Heavenly Bodies

A god destroys kingdoms to win over a mortal in Erriu’s solid but familiar romantasy series launch set in a world governed by personified stars. Human princess Elara Bellereve of Asteria flees the Star Ariete after he discovers the prophecy that they are meant to fall in love—a romance that, it’s foretold, neither will survive. Soon after Ariete murders Elara’s parents for hiding Elara from him, she’s kidnapped by the neighboring kingdom of Helios. There, she’s trained by King Idris D’Oro and his son, Prince Enzo, to serve as a weapon against Ariete in their war on the Stars. In the process, Elara and Enzo strike up a predictable, slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance. Meanwhile, to defeat Ariete and avenge her family, Elara must overcome a childhood trauma and unleash an ancient power that has long been hidden. Not much is done with the celestial worldbuilding, and the plotting, while competent, feels paint-by-numbers. Sarah J. Maas fans seeking more of the same will eat this up, but there’s little here that feels fresh. (Jan.)