Book Review: Lumen

Lumen by J. J. Fischer

Post-Apocalyptic. 352 Pages. 5 Stars

Synopsis:

What if erasing the past cost more than you were willing to pay?
 
Having narrowly escaped their enemies, Sephone, Dorian, and Cass continue their search for the elusive Silvertongue, the only one with knowledge of the Reliquary’s whereabouts. But time is running out for Sephone, and with Dorian accused of high treason, the quest takes on a new urgency.
 
As secrets from each of their pasts drive a wedge between them, Sephone invests all her hopes in finding her homeland, Lethe—where her family may yet be alive. But nothing about Lethe is as she expects, and disappointment, betrayal, and danger await her at every turn.
 
As the truth about the Reliquary’s curse comes to light, the fragile bonds between the unlikely companions are tested like never before. Meanwhile, Dorian faces a terrible choice: to save the life of one who is beginning to mean more to him than the past he’s so desperate to forget, or to save his beloved Caldera from dangers outside and within.

My Review:

Oh man! I love the green in this cover!

I also really love how we dove a little deeper into the Persephone story. I’m seeing more and more threads, but each are still so unique to this world and these characters. Fischer continues with her brilliant contrasts and expands her world and characters in ways that feel natural, as if they’d been that way all along and we’re only just now exploring them for ourselves.

Cass’s magic really intrigued me in this one. Yes, Sephone is growing stronger and Dorian has a unique combination of magic and perspective, but Cass’s secondary power makes me think he’s going to play a much larger part than perhaps it seems at first. That power is strong and lays the foundation for a powerful reading experience. I’m not sure where we’re going with it, but I am absolutely curious. It was also fun to learn more about his backstory. I’m excited to see where he ends up!

Aside from our beloved cast in the first book, we had a few returning and new characters that amped up the tension. I won’t name all the names for fear of spoiling, but I will say that I’m intrigued by Spartan. He was a mysterious addition and I have a feeling he’ll be twisted in even more deeply in the next book – at least, I hope so! We also have a new enemy to contend with that I have high hopes for.

I loved that we went underground for a portion of this story. Again, it feels like the Persephone vibes are compounding. Also, I think I identified at least 3 different characters who embodied some version of Hades’s role in the original tale, which was so cool.

The plot threads in this one just get more and more tangled. The tension is higher with the stakes and the relationships. Between the quest for the Reliquary (and all it’s entangled implications, curse, and the people who guard it), the politics of the thanes (the threat of war between the countries, the complicated expansion of the danger to all of Caldera, and allll of the tangled web of Draven’s plans), Sephone’s growing sickness and quest to find her family (oh, that delicious turn of events! Again, the contrast is SO good!), and other little surprise threads along the way, this story is packed. It kept me turning proverbial pages (I listened to the audio this go round).

We also introduced a new element that feels like it’s heading toward an allegorical end. I’m reserving thoughts til we get to said end, but I will admit I’m intrigued and curious to see where it goes.

This is a tangled web and the characters had some interesting back and forth that make me cling to the hope of the payoff in the end, but nervous all the same. A great follow up and I can’t wait to read the next one!

Content: no swearing, fantasy violence, and sweet, clean romance (with some unsavory implications here and there). But themes of darkness, villainy, power-hungry people, grief and great loss, and the wrestling between choosing good when all you see is evil in the world. Probably recommended for 14+

More

Book 1 in the Nightingale Trilogy is Calor (5 Stars)

Book 2 is Lumen (5 Stars)

Book 3 is Memoria

Book 4 is Caligo

This series must be read in order. Caligo is a sequel to the trilogy. You can find more info on Goodreads with the links above.

On GraceBought

Don’t miss my thoughts on the first book in the series below!

Calor