We need to talk about this tiktok book (Lightlark review | Alex Aster)

[@brennamr1]

Nightshade was named “Darkling” until an editor made Aster change it to avoid connotations to the Shadow and Bone character. When she couldn’t find another “-ling” name she liked, she settled for nightshade instead. This is just a theory of mine but I will not be convinced otherwise lmao

[@angryotter9129]

That’s canon to me now.

[@JulianGreystoke]

That's what I immediately thought

[@bruhjime2675]

I wouldn't be suprised, both are quite unimaginative (no shade to S&B, never read it, liked the show, still a dumb name to me)

[@amethystfalls6183]

@@JulianGreystoke omg Julian I love your videos nice to see you here ❤️

[@Michaelas_Archive]

I wish the other names would be more different and imaginative. Reading constantly about -ling this and -ling that gets annoying.

[@theanxiousace3783]

Not gonna lie "An Economy of Hearts" sounds like a good title for a romance novel.

[@hylianterrier8650]

I find it hilarious that anyone I've watched review this so far has thought that the Sunling king was a 40 - 50 man and was gonna be a fatherly mentor figure, not a love interest. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the little jingle that was added to the intro. It really does add to the video.

[@nenegrey2282]

I think the main problem is the sheer amount of bragging that happened over on TikTok. She didn't come off as earnest at all. I think in one video she even mentioned walking into the YA section of a library "like she owns the place" or something like that 😭 and she mentioned her book (before it was even published) being turned into a successful movie "franchise" by the producers of Twilight. Posing in front of her billboard in Times Square, bragging about all the copies sold... she tried to sell this story of rags to riches, but was very careful about never being too specific. Because her parents are actually millionaires who gave her and her sister 30k each to start their own various business ventures in college. It's also ironic that her first business was born as a reaction to the impact social media has on people's lives. She harshly criticized that and how toxic sm can be... and now her book only got published because of social media 😭 I guess sm is actually fine, but only when toxic positivity and hype work in your favor! She advertised the book as "diverse Hunger Games and ACOTAR written by a POC"... and the rep in it is terrible. She also used scenes and tropes as advertisement, but they are not in the book... She tried to sell this very dramatic, heart-wrenching story of a girl who tried to get published for 10 years without success and now she's finally made it!... when she's only 27 and already traditionally published a duology 🤦🏽‍♀️ And she's only managed to publish LL because of TikTok. Literally a few days after her first LL video went viral she signed with a publisher. Like, how lucky can you be? But if you ask her, hard work is the secret to her success (... as if she's the only one? When every single aspiring writer is hard working 🤦🏽‍♀️ the difference is that they don't have her luck and popularity). Maybe industry plant isn't the right term, but her success was definitely "manufactured" (like it happened with Roth and Divergent, and Aveyard and Red Queen... books compared to The Hunger Games that are actually ten times worse and with each book the ratings dropped more and more). I suggest watching Reads with Rachel's video about her!

[@marocat4749]

From the author i gues its more out of ignorance and bad advice, like she woulsnt want have a career ther and not get pushed in that there, and sold, and yeah not without blame but it literally te worst for all but initial sales.

[@Vengeful135]

Yes! Like hey, good on her for getting for getting published and sticking with it after years of denial. But also, she's still young as hell. Like, you still have plenty of years for success and denials. Maybe I'm just not up to date on the social media thing, but I wouldn't be bragging about a "movie deal" on my social media. Cause the "movie deal" doesn't mean that the movie will ever be made. Like whatever the saying is of how the duck looks calm on the surface but under the water it's furiously swimming.

[@marocat4749]

@@Vengeful135 I mean the movie dealwhre thy pick th rights of books supecting before they blow up, just in case happens. And cheaper. But yeah, she maybe houlnr brag that much, i get a lot comes fom her ignorance i gues, but still.

[@LilyEvans1996]

What happened with Roth and Divergent?

[@Starburst514]

​@@LilyEvans1996back when Divergent first came out it was paraded and pushed as the next level of the hunger games, at the height of the "teen dystopian take down the government" phase books and movies went into off the back of HG (and disregarded what even made HG popular in the first place) and was pushed and set up front to ride the wave

[@megarakadmea]

My first thought upon hearing the term “Star stick” was that this is an allusion to Sailor Moon’s Moonstick. Since we know she is willing to lift whole cloth from the Water Tribes, it’s not much of a leap to assume she went “I want this but with a star.”

