Luminous

Written by Mara Rutherford

Narrated by Amanda Dolan

"Wonderfully lush and enthralling." —Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

From the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl comes an immersive new fantasy about a witch who must learn to harness her power—or risk losing her loved ones forever.

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos—and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
 
“A beautiful, enchanting tale of a young woman coming into her own powers. Luminous shines as brightly as its heroine.” —Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We’re Meant to Find

“Shining prose, radiant characters, and a love story that burns bright.” —Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Frostblood Saga

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio
• Release date: Oct 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781488211829

Mara Rutherford

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a master''''s degree in cultural studies from the University of London. When she''''s not writing or chasing after her two sons, she can usually be found pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone, whether at a traditional Russian banya or an Incan archaeological site.  Mara Rutherford resides in Rome, Italy

Reviews for Luminous

[Sara Workman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(4.5 rounded up to 5)

“It would be much easier to tell who the villains were if their appearances reflected their intentions.”

Liora lives in the kingdom of Antalla where magic is reviled and anyone with magical abilities (mages) is hunted down and taken by the king’s warlock, Darius. Their magic is siphoned from them and used to make him and the kingdom more powerful. Liora has magic. Not just any magic though, it is the most unique kind. Liora was hit by a falling star as a child which resulted in her being able to glow and produce heat. She is kept hidden most of her life by her family, no one knowing she has this gift except her best friend Evran, who coincidentally enough she is in love with.

"I was lost, even before the tapestry. I was afraid of myself, of what I might become. And you found me. You were my light in the darkness."

Darius happens upon Liora and her worst nightmare comes true, however, instead of taking Liora, Darius takes her younger sister Mina. Taking her as hostage to make sure Liora does what he wants her to. To make matters worse Evran ends up falling into a shadow tapestry. Now Liora has to save Evran, her sister, AND stop Darius from allowing the shadow world in the tapestry consume the whole world. After hiding her power her whole life, feeling guilty for having it, and never being able to embrace it, Liora is forced to confront the power she has always feared and learn how to use it.

This is very much a character driven story. The bonds of sisterhood, the childhood best friend relationship, and the genuine unexpected differences between each character make it real. Liora struggles with who she is as she is growing up but throughout the book she really comes into herself. The arc of her character was executed perfectly and was really fun to watch. Liora is a strong woman, has moments of bravery, is vulnerable, is fiercely loyal to her family, but I think what I love most of all is she thinks about the situations she’s getting herself into. Not just jumping headfirst without a thought of what could happen.

"You were your own light in the darkness. You just needed to believe in yourself."

The world building was well written with beautifully vivid details. The magic system in Luminous is unique and I needed more of it. I loved that each mage/witch had a different power. Captivating and compelling, Luminous is a fantastic standalone YA Fantasy. Which we don’t see too often.