Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Swoony star-crossed lovers fairy tale tackles grief head-on.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE SUN AND THE STARMAKER, it's Aurora's wedding day and she's ready for the rest of her life to begin in the isolated mountain village of Reverie, but on a trip to pick winterberries in the woods she encounters the Starmaker, touches is arm, and magic awakens in her veins. As much as Aurora doesn't want to believe it, she's to be the next Starmaker, the one who pulls the sunlight into her village each day. It's a sacred duty essential for the village and she can't refuse. While it's not easy to call off her wedding and move to the castle, the hardest thing of all proves to be her relationship with the Starmaker. He may be handsome, but he's surly and closed off, and someone Aurora can't seem to stop arguing with.
Is It Any Good?
Readers will need one of this fairy tale castle's magic hankies handy for a swoony fantasy-romance that deals head-on with grief and loss. The hankies often follow Aurora around the fascinating castle, dabbing at her cheeks, as she learns to let go of her old life as a simple villager and embrace her immortal role as the Starmaker Rising. It's a lonely existence the current Starmaker has known for hundreds of years, a life he's ready to give up, if it weren't for his growing feelings for Aurora. The love story begins with two strong-willed people who can't help antagonizing each other and builds from there. But there can only be one immortal Starmaker, so the romance is doomed from the start.
Author Rachel Griffin infuses her fairy tale world with just the right amount of mystery and mythical awe. Snow and abundant flowers co-exist, along with a deadly Frost disease that lurks in the perpetual shadows. It feels like the perfect place to explore stark feelings of loss and grief. Occasionally the amount of reflection overruns and overpowers the story, but it's never out of place, neither is the reader's hope that the star-crossed Starmakers will find a way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about grief in The Sun and the Starmaker. Why do you think Aurora is so skilled at communicating her feelings until she suffers a loss? How does she work through her grief? Who helps her the most? How does her responsibility to the town of Reverie help?
Aurora comes from a loving family, while most female heroes in fairy tales either have wicked stepmothers, dwarves for company, or are orphaned. Can you think of any other upstanding families in fairy tales?
How does Aurora's deep connection with her family help her feel compassion for the immortal Starmaker?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Moms , Siblings , Single Parents ) , Fantasy ( Fairy Tales , Magic )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Humility , Integrity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Sourcebooks Fire
- Publication date : February 17, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : February 18, 2026
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