Lightlark, the first book in the three book Lightlark Saga by Alex Aster, has taken the world by storm. It quickly became a bestseller and is being made into a movie as I type this, largely because of the marketing the author did on TikTok. It deals with mentions of cannibalism, death of parents, fire, murder, suicide, child abuse, general violence, and a toxic friendship or two.
Isla Crown is the young Queen of the Wildling, kept secluded for her own safety and the safety of her people, she is about to go forward alone for the first time to the Centennial. Five-hundred years ago, all of the realms of Lightlark were cursed, Wildling included. Every one-hundred years the rulers of all six realms come together for one-hundred days to attempt to break the curse. But this Centennial feels different, it may be the last chance they get. Isla, who has basically only interacted with two people for her entire life, is thrust into a deadly game of alliance and betrayal, a game in which one of the rulers will die if the curse is to be broken. Isla is one of the youngest rulers, the least experienced, and Wildling already has a terrible reputation, so she's on the short list of expendable rulers. Can she stay alive long enough to break the curse and save her people, and herself, in the process?
Oh boy, where do I start. This book is hyped up and it is, quite frankly, not good. I am an avid reader of fantasy and I found the beginning of this book to be incredibly confusing. The middle and end weren't much better. The relationships are unbelievable and I don't mean that in a good way, there's barely any interaction of substance between the main character and anyone else and yet I'm supposed to believe that there is a love triangle? I don't even see a love straight line! I can see a "I kind of like you, let's hang out" line but a deep-down love connection, no. The plot is interesting but poorly executed. Is it the worst book I've ever read, no, but in my opinion it certainly doesn't deserve the kind of hype it's received.
I'm giving Lightlark by Alex Aster 3 stars out of 5 and that is being generous. Spice level is nearly nonexistent, .5 stars. Was it good? No. Am I going to read the next book? Of course I am, I've never started a series I didn't see through. Here's hoping that the second book in the saga, Nightbane, is better. Look forward to a review coming soon.
For a summary of the book, click here.
To check out all of Alex Aster's work, take a look at her website at https://www.asterverse.com/
Pairs well with a good, hard look at all of your friends and a chocolate truffle, or two.
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