As Many Souls As Stars is a weird narrative. Its a day after I finished it and I’m still not sure if I liked it or not.
The story is compelling, I felt this pull to read right to the end. But I also had an aversion to the book almost, it was creepy and it made me really uncomfortable in parts. Not the sapphic sex scenes, but the character of Miriam Ritcher and even Harding herself at some points.
It is a multi POV novel which switches between Miriam Ritcher and each iteration of Harding.
Mirian is a demon, created in a human ritual. She makes deals with humans taking their souls as payment.
This first born child in each Harding generation is given the gift of magic, unless that child is a woman. According to family superstition, as the “seed of Eve” they are cursed and bring destruction to those around them.
Cybil Harding’s father rejects the tradition of killing of a first born daughter, believing he can ‘cure’ her. As she grows, so too does her magic causing her father to summon a demon and bringing Cybil to the attention of Ritcher.
Cybil’s soul is brighter than any other Ritcher has encountered and she is determined to comsume it. Cybil is resistant to Ritcher and the story follows Ritcher’s attempts to get it.
The novel is definitely well written which is what seems to give you that creepy feeling, but you also have this desperate need to know how it ends. Worth reading if your into that sort of thing.