I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes with magic in books, it seems too far-fetched. But Melissa Landers did this very well. It reminded me of Harry Potter in a good way.

It's hard to say no to a boarding school setting. This urban fantasy did a good job of melding real life with the magical world the characters are inhabiting and adds in a little romance to make things even more interesting.

This was a very trite, forgettable YA fantasy that relied too heavily on tropes rather than thorough plot, narrative, character, and emotional development. YA fantasy is a rich and detailed genre in its own right and treating it reductively does both readers and authors a disservice

Lumara is a YA novel by Melissa Landers. It does a good job of keeping you guessing and lots of twists and turns. Talia lives in a world where magic is real and there are Mystics. When she goes to a Mystic Fair to see a world-famous Mystic that she asks to help her with an illness she is scammed. Her father has been telling her her whole life that this was true about Mystics and now she finally believes him. When she falls in love with one though he has to try to change her mind. He takes her to his family's secluded island to show her Mystics aren't what she thinks. While there she finds out more about Mystics, herself, and her parents.

I will say that I appreciate it's a shorter, standalone book that I can booktalk at middle schools. For my money the plot is super convoluted and seems to repeat itself over and over again. There's very little world building and the entire first chapter is unneeded. Still, I do think shorter standalones are a rarity, sometimes people just want to read one complete story and be done, and so this is one I'll keep in my back pocket for a certain type of reader.

The mystery really drew me in. The twist when Talia enters the cottage the first time was unexpected and I wish the author had spent more time exploring Talia's feelings when it happened. I also would have liked more time exploring the island. The writing was a bit juvenile. Olive's fate was problematic and lends itself to suicide ideation. Also, the speech at the end was cringy. Three stars because I did enjoy the book until the end.

Lumara is an enchanting YA fantasy full of mystery, romance, and adventure. The world-building is outstanding as it brings magic to a contemporary setting where Mystics (magic-users) are in a society and they have conventions similar to comic-con. Talia hates Mystics because of when she went to one of these conventions hoping to heal a heart defect that killed her mother and instead she was conned out of money. Now she finds out her boyfriend is a Mystic, but not just any Mystic, he's from Lumara, a magical world that no mortal has ever stepped in. His cousin is about to be married and Talia is invited. Just as she begins changing her feelings on Mystics, the entire wedding party falls into a coma and Lumara goes on lockdown. Talia is being blamed, but she'll soon have her entire world changed as she discovers the truth. This is one very fun story with creative plot-twists, well-developed characters, and excellent world-building. I'm sad that this is only a standalone. If you love fun, original fantasies, Lumara is a fantastic choice! Be sure to check out Lumara today.

I felt like I got more than I bargained for out of this great young adult fantasy. It's a really unique, suspenseful, mysterious fantasy story—where the many twists and turns were actually pretty surprising! I won't say anything about the plot here because spoilers would really ruin the experience—it was really good!

Where do I start!
First off, I did receive an ARC of this book and I am so excited to continue with this story and characters!
The world building within Lumara was so well written and really easy to imagine.
I absolutely fell in love with the characters, and found myself wanting them to succeed.
There were a few twists which I really liked, but the final one was a doozy!

A very fun and cool read! Lumara was set in a very cool world and I really enjoyed the characters and the world building.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I very much enjoyed the story of Lumara, the story is mysterious and interesting! I was so shocked by some things in the plot and story that I had to go back and reread things, thinking I had missed something! The ending leaves a huge plot twist you weren't expecting and honestly this book brings so much to the table!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion.

Talia Morris is a boarding school student that has a hatred for Mystics. As people with powers over mortals, Mystics have the ability to fix aches and pains or even cure disease. When Talia asks for help, she's told there is nothing wrong with her and her hatred begins. When she discovers her boyfriend, Nathaniel is not only a Mystic, but from a powerful family on the enchanted island of Lumara. When Talia accompanies Nathaniel to his cousin's wedding, she discovers that he past might connect her to Lumara. When the entire wedding party falls into a coma, Talia is the only one to blame. How can she connect her past and show her innocence?

