I absolutely loved this book from start though I'm not sure I'll get over the ending 😭

Different magic castes each with a price to pay when using their magic, Faeytes, Gods and Goddesses. Love and Loss. A found family in the midst of despair.

Will good triumph over evil? Will love conquer? Only time will tell.......

Couldn't recommend this book enough - will definitely be getting the second book when out.

Magic is complex. The world? Even more so.
We’ve got flying ships, a mysterious realm called the Never, a king named Petyr, and a tragedy that shattered everything. What more could you want?

This book gives serious Peter Pan, Hook, and Tinkerbell energy—but twisted, darker, and very much for adults only.

✨ Tension
🔥 Banter
💘 Enemies to lovers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family
❤️ He falls first

I’ve laughed, cried, and gotten properly angry. It’s been a long time since a book pulled this many emotions from me—and I loved every second of it.

And that ending?
I’m still not okay.

This magical adventure follows Selene, a faeyte with a tragic past cloaked in mystery and shadows, and Callan, a rogue sailor with secrets of his own. Thrown together by fate, they journey across enchanted seas, uncover ancient magic, and face a growing threat that could tear their world apart. All while learning their collective past had always been entwined, and so will their future be.

What really stood out to me was the incredible world building—each location, character, and piece of lore felt vivid and fully realized. The magic tied to the stars and the deities that dwell there was such a cool and unique concept too.

Now, I love romance- and the romance between Selene and Callan? It's a slow burn, but completely worth it and utterly perfect. Their connection builds so naturally and had me rooting for them the whole way. Also, who doesn't love it when the guy falls first!?

It did not take me long at all to devour this book once I had started reading it, becoming fully immersed in a couple of pages and not wanting to stop until I reached the end! The story, and characters, kept me hooked and invested throughout.

If you’re into atmospheric fantasy with a rich setting, an interesting magical system, and a swoon-worthy romance, you should definitely check this one out!

Stars Above the Never Sea, Evelyn Flood’s debut novel and the first installment in The Last Faeyte series, caught my attention right away, not just for being a fantasy story, but for how it goes beyond familiar tropes. While it brings many classic elements of the genre, the story also invites reflection on fate, choices, and the hard task of moving forward when everything you know falls apart.

Early on, we meet Selene (a young Faeyte on the verge of her Ascension rite) whose life is turned upside down by a brutal invasion. From that moment, the narrative gains strength, taking us on a journey that challenges the idea of belonging and reminds us of how powerful (and sometimes necessary) it is to rebuild ourselves in the face of chaos. The worldbuilding, with its gods Hala and Caelum, the Faeytes linked to healing, and the Caelumnai, masters of the elements, creates a rich and well-woven background.

The characters were another highlight for me. Selene starts off as a girl full of certainties, but as the story unfolds, and as her scars accumulate, she grows into a far more complex and believable protagonist. Callan, the Caelumnai, is one of those characters who carries his own secrets and gradually becomes essential to the plot. The dynamic between them builds slowly, with tension, honesty, and a hint of vulnerability that really surprised me. It’s not a forced romance, and that makes their connection feel even more genuine.

Of course, like many debut novels, this one has its excesses. Some repeated phrases started to wear on me after a while. And the emotional intensity stays high almost all the time, which might make the reading feel a bit too heavy, especially if you’re someone who enjoys quieter moments between big events.

Final thoughts:

In the end, Stars Above the Never Sea turned out to be a very rewarding read. A story that balances adventure, fantasy, and a sharp look at the characters’ inner struggles. It has heart, it has pain, but it also leaves room for hope. And it’s that balance that makes me genuinely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Evelyn Flood for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you a looking for a Romantasy story with a twist, that involves ships, magic and vengeful goddesses, then definitely give Stars Above the Never sea a read.

The story follows our FMC, Selene, as she escapes her life as a slave and grapples with the past, yearning to return to a place she once called home. As an avid romantasy reader, I found Stars Above the Never Sea to have such a unique plot, setting and magic system. Though I did find the initial world building a little confusing, trying to understand the terms given to different classes of people, once this clicked I absolutely devoured the book.

I loved the different elements that made up this book, the sailing element, the magic, the mystery of The Never, the god and goddess as well as the found family. Yes there are a few things that were predictable but this was balanced out by things that were definitely not predictable!!

I quickly grew to love the FMC (Selene) and the MMC (Callan), as well as the side characters that each play their own roles.

I was a massive fan of the romance and found it be very sweet, with lots of tension and anticipation. The dual POV really helped in building the tension as well seeing into the mind of our golden retriever MMC. The timing of the romance did seem a little fast, but I was fully invested in it, do didn't mind at all.

There are some heavy themes in the book so please check the trigger warnings.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment after that ending. It had me in tears. Definitely go and add this book to your TBR now.

