Overall, I feel that this book is another take on an overused story. The characters weren’t as engaging as I had hoped, and it follows a similar format to Shadow and Bone, exc.
It was a good read if you enjoy that story concept, but the trope can feel overused and it is very slow paced.
I had hoped that the characters would be more likeable but this just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This book was a bit of a letdown for me. The premise of it was what hooked me, but I found that it fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't as invested in the characters or the story as I had hoped I would be and I felt very much like I was trudging through to the end just to get there and not really care.

I appreciate the early copy for review

I wanted to like this so much more. First off, the cover pulls you in because it's gorgeous. The story starts off with some decent world building, but it's difficult to determine what time period we're supposed to be in. I realize this is a fully made-up world, but there's some confusing anachronisms that feel just thrown in and mixed about.

The characters fell somewhat flat for me. The most expressive (and therefore easiest to understand) character was effectively placed off screen for a good portion of the book. The main character's inner dialogue felt utterly repetitive and made it difficult to actually like here. The villain was like a watered down version of the Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy. (There are actually a lot of comparisons to be drawn to that series.)

The magic system was underdeveloped and underwhelming. The descriptions of powers was minimal and not fully fleshed out.

Finally, the actual plot was just a boring romp through the woods to look for ambiguously dangerous creatures.

I really don’t like giving one star reviews, but I truly believe that I read a poorly written Shadow and Bone fan fiction. Luminous is easily the worst book that I’ve read all year, and I’ll outline why below.

Characters
Liora, human glowstick, lives in a kingdom where magic is exploited by the evil Lord Darius for his own personal use. Oh, and she is absolutely in love with her childhood best friend. (Can you see where I am seeing the Shadow and Bone resemblance?) All characters feel flat and one dimensional. Characters constantly tell Liora how special she is and how she has to learn how to brightly shine. The Darkling in Shadow and Bone is actually scary and manipulative, but Lord Darius comes off less like the Darkling and more like Lord Farquaad in Shrek. We are told how horrible and how scary he is (with some attempts at making him seem like he has some kind of internal conflict) but he can’t even keep characters in a hunting party without them basically flipping him off and running off. Random characters are introduced, ignored, and then randomly referenced again later in the book.

Setting:
Overall, the world building is poor. There are references about stars and how stars are important, and there are falling stars. People have wagons and there was a scene where Liora was scolded for being alone in a house with a boy because it wasn’t proper. This gave off some old timey vibes, but modern words like “collateral” were used that threw me off and didn’t support an old timey setting. It’s also a big free for all with the magic system- everyone’s magic is different. Which is fine, but it added to the lack of world building.

Writing
*Sigh.* Again, I really don’t like ripping into authors because writing a book isn’t easy, but this book was so frustrating to read because the writing was so poor. There were some beautiful similes sprinkled throughout this book, but as a teacher, I teach my students to “show and not tell” when they write. The author solely relies on telling the reader EVERYTHING. We are told point blank that Liora is in love. We are told that when a character “clenches his fist” that it is in anger instead of just inferencing that someone clenching their fist is probably angry. We are told how terrifying the dark tapestry is instead of really shown.

Consent:
I initially thought that this would be a good middle grade novel, but there is a scene where Liora is grabbed and kissed for the purpose of glowing brighter so her light could be used to see. I do not care that Liora expressed she had been in love with this character; there is nothing romantic about being used by someone with the purposes of achieving a task. I find this scene unsettling and dangerous for children, and I will not include this book in my classroom library for this reason alone.

Overall, this book is poorly written and contrived. The plot jumps around, and the characters are all flat. The monsters aren’t scary (bonus points for the centipede squirrel that made me laugh out loud) and neither is the villain. I do not recommend this book to anyone.

It’s somewhat slow to start and slow to finish, but once it gets there it is quite good. To me it honestly almost reads like a fantasy horror mix - maybe it’s just all the flesh eating squirrels with glow in the dark eyes or the possessed like moving corpses?

I’m definitely intrigued by the world and it’s occupants. I liked Linora and Evren, as well as the other characters that slowly trickle into the story. It is refreshing to have a love sub-plot without the love triangle or kinda falling for the bad guy, or the forever “he loves me - he loves me not”.
It’s also nice to get a character who doesn’t forget all about their family when they fall in love.

