Beneath These Cursed Stars
Lexi Ryan
HarperTeen
Published July 30, 2024
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About Beneath These Cursed Stars
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.
Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.
Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.
When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.
While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.
The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.
My Review
One of the things I’m learning about myself as a reader is that I don’t especially enjoy books where the main characters are driven by lust for each other. If they’re in life-threatening situations or experiencing/re-experiencing trauma, going into lust mode in those moments feels false to me. Someone is trying to murder the protagonist, and she’s like, wow, I wish he would kiss me right now. That kind of reaction feels false to me. I’m not saying it couldn’t ever happen, but I find it disruptive and a barrier to connecting with the characters.
Beneath These Cursed Stars follows the perspectives of two main characters: Jasalyn and Felicity. Rebels kidnap Jasalyn and Felicity, gifted with shapeshifting magic, steps into her place. In each situation, the girls meet someone irresistible, and their focus becomes divided between trying to achieve their objectives and hoping to get some action with the guys they’re falling for.
If you like stories with a faster-paced, high level of longing, this book definitely delivers. The story also explores Jasalyn’s past trauma and its lingering effects on her, such as touch aversion and anxiety.
Several moments took me by surprise in this book, which I liked a lot. I definitely had a few moments where I stopped to appreciate how a reveal changed what I already knew or thought I knew about the story.
I think readers who enjoy fantasy stories with a heavy emphasis on romance elements will want to check out Beneath These Cursed Stars.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 16 up.
Representation
The racial details of some characters are ambiguous. The main characters appear white. Two minor characters (men) are in a romantic relationship. Jasalyn is a trauma survivor.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
F-bombs and other profanity used somewhat frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, two characters undress and climb into a natural hot spring together. A couple of scenes show some sexual touching on top of clothes. In one scene, two characters go to bed together and have a sexual exchange.
Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic or have objects that allow them special abilities. The story contains human and fae characters as well as orcs and goblins. An oracle predicted the fate of several key characters.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture. Brief glimpses of torture. Battle scenes. Jasalyn uses her ability to murder with a kiss to end the lives of those who participated in taking/keeping her captive.
Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol infrequently.
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