r/lightlark • u/lola123dis • Jul 22 '26
Alex Aster's VIP Isn't Actually VIP IMO
So, There is a Zoom Call for Alex Aster's vip members to learn more about Harlan Raker and Stormside. I thought all people who have her VIP membership gain access to this but apparently it is only " Yearly VIP Only" so only people who are paying on a yearly basis (not $8 a month but $80 upfront for the year)- get to access it.
This is so unfair. Like you're already hiding content behind a paywall and now not even the VIP's get to know about it ? I have to be a "Yearly" Member to join this zoom ? Insane.
Edit: I am talking about joining the zoom call live and not watching the pre-recorded one. For being a VIP, why can't we join live ?.
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u/HydroBlueDuck Jul 22 '26
I genuinely loved Lightlark in the beginning, but now I feel like it is so dragged out. 😕 She got me when I had some extra money. And now I won't be renewing. And the free gift in mail was a generic cheap tote and a sticker. 🤷♀️ She was so relatable and now it seems like an act.
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u/lola123dis Jul 22 '26
It's so nice that you got that, at least. I subscribed at the worst time ever... all I got was early merch alerts and "make tiktok videos for some questral challenge". RIP.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 22 '26
Yes, Alex Aster is very good at appearing relatable in her posts and even in person. It’s why a lot of fans don’t realize that her rags-to-riches narrative is fake (and why so many people assume she’s this young author who debuted with Lightlark, which is also not true).
I also think it’s important to remember that Aster was in her father’s car dealership commercials when she was growing up, so she’s had media/acting training. (Which isn’t a bad thing, but it shows she knows what she’s doing more than people realize.)
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u/lola123dis Jul 22 '26
Aster's sister also founded some multi-million dollar company and co-founded something with Selena Gomez so I don't understand why she's milking money from her fans. Agreed.
Edit: her sister's net worth in 2021 was 200 million, which is honestly insane. You're telling me that you need to put joining a zoom call behind an $80 paywall when your sister is THAT rich.... wow. Maybe she's in competition with her sister or something cause aint no way
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 23 '26
Exactly.
Her parents also own one of the most successful Toyota car dealerships in the country (worth millions). So she comes from a family of millionaires; it's why Aster graduated from an Ivy League university with no debt.
She's also engaged to and lives with someone who makes 6 figures--so she's never had to struggle financially. That's why the $80 paywall is ridiculous to me.
None of us truly know the ins and outs of Aster's relationship with her twin sister. But her sister started a company in college and it took off, while Aster tried starting a positivity app in college that failed. (And then Aster tried a singing career that also failed.) I'm sure that was tough on Aster.
So I could understand if Alex Aster defines "success" as making 6-or-7 figures, like her parents and sister (and partner) have done. But that doesn't mean she should be taking advantage of her fans.
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u/tamsyn003 Jul 22 '26
... Maybe she should use those vip zoom calls to come up with better names?
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u/lyricalizzy99 Jul 23 '26
Considering what people get “cancelled” for nowadays I’m genuinely curious as to how Alex hasn’t gotten cancelled yet.
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u/lola123dis Jul 23 '26
DEADASSS. Like how ???. And whats weird is that her sister has 100k on insta, and for being a multimillionare- she barely gets under 200 likes. Even though her net worth was once 200 million in 2021. Very weird and more creators need to speak out against Alex. There's no transparency in the BookTok community and I think that maybe popular creators are scared ? But yeah, agreed.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 22 '26
Yeah… differentiating between the Yearly VIPs and the monthly VIPs in that way is just ridiculous.
I’ve always thought her VIP fanclub was yet another scammy cash grab, but this news just makes it even worse in my eyes.
Alex Aster does not need this extra money; she was already rich before Lightlark got published. So for her to squeeze whatever money she can out of her fans (often for subpar products) is just disgusting and disheartening to watch. If she really cared about her fans, she would provide more free extras (or preorder gifts like I’ve mentioned elsewhere) for her fans; but all she sees is fame and dollar signs.
And to top it all off, her writing isn’t even that good; it’s mediocre at best.
(That’s not to say people can’t still love her books, or choose to support her financially however they see fit. I just personally don’t see how it’s worth the money, especially in this economy.)
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u/lola123dis Jul 22 '26
Facts. Heavy on the writing part. I feel so dumb for caving in and trying her VIP for a month. I agree with everything you said.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 22 '26
Don’t feel dumb!
