About the Book
Title: As Many Souls as Stars
Author: Natasha Siegel
Series: none
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA+
Pages: 352
Edition Read: Hardcover Library Book
Dates Read: June 10 – 17, 2026
Challenge: GoodReads Spring Challenge 2026, Pride Picks
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
This was such a beautifully written book. It’s one that will stick with you for a while as you sort out how all of the details came together in such a intricate yet simple way.
Miriam is truly a terrifying character. She is literally made of shadow, with no conscience, no morals – nothing but hunger, power, and greed. She is a personification of evil, and yet somehow, she remained ever so slightly sympathetic. Her attraction to Cybil (also known as Esther and Rosamund in later incarnations) isn’t exactly love – it’s way too toxic for that – but there’s something beautiful about it that makes you wish that Miriam could be redeemed somehow, even though it is quite clear that it’s not possible and she wouldn’t want to be redeemed anyway.
Cybil has had such a difficult life, isolated and distrusted due to the curse that lays upon her as a First Daughter. It was interesting to see how each new iteration responded to the curse, both Cybil and her family. Miriam quickly becomes the only person (well, “person”) that Cybil has, a constant in her life that will not abandon her. As the Harding family moves through each generation, the superstition and fears around the curse lessen, but one thing remains constant: Cybil’s power keeps getting stronger, both as Esther and finally as Rosamund.
Like I said, even though their relationship is incredibly toxic, and even though Cybil has mixed feelings about Miriam throughout each reincarnation, there is still something so beautiful in the way Siegel describes their relationship. The reader knows it is doomed, but you still root for them to find a way, for there to be a means to rid Miriam of her evil-ness and let her and Cybil (well, Rosamund by the end of the story) be together as a magical shadowy couple. Speaking of that, the shadow magic and soul magic in this book was very cool. I really enjoyed how that was done.
Overall, this was a beautifully written story, not exactly about love, but about obsession and the different types of love that can bloom from that (and the consequences as well).
GoodReads rating: 5 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
Life With No Plot 
Leave a comment