The Fate of Stars: A Fantasy Lesbian Romance (Sea and Stars Book 1) Kindle Edition

It is very refreshing to read non-human struggle and romance work of art. The Fate of Stars is a fierce and ardent enemies to lovers saga, with a beautiful and complex storyline. Cruelty and abuse are not limited to humankind. It is prevalent in the unhuman world as well. One can not help but cheer on the unlikely coupling and hope for the happy ending of a love deferred. This, I aspire to see in book 2 of Sea and Stars. Until next time, Happy Reading

I picked up this book after meeting the author at a book event in early 2020, and it was hard for me to sit down with a book and concentrate on the words for years. So, when I regretfully admit it took me a couple of years to finish, it's not a flaw in the story, but purely my own procrastination.The heartbreak and loneliness portrayed in the beginning of this book really pulled at me, bringing more empathy than I could handle at first. How on earth was Tallora going to ever be happy again? Everything was so grim and hopeless, and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. How would I ever be able to stand Dauriel, the cruel kidnapper who stole the light from an innocent mermaid?How could a happy ending be pulled from so much cruelty without turning into an apology for abuse?Yet, this book brings us to a perfect resolution for this chapter of their lives. It ends exactly how it needed, and deserved, to end.The world building is fantastic and I can't wait to return to see how things unfold further. The pacing is amazing, the characters are fantastic and deliver on all the snark you could ask for.I've got a lot of reading to catch up on, but I can't wait until I can shovel through the rest of my giant TBR list to get to the next book. I'm really looking forward to it!

While trying to save an overboard woman from drowning, Tallora is captured by Dauriel, the Solviran princess and is set to suffer a fate of exploitation. Mermaids are rare and Tallora’s presence in the kingdom causes a lot of buzz. Dauriel meant to impress her mother, the queen, with the rare find, but soon finds herself regretting her actions when it’s time for the tough spirited mermaid to be broken. Set on righting her wrong, Dauriel does everything she can to protect Tallora and eventually wins over her trust. Politics come into play as other kingdoms have their own views on captured mermaids, and Tallora finds herself in the middle of a possible war with no one exactly on her side except Dauriel who must risk her own life to set Tallora free.If you can’t already tell, this is an enemy’s to lovers romance. Despite the rough beginning, I liked these two characters together. Tallora really challenges Dauriel’s perception of things. I think it’s clear that Dauriel is aching for the adventure and glory that was withheld from her for so many years due to illness but she lives in a bubble of her own assumptions: dragons are wicked, mermaids are beasts, and some people are just “lesser.” The best quality about Dauriel is her willingness and ability to change and grow. We see her soften and regain some light back into her life with Tallora’s presence, but we also see actions manifested by this change in perception by the end of the novel. Dauriel’s motive for stealing Tallora from her home is also excused by Tallora (and the reader) once her background is made clear. Anyone with a mother that cold is bound to make a few questionable life choices.Tallora is one tough mermaid. Her ability to endure pain in the face of oppression was so beautifully juxtaposed with her natural sweet and nice disposition. I love these characters that Simper creates who suffer so and are then able to forgive and love.Reading a book set in the same universe as Fallen Gods is an enriching experience. Despite The Fate of Stars being set 1,000 years in the past, there’s a lot to recognize, including one of my favorite characters who we get to see in a different light. With so much history, politics, and theology covered in the series, it was not only fun to follow along, but the text also added an emphasis to future acts that have not yet occurred.I’m thrilled that the next two books in the Sea and Stars series are set to be released this summer. If you like fantasy, mermaids, or the enemies-to-lovers trope then The Fate of Stars is for you

Slow burn. Enemies to lovers. Mermaids. Magic. This was such a beautiful sapphic fantasy romance. I absolutely loved it. There were so many parts of this book that I highlighted because I was in awe of the writing style. Both women were extremely strong leading characters in their own way and the character growth that ensued for both leading characters was so fantastic. The whole concept of this story was brilliant . The fact that one of the love interests was a mermaid was amazing too, I have yet come across many mermaid romances especially ones so well written like this.I can’t wait to read the next one!

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the way the plot flirted back and forth between the dark, but ultimately was a story of redemption and forgiveness and love. The magic is lit, the lore is painstakingly gorgeous, and the characters are very well executed and make the strength of the piece. I am a fast growing fan of the author and cannot wait to read the other works! Waiting on the sequel to this one and it's supposed to arrive today, thank goodness!

"The Fate of Stars" is another solid and engaging tale from Simper. If you're familiar with her "Fallen Gods" series, this takes place in the same world, sharing one notable character (General Khastra), but this is in an all together new corner of that world.I didn't find this as gritty and dark as Simper's other series, but it was no less detailed and complex. One thing that Simper definitely excels at is character driven dramas and I LOVED the characters here.We have two leads, mermaid and Princess Dauriel. It's a hate-to-love romance and, damn, do they earn it. I so enjoyed watching these characters evolve and taking a ride on their journey.The last page does leave us open-ended, though it wraps up the big portion of the first story arc. Luckily, Simper already has two other books in the series completed and released to answer any questions.Definitely enjoyed and recommend. 4.33 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend who also recommended Carmilla and Laura, also by Simper. Where I enjoyed Carmilla and Laura I am absolutely in love with The Fate of Stars.I am not WLW myself but the depictions of the romance between Dauriel and Tallora are beautifully written, their emotions and tensions are so captivated that I constantly felt myself growing emotional along with the characters themselves. I only hope that I can one day find a romance in a similar vein about men as The Fate of Stars has easily become one of my favourite fantasy stories, if not one of my favourite stories.The world building is immaculate, despite the story taking place in Solvira for the majority of the plot, the relationships between kingdoms and information regarding the various races and cultures within the world are fascinating and I appreciate how much space Simper has given herself to expand into.One of my favourite elements is the lore, the belief systems really intrigue me and I look forward to seeing if and how Simper expands on the deities of her universe. The backstories regarding the goddesses Neoma, Staella, and Ilune won me over immediately. The details within the lore truly reflect on Simper's talent for writing and the depths of her creativity.Every character stands out in their own way and are wonderful reflections of their experiences and cultures.This has easily become my favourite "Little Mermaid" concept that I have read so far and I am excited to read the rest of the series the moment I get the chance.

This was an ok read. A mermaid develops Stockholm Syndrome after being captured by a barren princess with awesome sword skills and a mother from hell. Enduring turning into a maiden and being groped by sycophant courtiers to earn her keep, she is eventually rescued only to find herself in a worse situation as she has been torn from the princess and no one believes she must be returned to the ocean. But all is not lost...I did find this quite fun, and some of the emotions playing out with the princess were written well. Although the author does spoil some nice atmospheric writing by dropping in words like ass and butt, they just didn't work for men their context. I liked the humour between the two main characters too, it was quite snarky.This was a quick read, easily got through in a couple of hours or so. If to are after a break and fancy a bit of an escape, this will do the trick.

I was unsure about the love interest at first, she was so cruel, but she grew and made up for her mistakes. I hope to see her continue to show kindness to people in the next book. I ended up really enjoying this book.

Amazing story, bit of a sad ending in my opinion, if you're into that then read it but if not then I suggest that you should still read it!

A lovely fleshed out romance with compelling characters and set in an interesting well crafted world.Will be awaiting the next part eagerly.I'm now off to read through all your other books while I wait. (^_^)