Written in the Stars by Brenna Lyons
Mundania Press
Dark Fantasy, Paranormal
ISBN: 978-1-59426-335-4
Reviewed by Patrice F.

Terra Set is a world where the moon is dominant, the sun lesser, and Star Mages harvest the power of moonbeams to heal crops and feed planet inhabitants.  They are usually male, revered yet not truly accepted despite their service.  When a female Star Mage is born the possibilities for when she chooses a mate will be wondrous. 

Riena is one of the rare female mages born.  When circumstances place her under the King’s care, she fights back at great risk, jeopardizing her life and loved ones.  The only solution to survival is to disguise as a male mage.  However, the king will not allow her to escape so easily.  Riena is faced with many dangers, harsh lessons, and difficult choices.  Are the sacrifices she’s made worth the freedom to choose her own life’s path?

In less than 24 hours, after reading the prologue and first chapter of Written in the Stars, I tumbled madly in love with the fantasy genre.  Again.  It was easy.  As engrossed in this electrifying tale of loss, love, and second chances as I was, it became harder to pull away from it long enough to attend a visitor.  To defend my lapse as a hostess, I’m not the first to refuse to be yanked away from a good book!  With writing this original and out of this world, the visitor didn’t stand a chance!  Written in the Stars is fantasy romance at its finest; an example of how much the fantasy genre has evolved with more room to expand.  Everything I enjoy most about fantasy and narrative is right here!  Loads of angst and action offset by strong, complex characters immersed in a web of mystical intrigue.  The entire story will knock your stellar socks off!  

Riena is a gifted mage born with much less than her privileged contemporaries whose suffering, loyalty, and sheer grit makes for a captivating read.  The psychological duel she engages in with the king, his son, their supporters, and everyone seeking to control and manipulate her is mesmerizing yet holds its weight because it feels real, mortal, although the setting is an alien world where the moon is dominant and Star Mages are revered and coveted.  The author’s delivery is brilliant, always leaving you on edge as the plot gives way to action, forcing the narrative to gain ground until everything comes together in a Twelfth Night finessed finale. Now you understand why I was relentless in finishing it.  It’s worth every magical, sensuous moment, I guarantee.   This sparkling gem of a novella is sure to bedazzle you, so put it on your spring/summer reading list.