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Starside #1
Starside
From Alex Aster, the #1
New York Times
bestselling author of the
Lightlark
series, comes her first adult romantasy. Enter the world of
Starside
, where swords wield magic and power is not inherited...but claimed.
Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.
Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.
First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.
Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.
But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…
Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.
Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.
First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.
Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.
But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…
512 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2026
6267 people are currently reading
91505 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,277 reviews
February 9, 2026
Someone please inform the Habsburgs they are no longer the most inbred thing now that this book exists.
This is a DNF (edit: I ended up reading the rest) because even my hate reads have limits. Alex Aster saw Lauren Roberts’ success (in evading a plagiarism lawsuit) and said “bet.”
I’ve truly never read a more poorly written, copy-and-paste book in my entire life. Like, if you’re 13 and have never read anything beyond The Babysitter’s Club before, you might like this. But, if you’ve read even one contemporary YA fantasy-ish book before this, you’ve read this book and I can’t see how you’d enjoy it.
And this is YA—despite Alex Aster stamping an “adult” label on it. I’m sure it has smut in it later (it did and it was baaaad) and they say “fuck” a lot, but if you take out those two things, this is a young YA novel, borderline middle grade.
Nothing in here is original (and don’t give me the “nothing nowadays is original”) people who say that are too chronically online and are simply reading the same tropes over and over and over again. Even things that are inspired by other things are still able to put a twist on it.
This has no twist on ANYTHING. Suzanne Collins (among many authors) needs to sue because the blatant copying in this was insane!
We got the undead bodies beneath a bog attacking our fmc as well as the classic, “she made a vulgar gesture at him.” Okay, Sarah…
We get the “pretend” make out against a wall scene from The Powerless series. Between these two authors, they’re quite literally copying from each other. The literary incest is rampant.
We get the corset tying scene from Fourth Wing, like almost beat for beat.
We get the two halves of a whole (this time it’s swords, whereas in Harry Potter it’s the two feathers from the same Phoenix for their wands)
We get the fuck in a cave and then the betrayal duel ending scene from Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Aster decided to go a bit farther back and take from George R. R. Martin: our sassy fmc has a dragon and, get this, cannot be burned in a fire. Bet ya never heard that one before, aye? (In writing this I just remembered our fmc is named Aris—Daenerys. Daen-erys. Erys. Aris. I don’t care if you think that’s a stretch; even if it’s unintentional, it just goes to show how unoriginal this all is.)
We got the surly, broody guardian to our orphan character that ends up dying (sorry for the spoiler, but this book sucks so much AND there is zero emotional weight to it, so you’re not missing anything) from Silver Elite—which in itself was a copy-and-paste book!
We’ve got the overarching plot of the “every 50 years there is a competition” from Alex Aster’s OWN books! She got so lazy she plagiarized herself! Quite a feat.
There was some Quicksilver/Brando Sando metal magic (ish), some Xaden broody, leans against a wall-ness, the “I’m doing this for my sister and I wear a braid to fight in this competition” Suzanne, get your lawyers on the phone now…
THE MEMORY TEARS from Half Blood and some ye old classic Draco Malfoy school bully character (yup we’re doing J.K. Rowling again)…
Romantasy, at this point, is just Charles II of Spain, unable to eat, walk, or reproduce because it has been so inbred that there is ZERO originality to be found.
People…authors… GO OUTSIDE! Talk to new people that aren’t just booktok people reading the same bullshit enemies to lovers books. Read a genre that isn’t the exact one you’re writing about! It doesn’t even have to be non fiction! Read a sci-fi book! Read a horror! Read a love story literary fiction! Read an actual well-written YA fantasy with a MINOR subplot of romance.
You’re all producing inbred romantasy children that have to be spoon fed!
And if you’re the children enjoying it, beyond the 10-foot radius you have blocked yourself within, there are good, action-packed books with yearning and interesting magic systems that aren’t just tropey, elemental garbage written at a 2nd grade level.
I beg you to explore and find them.
Anyways, thanks as always to Edelweiss for being that girl and letting me read an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a DNF (edit: I ended up reading the rest) because even my hate reads have limits. Alex Aster saw Lauren Roberts’ success (in evading a plagiarism lawsuit) and said “bet.”
I’ve truly never read a more poorly written, copy-and-paste book in my entire life. Like, if you’re 13 and have never read anything beyond The Babysitter’s Club before, you might like this. But, if you’ve read even one contemporary YA fantasy-ish book before this, you’ve read this book and I can’t see how you’d enjoy it.
And this is YA—despite Alex Aster stamping an “adult” label on it. I’m sure it has smut in it later (it did and it was baaaad) and they say “fuck” a lot, but if you take out those two things, this is a young YA novel, borderline middle grade.
Nothing in here is original (and don’t give me the “nothing nowadays is original”) people who say that are too chronically online and are simply reading the same tropes over and over and over again. Even things that are inspired by other things are still able to put a twist on it.
This has no twist on ANYTHING. Suzanne Collins (among many authors) needs to sue because the blatant copying in this was insane!
We got the undead bodies beneath a bog attacking our fmc as well as the classic, “she made a vulgar gesture at him.” Okay, Sarah…
We get the “pretend” make out against a wall scene from The Powerless series. Between these two authors, they’re quite literally copying from each other. The literary incest is rampant.
We get the corset tying scene from Fourth Wing, like almost beat for beat.
We get the two halves of a whole (this time it’s swords, whereas in Harry Potter it’s the two feathers from the same Phoenix for their wands)
We get the fuck in a cave and then the betrayal duel ending scene from Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Aster decided to go a bit farther back and take from George R. R. Martin: our sassy fmc has a dragon and, get this, cannot be burned in a fire. Bet ya never heard that one before, aye? (In writing this I just remembered our fmc is named Aris—Daenerys. Daen-erys. Erys. Aris. I don’t care if you think that’s a stretch; even if it’s unintentional, it just goes to show how unoriginal this all is.)
We got the surly, broody guardian to our orphan character that ends up dying (sorry for the spoiler, but this book sucks so much AND there is zero emotional weight to it, so you’re not missing anything) from Silver Elite—which in itself was a copy-and-paste book!
We’ve got the overarching plot of the “every 50 years there is a competition” from Alex Aster’s OWN books! She got so lazy she plagiarized herself! Quite a feat.
There was some Quicksilver/Brando Sando metal magic (ish), some Xaden broody, leans against a wall-ness, the “I’m doing this for my sister and I wear a braid to fight in this competition” Suzanne, get your lawyers on the phone now…
THE MEMORY TEARS from Half Blood and some ye old classic Draco Malfoy school bully character (yup we’re doing J.K. Rowling again)…
Romantasy, at this point, is just Charles II of Spain, unable to eat, walk, or reproduce because it has been so inbred that there is ZERO originality to be found.
People…authors… GO OUTSIDE! Talk to new people that aren’t just booktok people reading the same bullshit enemies to lovers books. Read a genre that isn’t the exact one you’re writing about! It doesn’t even have to be non fiction! Read a sci-fi book! Read a horror! Read a love story literary fiction! Read an actual well-written YA fantasy with a MINOR subplot of romance.
You’re all producing inbred romantasy children that have to be spoon fed!
And if you’re the children enjoying it, beyond the 10-foot radius you have blocked yourself within, there are good, action-packed books with yearning and interesting magic systems that aren’t just tropey, elemental garbage written at a 2nd grade level.
I beg you to explore and find them.
Anyways, thanks as always to Edelweiss for being that girl and letting me read an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2026
okay so I'll admit I had my guard up going into this because if I have to read one more deadly trial book I might actually lose it. but Starside won me over pretty fast. Alex Aster's jump to adult romantasy feels like where she was always supposed to be, and the result is this propulsive, high-stakes quest fantasy that just does not let up. the world is clean and easy to get into without being shallow (Starside for the immortals, Stormside for the mortals, a gate that opens every fifty years, fifty challengers, one shot at the gods' magic) and the swordbased magic system where power is claimed and not inherited is such a satisfying concept. it gives the whole story this underdog energy that I'm always going to root for.
now. Aris and Raker. these two absolutely wrecked me. the enemies-to-lovers here WORKS because there's actual betrayal in their history, actual reasons to hate each other, and every time they're in the same room you can feel the tension sitting on your chest. the slow burn is the kind where you're basically vibrating waiting for something to crack, and when they finally start orbiting closer the whole book just locks in at a different level. Aris herself is a standout, she's not here for glory or riches, she watched a goddess burn her family alive and she fully intends to return the favor. that kind of single-minded rage in an FMC? obsessed with it. and without spoiling anything, the way the last chunk of this book plays out genuinely had me setting it down and just sitting there processing. did NOT see it going where it went.
look, is it going to feel familiar if you've been deep in the romantasy trenches? yeah, some of the bones are things you've seen before. the competition framework, the broody male lead, the orphan with a tragic backstory. but Aster pulls it off with so much momentum and genuine emotion that the familiarity honestly reads more like comfort food than a problem. if you loved Fourth Wing or Red Queen and want something with a sharper edge and a slower, more rewarding romantic payoff, this is the one. I'll be thinking about that ending for a while. 4.5 stars rounded up because Raker lives in my head rent free now and I need book two immediately.
now. Aris and Raker. these two absolutely wrecked me. the enemies-to-lovers here WORKS because there's actual betrayal in their history, actual reasons to hate each other, and every time they're in the same room you can feel the tension sitting on your chest. the slow burn is the kind where you're basically vibrating waiting for something to crack, and when they finally start orbiting closer the whole book just locks in at a different level. Aris herself is a standout, she's not here for glory or riches, she watched a goddess burn her family alive and she fully intends to return the favor. that kind of single-minded rage in an FMC? obsessed with it. and without spoiling anything, the way the last chunk of this book plays out genuinely had me setting it down and just sitting there processing. did NOT see it going where it went.
look, is it going to feel familiar if you've been deep in the romantasy trenches? yeah, some of the bones are things you've seen before. the competition framework, the broody male lead, the orphan with a tragic backstory. but Aster pulls it off with so much momentum and genuine emotion that the familiarity honestly reads more like comfort food than a problem. if you loved Fourth Wing or Red Queen and want something with a sharper edge and a slower, more rewarding romantic payoff, this is the one. I'll be thinking about that ending for a while. 4.5 stars rounded up because Raker lives in my head rent free now and I need book two immediately.
December 13, 2025
Trial fatigue has been a real struggle of mine lately but this was thoroughly entertaining. Alex Aster needs to continue writing adult romantasy because this was GOOD. Genuinely love the way the last 30 pages of the book made me feel, a great start to a new series. FUN!!
May 5, 2026
THAT ENDINGGGGGGG >>>>
May 3, 2026
THAT ENDING?!? I don’t even know how to act… never in my life have I been so SHOKED
April 1, 2026
This book cured my romantasy burnout.
The fast pace right from the start made me want to devour this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and telling everyone I know to read it even though I hadn't yet finished. Now that I have finished, I fear I will become insufferable talking about it constantly.
The world building is complex, while not overwhelming. I love the detailed map in my physical copy. There are so many of the best elements of romantasy tied in to this book in the most epic way. Some of my favorite [out of context] components of the book: magical lands, enchanted structures, fantastical beasts, bada** swords, fire, plot twists.
Not to mention a true enemies to lovers tale. I mean talk about morally grey characters hating each other.
Hate. Me. Harder.
The fast pace right from the start made me want to devour this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and telling everyone I know to read it even though I hadn't yet finished. Now that I have finished, I fear I will become insufferable talking about it constantly.
The world building is complex, while not overwhelming. I love the detailed map in my physical copy. There are so many of the best elements of romantasy tied in to this book in the most epic way. Some of my favorite [out of context] components of the book: magical lands, enchanted structures, fantastical beasts, bada** swords, fire, plot twists.
Not to mention a true enemies to lovers tale. I mean talk about morally grey characters hating each other.
Hate. Me. Harder.
April 1, 2026
Holy. Shit.
I couldn’t put this down! Read/listened to this in one day! I didn’t want it to end. THIS 👏🏻 WAS 👏🏻 SO 👏🏻 GOOD! Phenomenal!! Fast pace, tension and banter that was DELISH! I don’t think I took a breath the last few chapters! Feminine RAGE! Aris is a BAD ASS, but still had those moments of doubt and weakness. However, she used those low moments to fuel herself and push herself to pick herself back up!
Raker! Oh you sweet, brooooooooooody man! Enemies to lovers! The SLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW burn was BURNING! And when it hit - it ATE!
I freaking loved this book! Alex! I need the next one! Bravo! We have been fed!
I couldn’t put this down! Read/listened to this in one day! I didn’t want it to end. THIS 👏🏻 WAS 👏🏻 SO 👏🏻 GOOD! Phenomenal!! Fast pace, tension and banter that was DELISH! I don’t think I took a breath the last few chapters! Feminine RAGE! Aris is a BAD ASS, but still had those moments of doubt and weakness. However, she used those low moments to fuel herself and push herself to pick herself back up!
Raker! Oh you sweet, brooooooooooody man! Enemies to lovers! The SLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW burn was BURNING! And when it hit - it ATE!
I freaking loved this book! Alex! I need the next one! Bravo! We have been fed!
April 19, 2026
What. The. Fuck.
Worst cliffhanger in HISTORY
but dare i say best read of 2026…
Alex.. i need that second book…
Worst cliffhanger in HISTORY
but dare i say best read of 2026…
Alex.. i need that second book…
February 9, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (honestly… 6 stars!?)
Fully biased because I love everything Alex Aster writes, but Starside had me in a chokehold from page one. Her debut adult romantasy is immersive, addictive, and driven by a very strong plot.
I was incredibly lucky to receive physical copy #34 of 100 ahead of the March 2026 release, and I’m still not over it 🥹 The twists were completely unexpected and left my jaw on the floor. I’m still shook and already feral for book two 🤭
With true enemies-to-lovers tension, the slowest burn imaginable, a unique sword-based magic system, and humans questing for magic in an immortal world, Starside is plot-forward with a romantic subplot that had me locked in. Add moments of feminine rage and a dragon, and consider me fully SOLD ⚔️
This one is going to be huge for romantasy fans! Thank you to Alex Aster, her marketer Kelsey, and Avon Publishing (HarperCollins) for this absolute dream of an opportunity 🥹🩶
Fully biased because I love everything Alex Aster writes, but Starside had me in a chokehold from page one. Her debut adult romantasy is immersive, addictive, and driven by a very strong plot.
