Of Starlight and Midnight

by Amy Kuivalainen

Of Starlight and Midnight combines adventure, romance, magic, and Norse myth and shows that some Fates are worth fighting for, especially when the Norns get involved. It's been two years since light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren fought beside Anya in Russia. The Álfr mountain city of Svetilo is safe once more, but their books and relics are still scattered on the supernatural black market. When Aramis gets a lead on a book of magic, he and Søren decide to investigate and find more than they bargained for. Librarian Asta is still grieving over the death of her mother. All she wants to do is hide at the University of Oslo, unravel the mysteries of the strange book she inherited, and hang out with Tyra-the cool Norwegian cousin she never knew she had. The last thing she wants is to help arrogant Dr. Søren Madsen work on his book, no matter how good-looking he is, but she doesn't want to get fired so she reluctantly agrees. Søren knows Asta is hiding something and when they are attacked by dark elves, he and Aramis will stop at nothing to learn the truth about the two mysterious women. But Tyra has a past of her own, and she'll do anything to protect Asta's secrets, even if it means siding with the dangerous light-elf brothers in a deadly war of dark and light.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

226 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

Amy is a best-selling author of fantasy, paranormal, and romance novels. After realizing she wasn't fit for academia, she channelled her passion for ancient history, magic, and mythology into her storytelling. With Amy's books, you can always expect adventure, mystery, and sizzling romance.

For those wondering, her Finnish surname is pronounced 'Quiver-lay-nen.'

Reviews

[Cáit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Starlight and Midnight by Amy Kuivalainen
Book 1 - Spin off
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️(two full on detailed spice scenes)
Folklore, Fantasy Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy
Multi POV

➳ Norse Mythology
➳ Who did this to you?
➳ Magic
➳ Found family

✨ “Everyone is broken in their own way. I know I am. If you can deal with my broken edges, then I can deal with yours. Just stop letting your broken edges cut you, because sooner or later, they are going to start cutting me too.“ ✨
Of Starlight and Midnight weaves an enchanting tale that seamlessly blends adventure, romance, magic, and Norse mythology into a captivating narrative. This book took me on a journey where the boundaries between reality and the fantasy blur, and where the intricate threads of fate are intricately woven by the Norns themselves.

📚📚📚
Detailed Review:

Amidst this magical tapestry, we meet Asta, a grieving librarian at the University of Oslo, who is haunted by the recent loss of her mother. Asta’s feisty long lost cousin turned roommate Tyra, knows more than she’s letting on, and will stop at nothing to protect her.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when she inherits a mysterious book, setting her on a path of discovery. Reluctantly, she becomes entangled with the enigmatic Søren Madsen, who is determined to unlock the secrets of their shared quest.

As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that each character harbours their own secrets, and the line between allies and adversaries blurs. Dark elves, hidden agendas, and a deadly war of light and dark emerge as the story's stakes heighten.

"Of Starlight and Midnight" is a must-read for those who crave a blend of enchantment, mystery, and a touch of romance. It offers a thrilling adventure through a world where fate is both a guiding force and a formidable adversary, and where the bonds of friendship and love are tested in the face of unimaginable challenges.

💖
LIKES:
⋆ Amy Kuivalainen demonstrates her mastery in the art of “showing and not telling” by allowing readers to immerse themselves in a world where the magical elements are portrayed with a blend of realism and logical coherence.
⋆ The worldbuilding was a captivating blend of aesthetics and authenticity, while the integration of Norse mythology seamlessly infused the very essence of the story.
⋆ The interplay of characters, their evolving relationships, and the web of secrets they protect made for a compelling and suspenseful narrative.
⋆ The author's storytelling and rich character development create a world that is both immersive and emotionally resonant.

❤️‍🩹
DISLIKES:
⋆ I would have enjoyed delving deeper into the lingering effects of Tyra's trauma. Though I believe this may be touched upon in future books.
⋆ I find myself wishing the book was longer, or that I could read the next one!

**Fantasy Scoring**
Worldbuilding ➷ 5/5
Foreshadowing ➷ 4/5
Plot ➷ 4/5
Relationships ➷ 5/5

Thank you to the Amy Kuivalainen, BHC Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

[MoonChild · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley the Publisher, of BHC Press, and the author Amy Kuivalainen for providing and allowing me to review this book. Which, I'm giving my honest and sincere review.

