Lightlark By Alex Aster

I devoured this book, it was that delicious. From the get-go, the story sucks you in and takes you for a ride that is full of twists and turns. I thought I was able to figure out where the author was going with the story and was very surprised at the twists I didn’t see coming. I would highly recommend this book. I hope there is more to come.

“A few conversations with you and I was ready to make the most disadvantageous trade. All of me in exchange for any part of you you’d be willing to spare.”

I’ve been sitting here wondering how I am going to write this review to do this debut novel justice. And I feel I just need to dive in…

First off thank you NetGalley and RB Media for honoring me with an Audiobook ARC. I am forever grateful.

Isla Crown (our FMC)- Strong, resilient, stubborn, beautiful, smart, cunning, loving, adventurous, witty, loyal, trusting, and a little naive sometimes.. ruler of Wildling. You are forever printed onto my heart. She is a female character that is a part of my soul now. I connected with her on so many levels. She will be a part of my personality FOREVER and I guarantee it will be the same for you when you read.

Oro (our first MMC)- insufferable, loyal, leader, strong, wise, powerful, non-trusting, distant, gorgeous, golden ruler of Lightlark and Sunling!!!! Let me tell you I’m such a SIMP for this man. He has me in a chokehold, respectfully, and I’m glad to be there. His character development was sheer perfection throughout the book.

Grimshaw aka Grim (our second MMC)- morally grey, dark haired, powerful, snarky, flirty, broody, strong, and cunning ruler of Nightshade! He is another character I am absolutely obsessed with. His character is so complex and I couldn’t get enough of him.

The side characters were very much needed to the story. Even when they infuriated and upset me so much. They just made everything click into place.

Alex is a pure goddess with her writing in Lightlark. It is a dark YA Fantasy, and when I mean YA it’s because Isla and a few other characters are younger.. the remainder of the characters are not. Lightlark is reminiscent of The Hunger Games; but again not really the only reason they are alike is because of the games and trials. But all of Alex’s ideas are original. I’ve never read a novel like this. It is beautiful and poetic. There is no information dumping which is a huge plus. Because so many fantasy novels do this. Everything came out organically and what can I say Lightlark is a MASTERPIECE. I literally don’t want to say anymore because I don’t want to spoil anything. I want you to read and feel and discover everything I did. Please, just go read it and be lost to this world like I am.

Suzy Jackson narrated the book. She was so soothing and calming. And the inflection her voice would go up at the right times. The guys voice I wish was a little deeper but it doesn’t deter you from listening.

What To Expect:
•YA Dark Fantasy
•Adventure
•Forced Proximity
•Love
•Romantic Tension (the spice was very much what you would expect for YA and it was perfect to be honest)
•Betrayal
•Found Family
•Loss
•Who Did This To You!?! (Which is one of the GOAT tropes we all know it)
•Heartbreak
•Morally grey dark hair character
•LGBTQ+ Representation
•Banter
•Magic
•Curses
•Lies and Liars Everywhere 😉

Again to reiterate this book is a masterpiece and it must be read by the world. This story deserved to be told and I am so thankful Alex told it. It has made my life richer!!!!

i want to begin this review by stating that many (not all) of the negative reviews i have seen are either from people who have not even finished the book, or people who were simply review-bombing it.

putting everything aside that you may have heard or seen about it, i really enjoyed this book.
yes, there were things that could’ve been better, such as the world-building and dialogue variety for the characters. however, this is the case with many books, which usually improves the more a writer writes over time. if i’m being honest, i did not have an issue with the slight lack of descriptors for characters’ looks because tbh, the story matters more than what a character may look like.

isla crown, our protagonist, has a lot of issues to overcome. she’s a very strong character, but struggles with knowing who to trust, and who to avoid. as the rulers are pitted against one another to try and solve the riddle to break the curses, she grows into a person who is able to find herself and overcome her challenges. she’s very smart, but tends to fall short most of the time and seem as if she is the opposite. it’s okay isla, i still love you!! she must learn to form alliances, and avoid the discovery of her biggest secret.

the story of Lightlark and the Centennial kept me turning page after page, always wanting to find out what the next twist will be. and i definitely was impressed and captivated by everything i read.

*spoilers incoming*

isla was born powerless, or so she thought…
THE PLOT TWISTS!! absolutely amazing. alex aster really knows how to keep you on your toes throughout the story. i could never see some of the twists coming, and that made this book all the more worth the read to me. i think the biggest twist of all would have to be grim’s “betrayal.”

let’s talk about the love interests for a moment:
typically, i am a huge hater of love triangles, BUT, this book really does it well.

love interest #1: oro. oro is the King of Lightlark, and angry fellow who simply needs his walls broken down and to find someone who loves him for the person that he is. a ruler capable of anything and everything who must put on a brave and powerful face in public. he has many cute moments with isla, and she ultimately chooses him at the end of this book (which following the plot twists, makes sense.) oro is a character who you hate at the beginning, and gradually grows on you as the story progresses.

love interest #2: grim. grimshaw, ruler of nightshade is full of mystery. he almost had a “relationship” with isla, but it fell through the cracks once she found out he had wiped her memories of them together prior to the Centennial. he wields shadows (my fav type of character), and will do anything to protect isla, and win her heart again.

i cannot choose who i would rather she end up with, both are written really well so i wouldn’t be angry regardless. grim has been my favorite throughout the book though, so i’m rooting for him in Nightbane (book #2).

for what it was, this book really was an interesting and entertaining read. i think a lot of the times, people forget it’s YA, and even the part that is not is something that has happened in other YA books too. YA doesn’t necessarily equal no explicit content of any kind.

i’m definitely excited to read Nightbane in November to continue isla’s story!! <3

This book had been on my TBR for a while and I am so glad I finally was able to read it.

The world and magic system of Lightlark was so captivating! I enjoyed learning about all the different rulers and their curses. And I thought the concept of the storyline was very unique.

There were tons of twists and turns throughout the book that I was not expecting as well and the fact I never could really anticipate what was going to happen next kept the book very interesting. And the ending was VERY surprising. I was not expecting it to play out like it did!!

I really loved Isla’s character. She was strong, witty, sarcastic and I was able to really picture her well as I was reading the book. I also really enjoyed both Grim and Oro’s characters. I feel like they each had very different relationships with Isla and I am interested to see how both of their relationships with her develop in Nightbane; which I am looking forward to reading soon!