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.
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Read an excerpt here.
First, a cover check. I LOVE this cover. Let’s be honest. We’re all shallow people. A pretty cover draws our eyes, then the author’s name. Anyway, this book was fantastic. The MC, Liora, has been hidden away by her family due to her powers. She’s a mage and literally has glowing skin. Which is not great if you live in an area that hunts down anyone with magical abilities. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story if Liora stayed hidden the entire time. Her powers are discovered and with a villain’s flair, Darius, mage to the king, threatens her younger sister’s safety. In an effort to save her sister, Liora embraces her abilities and discovers the depth of her powers. This kinda gave me Shadow and Bones vibes, in terms of an oppressed and abused minority of people. Case in point, Darius is a mage that works for the king but fosters a goal to liberate other mages from servitude and other situations. Much like the Darkling, wouldn’t you say? There are other slight similarities, but Luminous is an original in its own way. This book was a little bit of everything. It’s a coming-of-age story, with a teeny bit of romance and fantastical elements. Overall, it was a good read.
4 stars!
About the Author:
Photo Credit: Sarah Joseph
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.
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