It’s finally here! I received my preorder gift from Abrams Books: the six custom page overlays of characters from Alex Aster’s Lightlark:

The six overlays! Illustrated by the talented @kalisamiii

The overlays came with this card with the following message from the author:

Which has illustrations of the six rulers on the back, along with the prophecy from Lightlark:

Lightlark Overlays

I had to wait a few more weeks after receiving the book on August 24th for these overlays. Though I wished it had shipped with my preordered book, now I’m just happy to have gotten them! Here they are placed inside Lightlark. Aren’t they just stunning?

🥀 Isla Crown, the main protagonist of Lightlark.
Ruler of Wildling.
🌌 Grimshaw, aka ruler of Nightshade.
1 of the 2 love interests of Isla Crown.
☁ King Azul of Skyling.
☀ King Oro aka the Sunling ruler who is also the King of Lightlark. The other love interest of Isla Crown.
🌙 Cleo, the ruler of Moonling, who hates Isla Crown.
🌟 Celeste, ruler of Starlings and Isla’s best friend.

Kalisami did such a great job depicting each of the Lightlark rulers! They look just as they’re supposed to look, based on the descriptions from the book. And I love how she added in the different elements behind each ruler to show what powers they have.

Final Comments on Alex Aster’s Lightlark

Photo by Annie Spratt.

As someone who actually preordered Lightlark and read it, I can say that I enjoyed reading the book. Though it wasn’t the best YA fantasy I’ve ever read or the best piece of fiction, I liked reading about the different realms, albeit some confusing parts that I still don’t fully get.

I especially enjoyed reading the plot twist. I knew something was coming but I certainly did not expect it to have unfolded the way it did. The last 100 pages or so were stunning!

However, I do think that the book was marketed with misleading information. Though it didn’t affect me much as I didn’t buy the book hoping it to be like The Hunger Games or A Court of Thorns and Roses, I can see why many people were/are upset. As someone who followed Alex Aster on Instagram for months, I did notice that some of the parts or quotes that were advertised for Lightlark weren’t in the novel.

Aside from the false advertisement and some editorial mistakes, Lightlark can be a great introductory novel for readers who haven’t read YA fantasy. Something readers can read before jumping into the world of YA fantasy.

Anyways, I’m happy to have read it, to have attended the wonderful Moonling event in San Francisco and to have these overlays to keep:

What are your thoughts on Lightlark?


P.S. To read about the Moonling event I attended in San Francisco, click HERE.

P.P.S. For the other preorder gift from Abrams Books (i.e. the sneak peek), check out the post HERE.

The Time Traveler is an upcoming author who holds great appreciation for both classic literature and history. The author aspires to publish historical fictions and other written works in the near future, in hopes of creating works that entertain, inform, and inspire. The author also appreciates all things aesthetic and enjoys traveling around the world to learn and observe.

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