The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster | Book Review

The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster
Series: Stariel #1
Narrator: Finty Williams
Published by Camberion Press on November 1, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 315
Length: 10 hours and 46 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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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.

I’m trying to continue on with one of my 2024 bookish goals, which is to read more titles off the beaten path and share my feelings on them. I was in the mood for a fun, cozy, low-stakes fantasy that would sweep me away and keep me entertained while I crocheted. The Lord of Stariel was the absolute perfect choice for me! I don’t know that I would have stuck with it had I been reading it instead of listening to it, but the narration is wonderful and I liked the writing style a lot. It was easy to listen and enjoy the relatively simple, if not forgettable story.

This story is very light, with enough world building to place me in the setting but not so much that I had a bunch of information to absorb and keep track of throughout the book. The characters, while all likeable, were not very fleshed out or developed. But that meant I could sort of mindlessly listen without paying attention at all times and not having to worry that I missed anything important. It was very easy for me to pause when I got to a tricky part of my crochet pattern and then press play again 15-20 minutes later without having to go back and remember where I was. It just flowed and delivered a story in a very soft, meandering sort of way.

This review isn’t sounding so good, is it? lol. Why the 4 stars? Well, I tend to rate my reads based on how they make me feel and how entertained I was while reading, more than on a set of pre-determined criteria that don’t actually mean anything. The stakes are very low. The magic is quite simple. There’s no real angst. There’s a very faint mystery that had me intrigued, but not ravenous for answers. The sweet romance is barely there, and only kisses when it is. The atmosphere is very cozy and comforting in the way an old favorite movie playing in the background is. It’s been two months since I read The Lord of Stariel and I don’t remember much. I don’t remember the names of the characters or any huge plot twists, but I don’t care! I feel like I can easily start the next book in the series without worrying about whether or not I’ll remember enough to enjoy it. What I do remember is how warm and happy I felt while listening, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. This is the kind of book you can pick up for a little while, set aside, and come back to easily. It’s a great book for falling asleep at night, not because it’s boring, but because it will relax you and let you go when you need to turn out the light. I will absolutely be continuing the series, and already have book two ready and waiting for the next time I need a cozy little getaway to a magical land.