The Lord Of Stariel (stariel Book 1)

By (author) Lancaster, A. J.
Short description/annotation:
The Lord of Stariel is the delightful start to this romantic cozy fantasy series. Set on a grand magical estate, its future is threatened by secrets and ancient fae feuds.
Description:

‘A sweet and cosy romance. It made me want a faeland of my very own!’ – Aliette de Bodard, author of the Obsidian and Blood trilogy.

The Lord of Stariel is the first book in the Stariel Quartet, a romantic cozy fantasy series about fae, magical estates and complicated families, for fans of Sarah Beth Durst and Rebecca Thorne.

A sentient estate faces a succession crisis. But who will become the estate''s new Lord?

Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the Lord’s eldest son, whom he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? Or his scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion

Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta must do is survive the inevitable family drama – and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive locals – until the Choosing. Then she can leave.

But whoever the Stariel Estate chooses will have bigger problems than eccentric relatives. Winged, beautifully deadly problems. For the first time in centuries, the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm, and only the Lord of Stariel can keep the estate safe.

* * *

‘Sweet, romantic, warm and wonderful''
– Sarah Beth Durst, bestselling author of The Spellshop, on How to Find a Nameless Fae

‘I absolutely, unequivocally loved this book . . . and there''s nothing I love more than dry humour’
– Reader Review

‘Downton Abbey with faes . . . believable, likeable characters that defy tropes’
– Reader Review

‘A writing style that is as clean and fresh as a mountain lake . . . have now bought all four books and they will be on permanent rotation’
– Reader Review

Review quote:
Witty, heartfelt, romantic and utterly charming
Review quote:
A gentle, slow-burn and kind romance centered around characters trying to do their best in a world where fairies and humans must learn to coexist again
Review quote:
This is exactly my kind of faerie-haunted fantasy of manners: a spellbinding world I can''t wait to spend more time in, with a heroine I wanted to cheer on and also befriend immediately
Biographical note:
A. J. Lancaster grew up on a farm in rural Aotearoa New Zealand, and her first job was finding lost people in a corn maze. Since leaving the farm, A. J.’s activities have included a geography degree, environmental planning and editing maths exams. Now, she lives in the Manawatu and writes romantic, whimsical fantasy books while investigating how many plants you can fit in one house. Results so far suggest that the limit does not exist. In 2021, A. J. Lancaster received the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent, New Zealand’s preeminent awards for science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Promotional headline:
The Lord of Stariel is dead. Long live the Lord of Stariel. Whoever that will be . . .