Name: Kiyarra's review of Lightlark by Alex Aster
Item: Lightlark
Rating: 4
Author: Kiyarra

Alex Aster

#BookTok phenomenon and award-winning author Alex Aster delivers readers a masterfully written, utterly gripping YA fantasy novel
 
Welcome to the Centennial.
 
Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.   
 
Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.
 
To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.
 
Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, Lightlark is a must-read for fans of legendary fantasy writers Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.

Lightlark #1

Lightlark

Am I the only one who is rooting for Isla and Grim ? 💀

Lea Labat 

But she hadn’t been the one to wield it.

Someone she loved was using her abilities.

The thick plant lifted her to the surface, out of the pit that had opened right in the middle of the Place of Mirrors.

When she reached the top, Isla hauled herself over the edge, onto solid stone, panting. Her hair was a wild mess in front of her.

Through it, she saw Oro release his fist.

Oro was wielding Isla’s power. And she could see in Grim’s face that he knew what that meant.

The look on his face, agony melting into surprise and finally anger, said that he had also tried to access her abilities. And found that he could not.

Isla opened her mouth. Hours before, her feelings had been different. Hours before, she had been ready to run away with Grim, to build a future together. To sacrifice all she wanted, for him.”

Aimee :)

Before Isla could say a word, Grim backed out of a gaping hole in the glass and disappeared into the night.

Celest's blood was still hot on her hand. Down her sleeve. She fell to her knees and retched. Sobbed. Screamed.

Oro was wielding Isla's power. And she could see in Grim's face that he knew what that meant.

"You know now that I don't eat hearts," she said slowly. "But betray me again- earnestly or otherwise ..." Isla bared her teeth at him. "And for you, I'll make an exception."

Oros smile was pure mirth. "I’ll let you in on a secret that might explain my decision," he said loudly, for all to hear. He turned to look straight at her. "Isla Crown doesn't have powers."

"And I don't know what I enjoy more. Replaying the image of my sword against your throat.. or thinking about how your heart might look on my plate."

Grim's dark eyes flashed with amusement. "Careful, Hearteater," he whispered, towering over her, standing far too close. " I might just give it to you."

Bodies fell from the sky like stars that had lost their grip on the galaxy. Children in gold burned in the marketplace. Silver-clad people painted the island in heaps of lustrous gray, limbs still knotted together in the last throes of panic. The hearts of lovers were stabbed through with shaking hands and sharpened blades.

Okay what if Celeste and Grim are secretly together and that’s why she wasn’t completaly killed (because Grim did it). And Grim knew of Isla’s powerlessness because of Celeste and not because he ‘sensed’ it. 

I just don’t think it was Cleo or Oro who tried to kill Celeste. Maybe it’s Azul? But I never trusted Celeste so I think it would be very cool if she was working with Grim all along.

Elin Hakvoort

I ship Oro and Isla, I am hoping Grim turns out to be evil and that he has been manipulating her with his powers 😭😭 But I don’t think that will happen, but I like Oro just too much :(((

It would make sense why he isn’t interested in women. And why he spoke to Azul in the first place. 

But husband would mean they would have already been married. Hmm. 

Btw I had this thought around page 252, but I thought it fit better with this quote.

I don’t know why, but I don’t trust her.

Celeste frowned. "Can we risk you?" she asked pointedly.  

raia – inactive

That was the moment I knew I loved you, he had said. When that arrow went through your heart, and it might as well have gone through mine.

Isla had walked over to him, stood on her toes, and flicked his crown. She had grinned at him, testing him, seeing how their months of working together might have tamed his disdain for her.

Oro had frowned. Then he had surprised her by taking off his crown. And placing it on her head, around her own.

She smiled, just a little. And unleashed.

Three of her arrows flew at once, each finding their targets.

Oro had arranged a guard of about half a dozen to trail her through the gardens. They were discreet, but Isla could feel their eyes on her.

