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Book: “The Sun and the Starmaker” by Rachel Griffin
Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, February 2026
Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.
Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.
The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.
Review: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I received a surprise ARC of this book. I’ve read this author in the past, and while I didn’t hate those reads, they also didn’t quite connect with me. But this book took me completely by surprise!
Right from the start, the author manages to perfectly lock in on the sort of whimsical style of writing that exemplifies the fairytale genre. And while there are familiar elements to be found here, it was a wholly unique fairytale on top of that! From the location (a remote village trapped in a deep valley in the mountains) to the magic (rare individuals draw in the light from the sun and “hook” it to a lamppost to light the village every day) to the side companions (girls made of snow, eternal bunnies, etc.), everything about this book was lush and lovely.
To top it off, the story follows an excellent main character. Her feelings and reactions to the situations she found herself in were so grounded. She feels rage, terror, and grief. But the story remains rooted in its message of hope in the face of tragedy and the worth of love above all. So every moment of anger is quickly tempered by a character who is empathetic to those around her as well, not simply caught up in her own experiences. And when she falters, not only is it relatable, but following her path back to her roots is compelling.
And, of course, there’s a lovely romance at its heart. I do wish, perhaps, that a bit more was done here. While I really like the romance and the romantic interest, and the book did deliver a solid love story in the end, I was always left wanting just a bit more…something. I did like the attention that went into drawing out the history of the Starmaker, elaborating on his own experiences approaching the same situation our lead character is now going through. Through his eyes, we see the very different approaches people can take when facing what feels like an impossible situation. I also think the banter between these two characters was well done. Their gripes with one another felt rooted in the differences in their personalities and experiences; they weren’t simply bantering because that is what is expected in romance novels nowadays.
I also really liked the lore of this world and the secondary story regarding the Sun and the original Starmaker. Not going to lie, towards the end of the book, I was in tears at times, and perhaps not in the moments you’d expect. I do wish that the end of the book clarified a few factors a bit more, as I was left with some questions about the future of this little village and its magic. But, as it so often is with fairytales, this was also a completely satisfying little read on its own. I definitely recommend this one for fans of fairytale romances, especially in these last bits of the winter season!
Rating 8: A lovely exploration of love, grief, and, above all, hope in the face of impossible odds.
Reader’s Advisory:
“The Sun and the Starmaker” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Cozy Fantasy and Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.
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