I have a new book boyfriend and he’s got feathered wings! 😍

I loved this book! Starting the book, I didn’t realize it was going to be a series so the worst part was when I hit around 60% and realized it wasn’t going to be able to wrap up and must be the first of a set. Which with these characters and this world isn’t much of a problem to have I just don’t want to have to wait!!

The world doesn’t feel overly built but I think it lends well to our female main character being very sheltered so we only know what she does. I can see how the world will expand more though as the books go on and I’m excited for that! I appreciate that the romance wasn’t too much of a slow-burn even though it did feel a little insta-lovey.

I did sort of sense where the story was headed as far as character reveals and choices, but only because I can’t turn of the puzzle solving part of my brain and just let things unfold. There were still some things I didn’t see coming at all though! One disappointment I had was that the female lead didn’t give the resident mean girl what she deserves when there was a perfect opportunity toward the end but I have a feeling that this is being saved for a bigger moment in a future book! 🤞🏻

Overall, I love this author’s writing style and world building. I do feel that some words/phrases were a bit repetitive and could have used some variation but it wasn’t anything to major. I did also find a couple of typos, but they were minor. One confused me and I had to go back and re-read it a couple of times to figure out if I had missed something or if it was an editing error. The other was a use of the wrong name for a character but in the context of the scene I understood it was an error and this character didn’t just appear out of nowhere!

A huge thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for proving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The Starlit Shadow is a romantasy that follows Sorsha and Corvus in dual pov. Sorsha a courtesan / spy is assigned to obtain information from Corvus who is the second born son of a Fae Lord, who may have involvement in a coup.
This romantasy is not your typical read, the MMC is not a morally grey character, he gives of golden retriever vibes, but he still does have wings, he still has that spark that people love this read. Sorsha has been brought up in the courtesan manor with no memories from the time prior. Is it love at first sight or is it intrigue read to find out!

Pasts unfold
Truths are told
Forbidden romance vibes
Political intrigue
Plot twists

This book is fast paced and does leave you wanting more, I can’t wait to find out more. Thank you Cidney Mayes, Netgally and Cranthrope Millner Publishers for the ARC read

Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for the ARC!

Read if you like mortal and fae rivals, corruption, evil dark magic, court politics, secret powers, a winged MMC, touch her and die, and enemies to lovers.

Slow going but the second half offered redemption!

As for the plot involving humans overtaking the fae lands and banning magic, I found it interesting and a novel idea: however, it lacked context and the reader just got bits thrown in randomly throughout the book. It would have been good to give that backstory. For the first half of the book, I found the way the plot unfolded to be choppy with chunks of random info dumping here and there which dragged on, slowed the pace, confused the reader at times, and didn’t immediately peak or keep my interest. Also, there seemed to be plot threads that appeared randomly out of nowhere and with little to know context until later in the story, like the MMC’s brother’s ending. As for the FMC’s scars and origin, I get why the author waited to reveal the details but it was just randomly and briefly mentioned in the beginning of the book in a way that was not organic so it was confusing at first and seemed random. Also, the animosity between the MMC and his father and the father’s advisor were thrust upon the reader with no explanation. We are first introduced to the other fae houses at the initial meeting so there is a lot of info and name dumping. There could have been some scenes from the fae court to build up an understanding for the reader of the politics and house intricacies in a way that made more sense. The random and partial info dumping for the first half made it hard to be engrossed in the plot and instead of leaving bread crumbs for the reader and building anticipation, it fell flat and left confusion until further explained later. It disrupted the pace of rising action of the plot.

The book opens with them FMC and MMC meeting and it being an insta-obsession on the part of the MMC. I would have preferred to get more backstory on at least one of them so I had a more emotional connection to the characters. The author could have opened with the initial meeting and then backtracked to give character development or could have simply started with some backstory. Also, while I get the premise of the book is built on the MMC meeting the FMC and being attracted to her… I think the romance/infatuation came off a bit too sudden and forced. They could have had initial attraction with a few more encounters that involved getting to know each other better rather than the instantaneous decision of the MMC to take drastic action to be with her within minutes of meeting her and without any substantial connection. That being said, the encounters did happen after the grand gesture, and I found the moments they spent together built a stronger connection for the reader. I enjoyed the push and pull and tension building and the spicy scenes were written well.

Overall, I liked the unique concept of the book and plot but I think it lacked in execution for the first half of the book. The second half of the book is where the story really picked up steam and the plot was well paced. I was not expecting some of the twists and I was kept interested and immersed.

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading.

For an indie debut, this was a fun romantasy.

