Amazing!! I have loved this series so far. Although I did struggle with the first half of this book but it was worth the slow start. The ending had me in tears!

ARC review Skyshade by @alexaster

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Twists, turns, betrayal and love triangles. “Who did this to you” coming from Grimm just makes you shiver. Every time he said it, I wanted to kick my feet. Islã faces so much in this book. Ancestors and betrayals from the unexpected. An ending that left me wanting more ✨

I could have sworn I read that this was supposed to be a trilogy. After doing some Googling, I saw that recently they extended this series by two more books. I wanted to love this as I really enjoyed the first two, but this book read as if suddenly the plot needed to be expanded and was mostly fluff, all the way to the end. I grew impatient with the pining over two males and the poor me attitude. By the third book, that should be pretty resolved or written better. Unfortunately, this was not it for me. I think this could have been a really strong ending, but instead, even after finishing it, I'm wondering what the point was. All the important bits fit into 3 chapters.

The narration was well done but the story is a complete mess. Instead of character growth we have character regression across the board. Grim and Oro are both irredeemable characters and Isla continues to be a one dimensional, immature mess.

The fact that this is now a 5 book series when it would have been better served as a tightly written duology makes this the last book of the series for me. The plot was interesting but not good enough to stretch out across so many books.

First things first, I really enjoyed lightlark and nightbane. I was excited to see how the story wrapped up. Alas, it was not meant to be. I felt like a whole bunch of nothing happened in this one. It definitely could have been way shorter. Then to end it on a cliffhanger for yet another book is blasphemy.

Thank you to netgalley for this audiobook arc. I was so excited to see how this series ended that I was shocked when we ended with another cliffhanger. I enjoyed being back in this world and hearing from all the many characters but I was left disappointed by the love triangle. I really am growing tired of all three of the main characters. The “twist” was somehow boring and not as captivating as I’d hoped.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell flat. I would have liked to see this “trilogy” wrapped up. The storyline in this one didn’t hold me like the first two did and the continuation and indecision of the love triangle is tiresome.

What a great continuation of this series. I definitely enjoyed this one more than Nightbane but the cliffhanger??? Omg I wish the next book was available now.

I’m in love with Grim and can’t get enough.

Thank you NetGalley & RBMedia for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️

If you are going to read this book, you must read Lightlark first, then Nightbane because this book follows from where Nightbane left off.

This book would’ve been a 4 stars for me if the ending has only been slightly different.

Because up until the last two chapters I felt as though this book was phenomenal and it was completely original. I’ve never read anything like this before but the way that it left off made me feel like it was an idea that was copied off the book I have already read and a film I have already seen.

For the first time in this series, we got a third person point of view from both Grim & Oro, they both only got one chapter each and I was dying for more.

The poetic justice behind what Isla had to go through combined with the trepidation of choosing which one of these men she has to end, for gut wrenching heart soaring, climaxing moments for me.

Up until the end, I was gripping my seat like it was my own personal tether to the Earth.

I personally cannot decide which team I am on still I’ve been switching so much I may as well be bisexual 😂.

I personally will be continuing this series because I want to know how Oro & Grim playing into this new world that Isla has gone to.

Enjoy my library!

Skyshade is the third installment in Alex Aster's Lightlark series. It follow a FMC named Isla as she unravels the world around her, that she had been naive to for so long.

This was a highly anticipated read for me, and though I loved the first and second book in this series, Skyshade has been my favorite and most highly rated installment. The emotions throughout the book were so captivating, I cried several times through Isla's journey of navigating the love triangle and the wilderness at the center of her heart. Aster writes so bravely, she is not an author who is afraid of conflict and loss within her writing, which I appreciate. Some fantasy books can feel too "safe," where every death is met with a magical revival, or someone finds a secret power when faced with impeding doom. I love Skyshade because for a fantasy work, it feels much more real. The loss is true, and heartbreaking. The main character is real, and flawed. Where some people see Isla's indecision as frustrating, I see it as relatable. I love a main character- and a love interest- that can be morally gray.

I would definitely recommend the Lightlark series to anyone who enjoys fantasy, and reading about magic. Especially elemental magic, and books with creatures and/or familiars, as this component is a huge reason behind why this is a five star read to me.

Thank you to RBmedia for providing me this ARC audiobook via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an incredible story that had me switching back and forth between Team Oro and Team Grim. To quote my favorite tv show, The Vampire Diaries. It’s ok to love them both, I did. Just like the other books in the Lightlark series, it left me dying for the next book.

Shyshade was my one of the most anticipated books of this year, as it features detailed world-building, interesting characters, and a love triangle. Isla has gone over to the side of evil (in her opinion). Afraid of fulfilling the prophecy, she chooses Grim, leaving Oro with a broken heart. However, there are some other prophecies, all of which lead to Isla either saving the world... or destroying it. A rather unexpected antagonist makes this story more dynamic, as does the impressive ending.
And while Isla continues to think about both Grim and Oro, there are more hints in the third installment as to who she will stay with (though I may be wrong).
Alex Aster promised that this would be a trilogy, but announced that there would be two more books. Perhaps this slightly underestimated my impressions, because I was expecting to know how it all ends, but now I have to wait almost a year.
In general, Shyshade continues to raise the bar of the series, giving a fantastic reading experience.

