Lightlark is known as "the TikTok book": a fantasy novel launched to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list because of constant social media promotion by its prolific author, Alex Aster. Going into Lightlark, I felt as one might with a celebrity memoir: interested enough to buy the book and support the already-successful author, but not expecting anything deeper than a kiddie pool in complexity. Although Lightlark did turn out to be a light read, it was far more enjoyable than I expected! The premise of six cursed kingdoms warring in a bloody Centennial on the magical kingdom of Lightlark immediately hooked me. It was so much fun reading about this fantasy world of battling royals, wildflowers, and enchanted hearts. There wasn't much depth to the characters, and the age gap in Isla and Grim's relationship especially put me off, but I found myself looking forward to picking the book up every time anyway. Other than some awkward wording, I felt the imagery was written in just the right amount, descriptive enough to bring this intricate kingdom to life. The pacing could have been improved: some parts in the middle sagged and felt rather repetitive, but the ending--wow. I thought I saw all the plot twists coming but ended up not guessing most of them. It made me appreciate the plotting and thought invested into the novel far more than I had for 80% of the book. I wish there had been a more prominent theme, but I hope that all will be revealed in the sequel. Lightlark begins to sag if examined too closely, at too critical a lens, but it's an easy read full of beloved fantasy tropes and tricks all its own. I'm glad Aster proved some of my assumptions wrong with this one!