Stain

by A.G. Howard

"Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins..."

This high-fantasy gothic fairytale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, takes place in an alternative medieval world split apart by magic. To win back her kingdom of perpetual day, save her night prince, and reunite the sun with the moon, a princess incapable of speech or sound must prove herself everything a traditional princess is not: tough enough to sleep on a bed of nails, and loud enough to be heard without a voice.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Magic

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2019

About the author

#1 New York Times and International bestselling Author of gothic / fantasy & paranormal tales, mystical & romantic with a side of horror. A.G.'s dark Alice in Wonderland inspired Splintered series has been published in over a dozen languages.

Young adult, Adult, and literary romance. Repped by Jenny Bent.

How A.G. Howard rates books on GoodReads:

"I only rate or review books I enjoyed reading, and won't give any rating below 4 stars. Please don't consider every high rating a personal endorsement / recommendation from me. My ratings here are subjective to me as an individual.

I don't rate books solely on style. Every writer's voice is individual and unique; I've come to respect this truth during my own personal journey. As long as a story takes me to another place and is well edited, I'm going to give it a good rating. And if, for some reason, a book doesn't entertain me or I don't finish it, I won't leave a rating or review at all.

If you're considering a book I've reviewed/rated, be sure to read other reviews/ratings alongside mine to help you decide if it's a read you might enjoy personally.

Happy book hunting!"

Reviews

[A.G. Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to finally post this title! Two things to know about this book: There's no love triangle, and it's a standalone.

Here's a little insight into the story: Stain, my anti-princess, lives in an alternative medieval world where the moon has been torn from the sky and banished to a wintry night kingdom deep beneath the earth, leaving the sun and kinder seasons to the day kingdom above ground. This has made for an intricately built fantasy world and magic system, requiring more work than any book I've ever written (and a longer deadline). But I'm having SO MUCH FUN with it!

I know 2019 seems far away. I'll make it worth the wait, and of course we'll have reveals and giveaways to pass the time. ;)

Update: 10-2-17:
A glimpse (from my secret pinterest board) at some magical characters and creatures—both beautiful and beastly—you will find upon the pages of Stain's story:



Update: 10-17-17
Today I'm offering another insider's peek into the book! Here's the fairytale playlist that's keeping me company while I write. It's not the official book playlist, but it shares several of the songs: https://open.spotify.com/user/1248785...

Update: 12-5-2017
I'm only chapters away from finishing this book! Wow, it's been a doozy to write; I really challenged myself with this one. Aside from the elaborate world-building, there are four distinctive POV characters I got to know along the way. I can't say that I've fallen in love with them all (there's one in particular who is VERY hard to love), but I understand each one's motivations, and am endlessly fascinated by their interactions throughout the story.

Here's a peek at their faces from my secret pinterest board:



Clockwise, we have the prince, the princess, the harrower witch, and the royal aunt. Not going to say who's good or bad. Maybe they all have shades of gray? *bats lashes* You'll have to read the story to see...

Update: 1-30-2018
Anyone who follows me here knows I never rate my own books. But this story challenged and grew me so much, I made an exception. I'm giving it 5 stars for everything it taught me as a writer and a person. :)

Update: 4-17-18
Working hard on Stain revisions! Wanted to come up for air to share a quote from the beginning (a few words here and there are subject to change during line edits, but this is the gist of it!):



Update: 6-2-18
Check out the gorgeous Stain poster my publisher is giving out at NYC 2018 BookCon! Seven more months to go before my gothic fairy tale hits shelves! I just finished copy edits, so Stain is that much closer to being a real book. Can't wait to hold this one in my hot little hands. ;)



Update: 7-14-18
Here's a look at Stain's galley, the production phase of a book where the word doc manuscript is being formatted to take on its final form. I wanted to share a glimpse of the interior artwork, in answer to the question, "What color will Stain's ink be?"

My phone's flash gave the image a sepia tone, but my publisher actually chose a black/white/grayscale antiquated interior to represent the fairy tale / medieval theme—a starkly beautiful effect that also honors the book’s unpolished and flawed Gothic princess. I’m hoping fellow lovers of dark fairy tales will adore this book aesthetic as much as I do! 🐲🦄👑🖤





Update: 8-28-18
The prologue + gritty gothic fairy tale interior of Stain, as showcased in the limited-edition sampler.

[ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once upon a nightmare, a princess was born in the kingdom of perpetual daylight..."

