Fantasy• Romance

Review: Starlex by R. Saint Claire

November 20, 2025

Synopsis:

One seeks love. The other seeks power. Only one can shape the stars.

On the distant planet Ardelym, deep within the Or galaxy, two sisters of a fading dynasty—the Illymiums—stand on opposite sides of destiny. One dreams of love. The other craves power.

Starlex Illymium has never desired greatness—only a heart to call her own. But when an ancient prophecy names her as the key to her world’s survival, she’s thrust into a battle she never asked for. Her sister, Queen Hyperia, driven by ambition and dark secrets, will stop at nothing to seize control of fate itself—even if it means destroying everything in her path.

Review:

The world building was done well. The author putt effort in to provide context about the different groups of people we meet along the way and the history of their interactions, without making it too complex (some things didn’t make sense first, but I got there at the end).

We meet our main protagonists early on and get to know each of them to understand where they’re coming from and why they interact with each other the way they do. That helps us so set the stage for what comes next. We have the ruling family that do everything they can to not loose their position (especially the queen is such a pleasant character…not).

When Starlex is kidnapped and needs to be rescued, we are coming along on a wild ride and experience the differences of both sisters. I was rooting for Starlex and the man sent to rescue her. I understood their connection but felt that it evolved a bit too fast for my liking. It was as if there were missing pieces in between that could have benefited building their connection.

With this book we get an interesting mixture of multiple groups and dynamics (some more fortunate than others), scheming, a love story, and a cliff-hanger at the end, that grabbed my attention. I want to know how it’ll play out and the stage is set.

🌙 Recension: Starlex (Starlight Over Oran #1) by R. Saint Claire
📚 Genre: Fantasy & Romance
📅 Release Date: November 14, 2025
📗 available as: Kindle
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 346
⭐️ 4/5