I will be honest: At first the story kept me interested even though the pacing felt a bit rushed at parts and all over the place. Still I kept going anyway, hoping it would get better sooner or later. But nope, it did not. The protagonists' pvs confused me too. I never really knew what was going on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What was that???

I never thought I would like this book this much! I was sucked in from the very start, the beginning takes you right into the action and the pacing at the start was really good.

I’m usually not a fan of dual POV (and especially in first person) because I find that the characters end up being too similar and if it wasn’t for the name of the chapter, you wouldn’t really know who was talking. But in this book, it was done really well! Selene and Callan were very distinct from one another, all characters were fleshed out, and the writing was really good (though sometimes a tiny bit repetitive but nothing major so it wasn’t a bother).

I took a star out because there was a bit of a lull after the 50% mark, but it really picked up afterward and that ENDING???? It KILLED me. I can’t wait for December for book 2.

Overall, this was a great surprise and a really good read!

<I>You cannot choose your family. But you can choose the person you want to be."</I>

If a book can get me to cry, it gets five stars. I don't make the rules.
That is your indicator of the emotional damage that "Stars Above the Never Sea" has caused.

From the celestial references in the names and magic system to the "he falls first trope" to the found family aspect and finally to the unnamable feeling of dread/doom that casts a shadow over the latter third of the book, this had every element that made it an un-put-downable fantasy novel.

The backstories reveal themselves JUST when you need them and they're executed SO well. Trust me, you'll want to add this to your TBR.

Unfortunately I couldn't get properly into this book which really gutted me as I was so excited to read it. I couldn't get past 30%. I'm hopefully going to try and pick it back up on the future and try and preserver.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
I'm not going to give it only one star even though it's a dnf for me at the moment, but I will try it again soon.

I just finished this book and i am speechless. Evelyn Flood created this amaizing world where gods give and also punish.
Serene is a faeyte and she is the only one left from her kind. Forced to run and suffered a lot. She is traumatised and has lost her trust in everyone, but in the same time she is strong and won't stop to nothing to protect the people she loves.
Callan is my new dream character. He is gentle and caring, fearless and offers support.
The chemistry between them two was perfect and there is nothing that was missing.
I loved every side character as well.
Esme was so kind and I loved the way she instantly accepted Selene in there group and as a friend. She was always there for her.
Sol was tough, but when he warmed towards Selene was kind and protective.
Rio and Leo were so sweet and funny.
Merrik was the oldest amongst them and the wisest. I loved how he guided and advised Selene and was always there for her.
The ending had me gasping. I didn't expected that and I can't wait to read the next book to see what will happen.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGallery and Evelyn Flood for this Arc for an honest review 🥰

For me, this started off slow but soon as it hit 40%, it started to pick up much more. From that I was more invested with it 🥰

What stood out to me a lot was the banter between Selene, Callan and the crew. This helped bring the story up much more and making it more interesting🥹

Some parts for me the story drifted but then the last couple of chapters!! That ending!! It was very unexpected. Now I need to read the next book to find out what happens! 😩🖤

I would definitely recommend to give this a read!

4⭐️ Stars Above the Never Sea is a compelling story that entwines elements that we all know and love in a fantasy series into new original concepts that keep you hooked from the very start.

This story had me engaged and emotionally connected the characters from the start to the end.

Selene despite all odds is at core a survivor, struggling to unveil the truth of what her fate truly is. She’s been through the worst imaginable and still has such hope and that really showed and carried the story.

Callan is on a mission to save his people and restore the island that never belonged to them. A man who is fighting for the right morals but challenged at every turn.

Merrick, Sol, Matthias, Esme, Rio and Leo are the found family we all want to have. Their strong friendship is one of the BEST elements of this story. I felt strongly connected to every single one of them and their different personalities are displayed so carefully and beautifully.

The pacing of the story is great, every flower so well and the journey from the start to the end felt realistic. We had time to learn about the characters in a natural way to develop our connections, we learnt about the world with Selene as she was and it felt like we were sharing her grief and wonder with her.

Overall I think this is a story going in with little knowledge about works best as it’ll surprise you thoroughly with how beautiful it truly is.

The ending was tragic and in my opinion unpredictable, it shocked me and had me rereading the end. I definitely cannot wait for the sequel to come.

Please be aware that there are some dark themes explored in this book and I would recommend looking at the trigger warnings however most themes are off page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author and Publisher for the E-Arc ❤️

At first the story was keeping me interested but the pacing felt a bit rushed at parts and it was all over the place. I got to chapter 5 then stopped because I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I found myself getting confused during the MMC's Pov chapters that I read, and I was also confused during the FMC's Pov chapters that I read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

This turned out to be a very captivating story. At points I became enraged and conflicted by the circumstances our poor FMC finds herself in, how could fate be so cruel. There are great characters in this book, the side characters bring so much to the story and are exactly why I was so conflicted about whether the FMC should assist them or not. The romance in this at times felt like it was moving pretty quickly, but also had some build up and by the end I found myself sold by the tension and passion between them.

