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Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Mother: A Novel (Star Mother, 1) Audio CD – Unabridged, November 1, 2021

by Charlie N. Holmberg (Author), Khristine Hvam (Reader)

8,423 ratings

Book 1 of 2: Star Mother

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A woman’s heart proves as infinite as the night sky in a breathtaking fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

When a star dies, a new one must be born.

The Sun God chooses the village of Endwever to provide a mortal womb. The birthing of a star is always fatal for the mother, and Ceris Wenden, who considers herself an outsider, sacrifices herself to secure her family’s honor and take control of her legacy. But after her star child is born, Ceris does what no other star mother has: she survives. When Ceris returns to Endwever, however, it’s not nine months later―it’s seven hundred years later. Inexplicably displaced in time, Ceris is determined to seek out her descendants.

Being a woman traveling alone brings its own challenges, until Ceris encounters a mysterious―and desperate―godling. Ristriel is incorporeal, a fugitive, a trickster, and the only being who can guide Ceris safely to her destination. Now, as Ceris traverses realms both mortal and beyond, her journey truly begins.

Together, pursued across the Earth and trespassing the heavens, Ceris and Ristriel are on a path to illuminate the mysteries that bind them and discover the secrets of the celestial world.

Language

English
Publisher

Brilliance Audio
Publication date

November 1, 2021
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.5 x 7 inches
ISBN-10

1713604310
ISBN-13

978-1713604310
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Star Mother

“Readers will find entertainment and hope in this sweeping, mythic tale.” ―Publishers Weekly

“In this stunning example of amazing worldbuilding, Holmberg (Spellbreaker) features incredible creatures, a love story, and twists no one could see coming. This beautiful novel will be enjoyed by fantasy and romance readers alike.” ―Library Journal

“Gods and men mingle in this fantasy tale of celestial beings, battling gods, and time travel. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust (2008) will appreciate the unique characters in this fantasy adventure.” ―Booklist

Praise for Charlie N. Holmberg

“Holmberg knows just how to please fantasy fans.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Holmberg is a genius at world building.” ―Booklist

About the Author

Charlie N. Holmberg is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series and the Amazon Charts bestselling Spellbreaker series. She is also the author of the Star Mother series and the Numina series, as well as five stand-alone novels, including Followed by Frost, a 2016 RITA Award finalist for Young Adult Romance, and The Fifth Doll, winner of the 2017 Whitney Award for Speculative Fiction. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, and owns too many pairs of glasses. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (November 1, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1713604310
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1713604310
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.76 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,346,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #17,370 in Books on CD
- #21,235 in Folklore (Books)
- #32,815 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
8,423 ratings

About the author

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Charlie N. Holmberg

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Charlie N. Holmberg is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series and the Amazon Charts bestselling Spellbreaker series. She is also the author of the Star Mother series and the Numina series, as well as five stand-alone novels, including Followed by Frost, a 2016 RITA Award finalist for Young Adult Romance; The Fifth Doll, winner of the 2017 Whitney Award for Speculative Fiction; and The Will and the Wilds, winner of the 2020 Whitney Award for Speculative Fiction, as well as Novel of the Year for Adult Fiction. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, and owns too many pairs of glasses. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Customer reviews

5 star		57%
4 star		27%
3 star		11%
2 star		3%
1 star		1%

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And Now for Something Completely Different

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021

While fantasy is not my typical jam, I enjoy reading it occasionally, especially when a book appears to differ from the standard fantasy tropes too often seen patterned after the greats like Tolkien. No overworn group quest or we-must-save-the-world tropes here! Sign me up! And I'm happy to say this is a delightful find. While it certainly has down-to-earth themes, so to speak, like sacrifice, putting others first, motherhood, love, and loss (and so much more), the book has surprising twists and turns that get you thinking while you're reading the book… and even after you put it down. I love novels like that. I hadn't read the author before, and I absolutely adored the word-pictures she drew… ones that made the book come alive in my mind’s eye, from action to setting, from the protagonist’s thoughts and emotions. The story starts a little slow but picks up after the protagonist makes her life-altering decision and she begins the journey she never intended to take. It’s worth keeping reading despite this slow-but-brief beginning. I loved why she chose sacrifice as her new life path… and her self-realizations (and those of her godling companion) keep coming. If you enjoy fantasy but find the familiar tropes uninspired, you might enjoy this wholly different and completely fresh story.

202 people found this helpful

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A difficult birth....

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is fantasy, with Sun Worship turned into the myth of the Mortal Woman mating with, and being possibly destroyed by the God-Man. So in "Star Mother", a woman of childbearing years is chosen to birth a star, because the stars are not eternal. To do this, she mates with the Sun God, whom they worship. And she of course does not survive the birth, or at least does not remain as a mortal woman.

Excellent writing, mixing the mythical sense, the fantasy style with some very mundane details which makes it relatable. It s a very quick read and quite enjoyable if you like fantasy-science fiction.

