Luminous

by Mara Rutherford

"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

• ISBN10: 1335405658
• ISBN13: 9781335405654
• Publish Date: 11 November 2021 (first published 5 October 2021)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Inkyard Press
• Edition: Original
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Is anyone else super excited for another Mara Rutherford novel? I first fell in love with her writing in Crown of Coral and Pearl, and here we are with a new world! Luminous is a new young adult novel, one that portrays a different world full of magic.

Ever since she was little, Liora was forced to hide. She hid from the world what made her so unique – her glow. Literally, her family feared what would happen to her if the king's warlock learned of her gift, which feels more like a curse.

When the whole world is turned upon its head, Liora must learn to embrace the magic deep within and find a way to save the day. Yet this will not be an easy or comfortable journey for her. Thankfully, she has allies to lend a hand.

"You were your own light in the darkness. You just needed to believe in yourself."

I honestly didn't know what to expect from Luminous. Thanks to the previous works I've read by Mara Rutherford, I knew that it would include an imaginative world with magic and lore. What I didn't know was how the main plot would evolve.

I will say that I was blown away by Luminous. It was absolutely a fun adventure worth reading, one that I thoroughly enjoyed. This was one of those books that was easy to picture an adaptation for. The characters and scenarios lend themselves so well to the big (or little) screen.

My one complaint about Luminous, if you can call it, is that many character relationships felt a little shallow. This is especially true earlier in the book. Many relationships were told, as opposed to shown, that sort of thing. It does get better with time, so I'm willing to be generous on this count.

Overall, I enjoyed Luminous. Part of me is sad that it is a standalone novel. I enjoyed the world (that I saw) and would have liked to see more of it. The rest of me is happy that the story ended at the right time, with a proper ending.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks