Book Review: Lightlark by Alex Aster

provincialmills
Nov 20
2 min read

Book Review: Lightlark

Author: Alex Aster

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Finished: 11/5/2025

Memorable Passages:

I loved the way this book played with my head! I kept thinking I had everything figured out, and then BAM! a major twist would show up, and I was totally wrong about the answer. It also does a really good job showing how love can be a crazy, powerful force that you just can't stop. It’s all-consuming, and no choice you try to make can keep you safe from it.

What is it about?

Lightlark is about a ruler named Isla, who is a Wildling. She was born into a world of magic, but she has a secret: she actually has none. She rules a whole section of the world, and that world is dying. To save her people, she has to fight in a big, dangerous competition called the Centenary—it's like a magical, high-stakes version of the Hunger Games. The story is all about who she kills, who she falls for, and all the tough sacrifices she and the other rulers have to make.

What I Liked 🙂

What grabbed me the most was how much I could relate to the main character, Isla, even though the whole story is pure fantasy. Her choices, whether good or bad, felt like something I might make too. I also absolutely loved the plot twists. I thought I'd solved the ending, but I hadn't! The book kept me guessing with all the heroes and villains, and the decisions and assumptions felt real, connecting the fantasy world right back to reality.

What I Didn't Like 🙁

I have to admit, some parts felt pretty slow. I did lose a little interest sometimes. It was definitely good enough that I wanted to keep reading—I even bought the second book right away!—but there were places that were a bit of a struggle to get through.

The main issue for me was the story structure, especially the side stories (subplots). The main plot was super interesting and worked well, but I didn't care as much about the things happening on the side, and that's why the book felt slow at times.

Final Overall Rating

This is not simply an average of the previous 3 ratings, but its own rating about how all the separate pieces came together and if it is worth your time to read it!

Story: 🪶🪶🪶✧✧ (3/5 Quills)
Writing Style: 🪶🪶🪶🪶✧ (4/5 Quills)
Overall Enjoyment: 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 (5/5 Quills)

This book is a well-crafted novel with thoughtful storytelling, compelling prose, and immersive themes. Though minor flaws prevent it from achieving perfection, it is a rewarding and worthwhile read that lingers after the final page.

🪶🪶🪶🪶✧