Heavenly Bodies is for fans of enemies to lovers, cruel gods, and prophecies. It’s for readers who love discovering our magic and our power. It’s easy to fall into the world of Heavenly Bodies and the dangerous quest to take down a Star. Keep reading this book review of Heavenly Bodies for my full thoughts.
Summary
“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”
In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.
So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.
And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.
Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.
And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
There couldn’t be more separating Lorenzo and Elara. From different kingdoms and enemies, how can Lorenzo possibly teach Elara to use her powers? While the pick up for Heavenly Bodies was fast – I felt like before we got a sense of who Elara was she was kidnapped – it’s a book that grows into a crashing wave. After I got over the brisk beginning, I settled into enjoying that Heavenly Bodies examines two kingdoms, and families, which have dealt blows to each other before Lorenzo and Elara were born. There’s this history of animosity and how could their relationship, even friendship, ever blossom? It very much feels star crossed in a book about Stars!
While there were some hiccups in terms of writing, Heavenly Bodies had an ending where I could see myself reading the sequel. I also think I was drawn to the politics a bit more than I was the actual character dynamics. I was a bit surprised when their feelings started shifting because I was thinking, “now, really?” but that could also be a personal difference in expectations. Additionally there were some plot and world developments in the latter half of the book which seemingly came out of nowhere. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. I also felt like some side characters needed a bit more space for their stories – and interactions – to resonate.
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Ultimately for fans of The Hurricane Wars, I think this might have appeal. I am intrigued to see where it goes in the sequel, but it was a bit of a roller coaster to get there. I can see the appeal and if you’re intrigued in enemies to lovers, then this will be an easy recommendation. Find Heavenly Bodies on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.