When she’s fired and outcast during a snowstorm, her carriage wrecks and she’s forced to find refuge in an abandoned cottage. There, her life is upended when the magpie who’s stalked her for ten years transforms into a man, Lucas. He’s her Watcher and they’re from a different kingdom. His job is to keep her safe from her father, an evil mage, who wants to steal her abilities, turn her into one of his undead beasts, and become immortal himself.
Can they make it to the magical passageway and get to their home kingdom in time for Tambrynn to thwart her father’s malicious plans? Or will Tambrynn’s unique magic doom them all?
Publisher: Expanse Books (April 12, 2022)
Publication date: April 12, 2022
Back when I was teenager I much preferred reading romantic suspense and historicals. Now, I have a real appreciation for YA fantasy and I read as many Christian/Clean ones as I can get my hands on. The book titles for the Firebird series caught my eye right off. The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes just sounds so intriguing, especially when you read the cover blurb and find out that they mean the title quite literally instead of just being a reference to the old saying.
Titles aside, Dawn Ford's magical realms are vivid and imaginative. From the magic-bereft Tenebris to Anavrin with all of its magical beings, they completely captured my attention while I was reading. Even when I sat The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes aside, I was still thinking about the characters in this first Firebird novel and wondered where Dawn Ford would take them next. And there was a good reason for that, I didn't check the page count out before diving in so just when I thought the novel was winding down there was a surprise and away we'd go again.
The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes is definitely a YA book but the magic of story was so enticing that adult readers such as myself can enjoy the inaugural Firebird novel just as much. One of the things that I most appreciated was the way Dawn Ford blended faith with fantasy and did not sacrifice either one, thus making this book a pretty good read. Now, to see what adventures Tambrynn and the others will be up to as they continue to battle the evil that follows them...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes by Dawn Ford a 4 Bark rating.