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.

The second book ended off on such a cliffhanger that I had to know what happened next! This was probably my favorite of the series and Isla has had a ton of character growth over the last two books!

In Skyshade, the third book in Alex Aster’s series, Isla’s journey deepens as readers are drawn further into the mysteries of her past and the revelations of her destined future. I was captivated by Isla’s complex emotions, especially in her relationships with Nyx and Oro. Her internal conflict—caught between loyalty to her people and mixed feelings toward those who raised her—added layers of depth to the narrative.

I found Skyshade more compelling than the second book, with noticeable character growth enriching the story. The plot’s twists and strong character development kept me eagerly turning pages. Aster’s immersive world-building brought the rulers of this fantastical realm to life, making Isla’s struggles and triumphs feel tangible.

The audiobook narrators elevated the experience, bringing the story to life in a way that surpassed what my own imagination could achieve, adding an extra layer of engagement.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded and am excited to see what’s next for Isla and this world. Alex Aster continues to craft a captivating series, and Skyshade showcases her storytelling prowess.

2.75⭐️

This is the third installment of the Lightlark saga, and what we were told was the final book. Wrong.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, after almost 400 pages of inane side quests and Isla’s flipflopping every other chapter between her love for Oro and Grim. There was an unnecessary amount of sex for a YA novel, I’m not even sure you can call it that with the amount of descriptive explicit scenes. I’m certainly not one to shy away from appropriate placed scenes, but there was simply too much that didn’t add anything to the storyline, other than Isla’s constant state of lust for both Oro and Grim.

Overall, it was fine and I enjoyed the audio narration. I am still reeling from the fact that this series is clearly not over. The plot line of any future books would need to be incredibly intriguing to get me to read it, as I simply can’t handle any more of the love triangle as the main story.

Thank you to RBmedia for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me so long to finish this one. I didn’t enjoy it at all 😩 the other two were really good, but I found this one kind of boring and was left extremely disappointed. This seemed more like a filler book. None of the questions I had at the end of Nightbane were answered. I probably won’t be continuing the rest of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to this book. Being the third book in the series, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am excited to hear this is not the end. I loved the development of Grim and Isla and their relationship. Honestly, I am a sucker for a love triangle but I am a little disappointed as it seems Isla will not choose who to be with at this point. I loved the plot but it was slow at the beginning and seemed very repetitive as far as her being frustrated and mad at Grim. The cliffhanger at the end, wow! Can’t wait for book four.

A little shocked when I found out the story wasn’t a trilogy but I still really enjoyed it! The ending was enough to have you coming back for the next book. I do wish she would pick someone so the love triangle would be completed but still a really fun read.

I waited for this book for so long! I was so excited to read it. Alex Aster does such a good job at keeping your heart torn in two. I loved the constant pull and I can’t wait for the next two to finally be out.

I would like to start this review by thanking RBMedia for granting my wish for the audio book! I had already picked up my physical copy the day before I'd gotten the email, but will comment on what I've listened to of the audio book at the end.*

Skyshade is 100% a rollercoaster. At multiple points I had to put my book down for a few minutes to process what was happening on the page.

Positives:
- Isla's relationships, both romantic and platonic, were developed and explored more in this book.
- Isla is in some of her darkest head-spaces in this book, and it was intriguing to read her thoughts on what was happening around her.
- We got to explore more of the book's world's happenings outside of the isle of Lightlark, most specifically on Nightshade.

Negatives:
- Some of the twists came out of left-field or had little-to-no build up.
- The conflicts had either very scarce or no foreshadowing, so I felt less attached to the plot in this book and several moments felt jarring.
- Though I enjoyed reading about new characters, many of them were pretty one-dimensional and fit into a stock-character archetype.

Extra Comments:
- We saw way too little of Cleo! Hoping we see way more of our mean-spirited salty ocean winter queen the next book <3

Audio Book Comments:
- Suzy Jackson has a great narrating voice and her enunciation is very clear.

I love Grim. He is the definition of if he wanted to he would. I hope with the next book this love triangle gets sorted out because it’s very drawn out at this point. Overall this is an entertaining story and 2025 can’t come fast enough.