I was incredibly lucky to receive physical copy #34 of 100 ahead of the March 2026 release, and I’m still not over it 🥹 The twists were completely unexpected and left my jaw on the floor. I’m still shook and already feral for book two 🤭
With true enemies-to-lovers tension, the slowest burn imaginable, a unique sword-based magic system, and humans questing for magic in an immortal world, Starside is plot-forward with a romantic subplot that had me locked in. Add moments of feminine rage and a dragon, and consider me fully SOLD ⚔️
This one is going to be huge for romantasy fans! Thank you to Alex Aster, her marketer Kelsey, and Avon Publishing (HarperCollins) for this absolute dream of an opportunity 🥹🩶
Currently Reading
May 5, 2026The character art convinced me. 😔😔😔😔
April 8, 2026
give the the sequel YESTERDAY!!
what. was. THAT. ending???
I inhaled every page, now what?
I expected something fairly predictable—but this book completely surprised me in the best way.
I don’t usually enjoy trials, yet somehow they were very entertaining. Such a page turner—there’s always something happening, and it truly feels like you can’t catch a breath, never once felt bored.
One of my favorite aspects was how on the first part of the book, we spend it entirely on the fmc, with very limited (almost nonexistent) interaction with the mmc. Their dynamic, on the other hand, had me so intrigued. I genuinely couldn’t figure out how they were supposed to become lovers with all the avoidance and rudeness between them (and that's what I like to see).
Aris, I'm sorry if I ever underestimated you, you're very unpredictable sometimes and unreliable, and I like that!!
what. was. THAT. ending???
I inhaled every page, now what?
I expected something fairly predictable—but this book completely surprised me in the best way.
I don’t usually enjoy trials, yet somehow they were very entertaining. Such a page turner—there’s always something happening, and it truly feels like you can’t catch a breath, never once felt bored.
One of my favorite aspects was how on the first part of the book, we spend it entirely on the fmc, with very limited (almost nonexistent) interaction with the mmc. Their dynamic, on the other hand, had me so intrigued. I genuinely couldn’t figure out how they were supposed to become lovers with all the avoidance and rudeness between them (and that's what I like to see).
Aris, I'm sorry if I ever underestimated you, you're very unpredictable sometimes and unreliable, and I like that!!
April 28, 2026
5/5 🌟
I FEAR THE HYPE WAS REAL!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!
I genuinely could NOT put this book down. And the ending had me actually shouting at my empty room. I went into this with low expectations - Lightlark wasn’t a book I enjoyed. THIS book was insane. I haven’t been this surprised by an ending in a really long time.
Is it perfect? No. The short / choppy paragraphs were annoying at first and there are some repetitive conversations and themes. There is a death near the end that makes absolutely no sense and we meet characters only to never see them again. BUT overall this had be absolutely glued to the page. I need the rest of the series right now, I’m genuinely mourning these characters.
OMG WHAT WILL I READ AFTER THIS 😩😩
I FEAR THE HYPE WAS REAL!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!
I genuinely could NOT put this book down. And the ending had me actually shouting at my empty room. I went into this with low expectations - Lightlark wasn’t a book I enjoyed. THIS book was insane. I haven’t been this surprised by an ending in a really long time.
Is it perfect? No. The short / choppy paragraphs were annoying at first and there are some repetitive conversations and themes. There is a death near the end that makes absolutely no sense and we meet characters only to never see them again. BUT overall this had be absolutely glued to the page. I need the rest of the series right now, I’m genuinely mourning these characters.
OMG WHAT WILL I READ AFTER THIS 😩😩
April 13, 2026
I need to calm down before I can review this lmao
April 4, 2026
A fantasy full of action that gets better with each chapter
4.5 ⭐️
“Starside” is Alex Aster's first attempt at adult fantasy, and I can say it's a great start. I had already read three books from “Lightlark,” Aster's young adult series, and I always had a lot of fun reading them, even with some cliché scenes and the very simple writing style. And the same happened with “Starside”.
Now, speaking specifically about the book… it's full of adventure, one after another, action moments one after another, and you have very little time to breathe (which in a fantasy I find sensational). The story is frenetic, with a relatively moderate level of violence, considering the adult fantasy books that are being released, and with a very interesting, albeit simple, world. Full of magical creatures, but my favorite was the dragon. Dragons, in this case. No spoilers, I promise.
I think it's important to mention that yes, the book has a trial, and I'm getting tired of that kind of narrative in books, but I felt that in "Starside" it worked perfectly, especially because it creates a somewhat unique structure for how it evolves until you reach the end and win (or not).
The last 30% or so of the book are very intense, even more interesting than what came before, but I also need to say that the story gets more and more violent. And specifically, a scene where she's naked made me extremely uncomfortable; I won't say anything more because it would be a spoiler, but it seems that the discomfort was precisely what the author wanted, and it worked. I think when you read it you'll understand. Now, I must say, the last 5%????? Absolutely sensational. I think the writing improved chapter by chapter. I have to say that I had already guessed the plot twist, but it was still good.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is very good, and it has a whole context. I was caught in a non-stop love-hate loop, and it was definitely well-planned, especially to make things even more exciting at the end. What an ending! I also wanted to mention that, as is tradition with Alex Aster's books for me, I read the audiobook and I want to give the narrators immense praise. It was even more exciting to experience everything with their delivery.
However, something that bothered me quite a bit, probably because I didn't notice it in the young adult writing style of Alex Aster's other books, was the insistence on using profanity, and one specific swear word appears far too many times, unnecessarily. I have nothing against profanity in books, but too much of anything can hinder the reading experience. I also found it unnecessary to have a long chapter just for a long sex scene, but I understand the purpose. To be honest, that's the only reason the rating wasn't higher.
Finally, I'm sure I'll be thinking about this book many times over the next few months and I'm incredibly eager to read what comes next.
Talking about this book: https://youtu.be/P0toVkCLsXA
4.5 ⭐️
“Starside” is Alex Aster's first attempt at adult fantasy, and I can say it's a great start. I had already read three books from “Lightlark,” Aster's young adult series, and I always had a lot of fun reading them, even with some cliché scenes and the very simple writing style. And the same happened with “Starside”.
Now, speaking specifically about the book… it's full of adventure, one after another, action moments one after another, and you have very little time to breathe (which in a fantasy I find sensational). The story is frenetic, with a relatively moderate level of violence, considering the adult fantasy books that are being released, and with a very interesting, albeit simple, world. Full of magical creatures, but my favorite was the dragon. Dragons, in this case. No spoilers, I promise.
I think it's important to mention that yes, the book has a trial, and I'm getting tired of that kind of narrative in books, but I felt that in "Starside" it worked perfectly, especially because it creates a somewhat unique structure for how it evolves until you reach the end and win (or not).
The last 30% or so of the book are very intense, even more interesting than what came before, but I also need to say that the story gets more and more violent. And specifically, a scene where she's naked made me extremely uncomfortable; I won't say anything more because it would be a spoiler, but it seems that the discomfort was precisely what the author wanted, and it worked. I think when you read it you'll understand. Now, I must say, the last 5%????? Absolutely sensational. I think the writing improved chapter by chapter. I have to say that I had already guessed the plot twist, but it was still good.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is very good, and it has a whole context. I was caught in a non-stop love-hate loop, and it was definitely well-planned, especially to make things even more exciting at the end. What an ending! I also wanted to mention that, as is tradition with Alex Aster's books for me, I read the audiobook and I want to give the narrators immense praise. It was even more exciting to experience everything with their delivery.
However, something that bothered me quite a bit, probably because I didn't notice it in the young adult writing style of Alex Aster's other books, was the insistence on using profanity, and one specific swear word appears far too many times, unnecessarily. I have nothing against profanity in books, but too much of anything can hinder the reading experience. I also found it unnecessary to have a long chapter just for a long sex scene, but I understand the purpose. To be honest, that's the only reason the rating wasn't higher.
