*Chosen as a 2020 Kids' Indie Next pick * A Locus Reading List recommendation * An Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist*
"Shveta Thakrar's prose is as beautiful as starlight."—New York Times bestselling author Holly Black
This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy novel.
The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping family secrets. Pretending to be "normal." But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star's help to heal him in this compelling coming-of-age story. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.
Sheetal's quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family's champion in a magical competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens—and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.
Brimming with celestial intrigue and a hint of romance, this sparkling mythology-inspired fantasy is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Laini Taylor.
She thought keeping her identity secret was the hardest part. She was wrong.
- A Celestial Court of Gods and Goddesses: Sheetal must navigate the dazzling but dangerous world of the heavens, where her mother is a distant star and every shadow holds a new intrigue.
- A Battle for the Heavens: To save her father, Sheetal must become her family's champion in a tournament that will decide the fate of the sky—and her own.
- A Rich World of Hindu Mythology: A gorgeously imagined fantasy landscape where nakshatras vie for power and ancient stories come to life.
- A Forbidden Teen Romance: She can't let anyone get too close, but her connection with Dev, a boy who sees more than he should, might be the most dangerous secret of all.
