Starts to read Ayn Rand's epic -- excellent (4)
I believe the answer is:
rare
'excellent' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'starts to read ayn rand's epic' is the wordplay.
'starts to' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letters of 'read ayn rands epic' is 'RARE'.
(Other definitions for rare that I've seen before include "Singular, infrequent" , "Unusual - exquisite" , "Very lightly cooked, meat say" , "Seldom - unusual" , "'Unusual, uncommon (4)'" .)