The Stars Are Dying: Special Edition (Nytefall Trilogy, 1)

"Once upon a time there was a war between stars. What started as a beautiful collision turned out to have the most dire consequences for the world" I absolutely loved this first book in a new fantasy series by Chloe C. Peñaranda. This is a tale of truly star-crossed lovers, twined with a journey of stunning revelations and devastating betrayal. Like her previous series, An Heir Comes to Rise, we are given bits and pieces throughout the story, little hints that lead us towards a thrilling end. This book was no different, and I enjoyed every minute of it! We follow Astraea, a young woman who has no memory of her past, only that she was found and kept hidden for the last few years. The world is inhabited by vampires, fae, humans, and celestial gods live and rule beyond the Veil. When she finally breaks free to travel with a friend to the Central city, her friend is brutally murdered and Astraea must take her place in a ruthless game to compete for the safety of her region against the ruthless vampires. Meanwhile, she is followed by a presence that she both trusts and is wary of. Nyte is as helpful as he is confounding, mysterious and familiar, both present and not at all. Astraea find herself drawn to him more and more over the course of the book. He is using her, but is helping to keep her alive through the trials as well. Can she trust herself, while her memories are still fragmented? Or Nyte, who promises to keep her safe but keeps his past hidden from her as well? "We're only just getting started on the impossible, my Starlight." I gave this book 4.5 stars, only because it felt a little slow in the beginning, which is completely understandable as the first book in series. We have to go through a lot of worldbuilding first, and since we follow Astraea, who has very little knowledge of the world due to her lost memories, we are learning a lot along with her. But things pick up and move very quickly towards a thrilling ending that also left me wanting more in this world. I adored Astraea's growth in this book, as she comes to terms with her past and who she is today. And Nyte! Such a wonderfully complex, morally grey character, and I cannot wait to see more from him - definitely new book boyfriend material!

From the first line of the book, I was obsessed. This is the Romantasy book I have been searching for. A weaving plot you're trying to understand, an immersive world, a morally grey MMC who is vulnerable only with her, a high stakes competition that brings intrigue and puzzles; it's all INCREDIBLE! Read this if you're in the mood for... - star crossed love - morally grey MMC - forgotten memories - who did this to you (x4) - betrayal - celestials, vampires and far I can't say enough good things about this book. It's written in such a lyrical way that is beautiful to read but also reflects the celestial nature of the story. The artwork in also gorgeous and adds so much to the moment. I enjoyed the little hints and easter eggs along the way as you try to figure out what happened in the past and watch Astraea struggle to remember. I can't wait to reread this to notice the memories sneaking through when she doesn't realize it (her love of cinnamon has to mean something!!). Here are a few of my favorite things... - the prologue! It captured me completely - how often she called to him but she had no idea she was the one doing it lol - the bonus chapter from Nyte's pov! I hope we get more of that in the next book - the kitty! I had a feeling who she was but it loved that addition - the focus on stars and constellations throughout is such a good fit to the story I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I can't wait for the next one to come out!

I wanted to love this book so much but I just can’t. I originally saw a few videos on tiktok promoting this book months before it came out and I was immediately intrigued. I followed the author and when it was released, I read it. However, I’m not exactly sure what I read. The story itself has good bones, I just feel that it could have been pulled together more. It wasn’t bad, which is why my review is 3/5 stars. The FMC has no memories from past 5 years, yet she also has no desire to find out anything. She is an abuse victim, yes, however the author shows her trying to move into something powerful, but it’s not coming clear as the story progresses. The wording was difficult to comprehend, and at first I thought it was a reader error but after rereading multiple pages over and over again I still found myself confused on what was attempting to be said. I also understand the appeal of keeping a reader hooked by withholding answers but at 50% of the book the 3 questions I had at the beginning were now 70 questions and all unanswered. I also understand the appeal with mysterious MMC but he was so conflicting, one moment he was one person, the next, another, which makes it very hard to want to keep reading because you don’t really feel as if you know the characters at all and if they’re trust worthy which was a little frustrating, not to mention the way he spewed random statements? Astrea would ask a question and he’d shakespeare a reply out. Just be direct dude? The author has also very clearly taken some ideas from other popular books, I won’t name them but it is clear if you have read the series, which is always flattering if they are distantly related but it felt as if it was copied right out of other books. Overall, I understand this is the first book of a series and within a fantasy world, so world building takes time and perhaps the next book will provide some answers and clarity of what this first book even was. This book had potential and I was very excited for it. I waited for months, however after forcing myself to finish in hopes of a big reveal, I find myself disappointed and will more than likely not be continuing this series.

