Welcome to The Start of a Good Life! As usual, it’s a book review that’s drawn me back again.
Lumen is by J.J. Fischer and it’s book two of the Nightingale Trilogy. I reviewed book one- Calor here!
As a reminder (and in case you didn’t follow the above link) – Calor is a Christian Fantasy series that’s set sixty years after the apocalypse and trading in memories is a lucrative business. Owning and controlling those who can do so could make a man rich. Sephone Winter escapes her cruel master to help Lord Adamo find the Reliquary and forget his past. Cassius Vera joins them, intent on keeping his past, and abilities hidden.
Lumen picks up soon after the events of Calor- here’s the official synopsis:
What if erasing the past cost more than you were willing to pay?
Having narrowly escaped their enemies, Sephone, Dorian, and Cass continue their search for the elusive Silvertongue, the only one with knowledge of the Reliquary’s whereabouts. But time is running out for Sephone, and with Dorian accused of high treason, the quest takes on a new urgency.
As secrets from each of their pasts drive a wedge between them, Sephone invests all her hopes in finding her homeland, Lethe—where her family may yet be alive. But nothing about Lethe is as she expects, and disappointment, betrayal, and danger await her at every turn.
When the truth about the Reliquary’s curse comes to light, the fragile bonds between the unlikely companions are tested like never before. Meanwhile, Dorian faces a terrible choice: to save the life of one who is beginning to mean more to him than the past he’s so desperate to forget, or to save his beloved Caldera from dangers outside and within.
~ Getting to enter the tumultuous world of Caldera again was so wonderful- and worrisome and wondering ‘what in the world do you think you’re doing?’ because sometimes the characters’ choices just stress you out even if you do still kind of understand. (Looking at you, Sephone. And Cass. And Dorian…) I loved the twists and turns and things getting turned upside down on you as you continue through the story. And the ending? Well, that I can describe in three words- Fantastic and heartrending. (and if you read it and wonder how I can react that way to such an ending, well, suffice it to say that I’m a writer too and also I love a good cliffhanger.)
I feel this goes without saying but I will anyway- I highly recommend this Christian Fantasy trilogy that is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s 1843 tale ‘ the Nightingale’, with hints of the tale of Hades and Persephone. It is a clean adventure-romance with wonderfully woven allegories. I could see this being a wonderful Christmas gift for the reader in your life!
It comes out December 5th, 2023, but pre-order is available now! Here’s the link to her Nightingale Trilogy page– just follow the pre-order link to claim your copy of Lumen!
I did receive an ARC of Lumen for my honest opinion.
If you want to check out the other books by Fischer that I’ve reviewed, there’s The Sword in His Hand and The Secret of Fire .
Have you read any Christian Fantasy? What did you think?
~Laura
the start of a good life 