Starlight and Shadows - Layla J. Nickel

 

Book Review

Title            Starlight and Shadows

Author        Layla J. Nickel

Read Dates    19th December 2025 - 28th December 2025

Rating            4.5 / 5

Format            E-Book

Blurb

She was taught to fear the darkness. He was born from it.

Monsters. That's what unicorns are—capable only of murder and malice… or so Luna is taught to believe.

Trapped within the palace grounds, she follows the king's rules to stay alive—warned that even a single scratch could mean her death. But her world unravels when a shadow unicorn shatters everything she knows and holds dear.

She is left questioning why she's drawn to this supposed enemy… and if he truly is one, why does he keep saving her?

Thrust into a world of magic where safety and freedom are fleeting, Luna must face who she is and choose her allies carefully, all while fighting the pull she feels toward a man who refuses to take anything not freely given.

If she can find the courage to let go of the life she once lived, she'll learn that strength forged in darkness can burn brighter than any star.

Starlight and Shadows is the first book in a slow-burn duology featuring enemies-to-lovers romance with hidden identities that complicate everything and a heroine who refuses to stay powerless. Perfect for readers who love the protective darkness of Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses, the relentless danger and impossible choices in The Serpent & the Wings of Night, and the touch-her-and-you-die energy in Fourth Wing.

This is an adult fantasy romance with mature themes and eventual steam.

Review

I've read quite a few shifter style books, however this is the first one I've ever read that's involved unicorns. To say I was intrigued from the blurb would be an understatement. We've had bat boys and shadow daddies - now we have shadow unicorns joining the mix, and I am so here for it.

The start of this book was a bit on the slower side for my liking. But I am so glad I kept at it, because once I got past the foundation part, damn was I hooked. Layla's writing had me riding every emotion with Luna - every betrayal, every fight, all the love and wanting, all the hope and fear - and when a book can make me feel like that, it's always a winner in my eyes.

If you want a fantasy book, with only a sprinkling of romance, this is the book for you. Yes, there is some romance present - it is most definitely an enemies to lovers slow burn - but it isn't the main focus. Don't be fooled though, the touch her and die vibes are fierce.