[@erinhammo9291]

I read this book but what part was taken from the Water Tribes?

[@lawrencelopez9839]

There's an old anime called Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san where the main character uses the power of the stars and a star themed stick. One of her powers is to create gates that lead to other places called Star Tunnels

[@Nivalyr]

29:30 So, she found her star-stick ... in one of her mothers wardrobes. Is it only me who thinks this context makes the stick even worse? ^^

[@futchslug]

This book really said it’s okay to eat people’s hearts & wear human-being leather if the person in question like… stole something once 😭😭😭

[@stardoogalaxie9314]

That sounds par for the course knowing Alex Aster’s background

[@springcorvids]

Oh I must know what her background is now!

[@Dez861]

​@@springcorvidsShe's the 1% Dad owns a massively successful car dealership, Mom ... does something ... twin sister runs a feminist news site worth billions. She's always had a very advantaged life and has never been told no. The rich are bloodsuckers.

[@willowingwhispers2612]

This book needed a lot more time in the oven, especially to be for an older audience. I think the author had some interesting ideas and concepts, but this reads so much like an early draft that it's painful. Placeholder names, writing that tries to be pretty but is awkward, flat characters, relationships that aren't fleshed out, the book trying to be multiple things but not really any of those things, plot holes, things that don't make sense, etc. Again, interesting ideas, but she really needed to spend more time fleshing out this story and characters before shoving the book out.

[@Jen37978]

Think one of the problems with ‘social media authors’ is that they feel the pressure to publish quickly whilst there’s still hype around them, and then we end up with these kind of books. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@delyseonduty]

I love Will's slightly evil laugh, it's rich and fantastic

[@mikouf9691]

And rugged. Let's not forget rugged. 😉

[@delyseonduty]

@@mikouf9691 of course! How could I forget rugged?

[@angryotter9129]

Let the roast begin! My body is ready. Edit: I’m only 5 minutes in and this feels like when my grandma insults someone. She’s not obviously mean, but your soul leaves your body. “It’s earnest.”

[@toppersundquist]

She's not mad, she's just disappointed.

[@robertb.7772]

"The book is.... not terrible." Dammit, I come here for the rants... Guess I have to wait for the next Moreci to come out.

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

Honestly waiting for the savior's army just to hear these guys tear it apart 😂 it's too painful to read moreci yourself

[@robertb.7772]

@@Hello-hello-hello456 Same 😄

[@nichoudha]

@@Hello-hello-hello456 Don't become a bunch of angry, revenge-driven pitchfork viewers. Moreci could improve from the criticism.

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

@@nichoudha No one’s angry or hateful here. Of course I support an author striving to improve themselves. But if they fail to write something compelling (characters, plot, prose, anything), they’re not qualified to dish out writing advice to people.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

Pointing out that something is dumb within the work doesn’t justify them being stupid. Like, yeah, moonling curse is dumb, so make it not dumb, don’t point it out.

[@tallyjones8917]

Lampshading can only do so much

[@NapaCat]

Or it could've been reworked to be a clue to Aurora's true identity. Maybe Aurora was known for tidal magic or something.

[@ariannay766]

Grim's love confession was so horribly done... I actually liked him at the beginning when he was flirty and silly (this doesn't mean he CANT be a serious character or do serious things, just that I've noted a lot of the sillier aspects of his character felt more natural and better done). Like he, as a character doesn't seem to want to be this brooding badboy. I think the character would be written best as a light funnyman, and his love confession as a sudden moment of sincerity that comes out raw and genuine instead of like a polished (terribly written , but polished) f^ckin' speech. And I think that would make him a better contrast to Oro, who is definitely a serious, grumpy, closed off, almost a little brooding character- Grim can have seriousness, but it's always thrown in at strange moments at odds with his light flirty demeanor

[@DarwinRoger893]

That’s a beautiful idea. Would love to see that in a book someday

[@giovannijacobs4496]

WHHHYYYY are these books from famous people so poorly written? But at the same time this duo makes me fear for my life for my own work which they're never going to read (and I'm glad), Enjoyable to listen to though.

