A slow-burn romantasy about the one thing darker than vengeance: starting over.
Her magic smells like flowers. Her secrets smell like ash.
Inside Solana's legendary scent court, flora fae produce luxury from their own bodies. Their sweat is harvested. Their blooms are bottled. Their raw materials sell for fortunes across the continent.
Elara arrived at these gates with a fake name, a shapeshifting moth, and nothing else. Two years later, she is one of the court's most celebrated perfumers. Her cereus blossoms, which open only once a year and last a single night, are the foundation of Solana's newest cosmetics line. She should be untouchable.
Then a man is murdered in the daisy suite, a Fahyli captain starts watching her too closely, and a message written in ash reminds her that no matter how beautiful the cage, a fugitive is never truly free.
What happens when the life you built on a lie starts to feel like the only real thing you've ever had?
Find out in A Star of Darkness, an immersive dark fae fantasy featuring an original botanical-based magic system, a cozy murder mystery, and a found-safety romance that earns every quiet moment.
The Tropes
He never speaks, but says everything.
Morpho is Elara's shapeshifting moth familiar, part bodyguard, part conscience, and the only creature who has ever loved her without needing an explanation. Readers keep telling us he is the reason they could not put this book down.
Meet the Main Characters
A fugitive with a dark secret, the captain who sees too much, and the moth who never leaves her side.
Elara Darkstar ("Vesper")
A fugitive perfumer hiding a bounty, a false name, and a past she has never pretended was innocent.
Regalis
A captain whose entire gift is noticing what people would rather he did not. And he notices her.
Morpho
A shapeshifting moth who says everything without a single word.
Is This Book For You?
- ✓ You love an emotionally intense, non-explicit romantasy, where trust is the currency of intimacy.
- ✓ You love a magic system with real internal logic. Here, perfume and botanicals are both the economy and the magic.
- ✓ You want a heroine who has done genuinely terrible things and still earns your sympathy.
- ✓ You bond harder with the animal companion than with half the human cast.
- ✓ You enjoy political tension and mystery tucked inside a beautiful court.
Read or Listen to a Sample
Slip inside Solana's scent court. Read a short excerpt, or press play and listen.
"The message made her blood turn to ice."
Read an excerpt from the opening chapter: The Ash Message ▼
At the sound of her voice, the flies did break out of their dizzying circles. They began to crawl in different directions, and as they did so, their bodies lit up, turning first red, then orange. They reminded her of fireflies, but these insects were much less pleasant. Her breath caught when tiny columns of smoke began to drift up from their bodies. This was a spell, there was no mistaking it. The flies burned up as they crawled, each leaving a trail of ash and soot behind, until there was nothing remaining but the lines on her blotter, lines that formed words, as though written by an invisible hand. The message made her blood turn to ice.
I know where you are. I know what you've done. Your time is short, Darkstar.
Hear the opening in the narrator's voices
A short sample from the A Star of Darkness audiobook.
Choose Your Edition
From an instant ebook to a foiled collector's hardcover made just for you.
Deluxe Collector's Hardcover
- Metallic foiled jacket and matching case
- Sprayed edges and custom character art
- Black satin bookmark, head and tail bands
- Full coloured endpapers and a fantasy map
- Custom interior formatting throughout
Ebook + Audiobook Bundle
Read it and listen to it. Both digital formats, delivered instantly.
Bespoke and deluxe editions are made to order and ship in 15 to 18 working days. Ebooks and audiobooks are delivered instantly via BookFunnel, so you can start reading tonight while your collector's edition is crafted.
A Treasure Crafted for Collectors
Compare Editions
Every format has the whole story. The difference is how you hold it.
| Deluxe HardcoverMost Popular |
Bespoke Paperback |
Paperback | Audiobook | Ebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $64.99 | $29.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 | $6.99 |
| The complete novel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Professional narration | – | – | – | ✓ | – |
| Physical book | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
| Fantasy map inside | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
| Custom character art | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Sprayed edges | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Foiled jacket and case | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Full coloured endpapers | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Satin bookmark and bands | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Instant delivery | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Only on alknorrbooks.store | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
Swipe the table sideways to see every edition.
"I wanted to write a heroine who had done something genuinely terrible and still deserved to be loved...by a moth who never leaves her, and eventually by a man who pays attention until he understands. I would love for you to meet them. Especially Morpho."
What Readers Are Saying
Readers love Elara, Regalis, and one unforgettable moth.
Honestly, this book was so much more than I expected it to be. It was beautiful, sad, and, ultimately, hopeful. The romance was sweet, but really was a story of a lonely, lost person finding her place in the world. I just loved it.
Another brilliant book. Once again the author has smashed it out of the park
This book captured me right from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down. I love the characters especially the familiars. There is a little more darkness to this book but Abby brings it all together for an epic ending that left me crying and smiling at the same time.
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Questions, Answered
What is the difference between the paperback and the bespoke paperback? ▼
When will my bespoke or deluxe hardcover ship? ▼
How are the ebook and audiobook delivered? ▼
How long is the audiobook, and who narrates it? ▼
Is this a standalone, or do I need to read the series first? ▼
Is there explicit content? ▼
Read the First Five Chapters Free
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