“You put me in danger,” she said. “Cleo could have killed me!”

“I was never far from you,” he said. “I knew when you moved into the Place of Mirrors. I guarded its entrance. Had guards stationed nearby. How did you think Ella was able to get through unharmed? Wherever you went, I followed. And when I could not, I had guards monitoring Cleo so I could ensure she wasn’t anywhere near you.”

The man’s expression didn’t falter. “I want the Wildling.”

Before Isla could make a move, Oro’s hand was at the man’s neck. And it was coated in flames.

If there was any luck in the world, she and the king had never encountered it.

She reached up and flicked his crown, just because she knew he had hated it the first time.

“Oh. So . . . it has an actual heart?”

“Yes,” he said. “But it doesn’t look like the type you eat.”

Oro sighed. “Fear of heights. Fear of falling. Fear of bridges. Should we make a list of your fears, Wildling?”

“How do Wildlings take their tea?” she asked, sharp eyes gleaming. “With a splash of blood?”

Isla sipped the second tea slowly. This one—the gold one—tasted of caramel. “And we drink it from the skulls of our conquests,”

The only way not to fear death is to meet it.

Kiyarra

I have had this on my TBR for ages so I finally read it. Let me tell you, this book could put me to sleep faster than any book ever has. The plot was there but it just needed more content, more oomph. I probably won’t read the rest of the series….

Lauren Dale

The plot twist in this book was something I never expect, even going into it knowing someone was lying !

Sam Sibilia

Cameron Gleeson 

I loved the story and the characters. It had lots of plot twists, I kept having mild shocks while reading. 

ovgun

Okay but this book was soo good only the endong felt abit rushed

Throughout the book i was like ew not orooo but now im like stay away from grim now cuz WHAT 

My girl is gonna need alot of therapy now 😭

Amelie

What happend to grim??? 

Okay but this book was soo good only the endong felt abit rushed

I did NOT see the twist coming what…

Throughout the book i was like ew not orooo but now im like stay away from grim now cuz WHAT 

My girl is gonna need alot of therapy now 😭

This is a debut book and it feels like one. I don’t mean that negatively, but appreciate where the author can grow because this had good bones. 

The concept was great, the world imaginative. The pacing was off to me (up until the last 90 min of audio I wasn’t convinced I’d continue the second book) and the relationships felt flat. Outside isla’s relationship with Oro, they were all shallow with nothing for readers to point to outside of being told how to feel. This made the ending feel lack luster. But I loved what she wanted to do and I think with growth as an author it’ll get better. 

Abigail F

This is a debut book and it feels like one. I don’t mean that negatively, but appreciate where the author can grow because this had good bones. 

The concept was great, the world imaginative. The pacing was off to me (up until the last 90 min of audio I wasn’t convinced I’d continue the second book) and the relationships felt flat. Outside isla’s relationship with Oro, they were all shallow with nothing for readers to point to outside of being told how to feel. This made the ending feel lack luster. But I loved what she wanted to do and I think with growth as an author it’ll get better. 

I Loved IT absolutely but cried at the end the betrayel IS Just... Definetly #teamoro

Sheyd

Lack of world/character building but I didn’t mind, easy read :)

Lucy Williams

Really enjoyed! Ending was really good! 

Lack of world/character building but I didn’t mind, easy read :)

a cozy, fun fantasy read for a bit of escapism 

am I the only one not totally mad at Grim? 

Cara 🤍

a cozy, fun fantasy read for a bit of escapism 

am I the only one not totally mad at Grim? 

Oh my god, amazing , such a good book and it captures you almost from the very beginning, and the last 4 chapters 😟 I wish I could experience them for the first time again , I’d recommend this to anyone interested or even just looking at reading this book!

Issabelle :)

Wtf is that end help !!! I just want to read the next one ! 

why grim ?…why ?….

Wtf is that end help !!! I just want to read the next one ! 

