The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster – Review

Published: November 1, 2018

Publisher: Camberion Press

Series: Stariel #1

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 322 (Kindle)

My Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:
The Lord of Stariel is dead. Long live the Lord of Stariel. Whoever that is.

Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they?

Will it be the lord’s eldest son, who he despised?

His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense?

His scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion?

Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta has to do is survive the family drama and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive local men until the Choosing. Then she can leave.

But whoever Stariel chooses will have bigger problems than eccentric relatives to deal with. Winged, beautifully deadly problems. For the first time in centuries, the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm, and only the Lord of Stariel can keep the estate safe.

The Lord of Stariel is the first book in the Stariel quartet, a romantic cozy fantasy series about fae, magical estates, and complicated families.

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The Lord of Stariel is the most darling book I have read in AGES! I loved it so much! It checks all the boxes for me – it has romance, family drama, a delightful magical element, and Fae. This book left me feeling happy at the end and also left me wanting to binge read the rest of the series. I’ve resisted that urge in favor of knocking out some unread ARCs, but my resistance is weakening and I might just have to plop down with a blanket and tea and read three or four books in a row.

The Lord of Stariel follows Hetta, the black sheep daughter of the Valstar family who is returning to Stariel after her father’s death. The estate is magically tied to the family and the Lord of Stariel is chosen by the land itself, so each member must return and participate in the ritual of Choosing. Hetta has made a name for herself in the city as a master illusionist, a profession that her father has always frowned upon, but fortunately despite this, she’s remained close to her older brother and the handsome young butler of Stariel, Wyn. Hetta is quickly beset by family drama upon returning home and perhaps even more surprisingly, a possible suitor in the form of the newly inherited lord next door who she grew up alongside. Not all is family drama though – the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm and they pose a significant danger to the humans there and Hetta and Wyn must find a way to keep them out and restore the previous balance.

Hetta is a delightful main character and I love the romantic tension between her and Wyn. I don’t consider this much of a spoiler because it comes out very early on in the book and it’s pretty slow burn. Though Wyn might be the more tantalizing option, the lord next door could also make a good match… While I might really be here for the romance, I can’t deny enjoying all the family drama as well. The Valstars have a large family and Hetta’s cousin Jack has been obviously favored and trained for the role of Lord since he was young. This creates plenty of tension between Jack and Hetta’s elder brother, Marius, who doesn’t really want the role, but feels like perhaps he should. Despite all this, the land chooses the next Lord and human preferences don’t matter all that much.

I found The Lord of Stariel to be truly delightful in every way. It was heartwarming and put me in a state of cozy happiness that left me wanting to abandon responsibility and read the rest of the series. I highly recommend this, especially if you’re looking for a romance on the sweeter side AND like fae elements in your fantasy.