and make me fall in love. I know there are many other people in my circles that have been yelling at me to read this one so it’s certainly one I want to reach for before 2024 is out.
MOST EXCITED FOR IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2024
It was really difficult to narrow this down to just one title, but I’m sticking with An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson for the title I am most excited about in the second half of 2024. Something about the second half of this year feels perfect for all things dark academia and horror. I am definitely a reader influenced by the fall season so this is situated at the top of my reads for the season. Alexis Henderson is an author I’ve wanted to read more from since reading and loving House of Hunger the Fall before last. For some reason, I haven’t picked up Year of the Witching yet even though it’s been sitting on my shelf for an entire year, but I will likely be picking up this one before I get to Alexis Hendersons debut. This fall is unique because there are so many great dark academia/vampire books being published, which seems obvious for the time of year but we really are seeing an unprecedented amount of gothic horror and vampire reads emerging. I have two good friends who have assured me that this is excellent so all there’s left to do is fall right into it.
A BOOK THAT SURPRISED ME
Monstrous Nights by Genoveva Dimova is one novel that challenged my expectations and surprised me in the best possible way. This sequel concludes The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters Duology and throws us right back into the melee with the characters. Tonally I loved this book because it feels like a “where are they now” kind of story where you catch up with the characters after they defeated the BIG BAD, only to find out it’s not so glamorous. Monstrous Nights has that dark atmosphere married with self-deprecating humor and slow-burn romance that just worked for me. The humor was at its height here as all Asen and Kosara want is to rest but they keep getting drawn back into the craziness and the consequences of their actions. I loved everything about this fantasy duology steeped in Slavik folklore. Be sure to check my reviews for Foul Days and Monstrous Nights which are already up on my blog!
NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR
I am on the Sophia Slade hype train and I will truly not be shutting up about it. In fact, my review for Nightstrider will be up later this week, a notably quick turnaround considering that I finished the book just last week. But sometimes you read a book so good from an author so talented you’re left with so much to say. Nightstrider is a book I described as: “Reluctant allies to lovers core and just so bisexual” and I really stand by that initial statement in featuring it here. This debut promised a lot upfront, some of my favorite tropes and storylines intersecting in one dark fantasy, but it absolutely exceeded all of my expectations. Thematically this series is promising and Sophia Slade is not only an author to watch but a new favorite.
NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH
Alexandria Bellefleur wrote a fictional man so hot I considered jumping into the book just so I could date him myself. I settled for finishing the book and immediately flipping back to the start to read it all over again. Colin McCory the man that you are. Truly, Madly, Deeply was such a fun romance that at its heart is just bisexuality ✨ A theme I am clearly passionate about. I loved this bi-for-bi romance that draws off of first impressions and how they aren’t always accurate and the preconceived notions of life and dating that are actually holding us back from happiness. Truly and Colin were adorable (and so sexually frustrated) – if you’ve read the Instagram scene and immediately had to throw your phone across the room in embarrassment I see you. I feel you. I am you. In terms of fictional crushes, no one is really holding a candle to Colin right now and that’s so sad. I just want more bisexual men in romance who are comfortable with their sexuality and ready to lay it all down for one person. For more thoughts on this one, read my review.
FAVORITE FICTIONAL COUPLE & NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER
Is anyone shocked that this book is being mentioned in two categories? No? Great. If you’ve talked to me in the last two months then chances are this book series has come up at least once. And it was probably me begging you to give it a try if you hadn’t read it before. The Bone Season is winning a double feature for my newest favorite main character and favorite couple. I could write essays about how much I love Paige Mahoney individually and her love story with Arcturus Mesarthim that begins here in book one of the Bone Season. Samantha Shannon delivers a character that is arguably one of the best modern fantasy heroines (though this world is anything but modern) and begs you to try and not root for them. Paige, a young clairvoyant Irish woman escaped the fall of her country to the violent Republic of Scion to further fight for survival from the inside. She’s complicated, still figuring herself out, and makes plenty of mistakes in her journey as a revolutionary. But her tenacity and tremendous courage in the face of such violence is astonishing. Paige finds a connection she never anticipated with her Rephaim warden and effective jailer when she realizes they both are held prisoner by the powers at Oxford. There’s so much longing intertwined with gentle moments you will genuinely lose your mind and go grey as these two accept they have feelings but still somehow try and compartmentalize (I could go into heavy detail… and I will…I will go into heavy detail). But just not here definitely read my full review of The Bone Season if you’d like to hear more.
BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY
Second chance romance found at the scene of the crime? Fork found in kitchen. Jessica Joyce’s sophomore novel is a powerful romance involving the pain and joy in reconnection and how we can soldier that path back to a relationship that both hurt and fulfilled us in the past. I love mess so the concept of two exes that have to set up their friend’s wedding together while avoiding what went wrong in their own relationship immediately had me adding this to my tbr. You With a View, Jessica Joyce’s first novel was just all-around excellence and her emotional breadth astonished me. That is very much on display in her second book as well. Georgia and Eli had some serious issues that caused the dissolution of their former relationship but attempt to move past those things and return to their partnership built off of something wholly different. This entire book had me in the feels and I really think I came out the other side a changed person. Jessica Joyce supremacy!
BOOK THAT MADE ME HAPPY
Cozy science fiction is my new obsession and The Stars Too Fondly was the perfect book to delve into this emerging subgenre for the first time. Certainly, I’m a bit biased because Emily is a dear friend of mine, but this book is so incredible and needs to be on your list. Combine a little bit of discovery, found family, queer romance, and scientific hubris and you have this book. Emily Hamilton balances out those darker moments with her delightful crew of characters stuck on a spaceship and beholden to strange new powers. We’ve even got rom-coms and iced coffees in space! The Stars Too Fondly was just a delight to read and left me grinning.
BOOK TO READ BEFORE THE YEAR IS OUT
I’m seated. the booksellers are scared and asking me to leave because it “hasn’t even published yet” but I’m simply too seated. Wings of Starlight being announced not two weeks out from my rewatch of the entire Pixie Hollow movie series where I and a friend talked at length over the Clarion x Milori movie potential and what the plot would consist of. I have the gift of prophecy. Feeling more than slightly vindicated that this book exists and that one of my all-time favorite authors is the one writing it. From their minimal screentime, Clarion x Milori serve that intense longing that I know only Allison Saft will be able to provide. Listen there’s something about lovers torn apart by a tragedy finding that they can be together after years of putting the other person behind them that will never not miss for me. Wings of Starlight just sounds excellent and there’s no doubt in my mind that this is going to heal my twelve-year-old self. Top on my list to get through before the year is out.
MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK BOUGHT
You’ve come this far only to see another title by Samantha Shannon….but do not fear because this is the last category on my list. I think the redesigned covers for The Bone Season series revisions are some of the prettiest things in existence and The Mask Falling is my favorite because of the green. Literally who is surprised. The gold foil, the raised lettering on the cover, and the rich endpapers have sold me on buying this entire series in hardback format. I love how each book features the predominant symbols and buildings from Paige’s environment. The language of flowers is very important across the book series and they bloom out from the edges. I am frothing at the mouth just looking at this and am scared to say how often I find myself staring at my copy.
Literaryrobin 