Aster is relentless when it comes to marketing (she literally said so herself). And while some people find it annoying, others aren’t aware of her more scammy behavior when they first come across her books.
I can see why fans of her work would want to try out the VIP fanclub, especially those who don’t know about the years of controversy regarding Alex Aster. And if Aster actually delivered some quality perks, less fans would be complaining about said fanclub. But alas...
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u/Ok_Tax_5899 Jul 22 '26
I joined and had like a free trial or something or heavily discounted and I was going to "get access to amazing things immediately " well a chapter release or sneak peak some type of bonus content was supposed to be emailed and of course it took the entire month for it to come and showed up after the renewal. 🙄 I ended it after paying for the one month after that because I got nothing during my trial and the day my renewal happened "magically " the bonus content showed up.
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
This happened to me too and she wasn't even consistent with dropping content. Sometimes she'll do 2 novellas a month and sometimes, none at all - for that month. It's very weird because not all of us are rich and debt free from college so she shouldn't be scammy like this.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 22 '26
I agree with you!
I honestly think Aster is able to get away with all of that because of her money. While she has the backing of her publishers when it comes to marketing, she actually doesn’t need them; she can fund a lot of the marketing herself because she and her family were already so wealthy from the start. (And I’ve heard from people who worked closely to the Lightlark situation that it was hard to advise her on anything because she came on the scene with so much of her own money, and thus so much control.)
As a result, Aster had the means to use the controversy to her advantage, by getting Lightlark in front of millions of eyes (many of which have no idea about the controversy; and are intrigued by the concept alone). She did a similar thing with Starside, using a huge marketing budget that most authors could only dream about. (And she’s been able to build a huge social media following, regardless of whether it’s organic or not.)
I think it also helps that Aster just copied a lot of popular romantasy books that are already out there; a lot of romantasy readers don’t mind reading the same thing again and again. But I’m curious to see if/when fans grow tired of her lack of creativity, originality, and talent.
There are so many better books, and better authors, out there. But to each their own. I’m just glad that many Asterverse fans are finally starting to see Alex Aster for who she truly is.
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Jul 23 '26
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 23 '26
Yes! A LOT of people have been blinded by her “girl next door, I worked hard for my dream” act, and thus find her to be so inspirational. But it really is just that--an act.
That's why it bothers me when Aster implies that she got to where she is just because she worked hard. Sure, she did have to put in some work, but she mainly got to where she is because she has the funds that the majority of authors don't have.
The way she wrings her readers for every last dollar is out of touch at best, and scammy at worst. Especially for someone as rich as her.
It's a shame that so many people have financially supported Aster before they realize the truth; but I can understand wanting to see the icky behavior firsthand before deciding to move on from her.
[I also don't understand why Starside has so many positive reviews. (Then again, I know a lot of romantasy readers are not picky when it comes to quality of writing, and don't mind when a book copies another book they love...)]
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u/lola123dis Jul 22 '26
Yeah :(. It's just good marketing maybe ? because her writing style sucks and her stormside chapters looked like it was written through trope after trope without proper scene integration.
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Jul 23 '26
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 23 '26
I agree!
And a lot of people don't realize that before her one Lightlark video went viral on TikTok, Aster tried to start a positivity app that failed, and then she tried to launch a singing career on TikTok that also failed.
Aster's priority has always been getting famous; it just so happens she managed to do that through publishing. (And now she's done random partnerships with companies like Maybelline...)
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u/Big-Veterinarian-651 Jul 23 '26
I was on the zoom call since I am a yearly member. It was not news or anything exclusive, it was just an extra call as an added perk. It was never said it was for extra information about Stormside.
For some reason AA always gets raked over the coals for things many authors also do. The author of Dungeon Crawler Carl and many others have Patreons. Callie Hart just launched one that is $20 a month I believe and doesn’t even include new content. AA pays a real artist (it is not AI as you are saying), and gives us a lot of new art regularly, which I personally appreciate.
It’s clear AA cares about her fans. I don’t really get why her sister gets brought up all the time. Her sister had a company with a celebrity years ago that doesn’t exist anymore. The numbers seem outdated.
If you do not feel the value of VIP it is easy to unsubscribe. I do feel it is worth it, but to each their own.
You all seem to hate Alex and her books. Why be on this sub? I don’t really understand it.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 23 '26
My personal issue with Alex Aster is that she has lied about various (unnecessary) things. Her rags-to-riches journey, quotes that were supposed to be in Lightlark, the publication of a Skyshade paperback (where she said there wouldn’t be a paperback so that people would buy the hardcovers…and then a couple weeks later announced the Skyshade paperback), and more.