"Of Starlight and Midnight" by Amy Kuivalainen swept me away on an exhilarating journey filled with adventure, romance, and magic. From the moment I dove into the pages, I was entranced by the seamless blend of Norse mythology and thrilling storytelling.

The story picks up two years after the events in Russia, where light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren, alongside their ally Anya, fought to restore peace to the Álfr mountain city of Svetilo. Yet, despite the city's safety, the remnants of their past adventures still linger in the form of scattered books and relics on the supernatural black market.
When Aramis stumbles upon a lead regarding a mysterious book of magic, he and Søren embark on a new quest that leads them into the heart of danger. Meanwhile, librarian Asta finds herself drawn into their world of secrets and intrigue, grappling with her own grief and the mysteries surrounding her inheritance.

As Asta reluctantly teams up with the enigmatic Dr. Søren Madsen, their journey takes a treacherous turn when they are attacked by dark elves. With danger lurking at every turn, alliances are tested, secrets unravel, and the true power of friendship and love is put to the test.

"Of Starlight and Midnight" is a mesmerizing tale that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Amy Kuivalainen's rich storytelling and vivid world-building transported me to a realm where myth and magic collide, and the fate of worlds hangs in the balance. With its compelling characters and pulse-pounding action, this book is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure.

[Miss Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book for an honest review.

It was an interesting read. I liked that the author used a lot of description to keep me interested. I did personally not enjoy the excessive use of dialogue. But that's a personal preference and shouldn't hinder other readers from engaging with Asta and Soren through their epic endeavours.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Starlight And Midnight is a multiple pov fantasy book filled with adventure, romance magic and norse mythology.

The book follows a grieving Liberian Asta who lost her mum and her newly found cousin Tyra who will do anything to protect her. Asta goes on adventure where she founds out about her mums hidden past and how that will now change her life forever.
Due to a heirloom Asta mum leaves behind she meets two mysterious men Soren and Aramis who are hunting down objects that were stolen from them, the heirloom being one of them.
The four of them test new friendships, romances and adventures in this amazing book.

This book had me hooked from the first word. I struggled to put it down and there was never a moment I was bored. The norse mythology had me trapped and the characters had so much chemistry that I could feel it rolling of the pages. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I definitely recommend for all fantasy lovers. It also hits all the right tropes that get you giggling and rolling around your bed.
The only downside is the book was too short and now I have to wait for the next book. I guess the only way to fill this void is to read the authors other books. This book is a spin of from one of her other series which I didn't find out until the end so I will definitely be getting on that.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me to opportunity to read this book for a honest opinion.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Starlight And Midnight is a multiple pov fantasy book filled with adventure, romance magic and norse mythology.

The book follows a grieving Liberian Asta who lost her mum and her newly found cousin Tyra who will do anything to protect her. Asta goes on adventure where she founds out about her mums hidden past and how that will now change her life forever.
Due to a heirloom Asta mum leaves behind she meets two mysterious men Soren and Aramis who are hunting down objects that were stolen from them, the heirloom being one of them.
The four of them test new friendships, romances and adventures in this amazing book.

This book had me hooked from the first word. I struggled to put it down and there was never a moment I was bored. The norse mythology had me trapped and the characters had so much chemistry that I could feel it rolling of the pages. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I definitely recommend for all fantasy lovers. It also hits all the right tropes that get you giggling and rolling around your bed.
The only downside is the book was too short and now I have to wait for the next book. I guess the only way to fill this void is to read the authors other books. This book is a spin of from one of her other series which I didn't find out until the end so I will definitely be getting on that.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me to opportunity to read this book for a honest opinion.

[Rosie ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️- 2 stars…

Huge thanks to net galley for this book.
I am truly sorry for never writing a review even though I stopped reading this around 70% in and its now in my DNF shelf.

I started reading this the second I got approved because everything sounded so delightful and promising, also the beautiful cover was what brought my attention to this book.

Except it wasn’t any of that, some mythology with poor writing and A LOT OF UNNECESSARY SMUT. Which threw me off because as a fantasy reader I was thrown back to see a work that the plot is less important than characters keepings their hand to themselves.

Honestly, a failed promise.

[clems.library]

DNF @ 30%

i cannot deal with the tiny fmc x physically giant love interest who is weirdly obsessed with her within a week …

[Sigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and fun read, and filled with lots of magic and banter, this book was pretty enjoyable. I loved the Norse mythology elements, and the characters were all likable and had good chemistry. I especially liked Aramis and Tyra’s development. My only gripe with it was how short it was. I wanted to know more about the world, and everything felt very rushed. A lot of the world building and story set up was given to us in the form of the characters talking about it, which felt like an info dump. I would have preferred to have more scenes with more “show, don’t tell” vibes. I feel like this book would have been so much better if it had more depth and took its time, but I still really enjoyed it.