Most reveals have a steady build up to them and happen gradually - Which I must admit I didn’t hate, it just takes away the big wam effect.

Ultimately, I think this is a good read, with some interesting world building and if there ever should be a second book I would read it.

This was an incredible and magical book! Yet again Mara had balanced strong world building and character development to bring an outstanding story of believing in yourself, and never giving up! One of my favorite parts was the bond shared between the Duval sisters. They had such dynamic of personality but shared love for each other. The Magic system was creative with how each witch or mage obtained a different type of magic. It definitely lent to an exciting story! There were a few particularly dark scenes and absolutely had me captivated and on the edge of my seat. Highly, highly recommend Luminous to everyone who loves a good magical story with wholesome characters. I cannot wait for a physical copy to adorn my shelves!

This book was so mesmerizing and captivating! I had lots of fun reading Luminous and I really wanted to read it so being given the opportunity though Netgalley was a real treat. I've read books by Mara in the past and I knew this like many of her books would be exquisite. Luminous is definitely a brilliant sparkly gem and must-read for fans of fantasy!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Mara Rutherford, and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Liora, a young woman who has been all but hidden away from her community by her father and sisters because of her glowing skin, is a mage. She possesses magic. And possessing magic gets you killed or kidnapped.
By chance, another mage working under the thumb of Darius, the kings right hand, discovers what Liora is.
Darius, a powerful mage, is set to destroy or force into servitude every other mage alive. Until he meets Liora. She is a shining star to his deep well of darkness.

The storyline is VERY similar to Shadow and Bone, with a few slight differences. Overall, I really liked it and it following a similar structure didn't take away from the story at all.
This is very much a YA, coming of age (or at least coming into one's self) story with very little romance. There's a couple of kisses, that's it.
I'm giving 5 stars, but more like 4.5 cause the originality is a bit lacking, especially since Shadow and Bone is now on TV and the comparisons are pretty close.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Very well written and engaging right from the start. I loved this book and am so glad I gave it a chance

Liona lives with her two sisters and father in the forest outside of town. Her glowing skin is the manifestation of magic that she must hide lest she be compelled to work for Darius, a warlock who is the real power behind the throne. Outside of Liona's family, her secret is only known to Evran, her childhood best friend and next door neighbor, whose witch mother has been forced for decades to weave a mysterious and dangerous project for Darius. Soon, Liona leaves behind all she knows to confront hidden family history, her own magical potential, the plight of all witches and warlocks in the kingdom.

If this sounds a little like Shadow and Bone, that's because it's incredibly similar in its central premise. A heroine with the hidden power of light and the potential to save the kingdom is caught between her boy-next-door love interest and a manipulative wizard with the power of darkness. In this sense, Luminous is not terribly original, and falls squarely into the mediocre "fantasy lite" section of young adult fiction. The worldbuilding and to some extent the characters felt flat and undynamic. I also questioned some of the decision-making logic throughout: if Liona's father has barely even let her out of their remote house her whole life, is he really going to let her go off to the palace to visit her sister, knowing this will probably ensure she bumps into Darius? (The fact that I almost typed "the Darkling," again, says a lot about this book's connection to Shadow and Bone.)

I don't want to come across as too negative here, though, because Luminous is not a bad read. I read it in one day while traveling and found it pleasant and absorbing enough to quickly pass the time. There some original elements to the story that I really enjoyed: particularly Evran's mother, who is a bit spiky on the surface but has some interesting depths to her. The role her magical weaving powers played in the book was intriguing and spooky. The novel overall has an appealing fairytale-esque quality, and the effective storytelling, magical elements, and tame romance should make it very enjoyable for younger readers.

Beautiful cover that as soon as I saw it I knew I want to read it . Plus the author is another new to me author which is great because I don't read a lot of ya fantasy . But what really got me to like the story besides the cover was the family bond , the word building , the different types of magic, and a evil powerful mage, not only is there all that but there is a bit of romance , secrets that needs to come out, good vs evil , and it some how makes the story flow together perfectly.

