This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon and Libro.fm. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Verdict: A tender, slow-building princess romance between a betrothed bride and her fiancé’s sister, held back by a thin world, a slow first half and an assassination plot that readers see coming.
Best for: Readers who want a gentle, low-heat sapphic court romance with horses, secrets and forbidden magic, and who will forgive sketchy worldbuilding in exchange for two leads they believe in.
Heat level: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5 — young adult, mild and non-explicit by reader accounts)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.76 Goodreads average across 23,420 ratings, with the romance carrying a plot most readers call thin)
Tropes: Forbidden love, arranged betrothal, in love with the fiancé’s sister, slow burn, opposites attract, hidden magic, political intrigue, assassination mystery, dual POV, riding lessons.
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst is the first book of a two-book young adult sapphic fantasy series, published by Balzer + Bray in 2016 and set between two allied kingdoms — and its premise is a very specific collision: Princess Dennaleia of Havemont arrives to marry Mynaria’s prince while hiding a fire affinity the kingdom forbids, and the person she cannot stop thinking about is his sister, Mare, a blunt horsewoman who wants nothing to do with court.
It has a 3.76 average across 23,420 Goodreads ratings, 4.5 stars on Amazon from 1,814 ratings, and positive trade coverage from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. It is also a book where readers agree almost perfectly on what works and what does not — they just weigh those two halves very differently. Both halves are worth understanding before you start.
What Is Of Fire and Stars About?
Of Fire and Stars is a young adult royal fantasy — political marriage, court etiquette, a council that distrusts magic, and a neighbouring power everyone is nervous about. That setting implies duty over desire, and the book leans on it: Denna has been trained since childhood to be a perfect queen for a kingdom that is not her own, and every choice she makes has a treaty attached to it. Two women falling in love is not the problem here — the engagement, the politics and the magic are, which gives the forbidden love a different shape from most.
Denna is defined by what she has to hide — a gift for fire that could end her marriage and her alliance if anyone saw it. Mare is defined by what she refuses to do: dress up, sit through council, act like a princess. She assumes Denna is exactly the polished, empty diplomat she looks like. The book alternates between their points of view, so the reader sees both the misjudgement and the growing attraction from each side.
What Makes This YA Sapphic Royal Fantasy Work
- The central relationship: The slow-building romance between Denna and Mare is the most praised element by a distance. Readers describe it as tender and earned rather than instalove, and many say it is the whole reason to read.
- A world without homophobia: Readers repeatedly single out a setting where same-sex love is simply accepted, so the tension comes from betrothal and duty rather than identity.
- Two contrasting leads: The dutiful princess and the rough-edged horsewoman play off each other well, and the dual POV lets each one misread the other convincingly.
- The horses: Kirkus called it out with a laugh, and readers do too. Riding lessons are the engine of the romance, and horse lovers treat that as a bonus.
- A clean first-book ending: Publishers Weekly praised the conclusion as both thrilling and satisfying, and the central couple ends the book in a hopeful place, not on a cliffhanger.
Book Synopsis
Dennaleia has known her future since she was a small child. The princess of Havemont is promised to Thandi, the prince of Mynaria, and the marriage is meant to bind the two kingdoms together at a moment when the region feels anything but stable. She arrives in Mynaria prepared for everything a queen might need — languages, protocol, patience — except the two things that matter most. She cannot ride, in a kingdom that practically worships horses. And she has fire magic, in a kingdom that has outlawed it.
Riding lessons put her in the path of Amaranthine, called Mare, the prince’s younger sister. Mare prefers the stables to the throne room, says what she thinks, and has no patience for the carefully mannered girl who is about to become her sister-in-law. Denna, for her part, finds Mare rude and baffling. Then a shocking killing tears through the Mynarian court, and blame begins to settle on magic users and on the neighbouring kingdom of Zumorda. Denna, whose secret makes her part of the suspected group, and Mare, who trusts nobody at court, end up looking into it together.
The investigation throws them into each other’s company far more than a future bride and her fiancé’s sister should be. The more time they spend together, the harder Denna finds it to keep her magic contained — and the harder both of them find it to ignore what is happening between them. With the wedding approaching and the kingdom sliding toward conflict, the question is whether either princess can afford to want what she wants.
My Review
The romance is the thing here, and it is genuinely lovely. Coulthurst understands that the pleasure of a forbidden relationship is in the restraint, and she lets Denna and Mare circle each other for a long time before anything happens. The shift from irritation to curiosity to something neither of them can name is paced with patience, and when the feelings arrive they feel earned.
The second strength is the choice to remove homophobia from the equation. Denna’s problem is not that she loves a woman; it is that she is engaged to that woman’s brother, bound by a treaty, and hiding magic from a court that would condemn her for it. That makes the stakes political rather than personal shame and gives the book real warmth. The contrast between the two leads helps too: Mare’s bluntness keeps Denna’s formality from becoming dull, and the alternating POV is used well.