This definitely could’ve been 5 stars if the plot twists weren’t so predictable and the stakes were higher. I loved the character dynamics, however i feel like we didn’t get a lot of Cleo and Azul. As i said, the plot twists did not surprise me unfortunately. I think there was only one that did. The love triangle is so tough, at the start i’m like yeah i definitely like this one, to liking the other more. 

 but now i’ve finished the book, i can certainly say i hate Grim and love Oro, and if she and Grim get together, he must seriously have a redemption arc because i never want to see him again 

This definitely could’ve been 5 stars if the plot twists weren’t so predictable and the stakes were higher. I loved the character dynamics, however i feel like we didn’t get a lot of Cleo and Azul. As i said, the plot twists did not surprise me unfortunately. I think there was only one that did. The love triangle is so tough, at the start i’m like yeah i definitely like this one, to liking the other more. spoilers but now i’ve finished the book, i can certainly say i hate Grim and love Oro, and if she and Grim get together, he must seriously have a redemption arc because i never want to see him again no spoilers but overall i did enjoy the book.

Honestly the plot twist brought the rating up. Did not expect that aurora was the cause of everything and can’t believe grim betrayed her. Go oro 

Katie Roberts

If this book didn’t have the last three chapters, it would only be one star. This is some the the worst world building I have ever seen. The characters are only half-formed. There’s no continuity, both within the scene and moving from chapter to chapter. How does she have her hair in a messy bun, then braid, then it’s fanning out behind her on the ground all within one scene. The main character has no redeeming value. She’s just Aelin if Aelin were also a crybaby. Her love interest toes the line between Rysand and Cardan but with none of the charm. He’s creepy and doesn’t come off as making ANY SENSE until the last 20 pages of the book. The only likeable character before that point was Oro, who gives grumpy ray of sunshine, but hey, at least he actually makes sense as a character. The plot twists are predictable, but honestly I don’t mind that in a book if the book at least made sense. 

Lexi

I love books that give you a little bit of everything- there was excitement, amazing plot, incredible world building, betrayal, romance, death, mystery, friendships. Just kept me on my toes the entire time. I ate this one up!

Sasha

big ab

disappointing… this book was trying SO HARD. and you can tell it’s trying SO HARD. it’s off putting. it was promising in the beginning, but then the story just kept dragging on and on and on.. and i just found myself caring less and less. i actually enjoy some YA fantasy series, but this one is really juvenile… like the writing, the world building, the characterizations, just very .. young in a bad way.

Jennifer Gosnell

Just extremely mediocre. I couldn’t bring myself to finish it because I just wasn’t invested or intrigued by the story or the characters. Alas.

I didnt think i was guna get thru it but the last 4th of the book was good

payton marie

This was an okay start to this series. I heard so many mixed reviews on this series that I didn’t know what I was going to think about it. And after finishing saying it’s okay is the best I can do. The building of the book kept leading up to something just for it to not take advantage of it and let it fall flat. That happened several times and the only time it actually captured it was the end of the book. But I also think I missed that build up that was happening for part of it at the same time. So I’ll see what the second book does and if I should continue on after that. 

Priscilla Stanfield

3.5/5⭐️

This was an okay start to this series. I heard so many mixed reviews on this series that I didn’t know what I was going to think about it. And after finishing saying it’s okay is the best I can do. The building of the book kept leading up to something just for it to not take advantage of it and let it fall flat. That happened several times and the only time it actually captured it was the end of the book. But I also think I missed that build up that was happening for part of it at the same time. So I’ll see what the second book does and if I should continue on after that. 

khadijah fasih 

the writing wasn’t the best , the amount of questions especially, annoyed me so as they were used without any reason “why?” “why?” like 😭 however i enjoyed the story and team oroooo >> Grim was so bland

I’m definitely in my fantasy era. 😆 

I loved the idea of six different realms all holding a specific magical power and were element based. All cursed by their ancestors centuries ago. Every 100 years for 100 days a ruler from each realm is invited to this centennial where they compete to try and break the curse.