[@tatjanakalinjuk1487]

Soooo.... Isla was playing with Grimm's stick even before she met him🤔 that's one hell of a twist 😂😂😂

[@unresolvedtextualtension]

This is a genius comment. --Will

[@tatjanakalinjuk1487]

@@unresolvedtextualtension Somehow I knew that "ruggedly handsome host" will be the one who appreciate it😂 But honestly, keep up a good work. I love you guys, your podcast is amazing. So funny, and joyfull. And if I misspelled something I'm sorry. English is not my first language 😉

[@Amoreyna]

@@tatjanakalinjuk1487 Your English is just fine. :) And I suppose with this insight, we shouldn't be surprised he gave Isla the family jewels, later on, so he could come for her. She needed the whole package, after all. Sorry...I'll show myself out...

[@tatjanakalinjuk1487]

@@Amoreyna 🤣🤣🤣

[@larynadams1127]

1:21:40 The original offensive was killing your best friend. The whole sunling and Wilding falling in love thing was a lie to manipulate Grim. Thats why Aurora was so hurt. Bc her fiance and her best friend betrayed her.

[@teodorapetkovic]

I only heard about this book existing because someone told me that the author promised some spicy scenes on tiktok and they didn't end up in the final edit or something? And people were mad about that??? But I guess it was a bunch of other things I missed, so, grateful for the brief background info!

[@TK-gy7ci]

I think they were mad that she used quotes and tropes to advertise the book but then didn't have those things in the book. i never heard people complain about the sx scenes but i wouldn't be surprised.

[@teodorapetkovic]

@@TK-gy7ci oh yeah! I didn't dive too deep into it I just remember someone's brief explanation of it

[@angryotter9129]

I’m very sick and rewatching you guys’ videos brings me comfort. At least your watch time is benefiting from my suffering.

[@abbyk.6410]

You guys make me want to join a book club! The world building in this book sounds abysmal. If the world building made sense, this book would be 75% better.

[@Disarrayable]

This sounds SO convoluted.

[@Disarrayable]

I wrote this comment before you guys started talking about how convoluted the ending was 😆🫣

[@morelsupports]

I'm actually really excited that you guys have a different opinion on this book because I've already read another review that tears this book to pieces and it's actually more interesting to see more than one perspective on the book!!

[@gracehoney9875]

ik i love it when they admit there’s some decent parts in “bad” books. don’t get me wrong, Lightlark is not good at all but the prose isn’t terrible and SOME concepts weren’t bad. unfortunately the author didn’t put a lot of thought into the logistics and her editors (if she had any) tremendously failed her. also the dialogue gives me hives

[@sagathestoryteller7920]

I never clicked so fast

[@cicigonzales5542]

Same 😂😂

[@caelstyx3206]

You guys have such good vibes I'm definitely going to be listening in again. I was put off by the level of moralizing that happened with this book when it seems like Alex Asters biggest crime was just like... being cringey and tone deaf and not being a very good writer... I truly don't understand the amount of vitriol lmao. So it was very refreshing to just listen to you guys goofing on a very un- serious situation.

[@larynadams1127]

1:24:40 Its a rule in the centiniel that weapons aren't allowed. So she only has small weapons disguised as accessories

[@MartinBess]

Finally some nuance lol, not good, not terrible, on her insta she says she wrote it in three months… makes a lot of sense.

[@Vengeful135]