Finally, I'm sure I'll be thinking about this book many times over the next few months and I'm incredibly eager to read what comes next.
Talking about this book: https://youtu.be/P0toVkCLsXA
April 21, 2026
ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . 3.3 - 3.5 ☆ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ I really, truly wanted to love this book. I wanted to enjoy it fully and confidently give it a much higher rating. But unfortunately, it fell short on too many levels for me to overlook.
ㅤ What makes it even more frustrating is the sheer amount of potential it had. The ideas were there, the foundation was promising, but the execution ended up being more disappointing than anything else.
ㅤ ㅤ “There is nothing stronger than a woman underestimated.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I think my main issue with this book was the writing itself. Somehow, it failed to present the story in the way it deserved. I am not entirely sure whether it is the style, the structure, or something more subtle, but there was a constant sense that something was slightly off. It kept me from fully immersing myself in the narrative, no matter how much I wanted to.
ㅤ Perhaps this is simply the author’s typical style, I cannot say, since I have not read her other works. But if anyone has read both this and Lightlark, I would be genuinely curious to know whether this is consistent or just an unfortunate exception.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I genuinely cannot stand those “sarcastic” inner monologues that read like a rejected script from a 2000s teenage movie. And this book had far too many of them. They completely disrupt the reading experience. I am trying to immerse myself in a story, not watch an edgy high-school protagonist narrate her life like she just discovered sarcasm yesterday. It pulls me out of the atmosphere every single time.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I am usually the last person to complain about a slow-paced book. If anything, I tend to enjoy them more as they give me time to settle in, to absorb the world properly. But this? This felt tedious in an unnecessary way. The first 200 pages were genuinely difficult to get through. I was not immersed; I was bored. The constant cycle of characters travelling from one place to another, encountering a mix of monsters and conveniently kind strangers, started to feel repetitive rather than engaging.
ㅤ It did improve somewhat later on, becoming at least a bit more interesting and easier to follow. Still, I cannot help but think this would have benefited from being shorter. A tighter narrative would have made a significant difference.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The repetition genuinely started to wear me down at some point… how many times can we be reminded of this man’s size before it becomes a running joke? Yes, we understand, he is big, intimidating,HIS DICK IS, THANKFULLY, ALSO HUGE. Message received. Loud and clear. There is no need to underline it in every other paragraph.
ㅤ I am absolutely not opposed to a well-executed size kink, far from it. I am a proud woman who can admit she likes her fair share of kinks. But when it is repeated to this extent, it loses all impact and starts to feel almost comical rather than appealing.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The romance? Interesting, but I felt oddly disconnected from it, to the point where it became more frustrating than engaging. I could see the potential; I liked the direction it was heading, the tension, the hesitation, but it never quite delivered the emotional depth I needed.
ㅤ At this point, I am expecting the next book to compensate with some truly insane angst. And that man? He better be grovelling his way through every possible layer of regret. (not that the FMC necessarily deserves it, but I simply want to witness it for myself)
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The plot, and somehow the ending, honestly saved this book for me. I really loved the core idea, as well as the world and the story it was trying to tell. It was intriguing and engaging enough to make me push past the elements that did not quite work for me and simply enjoy the narrative for what it was.
ㅤ Of course, there are things I would have liked to see handled differently, and perhaps a touch more originality here and there would have elevated it even further. But overall, the plot itself was undeniably solid.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ ⊹ Aris — Apart from her rather unhealthy obsession with certain hand sizes (i don't even know...don't ask me anything...), I found myself genuinely confused by her as a character. I wanted to like her, I really did, but more than once I caught myself feeling bored whenever she was the focus. She has all the expected traits: brave, determined, fuelled by anger and resentment. And yet, her stubbornness often crosses into something far more frustrating, making her difficult to connect with at times. Her convictions occasionally just felt exhausting for me.
ㅤ And honestly, I have to ask, did the author have something against her? Because it genuinely feels like every possible misfortune a character can endure was thrown at this girl. At some point, it stopped adding depth and just became excessive and predictable. I really need her to get an insane character development soon.
ㅤ ⊹ Raker — Oh boy 🫠🫠 the things I would let this man do to me, the way I would willingly abandon all sense of morality for him. I would defend him blindly, right or wrong, it would not matter. There is no shade of red bright enough to make me reconsider; I am entirely, unapologetically in for anything coming from this red flag of a man.
ㅤ That said, what felt slightly off was how heavily the narrative leaned into building him up as this irresistible, complex figure. The author seemed so focused on making him captivating that he ended up completely overshadowing the FMC. She simply could not compete, and that imbalance became increasingly noticeable. At some point, it stopped enhancing the story and started to feel more like a disservice to her character.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I am not entirely sure what to say here. I am leaning toward a cautious yes, mainly because of the intriguing concept, the captivating world, and the potential I still hope future books will explore.
ㅤ At its core, this is a gorgeous idea with a genuinely compelling plot, one that, unfortunately, never feels fully realised. The writing does not quite rise to the level of the story it is trying to tell. Still, for the sake of that potential, and the hope that the next instalments will do it justice, I will continue the series. And, tentatively, I would still recommend it for the strength of its premise alone.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍendㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆13-April- 2026┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ tbh I am pretty excited about this book and all those GORGEOUS fanarts definitely played a part in heightening my interest 😌
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ I really, truly wanted to love this book. I wanted to enjoy it fully and confidently give it a much higher rating. But unfortunately, it fell short on too many levels for me to overlook.
ㅤ What makes it even more frustrating is the sheer amount of potential it had. The ideas were there, the foundation was promising, but the execution ended up being more disappointing than anything else.
ㅤ ㅤ “There is nothing stronger than a woman underestimated.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I think my main issue with this book was the writing itself. Somehow, it failed to present the story in the way it deserved. I am not entirely sure whether it is the style, the structure, or something more subtle, but there was a constant sense that something was slightly off. It kept me from fully immersing myself in the narrative, no matter how much I wanted to.
ㅤ Perhaps this is simply the author’s typical style, I cannot say, since I have not read her other works. But if anyone has read both this and Lightlark, I would be genuinely curious to know whether this is consistent or just an unfortunate exception.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I genuinely cannot stand those “sarcastic” inner monologues that read like a rejected script from a 2000s teenage movie. And this book had far too many of them. They completely disrupt the reading experience. I am trying to immerse myself in a story, not watch an edgy high-school protagonist narrate her life like she just discovered sarcasm yesterday. It pulls me out of the atmosphere every single time.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I am usually the last person to complain about a slow-paced book. If anything, I tend to enjoy them more as they give me time to settle in, to absorb the world properly. But this? This felt tedious in an unnecessary way. The first 200 pages were genuinely difficult to get through. I was not immersed; I was bored. The constant cycle of characters travelling from one place to another, encountering a mix of monsters and conveniently kind strangers, started to feel repetitive rather than engaging.
ㅤ It did improve somewhat later on, becoming at least a bit more interesting and easier to follow. Still, I cannot help but think this would have benefited from being shorter. A tighter narrative would have made a significant difference.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The repetition genuinely started to wear me down at some point… how many times can we be reminded of this man’s size before it becomes a running joke? Yes, we understand, he is big, intimidating,
ㅤ I am absolutely not opposed to a well-executed size kink, far from it. I am a proud woman who can admit she likes her fair share of kinks. But when it is repeated to this extent, it loses all impact and starts to feel almost comical rather than appealing.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The romance? Interesting, but I felt oddly disconnected from it, to the point where it became more frustrating than engaging. I could see the potential; I liked the direction it was heading, the tension, the hesitation, but it never quite delivered the emotional depth I needed.