My least favorite part of the series but I still really enjoyed it overall. I can't wait for the next installment. TEAM GRIM

I got this audiobook from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying that the voice actress sounds like how I had Isla in my mind!

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery, the action scenes and the.. more spicy ones.
I didn't know they were going to happen and I was surprised!

The characters are well written, everyone with their own story and secrets, tho, I have to say, it felt a little bit like Isla didn't have any growth..

All in all, it's a good book, but it would have been better if we had answers and if it was the final book of the series.

The start of this book was really interesting, but it quickly lost my interest. I thought the story had so much potential, but I expected more from book 3. Unfortunately, this book just was not for me. The story seemed to drag on and it did not keep my interest. The audiobook narration was great, but I didn’t love the narrator’s Grimm voice. Besides that, very well performed.

This book kept me hooked from the start! Binged the entire thing in one go and am excited for the rest of the series. There were so many gasps while reading and I was not prepared for the twists and progression of the relationships.

I am so happy there will be more story. I want more! I love Grim. Well written, great world building.

"Skyshade" is the third book of the 'Lightlark' series.

This time around we follow our main character as she navigates her power, her past, and the love triangle that like an indecisive Bella Swan has to deal with.

The book also felt like ACOTAR's second book and, just like the second one, got more mature, with all the sexual yearning and bed scenes, which got confusing after a while since Isla was sleeping with love interest number one and in the next page was yearning for the second love interest. So, yes, the love triangle was badly handled.

On another level, if the book had focused more on the progress of the story and less on the love one, it would have been quite an interesting book, as there is a lot to be explored when it comes to Isla's powers and her family.

Alas, that didn't happen, so 2 out of 5.

Okay, so I *really* liked this book. I get that it has a ton of mixed reviews, and I can totally see why some people might not vibe with it—but honestly? It worked for me. It’s the kind of read that you know isn’t perfect, but you can’t help but have a good time with it.

Let’s talk about the love triangle, because wow, it *was* a love triangle. Our FMC (female main character) is definitely caught between two guys, and honestly, I get it—both of them have their charms. But, and this is where things get a little tricky, the FMC has, like, zero ability to make a decision. She goes back and forth so much it’s kind of maddening. Like, girl, just pick one already! But I can also see why she’s conflicted—both love interests are well-written, and they each bring something unique to the table. Still, it does get a little frustrating at times, especially if you’re rooting for one guy over the other.

The pacing is where this book really shines for me. It’s fast. The plot doesn’t waste any time, and it keeps you hooked from start to finish. It was one of those books I could easily breeze through on a Sunday afternoon when I just wanted something fun and absorbing. It’s not deep or life-changing, but it’s a great way to escape for a bit. Sometimes you just need a book that’s easy to fall into, and this one delivered that.

Overall, yeah, I can see why people might not love it—there are definitely some predictable moments, and the indecision of the FMC can get a little annoying. But for me? It was a total guilty pleasure. If you like romance with a bit of drama and some fast-paced action, this book is worth picking up. It’s not perfect, but it’s an enjoyable ride, and sometimes, that’s exactly what I’m looking

So I needed a minute to reflect on this book because WHAT??? ( in a good way! )

For my friends who actually read my reviews, I just need you all to read this series.
4.5 stars for me
The Lightlark Saga has quickly become one of my favorite series this year. I was expecting this to be the last book in a trilogy but now its a 5 book series, and I am not even mad about it. Skyshade finally answered some of my questions from Nightbane but now I have even more questions going into Book 4. This review may contain a slight spoiler if you have not read the series.

I was accepted to listen to the audio arc for this book so I'm going to start off with that. Suzy Jackson did a wonderful job with her narrating again, though I feel like Grim's voice sounded a little more raspier in this one but it didn't deter or ruin the listening experience. You can tell the difference between each character, which is very important to me.
The flow throughout the story kept me hooked. The biggest thing I will say is that THERE IS A TON OF SIDE QUESTS in this book. Like a ton. I understand that this is also setting us up for book 4, but dang. It was like one mission after another. The love triangle is still strong and our girl still has not chosen who she wants to be with. #teamthrouple #reverseharem that's all I'm saying. Just let the women have her men. She deserves it after that ending. And the ending.... I was not expecting that plot twist. Two of the three founding members are still alive??? I literally thought the whole time that Ren was the betrayer but I was wrong.
Honestly a fantastic way of ending Skyshade and I cannot wait for book 4 to come out.

I would like to thank Alex Aster, RBmedia, and Netgalley for the opportunity to ARC listen to this book.