53 people found this helpful

Helpful

Catrina

Highly recommended!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021

I had to let this book digest for a few days once I finished it.

It. Broke. My. Heart.

Literally - like 479,012,841 times. Especially at the beginning, I was just overcome with motherly emotion and cried right along with Ceris. And then again nearer to the end... I just wanted to weep more.

The world building, per usual, is just amazing. You can see and feel it all and CNH really makes it come alive with brilliance. There were some parts I was utterly confused, like what just happened? Wait. As if the scene moved too quick and without reason, or perhaps abruptly ended.

After reading the entire story and then the acknowledgements at the end and finding out what motivated the author to write this book, it all just made more sense.

You have to look between the words. We all have a dark spot within our centers that can easily overshadow our light and joy. This book? It was really a work of art, one that helped pull the author out of her own darkness and back into the light. And you can feel that with Ceris' story.

I highly recommend this book - for everyone.

Thank you to the author for personally reaching out and offering me a digital e-arc.

48 people found this helpful

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Rhonda Reads

I cried so many times

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021

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How many times is too many times when it comes to crying over a single book?

I’m not going to lie, I cried a ridiculous amount of times while reading this story. Maybe it’s how well I connected with Ceris, and how, as a mother, I felt every heartbreak just a little bit harder than the one before. But the feelings were intense, and even though I wanted to speed through the story and find out what was going on, I found I had to step away often, to give myself a chance to calm my emotions and wipe my eyes. The connection between Ceris and her child, and the way she connected with other characters in the story, was something I could intensely feel.

I think, in a way, that’s part of the problem. Because for all those amazing feelings, I found the connection between Ceris and Ristriel not strong enough. For all their talking and walking, they went from being complete strangers to being something more… or at least that’s what we are told. I didn’t feel their connection, and though I cheered Ceris on, I didn’t feel enough toward Ristriel to make me want to root for them.

I did enjoy the story, and there’s enough emotion there to make up for the lack of connection between Ceris and Ristriel. I’m truly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

50 people found this helpful

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Creative, Imaginative, Entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

What a happy surprise to see a book by Charlie Holmberg as a Kindle First read selection! This book swept me away into a fantasy kingdom populated with gods, godlings, mortals, shapeshifters, and talking stars. It is one of Charlie Holmberg’s most imaginative stories, and if you know her books you will know that all of her books are well written and creative. The basic premise is that when a star dies, the Sun God selects a young mortal woman as his mate to give birth to another star. All Star Mothers in the past died with the birth of the star. Their families are honored, and the Star Mothers pass into paradise and legend. But Ceris Wenden doesn’t die and when she is allowed to return to her home, 700 years has passed. This begins her journey on Earth to find descendants of her family. Along the way, she meets Ristriel, a mysterious, shape shifting, fugitive, who is being pursued by agents of the Sun God. Add in a celestial war between the Sun and the Moon, and you get an idea of how complex this story can be. Ceris is torn by love and uncertain who she can trust. The book and its world swirl through the pages and some images are difficult to capture not because they aren’t described well but because they push your imagination. The writing is fluent, the pacing is brisk, and the pages turn quickly. This book is billed as the first in a two-book series, but there is good resolution to the story of this Star Mother.

2 people found this helpful

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Stardancer

breathtakingly beautiful story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2021

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This beautiful and heart-rending fantasy changed me in some deep fundamental way that I cannot explain; like one of those dreams that affect you for days afterwards, yet you do not fully understand why whilst forgetting the content of it, anyway. The story was so very sad yet hopeful and finally quietly but ecstatically happy. It showed what love should be about - promises kept, loyalty, trust, belief, truth, sacrifice and deep tender passion. It made me want to experience it, even in my crone years. I, like Ceris, fell in love with the damaged and lonely demi-god Ristriel. Few books make me cry with joy - this one did.

8 people found this helpful

Totster

Heartfelt, delicate, adoring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

I read this in a day. It captured my heart and delighted me more than most books can. It wasn’t bogged down, but light and free. The whimsical paths the characters follow, often brought too short to enjoy, no less gave this book an excellent feeling of mystery.

8 people found this helpful

little bookworm

Some interesting ideas, but all underdeveloped

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

When a star dies, a new one must be born, and to be a star-mother is considered the greatest of honour. To be a star-mother also requires a great sacrifice, for no mortal woman can survive the labour. Ceris Wenden is fully aware of this when she offers herself to become a star-mother, giving up all she knows to journey to the realm of the Sun-God. Yet, somehow Ceris survives the birth of her star, and requests the Sun to return her back to her village so she can be reunited with her family. He does so, however, when Ceris returns to the village of Endwever it is to find that seven hundred years have passed by. Determined to seek out her descendants, she sets off on her own. However it is a dangerous journey for a woman travelling alone, and when Ceris crosses paths with a mysterious Godling, Ristriel, she strikes a deal with him, where he will be her guide. As they travel together, Ceris slowly discovers the answers to questions she has about herself and the celestial world.