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is, unfortunately, one of those books I failed to connect with. I think that, even though it can be read as a standalone, the story is hard to follow for someone who hasn't read the series it stems from. The story itself is quite interesting and I loved the writing style, but as I said, I just couldn't connect with the characters as much as I would've liked.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! The flirty fun and banter between Tyra and Aramis made this book absolutey one of my instant all time favorites.

Of Starlight and Midnight is in the same world as Kuivalainen's Tales of the Firebird series, and takes place a few years later. Unlike The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter, I don't think you necessarily have to read the original series to read Starlight, although it helps. Starlight follows light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren (a favorite of mine in the Firebird series), now reconnected and searching for artifacts stolen from their magical site of Svetilo. They've tracked one to Oslo and librarian Asta seems to hold the key to finding it. Asta is greiving for her mother and would rather spend time figuring out her own life and her mother's secrets than helping arrogant Søren- but a magical attack by dark elves throws everyone's plans into chaos.

Asta is kind of the stock character in some ways: she has magic and sercrets surrounding her, but she doesn't know it. I liked her because she stood up to Søren and his arrogant attitude from the beginning and completely knocked him off his game. He didn't know what he was doing when it came to Asta and it was fun watching this complete badass from the Firebird series be a confused wreck, and a total sweet guy with Asta as he helps her sort out her life once he's accidentally blown it up.

But it was Tyra who really stole the show for me. Asta's long-lost 'cousin', she is a dark elf. And just like Aramis and Søren are protectors of their people, Tyra is a next level protector. She's more likely to be saving Aramis than need saving, is as lethal with her sarcasm as her blades, and obsessed with modern Marvel and Lord of the Rings movies. Possibly for all the things they got wrong about the mythologies, but she still loves them. Like Søren and Aramis, Tyra has a dark past and plenty of broken pieces to her. But she rarely allows her past to control her present mood and to say she's perfect for lightening up the brothers is an understatement. She literally runs rings around Aramis, yet he's just what she needs in her own moments of doubt.

I wish the book had been longer, and the ending was a bit rushed. But to me the story was really about the four main characters and their growth, their journey to discovering how their broken peices could fit together and how they didn't have to be perfect themselves to be perfect for someone else. Learning to trust someone and lean on them when they needed to, and giving Søren and Aramis the happiness they deserved, made a great story for me. I have to say I enjoyed it more than The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter. This was a fun, light-hearted, fantasy with entertaining characters. Tyra alone made this one that kept me smiling all the way.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and BHC Press in exchange for an honest review

[Ariane Bilodeau (bibi.reads.writes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

« I’ve seen enough forges in my life to know when one is being smothered. All it would take is one hard blow of air, and you would burn and burn and burn. »

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.

I would have given this a 3.5 rating if I could. I liked it well enough, but it sort of felt like reading a fan fiction because of the romance vs. plot development balance. Perhaps I would have appreciated it more if I had read other books from the broader universe Kuivalainen has developed? I think it should be clearer that this is a spin-off / standalone novella written as a complement to a series.

Plot:
Light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren are searching for books and relics that are scattered on the black market. Following a lead on a book of magic, Søren meets Asta, a tiny librarian with sass for days and fire in her heart—and immediately knows she is hiding something. Soon after, they are attacked by dark elves, and Asta’s (badass) cousin Tyra must team up with Aramis and Søren to protect her while trying to learn the truth about the mysterious books and Asta herself.

The romance vs. plot development were not balanced, with too much emphasis on romance. I mean, why create such a nice story and great characters only to focus on their relationships? I wanted to know more about the relationship between the two brothers, see Asta discover her magic and identity, follow Tyra through her healing process. Also, I felt like much of the drama was due to lack of verbal communication between the characters, and the miscommunication trope is among my least favourites in romance. Finally, the ending seemed rushed.

Characters:
I was confused as to who were the FMC and MMC, as it starts strong with Søren and Asta, but then Tyra and Aramis take centre stage—which was a good thing, because I much preferred their characters. I was pretty indifferent when it came to Søren and Asta, initially thought Tyra was “too much” (but ended up LOVING her), and fell in love with Aramis right away. (Picturing him as Lee Pace’s Thranduil probably helped, tee hee!)

