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

Ойын-сауық

We review the Lightlark, the latest tiktok drama, by Alex Aster.
We have a Patreon! Join to be part of our discord, bookclub, or get personalized writing critiques.
Patreon: www.patreon.com/unresolvedtex...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6hJVaT8...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Google Podcasts: podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

Пікірлер: 175

  • @brennamr1
    @brennamr1 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @angryotter9129

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s canon to me now.

  • @JulianGreystoke

    @JulianGreystoke

    Жыл бұрын

    That's what I immediately thought

  • @bruhjime2675

    @bruhjime2675

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @amethystfalls6183

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @Michaelas_Archive

    @Michaelas_Archive

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @theanxiousace3783
    @theanxiousace3783 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @nenegrey2282
    @nenegrey2282 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @marocat4749

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @Vengeful135

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @marocat4749

    Жыл бұрын

    @@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

    @LilyEvans1996

    Жыл бұрын

    What happened with Roth and Divergent?

  • @Starburst514

    @Starburst514

    9 ай бұрын

    ​@@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

  • @futchslug
    @futchslug Жыл бұрын

    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

    @stardoogalaxie9314

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @springcorvids

    @springcorvids

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh I must know what her background is now!

  • @Dez861

    @Dez861

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@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.

  • @hylianterrier8650
    @hylianterrier8650 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @AragornHottie
    @AragornHottie Жыл бұрын

    The most frustrating things about the head bad books is that they have so many good ideas in them and if the authors had taken the time to develop them more then these books might be fantastic! You can keep your starling villain, but don’t make her this ancient being who started everything. She’s still young and is doing all these awful things to do whatever she can to save her people from dying at 25. Make her a tragic character. Don’t make her a one dimensional, cackling villain who’s just mad because some guy didn’t marry her. That’s boring.

  • @chelsey8737

    @chelsey8737

    Жыл бұрын

    The entire book seems to be built on cliches, one dimensional characters, stereotypes, and inconsistent half baked concepts

  • @willowingwhispers2612
    @willowingwhispers2612 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @Jen37978

    Жыл бұрын

    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. 🤷🏻‍♀️

  • @megarakadmea
    @megarakadmea Жыл бұрын

    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

    @erinhammo9291

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @lawrencelopez9839

    @lawrencelopez9839

    Жыл бұрын

    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
    @Nivalyr Жыл бұрын

    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? ^^

  • @delyseonduty
    @delyseonduty Жыл бұрын

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

  • @mikouf9691

    @mikouf9691

    Жыл бұрын

    And rugged. Let's not forget rugged. 😉

  • @delyseonduty

    @delyseonduty

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @angryotter9129
    @angryotter9129 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @toppersundquist

    5 ай бұрын

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

  • @robertb.7772
    @robertb.7772 Жыл бұрын

    "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

    @Hello-hello-hello456

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @robertb.7772

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Hello-hello-hello456 Same 😄

  • @nichoudha

    @nichoudha

    11 ай бұрын

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

  • @Hello-hello-hello456

    @Hello-hello-hello456

    11 ай бұрын

    @@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.

  • @giovannijacobs4496
    @giovannijacobs4496 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @ariannay766
    @ariannay766 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @DarwinRoger893

    8 ай бұрын

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

  • @TheAdarkerglow
    @TheAdarkerglow Жыл бұрын

    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

    @tallyjones8917

    Жыл бұрын

    Lampshading can only do so much

  • @NapaCat

    @NapaCat

    10 ай бұрын

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

  • @tatjanakalinjuk1487
    @tatjanakalinjuk1487 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @unresolvedtextualtension

    @unresolvedtextualtension

    Жыл бұрын

    This is a genius comment. --Will

  • @tatjanakalinjuk1487

    @tatjanakalinjuk1487

    Жыл бұрын

    @@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

    @Amoreyna

    10 ай бұрын

    @@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

    @tatjanakalinjuk1487

    10 ай бұрын

    @@Amoreyna 🤣🤣🤣

  • @angryotter9129
    @angryotter9129 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @sagathestoryteller7920
    @sagathestoryteller7920 Жыл бұрын

    I never clicked so fast

  • @cicigonzales5542

    @cicigonzales5542

    Жыл бұрын

    Same 😂😂

  • @teodorapetkovic
    @teodorapetkovic Жыл бұрын

    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

    @TK-gy7ci

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @teodorapetkovic

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @abbyk.6410
    @abbyk.6410 Жыл бұрын

    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
    @Disarrayable Жыл бұрын

    This sounds SO convoluted.