Stain was one of my most anticipated books: soon as it was available to pre-order I did not hesitate. I was lucky enough that my pre-order came earlier than expected and I'm so glad.
Unlike the majority of fans of the author, I did not know the author for Splintered. I was first introduced to her beautiful gothic romance/new adult novel The Architect of Song. I became a fan because it is very hard to find gothic romances in the new adult category.
As a major fan of Fairytales, I waited anxiously to read Stain. Surely the Princess and the Pea was never a favorite of mine, but Stain is also reminiscent of other tales: there are some similarities with Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast and perhaps even a little bit of Rapunzel.
The influence of certain movies like Labyrinth and Howl's moving castle is also present there. The author delivers us a beautiful retelling, told in whimsical prose much very like an old fairy tale. The first 150 pages are slow, and they work to introduce us to the wonderful world that A.G. Howard built: the magic system, the kingdoms, and characters. After that, the story resumes a good pace and the second half of the book is utterly captivating.
Stain tells us the story of Nerezeth (Night Kingdom) and Eldoria (Day Kingdom). Lyra is the princess of Eldoria and yet she possesses all features of the night folk and Vesper is the prince of Nerezeth and possesses all features of the day folk. There is a curse ongoing like every fairy tale has and our heroine is the key to its end. However, she goes through many trials until the end. Supporting characters include evil aunt and cousins, a pegasus, a sylph, a witch and more.
Vesper is my new book boyfriend:) Of all characters I was fond of all and I would not mind a spin-off or companion novel to this because 500 pages were not enough. I loved the message that it portrays: that we should be proud of our scars and that sometimes family comes in a different way we expected, that inner beauty is really important and that we should not be let ourselves be swayed by prejudice.
In resume, I loved Stain. I loved it so much that after reading the Hardback I just decided I'd pre-order the ebook too so I can re-read it.
Because folks, the hardback edition is so precious with a lovely dust jacket cover and inner cover and thorny designs inside at the beginning of each chapter that made me swoon (and a map!), that now I'll go put it in a safe place in my shelves XD
So, if you enjoy slightly dark (and unexpectedly sweet) fairy tale retellings narrated in a "classic" way and you did not yet add this to your TBR shelf, please do. It's lovely, it's lyrical and I'll be anxiously awaiting for more gothic fantasies like this.

[Jennie Damron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A modern fairytale that is what this beautiful book is. OMG! I loved this book from the beautiful cover to the words inside. It does start off slow, but if you keep with it you will be richly rewarded. A.G Howard said she was inspired by the Princess and the Pea. Believe me when I say this book is it's own story with different characters and beautiful world building. To me it was a completely different tale. Lyra is a wonderful girl who you are allowed to see develop and grow to an amazing young woman. Vesper is a hot headed boy who see grow to maturity and use his hotheadedness in most satisfying ways. I loved this book. I know I will read this book again and most likely love it even more.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow! what a book! thank you to Ashley and everyone else for recommending me this amazing story!

Stain was like a mix of all these different fairytales smooshed together with a bit of Mulan and a dark prophecy thrown in the mix! everything i love. it followed a couple different POV's but mainly the Princess Lyra's story as she darted amongst the shadows of her castle, destined to unite day and night. we watch her grow to become a kind, strong girl, only for it all to be torn from her as she's cast out for dead in the middle of a dark forest by her aunt and regent, while her only friend and youngest cousin takes her place as princess. dramatic, right?

well it doesn't stop there.

from here we properly meet Crony and Luce, the real heroes of this story, and my new fav side characters. Crony was the single greatest person/witch ever, and i will always love her. and Luce... Luce was funny and mischevious and snarky and protective and so, so sweet. i would honestly marry him if i could, i'm not gonna lie. Crony and Luce looked after Lyra after the horror she'd been through, though she didn't remember it, and they also tried to help with the prophecy, teaching her how to negotiate and such. Lyra grew up to be a capable, scarred and beautiful woman - inside and out - who the two grew two love, and vice versa, which i loved. we also met Scorch, the daring and unrestrained pegasus, thought to be extinct but very real (in a way). Scorch became a dear friend to Lyra - now called Stain - and helped her survive in more than one way in the forest, though he wasn't a particularly cuddle pegasus.

eventually the night prince, Vesper, made an appearance in the story, and though he wasn't my favourite character (it's pretty hard to beat Crony) he was definitely an intricate and interesting character, who was well matched to Lyra and a kind person underneath his defiant personality. together Vesper and Lyra made a super cute couple, i was really happy to finish the book with them. there were also some really cute side characters that i liked, a couple of funny allies of Crony, who had their own reasons for helping Lyra regain her crown.

all in all this was a beautifully written and described story with unique characters and some pretty surprising plot twists! great fun and very magical :))

[Brittain *Needs a Nap and a Drink* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddy Read with the ever wonderful Melissa

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was for this book. This is the author that created one of my favorite book boyfriends, Morpheus, and she was promising me another gritty retelling. I was expecting something dark and haunting from this book which, ultimately, I did not get.