Where it struggles is everything around the romance, and this is not my personal gripe — it is the most consistent criticism in the reviews. The worldbuilding is thin: readers keep asking why magic is outlawed, how it actually works, and what makes these kingdoms different from any other fantasy map. The assassination plot, which should drive the book, is widely called predictable, with a villain whose motives do not hold up. The first half is slow, and several reviewers describe drifting away before things pick up. Secondary characters stay flat — Thandi in particular barely registers — and the horse content, charming to some, is too much for others. Even Kirkus, which liked the book, found the political plotting repetitive.
One expectation to reset: this is marketed as a fantasy with murder, magic and intrigue, and it reads as a romance with a fantasy setting. The mystery exists to push the two princesses together, not to be solved cleverly. If intrigue is what drew you, calibrate; if you came for the girls, you are in the right place.
My honest note: A four-star romance inside a three-star fantasy. If you need a rigorous world and a mystery with teeth, this will frustrate you. If you want a sweet, slow, forbidden princess love story, it still delivers a decade on.
| Element | In Of Fire and Stars |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Dennaleia & Mare — betrothed foreign princess and her fiancé’s horse-mad sister, slow-burn forbidden love |
| Core tropes | Forbidden love, arranged betrothal, slow burn, hidden magic, political intrigue, dual POV |
| Setting | The kingdom of Mynaria — a horse-proud court where magic is outlawed |
| Heat level | 2/5 — young adult, mild and non-explicit |
| Series | Of Fire and Stars book 1 — resolves its plot; sequel Of Ice and Shadows (2019) continues the couple; prequel Inkmistress (2018) |
| Content notes | Assassination and murder, deaths of side characters, grief, violence during the climax, a magic-hating society, some prejudice against magic users |
How Spicy Is Of Fire and Stars?
Mild — a 2/5. This is a young adult novel, and Kirkus lists it for readers 14 and up while Publishers Weekly places it at 13 and up. I could not pull a romance.io entry for it, which is typical for YA, since that database is built around adult romance. Reader reports describe the physical side as mild, with nothing on the page that anyone describes as explicit. The heat is in the longing and the secrecy, not the scenes.
The element worth knowing in advance is not sexual at all — it is the death count. Readers flag the assassination and a climax with real violence, and at least one reviewer was surprised by how many characters die in a book that otherwise reads so softly. If you want a similar heat level in the same kind of setting, The Queen of Ieflaria sits at 1/5 with a princess-and-betrothal setup, and Crier’s War sits at 2/5 with more political bite.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you read fantasy mainly for the romance, you like slow burns built on restraint and secrecy, you want a sapphic story with no homophobia in it, and you have ever loved a horse book.
You may want to skip it if: you need a fully built world and a magic system with rules, you want a mystery you cannot solve by the midpoint, you lose patience with slow first halves, or you want real heat on the page.
In short: a warm, patient forbidden romance wrapped in fantasy scaffolding that never quite stands up on its own.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is not a new book having a moment. Of Fire and Stars came out in November 2016, and what it has now is the long tail of an early landmark: 23,420 Goodreads ratings and 3,396 written reviews, which is a large readership for a YA sapphic fantasy of its vintage. It was an early traditionally published YA fantasy built around a romance between two princesses, and reviewers still frame it that way — one early reviewer from The Lesbrary compared it to an f/f Frozen and to Tamora Pierce. The trade reception was warm: Kirkus praised the romance and summed it up as “Murder, mayhem, magic, romance—and horses, lots of horses!”, while Publishers Weekly called it a spectacular debut and found nothing to fault.
The audiobook is a real option. It runs 10 hours 57 minutes and is read by two narrators, Saskia Maarleveld and Moira Quirk, one for each princess, which suits the alternating POV. Listener comment is sparse, but at least one reader says the two performances lifted the text.
Prefer audio? Listen to Of Fire and Stars on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Denna and Mare, first and most consistently. “Slow burn” is the recurring phrase, and readers specifically praise that the relationship grows out of friction and shared danger rather than instalove. Then the world without homophobia, which a lot of reviewers name as the reason the book mattered to them. The dual POV draws praise for letting both girls misjudge each other, and the horse material has its own devoted following. The one-line version comes from a Goodreads reviewer, Neeks: “The romance was beautiful, everything else kinda fell flat.”
What readers argue about and complain about: Worldbuilding, above everything. Reviewers say the kingdoms feel generic, the magic system is barely explained, and the book never makes clear why magic is outlawed — which matters, because Denna’s whole conflict depends on it. The plot is the second theme: the assassination mystery is widely called predictable, the villain’s motives thin, and several readers note adults at court behaving implausibly so the princesses can do the investigating. Third: pace. The first half is slow, some readers stalled out partway, and a separate group found the climax rushed after all that build-up. Beyond that, flat secondary characters — Thandi most of all — and a secrecy plot that some readers find contrived in a society that would accept the relationship anyway. Low-star reviews are a real minority on Goodreads — 10% combined at one and two stars — but 25% sit at three, which is where the “loved the romance, not the book” readers land.