ㅤ At this point, I am expecting the next book to compensate with some truly insane angst. And that man? He better be grovelling his way through every possible layer of regret. (not that the FMC necessarily deserves it, but I simply want to witness it for myself)
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The plot, and somehow the ending, honestly saved this book for me. I really loved the core idea, as well as the world and the story it was trying to tell. It was intriguing and engaging enough to make me push past the elements that did not quite work for me and simply enjoy the narrative for what it was.
ㅤ Of course, there are things I would have liked to see handled differently, and perhaps a touch more originality here and there would have elevated it even further. But overall, the plot itself was undeniably solid.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ ⊹ Aris — Apart from her rather unhealthy obsession with certain hand sizes (i don't even know...don't ask me anything...), I found myself genuinely confused by her as a character. I wanted to like her, I really did, but more than once I caught myself feeling bored whenever she was the focus. She has all the expected traits: brave, determined, fuelled by anger and resentment. And yet, her stubbornness often crosses into something far more frustrating, making her difficult to connect with at times. Her convictions occasionally just felt exhausting for me.
ㅤ And honestly, I have to ask, did the author have something against her? Because it genuinely feels like every possible misfortune a character can endure was thrown at this girl. At some point, it stopped adding depth and just became excessive and predictable. I really need her to get an insane character development soon.
ㅤ ⊹ Raker — Oh boy 🫠🫠 the things I would let this man do to me, the way I would willingly abandon all sense of morality for him. I would defend him blindly, right or wrong, it would not matter. There is no shade of red bright enough to make me reconsider; I am entirely, unapologetically in for anything coming from this red flag of a man.
ㅤ That said, what felt slightly off was how heavily the narrative leaned into building him up as this irresistible, complex figure. The author seemed so focused on making him captivating that he ended up completely overshadowing the FMC. She simply could not compete, and that imbalance became increasingly noticeable. At some point, it stopped enhancing the story and started to feel more like a disservice to her character.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I am not entirely sure what to say here. I am leaning toward a cautious yes, mainly because of the intriguing concept, the captivating world, and the potential I still hope future books will explore.
ㅤ At its core, this is a gorgeous idea with a genuinely compelling plot, one that, unfortunately, never feels fully realised. The writing does not quite rise to the level of the story it is trying to tell. Still, for the sake of that potential, and the hope that the next instalments will do it justice, I will continue the series. And, tentatively, I would still recommend it for the strength of its premise alone.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍendㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆13-April- 2026┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ tbh I am pretty excited about this book and all those GORGEOUS fanarts definitely played a part in heightening my interest 😌
March 31, 2026
I need to sit on this for a sec, RTC 🫶🏼
![Profile Image for kimberly ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡. [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1768626133i%2F167301477._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
Want to Read
September 19, 2025i'm sorry but this reads like a lightlark fanfic au 💀
April 30, 2026
3⭐'s Rounded up. Wanted to like it but I had some issues with few things that made it very hard to.
First of all, My main problem is with the writing style. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. I didn't like it at all, it ruined the whole book for me.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹. Maybe it's just not for me.
Many things were happening, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 was full of adventures and alot going on.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 was good considering it a REAL Enemies to Lovers. They spent almost 70% of the book hating on each other.
We have; 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻, HOWEVER There was unfortunately a few cringe smut scenes...
𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀 has an interesting story whether it's her family, her bond with her sword and dragon, her silver scars, and her journey to Starside. But It felt like I was reading about Isla from 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬 so I wasn't interested anymore(I hated Isla).
I know the 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 is supposed to make is so interested and curious to know what will happen next, but I don't think I stand the writing style so I won't torture myself with it again.
“Starside. The land of magic and immortals. A place that is said to glimmer like diamonds and cut like teeth.”
“I hate you,”
“Hate. Me. Harder,”
“Anyone can start a journey, Aris, Not everyone can end it.”
|𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 ꨄ︎₊⊹
𝖯𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖾𝗂𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖫𝖫𝖸 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗍, 𝗈𝗋 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖫𝖫𝖸 𝗁𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗍. 𝖢𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝖨'𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾, 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗑𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨'𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 🤞🏻.
First of all, My main problem is with the writing style. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. I didn't like it at all, it ruined the whole book for me.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹. Maybe it's just not for me.
Many things were happening, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 was full of adventures and alot going on.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 was good considering it a REAL Enemies to Lovers. They spent almost 70% of the book hating on each other.
We have; 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻, HOWEVER There was unfortunately a few cringe smut scenes...
𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀 has an interesting story whether it's her family, her bond with her sword and dragon, her silver scars, and her journey to Starside. But It felt like I was reading about Isla from 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬 so I wasn't interested anymore(I hated Isla).
I know the 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 is supposed to make is so interested and curious to know what will happen next, but I don't think I stand the writing style so I won't torture myself with it again.
“Starside. The land of magic and immortals. A place that is said to glimmer like diamonds and cut like teeth.”
“I hate you,”
“Hate. Me. Harder,”
“Anyone can start a journey, Aris, Not everyone can end it.”
|𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 ꨄ︎₊⊹
𝖯𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖾𝗂𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖫𝖫𝖸 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗍, 𝗈𝗋 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖫𝖫𝖸 𝗁𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗍. 𝖢𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝖨'𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾, 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗑𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨'𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 🤞🏻.
April 28, 2026
➳ 1.5 ☆
yikes, i am so sorry. this was an absolute and complete flop on my part. i honestly didn't even know that this book was coming out this year, since alex has been consistently putting out lengthy novels for the last 3 years. but i gotta give my usual disclaimer here. as always, this review is gonna be a negative review; take everything with a bucket of salt. i will be going through the whole book and there will be spoilers. mild‼️SPOILERS‼️in this review. i will be going into the details of why this didn't work. my opinion is just that—MY opinion. if you love this book, i am VERY happy for you. this will only be a review of the book, NOT the author/fans of the series. alex seems like a lovely person so read whatever you like. <3
starting off, i have three main reasons as to why this was extremely boring to read.
1. characters/character archetypes
2. world building and magic system
3. prose/narrative structure
now, i do believe this is alex's first time dappling with adult fantasy/romantasy since up until this point, she was known for writing YA fantasy. this modification in writing style isn't a bad one but unfortunately, it was not executed properly. this book feels like it's caught in the midst of three different genres and sadly never recovers. the characters in this book fall unbelievably flat and rarely transcend past the initial archetype that alex gives them. i literally could not tell you either of their first names because of how little impact either main character had on the story for me. it was really difficult following the FMC throughout this journey because her entire character was very confusing to follow.
the popular trope of the morally gray villain getting the girl is starting to become extremely mundane because they are usually put in one of two categories and rarely ever develop. they are either moody or sarcastic—with an obsessive need to control and be in charge of their surroundings...and grandma, i’m tired. people often dog on this genre because it is seen as lesser than since it’s not quite a romance and it’s not quite a fantasy. in my opinion, though, when done well, this is some of the most entertaining books we have on the market. sadly, in this case, neither character truly develops nor shifts into anything more than the superficial appearance they are initially given. the FMC is supposed to be the anchor of the story whether that is emotionally or thematically. however, she has very little to do with the story and it almost feels like things are happening around her VS to her and/or because of her.
