A review by shona_reads_in_devon
Lightlark by Alex Aster

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Listened on Audible.

This was dissatisfying in so many ways.

The core of the idea was not a bad one. But the execution of this story was, to me, abysmal. If I hadn't have been listening to it, I am not sure I would have finished it.

The general premise was so confusing. I liked the concept but it didn't feel well explored, described or mapped out.

Isla was ridiculous, all the way through. She kept making assumptions, over and over again without learning from them and stating things to herself that were supposed to read like facts that so clearly had no basis in anything. Almost every time she talked through a plan I was like - why? One thing did not equal another.

All the twists were kind of obvious because Isla was so stupid you just needed to look at the thing she wasn't looking at. 

The end was appalling. There is really little worse than reading the villain just explain the whole thing to you at the end. 

The love triangle was not remotely interesting. It could have been - the whole Wildling curse thing was an interesting angle but nothing really exciting was done with it.

I didn't care about anyone at all, for the whole thing.

So yeah. Won't be reading the rest of these!