12 year old Celes is an ordinary boy, but on his birthday he finds out that he's an invoker. He is sent to Gardarel to study magic. He is ridiculed for his background by most of the students but he is so happy to be there. His talent quickly shows itself though and people son have to accept that he is special. He finds out about a plot to destroy Gardarel and has to figure out who he can trust to help him.

This took me by surprise. I'll admit that the first part of the book didn't grab me as I nearly put it aside, but I said I'd give it to 25% and if I wasn't interested then I'd stop. I'm glad to say that by that stage, I had become invested. The plot had intrigued me enough to want to keep going.

I thoroughly enjoyed the world building. The setting, the city and the magical creatures were well written and very descriptive. It was easy to picture everything. I also liked the caracters, though they were very one dimensional! Celes was a good character and was easily likeable and I think had the author spent more time on building all his characters and giving them more depth, it would have been a 5 star read. 

Still though, a good read and I'd love to see more in the series.

The Kingdom of Lights has that steampunk feel of Victorian-era-spun-into-the-future, which I don’t normally read, but as this was a middle-grade book, I gave it a try. This blends in more fantasy than normal steampunk does, and, I have to say, it works.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this author. The story was interesting with lovable characters. I did wish that some of the plot was a little bit more developed as sometimes time seems to jump forward abruptly. Overall, a very fun read!

The Kingdom Lights is a YA Fantasy set in the realm of Gardarel. This mystical floating city is the home of Celes, a boy that discovers he’s an Invoker capable of powerful magic. Celes is sent to study magic at a school in the Kingdom Lights. Besides struggling with a new school and trying to make friends while avoiding making enemies, Celes finds himself in the middle of an insidious plot that threatens his entire world.

Stephen writes in a classic tone which reminds me very strongly of CS Lewis.

The story is told from the point of view of young Celes, who tries to get by without being too much trouble. Although a meek boy when he arrives at Gardarel, over the course of his adventures he discovers inner strengths. The plot, although not fast-paced did have a good twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. The magical battles in the book were definitely the highlights.

Stephen does a wonderful job of making you feel part of the action during any of the combat scenes in the book.

The timeline felt too extended for me. Taking place over the course of a year, at times the plot skips a few weeks or months forward with very little to explain the actions in between. I would have liked to find out more about the magical systems and creatures. In the beginning of the book I didn’t feel very attached to Celes, but he definitely captured my heart when he began showing his true colours.

I have to admit young adult is not a genre I particularly enjoy, but this book had me rooting for Celes, and the descriptions of the settings transported me into another realm. This book is aimed at young readers, who will easily relate to Celes’s struggles with making friends and finding his own place in the world.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who ever enjoyed classics like CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia or Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five.