Starside
Starside is the first book in Alex Aster’s fantasy romance series, set across mortal Stormside and the magical realm of Starside.
This Starside Wiki is a reference hub for the major characters, locations, creatures, gods, Great Houses, swords, and lore introduced in the series.
Spoiler Warning: This wiki contains major spoilers for Starside, including character identities and the ending.
Contents
Summary
Starside follows Aris Agron, a young blacksmith from Stormside whose home and family were destroyed by a goddess when she was a child. Years later, Aris enters the Questral, a deadly journey into Starside that gives mortal challengers the chance to obtain a cup of magic.
Only those who survive the Culling can pass through the gates into Starside. There, Aris encounters powerful immortals, magical creatures, Great Houses, ancient swords, and the gods themselves. Her journey brings her into conflict and alliance with Harlan Raker, Vander Evren, Zane Sterling, Kira, Este, and other figures connected to the Questral.
Aris enters Starside hoping to find the goddess who destroyed her family, but the Questral reveals that her silver markings, her sword Stellaris, her lost Great House, and the gods are tied to a much larger conflict.
Looking for the full plot explanation? Read our complete Starside guide for a detailed breakdown of the Culling, Questral, worldbuilding, relationship between Aris and Raker, and the ending.
Starside Characters
At the center of Starside is Aris Agron, a blacksmith from Stormside whose past is tied to the destruction of her family and the mystery of her origins. Entering the Questral draws her into a world of powerful immortals, rival houses, ancient magic, and dangerous gods.
Around her, characters like Harlan Raker, Stellan, Vander Evren, Zane Sterling, Kira, and Cadoc Bolter bring their own loyalties, secrets, and goals into the journey.
The table below gives a quick overview of the major characters in Starside, where they come from, and the role they play in the story.
| Image | Character | Origin | Appearance | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Aris Agron | Silverside / Nightfell | Long brown hair, dark-blue eyes, silver rootlike markings | Hidden heiress of House Agron, blacksmith, and protagonist of Starside. |
 | Harlan Raker | Stormside | Tall and pale, dark hair, gray eyes, silver armor | Legendary knight, Aris’s love interest, and a central figure in the ending. |
 | Stellan | Nightfell | Older blacksmith with distinctive white eyebrows | Aris’s guardian and mentor; a former Questral challenger. |
 | Vander Evren | Starside | Very tall, silver hair, purple eyes, silver armor | Immortal heir and bloodbane who helps Aris because of his connection to Stellan. |
 | Zane Sterling | Helmspeak | Very tall, brown skin, dark hair | Heir of House Sterling who enters the Questral hoping to bring magic back to Helmspeak. |
 | Kira | Brambleside | Long red hair, green eyes, freckles | Questral challenger who seeks magic to save her younger sister Anise. |
 | Este | Traveling City | Tan skin, jade-green eyes, gossamer wings | Faeling who helps Aris and later leaves the Traveling City. |
 | Cadoc Bolter | Stormside | Radiant golden armor | Heir of House Bolter and one of the major mortal antagonists. |
 | Valen | Stormside | Tan skin, short dark hair, iron chain mail | Archer and rival Questral challenger. |
The World of Starside
The world is divided between Stormside, where mortals live with very little magic, and Starside, a realm saturated with magic and inhabited by immortals, gods, faelings, bloodbanes, dragons, and other magical creatures. The two sides are separated by enormous gates that open for the Questral.
Stormside
Stormside is the mortal side of the world. After the Great Divide, most magic disappeared from the land. Rain became rare, fertile areas declined, and many magical creatures vanished. Mortals now depend partly on the magic brought back by successful Questral challengers.
Starside
Starside is the land of immortals, gods, magical creatures, and powerful Great Houses. Magic saturates the landscape, metals, cities, weapons, and living beings. Mortal challengers cross Starside during the Questral hoping to reach the Land of the Gods and return with a goblet of magic.
The Great Divide
The Great Divide separated Stormside from Starside and caused knowledge of Starside to disappear from the mortal side. Written information vanished from books and paintings, leaving oral stories and the knowledge preserved by powerful families as some of the few remaining sources about the immortal realm.
