Hello, everyone! Today I’m starting off December with a review of one of my most anticipated reads of the year, As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel. The author’s last book, The Phoenix Bride, has lived rent free in my head since I read it last year. So, I’ve been super excited to pick up this new release. Did it live up to my expectations? Read on to find out!

For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, an inventive and romantic speculative novel about two women—a witch and an immortal demon—who make a Faustian bargain and are drawn into a cat-and-mouse chase across multiple lifetimes.

1592. Cybil Harding is a First Daughter. Cursed to bring disaster to those around her, she is trapped in a house with a mother paralyzed by grief and a father willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of magic.

Miriam Richter is a creature of shadow. Forged by the dark arts many years ago, she is doomed to exist for eternity and destined to be alone—killing mortals and consuming their souls for sustenance. Everything changes when she meets Cybil, whose soul shines with a light so bright, she must claim it for herself. She offers a bargain: she will grant Cybil reincarnation in exchange for her soul.

Thus begins a dance across centuries as Miriam seeks Cybil in every lifetime to claim her prize. Cybil isn’t inclined to play by the rules, but when it becomes clear that Miriam holds the key to breaking her family curse, Cybil finds that—for the first time in her many lives—she might have the upper hand. As they circle each other, drawn together inescapably as light and dark, the bond forged between them grows stronger. In their battle for dominance, only one of them can win—but perhaps they can’t survive without each other.

Natasha Siegel has written an unexpected love story that feels both epic and deeply personal. Ambitious, gothic, and magical, As Many Souls as Stars is about the lengths we go to protect ourselves, our legacy, and those we love.

***Thank you to William Morrow for providing an advance copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

As Many Souls as Stars was another masterpiece by Siegel. I’m not always a fan of the reincarnated lovers trope, but this story managed to use it in a way that kept me completely invested in both the romance and all of the individual characters. The writing was gorgeous without being overly difficult to follow, and the plotting was very tight with no words or scenes that went to waste. I actually wouldn’t have minded a bit more of the backdrop and day to day life aspects, especially from Miriam, but I get how that likely would have bogged down the story too much. The book had a lot of ground to cover with multiple lifetimes to get through, and it did a good job of making each one feel lived in despite only devoting 100 pages or so to each.

Miriam and Cybil were such great characters to follow in As Many Souls as Stars. Miriam was some sort of shadow demon that made deals with mortals to eat their souls. She was super bad ass, but there was more to her than just being “evil.” Her immortality made for a lonely existence where all she knew was hunger. Cybil, on the other hand, technically grew up with great privilege in all of her lives. She was always wealthy, but the societal expectations of her sex and standing kept her trapped. Then her curse made her push everyone away because she was afraid it would hurt them. She carried around a lot of guilt over things out of her control, and it left her isolated. Both women were obviously very different and polar opposites in many ways, but they also shared the experience of being lonely and trapped in an existence they didn’t choose and couldn’t set the rules to, which deepened the bond between them.

Speaking of their bond… If you enjoy stories about toxic lesbians, then do I have some good news for you. lol. I don’t think I’ve read a story with so much loathing AND longing. Cybil hated Miriam with a fiery passion while also deep down thinking she deserved to be tortured by her for all of the pain inflicted by her curse. Miriam wanted nothing more than to consume Cybil in every way possible. The push and pull dynamic of their relationship was intoxicating, and I wasn’t quite sure if they’d end up on the hate or love side of the spectrum up until the very end. Throughout their many lifetimes, they shaped each other in a myriad of ways, some good and some not. I enjoyed every second of experiencing their journey.

As Many Souls as Stars also touched on some thought-provoking themes. First and foremost, you attract the things you think you deserve. Self-fulfilling prophecies were a big part of this book, and I really liked how the author approached the topic. The hops through different eras of time also illustrated the ways society oppressed women throughout history. It was interesting to see how the wrapping might have changed a bit with the times, but the oppression and control were there all the same, just in a shiny new dress. Finally, the story explored a lot of existential themes, especially the way mortality seems to give life its purpose and meaning. There’s just so much to unpack in this book, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it for quite some time to come.

All in all, As Many Souls as Stars is another Siegel book that will sit on my shelf of favorites. The characters and their relationship, as well as the story’s premise, were all incredibly compelling. I think it’s safe to say that Siegel is now an auto-buy author for me after this one. Therefore, I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel. Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! I’d love to know if you enjoyed it as much as I did. 🙂