A review by hellobookbird
Lightlark by Alex Aster

1.0

 DNF @ 10%. I wasn't even going to rate this but then decided it would be a disservice not to.

This book does not make sense. We'll start with the history:

Five hundred years before, each of the six realms—Wildling, Starling, Moonling, Skyling, Sunling, and Nightshade—were cursed, their strengths turned into their own personal poisons.

These lands have been cursed for 500 years. They're losing magic and therefore their people are dying. The Wildlings, in particular, are cursed so that they have to eat a human heart every month to survive and they kill whoever they fall in love with.

Where do they get that many human hearts? Literally how is this sustainable when you're sequestered on an island with only your people? Aster tries to explain this away by thieves because their land is rich in precious stones...but THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF THIEVES. Also, maybe trade your diamonds for hearts instead of just thinking of them as useless baubles??? And give me some sort of idea to the struggles this has caused your people.

But fine. I could have ignored that if it was all. But no.

We're repeatedly told (at least five times) that the land is cursed. It can only be lifted by the Centennial. The land is cursed. It can only be lifted by the Centennial. The land is cursed. It can only be lifted by the Centennial. The land is cursed. It can only be lifted by the Centennial. The land is cursed. It can only be lifted by the Centennial.

Do you see how annoying this would get? Reminder: this is the first 10% people.

But then! The six rulers get to the Centennial and you find out that in the first time the rulers tried to kill each other (because one of the rulers has to die to break the curse so that would make sense right?) but were so good nobody could manage to kill anyone else other than the island inhabitants. And that was apparently so uncouth that now the rulers can't spend HALF THE TIME EVERY 100 YEARS THEY HAVE TO BREAK THE CURSE from killing anyone.

Excuse me??? Your people are dying and you're just going to say, "okay, first fifty days is parlay," rather than...I don't know...maybe, "any ruler that kills someone other than another ruler forfeits their life?" Just...what?

And then you find out the MC doesn't have magic because her mother didn't kill her love...except, excuse me. Isn't the curse supposed to kill those you love? What's that? Apparently it just makes your kid magicless? Oh, that's a shame. THEN DON'T SAY YOU'RE CURSED TO KILL THE ONES YOU LOVE.

Last but not least I'm calling it right now: love triangle with Grim (dark and handsome) vs Oro (blonde and beautiful).

Just based on Grim's dialogue alone, I would rather have my nails ripped to the beds than finish this book. I am gobsmacked it has so many positive reviews.

I just literally cannot with this book and you shouldn't either.