This book just fell flat. There was not enough to it to get me interested or keep me invested in the story and that is with a book that is over 300 pages. There were long wordy patches of prose that slowed the whole thing down and it was bulky to read.



The plot line was not all that well developed either. It was all there but it felt like everything was resolved too quickly. The characters did not have the depth of personality that I wanted except for Luce and Scorch and even with those, I wanted more.

I think that is the source of all my frustration with this book. I wanted more from it. More interest. More conflict. More depth. It seems far too shallow to be marketed as something aimed at the YA genre. It would have made a great middle grade book. Everything ends up neatly wrapped up in a bow and as a middle schooler, I probably wouldn't have questioned it.

Also, this book would make a fantastic Tim Burton film. It has the macabre feel to it and he could do a great job with the plot. But here is the thing. If you don't have to cut much out of a book to fit it into a 2 to 3 hour run time, either the book is really short or there isn't much to it.

I think the attitude is there. The visuals are there. But it was rushed in the end and it left me wanting so much more from it.

[Rachel Kathryn Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gothic fantasy retelling of The Princess and the Pea and it was fantastic. I absolutely love that this story was a lot darker than the original. And the plot was intense and thrilling, it had me hooked from the beginning. Also, A. G. Howard’s writing in this was beautiful and very descriptive. The world building was also fantastic, this is a world that I could stay in forever because it’s so interesting. And the characters Lyra/Stain and Vesper were amazing, I loved them so much. And the romance was beautifully done and was so sweet. I also really liked all of the POV’s at first I wasn’t sure but it got better as the story went on.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

It's no secret around my blog that A.G. Howard is one of my absolute favorite authors. I fell in love with the Splintered series in 2014 and have loved everything she has written since. I also adore fairytale retellings! When I heard about Stain, I knew there was a good chance it would be one of my top reads of 2019, and I'm pretty sure I was right.

This haunting story is about Lyra, princess of the kingdom of daylight, and Vesper, prince of the kingdom of night. Each is a misfit in their own land, but are promised to each other in order to bring peace between the kingdoms. Lyra cannot speak, but has the voice of a songbird, and cannot go in the sun without being burned, while Vesper has daylight in his blood. After Lyra's father dies, her aunt schemes to take back the throne and casts Lyra into the Ashen Ravine, the place between the day and night kingdoms, where she's raised with no memory of her true identity.

I loved Lyra so incredibly much! Contrary to what you might think, Lyra is not a character who would feel a pea beneath a pile of mattresses. She is strong and scarred and powerful. This book begins with Lyra's childhood and I loved every minute spent with her, watching her grow into a strong woman willing to do anything to protect those she loved. Then there's Vesper, the handsome, mysterious, swoon-worthy prince of night and Lyra's betrothed. Their romance is extremely slow burn, but oh so worth it in the end! It easily could have fallen into instalove territory, but A.G. Howard did an incredible job of making it work without that terrible trope.

Of course there was a whole host of other fantastic characters. Two of these are Crony and Luce, a witch and wingless, shape-shifting sylph who raised Lyra for most of her childhood in the Ashen Ravine. I enjoyed them both, especially Luce, who had such an interesting backstory and a sly, snarky personality. But my favorite was Scorch, a fiery Pegasus and Lyra's unlikely friend in the Ashen Ravine! Their friendship was possibly one of my all-time favorites. The villainous evil queen and her daughters were delightfully evil - the exact kind that you cannot wait to see meet their demise!

While I absolutely fell in love with the characters, my favorite part of Stain was the world building. This book is long and I can definitely understand why after encountering such an intricate, well-written world. The mythology was thoroughly fleshed out and made everything feel that much more real. I felt like I could picture it all in my head! There were so many different creatures and magical details that all came together in a way that really worked. The kingdom of night was definitely my favorite. I would love to see some fanart of that stunning land of night and ice and thorns.

A.G. Howard really did an incredible job at creating a beautiful, gothic retelling that's an entirely new take on a classic. The writing was lush and felt like a fairytale. There were twists that I never saw coming and, although the beginning is a bit slow while detailing Lyra's childhood, I never became bored. And, like any good fantasy book, this one has a wonderful, detailed map that I'd love to have as a poster!

