This was a total impulse request mainly because of the cover, which by the way is gorgeous. But this book just fell in the meh catagory for me. It wasnt horrible but it wasnt the best. It was one of those books that didnt stay with me but I also didnt struggle through. Hence the meh world.

Luminous was a decent read but maybe just not for me. I personally felt that the world building was lacking for me to truly understand all of the magic. I’m not really a friends to lovers fan and therefore the lack of chemistry didn’t work in the romance section of the book. It was ok but others might love it.

“Heartache and grief are their own strange kind of gift because they remind you that you can still have a heart to break. When you stop caring, when you stop grieving, that's when you know you're really lost.”

I absolutely adore Mara Rutherford and her writing style. She just has this way of creating worlds filled with characters who just steal my heart. This book felt a little bit reminiscent of the shadow and bone series, but with a fresh take. I am not someone who typically loves the friends to lovers trope, but in this instance it worked.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review

This story is really great at coming to accept and love what makes you different. There were some twists and turns I did not see coming and I did feel the ending was open ended and am hoping for more in the future.

This was a pretty decent read, but the romance wasn't really for me and I found the world building a little lacking. Fairly average read.

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review:

I received an e-ARC of this book from Inkyard Press in exchange for a place on this blog tour- thanks!

The concept of Luminous was very interesting, but I am not sure that it was executed as well as it could have been. I did really enjoy Rutherford’s writing style, but I felt at times the story could have used more depth in terms of world building. I wanted to know more about the world, and though we are given tidbits of information scattered, nothing is really elaborated on. Several times, there are mentions of the constellations, but nothing so concrete as to really give an idea of the mythology behind them.

Without that world-building, it becomes a more character driven story and I felt there was a disconnect between the characters as the story goes on. Liora’s character development throughout the story is well done, but the other characters seem to go through strange changes that don’t fit their character. Darius’s character in particular, was almost written as though we were supposed to be sympathetic for even though he was clearly a very awful person with no redeeming qualities. It was just frustrating as a reader through Liora’s lenses when she starts to sympathize for him.

I am not usually a fan of friends to lovers in fantasy, but I have to say that I did really love Evran and Liora’s relationship throughout the book. I think the fact that it is laid out from the beginning and hinted at that they have felt that way for a while helped with that. Evran was such a cutie, and I adored his character the most I think.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I am definitely interested in trying her other series now that I have read Luminous. If you like fast-paced, character driven fantasy, I am sure this is one that you will enjoy quite a lot.

Really enjoyed this!

I will update the review with the link to on our blog as soon as I can.

I'd like to thank the publisher Inkyard Press and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Mara Rutherford's first series and this story had the same excellent pace, characterization and interest. A perfect quick fantasy for the YA audience.

This author really just doesn't work for me. Nothing very original here. Just more of the same without any spark.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

This book caught my eye almost entirely for the cover - and this one is beautiful enough that it gets quite a few extra glances when it's on display. I just wish the book was as stunning as the cover. There is nothing truly *wrong* with this book, it just doesn't feel as strong as I would have wanted it to be. It's good, it's enjoyable, it's something I would recommend in the library.. but it's not something that blew me away and made me desperate for more, or even desperate to talk about it with others. Still, it's a solid purchase for our library system, and continues to get circulation, and does well on book displays.

This was definitely an interesting book… But I found that it didn’t really hold my attention. In fact, I don’t think I could tell you what happened in it even now… Which is unfortunate as the concept was very interesting for me!

First thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Liora have spend her life into ihiding because if found by the King's warlock, that would mean been use by him since she also have powers. But her worse fears happened and Darius doens't take her, instead he takes her sister and also her best friend and the only other person who know about her secret is now missing. The only way to find him and save her sister will be the embrace her power. And Darius have plans, plans that are in motions.

I liked the world building and the magic in this world.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Ugh, this is a hard one to review because there were things I really liked about it but also things I hated... This obviously had a lot of Shadow and Bone influence whether conscious or not but it was different enough that I still enjoyed the story. My favorite part was when <spoiler>Liora went into the tapestry to rescue Evran</spoiler>. I just found that part particularly suspenseful and really interesting. My biggest complaint with the story is how <spoiler>I hated every male character in this book expect Cyril. Liora's father is probably the biggest jackass of them all and Evran was just slightly better. I just did not see the appeal for Evran. All he did was avoid Liora's questions and do his own thing</spoiler>. Still a fun ride in the end even with the complaints.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for a copy of Luminous in exchange for an honest review. This book is a YA standalone that is very much a YA story. What I mean by that is the MC will have you shaking your head at times and there are a few typical YA tropes throughout the story. With that being said, this story did keep me engrossed. I did find myself fussing at the MC, but I also had to know what happened next!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Good writting, good story developpement. I think it was technically well done but also somehow not memorable.

This was okay. It’s your standard YA fantasy, with the use of generic tropes and forgettable characters. I didn’t think it was terrible, but it also didn’t make a lasting impression. I wish there had been more world-building and more character development; it would have given the story some much-needed depth. Since I have an overall meh feeling about this book, I’m giving it 2 stars.

As YA fantasy standalones go, I think this one's pretty standard and enjoyable. Not great, and I didn't find it particularly memorable, but the style was pleasant and the world was very atmospheric. I found it didn't keep my attention for long periods, largely because I struggled to connect with any of the characters, so the stakes felt low despite them being literally life or death. It's just...fine. Several aspects actually reminded me of Shadow & Bone, which I love, but was fairy predictable.

Pros: The mages and their magic intrigued me, especially Liora and Darius's
Cons: Feels like a very average YA fantasy, not especially unique or memorable
CW: mild violence & imprisonment
Recommended for: young fantasy readers

This had a lot of potential but it fell a little flat for me. It was cute and I liked it but it's not super memorable. The world building was weak and the pacing was a little off.