Reviews

I received this book as an ARC, but the mood reader in me made it so hard for me to stick to the timeline and finish this sooner! I got a little lost in the length of it at times, but found myself missing the characters and the world and wanting to know what was going to happen next! Thank you, Jacqlin for letting me receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review! It has been so fun to watch your journey as an author, and I’m so proud of what you have accomplished here!! A Ballad of Stars follows Roan and Ari as they travel across Thenstra trying to find and rescue the kidnapped princess! This is a clean fantasy read with no magic. Tropes include forbidden romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers, and a little found family! I absolutely loved the first book, A Song of Thieves. This second installment has left me with some mixed feelings, but overall I’m really enjoying the journey! The writing style has shifted so much in this book, and you can tell how much the author has grown in her writing. There is so much world-building in this book and so many characters introduced. It really feels like a step toward an epic fantasy! I will say, this is a very slow burn and it did feel a bit too long at times, which I think is something that comes with major world building that is working toward more novels after. There were so many completely unexpected twists in the last 30% of this book. Literal jaw-drop moments that were so perfectly weaved into the story that I never even saw them coming. I can’t wait to continue on the journey with Roan, Ari, and Lena in the next book!