ARC Review: A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3) by Sangu Mandanna

A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3)
Release Date: June 29, 2021; Sky Pony

From Goodreads:
A prince without his kingdom. 

A kingdom without its princess. 

The destruction of the stars themselves. 

War is destroying the galaxy. Esmae has vanished without a trace. A terrifying, ravenous beast is devouring the stars one by one. Titania is offered a gift that may well be a curse. Alexi, the exiled prince, is asked to pay a heavy price for his mistakes. And far, far away, on a dark, mysterious planet, a sleeping god stirs awake. 

War or family. 

Pride or peace. 

As the end of the world draws ever closer, Esmae and Alexi must decide how far they’ll go to win—and who they’ll sacrifice along the way.




Rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The remaking of shattered things doesn’t happen overnight." 

I knew this was going to be a quick read. But I kept putting it off knowing that I'm not ready to say goodbye to this world and its characters just yet. And eventhough it's sad and painful to see this trilogy come to an end, it's definitely one that I will not soon forget. 

A War of Swallowed Stars brings everything to the table. Sangu Mandanna didn't pull any punches. This was brutal, exciting, action-packed, devastating, unforgiving, heartbreaking and will keep you turning the pages 'til 3 am. I don't want to say too much. But just know that I cried, I laughed, I swooned. I had a lot of WTF moments. And in the end? I was an emotional wreck. 

I have SO MUCH LOVE for this world and its complex, flawed characters. I just want to wrap Esmae in a cocoon of safety and happiness. Max, I will forever love. Titania is still my favorite. Sybilla, I will adore endlessly. Amba I will always remember as that grouchy aunt who loves you secretly. I will miss all of them so much! 

I can't imagine a more perfect end to the trilogy. Sangu Mandanna's writing is addictive, exciting, brilliant and magical. I look forward to what she has in store for us next! 

PS. I need everyone to please read this trilogy and suffer with me. <3 

“You found me,” I whisper. 
His voice shudders out of him. “You found me first.” 

“It reminded me of you,” Radha explains. “You know? Because it’s pretty, prickly, and hard to kill.” 

"Maybe it’s not about what we deserve,” he replies. “Maybe it’s about what we need. And at the end, I think we’ll need a different girl. One made up of both rage and hope. A girl who won’t swallow the stars but will light them up instead.” 

"I want to be messy, and finite, and marvelously, miraculously human." 

I received an ARC via Edelweiss+ to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.





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