Stain was everything I was hoping it would be and more! The world and characters were incredible, and very quickly fell in love with the beautiful writing. Although this book does have a nicely wrapped up ending, I would definitely love to see more stories written in this fantasy world! If you're a fan of retellings or YA fantasy in general, you don't want to miss this book!

[Melissa Baez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddy read with my fave Kpop enthusiast Brittain
Me throughout the whole book...

but Stain just wouldn't have it...

I went into this story so excited. I mean Howard was the person able to create Morphous, one of my all time favorite leads. How could I not be happy to dive into this? But man oh man, was I wrong.

First off, I honestly don't believe young adults should be the demographic for this. Seemed more like middle grade. I was sold a beautifully dark and gritty retelling but what I got was a cluttered uninspired mess.
Secondly, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I'm all for prose writing, but when it gets to the point where it's just hard to follow and cringey, well then, maybe you should tone it down a notch? Aside from that, almost every character is insipid and predictable, save Luce, if you really squint your eyes.
And last but not least,

Ellen couldn't have said it better. The same applies to books. With this being over 500 pages, feeling specifically long in all the wrong places. There were so many instances where the scenes or plot points needed to be dragged out but were chosen to be glazed over lacking in depth and other instances where we were stuck with pages and pages of incessantly tedious descriptions. It feels unevenly paced and left the reader wanting more while at the same time needing it to end.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars


Oh my Godddddddd this was so infreakingcredible I want to shout from the rooftops about it. Like knock door to door, "excuse me, sir? ma'am? you absolutely need to read this book. Take my word for it. It's ridiculously good; pinky promise. Just do it."

It should work. I mean, i'm credible AF. But seriously though guys, this gave me the best gothic fairytale vibes EVER. It was SUCH an amazing plot with amazing characters and world building and magicccccc and I CAN'T SHUT UP ABOUT ITTTTTTTTT.

Just read this one, kids.🖤

(Maybe more inclusive RTC ? we'll see.)

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I started this almost a year ago and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to settle down and read this one.

I really liked Lyra and Vesper and their menagerie of friends. There are loads of characters in this story and I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that Scorch was my absolute favorite and he stole every scene he was in.

Plot wise, it was a bit slow going, but there was always something that hooked me in and kept me interested. There are several moving parts here and at times it was overwhelming; however I knew Anita would keep me captivated and she delivered. The writing is lush, the world is imaginative, and I was invested in what happened from the very start.

Overall, it was a story and set up that only Anita could come up with and past Stacee needs to be shoved for not devoting the time to this book.

**Huge thanks to Amulet for providing the arc free of charge**

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the synopsis says, Stain is inspired by the fairytale of Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea, which just happens to be one of my all time favorite classic fairytales. I must've read it more than a hundred times as a child. And Stain did just read like a magical fairytale. This was one of my favorite things about the story. The writing was beautifully lyrical and just took my breath away at times. I also thought it had some Sleeping Beauty vibes. Another one of my favorite fairytales.

Something else what stood out to me was the world building and complexity of the curse and magic. I love magic, curses and a well-built world in high-fantasy books and the way the author wrote all of this was also excellent. I literally have nothing negative to say. I always say no book can be perfect but Stain was very close to it.

The next thing that I loved with this story were the characters. Most book have either great characters or great writing. At least the ones I've read recently and especially in this genre. I could probably go on about the characters because there were so many that I adored. Princess Lyra and Prince Vesper (swoon swoon!) were fantastic main characters. I was getting pretty nervous about them actually ending up together because due to certain events they hadn't actually met yet (I hope this isn't a spoiler) through most of the book but I really enjoyed reading about them both. I also, in a weird way, enjoyed reading about Lyra's evil aunt because she was well-written and so very wicked. Crony, Luce and Scorch were very dear to me as well and I just know they're gonna be other readers' favorites too. You just can't help but like them. I feel like I've been going on about the character so I'll just stop here.

If I had to describe Stain I would say it was in one word: STUNNING. I've loved all of A.G. Howard's previous books, especially the Splintered series but I've got to say I think this is her best work so far, in my opinion. It was just such a wonderful story to read. I loved it so much.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FINALLY LISTENED TO THIS BEAUT!

Stain has a beautiful cover for one. Then after diving into this wonderful retelling, which kind of reminded me of goose girl for a bit? idk why but yeah.. it was good - end of story! The characters in this book were lovable, even if they did bore me to tears during some parts. Throughout the book, twists, turns, and all magical things made this even more interesting to me. I couldn't hit the pause button if I even tried. I was sucked into this world and enjoyed every damn second of it.

Lyra, adorable and sweet Lyra - I loved her. Her friendship with Luc and Scorch were utterly adorable.. and that damn Pegasus was my favorite part. Let's burn some shit buddy! Then enters Vesper, which unique name by the way, and my heart was overjoyed.

