Starshine by Alethea Faust is a prequel novella connected to the Sex Wizards series. You can dive in without having read the Sex Wizards series first. This is the story of Garrett and Bridgitte, and how they met and discovered magic. To my understanding, this isn’t nearly as kinky and smutty as the main series. So, if you have already read Sex Wizards, expect a tamer but heartfelt tale.
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Starshine by Alethea Faust
🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, third limited, past tense
Genre: MF Fantasy Romance
Tropes/Themes: Sex Worker, Prejudice, Forbidden Romance, Virgin, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Discovering Magic
tw: Brief violence against sex workers
Synopsis:
After his human father’s death, half-orc Garrett flees his clan, seeking a fresh start elsewhere. But humans aren’t kind to orcs, seeing them as vicious beasts unworthy of common decency. After saving courtesan Bridgitte from a nasty encounter, she gets him a job working security at the brothel. Madam Monika insists they keep their distance from one another, but they can’t deny the spark between them.
My Review:
Alethea Faust knows how to craft a story. There’s so much packed into this novella which makes for an entertaining read. I was hooked right away by Garrett’s journey during the dead of winter and the hints of why he left his family and clan behind.
His mother had tried to warn him. Humans had the shorter life span, but their memories were long. The territory wars between orcs and the humans of the mountains had occured ages ago but echoes of the hostility were reflected on their faces.
Prejudice
Garrett has a soft heart and just wants to build a life for himself with an honest job. Yet he doesn’t have an easy go of it. Humans, still bitter from the orc wars, can’t see past his half-orc nature. They call him a boar and won’t give him a chance to prove himself. I felt such empathy for Garrett and anger towards the villagers. Fortunately, not all humans are the same. Early on, we find out what Garrett will do with a stroke of good luck.
She had built a facade just like he had to get by. While his was one of strength and brutality, hers was one of seductive acquiescence. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that hidden depths existed underneath it.
Complex Characters
Garrett and Bridgette are both complex characters. I love Garrett’s skill in herbology and his desire to help those in need, regardless of how he’s been treated. He’s determined to not be the brute everyone thinks he is, but if he’s required to be a brute to save those in need, then he will gladly be a monster. He’s an outsider to both humans and orcs, and both dislike his dualistic nature.
Bridgette is a woman of many faces. After being sold by her father to pay a gambling debt, she’s spent her growing years and early adult life working for Madam Monika. She knows how to please and what’s required to get by in life, and she’s planning for her future. Her kindness towards Garrett is beautiful and I couldn’t help but root for them throughout the novella.
He’d been kissed before, but it had never felt like this. Before, it had always been awkward and ungraceful, but this was like finding a piece of something he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.
Magic
While only a small part of the story, Starshine provides an intriguing introduction to magic. The magic in Sex Wizards is a kink-based magic system, and we get our first glimpse of this magic at work when Garrett and Bridgette first sleep together. I’m already champing at the bit for more.
Final Thoughts:
Sex Wizards has been on my TBR forever, but after reading Starshine, it’s now burning a hole in my TBR. I’ll be diving in soon. I can’t wait to see how Bridgette and Garrett grow and change on their journey together and to find out what the Crux magic school has in store for them.
Starshine by Alethea Faust (A Sex Wizards Prequel)
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Alethea Faust is the author of paranormal romance, best known for the Sex Wizards series.
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~~If you like spicy books with orcs, check out my Orc Rec List ~~
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