My huge thanks to Chloe Davies at Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.
The Lord of Stariel will be published in the UK by Pan Macmillan imprint Tor on 19th November 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
The Lord of Stariel
The Lord of Stariel is the first book in the Stariel Quartet, a romantic cozy fantasy series about fae, magical estates and complicated families, for fans of Sarah Beth Durst and Rebecca Thorne.
A sentient estate faces a succession crisis. But who will become the estate’s new Lord?
Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the Lord’s eldest son, whom he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? Or his scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion
Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta must do is survive the inevitable family drama – and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive locals – until the Choosing. Then she can leave.
But whoever the Stariel Estate chooses will have bigger problems than eccentric relatives. Winged, beautifully deadly problems. For the first time in centuries, the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm, and only the Lord of Stariel can keep the estate safe.
My Review of The Lord of Stariel
After Hetta’s father dies, it’s time for the Choosing ceremony to elect a new Lord of Stariel.
I am absolutely not the usual target audience for The Lord of Stariel. I don’t read fantasy and there’s a young adult feel to the narrative. And I thought it was smashing. I really, really enjoyed it.
The Lord of Stariel sets up the series brilliantly because A.J. Lancaster creates potential for future events whilst providing an interesting, accessible and absorbing story. I found I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The plot is smashing. There’s an excellent balance of the prosaic and the dramatic and the authorial style is simply perfect for the genre. As someone somewhat resistant to anything with the fae, magic or fantasy, I found myself totally beguiled and completely converted to the genre.
I loved meeting Hetta. Despite her magical talents, she’s a modern and relatable woman, torn between duty and personal preference. Her challenging relationships with some members of her family that arise out of her refusal to comply with unreasonable demands, her desire to do her best, and her attraction to both Wyn and Lord Angus Penharrow, all feel absolutely believable, making her a true heroine.
I adored Wyn. As The Lord of Stariel unfolds, so does Wyn’s personality. He truly is multi-layered and so appealing. I don’t wish to spoil the story, but there is so much more to Hetta’s family butler than might be at first apparent.
The setting of Stariel estate feels sweeping and cinematic. I think The Lord of Stariel would make the most fabulous television series as a result. Beautiful descriptions of nature plunge the reader into the environment in the most authentic manner.
Alongside a cracking plot, a touch of romance and rather more magic in The Lord of Stariel than I was expecting, there is intrigue and a wonderful exploration of theme. Certainly familial duty plays its part, but honour, societal expectation, identity, and humanity all swirl beneath the surface making for a textured and satisfying story.
I thought The Lord of Stariel was brilliant. I have a feeling A.J. Lancaster has just introduced me to a whole new genre that I might become obsessed with. I certainly can’t wait for the next book in this series and I recommend The Lord of Stariel most highly!
About A.J. Lancaster
A.J. Lancaster grew up on a farm in rural Aotearoa New Zealand, and her first job was finding lost people in a corn maze. Since leaving the farm, A. J.’s activities have included a geography degree, environmental planning and editing maths exams. Now, she lives in the Manawatu and writes romantic, whimsical fantasy books while investigating how many plants you can fit in one house. Results so far suggest that the limit does not exist.
In 2021, A. J. Lancaster received the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent, New Zealand’s preeminent awards for science fiction, fantasy and horror. She is best known for the Stariel novels, a series about a country estate that chooses its own ruler, beginning with The Lord of Stariel.
For further information, visit A.J.’s website and find her on Facebook or Instagram.