Our main character is an orphan who lives in a gentleman's club in this fantasy / renaissance setting. Due to her roles, and the roles of other women in the establishment, they wear masks. She is told by the mistress who runs the establishment that she is the chosen one for a gentleman. She goes, and comes face to face with one of the richest and highest families in the district.

The gentleman is the son of a fairy/fae family, part of a court who maintain the magic / fae families while saving face with the human court that has taken over. He isn't quite interested in her, but as they continue to meet, he starts to feel something for her. What he doesn't know is that she is currently spying for the mistress of the establishment.

What I liked about this couple as once they realize that they were both using one another, recognize their emotions, they become a couple that supports on another. There is also a human prince who was involved and I was afraid of a love triangle but thankfully one did not come about.

I will say that if you're someone who likes world building and magic understanding, you're going to have a bit of an issue on the presence and strength. I really wish that there was more of this, but I think since we'll get a sequel out of this we'll get more world building in book two.

So, stay for the cat and mouse build, but frown at the world building. Hopefully this will be rectified.

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the chesmistry between Sorsha and Corvus. I loved how she was trying to take her power back and gain independence. Great writing!

The Starlit Shadow is the first book in a Fantasy Romance series and I loved it so much, it has many of my favorite tropes and I can’t wait for the next book.

Sorsha is a courtesan, abandoned by her mother as a child at the House of Night and working to pay off her debt. When Corvus, a fae lord, gets obsessed with her from the first meeting and requests to be her only client, they can’t ignore their growing attraction, but with Sorsha tasked by her madame to spy on Corvus and them getting involved in a conspiracy to restore the magic, they realize that their forbidden feelings for each other are the least of their problems.

This book was such a pleasure to read from the first page and was getting better and better with each next one. I mean, who doesn’t love a courtesan turned spy and obsessed with her fae lord with forbidden relationship and political intrigue in a fascinating world with so many secrets, I couldn’t get enough of this book and there wasn’t a single boring moment. And just when I thought I knew where the book was going, everything was turned upside down and I loved all the plot twists here. Sorsha and Corvus were amazing as the MCs, I liked how they both were perfectly imperfect and struggled with their questionable decisions and actions, but they were perfect for each other and the tension and angst between them was delicious, I liked the forbidden/star-crossed aspect of their relationship and loved it when they gave in to their feelings. I also really liked Tristan and hope we will get more of him in the next book.

The Starlit Shadow is an amazing romantasy book, I loved it and definitely recommend it to everyone who enjoys this genre. I’m so excited for book 2!

This was a delight to read. A real breath of fresh air from the usual morally grey characters.

Corvus, is a Golden Retriever of a MMC. Plus, he has wings! He's suffering through grief and family woes within his house, alongside an age long vendetta with a rival house. He has an instant connection to Sorcha. To which he dives in. Head first!

Sorcha, is a loveable FMC. She doesn't hold societies standards of beauty. Yet she is beautiful, and she feels it. Thats so refreshing to read. She has a past of her own that comes into play amongst her relationships with Corvus, a Prince and a political coup!

This is a fast paced read, I do hope there is more to accompany this story. I feel like there are a few characters with loose ends and a great deal more story to transpire.

**Thank you to Cidney Mayes, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and Netgalley for the eArc, in exchange for an honest review**

4🌟

I loved the tone of the writing in this book. The formality in the way the characters spoke really transports you to a different time and place. The writing is consistent and well thought out. I loved the fact that we got a golden retriever as the MMC, nice change of pace from the typical "dark, mysterious, and initally mean" we see all too often in this genre.

Where this book lost me a little bit was in the character traits. I feel like there was a missed opportunity to create conflict by making all the main characters so loose-lipped and trusting. They immediately spill secrets without first forming a bond, and I just couldn't quite buy into it. For example, Sorsha immediately told the prince she was a spy, and Corvus told Sorsha specific details of a coup against the royal family within the first week. I just feel in those kind of precarious situations one doesn't spill secrets without first establishing and cementing trust, and I was missing that.

That being said, the politics of this book were quite enjoyable. The fae/mortal relations and the corrupted magic plotline was probably my favorite part. It's definitely a nice easy read for those who love fae fantasy books!


***Thank you Cidney Mayes and Cranthorpe Millner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***

ARC REVIEW
**🅽︎🅾︎ 🆂︎🅿︎🅾︎🅸︎🅻︎🅴︎🆁︎🆂︎**

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨- (out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
◇📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
◇❤️‍🔥 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲🌶/ 5

●📖#360   𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
●𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁?
2 days
●#dual 𝗣𝗢𝗩
Release date 19 Aug 2025

●𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
👑ℛℴ𝓎𝒶𝓁 ℐ𝓃𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓰𝓊ℯ
😈𝔖𝔢𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔰
🪧Political Intrigue
Low spice



🌍𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
I'm pretty disappointed in this one, I was hoping for much more with this blurb and cover, and it just fell flat for me. The writing was easy to follow. A few words were repeated a lot throughout the story, and the pacing was very slow.

