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...
Book Review:
Starside is one of those books that arrives with a tidal wave of hype, glossy special editions, and a massive online presence. After finishing it, I found myself with mixed feelings. Not negative, just complicated. I enjoyed the story, but I also couldn’t shake the sense that I’d read a version of it before.
As someone who genuinely liked LightLark, I went into Starside excited. And strangely enough, Starside feels like Alex Aster writing her own fanfiction of LightLark. Same energy, same character archetypes, same emotional beats but aged up and wrapped in a darker fantasy world. That’s not inherently bad; in fact, it’s part of why the book is fun. But it does make the experience feel familiar in ways that sometimes work and sometimes don’t.
Premise & Plot:
The story follows Aris, an orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice and the sole survivor of her village after a goddess burned it to the ground. Every fifty years, the gates to Starside open, and Aris is determined to enter but first she must survive the Culling, a deadly competition designed to select fifty challengers for the king.
Aris enters the trials without the superior weapons or training of her competitors, but when she claims a powerful sword, she becomes a target. Her only ally is Harlan Raker, the king’s ruthless guard who betrayed her years ago. Their uneasy alliance drives much of the tension as Aris fights to survive both the Culling and the dangers lurking within Starside.
It’s a strong premise. The stakes are high, the world is dangerous, and the setup promises epic fantasy adventure.
Pacing & Length:
This is where the book struggles most.
The pacing is inconsistent, slow stretches of travel, vague world-building, and long sequences where not much happens. For a book this long, the narrative needs either steady momentum or rich immersion. Instead, the slow sections drag, making the story feel heavier than it needs to be.
When the plot does pick up, it becomes genuinely engaging. The action sequences are cinematic, the tension spikes, and the story finally feels alive. But it takes its sweet time getting there. The book could easily have been shorter without losing anything essential.
The Characters:
Aris
Weird obsession with hand sizes
Constantly almost dying
Stubborn to a fault
Inconsistent skill level
Feels like Isla from LightLark with a different name
Aris is likable, but not unique. Her characterization flips between helpless underdog and sudden unstoppable warrior, often without enough buildup to make the transitions feel earned. She spends much of the book on the brink of death, yet can abruptly slay nine men on her own. It’s hard to tell whether she’s meant to be a gritty survivor or a prodigy.
She also feels like a recycled version of Isla; same stubbornness, same relentless trauma, same emotional isolation. It’s not that Aris is a bad character; she’s just not distinct enough to stand apart from Aster’s previous heroine.
Harlan Raker
Brooding, terrifying, mysterious
Emotionally unavailable
Demon‑like appearance
Morally grey
Overshadows Aris
Harlan Raker is Grim with the intensity filter turned up. He’s the irresistible, morally grey love interest built to dominate the narrative and he does. His presence overshadows Aris, creating an imbalance between the leads. He spends much of the book insulting or ignoring her, yet the story insists a deep emotional connection is forming.
It’s a popular trope, and Aster knows how to make it addictive. But it’s also predictable, especially if you’ve read LightLark.
The Dragon?:
The dragon is featured prominently in the marketing and special editions, yet barely appears in the story. Aris claims her dragon early on, loses her, and then the dragon disappears until the end. For a creature positioned as central to the world and aesthetic, her absence is glaring.
If she’s important, she should be present. If she’s not, she shouldn’t be marketed as a major element.
Magic System & the god-killing:
The rules around killing gods are confusing.
Dragons can kill gods.
A certain sword can kill the god of war.
But the same sword can’t kill the god of death.
Why? How? What determines this? The book doesn’t explain, and the lack of clarity makes the magic system feel arbitrary rather than structured.
World-Building:
For a novel this size, the worldbuilding is surprisingly thin. We get vague descriptions of kingdoms, gods, and lore, but not enough depth to fully immerse the reader. The culture, politics, history, and magic system all feel underdeveloped.
Readers are essentially thrown into the world blind and expected to piece things together as they go but the book doesn’t provide enough pieces.
Wrap Up:
I didn’t dislike Starside. I found it mildly enjoyable, and I’ll absolutely read book two. The story has strong moments, addictive tropes, and cinematic scenes. But it also feels like LightLark fanfiction; familiar characters, familiar dynamics, familiar emotional beats without enough new world-building or structure to elevate it.
Is it over‑hyped? A little.
Not because it’s bad, but because the marketing promised a richer, more original epic fantasy than what we actually got. It’s fun. It’s dramatic. It’s readable. It just could have been so much more.
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