The world building is intriguing and darker than expected, the beginning of the story really drew me in and it really affects how you envision the world later on. The magic system is very unique and I like the way the author included a negative effect for the magic like the universe is seeking a balance. There are parts of the story I found a little predictable, but this certainly doesnt take away from the impact of the revelations and truths that surface as the story progresses.

The ending really hurt my soul and I’m intrigued to see where book 2 will take us. I highly recommend this for readers seeking a somewhat dark fantasy involving gods, prophecies and so much more.

THAT ENDING. I’m shook. This was a really gripping story that had me hooked. The plot was super original, with the concept of the Never Sea and all the lore and types of magic in the world. With that being said, I do wish there was a little more exploration of some of the fantasy elements and the history, as I feel like that could’ve been explored further to have a little more depth to the story. But I also really enjoyed the cast of characters and the found family elements, and the romance was really sweet! I did think some of the pacing felt a little off, with some parts moving pretty slow and others feeling a little rushed. But ultimately, I have SO many questions, so I will be (im)patiently waiting for the sequel!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Absolutely loved this. The duel POV was brilliant giving perfect insight into both Selene and Callan's stories of survival. The romance was so lovely to read, a light slow burn more about her learning to trust and feel safe. Callan is such a golden retriever 🫶 being in his point of view to enjoy the yearning is just 👌

Found family is one of my favourite tropes and this book won't let you down!

The ending is a brutal cliff hanger 😭 cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC 💕

4.75 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Evelyn Flood for providing me with early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was honestly floored by this. My eye was drawn to it as the description included pirates and honestly, that's usually enough for me to be intrigued. I'm so glad I applied and was approved for this ARC.

The story felt like a blend of Daughter of No Worlds and The Ever King - both of which I also loved - but with such a unique and vivid setting that I couldn't get enough of. The magic system was incredibly unique, with a wide variety of capabilities and patterns among the various types of characters we interact with.

I absolutely loved the found family vibes we encounter, and the love among the main characters was (while perhaps a little fast paced for my own personal taste) was beautiful to read, and tied in such magical fated lovers intrigue. I found myself not only kicking my feet giggling throughout, but also almost in tears at so many instances - it was an emotional roller coasted in the absolute best sense.

Will be waiting with bated breath for the sequel to this story because the ending was jawa dropping. Evelyn absolutely tore my heart out and stomped all over it (positive sentiment).

I thoroughly enjoyed this story - everything is promised was definitely delivered! I am a sucker for a pirate/sea faring storyline, and this romantasy did not disappoint. The magic system is unique while addressing some triggering ideals that made you complete invest yourself into the story.

I went into this with no idea what to expect, and absolutely LOVED it! Some may call it… fate? 🥁but really, I loved it.
I can’t say too much without spoilers but just read it!!
I was yearning for a fantasy that gave daughter of no worlds with throne of glass vibes in all the best ways and Stars Above the Never Sea DELIVERED!!!
The plot is so good and well paced, the atmosphere?! Literally seeing stars!! ✨ oh and talk about yearning?? I’m obsessed!
No one’s had me swooning for a bronze-eyed man since Edward Cullen 😮‍💨 also, I cried and I really don’t cry easily with books, so gear up - and definitely check trigger warnings at the start.

I hope this is the start of an epic series, I need more of Selene and the gang!!
I’m so so glad I received an arc in exchange for an honest review - thank you sooo much to the publishers and NetGalley! Fingers crossed for the next one?? 👀 🙏

3.5/5 pirates. Need I say more?

This book has pirates (as previously mentioned), shadow magic, a poetic MMC, and lots of banter.

I did feel like some parts of this story were rushed. It wasn't necessarily insta-love, but it was insta-lust with the FMC also immediately trusting a random pirate man she has never met before. She was just too trusting off the bat, even trusting and caring for the entire crew pretty dang fast.

Because it was insta-lust, it did take a while for me to find their relationship believable, I wanted them to work for it a bit more. It did end up in a way that I thought made sense, but it did take me a bit. I'm just really particular about how relationships form in books. (But this was such a likable MMC with some genuinely great qualities that made him feel like such a well-rounded person with depth and opinions and feelings. This dude was just trying to do his job and look out for his crew.)

Every now and then the pacing did feel a bit off and strange, but that could totally be a person preference and opinion. I just thought that some moments were fast and well-paced, grabbing my attention, and then it would get really slow to build up to the next big moment (but not in a way that works within the story).

Overall, I had a good time reading this and I can definitely see myself going back for the sequels!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.