This book was so confusing from the first page and it continued. I will say that I didn't feel connected to anything that was happening at first. Once the first big plot twist happened, things started to make a little bit more sense. From then on, I was hooked! I loved reading Talia's point of view and how she grew throughout the book. It was interesting to see how she saw herself as "not enough" and the way that she grew into more of herself. The magic system in this book was also great, but had it's confusing moments. I do wish that there was a little bit more explained, but I think the story and the characters developing was more important than the system. My favorite parts were seeing Talia as a pivotal role in solving the mysteries but how she always asked for help. I will say that this book was definitely a surprise after the first part.

I recommend this book for those who love magical realism, a confusing but intriguing plot, and found family.

This is absolutely one of the best books ever! I loved it from beginning to end! Magical, enchanting and suspenseful!!!!

Being duped out of her savings by a Mystic, Talia isn’t a fan and devotes her social media to exposing them as thieves and shams. Imagine her surprise when her perfect boyfriend, Nathaniel, reveals himself as one. He promises his family and community are different and persuades her to give them a chance. She decides to accompany him to a family wedding on their private island of Lumara.

Lumara is a lush, magical (literally) island filled with vibrant colors, and a place I sure wouldn’t mind visiting. Talia and Nathaniel don’t get to relax for long – during the ceremony the entire wedding party falls into an unexplainable magic coma. And Talia is blamed as the culprit. The plot moves along at a brisk pace after that, and at less than three hundred pages it’s a quick read. Layers upon layers of secrets, lies, and curses soon come to light, and it’s not too difficult early in the novel to see where the story might be headed.

I appreciated Lumara is a standalone novel and the ending isn’t wrapped up in a tidy bow. Some unexpected tough decisions are thrust upon Talia, but she makes good choices that are in her best interests. If you’re looking for a quick read that transports you to a magical island for a few hours, check out Lumara.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a pleasant surprise. Landers did a fine job of creating likable characters that made you want to keep reading. Talia and her journey are the perfect blend of paranormal, romance, and mystery. I would happily read another book in this universe. For me, the only weakness is how the surprise twist changes the plot and how it altered it from the description in the back of the book.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Great story and plot. Although some plot twists were a bit predictable, I didn't see the ending coming. Talia has a fatal heart condition that may be a Mystic could heal, but when a famous healer tells her nothing is wrong with her heart, she is completely against magic. That is until her boyfriend tells her he is a Mystic and not just any Mystic, a Mystic from Lumara. Can she put aside her own experience with magic and attend a wedding on a magical island? What mysteries will the island uncover for Talia? Will the island be able to heal her?
Landers creates a magical world that incorporates reality and fantasy in a believable way. I could imagine the island of Lumara and the disappearing boy. Readers see the characters learn and grow in love and friendship and their own identities.
I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for the eARC.

Thoughts

I'm always down to dabble in some contemporary fantasy--fantasy mingled with a world much like our own. I liked the presence of magic-users in this world, very active and very much in the limelight, but outside of that, this book was... not good.

Pros
Erasure: There is perhaps nothing more horrifying than losing a sense of yourself, a theme that Melissa Landers plays with early on in this book. Talia remembers things. She knows things about herself, but her friends and her family don't remember these same things. And when these are integral parts of your identity and your life, this denial form those around you can make you feel like you're fading away... which is a great (if horrifying) set-up for this book. It sets an undercurrent of fear and unease. Can Talia be trusted? But who is she, if she doesn't remember herself?

Magical Island: You know what I'll always enjoy? A magical island. The island of Lumara breathes alongside its residents. It responds to the needs of its wildlife, its inhabitants, its way of life. And this is utterly enchanting. I wish I could have gotten more entwined in this island--it really was one of the best parts of the book, prodding and prying at its residents until its will was done. This setting is great!