The chemistry between the characters was *chef’s kiss*.

However, I think there were wayyy too many mentions of Anya. If this book was meant to be a standalone novel, there shouldn’t be as many references to other characters.

Writing:
There were parts that were magical and evocative, others that felt a little flat.

Bottom line, I feel like this book had strong potential, but it felt rushed and under-edited. However, Kuivalainen’s compelling storytelling, intriguing world-building, and use of Norse mythology elements were great, and they made me curious to read more of her books.

[Lozzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Worldbuilding: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Amy and NetGallery for allowing me to have a copy of this to read in exchange for an honest review! It’s the first book I’ve read on here.

Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ (those spice scenes were mmmmmm spicy 🥵)
Themes: Folklore, dark elves, mythology, action and adventure, chosen family, fantasy
Characters: multiple POVs
Type: fantasy romance/forbidden love /chosen family vibes


Storyline💬:
Asta works as a librarian at the University of Oslo. Caught up in the grief of her mother’s passing she tries to adapt to her new way of life living with her roommate, cousin Tyra, who is a whirlwind of chaos with a happy go lucky personality - no tasked with being the one person who will do anything to protect and keep Asta safe. Asta never stays in one place for long, in fact - this is the longest time she’s lived somewhere without running away.

Her life takes a turn after the inheritance of an unexpected book, which starts to make her ask questions. One day whilst she is working at the library she is approached by a tall, long haired, startlingly handsome man, Søren who enquires about a book he is searching for. Posing as a student, she reluctantly agrees to help him, enticed by his charm and whit - when things take a drastic turn and she becomes involved in secrets and a magical world she never could’ve have imagined.

As the story begins to unravel, each character has their own motivations behind their choices and why they have chosen to hide secrets. Asta discovers there is a lot more to her identity than once thought and she uncovers that there is a secret that her mother has hidden from her all her life. When these secrets begin to unfold, the lines begin to blur between allies and hidden agendas. In the background there is a war brewing, and Aramis, Søren, and Tyra must make choices in order to keep Asta safe….


What I liked ✨💜✨
* I loved the Norse Mythology elements in this, in fact that was what caught my interest from the beginning
* The dynamics between the relationships are great, I did feel that things developed naturally and nothing was forced - I enjoyed the character chemistry 🧪 ❤️
* POWERFUL WOMEN do I need to say more??
* This book DID have me hooked, I genuinely read the first 50 pages last night and read the rest in one sitting today!
* The aesthetics of the world building fleshed out some really good visuals I could completely imagine when reading


💫 What could be improved 💫
* I felt that the final sections of the book were quite rushed which was a shame - I STILL enjoyed it, it felt like there was a large jump towards the end
* from my understanding this is a stand-alone so it would’ve been better to just make the book a little longer? to expand and flesh some other things out - my complaint honestly is I WISH it was longer and in truth this had great potential to become a series
* I do feel we needed to know a little bit more about each characters background, to develop the characters a little further I think this definitely could’ve pushed another 100 pages or so

Additional note:
I did sometimes get the feeling that this was possibly connected to a broader universe that I should already understand? (So I will be delving into the other books to get a more rounded feel of everything)
* I wanted to know MUCH more about the book IN this book felt like we only scratched the surface about it

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

E-ARC received from Edelweiss--thank you!

It's a paranormal romance built on Norse mythology, some other northern mythologies, and a lot of snappy banter. It was fun and easy. It reminded me a lot of Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, with Soren and Aramis (and, implied, plenty of other dokkalfar and liosalfar) as the powerful handsome tall heroes who need love to push back their demons and fight evil. At least Asta and Tyra also get to fight evil, and in a direct, violence-is-in-fact-the-answer kind of way rather than just with the power of love.

Asta and Soren's relationship was very slap-slap-kiss. Actually, add about twelve more slaps. Each of them say more than once that the other drives them crazy, they're continually sniping at each other, they lie to each other and yell about it, and yet when push comes to shove, there are declarations of love. Same with Tyra and Aramis, even more so because Tyra's a millennia-old warrior. It's kind-of explained by the notion that dokkalfar and liosalfar are drawn to each other as opposites always are, but that's still an excuse for a combative relationship. I'm good with Tyra and Aramis, but I'm still not sure if Soren and Asta even like each other. They definitely want to bang, but that's not the same thing. An actual quote--"Despite the questions she had, the way he had killed those people to protect her, and how pissed she was at him...Asta had really wanted to keep Soren." And that doesn't even mention how he was rude to her at their first meeting despite explicitly needing her help, embarrassed her in front of her boss when he went over her head, and got drunk with her and kissed her before stalking off (though he gets some credit for saying "you're drunk, I'm not taking advantage").