I'm gonna update this as I watch. But I'm 30 minutes into a 90 minute long video and I'm already lost. I've watched all the wonderful UTT videos, so I know you guys are amazing at explaining things. Which leaves only one explanation. This book has soooooooo much going on. Also "star stick" is just...man I don't know. Update: I'm much further in. And am still very confused. I've never read the book, but this feels like a mix of "I wanna write a fun fantasy book." "I'm passionate about the story, but don't know how to tell it, so I'll keep it simple." "I have huge ideas for this world I'm building, but want to include everything now. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense. I'll tell other stories later to make it make sense." "Also I wanna throw in some wildly graphic stuff. Cause this ain't your grandma's fantasy story. Mine is different and special." No shade at the author. I did some research, watched some of her tiktok videos, she seems very passionate about the book. But I think the book was fueled entirely by passion and dreams. Which, not to be a downer, doesn't always work. It needs to have enough structure so that readers who aren't as passionate as you, (the author), can make it all make sense and see everything that is important. Sometimes the "structure" or "rules" of the world you build, can feel like a stab at your passion and dream of the story. It feels almost like if someone was to write a love story, taking place the world today, and kept sprinkling in stuff from the 1700s, 1400s, random facts about nuclear missles, and wars. (None of which has much to do with the plot.) And none of us, (the readers) know any of that. The writer knows it all, and is including it in the book as if it's common knowledge. But it isn't. It's a world created by the author, and we as readers don't have the full scope of the author's thoughts. Just what is written down. And what's written down just doesn't fit together easily enough and is confusing. But then at the ending the author was like "surprise they are actually descendants of those people from the 1700s and 1400s, and are also nuclear physicists." Just to tie it all together. But that's my take. Maybe I'm way off. Like I said never read it. But best of luck to the author, perhaps if she writes more and continues to perfect her craft it'll get better. AS ALWAYS, AMAZING VIDEO. #WillTheRuggedAndHandsome #MariaTheBubblyButterfly (Maria I'm sorry, but that's just how I see you) (Maria I hope you don't mind but I

[@caitlinfitzgibbon9410]

Bruh I'm so excited to see you doing this! My partner is laughing at me right now for stopping the video at 1 second to write this, but this book has been making the rounds, and I am LIVING.

[@akernis3193]

It's always such a joy to listen to you guys discuss these things. I don't think there is another podcast that I'm this excited to listen to when your videos drop ^^

[@deathstinger13]

the real dumbest curse is Skylings. their curse is simply they can no longer fly with their power. The power works otherwise just fine, they just can't use it to fly

[@WeepingValkyrie]

"Guess what....she does him a heckin lovin'." 🤣😂 My coworkers stared at my obnoxious laughter

[@jas9474]

I think it would be a little more realistic if only the wildling rolling monarch had to eat the heart. Cuz they would still be hated n u still have the edgy heart eating plot but logistically it makes more sense.

[@Amoreyna]

Agreed. I could see if they set it up so Wildlings had to kill the person they loved (severely messing up their dynamic of being a free-loving people who found it easy to love) while their monarch was forced to eat the hearts of her people in order to survive (as a monarch should value all subjects in an ideal world). You could even have it be a yearly/bi-annually thing with the heart eating and over the centuries it had formed into a festival/competition among the Wildlings for the honor of preserving their realm. But Isla having to do something dark, dirty, and morally questionable even if she was desperately trying to save her people (and even if the hearts ended up being sacrificed to her willingly if the author couldn't go all the way) was a big no-no. I also don't think Aster got the connotations and how bad it was that there were "lesser" people that the Wildlings fed on. That makes them pretty despicable. Even with the curse broken, would you want to hang out with a group that could convict someone of stealing a jewel that was just laying around no matter the reason and use that as a reason to cut out their heart? I can't see international relations being good.

[@Jay-hastoomanycats]

For numbers to make sense maybe the wildlings eat all the hearts of the starlings that die at 25???

[@montecristo1845]

Full disclosure, I haven’t read it, but I respect you guys not just tearing it a new one because it’s expected. But I think the first problem from the get go is having a protagonist with a name beginning with a vowel but making impossible to determine if it’s a long or short vowel pronunciation.

[@mjg9689]

Just wanted to say that I love how the books in your bookcase look like they've actually been read

[@BabyCatBanana]

OMG guys please help me -- I saw this book behind Maria in a couple of the videos. It was blue, looked like it had a yellow egg on the spine, and the two books next to it had the author name STROUD. It looks EXACTLY like a book I read when I was in middle school that I loved, but filed into the back of my brain, the name forgotten, until I saw it in one of the videos. I want to reread that book so bad. Does ANYBODY know what the name is?

