Starside
A Novel
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4.5 • 401 Ratings
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
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 one: 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…
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Lightlark author Alex Aster makes the leap from YA to adult romantasy with this heart-pounding tale of magic swords, bloody competition, and fiery romantic tension. Starside and Stormside are two halves of a land divided by class. But the difference between the haves and have-nots isn’t money—it’s magic. Aris is a poor Stormsider hoping to qualify for the Questral, a deadly, cruel competition to win a single life-changing cup of Starsider mystical power. But she doesn’t want their magic. She wants revenge. From page 1, Aris is a fantastic heroine. Orphaned by an act of Starside brutality and raised by a kind blacksmith, her combination of fear and determination is impossible not to root for. Aster also doesn’t gloss over the intense violence of this world, making the stakes mortally high for every character. And yet Aris’ undeniable chemistry with Harlan, the broody, hateable head of the privileged king’s guard, is just as visceral. This is your next romantasy obsession.
Customer Reviews
10/10
Loved it so much I read it twice in 3 days. Held my attention from the first chapter. Filled with sarcasm and survival, this is a beautiful slow burn enemies-to-lovers tale with some surprising twists along the way. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Interesting story but poor writing
One of the first Romantasy novels that’s interested me in a while but the grammar and repetitive prose was a bit frustrating. I feel like it had a lot of potential that was wasted on a bad editing team. Still, I found it pretty entertaining and enjoyed reading it because it’s relatively original and more slow-burn than other novels in this genre (which I find a lot more rewarding than the alternative).
Ravenous
This book was like feasting on a never-ending buffet of my favorite foods. I would read for hours…stopping only when my eyes and the blurred letters forced me to. No meals were prepared, no laundry got done until my reading appetite was satiated. I could NOT get enough…and then it was over. I’ve found my new favorite author.