Luminous is a is a wonderful and incredibly rich fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

Likes:
I definitely requested this from NetGalley because of the cover. It’s not colorful, but I love the aesthetic of it. Also the premise of the story sounded so unique!

Liora has a very interesting and unique power, she is as bright as a star but she doesn’t know much about her powers at all. Her family has kept her hidden to keep her out of danger though so she is very sheltered. The warlock Darius though recognizes her for who she is and interestingly enough, he is the one who can give her clues about her power and it’s origin.

I think the most fascinating thing about this story was Margana, the weaver. She created the Queen and Prince with her powers. That’s pretty amazing and unique. I could see why Darius kept her under his thumb.

I did like the theme of family. Liora did everything to help save her family from Darius’ threats. Evran, Liora’s love interest and Margana’s son, did his best to try and save his mother. So the theme of family is strong in this story.

The romance is sweet, Liora and Evran were friends that turned into lovers.

Random Notes:
Triggers: violence

I did not connect to Liora. The most fascinating character for me was Margana because her powers were so unique. Liora is very sheltered and doesn’t know much about the world outside her town – she does grow a bit because she has to save Evran and deal with Darius but I felt like I needed more from her.

Why did Darius remind me of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone? Maybe because he’s lived for a long time, and Liora’s power is light and he wants her for that? Anyway, it kept giving me images of the Darkling.

I wanted more world-building and explanation of the magic system. Evran doesn’t know much about his power, Liora doesn’t either so I just felt like it was vague at times. The ending felt like it was making room for a sequel, but I think this is a standalone.

FINAL THOUGHTS~
Why you should read it:

*Shadow and Bone fan – this has similar themes and villain/Darkling traits
*easy, quick read – perfect for teens
*cool magic (my favorite is the weaving)

Why you might not want to read it:

*it’s a standalone and I think the ending felt like it was left open
*it’s too similar to Shadow and Bone
*needs more world building and explanation of magic system

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a fairly enjoyable fantasy despite the issues I had with it. I wish I had connected more to the characters but I thought Margana’s magic was very cool. I think it’s a fantasy that young adults and younger can enjoy because the romance is sweet and the themes center around family.

This started off strong but it kind of dragged from the middle to the end. The summary is a little misleading since it depicts the first few chapters while the remainder of the novel is unexpected. Besides these two things, I enjoyed the story, the world building, and the characters. Darius had a few Darkling vibes which was another plus.

Liora has been hidden in her house since she was a child. If she does go out, she's covered from head to toe to hide the luminous glow that emits from her. The glow is especially strong when she sneaks off to meet her friend since childhood Evran, son of the local witch. It is during one of these encounters that she meets Darius, the king's warlock. Darius hunts witches and uses them to increase his power and Liora is just what he's been looking for. She must protect herself and her two sisters but Liora wants to know more about her powers and the death of her mother many years ago. Evran is becoming increasingly distant and when Liora apprentices to his mother she learns much more than she ever imagined. Mara Rutherford's newest novel has everything - magic and magic users, horrible monsters, royal intrigue and romance. The author of Crown of Coral and Pearl has created another world so real that it was difficult to return to this one when I finished reading. This is a young adult novel - readers who enjoy fantasy will love this book as will any adult. I can happily recommend this book to advanced middle school readers and anyone who enjoys a fascinating new world. It seemed to me that Rutherford set up for a sequel - I hope she does!!! Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

I really thought this was such a fun take on witch story. It gave me massive vibes of both shadow and bone but also the princess will save this time. I also loved the main romance in this read. It def explores my fav love troupe and it was def one of my favorites. I also loved how this book did have both magic element but was also very focused on the potlics of the world. I will def check out book two, the romance def captures me and i was suprised by the cliffhanger. I def want to read this authors first series as well.