"It was all real, Starlight. Everything we've been through. Everything I feel for you is real. When the dawn comes, please remember that." 4.5 ⭐️!! ✨ Tropes & Themes ✨ ✔️ Star-Crossed Lovers ✔️ Villain Gets the Girl ✔️ Vampires, Fae, Celestials & so much Magic! ✔️ Secrets, Twists, & even more Secrets 🫠 ✔️ Slow Burn goodness 🔥 ✔️ Forbidden Romance ✔️ A total and complete mental SUCKERPUNCHHHH *screams into the void* I’ve seen this book poppin’ OFF on my socials, and so I decided to satisfy that mood reader voice in my head that told me to drop everything and dive in. And I did. And I loved it. This book was so much fun, omg. And listen, I was confused a lot of the time. 🤣 turns out, you’re supposed to be a little confused the entire time. Trust 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 process 👏🏻 We start off by learning about baby girl Astraea, our silver-haired, skittish FMC. She only remembers the last five years of her life, and we don’t know why. She’s hidden away, manipulated and used by he who must not be named. No really, what was his name? (😏🤣) and her only freedom is sneaking out to go visit her best friend, Cassia. The world is dangerous, vampires run amok and pray on humans for more than just their blood. Cassia is planning on competing in the King’s Games to protect her people and keep the vampires away. Astraea plans to come along with her. Spoiler territory, so I’ll start talking vibes in a minute. I thought I was predicting what was happening - but I was wrong, horribly wrong. 🥲🥲🥲 and poor Astraea, she goes through so much. She starts seeing someone, but this person isn’t totally there. He goes by Nyte, and he’s everything we love in our MMCs, but this one is like the true villain. 🤌🏽 He shows up when she needs him, but he isn’t really there - and yes, we do find out why. Just waaaay later. I was very confused and had to read over pages a lot in this book - it could be bc I’m a little dumb, or it could have been the author’s narrative style being sneaky and making us confused so she can drop reveal bombs on us later that ROCKED OUR WORLD. 🤣🤣🤣 Beautiful story, incredible banter, slow burn but with a delicious spicy scene, ugh! I loved this book, I really did. My physical copy is otw now so I can treasure it always until the next book launches. A must read for romantacy readers everywhere!!

As a first-time reader of Chloe C. Peñaranda, I found 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 to have intriguing world-building that drew me in. The universe is rich and imaginative, setting a great foundation for the series. However, as the story progressed, I noticed similarities to other fantasy tales that distracted me from fully immersing myself in the plot. While the story holds promise, there were moments where it felt repetitive and drawn out. Some questions felt unanswered, and the pacing occasionally left me lost. That said, Nyte, one of the central characters, was a highlight for me. His depth and complexity stood out in a story that struggled to develop its protagonist, Astraea, as fully as I’d hoped. The hardcover edition is visually stunning, and the cover art alone makes it a collector's piece. Despite its flaws, I’m intrigued by the series' potential and plan to continue reading. I’m hopeful the next installment will provide more clarity and character growth. If you enjoy fantasy stories with immersive worlds and are willing to overlook some pacing and development issues, this could be a worthwhile read. 𝟛.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤

There are books that you read and then wish you could go back and read again for the first time. This book is one of those! I had so many emotions while reading this book, and it is easily at the top of my list for the best books that I have read this year. I am being held hostage in this world that Chloe C. Peñaranda has created, and cannot wait to start book two. 💜

The author has a interesting writing style that made reading the book a bit difficult. I don't enjoy having to re read sentences to understand them. This was particularly bad in the first 25% of the book. I don't know if my brain adjusted after that or if she toned it down. Another irritating writing style is to reference something and then wait several paragraphs to tell you what it is. This happened pretty often in the book. This is a longer book and the plot was kind of all over the place. There were a lot of scenes where I felt they were completely unnecessary. Perhaps this is setting up for more direct story telling in the second book. Maybe, it can be blamed on the flowery language mentioned earlier but I can't tell you of significance for a lot of the things that happened in the book. It was kind of difficult to relate to a main character who constantly doesn't know who she is as a person (the reader knows who she is going to be revealed to be pretty quickly) pretty much the entire book. She is afraid. She isn't afraid. She is afraid. She loves Nyte. She hates Nyte. She is scared of Nyte. Nyte is a liar. Now she loves him again. But they can never be together. But she doesn't care. Oh wait, now she hates him again. What the author did succeed in creating was an attraction between the male and female leads. What got tiring was the lack of resolve between the two that they can be together. And then in the last chapter it is revealed that she has a second lover from a past life looking for her too. So idk if as a reader I like that her and Nyte are supposed to be so deeply connected and then she also has someone else. Cheating isn't my thing.