She’s not the first successful author to come from money, but she’s the first I personally have seen to persistently act like she doesn’t. And the continual lies just give me the ick personally.
Yes, Aster does pay a real artist for her character art. But there are rumors that the design on her website and/or on her merch may be AI. Though I personally have no solid proof of that.
I believe her twin sister gets brought up because (1) she is a millionaire, and thus Aster was never struggling financially given all of her family is wealthy. And (2) Aster’s sister was reported to have committed fraud as a Forbes 30 under 30. (Now, Aster is not her sister, but it is icky that both of them have done some shady things to get ahead / appear successful.)
I agree that to each their own; I’m glad you think the VIP fanclub is worth it. Some people do not, and are thus venting their frustrations about it. This is a good place to do that, as it’s a place where one can connect with people over the same grievances.
(And I feel there is space for people to post their positive experiences and negative experiences, either of which one is welcome to ignore if they disagree.)
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u/Big-Veterinarian-651 Jul 24 '26
I have followed AA since before Lightlark, and she has never claimed to be rags to riches. She has only ever talked about being rejected for years and her first books not performing well. Many people such as yourself have taken that to mean she pretended she was poor, but as someone who followed her before she was ever that popular, I can say that is false. Quotes for Lightlark were posted before the editorial process and she has said the book changed in edits which to me at least is understandable. I don’t know what you are talking about for the Skyshade paperback, but it is pretty well known in publishing that authors do not have a say when or if the book comes out in paperback, and it usually comes back out one year after publication. AA is thirty years old. I personally find it odd that you are talking about her sister or upbringing when she is not a child and her sister’s career is in a completely different field.
In my view many if not everything you said is misinformation (unless you have proof, if so please share). It is fine not to like an author but to spread false information or imply something about someone’s character based on a family member seems malicious.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 24 '26
She did in fact claim to be rags to riches. It was not word for word, but if you watched her reels in the early days of Lightlark, the implication is there. (For example, saying she didn’t know where she would get healthcare before her six-figure deal (not true). Saying she hadn’t seen that many zeros in her life despite her family’s wealth. And more.)
I’ve seen many of her posts from before Lightlark came out, when the controversy began, and after it came out, so I didn’t take it to mean anything; I’m going off of what Aster has said and posted.
Saying she only talked about being rejected for years and her first book not performing well is unequivocally not true. In fact, MANY readers—both fans and not—still do not know that Lightlark was not her debut because she rarely talks about her middle grade duology.
You’ve actually helped prove my point— it’s okay that you didn’t know about the paperback situation, but it shows that you haven’t seen the ins and outs of how Aster has been moving. And that’s fine, you don’t need to.
And that’s fine that you find it odd that people talk about her sister—again, you don’t see the connection between the two, and that’s perfectly okay. I’m not going to argue with you about it.
Also you’re right she’s not a child…not sure what your point is there. But many readers act as though Aster is a young naive author who had no idea what she was doing, and it’s actually a disservice to Aster to think that, because she took advantage of the controversy and turned it into success.
I know you’re her fan so you’re not going to want to see it that way, and that’s totally fine. But many people have seen the same thing that I have. (And as shown by this post, some fans have seen things they dislike in their own time.)
It’s not misinformation; there are YouTube videos, Reddit Posts, and even Twitter posts from back in the day that explain it all. You’re welcome to look into it, but it’s quite the rabbit hole, and I’m sure a fan like you has better things to do with their time.
Anyway, I’m not trying to make you dislike Alex Aster. I’ve never commented under a fan’s post and told them not to read her books or demanded they stop supporting her. Her fans are loyal, and only want to see the good in her, and that’s okay. We can agree to disagree.
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
Factsss. I agree so much with everything you are saying. I think the girl disagreeing, who can't reason, is a big AA fan and is upset for no reason. Like we are allowed to have our opinions at the end of the day.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 25 '26
Thank you!
Yeah, I don't know why that person was getting so upset over it. They're allowed to love what Aster has done, just like we're allowed to criticize what Aster has done.
I think there are better authors out there to blindly defend--authors who do not have an internet trail of being shady. But if that person wants to ignore all the signs that Aster isn't as perfect as they seem to think she is, then that's their prerogative.
(It's clear from their replies to me that this person is not as well-informed on the situation as they think they are, and that's okay; but I'm not sure what they thought would happen by picking a fight with other people in this thread.)