[@unresolvedtextualtension]

SO IM PRETTY SURE ITS “The Amulet of Samarkand” by Jonathon Stroud. I went back to our Black Sun video and saw the 2 other stroud books and the blue one with the egg thing Is that book. It’s the first book in the Bartimaeus trilogy. - Maria

[@BabyCatBanana]

@@unresolvedtextualtension BARTIMAEUS was the fucking B name I could not remember. OMG thank you! 💛

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

This is so wholesome

[@2natrix]

just when I was thinking I had nothing to listen to, you guys always come in clutch for me

[@dansobumobymky9048]

"Heckin' this" "Heckin' that" At first was painfully annoying but after a hour and a half it's growing on me

[@lanterns_glow]

The ending has more twists than a pretzel factory ran by M. Night Shamylan.

[@fralanasko2900]

They're eating all the hearts of those guys that die at 25.... obvs

[@futchslug]

Glad I’m not the only one who though star stick sounded like a euphemism 😭😭

[@romanov3937]

My problem with this book is that the worldbuilding is very surface level, and the author just seems to make stuff up about the magic system as it goes along, early, it's said that the rules have magic blood, Alex seems to forget that, the MC has a teleportation device and she seems to forget about it too. Freak i think the unique abilities, the Flairs, were only introduced near the end of the book.

[@mariekevandermeijden4541]

6:28 you guys are beloved!!!! Don't mind the pit of fire I'm preparing that is for something totally unrelated

[@idontcarecuzwhynot730]

Was it ever explained why Oro was slowly losing his power and dying?

[@S.M.Owens_]

I think the difference is that things like the saviours series and cyborg tinkerer were self-published, whereas light lark was traditionally published and so I think people are more critical of it. Because anyone can self publish something, there is no industry standard, you don't have to convince anyone that your idea is good just to publish it (not saying anything bad about self-published books, I read them more than trad pub and I'm close to self publishing my own novel). But there is a perception that trad pubs are of a certain quality, that there is a general bar that you have to meet in order to be published by a big publishing house and yet we are seeing more and more than these publishing houses are consistently pushing out poor quality, rushed, and just generally bad books and for some reason that's more annoying than when you read a self published book.

[@jessicahowe8544]

I'm new to these types if books and reading Alex Aster books. I'm on chapter 4 in Lightlark. Does it explain how or why the curse was originally started?

[@OrangeHand]

Eventually, yes.

[@jessicahowe8544]

@@OrangeHand I eventually got to it.. Did you like the book? Have you read Nightbane? What are your thoughts on that one?

[@anomaliecosmos]

I love the proposal at 21:08 - having eating your lover's heart be required *to have a baby* or else both you and it die would explain both why it's always the women killing the men (though from other reviews I got the impression that might just be the specifics of the curse rather than just "more likely"/implying the women love the men more) and why they *can't* rely on blind or one-night stands like you guys suggested right before that. Unfortunately I think it was just meant to narratively enforce the "ooo I'm incapable of/prevented from having True Love or I'll inevitably hurt you" trope because Aster couldn't justify it in a more reasonable way, with the eating hearts thing HAVING to be something already forced on Isla even though she's never fallen in love simply because it's cool and edgy while remaining *vaguely* love-related. RIP to lost potential...

[@JulianGreystoke]

Y'all beat me to it. Hopefully people aren't sick of it by the time I get to it!

[@mercycunningham2813]

No worries, I look forward hearing your opinion and will defenitly watch.

[@allcenema]

It's really hard not to be mad at privilege; a movie deal before the book launched?? For a rookie author? That stink(g)s. This, however, may be a new trend: if you have enough followers and social media presence, the world is your oyster. I haven't read the book but, based on what you said, it seems very standard... very ok. Does it deserve the backlash? For the book, no; for the promotion...maybe.

[@mikouf9691]

Maria: It's not good. It's not terrible. It is...earnest. Will: ...this is surpisingly not terrible... Me: Talk about "damning with faint praise." 😂 To be honest, I only heard about this book after the drama was boiling over. Although I have no interest in reading it, I love to hear you all dissect a story. This one sounds like the author frankensteined aspects of, among other things, Hunger Gamesd, Grishaverse, with a dash of Game of Thrones

[@Virgo117]

I got an idea for the heart economy issue: Since the wildling magic is based of nature so what if a ruler used their magic to sprout a tree, it's fruits gives would grant them the substance to appease the curse. And the wildlings would have festivals where they gather to water the tree with their blood to keep it alive.

