Luminous Published by Harlequin on October 5, 2021 Source: Netgalley Arc
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Family / Siblings, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Wizards & Witches, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Pages: 304
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Format: Ebook Arc
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"Wonderfully lush and enthralling." —Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows
From the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl comes an immersive new fantasy about a witch who must learn to harness her power—or risk losing her loved ones forever.
Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.
To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos—and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
“A beautiful, enchanting tale of a young woman coming into her own powers. Luminous shines as brightly as its heroine.” —Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We’re Meant to Find
“Shining prose, radiant characters, and a love story that burns bright.” —Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Frostblood Saga
Review
Liora is a witch. They must keep her powers a secret because of an evil mage who kidnaps those with abilities to make him work for him. He is bent on controlling the entire world and goes to incredible lengths to do so. Once Daris, the mage, discovers Liora, he does not kidnap her but instead forces her sister Mina to come work in the castle for him, which is a classic control freak memo. Liora must figure out her power to get her sister back, so a local witch who works for Darius, making him impossible creatures with her magical weaving, takes her in as an apprentice. Morgana, the witch, is hiding a secret project, and once it is discovered, Liora is off tromping through the woods to erratics an evil species to thwart Darius. The story ended up reading for me more as a fantasy-horror than just straight fantasy. I like the parts where we learn about Liora’s powers and uncovering Darius’s reasons behind all the wicked things he does. I did not like the killing that happened later in the book. This was a mixed book for me and fell short of what I expected from such a whimsical cover.
About Mara Rutherford
Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world with her marine-turned-diplomat husband. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a master’s degree in cultural studies from the University of London. When she’s not writing or chasing after her two sons, she can usually be found pushin_g the boundaries of her comfort zone, whether at a traditional Russian banya or an Incan archaeological site. Mara is a former Pitch Wars mentee and three-time mentor.