Locations
Aris’s journey moves through locations on both sides of the gates. Some are mortal settlements tied to the Questral challengers, while others are magical cities, estates, forests, and divine territories in Starside.
| Image | Location | Region | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Nightfell | Stormside | Aris’s home with Stellan before the Questral. | Hosts the selection connected to the Culling. |
| Silverside | Stormside | Aris’s former home and the location of House Agron. | Destroyed by the God of Travels because of the prophecy surrounding Aris. | |
| Brambleside | Stormside | A coastal town at the far western edge of Stormside. | Home of Kira and Anise. | |
| Helmspeak | Stormside | A mountain settlement associated with House Sterling and valuable silver mines. | Zane enters the Questral hoping to restore magic to the region. | |
 | Tower of Knowledge | Starside | A tower filled with books and knowledge about Starside. | Aris searches there for information about the gods, the Questral, and the world around her. |
 | Westwere | Starside | A guarded settlement Aris encounters during the Questral. | One of the inhabited locations Aris reaches while traveling through Starside. |
 | Beast Tree | Starside | A colossal tree inhabited by dragons, helmhawks, and other winged creatures. | Aris forms a bond with her silver dragon there. |
 | Prism Path | Starside | A lush region of green mountains, waterfalls, and colorful reflected light. | One of the landscapes Aris and Raker cross during the Questral. |
 | Mist Forest | Starside | A dangerous forest inhabited by magical creatures and predators. | Aris encounters threats including the Gardener and sabrewolves there. |
 | Skyquill Forest | Starside | A forest of immense silver trees that appear to scrape the sky. | Part of Aris and Raker’s route deeper into Starside. |
 | Storm Woods | Starside | A forest trapped in violent magical weather. | Wind, rain, hostile plants, and storm-fed creatures make the region dangerous to cross. |
 | The Rot | Starside | A poisoned region of ash, rotting trees, spoiled vegetation, and rivers that turn from crimson water into dark metallic sludge. | Aris and Raker struggle with thirst and hunger as the corruption worsens and even animals and food begin to rot. |
 | The Bog | Starside | A putrid swamp of murky gray water, half-rotted trees, black moss, and hidden treasure scattered across its bottom. | Aris and Raker are attacked by skelmires, creatures that collect those who enter their bogs and can only be killed by removing the gemstones that keep them alive. |
 | Traveling City | Starside | A hidden faeling city that constantly moves between different woods. | Protected by starlight, it becomes an important refuge for Aris and introduces her to Este. |
 | Vander Evren’s Estate | Starside | A vast magical castle belonging to Vander Evren’s Great House. | Aris researches the Great Houses there and attends a major ball. |
 | The City on Fire | Starside | A dangerous city encountered later in the Questral. | Part of Aris’s route toward the Land of the Gods. |
 | Land of the Gods | Starside | The final destination of the Questral and the place where challengers can claim a goblet of magic. | Aris claims her magic there and confronts the God of Travels. |
The Questral
The Questral takes place every fifty years. Before entering Starside, potential challengers must survive the Culling, a violent selection process that reduces the field to fifty mortals.
The fifty challengers then cross into Starside and have fifty days to reach the Land of the Gods. The gates reopen at sunrise on the final day and close again at sunset. Those who return can bring magic back to Stormside, while anyone left behind must remain in Starside until the gates open again.
The challengers enter for different reasons. Aris seeks the goddess who killed her family, Zane wants magic for Helmspeak, Kira hopes to save Anise, Raker seeks what he lost, and Cadoc pursues power and immortality.
For the full rules and plot of the competition, see our complete Starside guide.
Great Houses
Great Houses preserve wealth, power, resources, and knowledge on both sides of the gates. On Stormside, the surviving houses possess some of the best information about earlier Questrals. Starside also has powerful immortal Great Houses whose estates are connected through magic.
| House | Known Member | Territory / Resource | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|
| House Agron | Aris Agron | Silverside | Destroyed Great House and Aris’s lost family line. |
| House Bolter | Cadoc Bolter | Fertile land and gold mines | A powerful Stormside family whose heirs have a history of completing the Questral. |
| House Sterling | Zane Sterling | Helmspeak and silver mines | Provides important metal and resources to Stormside. |
| House Ender | Pagnus Ender | Not clearly stated | Known for the unusual size of its members and rumored divine ancestry. |
| Vander Evren’s Great House | Vander Evren | Central Starside | Vander describes his family as the most powerful house in Starside. |
Magic and Metals
Magic remains scarce on Stormside but saturates Starside. Metal can absorb and hold magical power, making the material of a weapon important to its strength. Silver is among the strongest metals available to mortals, while Starside contains far more powerful magical metals.
| Metal Type | Examples | Power | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low metals | Copper, tin, aluminum | Weakest | Common mortal weapons. |
| High mortal metals | Silver | Strongest metals commonly available on Stormside | Used by powerful houses, guards, and skilled smiths. |
| Sparkling metals | Starside steel | More powerful than mortal metals | Used by immortals and magical blades. |
| Paladian | Found where the gods live | Rarest and most dangerous known metal | Can contain extraordinary amounts of magic. |
Magical Swords
The most powerful swords in Starside are more than weapons. They can contain magic, form bonds with their owners, change shape, react to other blades, and develop abilities of their own. A weapon can pass to a new owner when its wielder is killed, allowing the killer to claim it. Great swords can also betray their current wielder if they encounter someone more powerful.