[@whitneylivingston5706]

Maria and Will, thank you for reading this book and sharing so that I don’t have to.

[@writerducky2589]

I'm guessing the king with those different powers had people from the corresponding realms fall in love with him at some point or another, so he got their powers, and he can't use nightshade and wildling magic because no one from there has ever fallen in love with him? Haven't read the book though, so just pure speculating... Edit: This comment was originally written in the middle of watching this. Having now listened to the end where you say the powers disappear again when the love does, I assume the same applies if the "lover" dies. So back to square one, I guess🙃

[@OrangeHand]

I wonder if you'll cover the sequel. It'd be cool to see what you have to say about it and the next Fourth Wing book.

[@Luumus]

They just did the review of the second book

[@Neremworld]

"I assumed it'd go from heart, to land to king" I think it's suppose to be like the Fisher King, whose physical well-being impacts his land.

[@amiamarie2988]

Could Marie do some rapid fire tips on naming things? I'm ready to see this godess at work

[@cricketcalin]

With those final comments I need a review of Nightbane (I know you dont tend to do sequels) mainly bc Oro does not get to keep his spot as love interest

[@Luumus]

They just did the review of the second book

[@trudystull1245]

Subscribed after I saw the Abhorsen books in the background (one of my favoritest series 😍), but also appreciate that someone is giving this book a fairer shot - I haven't read it and don't think I will, but like... I hate the thought of a story being rated based on external factors lol.

[@raqchealv8719]

This entire thing was gold T^T On another note, would you guys ever consider reading and reviewing "I fell in love with hope" by Lancali?

[@IzzysTravelDiaries]

The whole killing loved ones and them being connected to loved ones reminds me of Mai Hime, except in that anime it was done well.

[@ariannay766]

I loved Lightlark but like... semironically? I'm obsessing over Isla and the worldbuilding concepts cause I think they're cool but I'm obssessing over the plot and execution of everything because they're bad use of good concepts and they make me Mad and I could Fix It. I'm not even a good editor and I'm a just okay writer but there are so many edits i wanna make ;-; ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed nonbiney citizens of youtube,, is it possible to special interest media you don't even think is good?

[@Newfiecat]

...Yes. Yes it is. I was motivated to rewrite an ENTIRE BOOK I read that had a cool concept and terrible execution. I rewrote a whole flippin' book, and it's not like I can publish it or anything. I was just driven so hard by "Dammit this had such squandered potential, I must Fix It!" 🔥💪😡🔥

[@annarodriguez1040]

I came here after watching another review, and I'm delighted to now watch such a light-hearted and entertaining one, sub guaranteed

[@willowdove6703]

I know you’ll probably want to find a book you actually fully enjoy after this but I SO want to hear you guys’ thoughts on Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen. I had a lot of fun hate reading it and I want you to roast it so bad

[@skalliedA]

Maria's cam still has no chill, but at this point I'm kinda vibin' with it.

[@unresolvedtextualtension]

I have no idea how to stop it AND I move around way too much for it to chill. One day I shall figure it out or get another camera. 😂😂- Maria

[@skalliedA]

@@unresolvedtextualtension Hey, as I said, I'm here for it now. You keep up that energy ;D

[@writerducky2589]

@@unresolvedtextualtension Turn off auto-focus maybe? If you haven't already tried. Idk, I'm just throwing it out there😅

[@Vengeful135]

Honestly I never really noticed😂 my brain was just like, "that's Maria's energy mannnnn."😂

[@susannahlewis8464]

It's funny that Lightlark is a good name.

[@Lolz4249]

Loved this! Though I resent the implication that Theoden isn’t hot 😉😂

[@chelsey8737]

Did anyone else notice that they started this off by saying that this is not a bad book and then proceeded to criticize every single point that every other person who did say it was a bad book criticized?

[@OrangeHand]

They didn't say it wasn't bad, they just don't consider it to be the complete trainwreck others say it is.

[@JonathanRossignol]

@22:54 They make an ointment for that. Don't ask me how I know.