  • @Disarrayable

    @Disarrayable

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @Vengeful135
    @Vengeful135 Жыл бұрын

    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

  • @MartinBess
    @MartinBess Жыл бұрын

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

  • @caelstyx3206
    @caelstyx3206 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @morelsupports
    @morelsupports Жыл бұрын

    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

    @gracehoney9875

    Жыл бұрын

    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

  • @WeepingValkyrie
    @WeepingValkyrie Жыл бұрын

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

  • @jas9474
    @jas9474 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @Amoreyna

    10 ай бұрын

    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.

  • @akernis3193
    @akernis3193 Жыл бұрын

    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 ^^

  • @caitlinfitzgibbon9410
    @caitlinfitzgibbon9410 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @2natrix
    @2natrix Жыл бұрын

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

  • @mjg9689
    @mjg9689 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @dansobumobymky9048
    @dansobumobymky9048 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @fralanasko2900
    @fralanasko2900 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @futchslug
    @futchslug Жыл бұрын

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

  • @annarodriguez1040
    @annarodriguez1040 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @BabyCatBanana
    @BabyCatBanana Жыл бұрын

    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

    @unresolvedtextualtension

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @BabyCatBanana

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @Hello-hello-hello456

    @Hello-hello-hello456

    Жыл бұрын

    This is so wholesome

  • @whitneylivingston5706
    @whitneylivingston5706 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @lanterns_glow
    @lanterns_glow Жыл бұрын

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

  • @JulianGreystoke
    @JulianGreystoke Жыл бұрын

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

  • @mercycunningham2813

    @mercycunningham2813

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @romanov3937
    @romanov3937 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @trudystull1245
    @trudystull1245 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @smartasscerrone637
    @smartasscerrone637 Жыл бұрын

    OMG I’ve been waiting for this!!!!

  • @writerducky2589
    @writerducky2589 Жыл бұрын

    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🙃

  • @mikouf9691
    @mikouf9691 Жыл бұрын

    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

  • @sav9324
    @sav9324 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @amiamarie2988
    @amiamarie2988 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @raqchealv8719
    @raqchealv8719 Жыл бұрын

    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?

  • @RalinaEvin
    @RalinaEvin Жыл бұрын

    I AM SO READY FOR THIS

  • @allcenema
    @allcenema Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @Virgo117
    @Virgo117 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @susannahlewis8464
    @susannahlewis8464 Жыл бұрын

    It's funny that Lightlark is a good name.

  • @OrangeHand
    @OrangeHand7 ай бұрын

    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

    @Luumus

    4 ай бұрын

    They just did the review of the second book

  • @laurenalyssa4677
    @laurenalyssa4677 Жыл бұрын

    How very topical of y’all I love it

  • @IzzysTravelDiaries
    @IzzysTravelDiaries Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @willowdove6703
    @willowdove6703 Жыл бұрын

    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

  • @mariekevandermeijden4541
    @mariekevandermeijden4541 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @anomaliecosmos
    @anomaliecosmos10 ай бұрын

    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...

  • @chelsey8737
    @chelsey8737 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @OrangeHand

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @skalliedA
    @skalliedA Жыл бұрын

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

  • @unresolvedtextualtension

    @unresolvedtextualtension

    Жыл бұрын

    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

    @skalliedA

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @writerducky2589

    @writerducky2589

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @Vengeful135

    @Vengeful135

    Жыл бұрын

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

  • @JonathanRossignol
    @JonathanRossignol Жыл бұрын

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

  • @ariannay766
    @ariannay766 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @Newfiecat

    Жыл бұрын

    ...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!" 🔥💪😡🔥

  • @chrisschumacher3746
    @chrisschumacher3746 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @writethepath8354
    @writethepath8354 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @SallySueSaywhatagain
    @SallySueSaywhatagain Жыл бұрын

    Ooh, spinoff idea: Maria Names Stuff!

  • @cricketcalin
    @cricketcalin6 ай бұрын

    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

    @Luumus

    4 ай бұрын

    They just did the review of the second book

  • @kingbeeYT
    @kingbeeYT Жыл бұрын

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

  • @giovannijacobs4496
    @giovannijacobs4496 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @nicodinisi
    @nicodinisi Жыл бұрын

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

  • @S.M.Owens_
    @S.M.Owens_4 ай бұрын

    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.

