Book Review: Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
Published: January 14, 2025 (Traditionally published version)
Series: The Heavenly Bodies #1
Genres: New Adult // Romantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Quick Thoughts: This star-crossed lovers story is 100% worth reading for the heart-aching romance and gorgeous celestial world-building.
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Abuse (including past child abuse and neglect)
Mental trauma
Torture of main characters
Death/loss of life
Murder and executions
Weapons violence and magical violence
Nightmares
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Enemies to Lovers
Celestial Magic
Prophecies
Starcrossed Lovers
Royal Court Politics
Forbidden Love
What is Heavenly Bodies About?
A runaway TikTok sensation, Heavenly Bodies is the first book in a dazzling new romantasy series that blends Greek mythology and shadow magic with a tantalizing enemies-to-lovers romance that will rewrite the stars.
“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”
In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.
So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.
And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.
Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.
And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist...
Heavenly Bodies Review
Heavenly Bodies had everything I look for in a romantasy: star-crossed lovers, captive-to-lovers tension, and the kind of yearning that made me ache for the characters.
World-building & Characters
There was a lot to love. First, the world-building. Celestial-inspired stories and magic systems are hit or miss for me, but the Stars gods system was explained well and really easy to follow. I enjoyed the characters as well. The found family vibes were strong, and all the side characters felt like actual people with clear purposes in the story.
Romance
My thoughts on the romance are a mixed bag, but overall, I really enjoyed Elara and Enzo's relationship arc. First, the romance is overwhelmingly the central focus of the book, so the plot about Elara and her kingdom takes a backseat for a lot of the story. I was okay with that but it could be off-putting for readers who are looking for more court politics and plot. I also appreciated how they talked through conflict like adults. I hate miscommunication, so the open communication felt refreshing. However, I believe this is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers and went in expecting that, but I wouldn’t call Elara and Enzo enemies. Elara is a captive of Enzo’s kingdom, so that naturally added some hatred and captive-to-lover tension but it all got resolved too quickly for me to call it a true enemies-to-lovers.
Pacing
My biggest complaint was the pacing. It took a while for the plot to get going, and the ending was too chaotic to follow. The final chapters had so many twists and rapid scene changes that I completely lost track of what was happening and had to re-read sections. The book felt like it could have ended three different times. I wish the author had picked one big twist for the ending and woven the smaller ones throughout—it would've kept the middle from dragging.
So, should you read Heavenly Bodies?
Overall, I’d recommend this book if you're in the mood for a good romance with lots of yearning and tension or enjoy celestial magic systems. I’ll definitely be reading the next one!
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Heavenly Bodies FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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Yes. Heavenly Bodies is the first book the Heavenly Bodies series.
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Imani Erriu has stated via Instagram Stories that the overall key plot remains the same but so much detail has been added that if feels like a new book.
Many readers on Reddit note that the changes between the traditional and indie versions are significant.
If you read the indie version of the first book, it’s recommended you go back and read the traditionally published version before reading book 2, Fallen Stars, that comes out in November 2025.
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Yes, Heavenly Bodies is spicy. It’s a 3 🌶️, on Romance.io which is open door. Open door means we’re present during the spice scene, but it doesn’t going into explicit details. Euphemistic language is often used.
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No, Enzo does not die in Heavenly Bodies.
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After Enzo is stabbed and wounded by Ariete, Elara pulls him into her dreamscape which saved him from death. He’s now in a deep sleep-like state. Ariete steals Enzo’s tether to the dreamscape before fleeing. The tether is what connected his soul back to his physical body.
This scene sets up the next book where Elara needs to find a way to awaken him.ion
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Yes, Elara and Enzo are together and in love by the end of Heavenly Bodies.