‘Lightlark’ Movie and Book 5: Everything We Know About What’s Coming Next
Alex Aster confirms one more book is coming as the BookTok hit heads toward a film adaptation
Key Takeaways
- Alex Aster confirmed 'Crowntide' is the second-to-last book in the 'Lightlark' series.
- Aster sold the movie rights to Universal and the producers of 'Twilight.'
- The 'Lightlark' movie remains in pre-production with no cast or release date confirmed yet.
If you’ve been on BookTok in the past couple of years, you’ve probably seen the book Lightlark by Alex Aster. In fact, if you’re one of the original BookTok viewers, then you probably know that Aster’s book was dismissed by agents and publishers at first, but after she posted a video explaining the plot, it eventually got picked up and published. Now, it’s one of the bestselling books of the decade and is being turned into a movie. But when will it be released? And is there another book in the series coming? We share everything you need to know below.
What’s ‘Lightlark’ about?
Lightlark was originally published in 2022. The story takes place on the magical island of Lightlark, which hosts the Centennial every 100 years. During the games, the rulers of the six realms compete in hopes of breaking the curses that plague their lands. Isla Crown is one of those rulers. She oversees the kingdom of Wildling, and her people are counting on her to end their suffering, but as she enters the games, matters of the heart complicate everything.
Currently, there are four books in the series: Lightlark, Nightbane, Skyshade and Crowntide. There’s also a spinoff novel called Grim and Oro, which tells the same story, but from the perspective of Isla’s love interests Grim and Oro.
“As you can probably tell in Lightlark, I love enemies-to-lovers. The heated proclamations of love, the angst, the forced proximity, the sword-to-throat scenes…I love everything about it, which is why it plays such a huge role in Lightlark,” Aster told Paste Magazine in October 2022. “Grim and Isla’s scenes together were the best to write. Their banter came very easily and felt natural. Grim is this ancient warrior who everyone treats as a villain. He himself has a line in the book where he is trying to convince Isla to stay away from him, and he says, ‘I am the monster.’ He is essentially admitting to being just as bad as everyone thinks he is. Yet…she can’t stay away.”
“Their relationship is a bad idea. Being with Isla is impossible. But Grim is the type of character who would burn the world down if it meant having her. How that plays out in the story, that type of all-encompassing, selfish love, has inspired many passionate reactions from readers!” she continued.” In the first book, I was Team Oro. But that’s all I’ll say!”
Is there going to be another ‘Lightlark’ book?
Following the release of Crowntide in December 2025, Aster confirmed on Instagram that it was “the second to last book in the Lightlark series” but didn’t reveal the title of the final installment or when it would be released.
However, given that Aster has released a book in the Lightlark series every year since 2022, it’s safe to assume that the fifth and final installment will come out at some point this year.
What we know so far about the ‘Lightlark’ movie
Before the first Lightlark book was even released, Aster revealed that there was going to be a movie adaptation.
“TikTok changed my life. I posted a video pitching Lightlark to the app, and it immediately went viral. The year and a half that followed was an incredible ride to publication that included selling Lightlark in over 15 languages, selling the movie rights to Universal and the producers of Twilight, attending Comic Con panels, being on Good Morning America the morning of book launch and taking my followers behind the scenes for all of it,” she told Paste. “The app has given me and my books visibility that I never would have had otherwise.”
As of publication, the movie is still in pre-production and doesn’t have a cast or release date yet. Aster does post updates on her social media stories from time to time though, which allow readers to see that it’s still happening—we just don’t know when or with whom.
“This movie deal is beyond anything I ever imagined,” Aster wrote on Instagram in 2022. “And I’m going to be an executive producer!!!”
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