For those readers who can't picture anyone without a model, Soren is explicitly stated to look like Loki from the Marvel movies, and Aramis is explicitly stated to look like Thranduil from the Hobbit movies. Lovely mental images, easy shorthand to not have to write descriptions. And Asta is small and curvy and wears cardigans and I can't count how many "sexy librarian" comments are made, and as a former librarian who had to deal with those jokes on a regular basis, I was sick of them from the start.

Like I said, fast and fun. Maybe I'll pick up some others in the series when I need magic and mayhem and sex.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC provided by NetGalley, BHC Press, and Amy Kuivalainen in exchange for an honest, written review.**

I want to start this off by saying that I read this with very few/little expectations. I read The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter and did not like it. I ended up DNF-ing it around 25%, due to the characters not being relatable or likable in my opinion. I also couldn't get into the writing. I wasn’t sure if the writing style/voice was going to be the same, but was hoping it wouldn’t be because the summary sucked me in.

I was pleased that that wasn't the case for this book. I don't know much, if anything, about Norse mythology so I went into the book blind but wasn't too out of the loop. At least it wasn't anything a quick Google search couldn't help with.

Likes:
Easy to read outside of the names of places and people - The narrator's voice didn't make me hate reading the book, which is something that I found was a big issue with TEatDH
Likable characters - I found myself really enjoying the characters in this book, which is a welcome change to the last book I attempted to read by AK. They each had traits that were decently relatable, and the banter between them was pretty entertaining. Conflict resolution felt a bit elementary though.


Dislikes:
No pronunciation guide - I feel like all fantasy books should have these but most don't, so I'm used to it. But it would still be nice because I suck at pronouncing locations and names correctly, and I'd imagine there are others that would appreciate it as well.
Fantasy Insta-love - not a fan of love at first site tropes/tropes adjacent to them. Leaves a lot to be desired.
The book ended kind of abruptly - I feel like it could have been a few chapters longer? I feel like I didn't get the resolution that I wanted while I was reading. I would have been fine with a short epilogue, honestly. The ending just left me with a lot of questions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was able to read it and understand what was happening without having read the book in the Firebird Faerie Tales series. And I think I might read that series now that I read this, I just hope the voice is the same as OSaM.

I will say that I think the climax and ending fell a bit flat, but I didn't expect much in that regard after seeing that the book was under 300 pages. I think a couple of the earlier chapters could have been sacrificed to give them more time to develop connections and add tension towards the end. Especially after they realize that something was going to happen sooner rather than later, I would have liked to see more of what happened/what could have happened during that time. Maybe more training for Asta, I think that would have been cool.

Solid 4/5 read and I'm very appreciative of NetGalley, BHC, and Amy Kuivalainen for giving me the opportunity to read Of Starlight and Midnight ahead of publishing.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of Starlight and Midnight by Amy Kuivalainen ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, BHC press and Amy Kuivalainen for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide an honest, written review.

The story follows light-elf brothers Aramis and Soren as they hunt for lost magical relics, and have a chance meeting with Asta, a young woman with unidentified magical qualities. When dark elves appear and try to capture Asta, Aramis and Soren protect her and decide to help her uncover her mysterious past and how her past is tied into the historical conflict between the light and dark elves.

This is a standalone novel set in the same world as Kuivalainen’s Firebird Faerie Tales series, which I have not read. The story was harder to become immersed into due to expansive histories and frequent references to past characters from the series that I was unfamiliar with. This story will likely be more enjoyable for fans of the Firebird Faerie Tales series as they understand the lore.

The Norse mythology details held my interest but the pacing of this novel was erratic. The beginning was rushed to move the story along which gave Soren and Asta’s relationship an Instalove feel. The middle was paced well and was the best part of the story in my opinion, until the last 40 pages or so which felt like a race to wrap up lose ends before the finish.