Contemporary Fantasy: Not a lot of authors dare to mingle cellphones with magic, and so this world was pleasantly refreshing. Sure, it's not quite the same as our own reality, but it feels very familiar. And that sense of the contemporary world melding with magic is very nice.


Cons
Forgiving: Talia builds her whole identity in the first few chapters around hating Mystics and all they stand for. But when her boyfriend reveals himself to be a secret, undercover Mystic, she just... immediately forgives and forgets? And she agrees to go to his magic island home with him with only a few qualms? She might feel some trepidation about meeting his family, but this trepidation revolves around whether they'll like her, not the fact that they're Mystics, the very thing she swore to destroy just a chapter ago.

Revelation Let-Down: A little less than halfway through this book, there is a major, earth-shattering revelation about one of the main characters... and then we just jump right back into the plot. Things change, sure, but nothing is really processed. There's no inner turmoil. There's no strife. And there really should be. This is the type of plot-twist that requires an incredible amount of backstory with it, and I didn't get that backstory at all. It left me drifting, detached from the characters and the story itself. It felt like something that would happen in a first draft, not in an editorial copy.

Scattershot Plot: There are just too, too many plots going on here. There are so many pieces that could have worked so well together, but they didn't, ultimately. There's a secret identity, a chronic illness, a spooky ghost, a magical island, a deadly tribunal, and more. And though these plots all do wrap up together, they're not well-woven. It would have been much, much better to settle on one and develop that as the main plot. Instead, these scattershot plots felt wild and random, disconnected, and when I was already feeling disconnected for other reasons, I had no reason to care about the book at all by the time I finished it.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐
3/10

Fans of Susan Bishop Crispell's The Holloway Girls might be interested in this magic-and-mundane story. Those who enjoyed Danielle Paige and Kass Morgan's The Ravens will enjoy this book with its touch of campus magic.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book.***

I want to thank NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and give my honest review.
What drew me in: BOARDING SCHOOL! Every time I see a book with a boarding school I think Harry Potter and I want to read it. BUT I always have to go in with lower expectations because nothing ever lives up to it for me. But I'm always hopeful someone will hit the mark. SCI-FI! I love me some sci-fi. Unfortunately, the book is not quite as sci-fi as it seems it should be,. So if you're going in thinking you're going to be floored by that aspect, turn your expectations down. Also, MELISSA LANDERS: Because I've really liked her previous books I've read, so why not keep reading what she writes! And the COVER I mean it's gorgeous. I'm a sucker for a good cover.
What kept me reading: THE CHARACTERS! I really enjoyed them and wanted to find out more about them. They truly had unique personalities. I do feel like more back story could have happened. More fleshing out so that I could truly connect with them but overall I enjoyed them: the good, the bad, and the ugly!
What I'm not so sure about: THE STORY! I enjoyed how it started but then I just got annoyed. It just didn't seem like it kept a rhythm. The possibility of twists. Which happened but were kind of expected. Also, while it did wrap up, I feel like there's still room for a sequel. I love a good series but am disappointed when I read a book that I feel should be a stand alone and then it doesn't seem to be that way.
Overall: It was a fun read but didn't keep me as pulled in as I would have wanted. I just expected more. Would I read more Landers, for sure. Would I read a sequel, not so sure.

Talia does not like Mystics. She believes they are all scammers after one told her she wasn't really sick. When her boyfriend admits he is a Mystic and wants her to meet his family, she decides to try and be open-minded. Talia learns that his family isn't all bad and starts to change her opinion of Mystics until the wedding party goes into a coma and she is blamed. As she tries to prove her innocence, she learns truths about herself and her family that shake her beliefs.

Lumara is a stand-alone fantasy novel that sounds like it would be a captivating read, but in reality was one-dimensional. The last third of the book redeemed the majority and I finished happy I stuck it out. This is a short read, so most readers won't feel frustrated with the overall storyline. I recommend this book for those who need something to read, but not worthy of a TBR list.