Book Review: Daughter of Light (Fantasy)

As of this writing, the Kindle book of Daughter of Light is free on Amazon. Click here to get your copy.

Ever since Rowen had a terible illness, she has had the mark—a white mark on the skin of her right hand. And when she touches others with her marked hand, she sees things that she never meant or wanted to see. Forced to flee her village, Rowen becomes the varor of Lady Astrea. But as war with the neighboring nation of Temanin embroils the White City in a bitter struggle for survival, a long-forgotten evil resumes its own war—the war against the followers of the Word and the ancient guardians who once kept the Lands safe. 

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Overall Opinion
I enjoyed this story, despite the clichéd plot of “pretty girl who never fit in discovers she has a secret parentage and a mighty inner power.” I would recommend this novel for any young adult fantasy lovers.
 
Heads Up
Early on, Rowen survives an attempted rape, and later on, a man’s observation of her skin and physical appearance begin to stray into sensual (though not sexual) thoughts, before he shuts them down. I felt that the treatment of sexuality was conservative and careful.
 
There is no bad language in this book.
 
Violence is a recurring and important theme, especially for the character Caleb. The descriptions are vivid and sickening. There are many battles, some pitting men against men, and some with men versus powerful supernatural forces.
 
I’m aware that, being an author myself, I can easily pick up on common story patterns to predict the action. That said, I felt that the plot was predictable. Also, from a stylistic viewpoint, I felt that the short, simple sentences used in the descriptive passages could have been more vivid and used a broader vocabulary.

What I Liked
The Avonian connection to the sea was pretty cool, in my opinion. I won’t give it away, but it definitely ignited my imagination.
 
This story stands on its own merits, yet I felt that the symbolism deepened the plot more. The portrayal of the Word was especially powerful for me as a Christian. I had never seen Christ quite that way before.
 
Rowen’s final, climactic action was exciting; the description of her power unleashed and the chilling aftermath set the stage for sequels with higher stakes and more excitement.

I am interested to see what will happen in future stories with the character of Caleb. At first I wondered why the heck he was in the story, but by the end of the tale, I had some idea that he was going to be very important in the sequels to Daughter of Light.

Captain Lore was my favorite character. He is kind yet deadly, gentle yet powerful, wise yet self-sacrificial. Part of the story is told from his perspective.

Overall, Daughter of Light would be an exciting addition to the bookshelf of any young adult fantasy fan.

​She pulled the glove off and dropped it in her lap. The air felt cool and raw to her skin. Rowen flexed her fingers, then on impulse turned her hand over. It had been weeks since she had last studied her palm. Living here in the castle, with her glove to cover her secret, there were moments she even forgot about the mark.
 
The white skin shone with a soft light, barely visible even in the darkening room. Rowen stared at it, wondering what it was or what caused it to glow. Twice she had almost found the courage to ask Balint, the old healer, about her mark. Lore had said that Balint was part Eldaran. But then, remembering the fear her mark had caused the people in her village, that courage had died away. Beside, Lore said there were no more Eldarans.
 
Rowen shifted in the chair and placed her hand down on the padded side. Perhaps Cleon was right: Perhaps she was a witch. And if that were true, then it was better for whatever this was to stay hidden.

As of this writing, the Kindle book is FREE! Click here to get your copy.

YOUR TURN
In Daughter of Light, ​Rowen struggles to come to grips with her supernatural power. If you could choose, what supernatural power would you like to have?