Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Evelyn Flood for an advanced copy of Stars Above the Never Sea in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next one. The world building was fantastic and beautifully written. I loved the emotional depth you felt from reading the dual POV. I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in less than 24 hours! This slow burn, traumatic romantasy will stick with me every day until I can get my hands on the next book!

Stars Above the Never Sea really sweeps you into the chaos from the first page and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

While Selene’s quest for revenge, understanding her powers, and her position as the last faeyte set up a compelling premise, I was disappointed with how little we were shown about Selene exploring her maegies once they returned to Asteria, it just felt anticlimactic to me.

Although I loved the moments between Selene and Callan the intimacy between felt rushed, lacking the emotional depth her history called for. I would have preferred a slower burn, more emotional connection before physical intimacy.

Despite these frustrations, the imagery of the writing, emotional depth of the crew’s shared history, and an unexpected cliffhanger left me excited for the next book!

Loved this! Easily up there with my fave reads so far this year. I obsessively read this and was rewarded with a doozy of a cliffhanger!
The plot is quite hideously devastating, the fmc Selene is amazing and I'm routing so hard for her. Our mmc Callan is adorable and must be protected at all costs, same for the found family, impeccable found family dynamics here. The villain is easily detestable, I enthusiastically wished for someone to stab him in the face and I love that in a bag guy.
The slow burn romance was delicious and giddy inducing. The Peter Pan vibes were intriguing and quite delicate, refreshing in a retelling but not a retelling way. The ending is brutal on many levels and I am chomping at the bit for the next book!
I had a totally engrossing and fully feeling, tortured yet hopeful time with this. Beautifully written, atmospheric world building, excellent fully realised characters, character growth, twists and turns, devastation. Easy 5 stars for me!
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the arc opportunity, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

5 Stars!
Golden Retriever x Black Cat energy | Enemies | Found Family | Hook x Tinkerbell

Stars Above the Never Sea gutted me in the best way.
Evelyn Flood delivers the most captivating Hook/Tinkerbell reimagining I’ve read, with worldbuilding so vivid it wraps around you from page one. While her writing style is completely her own, the scope, emotional journey, and excitement feel like they could stand beside Quicksilver and ACOTAR on any romantasy shelf.

Selene’s life as a faeyte should have begun on her ascension day, a joyful celebration where she’d receive her true name and magic. Instead, her home is betrayed and attacked by those they trusted. That day of celebration becomes a massacre. Her fate is ripped from her, replaced by grief and a hunger for vengeance.

She's captured, shackled, and forced to serve men who only want more power. Her reality isn't great, and I feel for her. After 8 year,s Selene escapes servitude and finds herself on a ship, where she's grabbed and shackled and meets Callan and his crew. She learns that her fate is even more grim than she thought, that she's the last faeyte and no one else survived the attack on her home.

I was blown away by the world and character building of Stars Above the Never Sea. Selene and Callan are sworn enemies, she is the last faeyte and he is part of the crew who attacked her home, but those two are magnetic. This is a slow burn done right. The attraction is gradual, layered with mistrust, vulnerability, and yearning. He falls first, and he falls hard, with a depth of devotion that feels earned and, at times, devastating,

The magic system, found family, and connection are also huge standouts in this book. Callan's crew is bound by friendship and is fiercely loyal and protective of one another. But the crew offers Selene something she's been denied for so long, kindness. Watching her thaw and become friends brought a warmth to the setting and felt like a balm to the soul.

If you love a gut-wrenching romantasy full of sharp edges and self-discovery, then Stars Above the Never Sea is for you. Selene's Arc was full of pain, longing, and deciding if she wanted vengeance or to forgive.

"Own your fear. Hold onto it. But do not let it own you. Take hold of it, and embrace it. Remember that darkness is only the absence of light, and you are made of light itself."

This book ended up being so much more than I thought it would be. The magic system was so refreshing. The book was fast paced and kept me interested from beginning to end. The characters were beautiful.

"Any god who watches their people suffering and does nothing is not one that deserves my respect."

✨REVIEW:
I read this whole book in one sitting and was totally invested in the unique worldbuilding. There are some SA triggers, so be aware of that, but the MMC is a total green flag, golden retriever who falls first and goes straight to touch-her-and-die. The FMC is the last of the faeryte kind, returning to her original home where she previously witnessed the slaughter of her people, only to discover it is literally turned upside down. She escaped before completing her Ascension, so she is unsure of her magic, but the brand of shadow magic she weilds appears to be unique to her.