Species
The land of Starside is inhabited by several distinct groups, ranging from mortal humans in Stormside to immortals, faelings and gods. The relationship of each group to magic, mortality, and the world around them differs.
| Species | Description | Known Members / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | Mortals who primarily live in Stormside. Most possess little or no magic and enter the Questral hoping to bring magic back from Starside. | Aris Agron, Zane Sterling, Kira, Cadoc Bolter |
| Immortals | Magical inhabitants of Starside who do not age like mortals. Many belong to powerful Great Houses and possess abilities beyond those found in Stormside. | Vander Evren |
| Faelings | Magical beings from the Traveling City who describe themselves as descendants of the stars and carry starlight within them. | Este, Gallie, Elder, Eldress |
| Gods | Divine beings associated with specific domains and immense magical power. They influence the Questral and the structure of Starside itself. | God of Travels, God of Death |
Starside — Timeline Events
The Destruction of Silverside
The God of Travels burns House Agron and Aris’s village because of a prophecy connected to Aris. Her family dies in the fire, while Aris survives because heat cannot harm her.
Qualifying for the Culling
Aris earns a place in the Culling, the brutal selection process that determines which mortals can compete for one of fifty places in the Questral.
Stellan Dies
Cadoc kills Stellan before the Questral. Before dying, Stellan directs Aris toward Vander Evren, connecting her journey to his own past in Starside.
The Culling
Hundreds compete for the right to enter Starside. Aris survives the violent selection process and becomes one of the fifty mortal challengers chosen for the Questral.
Entering the Questral
Aris and the other fifty challengers pass through the gates into Starside, beginning a fifty-day journey toward the Land of the Gods.
The Beast Tree
Aris reaches the Beast Tree, a colossal home to dragons, helmhawks, and other magical creatures. Her path with Zane separates there.
Aris Bonds with a Silver Dragon
At the Beast Tree, Aris forms a magical bond with a huge silver female dragon that later guides and carries her across Starside.
A Partnership with Raker
Aris forms a reluctant partnership with Harlan Raker. She brings knowledge and a map, while Raker offers his strength and experience as they continue the Questral together.
Journey Through Starside
Aris and Raker cross dangerous regions including the Storm Woods, the Rot, and the Bog. They struggle with hunger, poisoned water, hostile immortals, and creatures such as skelmires while their uneasy alliance gradually develops into trust.
The Traveling City
Aris and Raker reach the hidden faeling city, where Aris meets Este, Gallie, the Elder, and the Eldress. The city becomes an important refuge during the Questral.
Vander Evren’s Estate
When Aris needs help, she summons Vander Evren. He brings Aris and Raker to his magical estate, but keeps Raker imprisoned in the stables while Aris remains in the castle.
The Ball
At Vander’s estate, Aris attends a major ball and tries to form alliances with Starside’s Great Houses that could help her continue toward the Land of the Gods.
Aris Continues with Raker
Aris leaves Vander’s estate and resumes the journey with Raker. Their partnership grows closer as they continue toward the final stages of the Questral.
Fight with Cadoc
Aris faces Cadoc in a violent confrontation and falls into The City on Fire, leaving her severely injured.
Recovering with Este
Raker carries the badly injured Aris to safety, where Este helps treat her wounds and gives her time to recover before the journey continues.
Aris and Raker Grow Closer
After surviving the dangers of Starside together, Aris and Raker finally give in to their growing attraction and their relationship becomes intimate.
Raker’s Betrayal
Raker turns against Aris and takes her sword, forcing her to continue toward the Land of the Gods without him.
The Land of the Gods
Aris reaches the final destination of the Questral and claims a silver goblet filled with magic.
The God of Travels
Aris confronts the goddess who destroyed her home and learns that she tried to kill Aris because of a prophecy that identified her as a threat to the gods. The God of Travels reveals that Aris may be able to bring her family back by killing the God of Death, but only after Aris swears a blood oath not to kill her. Aris keeps the oath—her silver dragon kills and eats the goddess instead.
Raker’s True Identity
Aris discovers that Harlan Raker is the true God of Death—the very god she must now kill if she wants a chance to bring her family back. She turns his betrayal against him by taking his sword.
Return to Stormside
At the end of the Questral, Aris crosses back through the gates into Stormside carrying a goblet of magic and Raker’s sword, while her new mission leaves her directly tied to the God of Death.
