Book Nerd Twins

Reviewed by: Noelle

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

One hundred days. Six curses. A broken world. Welcome to the Centennial, a magical competition where one ruler must die to break the curses that plague their people. Lie, cheat, betray. This is no ordinary game, the fate of six realms swing in the balance as the rulers scramble to save themselves and their people from the afflictions that have weakened them for 500 years.

“The Centennial was many things. A game. A chance at breaking the many curses that plagued the six realms. An opportunity to win unmatched power. A meeting of the six rulers. A hundred days on an island cursed to only appear once every hundred years. And for Isla— Almost certain death.”

Lightlark is a captivating fantasy read perfect for fans of Caraval and Powerless. It follows Isla Crown’s journey as she works to free her country, and herself from the many shackles that bind them. The curses aren’t the only thing that keep Isla trapped; she’s been a caged bird her whole life. 

As an orphaned heir, she’s spent every waking moment preparing for the Centennial but nothing could have prepared her for the emotional, mental and physical pain she will experience. The sacrifices and the choices it will take for peace. How far can she go? How much can she give before she breaks?

Isla’s inner monologue is not the only thing that hooked me, what really reeled me in and made this such a page turner was the high stakes, and the sharp distinct characters. The ruthlessness and in some cases gentleness of the other rulers didn’t just shock Isla, I was holding my breath right there with her as she struggled to distinguish friend from foe. Alliances can save or cost lives which added more fire, life and depth to each relationship in the book whether platonic or romantic. 

As the 100 days begin to dwindle, the sense of urgency only grows. How much time is left till all six realms completely fall apart? Against a ticking clock Isla, Oro, Cleo, Celeste, Grim and Azul must figure out the prophecy and how to fulfill it before 100 days are up. A young sheltered ruler, the king of Lightlark, the most ancient ruler alive, the young starling queen, a dangerous exiled king and a reserved but calculated Sky King. One must die to fulfill the prophecy and after day fifty killing is permitted. Isla must make alliances but she mustn’t trust anyone too much. Not only does she need to come out alive, she must save her people by fulfilling the prophecy and breaking the curse. So the Wingdlings can finally become more than just mere shells of their past selves. 

Even though Lightlark follows a lot of common tropes, like the love triangle, and the hero’s journey; I found this made the plot twists even more shocking. When I least expected it, when I believed I had everything figured out betrayals and hidden truth struck like lightning. For most of the twists at least. The climax? I’d anticipate some of it for quite sometime, though I hadn’t worked out the how or the why, just the who.

Isla is smart, cunning, strong. Though she can be naive which I sometimes found annoying. Though it is realistic due to the fact she’d barely interacted with anyone besides her guardians before the Centennial. Sometimes I wish I could shout, “Be CAREFUL!”; but sadly we have no way to communicate with fictional characters.

Most of the characters don’t have much depth at the start but towards the end a full picture begins to be filled in. Everyone has secrets and no one is safe.

Lightlark’s sharp twists, dynamic relationships, intricate world building, and magical feel make it an intriguing beautiful read. To me it’s a 4 star book because of several predictable outcomes but otherwise there was nothing that could have been better. There’s nothing quite like escaping to a fantasy world!

Leaf through Lightlark and discover a world full of magic, destruction and deadly consequences. Ask yourself this: what would you sacrifice for your country, when the time comes would you choose it over yourself? Find out what it means to be selfless and selfish and most importantly the pressure that comes with taking part in a once in five centuries event. Welcome to the Centennial!