The series question everyone should ask first: book one stands on its own. The assassination plot resolves and Denna and Mare end the book together, in a hopeful place rather than a cliffhanger. The sequel, Of Ice and Shadows (August 2019, 464 pages), continues their story in Zumorda and holds a 3.78 Goodreads average across 4,452 ratings — essentially level with book one, from a much smaller audience. Reviewers say it ends with unfinished business, and I could find no announced third book. There is also a prequel, Inkmistress (2018, 3.73), with a different lead. If you dislike open endings, book one is a clean place to stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Of Fire and Stars end on a cliffhanger?
No. The main plot resolves and Denna and Mare end the book together in a hopeful place. The sequel, Of Ice and Shadows, continues their story, but book one does not leave you hanging.
How spicy is Of Fire and Stars?
Mild — a 2/5. It is a young adult novel rated 13+ by Publishers Weekly and 14+ by Kirkus, and readers describe the physical content as mild, with nothing explicit on the page.
Is there homophobia in Of Fire and Stars?
Essentially no. Same-sex relationships are accepted in this world, and readers repeatedly praise that. The obstacles are Denna’s betrothal to Mare’s brother and her forbidden magic, although at least one reviewer felt prejudice themes still crept in.
Is Of Fire and Stars part of a series?
Yes. It is book one, followed by Of Ice and Shadows (2019), which continues Denna and Mare’s story, with a prequel, Inkmistress (2018), about a different character. The sequel ends with unfinished business and no third book has been announced.
Is there an Of Fire and Stars audiobook?
Yes. It runs 10 hours 57 minutes, read by Saskia Maarleveld and Moira Quirk, one voice for each princess. It is available on Libro.fm.
If You Loved Of Fire and Stars, Read These Next
The closest match on the site is The Queen of Ieflaria, which runs the same princess-betrothal engine at an even softer heat. If you want the court intrigue to have more teeth, Crier’s War puts two young women on opposite sides of a far sharper political conflict. And if it was the hidden-magic side that hooked you, These Witches Don’t Burn trades the royal court for a contemporary witch community at the same YA heat level.
For more in this register, browse our full list of YA sapphic fantasy books or the complete Book Reviews collection.
The Bottom Line
Of Fire and Stars set out to give teen readers a sapphic fairy tale with real political stakes, and half of that ambition lands beautifully. The slow burn between Denna and Mare is tender and earned, the world’s acceptance of their love gives the book its warmth, and the dual POV makes both princesses feel real. The world around them is sketchy, the assassination mystery is easy to solve, and the first half asks for more patience than some readers have. Whether it works for you depends entirely on why you read fantasy — but if the romance is the point, this is still one of the gentlest and most satisfying princess love stories in the genre. Check Of Fire and Stars on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Of Fire and Stars ranks as a landmark YA sapphic royal fantasy — tender and patiently built as a romance, held back by thin worldbuilding and a predictable mystery, and best approached for Denna and Mare rather than the intrigue.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.76 average across 23,420 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ Kirkus and Publishers Weekly both positive
- ✓ Romance is near-universally praised
- ✓ Worldbuilding and plot drag it down
Romance ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Genuine slow burn, not instalove
- ✓ Friction turns to trust convincingly
- ✓ Forbidden betrothal raises the stakes
- ✓ Secrecy feels contrived to some readers
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Denna and Mare contrast well
- ✓ Dual POV gives both real interiority
- ✓ Mare’s bluntness keeps scenes lively
- ✓ Thandi and side cast stay flat
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Clean, readable YA prose
- ✓ Two voices clearly distinguished
- ✓ Publishers Weekly praised the worldbuilding
- ✓ Readers call the world generic and thin
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Longing and restraint land well
- ✓ Denna’s hidden magic carries real fear
- ✓ Acceptance of queer love moves readers
- ✓ Predictable villain blunts the stakes
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Young adult, 13+ or 14+
- ✓ Nothing explicit on the page
- ✓ Tension lives in the longing
- ✓ No romance.io entry to anchor it
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Main plot resolves, no cliffhanger
- ✓ Couple ends together and hopeful
- ✓ PW calls the conclusion satisfying
- ✓ Some readers found the climax rushed
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Romance rewards a comfort reread
- ✓ Two-narrator audiobook, just under 11 hours
- ✓ Sequel continues the same couple
- ✓ Slow first half discourages a return
Affiliate disclosure: Lesbian Romance Reads participates in the Amazon Associates Program and the Libro.fm affiliate program. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.