This was a tale about a girl name Liora, who has suppressed her magical ability to protect her family reputation and to protect herself from Darius, an evil warlock who sucks the life from powerful mages for his own power. Her magic makes her skin glow so she isn’t allowed to go far from home except during the brightest part of the day, but she has her loving sisters and her best friend Evryn to keep her company. Her magic is discovered by Darius but instead of taking her, he takes her younger, non-magical sister instead. Darius knows of her magic and Liora and Evryn are pulled into Darius’ plans to turn the world into nothing. She has to fight for her family, her love, and her country by finding her own strengths inside of herself and discovering her own hidden potential.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The story was unique and I felt I understood the characters. This book had a great ending but I’m hopeful there will be another book that goes on after this story. I don’t want to say the story wasn’t told complete, but there was lot of things in the story that could be continued on to anther book and I loved it enough that I would be thrilled for more!!

I would like to thank the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book for an honest review through Netgalley.

Liora is a witch who must keep her powers secret because of a cruel mage who kidnaps those with powers to make them work for the king. This mage, Darius, is actually holding the king under his powers and is the one in control of the whole kingdom. When a cruel plot is uncovered Liora and her friends must try to stop Darius.
I loved this book. There are a lot of twists and turns, a slight bit of romance, magical monsters, sinister plots and more. Author, Mara Rutherford, creates the perfect formula for a page-turner of a book.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

In a world where mages are being hunted down for their magical abilities, one girl is about to discover hers, whether she wants to or not. Loira has spent her life hiding her magical abilities, particularly her glowing skin. She lives in fear of being discovered by the mage Darius, who uses other mages’ magic to grow his own power. Not only does he essentially rule the kingdom, but he has taken a particular interest in Loira. Instead of taking her after discovering her, Darius takes Loira’s little sister Mina to work for the palace, but essentially is holding her a hostage. To make matters more complicated Loira’s childhood best friend and crush, Evran, has been acting mysterious, disappearing for long stretches of time, avoiding her, and saying cryptic things. When Evran’s mother, a fellow witch who works under Darius, hires Loira as an apprentice, Loira will start to truly come into her power. Things end up taking a turn for the worst when Evran goes missing and Darius becomes a more frequent visitor in Loira’s life. Soon Loira must embark on a journey to stop Darius from destroying the entire kingdom and to finding the powers waiting to be unleashed within her. This story gave me strong Shadow and Bone vibes with the whole “one poor girl with magical abilities related to light and a villain/sort of love interest who is interested in her power and has abilities related to darkness/void, and a childhood best friend who sorta disappears and reappears but has his own thing going on” <spoiler> it even ends in the same way sort of, Loira ends up with Evran and they go traveling together after defeating Darius and Darius isn’t technically dead just loses his powers </spoiler> I enjoyed Darius as a villain, he was complicated and had a depth to him that was interesting to unravel. The romance between Loira and Evran was sort of what you expect from childhood best friends who are dealing with their own lives but are supportive of one another. I just didn’t really like how Evran constantly didn’t trust Loira and left her out of crucial plans, that even impacted her, and she constantly justified it and said “oh yeah he was right not to trust me, it’s fine” girl no. He is your best friend, he shouldn’t be ghosting you, leaving you hanging with your emotions, and show up and say cryptic things and then disappear again, and then keep you out of important decisions. I did however like Loira for the most part. She takes things in strides and was willing to make the big sacrifices for her loved ones. She could empathize and see things from Darius’s perspective while also holding onto her own ideals. Overall an okay fantasy romance read. If you liked Shadow and Bone I definitely think you’ll like this one.

*Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book is very interesting, and I really liked the character of Liora. The concept is quite interesting and unique and the story itself it written really well.

I loved all of the ways that Evran would empower Liora into believing that she really is her own star and everything. It was interesting to see a witch hunt being lead by a powerful warlock, and I really like the character of Lord Darius. He was actually my favorite, and I would have loved more development for him.

While this book is a young adult novel, at times, it did read a little young, but that may be do more to the innocence of Liora due to a life of isolation. But, I do think a little bit could have been adjusted to make this feel a little more young adultish.

Lastly, my biggest issue (but not really an issue?) was that the way that the story was written, it really seemed like Liora was going to end up with Lord Darius. They had a very interesting and unique relationship in this story, and I genuinely kept thinking that was where the story was going. Don't get me wrong, I loved Evran, but honestly, I would have loved to see more of a redemption arc for Darius.

Overall though, a great new book! I read it in a day and a half because it is hard to put down.