Title: Luminous
Author: Mara Rutherford
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
Review:
Liora has spent her life hiding her magic from the world. Her skin glows, making her magic immediately recognizable. When Darius, a warlock who works for the King, arrives in town to hunt down mages, he finds Liora. Instead of taking Liora to the capital to work for him, he lets her work for a neighboring witch, and takes Liora’s younger sister instead. Then, Liora’s best friend and first love, Evran, disappears after her sister leaves. Darius has dangerous plans for the future of their kingdom. Liora will do anything to save her sister and Evran, even if it means giving in to Darius’s demands.
This was another great fantasy novel by Mara Rutherford. I liked how fast paced it was. There were a few times when the story was heading in a direction that I thought would lower the tension and slow down the story. However, those parts only lasted a chapter or two, so the story kept its fast pace.
There were a few surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. I had no idea where the story was going to end, and I was really shocked at the ending. I hope there will be a sequel because I want to know what will happen next!
Luminous is a great YA fantasy!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
About the author:
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.
Have you read Luminous? What did you think of it?
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