I’m loving everyone in the Found Family dynamic, although there are some unanswered questions around her initial entry among them, and I hope I am not disappointed in them in the next book.

This book ends on a massive cliffhanger, and I’m glad book 2 comes out later this year so I don’t have to wait too long for what comes next! If you enjoy the Fantasy Romance genre, then I definitely recommend this one! (Make sure to read the trigger warnings though)

Thank you so much for this ARC. The Peter van vibes of this book were immaculate, unlike anything I’d read for a long time.
Selene is a complex yet likeable FMC, she’s been through so much and tries to protect herself, yet still allowing a kindness to come through.
Callan is incredible. He’s a fantastic MMC, within the first few chapters of his POV I was obsessed.
The found family in this was *chefs kiss*.
I found the magic and lore really well explained, with great pacing in the plot - but nothing was too forced upon you that it would be overwhelming or confusing.
The yearning and tension in this was sooooo good. This is the definition of a slow burn.. you’ll be gagging for a snog on page before you get one but in the best way!
The only thing I will say is don’t let chapter 1 put you off.. it’s quite intense and the writing style if different from the rest of the book but it’s important to the overall plot
I need book 2 immediately

Oh my this book just wrecked me. I didn’t realize it was a series and I am just destroyed. The build up was slow and I had no idea where it was going and now I am just literally stunned. The last 70 pages or so of this book changed everything and I have so many questions. The love story is so beautiful and the found family is just the best. I need the next book asap this will be on my mind for a while.

The book had me hooked from start to finish, even though it was an emotional roller coaster. I was captivated by the plot and eager to see how the story would unfold. I loved the characters, and the found family was one of the best things about the book for me. I also loved that the book is written from the perspectives of Selene and Callan, who have wonderful chemistry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Evelyn Flood for this ARC.

It took me so much effort to get into this book. I picked it up several times to put it back down again. The writing just didn't feel cohesive, especially with the magic system. It was a bit confusing. It also felt way too unnecessarily long. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Stars Above the Never Sea is a hauntingly beautiful dive into grief, survival, and the fragile magic of connection. Set against the backdrop of a starlit sea where falling means forgetting, this romantasy delivers both lyrical prose and emotional punch.

Selene is a winged exile who has had a hard life and hopes to return to a homeland that no longer remembers her. This is a heavy, emotionally intense story. Selene lives under brutal conditions, forced into sexual servitude with no freedom of her own. Until she takes matters into her own hands. Callan is a ship captain hardened by loss. Their achingly slow burn romance is tender, never rushed, always earned. I found myself rooting for them even when the odds felt impossible.

Flood’s worldbuilding totally pulls you in without drowning you in details. Even the side characters are well done and actually contribute to the story, making the whole world feel complete.

What struck me most was the emotional honesty. This book doesn’t shy away from pain, it leans into it, explores it, and somehow finds beauty in the brokenness. There were moments I had to pause just to breathe.

The ending? A devastating cliffhanger in the best way. I’m already counting down to the sequel.

I’ve followed Evelyn Flood’s work for years and have read nearly everything she’s written. Her writing has a way of reaching into you and stirring up emotions you didn’t expect. Get ready for another emotional ride. This one will pull at your heart and keep you hooked with that delicious slow burn.

Recommended for readers that love:
Slow-burn romance
Romantasy
Found family
He falls first 😍
Shadow magic 🪄

3.75⭐️ 1🌶️

I read this as an ARC and was instantly pulled into the story. There is world building and a unique magic system that I loved.

The writing was great because I was either loving or hating the characters and I was invested in their story. The plot twist at the end I did not expect and the cliffhanger was heartbreaking!

The slow burn romance was good but I would have liked to see a little more tension between the characters. Their love is clear in the book which made the ending so difficult to read. I really enjoyed this read and I can’t wait for the next book.

The cover alone on this book got me!

It was such an interesting premise, that had me fairly hooked right from the getgo. It was very found family vibes, with a cast of characters that were all so unique and interesting in the way they were written and came together. I really enjoyed the magic systems and setting in this book, they were well crafted and easy to understand jumping into this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

I was unsure about this book at first and decided to give it until 50%. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed watching Callan and Selene's relationship grow and Callan is such a sweet guy to read about. Some things felt quite convenient at times but overall, the story flowed. I will most likely be coming back to read the sequel.