Things I enjoyed: the magic! Kuivalainen’s descriptive way of giving each person’s powers unique characteristics was wonderful. I enjoyed the way she explored how magic feels in your body when you use it, and how it feels to interact with another person’s magic. It really helped to visualize the use of magic throughout the story. I also enjoyed the found family vibes, I think it is a testament to Asta’s loyalty that she continued to stand by her friends who had supported her while she discovered the truth about who she really is.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a lot of fun and a very quick read, making it perfect for fans of light romantasy without the need for a lot of world-building. I think that the vibes and the humour are the best things about it - it made me laugh and I enjoyed every page, despite there being some flaws. I'd happily read a sequel to this story as I enjoyed the characters and it was a nice way to unwind after a more in-depth read.

The pacing of the story is very very quick, which is good as you get right into the action. However, sometimes the action happens so quickly that you're left trying to work out what the hell just happened. It also meant that the big finale was a bit ruined as it was squeezed into a chapter and no real explanation for things was given.

While I liked the characters and enjoyed the banter, I found that some of the dialogue was a bit stilted and wasn't how real people talk. The author has a habit of not abbreviating common phrases (say do not instead of don't, for example) and it took me out of it a bit, which is a shame when the rest of the dialogue is fast-moving.

There isn't a whole lot of world-building, which is fine as it's all about the action, but I still got to grips with the world. However, I was left wanting to know more, so I think adding a bit more and making the book slightly longer wouldn't have been a bad thing. At points, I was left feeling like I needed to read an initial book to get into the story and fully understand the characters motivations.

The romance was good if a bit insta-lovey, but I expected that for a short book. Good spice was promised throughout but it was a bit lacking.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would read a sequel. If you're a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon, this book is definitely one for you.

[Trish (Beautiful Chaos Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 🌟
2 🌶️

OHMIGOSH! I love the Firebird Faerie Tales! I had so much fun with the Exorcist and the Demon Hunter, and now Starlight and Midnight are Aramis and Soren from the Firebird series. I did not read the Firebird series, but I know I need to go back because it appears that essential side characters are getting their HEA. And trust me, that is catnip for me. I loved that this was a slow burn but fraught with tension between Asta, Soren, Tyra, and Aramis. I loved the mystery of Asta's heritage, which they were all trying to decipher. I immensely enjoyed Tyra's powers, her attitude, and her t-shirts! I devoured this book, and I want more! Asta and Tyra are dark elves, while Aramis and Soren are light elves. I feel there could be more written about them. But then again, I believed more could be written in the Exorcist and Demon Hunter world, but maybe that is the mark of an excellent standalone. Leave them with a happy ending but still hankering for more.

The book had a nice pace; descriptions were shown, not explained to you, with a lot of burdensome dialogue. I felt that the final battle and ending were rushed, hence my first thought that this would be a duology, but instead, I felt we were rushed to a conclusion. My biggest criticism is the book was moving along at a good pace, and all at once, we hit 90%, and things went into overdrive. Couldn't savor the ending the way I would have liked.

Regardless, Amy Kuivalainen can write more of the faerie tales or do some continuations of the ones she's written--I'm here for them!

Thank you, #NetGalley and #BHCPress, for the Advanced Reader Copy. These opinions are my own.

[Geneva Roa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Amy Kuivalainen and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

Of Starlight and Midnight combines adventure, romance, magic, and Norse myth and shows that some Fates are worth fighting for, especially when the Norns get involved. It's been two years since light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren fought beside Anya in Russia. The Álfr mountain city of Svetilo is safe once more, but their books and relics are still scattered on the supernatural black market. When Aramis gets a lead on a book of magic, he and Søren decide to investigate and find more than they bargained for. Librarian Asta is still grieving over the death of her mother. All she wants to do is hide at the University of Oslo, unravel the mysteries of the strange book she inherited, and hang out with Tyra-the cool Norwegian cousin she never knew she had. The last thing she wants is to help arrogant Dr. Søren Madsen work on his book, no matter how good-looking he is, but she doesn't want to get fired so she reluctantly agrees. Søren knows Asta is hiding something and when they are attacked by dark elves, he and Aramis will stop at nothing to learn the truth about the two mysterious women. But Tyra has a past of her own, and she'll do anything to protect Asta's secrets, even if it means siding with the dangerous light-elf brothers in a deadly war of dark and light.

I thoroughly enjoy reading this. If you like dark elves and mythology, this is a great book to read.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big thanks to NetGalley and BHC Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why is it spicy?

