Starshell
What is Starshell?
Starshell is book 1 of the Shadowtide series, a spicy romantasy that will pull you into its dystopian world full of monsters and politics, and thrill you with high stakes action and sizzling romantic tension from cover to cover.
Who is Starshell for?
Perfect for fans looking for books like Trials of the Sun Queen, The Bridge Kingdom, and Shield of Sparrows, or readers searching for an epic romantasy featuring a dystopian world and hot for teacher pairing.
When will Starshell release?
June 23, 2026, just in time for summer with its tropical island vibes. Pre-orders are also available!
What is the reading order for the Shadowtide series?
1) Starshell 2) TBD
What kind of story is Starshell?
Starshell is a dystopian romantasy book with a human protagonist, heavy atmospheric world-building, and an intricate magic system.
What are the vibes of Starshell?
Starshell has hot and heavy romantic tension, high action and stakes, magic with costs, and a lush, immersive dystopian island world.
What tropes does Starshell have?
Starshell features many popular tropes, which are listed below:
- Strong stabby female main character
- Hot for teacher
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Forced proximity
- Morally gray characters.
- Tropical Island Survival
How many books will be included in the Shadowtide series?
At least three, possibly more.
When will book 2 of the Shadowtide series release?
Hopefully early 2027
Will Starshell be available in audio format?
Yes, hopefully! Eventually. Details still need to be determined around this.
What is the world of Starshell?
Starshell takes place on the archipelago island world of Mesmoria, which is made up of several surrounding smaller isles and one central mainland island. The waters of Mesmoria are lethal to the touch, and fantastical monsters inhabit them. The soil of Mesmoria is infertile without the addition of fragments of Starshell fragments, and Starshells can only be gathered from the islands surrounding the mainland where they wash up.
Character Art
Please excuse any issues on the art from here to the bottom of the page, I am a better author than I am artist. I've done my best to depict the characters of Starshell realistically but I am limited by my own lack of technical ability on this front.
Glossary of Terms
Mesmoria
An archipelago of islands on which this story takes place.
Reformatory
A prison where minors are incarcerated until their 18th birthdays, when they are assigned a service by the Ascendancy.
Apostate
An individual that has aged out and been released from the Reformatory.
Sentinel
A guard who either keeps the prisoners inside the Reformatory or protects the outer perimeter.
Great Tide
An adage/metaphor for the course of one's life.
Starshell
A seashell that is ground up and mixed with the soil on Mesmoria to keep it fertile, also mixed with a liquid to form the ink that is used for Skinscript.
Outer Perimeter
A durable wall that surrounds the outermost beaches of Mesmoria to block monsters from reaching the islanders.
Inner Perimeter
A taller secondary inner wall that is used for vantage to the miasma and the beaches.
Arc
Large ships that are impervious to the miasma, used to sail out from Mesmoria to retrieve Starshells.
Voyager
An individual that travels via Arc to the outer islands of the Mesmorian archipelago to retrieves Starshells.
Miasma
The an acidic substance that surrounds Mesmoria in an ocean, home of the monsters.
Skinscript
Inked glyphs on skin that allow a human to perform magical feats depending on the specific glyph inked.
Ascendancy
The ruling governing body of Mesmoria.
Prelate
The highest position attainable in the Ascendancy.
Blessing Day
A specific day on which couples are rewarded for having a baby.
Baby Lottery
A lottery where tickets are given out to promote copulation to sustain the total population numbers.
Service
A job that is assigned to each islander.
Haburi
A card game often played at pubs or in gambling dens.
Sweetstalk/Slimstalk
Native plants on the island of Mesmoria
Sweetstalk Nectar
An intoxicating liquid.
Ironwing Beetles
Native insects to Mesmoria
Dust
An illegal drug.
Devourer
The largest creature in the miasma, worshipped as a God.
Skinscript Glyph Guide
This list is not comprehensive, and only shows glyphs mentioned in Starshell.
Acumen
Agility
Air
Alert
Aptitude
Auditory
Authority
Balance
Beauty
Clarity
Concealment
Dexterity
Durability
Energy
Fire
Flora
Fortitude
???
Imagination
Luck
Magnetism
Perception
Restoration
Rock
Seek
Stealth
Strength
Sun
Truth
Water
