Serendipitous Sight by Benjamin Kamphuis is a heavy, emotionally charged dark fantasy that doesn't shy away from the harsh consequences of its magic system. As part of the Shades of Aura series, this story follows a battlefield medic who gains the ability to see and move diseases, saving loved ones by transferring their illnesses to others.

What I Loved:
Deeply Emotional Stakes: The central dilemma—how far would you go to save those you love?—is gut-wrenching. The book perfectly captures the moral ambiguity of "necessary" evil.

Unique Magic System: The concept of moving physical illness rather than just curing it adds a unique layer of tension to the genre.

Character-Driven Plot: The characters feel real, managing not just the external fantasy elements but their own internal struggles.

Why 4 Stars:
The story is compelling, but it is very heavy and dark in tone, which may not be for everyone. However, for those who love stories with high emotional stakes and meaningful magic, this is an incredible, haunting read.

Serendipitous Sight
By: Benjamin Kamphuis
5🌸
First and foremost, Thank you Ben for the opportunity to read this book in its unfinished stage!
I got the chance to Beta/ARC read this book. I can’t wait to re-read it again as a finished copy, the book was that good!!
This book discusses a lot of darker themes like PTSD and war time situations and a parent who will protect family at whatever cost.
As someone who loves reading fantasy books, I really enjoyed how the emotions were portrayed while reading this, and I appreciate a book more when I can relate to many of the situations it represents.
Being a veteran (myself), my husband (also a veteran) lives with PTSD, this book was very real and relatable (it is not for the faint of heart, and I don’t wish this on anybody). Having a family history of the military, this book really resonated with me.
Ben did a wonderful job representing these themes and the character progression was extraordinary! And always a favorite of mine is the beasts of biome!! (if you love Pokémon, you will love these beasts!!)

If you have read his Toterrum Trilogy and thought I really loved this but wanted something geared more towards fantasy with more adult themes (not spicy but darker) then this is that book!!

There was great character development and excellent PTSD representation.
The story line of best friends having a falling out and then reconnection after years was really well expressed.
The book felt real and raw with emotions (very relatable) as if I was right there with them.
The relationship between the MMC and spouse was like real life (they had some troubles with communication at points, but pulled through and found a way to overcome them. (It’s nice to read something that feels real and not always the fairytale type where nothing ever goes wrong, or that the spouse could do no wrong.)

Serendipitous Sight is a wonderful continuation of the Shades of Aura series. I adored the story and the concept was excellent and very relevant.

The cover is very well designed. I liked the Dio de los Muertos vibes. The colours were excellent. I thought that it was extremely eye-catching.

I loved the writing! It was excellent and the story flowed beautifully. The book is written in first person and from Ciro's point of view. I liked this style a lot.

The setting was excellent. It was set in Maize and a few surrounding areas which was wonderful. I enjoyed the uncovering of more places in the Shades of Aura world. Ben's world-building is faultless and it's a tremendous writing skill he has.

The magic system in this world is wonderful. I love that it tied into disease and illness. It was dealt with compassion and empathy which are definitely more skills Ben has and does well.

The characters were excellent and they were very well developed and thought out. I really liked Ciro. I enjoyed his journey uncovering his powers and dealing with them under horrendous pressures of war and pestilence.

I definitely recommend the book but do check out the Toterrum Trilogy first, the first three Shades of Aura books.

Serendipitous Sight by Benjamin Kamphuis is an Epic Fantasy with healing powers, found family, beasts with powers, mental health rep and immense depth in the characters. I loved this book! There are a lot of morally gray situations and questions to wrestle with in this tale! I love a book and author that get you thinking about dilemmas people come across in life. This book absolutely delivers on that and how characters will respond in good, bad and ugly ways. The way war time action, epic journeys and repercussions of power both natural and supernatural are on display throughout really spoke to me. I like being able to ride the wave of adventure AND having the opportunity to contemplate the morality of choices along the way. This results in feeling your way through a book as opposed to simply following along. That takes a lot of skill. Our MMC, Ciro is not your typical hero. He has mental health issues which are represented so eloquently. He isn’t the bravest guy in the land and he is often in a struggle. His growth is really special to witness. The other characters are also detailed and stand out as individuals. I cannot forget to mention the top notch world building! I already NEED to know what happens next!! Thank you to NetGalley and Benjamin Kamphuis for allowing me read this book in advance!