next, we come into the magic system in the world building of this book. genuinely, i have absolutely no idea what alex was trying to portray because nothing was making any sense. a lot of the additions of different mythological creatures and realms feel extremely disjointed, and sometimes even contradictory to things that she was initially describing which was very jarring to read. coming from someone who reads lots of epic fantasy and high fantasy—i pay close attention to everything going on in the world and am usually very harsh on these types of books. i need a consistent story in fantasy and need a gradual expansion of the universe and the world in a salient manner in order for the world building to feel adequate.
as for the magic system, i genuinely could not tell you a single thing because most of this book felt like a mix of fourth wing and light lark. i have no idea how this book was initially presented to audiences, but it is very clear that so much inspiration was taken from both of those books. now, it’s very difficult to plagiarize your own work so take this aspect with a bucket of salt. however, the politics of this world, and the mythology of this world is extremely lackluster, highlighting a lot of the limitations that were previously mentioned. i’m a very big believer in discernible logic when it comes to fantasy, and in this book, it feels almost like an afterthought that was sprinkled on versus the foundation of the book.
the narrative structure and prose are ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE. my goodness. this book was heavy on the melodrama and at times, felt like i was reading a fairytale...not an adult fantasy. the emotional weight of this story basically lies in the romance, but even with that—there is only so much you can write before it becomes redundant. it should rather be expanded upon so us as readers have an end goal to look forward to. the rapid succession of going from point A to point B felt like it was happening in the blink of an eye—leaving no room to grow, change, or develop. this book felt anything about organic. everything was just super bloated, and the tedious romantic entanglement did not help the pacing, either. i really wanted to root for them but i was struggling with the momentum of the book.
lastly, i'm sure some people will resonate with this book, but those people are not me. if you have similar taste to mine, you would 100% hate this shit. by NO means is this a poorly written book; that is not at all what i am saying. this is rather, very tedious and unsatisfying with little to no pay off in the end. i didn't even finish this book so maybe if i kept going things could've been different. i got to page 370 before calling it quits...which i think is more than enough for a fantasy book. this just felt like every popular romance/fantasy book with all the tropes and all the glitz and glamor. take that out and you're left with a whole lot of nothing. without bones, you have no body. without structure, you have no book.
lowkey, just a mess. i may revisit this nonsense in the future but if i have to read upwards of 500 pages just for a monotonous ending with a semi satisfying 15-page fuck fest between harlam renaissance and asteroid or whatever the fuck their names are...i'm ok for now. to no one’s shock, though, anthony palmini's vocaltussy. ATE. 11/10 performance, king.
yikes, i am so sorry. this was an absolute and complete flop on my part. i honestly didn't even know that this book was coming out this year, since alex has been consistently putting out lengthy novels for the last 3 years. but i gotta give my usual disclaimer here. as always, this review is gonna be a negative review; take everything with a bucket of salt. i will be going through the whole book and there will be spoilers. mild‼️SPOILERS‼️in this review. i will be going into the details of why this didn't work. my opinion is just that—MY opinion. if you love this book, i am VERY happy for you. this will only be a review of the book, NOT the author/fans of the series. alex seems like a lovely person so read whatever you like. <3
starting off, i have three main reasons as to why this was extremely boring to read.
1. characters/character archetypes
2. world building and magic system
3. prose/narrative structure
now, i do believe this is alex's first time dappling with adult fantasy/romantasy since up until this point, she was known for writing YA fantasy. this modification in writing style isn't a bad one but unfortunately, it was not executed properly. this book feels like it's caught in the midst of three different genres and sadly never recovers. the characters in this book fall unbelievably flat and rarely transcend past the initial archetype that alex gives them. i literally could not tell you either of their first names because of how little impact either main character had on the story for me. it was really difficult following the FMC throughout this journey because her entire character was very confusing to follow.
the popular trope of the morally gray villain getting the girl is starting to become extremely mundane because they are usually put in one of two categories and rarely ever develop. they are either moody or sarcastic—with an obsessive need to control and be in charge of their surroundings...and grandma, i’m tired. people often dog on this genre because it is seen as lesser than since it’s not quite a romance and it’s not quite a fantasy. in my opinion, though, when done well, this is some of the most entertaining books we have on the market. sadly, in this case, neither character truly develops nor shifts into anything more than the superficial appearance they are initially given. the FMC is supposed to be the anchor of the story whether that is emotionally or thematically. however, she has very little to do with the story and it almost feels like things are happening around her VS to her and/or because of her.
next, we come into the magic system in the world building of this book. genuinely, i have absolutely no idea what alex was trying to portray because nothing was making any sense. a lot of the additions of different mythological creatures and realms feel extremely disjointed, and sometimes even contradictory to things that she was initially describing which was very jarring to read. coming from someone who reads lots of epic fantasy and high fantasy—i pay close attention to everything going on in the world and am usually very harsh on these types of books. i need a consistent story in fantasy and need a gradual expansion of the universe and the world in a salient manner in order for the world building to feel adequate.
as for the magic system, i genuinely could not tell you a single thing because most of this book felt like a mix of fourth wing and light lark. i have no idea how this book was initially presented to audiences, but it is very clear that so much inspiration was taken from both of those books. now, it’s very difficult to plagiarize your own work so take this aspect with a bucket of salt. however, the politics of this world, and the mythology of this world is extremely lackluster, highlighting a lot of the limitations that were previously mentioned. i’m a very big believer in discernible logic when it comes to fantasy, and in this book, it feels almost like an afterthought that was sprinkled on versus the foundation of the book.
the narrative structure and prose are ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE. my goodness. this book was heavy on the melodrama and at times, felt like i was reading a fairytale...not an adult fantasy. the emotional weight of this story basically lies in the romance, but even with that—there is only so much you can write before it becomes redundant. it should rather be expanded upon so us as readers have an end goal to look forward to. the rapid succession of going from point A to point B felt like it was happening in the blink of an eye—leaving no room to grow, change, or develop. this book felt anything about organic. everything was just super bloated, and the tedious romantic entanglement did not help the pacing, either. i really wanted to root for them but i was struggling with the momentum of the book.
lastly, i'm sure some people will resonate with this book, but those people are not me. if you have similar taste to mine, you would 100% hate this shit. by NO means is this a poorly written book; that is not at all what i am saying. this is rather, very tedious and unsatisfying with little to no pay off in the end. i didn't even finish this book so maybe if i kept going things could've been different. i got to page 370 before calling it quits...which i think is more than enough for a fantasy book. this just felt like every popular romance/fantasy book with all the tropes and all the glitz and glamor. take that out and you're left with a whole lot of nothing. without bones, you have no body. without structure, you have no book.
lowkey, just a mess. i may revisit this nonsense in the future but if i have to read upwards of 500 pages just for a monotonous ending with a semi satisfying 15-page fuck fest between harlam renaissance and asteroid or whatever the fuck their names are...i'm ok for now. to no one’s shock, though, anthony palmini's vocaltussy. ATE. 11/10 performance, king.
April 14, 2026
Ok hold up because what was that?
I heard the hype and I was sceptical...I was wrong, I could not get enough of it. I thought I would be able to sit down read 100 pages and go to sleep... that did not happen, I found myself consumed by the story and its characters so much so I found it impossible to put down.
I was not expecting this, I found the FMC relatable, funny and complex. Nothing was easy and the journey was worth it. I love a book that does training and trauma right, that understands that it is a long journey and not just one chapter. Every thing in this book stood out and I am mind blown by that ending. If anyone was next to me while I read the last 15%, they would have been fed up from me gasping every 5 seconds.
Stormside, i am ready for you!!!
