A Circle of Stars

The Stardust Duology, Book One

By: Craig Montgomery

Narrated by: Kirt Graves

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes you have to leave home to find it....

All Casper Bell has ever wanted is to belong. But now, abandoned by his friends and family after being outed, he has nothing left to lose when the people of Novilem abduct him.

Except Earth.

Teleported to a world where stars grant humans magic, Casper discovers he has the rare ability to draw power from all 12 astrological signs—a gift that makes him a political pawn for the Estellar
Council.

But Novilem’s inhabitants seem as hard and cold as the stone their city is carved from, and Casper’s new role leaves him more isolated than ever. Until he meets the grandson of the council’s most powerful woman.

Helix is kind, playful, and heartbreakingly handsome, yet it’s how Helix makes him feel that gives Casper hope.

As rebellion brinks in the city, even the Council starts to fracture, reaching for extreme measures that could cost Casper not only his newfound abilities, but the first place he has ever wanted to call home. Together with Helix, he must uncover the secrets of his full potential—because the survival of Novilem hinges on Casper’s powers, whether he’s using them or not.

Set inside a hidden lunar city, where astrology is magic and your birth sign defines your social status, A Circle of Stars is a queer young adult fantasy filled with political intrigue and romance.

©2023 Craig Montgomery (P)2023 Craig Montgomery

Captivating!

I was captivated by this story from beginning to end. The world building and magic system was so interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. I was invested in everything that happened to them. The writing was great, not a moment wasted.

The narration was great. I could tell who was what character based just on the voices.

Looking forward to the next book!

Wow!!!

I could not stop listening. I need more… Please tell me there will be more.

amazing.

the story was compelling and captivating, the characters were interesting. i thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. can’t wait for book two.

Brilliant story.

This story, the characters, the fascinating world and mechanisms of power -I will read anything and everything Craig Montgomery writes from now on. I have dozens of highlights in my ebook just because of his beautifully unexpected phrasing. That alone was enough to make me pause at the end of the second chapter (I was reading on KU) and immediately purchase the book so it could be MINE. About 80% of the way through I shook my head, admitted to myself I was a goner, and went to purchase a physical copy. I really enjoyed the audiobook as a reread—it still felt just as engaging as the first time.
And the surprises around every corner! The way the plot unfolded was masterful. At several points in the book I was amazed to find that a striking moment was followed by another layer, and then another. All of the relationships represented in the story were full of nuance and such depth, particularly with the two main characters. Their tenderness and regard for each other is something I would want any person in a relationship to see-Helix and Casper should totally be the standard for how to build an emotionally healthy relationship amidst a secretive, crumbling empire. I'm an American, so yeah, I took notes.
My heart is so full after reading this, and I cannot wait for the second book.

A perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy ✨

I've never had my heart ripped out so fast or immediately rooted for the MC like I did with Casper. I was immediately intrigued by the one-of-a-kind world building where the zodiac signs shape the character's magic and dictate their social status. The political intrigue, oppression of the church and government, and conflicts presented in the narration makes one evaluate the impact of privilege. I'll be eagerly waiting for the second book!

If you like sci-fi/fantasy, or are into astrology, this book is for you.

I gave this one a chance even though it's not really my cup of tea. The fantasy mixed with sci-fi was a little much for me, and as someone with zero interest in astrology there was probably a lot of aspects of the magic system that flew over my head. The overall story was engaging though, I was never lost or bored and I never considered not finishing, all of which is pretty rare for me as far as trying new books goes.

I'm not gonna lie, the mix of "real" world lgbt teen trauma and galactic magic drama was a little extreme for me. The shift between Casper getting ruthlessly kicked out by religious parents for being gay to getting kidnapped by space travelers with magic powers was frankly too bizarre. It felt like putting down one book and picking up another. The author sort of made up for it though by not rushing through Casper's introduction to this new world and keeping him separated from it for a while.

Helix and Casper were cute, probably too cute if I'm honest, I did wish there was more angst and pining and will-they-won't-they going on because any issue that came up between them was solved in minutes by healthy communication :') I feel like there was a missed opportunity for at least the beginning for Helix to be on a high horse about the Telos since he said he argued against bringing him there. I get that the point was probably to show a healthy relationship between two gay young adults in contrast with Casper's trauma surrounding being gay, but you can't blame a girlie for wanting a good old fashioned toxic slow burn :/

Those things aside, the world building was really well done, the writing was really good and the story was engaging. I'm not a huge fan of this narrator if I'm honest, everything Casper thought sounded like complaining :/ I've suffered through far worse narrators though so it didn't ruin the story for me.

Loved it! A must listen!

Great story, amazing ability to draw the listener in- loved it! Can’t wait for the next one!

The Arthur’s words

At the introduction of the book, the Arthur shared some words I found faithfully honest! “A Circle of Stars”, portrays one’s aptitude for compassion and rage, in the face of oppressive barriers. Definitely worth checking out!!

a riveting novel that transports you to a different world

amazing performance of an amazing book. fantasy meets reality, the perfect escapism read that actually makes you think.

A Circle of Stars Audiobook Review

4.5 stars

I had a LONG day at work today, so I was able to get through this whole audiobook!

I thought the world building was super cool, there was so much lore behind it and I loved learning about its origins. The magic system was incredible; each astrological sign has different powers! It was truly unique. I don’t think I fully understood what powers belonged to each sign, but that’s probably a user error on my end. Casper has such a gentle soul, though his family and friends treated him like shit. (I was ready to fight his mom and dad by the third page) His resilience was beautiful. I also liked Helix a lot and liked that he and Casper really pushed each other to grow. Some of the plot got a little hard for me to follow at times, just because there is so much that goes on.There’s corruption, political intrigue, and it mirrors a lot of what is going on in our society today!

Thank you so much to the author for a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!