Lightlark by. Alex Aster | Audiobook/Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lightlark (#1)

Author: Alex Aster

Narrators: Suzy Jackson

Format: audiobook (borrowed) / hardcover (owned)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 8/22/2022

Categories: Romance, Audiobook, Fantasy, Young Adult

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.

Content Warning: violence

I listened and read this book because reading it at first, I couldn’t get into it. I figured maybe if someone read it to me, I could get through the beginning much more quickly and it really did help! I listened to the book almost until past the halfway mark. The narrator did great for the most part but I really wanted my own imagination to voice Oro and Grim. But because I was listening to the first part, I can’t say I followed the story as good as I should have, because there were some parts that my mind just drifted like at times when they were discussing clothes.

I thought the world-building was interesting but also sometimes confusing. There are six realms in a competition, and one realm will die at the end. Each realm has powers, but the Wildling representative, Isla…does not. And she has to keep that secret. There is a way to break the curse and get her powers back though and that’s her main objective at the Centennial. Anyway, I didn’t quite feel the high stakes of the competition, but I did like the ending of the story.

As a character, Isla wasn’t my favorite, but I’m not sure if I had one. She has no powers but she’s a good fighter and that’s all I can really remember about her. The whole book feels like it’s written for teens, except there is an intimate scene – but it isn’t detailed. It’s pretty rushed through and I felt like that was the whole theme of this book. The chapters are short, which is fine, but everything in this book felt rushed – the writing felt stilted. But I’m hoping it will get better in book two?

There is a love triangle and I did like the drama around it, because I like drama even though I found myself rolling my eyes a lot of times! I did feel like Isla could’ve figured out a few things that was going around her if she wasn’t so caught up and easily mesmerized by Grim. She had goals and basically he was a big distraction and then some – so I’m leaning towards Oro, I guess. I did feel like she was not even on their level, like who is she?! 😅 My favorite part of this book I think is the ending and all the betrayal.

Tropes: special girl, love triangle

Why you should read it:

• to see what the fuss is about
• you like love triangles

Why you might not want to read it:

• writing/scenes feel rushed and repetitive, and it needed more world-building and more character development
• needed more high stakes in the Centennial competition
• this is compared to ACOTAR and Hunger Games (a lot of books are) but I don’t think it should be because those are big shoes to fill

My Thoughts:

Did I read it because of the tiktok controversy? Probably, but also because I do like to consume bingeable YA fantasy reads with lots of drama, and a love triangle. Sometimes I’m just in the mood for it. But I couldn’t really get into this story though until halfway in because I saw no point of the Centennial competition. I did like the ending and I will read book two, in hopes there is more world building and character development – and maybe more betrayal. 😅 I also hope Isla becomes a stronger character. I feel like the girl wants to be a badass but is really not on the levels of the other realms and it was hard connecting to her. I think younger audiences will enjoy this one, unless the idea of love interest that are 500 years old turn you off. I’ll definitely borrow book two just to see what happens with the love triangle but I am predicting angst. Lots of angst.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble