Jacqueline Carey is back with an amazing adventure not seen since her New York Times bestselling Kushiel’s Legacy series. Lush and sensual, Starless introduces us to an epic world where exiled gods live among us, and a hero whose journey will resonate long after the last page is turned. I was nine years old the first time I tried to kill a man… Destined from birth to serve as protector of the …
Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him.
In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Nothing can compare to Carey’s Kushiel series (in my heart, at least), but I really enjoyed this novel. It’s a highly satisfying standalone epic fantasy, which is a feat unto itself. I’m as impressed as I was entertained.
The world-building in this story is second-to-none, familiar yet exotic, and Khai is a hero for the ages! Carey’s writing is pretty much flawless. I have a huge new author crush right now and can’t wait to dig into her earlier series!.
Another great epic fantasy from Carey!
As a long-time fan of Carey, I was intrigued by the concept of this stand-alone and snagged it right when it came out. While it lacks the world depth and opulence of her high fantasy series, Starless is nevertheless an engrossing page-turner featuring a multi-faceted and hugely badass main character. I did not anticipate the early twist at all, nor the twist at the end for that matter. I am very rarely surprised by fiction, but this one startled me to the point of grinning like an idiot.
The LGBTQ undertones are powerful without being preachy. The world, while limited, feels gritty yet elegant, with awe-inspiring and terrifying gods showing up here and there. Full of magic, action, a dash of romance, and a hint of Carey-esque intrigue, this was a great read cover to cover.
Beautiful story and great world building love the characters
Beginning was great, I was so excited! But by the end it felt like it was limping along somewhat.
It took for a long time to finish this book. I absolutely loved the first part of the book. It was filled with rich worldbuilding and great characters.
And then the middle part bored and the first part of the third book bored me. I enjoyed the journey of the company but then the actual “end” went by to fast.
This was just an excellent combination of things. I definitely picked up on echoes of Kushiel’s Dart that I couldn’t ignore, but this was a totally new world unto itself, and even though I love this as a standalone, I didn’t want it to end.
This fantasy epic in a single volume is at least as engaging as Carey’s Kushiel trilogy. I enjoyed encountering what I saw as probable volume breaks come and go in a flash. Really well-done descriptions of an exceptional universe. Hold on to the volume, as you’ll likely want a re-read or two in years to come.
Carey is a great storyteller and she’s got a great story to tell here that’s not a part of her Kushiel’s Dart world. two thumbs up!!
I wanted so much to be able to give it 5 stars, but unfortunately, there were just times that I felt it was a chore to finish reading this. Not that there isn’t great world-building, interesting characters, or an exciting premise, but somehow it just didn’t all come together for me. But admittedly, part of it is just a personal issue, in that given that the original Kushiel’s Legacy series is my ultimate favorite thing ever – I tend to hold everything else to that standard and it’s a hard act to follow. Obviously I liked it well enough to still give it 4 stars (and really it’s more like a 4.5), which does include well deserved extra bonus points for not taking the easy way out when writing a character with a disability.
I’ve enjoyed everything Carey has written, and Starless is nothing less than excellent. She set out to write an epic fantasy, and I think she has succeeded in spades. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the setting, the pacing the tone…it was heartbreaking and thoroughly enjoyable.