Speaking of twist and turns.. it was interesting to see how everything was going to play out. Whether it was pretending to be someone you aren't.. or finally finding out who you really are. It was so freaking good and I kind of wish this was a series instead of a standalone. I miss all the characters already and I can't wait to re-read this.. or even dive into another one of Howard's books.

Ahh, so freaking good!

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book pitched itself as any retelling other than the Princess and the Pea, I would have given up after chapter 1.
Unfortunately, it did pitch itself as Princess and the Pea and I pushed myself through all 512 pages in a desperate hope that it would live up to the original story.
It did not.
Instead it gave me a bizarre, Tim Burton-wannabe world lacking coherent structure, likeable characters, or readable prose.
I can't imagine how this book has an average 4.11 rating, unless most readers just quit while they're ahead. Probably when the heroine's eyelashes are described as so long they tangle with her hair. Because that isn't creepy.
But that's just the beginning for poor Princess Lyra. Besides a serious sun-allergy, the girl can't speak. She can only sing like a bird. Until she can't. And she's forced to live in darkness...until she doesn't? But at least she has happy memories with her loving father the king...until those get taken from her too.
But she doesn't mind because now she dresses like a boy and has a telepathic connection with a Pegasus and lives with a crone named Crony. Who took her memories because Reasons. (Oh, don't worry, you'll learn those reasons. Eventually. But not until you cease caring and just want it to end.)
Meanwhile, Lyra's one true love lives as a prince in darkness and bleeds liquid light and cares for wild hoses or something.
The problem is....all that still sounds marginally interesting but it is not because this book is bloated with overly flowery descriptions and extraneous prose. Besides Lyra and the prince, a whole bunch of other characters ranging from the evil aunt to the crone to a fox get narratives and character arcs. And just when you think things are wrapping up, the story jumps to another arc. But none of it fits neatly into the book's structure. Moments that hit a deep, emotional beat are tucked between side quests for other characters.
And worst of all, besides a general 'prove you're the princess,' this book has nothing in common with the Princess and the Pea.
My point with all this is that if you're reading it for the fairy tale retelling, bail. Bail now. Bail before you too waste hours of your life.
But if you're reading this because you like overly wordy stories with inconsistent worldbuilding and intense darkness that wants to be horror but mostly is just gross...I guess go for it. But if you're bored, bail. It doesn't get better.

Pre-Review
PRINCESS AND THE PEA.
How come I am only now hearing of this?!

[Michaela (Journey into Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another novel that I can't believe I didn't pick up sooner as it is such a magical read.

I fall more in love with A.G. Howard's writing with every book I read of hers. It is so beautiful and whimsical and she does such an amazing job of bring her stories to life. It also reads so much like the faerie tales I use to read when I was younger. The world she creates in this novel is so beautiful and magical and I love the dark and gothic undertones throughout. If I were to describe my aesthetic to anyone it would be this book.
The plot is such an interesting take on the original Princess and the Pea story. The plot can be slow at times especially at the beginning which works really well for this novel as it us time to be introduced to the world, the characters and the magic. And despite this slower pace the book will still have you captivated from the beginning.
The characters in this are also amazing and I love that you get moany POVs as this really helps you to understand the reasons behind their actions and their intentions. They also teach us that our that our choices are our own and that we much be prepared to accept the consequences of them
The overall all message of this is of hope, found family and that we are so much more than our scars.

Overall, I was swept away by this story and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Trigger warnings for: violence, abuse

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 Stars.

I've never in my life heard or came across of a Princess and the Pea retelling (and if you ask me I think it's an underrated fairy tale) so naturally the premise of this book made me curious enough to pick up this book, plus before this I never read an A.G. Howard book before, so the chances for me to look forward to the book increased.

Stain was such a beautiful but lose retelling with a beautiful storytelling, romance, world building and writing. Whilst listening to the audiobook (and having the paperback in my hands, of course) I felt like I was a child again and watching those Russian fairytale cartoons (don't ask me why I used to watch the Russian ones lol)

Lovers of fairy tales will without a doubt love this book, as well. So, go and read this guys!!!

[Darque Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stain is hauntingly enchanting. It’s an epic tale with a perfect blend of whimsy, darkness, and “faerie tale happiness.” Vividly beautiful, with a nice sprinkle of Grimm horror, this one is sure to ensorcell you!

I absolutely loved Stain. It had so many rich details, and world building for ages! It felt like it had hints of Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty with a sprinkle of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Stardust. It also shined with inspiration from The Princess and the Pea, but it sparkled with its own originality and depth.

