I found this novel fascinating and compelling, yet at times frustrating. We meet Liora, a young woman worried about her foolish younger sister and what trouble she might get into out alone at night. Along the way to find her, it is revealed that Liora glows and that she is ashamed about this. This is part of her magic. Liora is a witch, but keeping it secret.

We are later introduced to Darius, an elegant but cruel magician who lives in the royal palace and is essentially running the kingdom. He is fascinated with all things magic, collects magical things and is rumoured to torture mages and witches. We are also introduced to "the witch next door" and a couple of potential love interests for Liora. Mina is then whisked off to the city by Darius, while Liora is apprenticed to the local witch and learns about her magic.

This set up is all in the first quarter of the book and is all well done, although some things are frustratingly vague. Liora's distrust and downright fear of Darius seems to be based mainly on hearsay. We aren't shown enough in these early parts for us to see what makes him so feared. Maybe he is not as evil as it appears? Similarly, Liora's fear of her own magic and of being discovered seems overstated. She is worried people will see her glow, but doesn't do enough to prevent it. She is petrified that Darius will find out she is a witch, yet all their early interactions indicate he already knows. Magicians are supposedly living in fear of Darius throughout the kingdom, yet putting on underground magic shows in Darius' city where surely they could be easily discovered.

There were also some logical problems/inconsistencies with the magic at times. As an example, one Mage can transport things (including himself) instantaneously, yet he stays in the city, worried that Darius might catch him, saving up money, instead of transporting himself to safety and saving money there (or even better into and out of a bank vault! ).

Despite these issues, overall I enjoyed the story very much. We journeyed along with Liora, finding out more and more about her, and her family history, her magic and what it can do. Darius is also slowly revealed as Liora gets to know him. I cared enough about the characters to want to know how things would be resolved, and there was one twist that I completely didn't see coming.

Intriguing. 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

I ended up DNFing this book around 55%. I never felt a connection to the plot or characters. I tried to pick this back up multiple times but unfortunately the lack of connection just made this book unenjoyable for me.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 4.25

This was one of the most enjoyable ARCs I've come across in a while. I actually never read the Crown of Coral and Pearl series, so this was my introduction to Rutherford's writing. I'll definitely be going back and reading her other works now.

A quick summary: Our MC, Liora, has magic and is trying to keep it a secret - which is hard because she literally glows in the dark. She's in love with the neighbor boy, who's mom is a witch, and she lives with her father and sisters, hiding out from the evil mage-hunting Lord Darius. Shit happens and her youngest sister ends up a quasi-hostage of Darius, she ends up as the neighbor witch's apprentice, and then more shit happens.

The Good:

I genuinely liked Liora who was maybe a bit more naïve then she should've been, but was also brave and mostly practical. Honestly, she was a breath of fresh air as far as YA Fantasy heroines go, given that she seemed to both 1) think about the situations she was getting into and 2) be aware that she might not understand the true motives of others.

Darius is also an engaging antagonistic. I appreciate that Rutherford made him morally grey (though definitely dark grey) without trying to excuse or justify the terrible things he'd done. Hell, Darius didn't even really try to excuse or justify, he just explained his backstory and things made sense. I appreciated the underlying message that someone can be "not totally evil" while still being "not someone you should choose to hang around."

The worldbuilding wasn't extensive, but was thorough enough to support the story. I also found the magic system to be interesting and thought the magical creatures were pretty unique.

The relationship between family members was well-written and believable, though there was a sort-of-twist thrown in at the end that I didn't really feel needed to be there. It's possible this family revelation was meant to leave a bridge to a sequel, in which case....okay. If this is a standalone though, than I don't see why the author included it. Time will tell.

The pacing of this novel was also super solid. Like, I actually stayed up late to read this. Whenever a book can convince me to give up sleep to know what happens next, it's a pretty good book.

The Less Than Good (because realistically nothing about this was "bad"):

Let's talk about the romance. Liora is in love with Evran, the boy next door, though she's unsure about his feelings. As the reader, his feelings are pretty effing obvious but whatever, nbd. The issue is that Liora's relationship with Darius is so much more compelling. Now, I am NOT saying that Liora and Darius should've gotten together - that would've been toxic AF. But seeing how much chemistry Liora and Darius had on the page made it really hard for me to embrace Liora and Evran's connection. Like, there are clearly people out there she has better chemistry with.

There were also a couple of what I call "motivation reveals" - you know, like when one character suddenly learns why another is doing whatever their doing? Well, this book had two of these with one bigger one near the end, and I felt like I missed something. It seemed like Liora's mindset changed completely after she "figured something out" but the knowledge she learned didn't actually matter? It's possibly that maybe I'm just missing something.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent YA Fantasy and it pulled me out of a bit of a reading slump. Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre!

Title: Luminous
Author: Mara Rutherford
Publisher: Inkyard Press

Review to be posted to retail sites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble upon publication date on October 5, 2021 and Goodreads on September 2, 2021.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the kingdom of Antalla, anyone with magic is hunted down by the king’s warlock, Darius, and used to make him and the kingdom more powerful. Liora, whose magic was sparked by a fallen star, has been in hiding her entire life to protect herself and her family from Darius. However, when Darius realizes she has magic, he takes Liora’s little sister to capital to ensure Liora will do whatever he wants. With the help of Evran, the one person she trusts the most outside of her family, she has to stop Darius from turning their world into the darkness he craves.

Mara Rutherford’s writing is so beautiful and fluid that reading any of her novels is a joy. It gives me such a sense of happy satisfaction when I finish one of her books and this one is no different. The magic in this world is so unique with almost every person showing a special set of skills. Liora has the magic of a fallen star and has to learn to not only embrace, but control her magic throughout the novel. The growth she shows throughout this book is stunning and by the end she is a strong, confident women ready to start her own journey.

There are two things that Mara Rutherford does particularly well in her novels- genuine relationships between sisters and a complicated antagonist. Liora and her sisters love each other so much and would do anything for their family even if they don’t always get along. The support they provide one another is delightful to see and they truly just wish happiness for each other.

Darius is actually one of my favorite parts of this novel. He has such a devastating past that makes you understand his actions even though you don’t agree with them. Mara draws a parallel between Liora and Darius and shows what Liora could be like without her family and Evran helping her to control and respect her powers. Darius is still a horrible person but seeing him through Liora’s eyes makes you feel sympathetic to what he has experienced and the person he has become as a result.

I couldn’t put this book down and it was such a fast read, perfect for being transported to a magical fairytale for an afternoon. The writing is gorgeous and the world Rutherford built is captivating. Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the opportunity to read another great novel by Mara Rutherford.

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.