I heard the hype and I was sceptical...I was wrong, I could not get enough of it. I thought I would be able to sit down read 100 pages and go to sleep... that did not happen, I found myself consumed by the story and its characters so much so I found it impossible to put down.
I was not expecting this, I found the FMC relatable, funny and complex. Nothing was easy and the journey was worth it. I love a book that does training and trauma right, that understands that it is a long journey and not just one chapter. Every thing in this book stood out and I am mind blown by that ending. If anyone was next to me while I read the last 15%, they would have been fed up from me gasping every 5 seconds.
Stormside, i am ready for you!!!
March 22, 2026
Haven’t been this excited since acotar.
May 6, 2026
2⭐️
This read as been one of the most confusing and mind boggling experience I have ever had so far. I was on the fence on what to rate this book the entire time I was reading it. Unfortunately, in good faith I just cannot give this a higher rating. Trust me, I really, REALLY wanted to. But for the reasons I will explain in depth, I just can't do it. This review might be a bit on the longer side because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on this.
To start, I'm going to point out my biggest gripe with this book:
THE WRITING.
My god the writing in this was so fucking bad. The sentences were choppy, basic, and lacked any complexity that a higher fantasy would be known to have. The only other book I read by Alex Aster was Summer in the City and I truly don't remember it being this poor. It was really hard to look past any of the other redeeming qualities this book had because when writing in a book is so bad, it's hard to get into it on a deeper level. The sentences were BOOOOOOOORING. It really did feel like I was reading some poorly put together YA book, and even then YA books have been written better than this and I fear it would be an insult to them.
THE CHARACTERS were shallow and had zero depth to them, but their personalities weren't bad. There wasn't a whole lot of backstory or relationship building between any of the characters besides the FMC and the MMC. The side characters really got lost in the plot and by looking at it from that point of view, it's hard to become more invested when the characters come and go within 1-2 chapters and had no stand-out traits. I did enjoy the characters SEPARATELY, just not how they meshed together. I felt that the chemistry between the main characters was very black and white with little build up (are we really surprised at this point?) and they jump from hate to love to hate to love, etc, etc, etc. I was getting whiplash.
Now this is where the book grabbed me and then threw me off a cliff then broke my fall.
The plot ITSELF was really, really good. I liked the premise and it was super fast paced and I was hooked and wanted to see where it would go next the entire book. THAT was not the problem. What the problem REALLY WAS was that the magic system and world were explained so. Fucking. Badly. There were so many plot holes by the end and some things that were brought up just didn't make ANY sense. When it was explained, it was talked about in 4-5 word sentences that felt like it was being explained in the most bland and boring way. None of it made sense.
This book overall left a lot to be desired. I will say, in its defense, the ending got me and I thought that 80% of the ending was done very well. There was one scene at the very end that was a complete let down and anti-climactic given how it was BUILDING UP THE WHOLE BOOK and the way Alex Aster wrote it was pretty stupid. I could not decide if I wanted to give this 3 stars until I started writing out this review and dropped it to a 2. I cannot give this anything higher because of all the cons outweighing the pros. I did really enjoy the books potential and the plot itself; I thought it was interesting and a real page turner. However, that is nowhere near good enough to lead me to recommend this book to you guys personally. I hope that those who read this book enjoy it a lot more than I did, but if you're looking for a rec you're not gonna find it here. Now, does this book deserve the incredibly high rating that it currently has? ....
To me, I don't think it does.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk and I hope that those of you who read this review gain some good insight before you decide whether to/not to read this book. 🤍
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ⚡️⚔️🤍
This is my first fantasy book by Alex Aster (I haven't read the Lightlark series yet but it's on my tbr) and I've been hearing glowing reviews of this one??
I read her romance Summer in the City and really didn't like it, but I have hope for this! I hope it doesn't disappoint 🤞🏼
This read as been one of the most confusing and mind boggling experience I have ever had so far. I was on the fence on what to rate this book the entire time I was reading it. Unfortunately, in good faith I just cannot give this a higher rating. Trust me, I really, REALLY wanted to. But for the reasons I will explain in depth, I just can't do it. This review might be a bit on the longer side because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on this.
To start, I'm going to point out my biggest gripe with this book:
THE WRITING.
My god the writing in this was so fucking bad. The sentences were choppy, basic, and lacked any complexity that a higher fantasy would be known to have. The only other book I read by Alex Aster was Summer in the City and I truly don't remember it being this poor. It was really hard to look past any of the other redeeming qualities this book had because when writing in a book is so bad, it's hard to get into it on a deeper level. The sentences were BOOOOOOOORING. It really did feel like I was reading some poorly put together YA book, and even then YA books have been written better than this and I fear it would be an insult to them.
THE CHARACTERS were shallow and had zero depth to them, but their personalities weren't bad. There wasn't a whole lot of backstory or relationship building between any of the characters besides the FMC and the MMC. The side characters really got lost in the plot and by looking at it from that point of view, it's hard to become more invested when the characters come and go within 1-2 chapters and had no stand-out traits. I did enjoy the characters SEPARATELY, just not how they meshed together. I felt that the chemistry between the main characters was very black and white with little build up (are we really surprised at this point?) and they jump from hate to love to hate to love, etc, etc, etc. I was getting whiplash.
Now this is where the book grabbed me and then threw me off a cliff then broke my fall.
The plot ITSELF was really, really good. I liked the premise and it was super fast paced and I was hooked and wanted to see where it would go next the entire book. THAT was not the problem. What the problem REALLY WAS was that the magic system and world were explained so. Fucking. Badly. There were so many plot holes by the end and some things that were brought up just didn't make ANY sense. When it was explained, it was talked about in 4-5 word sentences that felt like it was being explained in the most bland and boring way. None of it made sense.
This book overall left a lot to be desired. I will say, in its defense, the ending got me and I thought that 80% of the ending was done very well. There was one scene at the very end that was a complete let down and anti-climactic given how it was BUILDING UP THE WHOLE BOOK and the way Alex Aster wrote it was pretty stupid. I could not decide if I wanted to give this 3 stars until I started writing out this review and dropped it to a 2. I cannot give this anything higher because of all the cons outweighing the pros. I did really enjoy the books potential and the plot itself; I thought it was interesting and a real page turner. However, that is nowhere near good enough to lead me to recommend this book to you guys personally. I hope that those who read this book enjoy it a lot more than I did, but if you're looking for a rec you're not gonna find it here. Now, does this book deserve the incredibly high rating that it currently has? ....
To me, I don't think it does.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk and I hope that those of you who read this review gain some good insight before you decide whether to/not to read this book. 🤍
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ⚡️⚔️🤍
This is my first fantasy book by Alex Aster (I haven't read the Lightlark series yet but it's on my tbr) and I've been hearing glowing reviews of this one??
I read her romance Summer in the City and really didn't like it, but I have hope for this! I hope it doesn't disappoint 🤞🏼
March 22, 2026
I can not praise this book enough. I was hooked from the start and the cliffhanger is illegal lol. Alex Aster has truly outdone herself with her first adult romantasy. The plot was plotting in the best way. The world building was so descriptive without overdoing it. The tension between Aris and Raker was chefs kiss 🤌🏼 I can’t wait for more. For anyone who thought this would be similar to Lightlark, it was not. It felt new and exciting in my opinion. I will be rereading this when I get the physical copy of my book since I was able to read this as an ebook for being a VIP Member on her website.
Currently Reading
December 3, 2025Isla and Grim will return in Avengers: Doomsday
April 6, 2026
September 12, 2025
I don't care what it's about, if Alex writes it I'm reading it.