This tale was everything I hoped it would be, and so much more. It was a fully realized faerie tale with bits of Gothicism, and plenty of moral lessons to provoke the mind. It spoke to me on the importance of inner beauty, friendship, sacrifice, and showing kindness in place of prejudice. It even brought to mind a very important quote from one of my favorite songs, “With glowing pride I’ll wear my scars.” (Malleus Maleficarum by AFI).

Stain was about struggle and strength. It was about true love and doing what’s right, and it was about truly getting to know someone beyond their appearance. But, it was also about struggling kingdoms, magical creatures, and prophecies. It was exciting, dark, and beautiful, and it was about the vivaciously dynamic characters and how they touched each other’s lives.

These characters were incredible. From odd little Lyra who defied all odds and found her inner strength and beauty, to terrifying Crony who proved that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, to the alluring trickster Luce who symbolized the importance of a conscience and redemption, to Scorch who symbolized friendship and the importance of truly getting to know and love someone, and Vesper who symbolized bravery and honor. And, let’s not forget our evil aunt Griselda and her horrid daughters, whom added a horrifying layer of strife, struggle, and wickedness.

Stain was hands down the best faerie tale I have ever read. I finished it in one sitting and dreamed about it that night. The world and story came to life right off the pages. Everything was so rich and vivid, and the characters touched my heart and sparked deep emotion and thought while I was reading. I loved everything about the book and Howard’s beautiful writing. If you haven’t ordered this book yet, you need to!

Thank you to Abrams/Amulet Books for providing me with this free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Rizza✧˖° · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 Stars



This story is about a princess with starlit features born in a kingdom wreath in sunlight wherein the sun does not interchange with the moon. The moon, however, is in another kingdom, a kingdom where the sun does not shine all throughout. And within that kingdom, a prince, who has the opposite features a night dweller have, resides with his royal family. And to break the curse that befell these two kingdoms, a curse that gives one kingdom eternal sunlight while the other is bathe in eternal night, the nightly princess and the sunlit prince must get together to bring harmony to both kingdoms again.

Don't get any ideas that this is all that there is to this story. There's more than just a love story between the prince and the princess. This is also a story about a harrower witch who made a grave mistake, a sylphin ethereal fox who lost his wings, an aunt whose lost her conscience within a ravine, a cousin whose love transcends guilt.

This is such a good read for me. I love most of the characters. Princess Lyra, Prince Vesper, then there's Luce and Crony. My beloved characters of them all. Luce became my most beloved character in this story, not only because of this charm, but also because of his character development. He was once a selfish creature who changed, with the help of a witch and her ward, to become a more generous and considerate sylphin fox. There's also Crony, the harrower witch. With her comes the idea that looks can be deceiving. She may look the part of a wicked witch but what dwells inside is a woman who can love whole heartedly.

There's also this one song in my head which perfectly describes the story of Lyra and Vesper. It's Sun and Moon by Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman in the Miss Saigon stage play. It goes like this:

You are sunlight and I moon
Joined by the gods of fortune
Midnight and high noon
Sharing the sky
We have been blessed, you and I.

This book is perfect for those who, like me, loves fairytale genres. If you haven't read this book yet then you better read it now. It's worth your time, I promise.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐

I needed a five+ star read y'all!

This is a beautiful blend of fairytales you know and love with hints of Cinderella, Little Mermaid and obviously the Princess and the Pea but never in the way that you'd think.

It's beautiful and brutal and triumphant and bitter sweet. Howard crafts magic with those hands of hers.

I loved the whole idea of it. That a princess, rough, and scarred was still perfectly beautiful and more perfect for the prince in being so.

The only thing that was a little rough is when it would switch to follow other characters and I was no, wait I need the prince and princess scenes so I did get a little impatient but man, so worth it.

I don't know how to put it all into words. It just was amazing.

[Amy Imogene Reads]

Put on indefinite pause at the 53% mark. This is not a bad story at all, just picked it up at the wrong time and then too much time passed to continue on without restarting.

[Bianca Escada (planningwithlove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more than 5 stars! This books is everything!

1st Star ⭐️ First, a high-fantasy gothic fairytale retelling STANDALONE! Need I say more? This books has everything.

2nd Star ⭐️ What would have taken many talented authors 2-3 books to write, AG Howard has everything in one book! A princess, a prince, a heroine, a hero, a villain, villain counterparts, a witch, a fox, a mother, a father, goblins, creatures, mythical beings, mythical creatures, etc! An incredible storyline, amazing plot twists....