All in all-
It was OK. I wish i didn't start this one as It didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat, but I did want to see what happened in the end.

I found that almost all of the book was in the same setting, that being the pleasure house-which made it dull as there is only so much to work with when your not including spice or well fleshed out side characters. We got a typical jealous popular girl but that just didn't stick with me as we got no backstory or history on this bullying and the fmc just looked past it all which really irked me seeing as her character was all about defending herself and her inner monologue described thoughts of revenge.

I guessed quite a lot of the twists. There was nothing surprising in it or earth-shattering. I hoped for a few twists to arise as the story leaned one way but i was left waiting and waiting and nothing happened. I thought it would be interesting if 'this happened' or 'they got together' or we found out the lightning did xyz... but none of that came to fruition.
It's just a disappointing read sadly


🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This would be good for those wanting a simple, non emotional, easy to follow story. It suits those preferring low spice as there is only 1 s3x scene in the whole book (yes, even though most of the book is based in a pleasure house)




 

***********************

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF

⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but  it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another authors hands

⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish i didn't start this one as It didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetative writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend it.


 SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times

The Starlit Shadow is not your typical romantasy, combining court politics, Fae magic and Bridgerton style masquerade balls together. I loved our female main character Sorsha, a courtesan spy, assigned to gather information from our male main character, Corvus. Corvus gives off shadow-daddy vibes with his feathered wings but is immediately drawn to Sorsha and doesn't shy away from it. It was a great change of pace from recent enemy to lover reads.
As the story continued and Sorsha uncovered more, I found myself drawn in. I felt that the plot twists were well done with the pieces laid out in advance and the ending has my mind spinning, wondering where the series will go next. I am eager to see where Mayes takes the next book!

I almost gave up on this book around 40%. Not because the writing was bad, not because the story was bad either, but because I thought nothing was happening. I was wrong. I was so wrong. Pieces were being laid out and set up to be put together.

Corvus plays the part of a cocky and arrogant male. In reality, he’s soft and tender hearted. He grew into himself and he was as yummy as an alpha male would have been.
Sorsha starts off with a fire she never fans the flame of, but eventually she is blazing.

I am so glad I kept reading because what a book. 5⭐️

Oh my gosh, I just breezed through The Starlit Shadow and I’m still swooning! 🌟 Cidney Mayes has crafted a lush, romantasy debut that feels like ACOTAR meeting Moulin Rouge, brimming with forbidden magic, spicy tension, and unforgettable characters
What I adored:
• Electric chemistry – The tension between Sorsha, the courageous courtesan, and Corvus, the fae noble, crackles off the page. Their push‑pull is addictive, and Mayes does a fabulous job of letting their bond evolve naturally.
•World-building with bite – The House of Night (a decadent locale dripping with secrets and enchantment) and the fae courts feel vividly realized. There’s a strong sense of gothic elegance that really elevates the story.
•Dual POV is on point – Getting inside both Sorsha’s and Corvus’s heads gives the romance more depth, so you totally feel their desires, doubts, and internal struggles.
•Themes that resonate – Mayes explores agency, class divides, and expectations versus self-worth through both characters in a surprisingly tender but powerful way. It’s more than a love story—it’s a story about finding your own power.

Tiny things to polish:
•Pacing wobbles a bit – The opening is gorgeously atmospheric but can feel a touch slow if you’re eager for action. Stick with it, though—the story picks up beautifully once the intrigue kicks in.
•High-stakes setup left me wanting – The looming fae coup is compelling, but I found myself itching for a bit more detail or urgency around the political machinations early on. I’m hoping Book 2 will dive deeper into that!
•Side characters glimpsed briefly – A few supporting figures promise rich subplots (maybe even future spin-offs?), but they’re introduced and then fade quickly—just enough to intrigue, yet not quite enough to satisfy.

All in all, The Starlit Shadow is a delightfully dark and sensual romp through fae politics, magic, and royally intense romance. It dazzles with its lush atmosphere and charismatic leads. If you enjoy wicked bargains, secret courtiers, and swoon‑worthy dual POVs, this one’s a hidden gem worth spinning into your TBR.

Will definitely be keeping an eye out for the rest of the Starlight and Shadows series, Mayes clearly has a world full of tantalizing stories to tell!

OMG! I fell in love with this book. This is the best romantasy book ever that I read. I’m so lucky to read this. I knew this would meet my expectations. I loved the characters and storyline in this book. It’s really so good like if you like fae and romance, this book is for you.