April 5, 2026
OK now that ive read the book I can say... wtf was that. I do typically enjoy alex aster's writing style and characters but dang this was rough. it felt very YA even though it was labeled an adult novel. the use of the word "fuck" does not make the book "adult". idk i guess we'll just have to wait and see where this story goes and hopefully it stays a trilogy (looking at lightlark -_-)
I don't care what it's about, if Alex writes it I'm reading it.
April 5, 2026
OK now that ive read the book I can say... wtf was that. I do typically enjoy alex aster's writing style and characters but dang this was rough. it felt very YA even though it was labeled an adult novel. the use of the word "fuck" does not make the book "adult". idk i guess we'll just have to wait and see where this story goes and hopefully it stays a trilogy (looking at lightlark -_-)
Did Not Finish
April 26, 2026RIP
✮⋆˙ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 🐦🔥
LET'S SEE HOW FAR UR FAVE ALEX ASTER HATER MAKES IT ×̷̷͜×̷
✮⋆˙ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 🐦🔥
LET'S SEE HOW FAR UR FAVE ALEX ASTER HATER MAKES IT ×̷̷͜×̷
May 4, 2026
3-3.75 I have to sit on this one for a little while. My initial thoughts: An expected adult fantasy that very much felt YA and the writing, specifically the story progression and transitions were very abrupt and not well done. I took so many notes while reading this and while I enjoyed the story as a whole something about it (can't put a finger on it yet) kept taking me out of the story.
Quick snippet:
The story is divided between two worlds--The Starside (for immortals) and Stormside (for mortals with very limited magic). Every 50 years, the gates open and the mortals compete for a powerful magic tool. The story focuses mainly on Aris who wants revenge, not power. She wants to kill all the gods as vengeance for all the horrific events they caused. She comes across and retains a sword that everyone is after. To increase her chance of survival she must team up with the kings guard, Harlan Raker, a promised VERY MORALLY GREY MMC! Oh yes he is a big bad wolf and he does hate her and she hates him but she totally falls for him first.
Quote: "Hate. Me. Harder."
This is Alex Asters debut adult fantasy but you probably know her for her Lightlark series.
Quick snippet:
The story is divided between two worlds--The Starside (for immortals) and Stormside (for mortals with very limited magic). Every 50 years, the gates open and the mortals compete for a powerful magic tool. The story focuses mainly on Aris who wants revenge, not power. She wants to kill all the gods as vengeance for all the horrific events they caused. She comes across and retains a sword that everyone is after. To increase her chance of survival she must team up with the kings guard, Harlan Raker, a promised VERY MORALLY GREY MMC! Oh yes he is a big bad wolf and he does hate her and she hates him but she totally falls for him first.
Quote: "Hate. Me. Harder."
This is Alex Asters debut adult fantasy but you probably know her for her Lightlark series.
April 24, 2026
No one talk to me I’m NOT okay. What the fuck was that ending the last 20 percent had me breaking my jaw from how many times I was bamboozled. This is her BEST written book yet.
March 31, 2026
dnf. I realised I don't have to put myself through this. This was a form of ragebait.
this is marketed as adult romantasy, but this is just plain YA fantasy. (they say this is an adult book because the main character is constantly cursing and apparently there's smut... yikes). ACTUALLY, I've read YA books with better writing. Some paragraphs NEED to be rewritten. Misplaced commas, the excessive amount of ellipsis...Does Alex Aster know she's writing a book and not a text message? At what point do we start questioning editors and agents for allowing a DRAFT of a book to be published?
If I had a penny for each time the main character thinks or says shit and fuck, I would be rich by now.
This book reads like she chose different stories and stitched them together (rather clumsily if I may add). It's the hunger games with silver elite, with babel with powerless and fourth wing all together in one. Crazy stuff to say the least.
"The Questral only happens every fifty years. Fifty of us mortals will be allowed past the gates, into the land of the immortals, to undergo a deadly journey." And we see them walking around the tower of knowledge with an immortal who's curious about humans. GOODBYE.
"No one stops me, assuming I’m just a fellow onlooker. They must see the lack of muscle. Lack of sword. Lack of height. Pale skin without the healthy flush of nourishment. Hardly enough to go against heirs and warriors who have trained their entire lives for this day. Volunteering for the quest, in their eyes, would be a death sentence."
And she goes and does exactly THAT as seen here: "But when the guard’s silver sword comes crashing down, I throw myself in front of the boy without thinking. The dagger I’ve tried so hard to hide slips from my sleeve, and I turn it midair, until the cold hilt hits my palm. I lift it right in front of my face at the last moment. Close my eyes tightly.The guard’s sword slams against my dagger with bone-rattling force a second later.And there’s a glorious crash as that silver shatters."
OF COURSE.
There's a lengthy description of her hair and hairstyles that reminded me of the WATTPAD books I used to read when I was thirteen. But they swear this is an adult romantasy book. As we say in Portuguese: juro joca!
"“I can’t,” I say, tears blurring my vision. “Fool,” he says, and then he dies."
This was so ridiculous!!! I had to laugh.
Also, I thought we were over rude MMCs, but apparently I was wrong.
It seems some authors have forgotten a fundamental lesson: we don't write in the same manner as we speak.
The end.
this is marketed as adult romantasy, but this is just plain YA fantasy. (they say this is an adult book because the main character is constantly cursing and apparently there's smut... yikes). ACTUALLY, I've read YA books with better writing. Some paragraphs NEED to be rewritten. Misplaced commas, the excessive amount of ellipsis...Does Alex Aster know she's writing a book and not a text message? At what point do we start questioning editors and agents for allowing a DRAFT of a book to be published?
If I had a penny for each time the main character thinks or says shit and fuck, I would be rich by now.
This book reads like she chose different stories and stitched them together (rather clumsily if I may add). It's the hunger games with silver elite, with babel with powerless and fourth wing all together in one. Crazy stuff to say the least.
"The Questral only happens every fifty years. Fifty of us mortals will be allowed past the gates, into the land of the immortals, to undergo a deadly journey." And we see them walking around the tower of knowledge with an immortal who's curious about humans. GOODBYE.
"No one stops me, assuming I’m just a fellow onlooker. They must see the lack of muscle. Lack of sword. Lack of height. Pale skin without the healthy flush of nourishment. Hardly enough to go against heirs and warriors who have trained their entire lives for this day. Volunteering for the quest, in their eyes, would be a death sentence."
And she goes and does exactly THAT as seen here: "But when the guard’s silver sword comes crashing down, I throw myself in front of the boy without thinking. The dagger I’ve tried so hard to hide slips from my sleeve, and I turn it midair, until the cold hilt hits my palm. I lift it right in front of my face at the last moment. Close my eyes tightly.The guard’s sword slams against my dagger with bone-rattling force a second later.And there’s a glorious crash as that silver shatters."
OF COURSE.
There's a lengthy description of her hair and hairstyles that reminded me of the WATTPAD books I used to read when I was thirteen. But they swear this is an adult romantasy book. As we say in Portuguese: juro joca!
"“I can’t,” I say, tears blurring my vision. “Fool,” he says, and then he dies."
This was so ridiculous!!! I had to laugh.
Also, I thought we were over rude MMCs, but apparently I was wrong.
It seems some authors have forgotten a fundamental lesson: we don't write in the same manner as we speak.
The end.
May 2, 2026
confusing the deadly games from lightlark with the ones in this book and mistakingly naming them on page is honestly more impressive than disappointing
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