  • @maximilianlopez196
    @maximilianlopez196 Жыл бұрын

    Super hype initiated! >:{D

  • @fuelai831
    @fuelai831 Жыл бұрын

    Please do a nona the ninth review. Pleeeeeease.

  • @leothelion6245
    @leothelion6245 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @asherscott3151
    @asherscott31513 ай бұрын

    I feel so bad for Alex because her reputation was destroyed for "being a plant" when this was actually not her debut at all. She had been writing for awhile, but there have been several KZreadrs who got a deal on the first book they EVER wrote and no one batted an eye. It just goes to show how toxic tiktok is as a community that they are so willing to cannibalize one of their own over so little

  • @hannahhannah7002

    @hannahhannah7002

    Ай бұрын

    Don't feel bad for her at all. She deliberately chose to lie to her audience and pitch herself as an underdog up-in-comer when she's already published and comes from wealth

  • @fuentes_fantasy7906
    @fuentes_fantasy7906 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @jessicahowe8544
    @jessicahowe8544Ай бұрын

    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

    @OrangeHand

    Ай бұрын

    Eventually, yes.

  • @jessicahowe8544

    @jessicahowe8544

    Ай бұрын

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

  • @alainiskandar3472
    @alainiskandar3472 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @theevilonewholaughs
    @theevilonewholaughs Жыл бұрын

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

  • @allyxarayne9552
    @allyxarayne955211 ай бұрын

    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
    @heriette Жыл бұрын

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

  • @marocat4749
    @marocat4749 Жыл бұрын

    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

    @arklypurple99

    Жыл бұрын

    is your "e" key not working right

  • @ilargia_
    @ilargia_ Жыл бұрын

    i never clicked so fast on anything

  • @PaintingMeJosh
    @PaintingMeJosh Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @idontcarecuzwhynot730
    @idontcarecuzwhynot730Ай бұрын

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

  • @KaelynRowk
    @KaelynRowk7 ай бұрын

    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

  • @jasongretencord3326
    @jasongretencord33267 ай бұрын

    Economy of Hearts would be a good name for a novel

  • @morleywritesbooks
    @morleywritesbooks Жыл бұрын

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

  • @morleywritesbooks
    @morleywritesbooks Жыл бұрын

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

  • @mentkansleyunitedstatesgov6364
    @mentkansleyunitedstatesgov63642 ай бұрын

    It's earnest? Ernest goes to the Death Games.....that's a reference

  • @PokemonkaDub
    @PokemonkaDub Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @RiaxaraCo
    @RiaxaraCo3 ай бұрын

    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

    @arkkon2740

    2 ай бұрын

    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

  • @shotacon4873
    @shotacon4873 Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @WeepingValkyrie
    @WeepingValkyrie Жыл бұрын

    I never heard of Lightlark? Idk much about tiktok

  • @DragonBloodShepherd
    @DragonBloodShepherd Жыл бұрын

    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

    @jasminv8653

    Жыл бұрын

    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.

  • @kittyhawke2701
    @kittyhawke2701 Жыл бұрын

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

  • @massomouse1556
    @massomouse1556 Жыл бұрын

    What is fever touch?

  • @arkkon2740

    @arkkon2740

    Жыл бұрын

    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

  • @massomouse1556
    @massomouse1556 Жыл бұрын

    Smash n’ Dash Wildiling Tinder 😅😅

  • @Faeree
    @Faeree Жыл бұрын

    God I love these videos! I love watching them but can the auto zoom be fixed for next ep X3 It hurts my eyes. I definitely can just listen but then I miss Maria and Wills beautiful and handsome faces making expressions to further convey their emotions X3

  • @SoRePeSi
    @SoRePeSi Жыл бұрын

    The not sailing during a full moon thing can sorta be less stupid if they are traders, that'd make long trips impossible. But I didn't read the book, I'm just saying ^^'

  • @TuesdaysArt

    @TuesdaysArt

    Жыл бұрын

    If anything, wouldn't the murder waves being a regular occurrence make it easier to schedule around? Ancient civilization had less preparation for storms and they still had economies.

  • @TheExhaustipatedBookworm
    @TheExhaustipatedBookworm4 ай бұрын

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

  • @Starburst514
    @Starburst5149 ай бұрын

    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

    @arkkon2740

    8 ай бұрын

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

Келесі