Starside (Starside #1) by Alex Aster Review | Adult Romantasy, Revenge and Magical Swords
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Synopsis
Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split the land in two. Starside became the realm of magic and immortals, while Stormside was left for mortals fighting for whatever scraps of magic they could reach.
Every fifty years, the gates between Stormside and Starside open. Fifty challengers are chosen to cross into Starside and take part in a deadly quest for access to magic that can heal, extend life, or grant wealth. Aris, an orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, enters for a very different reason. She wants revenge against the gods who destroyed her family.
To reach Starside, Aris first has to survive the Culling, a deadly competition designed to choose the strongest challengers. She does not have the money, status, or weapons of the Great House heirs, but when she claims a powerful sword, she becomes a serious competitor and a target.
Once inside Starside, Aris faces ancient creatures, dangerous magic, immortals, and a world far more threatening than she expected. She also has to deal with Harlan Raker, a feared king’s guard from her past, whose betrayal still follows her and whose role in her survival may be harder to ignore than she wants.
Main and Key Side Character Info
Aris
Aris is the main character.
She is an orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice from Stormside.
Harlan Raker
Harlan Raker is a king’s guard.
He is described as merciless, mysterious, and connected to a betrayal from Aris’s past.
The Great House Challengers
These are the competitors with more status, better resources, and stronger advantages going into the Culling.
They help show the imbalance between Aris and the people she is up against.
The Gods and Immortals
The gods and immortals are central to the conflict between Stormside and Starside.
Starside is the realm of magic and immortal descendants of the gods.
Review
I'll start by being honest. I've read a lot of romantasy lately. A lot. To the point where I feared I was getting well and truly fatigued by it all. The trials, the battle royale set-ups, the brooding love interest, the scrappy heroine with nothing to lose. So I went into Starside with a degree of wariness. I'll also admit that based on the title alone, I assumed this was set in space! It is not.
Is this an entirely unique world unlike anything we've seen before? No. Are there deadly trials and a smouldering male lead? Absolutely. But what I can say is that Starside didn't feel like the wash-rinse-repeat experience I was somewhat expecting.
This is Alex Aster's debut adult romantasy and the pacing is one of its greatest strengths. There are no slow patches. The world is built gradually and vividly as the story unfolds and you get to genuinely know both the main and key side characters before things really kick off.
Our protagonist, Aris, is an orphaned blacksmith's apprentice whose entire family was killed when a goddess set fire to her village. She isn't entering the Culling, the king's deadly competition to select fifty challengers, for wealth or magic. She wants revenge against the gods themselves. I loved her determination. Nothing stops her. Nothing breaks her. She keeps going regardless of what's thrown at her and that drive never wavers.
Then there's Harlan Raker. Morally grey to what feels like his very core. His motivations are kept deliberately murky throughout. You're never quite sure whether he's loyal to the king, to the people, or simply to himself. The distrust between him and Aris and the simmering hostility that gradually shifts into something else entirely, is the beating heart of this book. At points I genuinely questioned how these two could ever find their way to each other. That tension is exactly what a true enemies-to-lovers story needs to deliver.
The world is vividly realised. Aster paints Starside with a clear sense of atmosphere. The danger is constant, the trials are relentless and the nights are not safe. The question of who you can trust runs through every chapter.
Unique? Not entirely. Familiar in structure? Certainly. But Starside is one of those romantasy novels that earns its place in an overcrowded genre by keeping you genuinely on edge and delivering an ending that will leave you staring at the final page wondering what just happened. Seriously! The ending to me, is a stand out!
Audiobook Notes
The audiobook is read in duet narration by Vanessa Moyen and Anthony Palmini. It is unabridged and around 20 hours long, depending on retailer/listing. The speed I listened to this had it around 13 hours of listening time.
The two narrators did a fantastic job! Vanessa Moyen and Anthony Palmini suited the enemies to lovers setup because Aris and Harlan’s tension needed clear separation between their voices. The book is not dual POV so the main narration comes mostly from Moyen. For a story with a lot of danger, magic and sharp character dynamics, the audio format made it easy to stay pulled into the world.
Who I’d Recommend This Book To
I’d recommend this to readers who like:
Romantasy / Fantasy.
Enemies to lovers.
A world full of gods, monsters and royal tensions.
A Battle Royale / Trial staging.
Verdict
Having read quite a few fantasy / romantasy books this year, these books are starting to feel very very similar! Fourth Wing, Hunger Games, Dire Bound. They all have a lot in common. Starside is no different.
Having said that, this was still a lot of fun! I really liked Aris and Rakers dynamic. I loved the hatred between them and that sloooooow sliver of lustful tension.
The story isn’t unique by any means but it was a very well told version of the classic romantasy we’ve come to know and love so well!
Oh and the ending makes you yeeeeearn for the sequel!!
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5
Starside can be purchased on Amazon (Affiliate Link):
Hardback - https://amzn.to/43faZvD
Kindle - https://amzn.to/3PIkBvQ
Audiobook - https://amzn.to/3RBSQWp