My first book from Holmberg, I was intrigued by the blurb to this book and also by the glowing reviews. The book gets off to a fairly promising start, the story quick to get going. I liked Ceris' sense of fun and it was hard not to feel for her as she learned that her fiance is in love with another villager, and in part this is what spurs her to sacrifice herself to the Sun-God, so that her intended can be released of his vow to her and marry the woman he loves, and at the same time her family's honour can be retained.

I was at this point intrigued to learn more of the world-building and mythology behind the story, as Ceris finds herself transported to the realm of the Sun-God. Unfortunately, this is where things started to become a little disappointing for me. I took it as a bad sign when suddenly everything began to be described as a 'not-something' e.g. the not-walls and the not-floors, which very quickly became rather tedious reading.

Overall, I have to say that the story was written in too childish a way for me personally. I understand that perhaps the author was aiming for a fairy-tale like feel, but me for her way of writing just didn't appeal. Her characters too felt under-developed for the most part, as was the whole world-building generally. Certainly, there were some interesting ideas here, however, I just felt they were not well executed or developed.

We spend a few chapters with Ceris in the Sun-God's realm, until she gives birth to her star. At this point everyone is surprised that she survives the labour, and she requests to be returned to her village. I did feel for Ceris when she learned that seven hundred years had gone by and the sense of loneliness she felt. At this point she embarks on her journey to find her descendants and this whole middle section of the book, I have to say for me personally was very much a drag, and difficult to get through. I was interested by Ristriel, who we are told is a trickster, but who agrees to help Ceris. The relationship that develops between them is sweet, but overall there wasn't enough going on, nor was the story being told in an engaging enough way, to really hold my attention.

The book also started to get a little confusing. The Sun-God suddenly shows up and wants Ceris to come back to him. Overall, I didn't particularly care for the Sun-God's character. I understood that the author was trying to convey that he was very much bound by the laws of the Universe, and that it hurt him to watch mortal women perish in order to birth his stars, and hence he didn't get close to them. But still just the fact that Ceris survived, didn't seem a good enough reason in itself for him to suddenly act as though she meant anything to him. Nor did his actions towards her every really suggest that she did, as he was always so caught up in his own affairs with the Moon and so on.

The idea of the Sun and Moon being at war did interest me, and the way other Godlings were caught up in this. However, again I didn't think this was executed in the best way, and at times the fantasy elements didn't really make much sense to me, and just seemed very abstract ideas that hadn't really been fully developed or thought through.

Alongside these tensions going on between Sun and Moon, there is a lot of confusion as to who Ristriel really is and why Sun seems to be after him. The last quarter of the book did pick up for me again, as we finally start to get some answers and see how things tie together. Again there were some interesting ideas here, I just thought it was a bit too late really to be enough to save the book overall.

Ristriel was my favorite character, and I did think his whole backstory was extremely sad. Ceris, whilst I did like, was rather one-dimensional, and also at times confusing e.g. at the end she is in love with Ristriel, yet she still enters into a relationship with Sun, seemingly just to pass away the years, until Ristriel is released from his prison.

Overall, whilst I liked some of the ideas here, this was not my cup of tea, and I won't be reading the up-coming sequel Star-Father, which I believe continues Sun's story. 2.5 stars

3 people found this helpful

LilyGreenEyes

Stunning

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I'm quite speechless and in awe at the beauty of this book. A concept that is so unique, so different, so well executed - it was simply stunning. I've struggled to put it down, captivated by the tale of Ceris and Ristriel. Their story has burned like starlight into my heart, and I can tell they will remain favourites for a long time. If you've read my reviews of Holmberg, you'll know I love her work, but this has just taken the top spot. This book is above and beyond anything she's written so far, and quite possibly going to take the crown for my favourite read of the year.

Pick yourself up a copy and dive in to this wonderful, emotional and magical tale of love, family and starlight.

2 people found this helpful

EJS

A magical story of gods, mortals and the incorporeal

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

I loved this so much that having read it in an afternoon I'm genuinely considering starting it again.

Whilst that is true for me of most of the author's works I did particularly enjoy this one.

The magic in this one is the magic of the olds gods, the sun, the moon and the demi goods and other beings that exist in in the same realms. The concepts of the different places and beings reminds me of greek mythology so if you prefer magic of that nature to wizards then this is one for you.

The plot was well thought out and the emotions and sacrifices were genuinely moving. Full of heartbreak of different kinds and challenges in a detailed fantasy world but there was a satisfying HEA for all involved in the end that felt hard-earned rather than contrived.

I look forward to reading the next in the series but Ceris and Ristriel are special and this one will be tough to beat. I definitely recommend.

One person found this helpful

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