i want to begin this review by stating that many (not all) of the negative reviews i have seen are either from people who have not even finished the book, or people who were simply review-bombing it.
putting everything aside that you may have heard or seen about it, i really enjoyed this book.
yes, there were things that could've been better, such as the world-building and dialogue variety for the characters. however, this is the case with many books, which usually improves the more a writer writes over time. if i'm being honest, i did not have an issue with the slight lack of descriptors for characters' looks because tbh, the story matters more than what a character may look like.
isla crown, our protagonist, has a lot of issues to overcome. she's a very strong character, but struggles with knowing who to trust, and who to avoid. as the rulers are pitted against one another to try and solve the riddle to break the curses, she grows into a person who is able to find herself and overcome her challenges. she's very smart, but tends to fall short most of the time and seem as if she is the opposite. it's okay isla, i still love you!! she must learn to form alliances, and avoid the discovery of her biggest secret.
the story of Lightlark and the Centennial kept me turning page after page, always wanting to find out what the next twist will be. and i definitely was impressed and captivated by everything i read.
*spoilers incoming*
isla was born powerless, or so she thought...
THE PLOT TWISTS!! absolutely amazing. alex aster really knows how to keep you on your toes throughout the story. i could never see some of the twists coming, and that made this book all the more worth the read to me. i think the biggest twist of all would have to be grim's "betrayal."
let's talk about the love interests for a moment:
typically, i am a huge hater of love triangles, BUT, this book really does it well.
love interest #1: oro. oro is the King of Lightlark, and angry fellow who simply needs his walls broken down and to find someone who loves him for the person that he is. a ruler capable of anything and everything who must put on a brave and powerful face in public. he has many cute moments with isla, and she ultimately chooses him at the end of this book (which following the plot twists, makes sense.) oro is a character who you hate at the beginning, and gradually grows on you as the story progresses.
love interest #2: grim. grimshaw, ruler of nightshade is full of mystery. he almost had a "relationship" with isla, but it fell through the cracks once she found out he had wiped her memories of them together prior to the Centennial. he wields shadows (my fav type of character), and will do anything to protect isla, and win her heart again.
i cannot choose who i would rather she end up with, both are written really well so i wouldn't be angry regardless. grim has been my favorite throughout the book though, so i'm rooting for him in Nightbane (book #2).
for what it was, this book really was an interesting and entertaining read. i think a lot of the times, people forget it's YA, and even the part that is not is something that has happened in other YA books too. YA doesn't necessarily equal no explicit content of any kind.
i'm definitely excited to read Nightbane in November to continue isla's story!! <3
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Loved this Story
Overall I loved this this book!! We follow Isla as she tries to navigate the Centennial & the other rulers as everyone has secrets they are trying to keep secret. This book is packed with twists & turns to make sure you're always on your toes. Throughout my read I was smiling, giggling, kicking my feet but also jaw on the floor gobsmacked!There are things that could be improved such as adding some more details when explaining surroundings, I got lost a few times during scene transitions. Or the pacing was a bit slow in some areas & didn't pick up until it got towards the end of the book. But I was enjoying the story so much that these didn't deter me from enjoying itThis isn't a literary masterpiece but I had a great time while reading it & can't wait to see what comes next in the rest of the series
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2024
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Overall, it was good. I wanted so much more during the first 80% of the book. However, during the last 20% things took off and I really enjoyed the plot twists at the end.
Grim and Oro and Isla, a little love triangle. Isn’t oro and grim super old?… and Isla is young right? I don’t love Isla, I feel like she’s always like “oh poor me with no powers”…. Surprise surprise!
Unsuspecting, surprising, and perhaps even betrayal is definitely how I would describe the relationships in this book. This book has a great concept, however I feel like it wasn’t perfectly executed. I was confused at times of the world or travel between the realms.. as well as the “trials”. I wish we could have seen more from that, and had further understanding of how it works past the first 50days.
I would be reading this book and trying to visualize it but would actually become majorly confused & lost. However I once again really like the ideas of different realms with powers and these trials to break the curse. Lies and liars all around you.
Overall, it was good. I wanted so much more during the first 80% of the book. However, during the last 20% things took off and I really enjoyed the plot twists at the end.
Grim and Oro and Isla, a little love triangle. Isn’t oro and grim super old?… and Isla is young right? I don’t love Isla, I feel like she’s always like “oh poor me with no powers”…. Surprise surprise!
Unsuspecting, surprising, and perhaps even betrayal is definitely how I would describe the relationships in this book. This book has a great concept, however I feel like it wasn’t perfectly executed. I was confused at times of the world or travel between the realms.. as well as the “trials”. I wish we could have seen more from that, and had further understanding of how it works past the first 50days.
I would be reading this book and trying to visualize it but would actually become majorly confused & lost. However I once again really like the ideas of different realms with powers and these trials to break the curse. Lies and liars all around you.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
Overall I loved this this book!! We follow Isla as she tries to navigate the Centennial & the other rulers as everyone has secrets they are trying to keep secret. This book is packed with twists & turns to make sure you're always on your toes. Throughout my read I was smiling, giggling, kicking my feet but also jaw on the floor gobsmacked!
There are things that could be improved such as adding some more details when explaining surroundings, I got lost a few times during scene transitions. Or the pacing was a bit slow in some areas & didn't pick up until it got towards the end of the book. But I was enjoying the story so much that these didn't deter me from enjoying it
This isn't a literary masterpiece but I had a great time while reading it & can't wait to see what comes next in the rest of the series
There are things that could be improved such as adding some more details when explaining surroundings, I got lost a few times during scene transitions. Or the pacing was a bit slow in some areas & didn't pick up until it got towards the end of the book. But I was enjoying the story so much that these didn't deter me from enjoying it
This isn't a literary masterpiece but I had a great time while reading it & can't wait to see what comes next in the rest of the series
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
Hermoso
Llévatelo!!
Reviewed in Mexico on April 9, 2024
Hermoso
Reviewed in Mexico on April 9, 2024
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JJ
Beautiful book
Reviewed in Brazil on March 3, 2024
JJ
Reviewed in Brazil on March 3, 2024
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sama Yassin
Good but bent page
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on July 7, 2024