[@RalinaEvin]

I AM SO READY FOR THIS

[@PaintingMeJosh]

Saw the thumbnail for this video, but I haven't read the book. Went to Goodreads for the blurb and get some context, only to find that the blurb is full of contradictions. Already off to a bad start, so this video should be entertaining as fuck. For context (with EDITS at the end): Don't know how often the author updates the blurb on Goodreads, so these are the contradictions I saw. "Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons-a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die." 1) Is it an invitation or a summons? Is it optional or mandatory that the six rulers participate? It cannot be both, and I'm certainly not gonna read it just to find out which. 2) If the death games occur every 100 years, then this means the kingdoms have suffered their curses for thousands of years, right? Every 100 years they get the chance to break their curses by winning the death games, right? So then how, according to the blurb, is THIS century's games the "one final chance???" Why would the games stop after this century? Why no more games next century? Blurb isn't interesting enough for me to want to find that answer. 3) These are death games, yet to break their curses someone must die. But it's a death game, so obviously someone's gonna die. Yet somehow they've still remained cursed for (potentially) thousands of years? You mean to tell me that none of the kingdoms' rulers died in these DEATH games for the past (potentially) thousands of years? If they want to break their curses so bad, and the only way to do so is to DIE in the DEATH games, then shouldn't someone simply commit suicide while in the games? Or would that be too obvious? Is suicide against the rules? Is allowing the other rulers to kill you against the rules? Again, the blurb contradicts itself too much for me to care about finding these answers. EDIT 1: I'm 15 minutes into the video, and you've pretty much answered contradictions 1 and 3. Like, why would the author not just directly state that it's optional (or just not mention anything about invitations or summons in the blurb at all), and that one ruler must be elected to die at the end of the games? The contradiction about how each of these (presumed) elected deaths in the past thousand years did NOT break the curses still stands though. Now back to the video. EDIT 2: 28 minutes in. The election isn't just for that one ruler? It's also death to their entire realm??? SHiiiiiiiittt, that VERY MUCH should've been in the blurb. Like, come on. That is so goddamn juicy and gripping. Why the fuck would the author NOT include this in the fucking blurb???? EDIT 3: 42-43 minutes in. Contradiction 2 is answered. But again, why not just say this in the blurb -- that the magic making the death games possible is dying while the curses themselves will continue on? I know that's a lot to say, so I'm not sure how it'd be worded for a brief blurb, but the current wording leaves zero mystery, instead making it feel like contradiction after contradiction. FINAL EDIT: Finished the video. The general ideas of this book sound incredible, but if it truly is as convoluted and inconsistent as described in this review, then I will definitely not be reading it. It was very fun to listen to you guys roast it. I literally LOL'd several times.

[@PokemonkaDub]

Maybe there was a lot of gay men in the Wildling people, and that's why they killed eachother off so much more than women.

[@jasoncooper3132]

I've seen alot of videos about lightlark and you are the first that didn't say the nightshade were called nightlings thankyou soooooo much

[@nicodinisi]

This book sounds like ACOTAR but worse 🤨 and thankfully this version doesn’t have romanticized SA

[@giovannijacobs4496]

This also sounds like a gorier form of Winx Club (which I loved)

[@jasongretencord3326]

Economy of Hearts would be a good name for a novel

[@theevilonewholaughs]

I'm on like my 5th Lightlark video and all I'm thinking is that I'm glad I'm basically illiterate

[@allyxarayne9552]

So... if her stick will take her anywhere. Why not Lightlark? I have zero interest in reading the book because her TT videos were annoying as hell, and I don't like her as a person.

[@heriette]

"nightshade" is the official name for the color of my boyfriend's Nissan

[@marocat4749]

Ok a way better idea for a full moon curse, that should be obvious, make it a modified werewolf curse. At full moon. And yeah th hearts problem could be a very interesting plotpoint. like what if they tries to grow hearttrees and experiment to magical clone hearts. Or they try to stretch it and they have engagement with courts where they take hearts rom courts. Also jokes about a "queen of hearts" is missed. Like i h got a slande name "queen of hearts" And that you can like executed humans should be fine, or recntly ded ones. And why didnt she shar about the bondbreaker , assuming its that in books, sh could literally "c find out anything about the bondbreaker you can. make it a challenge. Like ther are the drarvs book and in the first book he is a dwarf raised away home from wizard, an undead land i coming and his wizard mentor unknown to him gave him the reciept for the mytical weapon that can kill everything. Especially magical,.the dead land lived in a wizard, its heart , and its very powerful, it raises the dead. and pretty invincible. And tungdil the dwarf participates in a contest for a king, While that, and everyone can throw 3 challenges, 2 of three win, and h made making that weapon, a challengethatt highly likely will be taken up. Why coulsnt she proposed a "find out the most about bondbreaker" and make them too inveted in finding and breaking th curse.

