Lightlark by Alex Aster is a book that I have seen talked about a lot over Booktok. It was a book that Aster struggled to get published until she gained a strong online following. It’s an inspiring journey that she has had as an author, but the book sadly leaves something lacking.
Below is my Goodreads review, but one thing I will talk about on here is the concept of originality. The characters in Lightlark feel like replicas of the characters from ACOTAR. On top of that, a major scene feels like it has been copied.
Lightlark is an enjoyable and easy read, but of course that’s bound to happen when you replicate something that is already successful. It’s frustrating because in the industry, we want to give room for authors who have stories they want to tell. Yet, we only are making space for those who are popular online, or those who are following a successful formula.
Of course, people can have the same idea at the same time, but it feels unlikely in this instance. Grim in Lightlark feels like he is a copy of Rhysand but the way it is justified, is that he isn’t Fae so it’s not a copy. However, it’s undeniable that if you have read both, that Grim will remind you of Rhysand and Isla will remind you of Feyre.
All of that brings me to the question, what make something original? For one of my books (Who Are We To Be), I was given feedback that it is similar to The Hunger Games. As an author, I don’t see it. It’s a story that I dreamt up one night, and built upon and it doesn’t have factions, trials and it doesn’t even have a love triangle. There is a political element, but I wouldn’t think it is similar.
That being said, everything we create, is influenced by everything we have already consumed. So how original can we really be?
I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments and let me know if you have read either Lightlark or Who Are We To Be.
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