Best-selling author’s hit novel ranked No. 1 fiction this week
A new fantasy hit has officially taken the top spot on TBR lists everywhere.
Starside by Alex Aster has been named the No. 1 hardcover fiction book on the The New York Times bestseller list this week, marking yet another major milestone for the rising literary star.
The novel’s chart-topping debut reflects Aster’s growing popularity among readers, particularly fans of fantasy and young adult fiction. Known for her immersive world-building and high-stakes storytelling, Aster has quickly built a dedicated following that continues to propel her books to bestseller status.
Starside follows a young heroine navigating a dangerous, star-linked realm, often referred to as “Starside,” where alliances are fragile and secrets can be deadly. As she becomes entangled in political intrigue and shifting loyalties, she’s forced to confront both external threats and her own hidden past.
While Starside is her latest success, Aster first gained widespread attention with her breakout novel Lightlark, which became a viral sensation ahead of its release and went on to debut as a New York Times bestseller. The book introduced readers to a richly imagined fantasy world filled with curses, rulers and deadly competitions, helping establish Aster as a major voice in the genre.
She followed it up with Nightbane, a highly anticipated sequel that expanded the universe and deepened the story’s central conflicts. Like its predecessor, the novel drew strong interest from fans eager to return to Aster’s intricate storytelling. But, unlike Aster’s earlier novels, Starside was largely kept under wraps.
“I wanted to keep it a secret as long as possible, because I had been writing it for years before that point, and I really wanted to just keep it mine,” Aster told Cosmopolitan. “It meant a lot to me, and I wanted to get back to that place that I used to be in when I was 12-years-old and first starting to write books.”
With Starside now claiming the No. 1 spot, Aster continues to build on that momentum. The novel’s success signals not only the strength of her existing fan base but also her ability to attract new readers with each release.
“Now authors have a lot more power, especially if they have a social media presence,” explained Aster. “I do all the marketing myself for social media. I’m the one recording the videos, editing them, posting them. It’s obviously extra work that did not exist 20 years ago. For an author, my job is very different than it was before, because social media exists. But if the readers hadn’t responded to every release, the next one wouldn’t have happened.”
As the fantasy genre continues to dominate bestseller lists, Aster’s rise stands out as one of the most notable in recent years.
“Starside is my favorite book that I’ve ever written, and it was such a portal and such an escape for me,” said Aster. “I hope that readers find the same escape in the book.”
With multiple hits already under her belt and another chart-topping novel to her name, she is quickly solidifying her place as one of today’s most popular bestselling authors.