“The dark belongs to the stars who can’t shine without out it. It’s where passion burns brightest. It’s peace and it’s company.” ✨ ✨ Astraea has spent the last five years with broken memories, illness, and protection through her captor yet savior Hektor. When Astraea is given the chance to join Cassia on her journey to the King’s Central, she decides to break free from her cage. However, things do not go to plan and Astraea is faced with an unimaginable choice: become a competitor in the Libertatem or run. ✨ ✨ Peñaranda crafted an engaging and complex story with The Stars are Dying. There was a lot going on with the plot which kept the pace moving at a pretty steady pace through most of the story between Astraea’s time with Hektor, reaching Central, competing in the Libertatem, and after. I do wish more time was spent on the trials and riddles. Having to figure out the clues was one of my favorite elements of the entire story. Overall, I do believe some of the plot points became unnecessarily confusing especially some of the scenes early on with Nyte. I was able to figure out what was happening but there were times I had to reread the scene to fully grasp what was happening. I really enjoyed the cast of supporting characters especially Cassia, Zath, Rose, and Davina. I enjoyed Astraea but wish we saw more development from her. Given the issues with her memories, I’m hoping to see a lot more growth from her in the next book. As far as Nyte, I’m still on the fence how I feel about him. Given that he’s written in the morally grey/villain vein, I don’t think that’s wholly unexpected. There are several fan favorite bookish tropes features throughout the story: One horse Who hurt you Touch her and die Memory loss Magic trials Star crossed lovers I reread this via audiobook, and I thought this was the best way to enjoy the story. The audiobook is done via duet narration which is one of my favorite audiobook styles. I also thought Corvin King and Jacci Prior played well of each other with their character narrations. Overall, I enjoyed the story and plan to continue the series. There was enough political intrigue, mystery surrounding Astraea, betrayals, and twists to keep my interest. Rating: 4.5⭐️

4.5⭐️ Humans, vampires, fae and celestial beings at war for centuries. In the midst of it all we have Astrea, our unreliable narrator, who has no recollection of her life except the last 5 years and even those memories are broken. The book starts with her in the holds of her captor, where she longs for freedom. In order to escape she’ll need help, and this is where our MMC comes in, Nyte. Our dark broody shadow daddy who is either morally grey or a literal villain. Together with the help of Nyte and her friend Cassia, Astrea escapes her hold and goes of on a dangerous adventure to Central where Cassia is set to compete in trials to gain favour for her kingdom from the tyrant king. When tragedy strikes along the journey Astrea must decide where her strongest desires lie. You’ve got forbidden romance, forbidden communication, who did this to you?? In all honesty the first quarter of the book was rough. Super slow and really had no interest in continuing. But I am so glad I did! Phenomenal plot twists, tension, betrayals, so freaking worth it! And the cliffhanger has me foaming at the mouth for the second book!

5/5 story-wise 4/5 spicy tension 100/5 for the world-building & writing ----------------- I love a good fantasy with a heartbreaking love story, high stakes, and a magical realm full of vampires, celestials, and fae. This read has been exquisite. From the very first pages I was captivated with <b>Astraea</b>. Her being physically and mentally suppressed and oppressed, made me root for her and waiting for that moment where she will finally free herself. Her story is intertwined with <b>Nyte</b>. I still do not know what he really is but he is important to Astraea and vice versa: "Nyte was a wicked sin." I think it is obvious these two have a connection, so I do not think I am spoiling anything by saying that their tension, banter, and all their collisions are delicious! Chef's kiss. When it comes to their relationship, even until the very last chapters where a lot of secrets will be revealed, it is not clear where they stand. Maybe it is just me trying to look for higher meaning, but I think those moments really visualize the war within Astraea and her still fighting for trust and self-confidence. Next to Nyte and Astraea, there are two other characters I hope get their own story or at least more screentime: <b>Zatharian & Rosalind aka Thorns</b>. Zath is Astraea's guard who has a strong alliance to her. He will do whatever it takes to save her, just as Nyte does. But, at some point, when the twisted games start and Astraea becomes a part of it, Rosalind is introduced. Astraea is the only one not having a mentor or a guard. So Astraea assigns Zath to help her out. He starts to call her "Thorns" because of her spiky and violent behavior. And so they go around bickering. It is absolutely funny to have their side-lines. <b>So, I hope they get their enemies-to-lovers moment.</b>. Other than that, I loved how layered these characters are. There is so much depth to the whole story and so many unanswered questions that I cannot wait for The Night is Defying to release <3 TL;DR - Betrayal - High stakes - Who-did-this-to-you by both MMC & FMC - High fantasy - Blood lust - Vampires -Fae - Fae-vampires? - Dumb humans in between :D -Psychological torture - Enemies to lovers - Lovers to enemies - Mysterious, dark-haired villain - Deals with villains - Curses - Bonds & tethers - Spicy fantasy