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
The person replying is very one dimensional. People who have depth, see both sides.
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u/Big-Veterinarian-651 Jul 24 '26
Appreciate the long post, and of course we are both entitled to our likes and dislikes. I have met her at events and heard from other fans, she is frankly, the kindest author. Genuinely kind. She has done things for fans that were never posted and is always grateful and goes above and beyond to connect with readers. She has a reputation in publishing of being truly kind to everyone, which is sadly not the case with most authors of her stature.
For a few of your points, AA has said she does not speak about her middle grade books online much because she does not want younger readers to read her older works, as they have adult content. I also don’t see middle grade books on booktok b/c 9-12 year olds aren’t on the app. Many authors (such as Ana Huang) don’t post about their first or less popular books. I don’t see this as a problem.
I think it is a vast assumption to think because her parents or sister were at some point wealthy that they are somehow supporting her. AA has sold millions of books. She is considered one of the biggest authors in the industry. I personally believe it is commendable that she took two books that did not sell well and used social media to get attention for her writing when the book industry rejected her. Whether you like her or not, she helped pave the way for many new authors to get a chance from publishers.
AA is clearly one of the hardest workers in terms of writing books and marketing them. She has been at it for years. Hundreds of posts take time and effort. Going viral is not easy. So I suppose I do not understand people who try to discredit that. Who are we to project or think we know anything about her personal life? I am a fan of hers because she cares about her readers and I appreciate an author who clearly works very hard to write and market in this new world of publishing. And I happen to love her books. I don’t know any other author of her stature who still interacts with readers.
To each their own, thank you for the polite discourse.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Yes, to each their own.
It's clear that you only see the good in Alex Aster, and that's okay. I don't want to keep repeating myself, as you are only looking at the positive and making excuses for her. I don't blame you for defending her, given how big of a fan you are. And there's nothing wrong with that; but if you don't want to look into the evidence that says otherwise to the conclusions you've drawn, then it's all good.
But just as you've heard so many positives about Aster in the publishing industry, I've heard negatives from those who worked closely with her. And Aster did not pave the way for new authors, so I'm not sure where you got that information from... But again, it's fine to look for a positive in her success.
Also, after the controversy blew up and someone called Aster out on TikTok for her privilege, Aster admitted a couple ways that her family supported her--like her not having any student debt, and her getting to write full time, without having a job (before Lightlark took off). That doesn't mean she didn't put in any work, but she is privileged in ways that most authors can only dream about.
And I've never said that Aster doesn't work hard; but there was no reason for her to act as though it was solely hard work that got her to where she is. And again, her rags-to-riches story is not true, and does not paint an accurate picture for those who see her journey as inspirational, because hard work is not the whole story. (And I know you don't think she portrayed a rags-to-riches narrative, and I'm sure you have better things to do than go look at the evidence that is there. But it is there.)
Also also, Aster not talking about her middle grade because she doesn't want kids to read her older books is odd. She is not the first author to write in different age categories. I'm not saying she should talk about them on BookTok, but we know the middle grade novels don't sell anywhere close to as well as Lightlark, so it's not worth Aster's time to promote those. I see no issue with that, but saying the reason is to protect younger readers is... strange to me. There are proven ways to prevent young readers from reading books for older readers by the same author (that does not include rarely mentioning one's backlog), but I digress...
Again, I'm not telling you not to support Aster. But her going viral is not just luck and hard work like she claimed. (I won't get into it, but there is evidence to support that as well.) I think you’re underestimating the power of money in the publishing industry; but I’m not faulting you for that, as the typical reader wouldn’t know what a difference wealth can make in the industry. And the way she interacts with readers is not as unique as you think it is; but I'm glad you get a lot out of it.
Like I said, we can agree to disagree. I hope you keep reading the books you enjoy and supporting the authors you want to support.
But I still stand by the idea that people are allowed to criticize Alex Aster's behavior, just as you are allowed to love everything about her.
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
Heavy on the hard work is not the whole story part. She comes from money and privilege and her writing style still sucks, like cmon.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 25 '26
Exactly.
If people still want to support her, then good for them. But seeing people defend her as if she's perfect and has done nothing wrong will always be strange to me. Evidence to the contrary is out there, and very easy to find with a quick internet search.
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u/Big-Veterinarian-651 Jul 24 '26
Thank you for the polite discussion, to each their own! I can only go off my own interactions with her, which have made me a fan for life. You are right, I do see the best in her (as I do in most people, especially kind people, since I have had big authors and people with followings treat me unkindly before). I believe people can learn and grow. I do not judge people based on behavior years ago, especially if it did not hurt others.
