The Court of Venus

For months I’ve been anticipating Bel Banta‘s romantasy novel, The Court of Venus. Set in a Tudor-inspired world with rare, astrology-based magicians, it follows Bianca Mortlake, the first Moonborn magician in over a thousand years. She’s just been summoned to the court where she must team up with her childhood rival, Roland, a Venusborn magician and right hand to the king. The stars foretell a bad fate looming in mere weeks, and between immense power and ruthless execution, Bianca and Roland must tread carefully in order to make it out alive.

What I Liked:

• Planets and astrology-based magic. This is what first put The Court of Venus at the top of my list. I love astrology, and here, it’s the basis of magic. Depending on the placement of the planets at the time of birth, some people are born as magicians with specific powers. Bianca is Moonborn (a Cancer), and so can read and influence others’ emotions. She can also shapeshift and read/share memories. Roland is Venusborn (Taurus), so he can read and influence others’ desires.
• Significant powers and choosing how to wield them. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Both Bianca and Roland can use their powers for good… or for evil. Other magicians have no qualms about using their magic to fight dirty. Our protagonists are more honorable than that, but would they ever do bad for personal gain?
• Rivals-to-lover romance. I enjoyed the drawn-out romance between Bianca and Roland! They knew each other when they were younger, both apprentices to the most powerful magician. But they bickered more than anything, and she secretly fell in love with another man, the king’s son. Now it’s years later, and whatever their past, they must work together. They get a slow burn, full of emotion, flirtation, and spice.
• That cliffhanger! The epilogue introduces a whole new situation, and I can hardly wait to read the sequel and see what happens next.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• A bit too info dumpy at beginning. Early on, there’s a conversation between Bianca and Roland that feels like it’s just meant to get readers up to speed on their world. It felt like catching up on a previous book in a series… but this is the first one.

Audiobook:

Samantha Hydeson narrates The Court of Venus, told from Bianca’s point of view. Her voice and accent match the Tudor-styled setting well, and I enjoyed the subtle differentiation she makes between characters. This audiobook was engaging, even with a somewhat complex beginning.

Final Thoughts

The Court of Venus is an intriguing book for anyone who love astrology and planet-based magic, Tudor-inspired court maneuvering, and a rivals-to-allies-to-lovers romance brimming with emotion and desire. It took a bit for it to take off, but once it did, I was all in. Bel Banta’s website promises “a sequel to follow,” and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Bianca and Roland.

Special thanks to Tor Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Court of Venus here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Court of Venus by Bel Banta
Series	(#1)
Audiobook Narrator	Samantha Hydeson
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romantasy; Fantasy
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	September 29, 2026
Publisher	Tor Books

Official Summary

DELUXE EDITION—a gorgeous hardcover featuring gold edges, illustrated endpapers, front and back foil case stamps and 8 full-page interior illustrations

The Court of Venus is an ensnaring romantic fantasy in which a moon-blessed magician is summoned back to the deadly, Tudor-inspired magical court she thought she had escaped; where power is determined by the stars—and the closer you are to the king, the more likely you are to die. Perfect for fans of The Knight and The Moth, The Familiar, and A Darker Shade of Magic.

In Alvion, magicians have always ruled beside kings. Blessed at birth by one of the seven planets, their abilities are miraculous and extremely rare. Magicians born under Jupiter influence luck. Saturnborn can speak to the dead. Venusborn read the desires of the living.

At the moment of Bianca Mortlake’s birth, the stars and planets aligned just so, making her the first Moonborn magician in over a thousand years. A sorcery so rare that even the history books cannot say what she is capable of.

After a childhood training under the realm’s most powerful magician—and alongside a most insufferable Venusborn named Roland—Bianca lives a quiet life far from court. Until a chilling missive arrives in the night, summoning her back.

A mad and deadly court awaits. Two queens have met the executioner’s blade, and one wrong move could see any of them next beneath its steel. As power is pulled between ruthless royals and courtiers like the tides by the moon, Bianca must rely on the last person she would ever want to—the infuriatingly alluring Roland.

Because something is terribly wrong in Alvion. And only this moon-blessed magician and her oldest rival can save the court—and each other—from the dark fate they see written in the stars.

The Court of Venus
*rivals to lovers
*courtly intrigue
*Tudor-inspired
*magic tournament
*slow burn
*murder mystery
*she falls first, he falls harder