THE LAST STARBORN SEER

Venetia Constantine read English at King’s College, Cambridge and holds a PhD in Art History from the Courtauld Institute. She paused a cherished career in the art world to pursue her dreams of becoming an author, swapping galleries for an enchanted windmill, where she now writes full-time. Venetia lives in London with her husband and their three children.

“The Last Starborn Seer is a thrilling quest, masterfully woven with heart-stealing romance and rich, complex characters. A triumph of dazzling prose and intricate world building, this is a stunning debut” —A.S. Webb, Sunday Times bestselling author of DAUGHTER OF CHAOS

“A Tolkienesque journey through a gorgeous, shimmering world, The Last Starborn Seerwill enchant both new and loyal readers of epic fantasy. This story is clearly a labour of love, each facet realised and polished with the utmost care. Venetia Constantine is a bright new star” —Samantha Shannon, bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

“The Last Starborn Seer has it all: an epic quest, heart-wrenching romance, and an ending that had me screaming for more. Venetia Constantine’s gorgeous prose is an arrow straight to the heart. A dazzling debut!” —A. Y. Chao, Sunday Times bestselling author of SHANGHAI IMMORTAL

“A captivating tale of empowerment, healing and love, a thrilling quest and a lush, intricate world –The Last Starborn Seerhas all the elements that will sweep fantasy readers off their feet!” —Kika Hatzopoulou, Sunday Times bestselling author of THREADS THAT BIND

“Venetia Constantine had me hooked from the first page. She has woven magic into this incredibly special world. A new voice so worth listening to, can’t wait for readers to pick up what will be their latest obsession” —Marvellous Michael Anson, author of FIRSTBORN OF THE SUN

1. “Sometimes honour demands mercy.” (p.30) When Astrophel spares the hoarclaw, did it change your opinion of him? Would you have killed it for glory, or let it go? How does this quote foreshadow/relate to the moral dilemma Astrophel finds himself in at the end of the book?

2. Constantine emphasizes that Leilani’s visions can be unreliable and misleading—they might reveal truth or the opposite. How does this affect the tension of the story and your trust in her as a narrator? How would you cope with never knowing if what you saw was real?

3. The “Sickening” spreads like a rot across Constantine’s world, corrupting land, creatures, and people alike. In what ways might this mirror our own worlds’ struggles with climate change and environmental decline? Do you see the Sickening as a metaphor for human negligence, divine punishment, or something else? How does the novel and other works of climate fiction challenge us to think about our role in preserving or destroying our world?

4. Guardians like sylvanmares, pearlsprites, and emberwings draw on familiar folklore tropes (unicorns, mermaids, phoenixes) but are twisted into something new. Which Guardian felt the most original or memorable to you?

5. How do Astrophel’s perspective chapters shape your understanding of him? Would you view him differently if the story stayed solely with Leilani’s point of view?

6. How did you feel about Astrophel and Blayze being rivals? Were you rooting for either of them from the start? Did the rivalry play out the way you expected?

7. What were your initial impressions of Blayze and the rest of the Quaternity? Did those impressions shift as the story unfolded?

8. Complex family dynamics and cycles of trauma play a major role in the novel, from Leilani’s fractured relationship with her parents, to the tensions within the Quaternity, to the lingering scars of the Sisters’ battles. How do these inherited wounds influence the choices characters make? Does the book suggest that these cycles can be broken, or are they destined to repeat?