[@arklypurple99]

is your "e" key not working right

[@alainiskandar3472]

Can you review “The Stars We Steal” by Alexa Donne?

[@KaelynRowk]

Lemme just break through and tell you that earrings-throwing stars make no sense, because throwing stars are VERY HEAVY. That girl must have ears of a rabbit because of the weight

[@writethepath8354]

As soon as you said Lightlark was islands, I got it

[@Starburst514]

The dying at 25 curse trips me out each time 😂 so its a country of teenagers and teen parents to care for the babies after the parents die, but then its like...okay so then to keep birthrates up wouldn't people need to start having babies soon as biologically able, so like...11-14 for puberty to start.... Like that could be a pretty horrific and intriguing curse, having the rep from Starling be like 14-19 and have all the maturity and decorum as an adult, and go into how maturity and age has had to adapt to the curse, and continuing with no real older generation around, or constantly being on the brink of extinction

[@arkkon2740]

It was also established that cross island relations are common so like Why not let the others immigrate there? Whats wrong with that? 💀

[@fuentes_fantasy7906]

I heard something about it on Tiktok, but was never clear on what the fuss was.

[@kingbeeYT]

Maria you should ask to voice a character on Danny Devitos new show Little Demon. Lol that'd be great

[@kittyhawke2701]

Do they ever explain where humans even come from if they aren't native to the six realms or whatever?

[@SallySueSaywhatagain]

Ooh, spinoff idea: Maria Names Stuff!

[@smartasscerrone637]

OMG I’ve been waiting for this!!!!

[@cullen9119]

Aster clearly didn't read Kingsbury's "Courtship Rite" (1982) with all the cannibalism

[@ilargia_]

i never clicked so fast on anything

[@shotacon4873]

It kinda felt like Murder on the Orient Express but written by me 5 years after watching it. I felt incredibly frustrated being in the perspective of a dumb protragonist.

[@laurenalyssa4677]

How very topical of y’all I love it

[@TheRealValGalstyan]

I haven’t watched a single video where you didn’t mentioned something I didn’t agree with

[@RiaxaraCo]

The only problem with the ‘wildlings all get in a dark room in order to repopulate’ is the potential for incest but otherwise it’s probably the best solution for their population. Unless they have artificial insemination (which I feel like they probably don’t.)

[@arkkon2740]

They can always set up a blacklist type of thing. Like they won't see who goes in but the admins or whoever can, that way you get matched up with anyone but your cousins

[@maximilianlopez196]

Super hype initiated! >:{D

[@morleywritesbooks]

"it's not good, but it's not 'terrible'." XD (also secretly the bar i'm trying to meet atm ;-; )

[@morleywritesbooks]

on the other hand... I'm not this weird at naming things, so I got that going for me ^_^

[@massomouse1556]

What is fever touch?

[@arkkon2740]

Pretty sure its a form of "instalove" where they touch each other and regardless of their prior interactions, they suddenly have feelings for each other. Its like going through a torture chamber, you get punched in the face and bam, your crush is your torturer and they're crushing in you

[@leothelion6245]

SLAYYYYY btw y'all should check out Gideon the Ninth and the locked tomb series idk I feel like y'all would enjoy

[@DragonBloodShepherd]

I was just wondering... If she is called "Industry plant" - what does it mean exactly? She is like a plant that can't take care of herself? She needs to be cared for or otherwise she's gonna die?

[@jasminv8653]

That she has been picked and 'planted' bu publishers sort of to be made into a success, instead of going the usual route of agents and queries... I don't think it's quite true, but she WAS a published author already, just for MG instead of YA.

[@chrisschumacher3746]

I would love to see you guys break down Stephen King’s new book Fairy Tale