3rd Star ⭐️ Literally, this book is so descriptive you can feel, touch, smell, see, and taste all the surroundings of the world!

4th Star ⭐️ So much representation in one book! All bases covered, make love not war if you catch my drift.

5th Star ⭐️ It’s a page turner! I’ll say at the first maybe 30-40 pages, i question it... I was like damn... I want creativity/ descriptive sense of the world (world building), but maybe this is overload?? And that question was answered and “squashed” instantly! In order to make this one incredible book... the author needed to get the world building done right away! She offers a backstory for the kingdoms, a backstory for the characters major/ and minor roles, and a backstory for even how the world came to be!

I have not one negative thing to say about this book!

You will adore Stain! She is a kick as girl! She can stand on her own to feet! With help along the way if needed/ wanted!

Ps. I would like to add... this book has nuances and nods to many fairytales! To bring light and not spoil, I’ll hint at which: Cinderella, Snow White, A Princess & the Pea, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, etc. ❤️

If this does not convince you to read the book, just read the authors, “Acknowledgement” (back of the book). Read the part where it says books & movies that inspired the author! I promise you... that list alone will make you want to read this book! She definitely takes inspiration and turns it into an enchanting fairytale of “hopeful” ever afters! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kaye Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stain was an amazing, gothic fairytale retelling of the Princess and the Pea. It was truly magical, luscious, brutally dark, complex and haunting... yet beautiful and captivating. It had so many rich details, and the world building was phenomenal! It was a slow book but not with out purpose. After a few chapters of magical world building, kingdoms and character introduction, Everything fell into place. Everything was so rich and vivid, and the characters were so amazing! They felt so raw and real. And I loved how flawed the characters here.. The romance was beautiful 🥺 It was perfect! and I loved that the story doesn’t center on a romance, but more in the development of the story from both kingdoms. There were a lot of different creatures and magical details that all came together in a way that really worked. There were some graphic descriptions of murder, violence, abuse, hateful and foul villains, and frightful monsters. It was dark, twisted, and horrid. Each and every chapter leaves you longing to find out what happens next. The twists and turns and all the fantasy in it was hugely entertaining and enthralling. The ending was phenomenal and appallingly brilliant. I loved everything about the book and the author's beautiful writing.

To sum this up simply, hats off to the author because this book is everything I love about fairytale retelling. If you haven’t ordered this book yet, you need to! Highly recommend!

[MARY ANGELYN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from A.G. howard and it made me want to read every book she wrote. I love the world building, the note at the start of the book - "May my creatures grace your slumber with moonlit-gilded nightmares" - when I read that I knew I would love the book. I love A.G Howards writing style and how she describe each character. Moonlight touched skin is the only thing I could think about when other readers talk about a character's skin description, my mind always go back to Stain. I felt as protective of Lyra as Luce and Crony did and took a lot on me not to speed through the end cause I wanted to make sure Lyra gets her happy ending as she deserved.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh it's so good! So many fairy tales all spun together into a beautiful story. The audiobook is FANTASTIC.

[Christine Manzari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairytale that I feel like I’ve known my whole life even though I’ve only read it for the first time. It was dark and complex and haunting....yet beautiful for all those same reasons. It was inspired by The Princess and the Pea but it was so much more than a retelling...it is a unique fairytale in its own right and I loved it. If you liked Strange the Dreamer you’ll love this book.

[Jessi (Novel Heartbeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap, where do I start?! This book blew me away! I was hopelessly hooked from the very beginning. This book got to me in the very best way! This story is so beautiful and enchanting, and Howard's lyrical prose drew me in! The premise was absolutely BRILLIANT - I loved every single aspect of it, from the uniquely dark and magical (and sometimes twisted!) world that Howard painted; down to the prophecy of the Prince and Princess and the engaging plot. Basically, I wanted to crawl into the book and live there!

Anita is a wizard with twisted worlds. This has been the most vivid setting I've read in a while! The world and plot were original and intriguing, the prose was stunning, the characters were amazing. It doesn't happen very often that I love every single aspect of a book! I also want to say that I'm really stingy with my Hail to the King Award - I only gave two out all year in 2018. I can't put into words how special this book was, you guys!

It's been a really long time since I felt this strongly about a book. Like I said, I wanted to crawl into the pages and live there! It's just over 500 pages, but it doesn't feel like it! I gobbled this book up and I wish there had been more. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. It actually put me into a reading slump because I desperately wanted to find more like it! I was hooked in 4 pages flat and was enchanted by the world and characters. It's been quite a while since I felt so strongly for characters!

