#absynthe reads lightlark

[absynthe--minded]

I am well into Lightlark and it remains the worst book I’ve read in years that wasn’t literal fascist propaganda, looking at you The Turner Diaries but the thing that is going to compel me about this failure (because don’t get me wrong it is a failure) is that there are these seeds of interesting ideas buried deep within the piles of shit, and I don’t know if Ms. Aster put them there on purpose or if they’re the inevitable byproduct of a diet of better (even only slightly better), more honest, more professionally composed books and fanfiction written by authors with 10+ years of experience.

(I’m reading this because I’m trying to get into a more coherent litcrit mode for my RoP analysis and a lot of the problems with Lightlark are present in RoP (first time project by pretty untested writer coming from a place of privilege, all issues are clunkily handled because it’s the first time they’ve ever written about them, a lot of hype and early positive buzz + ludicrous financial success that burns out quickly when the final product is revealed to be mediocre, an audience of people who like it anyway); regardless, the project on its own is utterly fascinating.)

[absynthe--minded]

finally cracked. I’m reading Lightlark, late as ever to the hype but my god it was worth finding out it was bad.

this might be one of the worst pieces of fiction I’ve ever put my eyes on. Alex & Eliza was more palatable than this. the tag to blacklist is “#absynthe reads lightlark”

[absynthe--minded]

The problem at the center of the book, ultimately, is that Alex Aster doesn’t understand why tropes work and why certain ideas “hit good”. She seems to be writing entirely based on vibes and vague reminiscence of other, more honest books (which, if you’re considering ACoTaR as a direct ancestor - and you should - means she’s crafted an echo of an echo, as ACoTaR is itself a slick youth-focused imitation of books like the Faefever series or any of the fantasy romances Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon have been writing for 20+ years.) Aster spends her time crafting setpieces and scenarios that it’s fun to imagine yourself taking part in, but doesn’t at any point think to build up a solid foundation of worldbuilding or characterization or verisimilitudinous (now there’s a ten dollar word lmao) events and interactions that stand up to scrutiny.

The plot of Lightlark reads like a crossover between Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Hunger Games, the TV show Shadow and Bone, and Beautiful Creatures. Our heroine Isla is the leader of a group of quasi-nudist sex-positive warrior women who have shared ethnic magic (power over nature and power over sex and attraction) and is forced to go represent her people in a once-every-hundred-years deadly game that is meant to end with someone dying. She doesn’t have any magic powers, but hides this with sleight of hand and deception. The end goal of the deadly game is twofold: the winner gets godlike magic powers and if it’s successful the curse over all six races of magic-using humans is broken. This curse has different effects on each nation, so everyone has an interest in breaking it. Isla is bound by her desire to save her people, but struggles with her loyalty to her friend Celeste and her attraction to the shameless Darkling ripoff Grim.

There’s a lot of cool ideas here, some torn from other better books and others wholly invented by the author. The problem is that Aster cannot execute those ideas with any degree of serious competence. She succeeds in creating vivid vignettes and brief interactions, but obviously expects the audience to know immediately how Isla will feel and how she reacts. There’s no work put into any of the relationships, and in particular the flirtation between our protagonist and Grim. Either you immediately accept everything you’re told Isla feels and you completely agree with it and are eagerly inserting yourself into the romance or you’re out in the cold.

Now, sometimes this works - Brahmāstra was a delightful film I saw twice in theaters and it had about as much development of its romance - but usually what sells flimsy stories like this is the sheer chemistry between the two leads. Isla and Grim have none of that, despite having many things in common that could function as the starting point for a genuine connection. Instead, they follow along well-worn ruts for people in their expected tropes, hoping we’re rooting for them.

(and before anyone says anything - I’m aware of the twist, and no, offscreen grooming and assault don’t count as development of a relationship)

I am well into Lightlark and it remains the worst book I’ve read in years that wasn’t literal fascist propaganda, looking at you The Turner Diaries but the thing that is going to compel me about this failure (because don’t get me wrong it is a failure) is that there are these seeds of interesting ideas buried deep within the piles of shit, and I don’t know if Ms. Aster put them there on purpose or if they’re the inevitable byproduct of a diet of better (even only slightly better), more honest, more professionally composed books and fanfiction written by authors with 10+ years of experience.

(I’m reading this because I’m trying to get into a more coherent litcrit mode for my RoP analysis and a lot of the problems with Lightlark are present in RoP (first time project by pretty untested writer coming from a place of privilege, all issues are clunkily handled because it’s the first time they’ve ever written about them, a lot of hype and early positive buzz + ludicrous financial success that burns out quickly when the final product is revealed to be mediocre, an audience of people who like it anyway); regardless, the project on its own is utterly fascinating.)