“You’ve been my greatest obsession, my greatest regret, ever since I could remember what you did to me.”
Cybil Harding is cursed. Born a First Daughter of the Harding family bloodline, she’s doomed to wreak destruction wherever she goes. Trapped with a catatonic mother and a scheming father, she doesn’t think she’ll ever experience love or even hope for something better. But despite how alone and angry she feels, Cybil’s soul shines so bright it burns—and that light attracts darkness so deep it’ll cast shadows that span centuries.
Miriam Richter was created by dark forces many moons ago, an eternal being that hungers only for souls. She schemes in shadows and deals in magical contracts—granting humans their heart’s desire in exchange for their soul. So when she meets Cybil, Miriam cannot resist offering up anything she wants for the chance to consume a soul that powerful. And a desperate deal is struck: Reincarnation for another lifetime, in exchange for Cybil’s soul. For Cybil, it’s the chance to break her family’s curse; for Miriam, it’s the thrilling anticipation of a divine meal.
The two are opposing forces, light and dark, unable to truly live without the other. Their attraction is magnetic and otherworldly, and their chemistry is undeniable. Neither of them can let go; Miriam seeks out Cybil in every lifetime to claim what is hers. But when Cybil figures out that Miriam could break the Harding family curse once and for all, their destinies are inescapably bound together…for better or for worse.
“The more beautiful something is, the more beautiful its ruin.”
As Many Souls as Stars is a gripping dark romantasy fueled by a frenetic, ruinous kind of longing that hungers for something more. Cybil and Miriam are two sides of the same coin, flipping between desire for power and for each other. The line between love and loathing blurs as their battle for dominance ties to their very survival, and forces them to confront even the deepest buried parts of themselves.
Miriam is a formidable creature of shadow who may have spent centuries collecting human souls but never truly understanding them. Cybil feels limited by her curse but learns to channel her soul’s intense magic in unexpected and inventive ways. Their love is and isn’t human: it’s raw and it’s violent and it reaches beyond the limits of earthly existence—but its toxicity and its desire feel oh so real. That’s what makes their romance into something more deadly; eternal monstrous nature cannot be held to mortal standards, and As Many Souls as Stars is as twisted as it is enthralling.
The lyrical prose calls out to you from the beginning, ensconcing you within each era of Cybil’s lifetimes, framing the differences that swirl around the core of her humanity. Neither of the star-crossed lovers is particularly winning or endearing—to paint them as helpless victims of circumstance would do them a disservice—the hook lies in seeing who will end up on top of their constant power struggle.
This gothic love story is wrapped in dark romanticism that veers between enchanting and wicked; it’s not for the faint of heart but instead for those who wish to be consumed. At certain points in the novel, you’ll find yourself pausing to admire its creativity, even while the bloodthirsty violence seeps into the page. As Many Souls as Stars fuses magic and monsters to create something both Faustian and utterly new—and if that’s the type of deal your heart desires, you won’t be able to resist.