I freaking LOVED the characters so so much! Crony with her smile of death and reptilian skin yet soft heart, Luce with his furred fox ears and adorable jealous streak over a certain fiery "rabid donkey," and Scorch (said rabid donkey) with his endearing tenderness hidden behind arrogant indifference. I loved Stain and Vesper and they were all just so perfect! Ahh!

I could gush about this book all day, but it would probably get redundant, so all I have left to say is READ. THIS. BOOK. You won't regret it!


This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gothic and twisted fairytale from A.G. Howard, this standalone has the feel of the Splintered series, but in an entirely separate and unique world with it's own history, magic, and prophecies. I'd say the main character is very loosely based on the Princess and the Pea, with elements of her life from just about every other princess story out there. The plot twists were surprising and thought out, everything is connected, and every loose strand gets tied off. Without giving anything away, the first half of the book is frustrating and heart-breaking, but I promise there is both sunshine and moonrays by the end of it. 😉

I'd consider this a must-read for any fairytale lover, though probably high school reading level and up. The author's writing style is at times almost like poetry with flowery imagery and an older form of language to fit the sort of medieval times, so it takes a bit to adjust your inner voice to that. Also, there are some graphic descriptions of violence, abuse, and gruesome monsters, but not really swearing or intimacy to worry about. Don't pass up a chance to enjoy this story!

[insaneAlice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love the book! It's a bit lengthy for me but the story is complete! (all questions are answered, no need for any sequel or prequel!)

I need to take a little break reading this book because of how horrible Stain aka Lyra was treated by her own blood. It's also very inspiring how Lyra can be so strong, and 'talk' her way out even without her voice. She is indeed Vesper's equal! I also love how they're 'destined' for each other but at the same time, 'fighting' themselves for each others. I like how at the 3rd part of the book, we get a glimpse/vesper's side of the story (how kind he is & his love for Lyra)

Crony and Luce plays a big role & they indeed become a good parents to Lyra. Also how dark Griselda's heart is & wise both decision to handle all her evil deeds.

I love this book so much & am definitely AGHoward's fan! Gonna buy all her books!!

[Malissa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-MA-ZING!

This story truly is amazing
Its so unique and beautifully written. I didn't know what to expect from one page to the next which is a wonderful feeling when reading. Reading should be an adventure and not a regurgitated plot line with varying characters. I never once felt like something couldn't happen because it involved Lyra and 'you can't hurt/kill the main character '. I truly felt that anything was possible and it made this story so exciting. I couldn't put it down, I recommend it for everyone.

[Laura Garzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente entrara en mi categoría de libros favoritos. Me encantan los cuentos de hadas en todas sus presentaciones, y aunque me gustan los típicos estilo Disney, confieso que disfruto más un cuento cuando toma más matices.
Por eso, en esta historia que abarca tanto! (para ser un solo libro tiene un nivel de detalle solo lo había visto en sagas) sobrepasó mis expectativas y lo ame! Por libros como este es que la fantasía es mi género favorito, a mi parecer los buenos cuentos de hadas son una metáfora de la vida misma.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea why it took me this long to read this book. I got it on its release day. I was also very excited to read it, but it's a big book, especially since Howard's English is a few levels above mine. However, since I already completed my reading challenge and since I really wanted to claim that I read all Howard's published books this was the perfect moment to get to it. It was the challenge I knew it was gonna be, but it was so worth it.

Howard really manages to create a wonderful and magical world in this book. I'm not the kind of person who has very vivid images in mind while reading, normally, but in this book I got really clear images of both kingdoms, what their buildings looked like, what their sky looked like, what all the creatures living there looked like. The descriptions were so vivid and so detailed and they were most of all very atmospheric.

Just like the entire story. The atmosphere in this story was so brilliantly done. I could sense the magic in it, I could sense all the emotions of the characters, I could sense the tension and halfway I started to notice how I started rooting for these characters and their happy endings. I was invested. I was so invested that there were moments I was choking up and on the brink of crying. I was shouting at the characters, I was screaming at them, yelling at them and most of all loving them to pieces.

Both the princess and the prince are such wonderful characters. Yes, they are easy to love and like, but they are also flawed. They are, in a way, beautifully human. And I love beautifully human characters, characters that could be real, without being way too perfect. They were the perfect heroes in this wonderful fairytale, because in the end it's a fairytale in every possible way. It has darkness, it has light, it has lessons to be learned, it has villains and heroes, it has curses needing to be broken and fake princesses needing to be defeated.

It was a slow read for me and I hope that some of the new words I learned stick, but it was such a perfect, wonderful, emotional, enchanting story and therefore worth every minute and every hour I spent with it.