Lightlark, Alex Aster's novel for young adults, was initially published in late August 2022. As its title suggests, Lightlark is set on the island of Lightlark. Every 100 years like clockwork, Lightlark hosts what they call "Centennial." During Centennial, the rulers of the six realms in the world of Lightlark are invited to fight it out to the death. Each ruler agrees to participate in the Centennial because their participation ensures prosperity for their realms for years to come; it also allows them to break the curses and other maladies which have affected their realms for many years. But to make each of those things happen, at least one of the rulers has to die.
Alex Aster is one of the first (and thus far, only) authors from TikTok who has become popular. Lightlark received incredibly positive reviews when it was released in 2022. It also was a financial success almost immediately after its publication. In their review of the novel, Paste Magazine wrote that "at the end of the day, Lightlark is a story built from very familiar pieces, but assembled in such a way that the ride through them still often manages to surprise." Universal Studios bought the rights to the novel and hope to turn the novel and its sequels into a profitable movie franchise.