This book was just absolute perfection. It's been a few weeks and I still can't quite put into words how I feel. The aesthetics of this book (stars, moon, celestials imagery) is absolutely my jam and these elements only increased my enjoyment of reading this book. The world is vast and filled with Fae, humans with magic, vampires and Celestials and it makes for a very interesting and immersive world. The book delves into some of the history but I feel like we have only touched the surface and more will be revealed in books to come. The story is told in one POV with Astraea as the female main character. I found her to be a fantastic character and though she has been through hardship she is able to use that to come out stronger, with grit and determination. Nyte....just stole my heart. The villain, the morally grey, who you know has so much more to him than meet the eye. He is just one of my faves. I lived for the interactions between Nyte and Astraea. It's a really slow burn and they have an intense relationship but so swoon worthy and heart wrenching. I really loved the side characters and I felt they added to the story and character development. You feel the heartbreak, the love and the friendship between the characters is so important. Chloe is such a master at leaving those little Easter eggs from the An Heir Comes to Rise series and I read this book slower so I could see if I could find the ones scattered throughout the book. It brought me so much joy when I found them and made me feel more emotional then I expected. The writing is just beautiful but I have become accustomed to Chloe's mesmerising writing. If you love star crossed lovers, immersive world building, villain gets the girl, dark vs light, you need to pick this one up.

I can’t wait to read more of these series. I want to know how it goes further there is a good storyline the book has a slow intro but once your in there it gets better.

"Think of me and I will answer. Long for me, and I’m right here with you." This book has been on my mind constantly since I finished it last night. I am still stunned and unsure of how to process what I've just read, but what I have processed is that The Stars Are Dying is Chloe's best book yet. I have loved and supported Chloe's books since An Heir Comes to Rise came out and I have been in love with her writing ever since. But The Stars are Dying is something else. It's so beautiful and captivating; it certainly keeps you on your toes and there are so many little quotes that are now just living in my mind rent-free now. TSAD is nothing short of a masterpiece. In The Stars Are Dying, we follow our FMC Astraea, who is very isolated and sheltered with only 5 years worth of memories. She struggles with who she can really trust with everyone around her having their own hidden motives that concern her. Astraea is a little out of touch with the world around her due to this, but when it comes to it, she can hold her own in most situations and hold her own against our morally grey MMC, Ntye. TSAD is a a long journey for her, one where she has a lot of experiences along the way from finding who she can trust, love, horrific losses, betrayals, heartbreaks to near-death experiences. all just to find out who she really is and why people treat her as they do, and all these experiences just make her so much stronger. "The brightest star needs the darkest night." The characters... damn these characters... I fell in love with a lot of them instantly, and it's all down to the character building, their interactions, and the banter. The sisterly love, the flirting, the back and forth, and the cute bickering “There’s a whole world before you, Starlight.” Nyte, sir, You can have my soul, and I mean it, just take it. Every time he just magically appeared, I'd be smiling. From the cute little nickname to the slow-burn romance, Nyte was such a fun character to read. You never knew where he stood, but you always knew he would keep Astraea safe no matter what... Even if he does have a ton of red flags, he certainly leaves an impression... Our beautiful star girl, Astraea, you can have a thousand hugs. Astraea is such a strong and fascinating MC, and with everything that happens to her in the first part of the book, it reminds me a lot of other strong FMC like Auren and Poppy, in the sense of what they went through to get to where they are. I cannot wait to see how much more her character grows in book 2 and to see more of her magic. Aside from the whole Nyte and Astraea relationship, I think seeing Astraea's character grow more is what I am most excited for. 🌟 TSAD is an amazing book and certainly a 5 star read. I laughed, I made little excited noises, I may have screamed a little, and I most certainly cried (thank you, Chole, for that, I now can't think of a certain 2 words without getting emotional), but I also have a lot of questions. I'm still stunned. The last 30% was all go go go, so many twists, so many surprises. There are so many details scattered throughout this book that come back so much later and also tie this book to her AHCTR series. I am so very excited for book 2. "If we’re lost or apart, we’ll look up and know we’re mapping the same stars. And should death part us, we’ll know the other made it to the skies when the star that shines the brightest gives three blinks." 😭😭😭😭😭 This book was kindly gifted to me to be a part of a book tour