Name: Lightlark
ISBN: 9781419760860

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 

Ellie 

“She had always longed for more ... everything. More experiences, more places, more people.”

Harley Rae

“The full egg represented the moon," she said, her voice hoarse from singing. “The yolk ... is the sun." How many times had she thought the full moon looked like an egg? That the sun looked yolky?

“Everything in the library was on full display, shelves built into the walls. Isla started up the spiral walkway, forcing herself not to look too carefully at the books. If she saw any of their titles, she wasn’t she would be able to resist the temptation to sit down and read.

You will have plenty of time to read once your curses are broken, she told herself. After using the bondbreaker, she would have the freedom to pillage the library in the Wilding realm and devour every book of she wished.”

“Her greatest fear was the one she faced in Celeste's trial - not living.

Being trapped for eternity in a room without having done everything she dreamed of.”

Lizeth Esmeralda

Falling deeply and truly in love meant forming a bond that gave a beloved complete access to one’s abilities.

Belen Ochoa

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.”

Isla hadn’t worked for years for her efforts to be useless, to be a victim of this room and her circumstances. She hadn’t even known how much she was missing. Now that she saw how much the world had to offer, she wanted it all. She wanted everything. 

She was afraid. Though Terra had trained her not to fear death, she did. But it wasn’t what she feared most. Her greatest fear was the one she faced in Celeste’s trial - not living. Being trapped for eternity in a room without having done everything she dreamed of. 

“If anyone makes a move to harm you, I will ruin them and their entire realm.”

“Isla”, he said, her name so soft on his lips. She saw her own emotions reflected in his eyes. Confusion. Not knowing how it happened. Just that it did. Love was a strange thing. She wanted him in so many ways. Had for a while, though she had tried her best to deny it. More than anything she trusted him. Was that the basis of love?

fc ♡

His dark eyes seemed to get even darker as they met hers, and he said, “I’m not sure what I enjoy more. Seeing the way you grip a sword . . . or the way your dress grips you.” 

If looks could kill, the Nightshade would be dead, and Isla would have broken the first rule of the Centennial. Grim’s lips formed a devious smile in response to her glare. She took a step toward him, emboldened. She still wasn’t sure what game Grim was playing, but she did know he enjoyed it when she bit back. 

“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.”

Haley

“He looked at her like she was the thing they had torn apart the island for, the heart he had been desperately trying to find all these years, the needle that had finally threaded him together.”

“The sea is a strange shade there . . . dark green. The color of your eyes.”

“I’ll give you anything,” he said immediately. “Anything you need. Anything of mine. It’s yours.”

Allyssa Fritz

"I'm not sure what I enjoy more. Seeing the way you grip a sword... or the way your dress grips you."

love seeing a male notice a females strength but still want them to know they have someone else in their corner 🥵

Emily Ines 🤍

“I know you are more than capable of protecting yourself" he said, head bent low, breath against her nearly bare shoulder. “But should you ever need me, touch this. And I will come for you.”

sheeesshhh, knowing you’re as deadly as everyone else even when you’re at a disadvantage is sexy

She smiled, just a little. And unleashed.

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

raia – inactive

One of the six rulers had to die. As the youngest and least experienced, she would be a fool to believe it wouldn’t be her. Especially when she had nearly died twice already, less than a day into the ceremony.

What was clear was that the king of Lightlark had a plan. And it apparently involved Isla staying alive. 

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 ! 

Lea Labat 

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 

Aimee :)

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!

Lightlark Lightlark #1