Starside

Starside is an adult fantasy romance novel written by Alex Aster. It follows a mortal protagonist who enters a deadly tournament to infiltrate a realm of gods and exact bloody revenge. 

A brutal war historically split the world into two radically distinct territories: 

The silver gates separating the two realms remain shut. They open only once every 50 years for a high-stakes competition called The Questral. Fifty chosen mortal challengers cross over into Starside on a perilous trek. They seek a magical goblet capable of granting massive power and wealth back to their people.

The story centers on Aris Agron, a 20-year-old orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice. When she was a child, a cruel goddess burned down her village and slaughtered her family. Unlike other competitors, Aris has zero interest in the gods' magic. She enters the tournament with a singular objective: infiltrate Starside and assassinate the gods.

Aris must first survive The Culling, the king’s brutal preliminary trials to pick the fifty competitors. Lacking the elite weapons of wealthy noble houses, Aris manages to claim a legendary, power-infused sword. Wielding it makes her a lethal competitor, but it also paints a target on her back. 

Inside the quest, Aris encounters bloodthirsty beasts, magical entities, and severe environmental dangers. To survive, she reluctantly crosses paths with Harlan Raker. Raker is the cold, brutal commander of the king's guard. He carries a history of past betrayal with Aris. Forced into close proximity, Raker helps train Aris to master her volatile blade. Their bitter animosity gradually melts into an intense, angsty, and slow-burning romance.

(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Toward the end of the journey, Aris discovers a massive secret: killing the God of Death has the power to resurrect her deceased family. Driven by desperate hope, she summons Death. 

She is transported to an ominous throne room where the ultimate twist is revealed: Harlan Raker is actually the God of Death. He had faked his demise centuries prior. He manipulated the Questral simply to siphon and reclaim his lost godhood. 

Devastated by his deep betrayal, Aris fights him. In a moment of absolute vulnerability, she confesses her love before stabbing him through the heart with her sword, Stellaris. However, as death incarnate, Raker cannot be killed this way. Their love inadvertently allows him to take her weapon. Realizing the magical bond works both ways, Aris quickly seizes his blade. 

Holding both halves of the legendary sword, Aris flees on a dragon. She races Raker to the collapsing gates of Stormside, which are closing for the next 50 years. With her dragon's help, Aris narrowly slips through the gates back into the mortal realm just in time. Raker is left trapped on the other side. The book closes on a massive cliffhanger with the two lovers separated across different realms.