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*Chosen as a 2020 Kids’ Indie Next pick * A Locus Reading List recommendation * An Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist*

“Shveta Thakrar’s prose is as beautiful as starlight.”—New York Times bestselling author Holly Black

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens—and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

Brimming with celestial intrigue, this sparkling YA debut is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Laini Taylor. 

  • Daughter of a Star: Sheetal has always hidden her silver hair and the fire in her blood. But when a magical accident puts her father’s life on the line, she has no choice but to embrace her celestial heritage.
  • A World of Hindu Mythology: Journey from modern-day New Jersey to Svargalok, a celestial court of shining wonders, dark shadows, and ancient gods, inspired by a breathtaking landscape of Hindu myths.
  • A High-Stakes Celestial Trial: To save her father, Sheetal must become her family’s champion in a dangerous tournament. If she loses, she may never see Earth again.
  • Star-Crossed Romance: Back on Earth, a boy with a secret of his own is winning Sheetal’s heart. But a journey to the heavens puts more than just distance between them.
ISBN: 9780062894632
Imprint: HarperCollins
On Sale: Aug 24, 2021
List price: $13.5
No of pages: 464
Trim Size: 5.300 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 1.100 in (d)
BISAC 1: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary *
BISAC 2: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance / General *
BISAC 3: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Religious / Hindu *

Shveta Thakrar

Biography

Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including Enchanted LivingUncanny magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, was a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award, and her second and third novels, The Dream Runners and Divining the Leaves, take place in the same universe. Her adult fantasy novella, Into the Moon Garden, is available as an original audiobook from Audible. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.

Soneela Nankani

*Chosen as a 2020 Kids’ Indie Next pick * A Locus Reading List recommendation * An Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist*

“Shveta Thakrar’s prose is as beautiful as starlight.”—New York Times bestselling author Holly Black

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens—and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

Brimming with celestial intrigue, this sparkling YA debut is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Laini Taylor. 

  • Daughter of a Star: Sheetal has always hidden her silver hair and the fire in her blood. But when a magical accident puts her father’s life on the line, she has no choice but to embrace her celestial heritage.
  • A World of Hindu Mythology: Journey from modern-day New Jersey to Svargalok, a celestial court of shining wonders, dark shadows, and ancient gods, inspired by a breathtaking landscape of Hindu myths.
  • A High-Stakes Celestial Trial: To save her father, Sheetal must become her family’s champion in a dangerous tournament. If she loses, she may never see Earth again.
  • Star-Crossed Romance: Back on Earth, a boy with a secret of his own is winning Sheetal’s heart. But a journey to the heavens puts more than just distance between them.

ISBN: 9780062894632
Imprint: HarperCollins
On Sale: Aug 24, 2021
List price: $13.5
No of pages: 464
Trim Size: 5.300 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 1.100 in (d)
BISAC 1: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary *
BISAC 2: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance / General *
BISAC 3: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Religious / Hindu *

Shveta Thakrar

Biography

Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including Enchanted LivingUncanny magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, was a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award, and her second and third novels, The Dream Runners and Divining the Leaves, take place in the same universe. Her adult fantasy novella, Into the Moon Garden, is available as an original audiobook from Audible. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.

Soneela Nankani