That ending 😭!! I just loved this book! It has found family, fates, gods, shadow magic, and a whole lot of tension. And the imagery of the Never Sea was just beautiful ✨a bit scary, but beautiful!

Ten years ago, Selene ran as all the faetyes - her family - were murdered in their temple. Now, trapped in an indenture, she manages to escape and plans to get her revenge. She very quickly finds herself held captive again, this time on a boat back to Asteria with a crew who teach her that she’s not all alone. Callan, the captain of the ship, is the only one who can cross the Never Sea, and is basically a walking green flag.

I thought the magic system in this was pretty original, where some people are born with maegis but there is always a cost to using it. I loved the crew and Selene’s growing relationships with all of them - though the mystery of how she got onto the ship is still not solved!

I’ve got a lot of questions still, but that ending was just awful 😭 I don’t know how they’re going to get through it but I’m looking forward to book 2!

I absolutely loved Kept by Evelyn Flood and when I was given the chance to get my hands on Stars above the never sea I literally couldn’t wait. Maybe I went into this with too high hopes and not enough background knowledge of the genre, but I really struggled to connect to the book for the first few chapters (until aboard the ship). I think this was particularly to do with the main character not having a name right at the beginning of the story. Anyway, thankfully this got better.

Selene is the last of her kind and she’s been put through the wringer. When given the opportunity she escapes and boards a ship to cross the never sea. That’s where she meets the captain, Callan. He has rules if she wants a ride and there’s more to this tale than it seems.

Selene and Callan have great chemistry - this is where the true connection to this story lies for me. It’s a hook/tinkerbell inspired story and the setting on the boat was magical.

This is just the beginning and there’s more to come.

All reviews on my GoodReads!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Evelyn for the Arc, my very first one! ☺️🫶🏼

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

❤️ I enjoyed: the plot was good, hooked me from the start and I literally couldn’t put down the book from 50% onwards and I finished it on my long haul flight to Canada. One of my favourite scenes was dinner at the town house. It was giving ACOTAR dinner in Velaris at House of Wind. I love the found family, the way they risk everything for each other. Also, that ending was WILD. I’m waiting for the next book to be released (before this one first comes out!)

🖤 Not super love: the magic system was a little difficult to understand at the start. I was very lost for the first whole 2 chapters. The character names were a little difficult to follow too because some of them had different nicknames and abbreviated names.

Okay this book had a great plot and characters. The found family aspect was on point and the tension and slow burn was so good! The details were really cool with the never sea and magic system. The things she learns as the journey continues. Her ability to want to know more and do more. The connection to the land and the people. Her history. It’s cool to see her figure things out. I love that you are not sure what will happen next but you hold onto hope for our FMC. After all she has been through to return to her home and find out it is nothing like what she remembered. She has to decide if revenge or saving the people that ruined her life and killed her family are worth saving. Is she even able to do what is needed? Let’s not even mention the ending… I need the next book.

“𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳, 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯…𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯…𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯…”

Selene Amaris is finally going home. After 10 years of enslavement in the red lands of Terrosa, she finds herself chained once more, on a ship, flying through the sea of stars, taking her to her homeland of Asteria. No one is waiting for her, her people having been killed during the Great Shift ten years ago. On her journey, she finds herself both irritated and drawn to the captain of the ship who begins to risk everything to save her.

This book is enchanting. I was DROWNING in my emotions as I read. This was written for readers who love to feel all the feels with a little bit of emotional devastation! The romance was everything I wanted and more. Full of yearning, banter, and growth, I fell in love with Callan and Selene.

The setting is so unique and original - a sea of starlight, entire lands wiped from existence, and a cast of broken people just trying to survive. The magic system is so unique and complex, I adored it. This isn’t just a fantasy adventure; it’s a story of grief, power, and love. I am so in love with this story and I cannot wait for more!

“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦, 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐’𝘮 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Really enjoyable.

I’d seen and heard lots about this book, so I was keen to get my hands on it.

I genuinely enjoyed reading it. I found the characters really likeable, the slow burn between Callan and Selene tantalising and the fact that it was a different sort of romantasy than what I’ve been reading recently, refreshing.

I did feel that it ended just as things were starting to happen. It seemed to sneak up on me and end before the story wasn’t quite ready for it, which was mildly disappointing, but not to the point of putting me off.

I’d definitely been keen to read the next one.

Thank you for the ARC and I wish the book every success upon release.