Of Starlight and Midnight by Amy Kuivalainen is a fantasy novel that plays on the idea of fate. It’s been two years since light-elf brothers Aramis and Søren fought beside Anya in Russia. The Álfr mountain city of Svetilo is safe once more, but their books and relics are still scattered on the supernatural black market. When Aramis gets a lead on a book of magic, he and Søren decide to investigate and find more than they bargained for. Librarian Asta is still grieving over the death of her mother. All she wants to do is hide at the University of Oslo, unravel the mysteries of the strange book she inherited, and hang out with Tyra—the cool Norwegian cousin she never knew she had. The last thing she wants is to help arrogant Dr. Søren Madsen work on his book, no matter how good-looking he is, but she doesn’t want to get fired so she reluctantly agrees. Søren knows Asta is hiding something and when they are attacked by dark elves, he and Aramis will stop at nothing to learn the truth about the two mysterious women. But Tyra has a past of her own, and she’ll do anything to protect Asta’s secrets, even if it means siding with the dangerous light-elf brothers in a deadly war of dark and light.

I loved the whole vibes of this book, but I just don't think it was for me....

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set two years after the events of the Firebird trilogy, Soren and Aramis finally get their (not quite finished) happy ending. THIS is the book I've been waiting for since I first started the series. I say "not quite finished" HEA because although the story ends with a HEA, there's a tease for a future story and I am 100% for it!

I don't normally enjoy insta-love/insta-attraction. Soren+Asta and Aramis+Tyra both fall into that category, but I think that the author did an excellent job with it. This story focuses on the two couples almost equally, which is a shift from a lot of romance books I read. The banter/dialogue, the background, and the personality of all four characters are different enough that each point in the story is interesting to follow along with. I didn't feel myself wanting to go back to the other couple's POV because both were good.

I wouldn't recommend reading this book without reading the firebird fairietales first- without the background, I don't see this story hitting the same way. However, it IS a standalone and can be read as such.

Thank you Netgalley and BHC Press for an advanced e-copy of this book. Publication date was March 19th- this book is a wonderful addition to the series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[Rocka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this ARC.
Of Starlight and Midnight is a spin-off story from Amy Kuivalainen’s “The Firebird Faerie Tales”.
Of Starlight and Midnight follows Asta posing as a Librarian working at the University of Oslo. She is in hiding after her mother's sudden passing alongside her overprotective cousin Tyra. The only thing Asta has left of her mother is a book. A book that eventually causes her paths to cross with the arrogant Dr. Søren Madsen, who is there to work on his book, or so he says anyway. Suddenly attacked by Dark Elves, Asta’s world is flipped on its head and it turns out there is a lot more about the world, herself and the very handsome, very arrogant Dr. Søren that she needs to wrap her head around and learn as quickly as possible.

I went in hesitantly with this book, I’d just come off a previous one that I had really struggled with, but I have to say that this one completely flipped everything pulling me out of the beginnings of a reading slump and just consumed me. The story follows four main characters, Asta, Søren, Aramis and Tyra in what at the time really felt like the beginnings of an epic fantasy tale taking heavily from Norse mythology. I later came to learn that this story is a spinoff book from Kuivalainen’s The Firebird Faerie Tales and 5th book in all of that, so I’m definitely going to have to go back at some point and read the others.
The chemistry between all the characters was enjoyable, it was cheeky and flirtatious and it never got tiresome. I do wish the tale had been a smidge longer as I feel that, particularly in the latter half, a lot of information and events were packed into the last few chapters leaving me with questions about context and prior events that I’m going to have to figure out or wait for the next instalment if there is one.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, I just wish there was more of it.

[Tali Nusbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars including 1 entire star for sexy dark elves. This is a solid mass market fantasy romance book. I admit I am a bit weak for the norse and the dark elves, and had a lot of fun with the mythology elements of the story.

This is a standalone novel in a broader universe which I was not familiar with, and there were a lot of references to other characters and plot points that were lost on me. But it works to focus on the two main couples in the story.

The characters are a bit lusty and insta-lovey and mostly defined by their feelings for their respective partners. It did get a bit repetitive, especially with their noticeable lack of verbal communication skills (really, the fact that the partners in each of the couples could not talk directly to each other and needed their brother/cousin to explain their feelings is just silly).

Overall, I recommend for anyone familiar with the series already and/or into dark elves. Either will do. Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Misty · Rating 2 out of 5]

First let me say that I have not read the Firebird Faerie Tales. While I wasn’t completely lost, I don’t think I enjoyed the story as much as I could have.