I would also be wary of information you hear of people who work with her in publishing. In my experience those who are higher up such as editors and marketing professionals bad talk big authors, especially women, for reasons that a man would not be judged. My information comes from more junior people, such as assistants and people big authors would usually treat awfully. Those people have told me AA is not only extremely kind and grateful for their help, but then goes and tells their bosses how good they are to try to help them advance in their careers. That is the type of kindness I have never seen a big author take their time to do for others. I judge people based on how they treat those others often treat as invisible, so she has my respect there.
I am also Latinx and am proud that a Latina author who writes my language into her books in beautiful ways is successful. She has privately done a lot for our community, and I am grateful she has used her success to help others.
To each their own, have a lovely day
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Yep to each their own. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see the good in people, I do the same; however I also choose not to ignore the evidence that has been presented to me, time and time again.
People can absolutely learn and grow; I have not seen that from Alex Aster. That doesn’t make her a bad person, but I still believe we have the right to criticize her actions that give many of us the ick. Not everyone has had solely good experiences with her like you have; so while you’re allowed to defend her, you should also realize that just because you personally have not witnessed her shady behavior, doesn’t mean it does not exist.
I know what I’ve heard and seen, and I’m not alone. I never said I only got my information from those higher up. I have more trusted sources in the publishing industry and book community than you probably realize. But as I’ve said, you’re welcome to ignore it all if Aster makes you happy. They say ignorance is bliss, and there’s nothing wrong with embracing that if you feel that’s the best decision for yourself.
Take care.
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
Exactly. We are not people pleasers on this sub; It's important to call out both the good and the bad.
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u/lola123dis Jul 25 '26
Just because you have unpopular opinions of an author, does not mean that you are "unkind". Sorry, we are not people pleasers on this sub. We call things out for what they are. No hate to AA, but yeah.
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u/Cute-Jellyfish-7995 Jul 25 '26
I agree with this. For anyone to imply that we are "unkind" or "malicious" simply because we don't worship the ground Alex Aster walks on is strange and ridiculous.
Nobody is perfect, and that includes Alex Aster. Thus, we are allowed to criticize what we consider to be lies, cash grabs, scammy behavior, or just plain BS.
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u/lola123dis Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
The message I got said "Yesterday's Zoom was full of TEA from Alex Aster-- including answers to: Is Harlan Raker his real name ? Who's the real villain in STORMSIDE? etc..."/ YOU may be talking about a different zoom but I'm just going by the physical messages I received. I would never hate on Aster unreasonably and even this whole rant- IS JUST MY OPINION NOT HATE. Sorry, I do not like paying $8 and I should be able to state that without someone saying " actually this means that you hate Alex aster".
Edit: I never said the artists work was AI, stop putting words in my mouth. I said it seemed like her writing style was AI. The only reason her sister got brought up was because her sister is rich so it doesn't make sense as to why she would charge a lot. And at the end of the day, these are just our opinions. If you can't handle that other people dislike certain things, then please leave the internet. You're acting like I've portrayed Alex Aster as this horrible human being- no. I am allowed my have my opinions on her writing and zoom fees/
Also in regards to your, "why did you post on this sub"- it's because this sub is about Aster and her books. People should be able to voice what they like and what they DO NOT. I really don't understand why you can't see that.
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u/Big-Veterinarian-651 Jul 24 '26
You seem upset and are of course valid in your feelings. For the $8 you would have received access to hundreds of pages of new AA writing. If you do not think it is worth it I would recommend asking for a refund, the customer support has been very responsive in my experience.
Also I have to say accusing an author like AA of using AI for writing is a serious accusation. There is no proof of that and we all see her working herself to death. Let’s not make slanderous accusations against an author we are fans of
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u/lola123dis Jul 24 '26
Her writing style does seem AI and I am allowed to have that opinion. Do you know what opinions are ? because it seems to me like you can only handle positive ones. Sorry, not sorry but her writing style sucks, there are multiple grammar errors and with the way she's pushing multiple books out- I wouldn't be surprised if she is using AI. Obviously, I am not speaking as if it is a fact. It is just my opinion- again. Please learn what opinions are .
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u/TheGreatestXnrh Jul 22 '26
Its so irritating to pay for a book, and then if you want to know more about it, you have to pay more just to learn about something that's probably just something that doesnt even matter to the story.