As a young girl, Aris is taken in by a blacksmith after a god destroys her home, and she hones her desire for vengeance in every blade she creates and fighting stance she masters. The gods live behind the impenetrable gates on Starside, while most of humanity tries to survive a barren life devoid of magic on Stormside. But every 50 years, the gates open, and Stormside residents have a chance to enter a trial and earn a spot where they can venture into Starside and find magic to better their lives. Aris doesn’t care about magic, but she can’t turn away from an opportunity to confront the god who killed her family. Aris decides to enter the trial alongside king’s guard Harlan Raker, and fight her way through a magical, dangerous land to exact vengeance on the gods who have caused so much destruction.
The introduction to Starside felt like so many YA deadly trial stories I’ve read before: A green young woman unexpectedly earns her place in a competition and seems to be getting by each trial by the skin of her teeth. I was wary at the beginning because there wasn’t anything unique or special about Aris’ story that was really intriguing. Everything felt a little tropey, but there is a moment in Aris’s adventure that totally changed the feel of the entire book for me. I think a more seasoned fantasy reader will find some things in this book a little rote, but Aster still made a lot of those moments interesting by fleshing out her characters in a meaningful way and creating thorough dynamics that make scenarios precarious and unpredictable. It’s the best of both worlds, you’ll encounter tropes that you love but will still be surprised by how Aris engages with them.
There is magic in the land of the gods, but Aster focuses the magic system on the swords that Stormsiders carry and the metal each weapon is made of. Metal determines the sword’s strength, so when clashing, a better metal will always break or defeat a lesser sword. This factor alone puts the trial participants at odds as they all come from various backgrounds and may only be able to access or afford certain types of metal. There are those, like noble families or the king’s guard that are always equipped with the best metal, so anyone outside the upper echelon are at a disadvantage. Swords can also be magical and are attuned to their holder, which can grant expert wielders special powers and advantages with their weapon. And weapons are earned, only relinquishing their abilities to another fighter when their owner is killed. Much of the story centers on this—who has what weapon, what it can do, and how people are evaluated, respected, and feared based on the sword they carry.
I quickly realized that I loved this story because there were so many scenes that I wanted to revisit and read over and over again. Aster created so many fun scenarios that pushed and pulled Aris and Harlan. And in all their moments together, I was dying to see how they would react and what they would say. They were truly such an intriguing pair because their relationship to one another is constantly in flux. Just when you think they make progress, Starside throws in a wild card to have them question who they are and how beneficial their tenuous partnership really is. Aster never lets them get comfortable, so the story and their relationship to one another never feels stale or easily won.
If you need a sweet brain-candy adventure that will give you countless dopamine hits, then you need to get Starside on your TBR. It was so nice to pick up this book, disconnect from the world, and just have fun.
Rating: Starside – 8.0/10
-Brandee
