The Even the Darkest Stars duology by Heather Fawcett was one of the series that surprised me the most last year. The first book was one of my very first Fairyloot novels so I looked forward to discovering it, but at the same time, I was a bit apprehensive as I thought it risked being a tad boring. Goodness, was I mistaken. As of the first chapter, I was captivated by the story and its wonderful characters. This duology deserves to be way more well-known than it is today!
Attention: I will be reviewing both books in this post, but everything about the second book will be hidden so that you do not read any spoilers unless you want to.
Book 1: Even the Darkest Stars
Even the Darkest Stars
Even the Darkest Stars takes us on a journey along steep mountains trails, through small, snowy villages, and cities bursting with magic. Meet Kamzin, a young woman with the impossible dream to become a royal explorer. Stuck in a remote village, she knows chances are slim that her remarkable climbing and navigation skills will ever be noticed by the Emperor. Enter River, the greatest explorer ever known. On a mission for the Emperor to retrieve a magical talisman, he hires Kamzin to join him on his expedition. But Kamzin’s older sister Lusha has plans of her own and sets off with a rival explorer. What follows is an adventurous tale filled with magic, friendship, blossoming romance, and the cruelest betrayal.
What’s it about River?
I’m not sure, but something about River made me swoon as of his first appearance. He was totally different from what I (and Kamzin, by the way) had expected a Royal Explorer to be. I wouldn’t mind more books about him!
I truly appreciate the way the characters all come to life in this novel. Kamzin feels very real and her talents that set her apart are described realistically (as opposed to what happens in so many other YA fantasy novels). While I could sometimes slap her for her stupid decisions, I could really identify with many of her thought processes. Lusha, on the other hand, I despise. I think I haven’t hated a character as much as I did her since watching Game of Thrones (yes, Joffrey, I’m talking about you). I read that many people understood her, but honestly, she’s just plain mean. Then again, this only proves to me how much I was touched by this band of characters.
As I already mentioned, the storyline is adventurous and will keep you guessing until the very end. Honestly, I did not see several of the turns coming at all and I was pleasantly surprised each time. As for the romance, it’s more tension than anything else but it’s great <3 Wouldn’t have minded a bit more though!
So what I do not understand: why isn’t everyone talking about this book??? Four out of five gemstones:
Book 2: All the Wandering Light
Summary & Evaluation (click here)
Betrayed by River at the end of book one, Kamzin now has to face a terrifying reality: their expedition has failed, the witches’ power has returned, and her village is right in their path of destruction. Her last hope is to retrieve a fallen star, with whose power she might be able to prevent the end of the Empire. But she is not the only one looking for it…
A strong sequel
To give you an idea about how much I loved these characters, this is the first note I made in my reading journal about book two: “Still hate Lusha. River <3". This sequel picks up a bit slower than the first one, but I loved that it shifts between different points-of-view. Once again, it's a story with unexpected twists and turns. I loved the concept of the Fallen Star <3 And I simply cannot believe it took me until book two to realise that the concept of the soul-eating Fire Demon is relatively similar to the horcruxes in Harry Potter. More romance would have been nice, but once again, the tension made me swoon. We want more! We want more! Please make it a trilogy?
Age Category: Young Adult but also suitable for an older audience
Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.
Amazon.nl: Even the Darkest Stars Hardcover edition
Amazon.nl: All the Wandering Light Hardcover edition
In September 2017, Fairyloot included a normal hardcover edition of the first book in their Young Adult book box. They also included a signed bookplate and an author letter. Unfortunately, they never did a special edition of either of the books.
Similar to this
If you liked this duology as much as I did, I have some good news for you! Heather Fawcett’s adult debut, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is set to be published in January 2023! It is described as an “epistolary Icelandic fairytale set in an alternative 1900s, starring a socially inept scholar of the folk and her academic archrival/possible love interest”. I’m so excited about this <3
If you are into magical tales with dragons and siblings, you should definitely also check out Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria. This Fairyloot book tells the tale of two sisters who are destined to be dragon hunters. Until one of them accidently forms a soul bond with one. Oops? Check out my review here.
Last but not least, some of the quest elements and romantic tensions distinctively reminded me of We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. In the Sands of Arawiya duology, a royal assassin and a woman disguised as a hunter set out on an adventurous journey on a cursed island. My review of the first book can be found here.