Even though there was a love triangle I still ended up liking each character that was involved in said triangle. Grim is the dark, mysterious Nightshade ruler cursed with never being able to set foot outside at night. Oro is the king of Sunling cursed with not being able to set foot outside during the day. Isla is a Wildling cursed to lose who she falls in love with. They all want the same thing outside of this love triangle though and that is to save their realms. 

Isla is a strong FMC and is trained from birth to become a warrior since she is believed to not have powers. Her parents were said to have died by the curse and she was raised by two guardians. Terra and Poppy. They prepare her for the centennial but don’t let her leave the castle until she is ready. In keeping her locked up Isla manages to make only one friend and this is where the story truly becomes a tragedy for me. Celeste is a Starling ruler cursed to never make it past the age of 25. Isla feels like she found a sister in Celeste. 

So much betrayal, lies and sadness. By the end of this you see just how lonely Isla is and it’s heartbreaking. 

The writing is very YA with unimaginative names for realms and Isles. I don’t quite understand how Starlings even have people if for 500 years none could live past 25. Are they having babies just before they die and are being raised by teenagers? This is one of those things where world building really needed more. It also bothered me that while Isla can wear many different colors unlike the other kingdoms she chooses to stick with red the majority of the time.

Just a few small criticisms but overall this was a truly enjoyable book and I can’t wait to get started on the next.

Christa Bell

I’m definitely in my fantasy era. 😆 

I loved the idea of six different realms all holding a specific magical power and were element based. All cursed by their ancestors centuries ago. Every 100 years for 100 days a ruler from each realm is invited to this centennial where they compete to try and break the curse.

Even though there was a love triangle I still ended up liking each character that was involved in said triangle. Grim is the dark, mysterious Nightshade ruler cursed with never being able to set foot outside at night. Oro is the king of Sunling cursed with not being able to set foot outside during the day. Isla is a Wildling cursed to lose who she falls in love with. They all want the same thing outside of this love triangle though and that is to save their realms. 

Isla is a strong FMC and is trained from birth to become a warrior since she is believed to not have powers. Her parents were said to have died by the curse and she was raised by two guardians. Terra and Poppy. They prepare her for the centennial but don’t let her leave the castle until she is ready. In keeping her locked up Isla manages to make only one friend and this is where the story truly becomes a tragedy for me. Celeste is a Starling ruler cursed to never make it past the age of 25. Isla feels like she found a sister in Celeste. 

So much betrayal, lies and sadness. By the end of this you see just how lonely Isla is and it’s heartbreaking. 

The writing is very YA with unimaginative names for realms and Isles. I don’t quite understand how Starlings even have people if for 500 years none could live past 25. Are they having babies just before they die and are being raised by teenagers? This is one of those things where world building really needed more. It also bothered me that while Isla can wear many different colors unlike the other kingdoms she chooses to stick with red the majority of the time.

Just a few small criticisms but overall this was a truly enjoyable book and I can’t wait to get started on the next.

Truly amazing book and I’m hyped to read nightbane. Except for the fact that IDK you send the entire book falling in love with grim and then the last fucking 4 pages Islas dumbass chooses oro??? Like BABE WE DONT FUCKING KNOW Him????????

Lexi 

Good idea for a book but poor execution. I didn’t get the love connection between any of the characters and found it weird that the 500+ year olds had any interest with the 20 year old protagonist. Also called that Celeste was bad pretty early on. Very YA written - likely won’t stick with the series.

Paige Paul

um okay wow! this book was kinda hard for me to get through in the first half, but the second half, when things started churning and clicking it was great! so many secrets and twists and reveals!!!!! i need to know what was behind the door! and tbh i was always team Oro. i love the sun!

Kiyarra &
Lightlark by Alex Aster

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Lightlark by Alex Aster