Romantasy

Review: The Starlight Princess by Elyse Thomson

June 22, 2026

Synopsis:

She’s a princess in love with the king’s spymaster. He’s a cursed traitor plotting her abduction.

Adamanthea is a failure of a princess with a talent for matchmaking. But when her latest pairing falls afoul of the king’s schemes, he decides to finally dispose of her by marrying her off to a cruel young lord. Scrambling for a solution, she turns to the spymaster—a handsome older man she’s long yearned for.

Leandros is a spymaster with dark secrets. Cursed into compliance, he’s spent years waiting to kidnap Adamanthea as a hostage for an enemy queendom. When her wedding provides that opportunity, his masters promise him both his life and freedom if he delivers her into their hands. There’s only one problem—Leandros is in love with her.

Neither can imagine a life apart. But as they’re pursued by a fiancé determined to reclaim his prize, and murderous foes drain Leandros’ life with their curse, neither can picture a future together. Can their passion beat the odds, or is this the match that dooms them to misery and death?

Review:

Adamanthea is special in a way that grants her certain freedoms, but also places limitations on her. Her main talent is matchmaking, and she believes in lasting relationships built on partnership – where both people genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Meanwhile, her brother, who is also the king, is focused on political advantages. Because she was not born with magic, he considers her worthless and no longer tolerates her lack of “value” to his agenda.
When her brother forces her into marriage, and she absolutely loathes her future husband, she is put in a situation she has to find her own way out of.
Enter Leandros, who is in love with Adamanthea and offers to get her out of the situation – while having his own agenda. Their journey together puts them in danger, but also allows them to learn more about their connection.

It’s short, it’s cute, and it doesn’t offer too much complexity. As a prequel, it interested me enough to want to continue with the rest of the series.

🌙 Recension: The Starlight Princess (Cycle of Calamity #0) by Elyse Thomson
📚 Genre: Romantasy
📅 Release Date: November 26, 2025
📖 Publisher: ‎Two Laurels Press
📗 available in various formats
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 145
⭐️ 3.5/5