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Of Fire and Stars

Of Fire and Stars is a YA about two princesses who fall in love. It’s a fantasy-romance crossover that has delightful characters and a charming romance, but it needs more world building to fully succeed.

Princess Dennaleia (also called Denna) is sent to the kingdom of Mynaria to marry the Mynarian prince. It’s a marriage that was arranged when she was born, and she has been raised to be a paragon of propriety at all times. However, once she gets to Mynaria, Denna forms a bond with her fiancé’s sister, Princess Amaranthine (nicknamed ‘Mare’). Mare is Denna’s opposite – she wears men’s clothes, works with horses, and rebels against her own fate as a princess with all her might. The two women fall in love, and while gender is not a problem – in this kingdom, homosexuality and bisexuality are accepted – Denna has magical powers that she must conceal, as working magic is punishable by death in Mynaria. And oh yes, there is the pesky detail that Denna is supposed to marry Mare’s brother.

I liked the romance, especially the way Denna imparts some common sense to Mare and Mare wakes up Denna’s rebellious side. The book has one of the most delightful last lines of all time. That said, the romance is fairly lightly sketched in the midst of political drama, and without sufficient world building the political drama is just noise. I have no sense of what these kingdoms are like or why I should care about their alliances. Mynaria seems consist of a castle, a stable, a market, and a pub. I’m not looking for 1000 pages on the culture of the various kingdoms at play, but I do want these places to have more character so I can care about what happens to them. Despite this story leaving me wanting more, I definitely want more stories like this one.

– Carrie S

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.