I was bored by Asta and Soren. I didn’t think that their characters developed throughout the book. The sexy librarian gimmick got old as soon as it was mentioned, as was all the mentions of how short Asta was. These two like to talk about each other, but not to each other.

What I did like was the chemistry between Tyra and Aramis. They should have been the focus of the book.

If you like the insta-love story with a bit of spice, then this will be right up your alley, but not if you want a book with more plot and character development.

This book did make me want to learn more about Norse mythology. The extent of my knowledge was the Thor movies and the New Zealand television show The Almighty Johnsons, which is embarrassing.



Thank you Netgalley and Amy Kuivalainen for allowing me to read the ARC.

[Alli S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received e-book from Library Thing Early Reviewers. Thank you!!

I have not read any other works from this author. Therefore unfamiliar with previous characters, plot points, or explained magic systems.

——————

I LOVED this book! Read on vacation, and any spare minute I was immersed in the world of Asta, Søren, Tyra and Aramis!

What do you get when you mix a librarian, a bartender, and two broody warrior brothers?
A tale of magic, fantasy, and adventure with Norse Mythology woven in!

These two light elves and two dark work together to keep Asta safe from her mom’s crazy ex-husband and unravel the mystery that is Asta’s magic.

Overall fantastic pacing of the adventure, threats, new magic discovery, romance, and found family. The romantic pairings have a great tension leading naturally to two open door spicy scenes (2/5 on personal scale).

[Kerryiscurrentlyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great Novella. The pacing was perfect, the characters believeable and well developed. The slow burn had just the right amount of tension. The only thing that felt a bit lacking was the world building but as this is a Novella in an existing world, I think reading the main trilogy would solve that. This is the only reason I am not giving it 4 stars. It absolutely stands on its own as a great read but I have a feeling that I would have been even more invested in Soren and Aramis if I knew them from the rest of the series.

It reminds me of the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs, you can read and enjoy it but if you have read Mercy Thompson, you can read it and adore it.

I'll definitely be adding The Firebird Faerie Tales to my TBR.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of Starlight and Midnight, a novel, by Amy Kuivalainen. Standalone Novella, elves, Norse myth.

I wish I had known that is was a spinoff/standalone/novella, I would have probably enjoyed it more if I knew about the other characters, from the series. There was more romance and less plot. I do think that this book has potential but things felt very rushed and the story incomplete.

I do think I will try her other books, to understand more about this world/characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and BHC Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Yuliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about my rating for this one. Was this book for me? Absolutely not. Did it do what it set out to do? Absolutely. Would I recommend this to my friends? Probably not...unless a friend told me they wanted to read a novella about strictly-hetero horny elves, and then I would say, "Boy, do I have THE book for you." It was a light, fun. fast-paced romp, and outside of a few personal icks, completely harmless. I have not read the series this book is a spin-off of, but it works as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and BHC Press for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Sarah McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved Tyra and Amaris especially, which is ironic considering that Asta and Soren are supposed to be the leads. There is a lot of world building happening, and while I got confused at a few points I was overall able to follow. The writing is strong, though I think there were some dialogue moments I would have liked to see worked on a bit more. Sometimes the dialogue between Asta and Soren felt really forced, and did not have a clear voice. Tyra and Amaris’ voices were more clear to me.

My biggest problem is that the plot is…not that strong? As much as I loved the story, I didn’t feel a sense of rising tension. There was a lot of dancing around what the actual conflict of the story would be, and it didn’t give us a lot of time to understand Asta’s inner world. Overall I do recommend the story but there is some editing I wish I had happened.

[Ashley | A Pair of Readers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story with humorous characters and a unique storyline. I enjoyed Amy Kuivalainen's Of Starlight and Midnight.

The plot was a fast-paced, multi-POV story, but it was set in a previous world created by Kuivalainen. I think she does a good job of balancing this spin-off story. Amy makes each of the characters unique and their voices are strong. I think that helps to keep the story moving. I loved their dialogue and off-beat humor. It was a nice change from what I had been reading previously.

I hope to get more from these characters in the future.

[Brandi B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot/setting has a similar feel to it as Discovery of Witches. Though the characters personalities remind me of Arne and Layla in the book Elf Shot. Amy does an incredible job with her imagination and making the story feel new and exciting. Many times I read a book that reminds me too much of others and I get bored of the same old stories. This book does NOT feel that way. So happy to have this on Audible and I look forward to seeing more of her work on there in the future!