Review of As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel
Title: As Many Souls as Stars
Author: Natasha Siegel.
Genre: Romance, Dark Romance, Gothic, Lesbian, Fantasy
Year Published: 2025
My Rating: 5/5
Blurb:
1592. Cybil Harding is a First Daughter. Cursed to bring disaster to those around her, she is trapped in a house with a mother paralyzed by grief and a father willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of magic.
Miriam Richter is a creature of shadow. Forged by the dark arts many years ago, she is doomed to exist for eternity and destined to be alone—killing mortals and consuming their souls for sustenance. Everything changes when she meets Cybil, whose soul shines with a light so bright, she must claim it for herself. She offers a bargain: she will grant Cybil reincarnation in exchange for her soul.
Thus begins a dance across centuries as Miriam seeks Cybil in every lifetime to claim her prize. Cybil isn’t inclined to play by the rules, but when it becomes clear that Miriam holds the key to breaking her family curse, Cybil finds that—for the first time in her many lives—she might have the upper hand. As they circle each other, drawn together inescapably as light and dark, the bond forged between them grows stronger. In their battle for dominance, only one of them can win—but perhaps they can’t survive without each other.
Natasha Siegel has written an unexpected love story that feels both epic and deeply personal. Ambitious, gothic, and magical, As Many Souls as Stars is about the lengths we go to protect ourselves, our legacy, and those we love.
Review:
As Many Souls as Stars is a tenebrous gothic novel that details the toxic relationship between a mortal witch and a particularly enigmatic immortal being: Miriam Richter. Miriam is a shadowy presence who was brought into this world via a Faustian ritual. At this point, she did not understand her nature, she only knew that she was hungry. Sybil Harding, on the other hand, is a quiet and thoughtful pariah, stemming from a vague curse passed down through her family. This culminates in Sybil being ignored by the people around her and ultimately neglected by her grieving mother and her cold and studious father.
The lonely nature of both women stem from the actions of imperious men. The curse originated from the men of the family who wanted to keep the women meek, quiet and controllable. On the other side of the spectrum, men - in their hubris - summoned a powerful entity into being. This dark ritual birthed Miriam, who, unlike Sybil, did not allow herself to be controlled by men and took their lives as payment for the ritual.
After the two women meet, Miriam demonstrates her darkness while Sybil illuminates the other woman on what it means to be a human: her light. This causes both women to grow in character: Miriam learns about the nature of humanity and what it means to love and be loved; while Sybil learns how to be assertive and wilful.
Their relationship blossoms from uncertainty and curiosity to hunger and desire and blooms into a fierceness that transcends one mortal lifetime. I'm not usually a fan of dark romance, but the dynamic between Richter and Harding is addictive and compelling. They are both powerful women in their own right, but Harding refuses to take what she wants and needs; whilst Richter perhaps takes too much.
Siegel writes the relationship beautifully and with nuance despite its toxic and consuming nature, leaving you hungry for more. I see Richter and Harding's relationship akin to the new compelling new magic system that Siegel has created: souls (and pieces thereof) are consumed by shadows who do the bidding of the person who fed them. It reflects the nature of relationships themselves: a constant stream of giving and taking.
Futhermore, Siegel writes gorgeous prose that envelops you in a haunting, gothic world of magic, feminine rage, social politics and power, culminating in a beautiful ending imbued with vibrant imagery. This novel will be etched into my heart forever.
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.