First, a cover check. I LOVE this cover. Let’s be honest. We’re all shallow people. A pretty cover draws our eyes, then the author’s name. Anyway, this book was fantastic. The MC, Liora, has been hidden away by her family due to her powers. She’s a mage and literally has glowing skin. Which is not great if you live in an area that hunts down anyone with magical abilities. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story if Liora stayed hidden the entire time. Her powers are discovered and with a villain’s flair, Darius, mage to the king, threatens her younger sister’s safety. In an effort to save her sister, Liora embraces her abilities and discovers the depth of her powers. This kinda gave me Shadow and Bones vibes, in terms of an oppressed and abused minority of people. Case in point, Darius is a mage that works for the king but fosters a goal to liberate other mages from servitude and other situations. Much like the Darkling, wouldn’t you say? There are other slight similarities, but Luminous is an original in its own way. This book was a little bit of everything. It’s a coming-of-age story, with a teeny bit of romance and fantastical elements. Overall, it was a good read.

The Crown of Coral and Pearl series is one of my favorites fantasy series in the last couple of years, so when I saw this new offering from Mara Rutherford, I jumped at the chance to read it. If you take the fact that I'm a huge fan of this author's writing out of the equation, the synopsis and gorgeous cover would have hooked me alone. Immediate points for originality. A heroine with luminous skin that has magic that she doesn't know how to harness and must hide from a corrupt, powerful warlock? I was all in.

Liora has been laying low with her father and sisters in the small town of Sylvan. Her father once held a high position at court, but left in order to protect her from Darius, the man who controlled the King and uses mages to acquire their power. There is a variety of special abilities by those who have magic such as teleportation, "weaving" things into creation, fire starting, and the ability to see in the darkness. However, there didn't seem to be an actual magic system as mainly we were just told that some inherently had magic and some didn't. The magic needed to be activated somehow and everybody's abilities were varying degrees in strength. There wasn't a complicated list of rules or an elaborate backstory to how the magic in the world came to be. So if you are a reader who likes simple fantasy without all of these things this could be the perfect book for you. For me personally, I would have appreciated some more detail. It didn't have to be intricate world building, just enough to bring me more firmly inside the story.

Liora has been sheltered from the world by her father for a long time, so she is a bit naive at times, but you can't fault her bravery. She frequently disregards her own safety in order to protect her loved ones. Whether it's her best friend Evran or her sister Mina, she puts herself in harms way in life or death situations in order to try to save them. However, because of being sheltered, she often seems a tad reckless in her actions. She has absolutely no knowledge of what she is capable of magically because she thinks she is a danger to other people and doesn't try to learn. But secretly...she wishes to see more outside of the four walls of her home. To explore the side of herself that must always be kept hidden, to understand herself completely. After she begins working for Evran's mother the weaver, she discovers that those closest to her have been keeping more secrets than she could have imagined. Is she strong enough to set to rights what Lord Darius has set in motion without destroying her only chance of happiness with the boy who holds her heart?

This was an original fantasy and it was easy to immerse myself in, but there was something missing for me in the heroine. I tried to put my finger on where she felt lacking and I felt that it was almost as if she was a secondary character in her own book. It's not that I disliked her, but she failed to make me feel much concern over her situation or even anticipation for the romance subplot. As well, the ending was a little dissatisfying because it ended quite abruptly without showing the resolution to a twist that occurred in the final chapters.

If you're looking for a fantasy standalone that's very straightforward without a complex magic system, this could be the book you're looking for. This wasn't my favorite by this author, but as always I loved her writing style and look forward to seeing what she has to offer next.

LUMIOUS by Mara Rutherford is a force to reckon with. I haven't been this excited after reading a book in such a long time. I want more! Hopefully, there will be more world-exploring in future books. Mara has a way of taking characters and making them feel like friends and family. I will fight for each of these characters if my life depended on it and they aren't even real! Loved the writing, loved the character development! This is one NOT to miss!

What I Loved

The first thing I love about Luminous by Mara Rutherford, aside from that gorgeous cover, is a stand-alone YA fantasy novel. I’m so used to all my YA fantasy books being part of a series that the fact that this story begins and ends in one installment is very refreshing.

The magic system is well-developed and very intriguing. Everyone who can wield magic has one specific ability. For instance, of the characters I met in the book: one person could teleport, one the ability to weave living beings, one to blend into the shadows, and one to read minds, while the main character has the power of a falling star. I think star magic is the most intriguing of all.

The world-building is also very immersive and absolutely captivating, especially the magical creations.
I felt like I was experiencing each new creation or attribute along with the characters. There is so much to explore and lose yourself imagining.

I love the themes of sisterhood and familial bonds. The relationship between the three sisters is touching and heartwarming. It also provides all the necessary tension to keep the pages flipping quickly, as danger strikes one of the sisters. The rallying together and all-for-one feeling exudes off of the page and pulls me in deeper to a story that already held me in its thrall.

The parental bonds also need a mention, as they pulled at my heartstrings, too. There’s nothing any parent in this story wouldn’t do to protect their children, and in this world, that is so hard to do as dangers are numerous. I couldn’t help empathizing with each and every one.


Characters

Liora is a fascinating main character with her star magic emerging and her deep love for her sisters and Evran. She is strong and determined- a true hero who is willing to sacrifice her own power and happiness for the sake of others. She is rash and tends to jump in with both feet before she even knows what she can do to fix things, but that just makes her even more endearing. Luminous is a character-driven story, and Liora is the beautiful character who drives it.


Reminds Me Of

I thought it would remind me of Rutherford’s last duology that I read – Crown of Coral and Pearl – and in some ways, it did, as it was a sister story, as well. But Luminous is a much different tale than the latter – almost atmospheric and darker in tone. In some ways, it reminded me of an original fairytale with all of its dark undertones.

What I Wish

The only thing I could imagine wishing is perhaps a bit more dialogue as it would have sped up the slower parts of the book but only just a bit more. This is really such a minor wish.

To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a beautiful stand-alone YA Fantasy story and you love sister themes, this is the book you will want to pick up this fall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc.

I have been in a fantasy slump, and this pulled me out of it. I was hooked very few chapters in, and really liked the ending.

The characters were interesting to read about, but I found it hard to relate to the Liora. I have said before that I love books centered around siblings and friendship, and the whole plot started because of both those things.

I am about to read more Mara Rutherford's books. I really enjoyed the writing style.

There have been other fantasy books I have liked a lot more, but this was still pretty good.

Triggers: blood depiction, dead body, grief and loss, death, knife violence, imprisonment, blackmail, animal attack, animal hunting, animal death, animal dead bodies mentioned.

Liora has spent her life hiding who she is, her gift, never truly living her life. Knowing that it keeps her and her family safe she is more than willing to stay hidden, even if she does long for something else, of a life of adventure and romance, but she knows if anyone found out about her, especially Lord Darius, she would be carted away never to see her family again. One night, after going out looking for her sister Liora is discovered by her neighbour who quickly realises she is a Mage, and this discovery sets Liora on a path she never saw coming. To protect her family and the boy that she loves, Liora will do everything she can to make sure they survive, even if that means going up against Lord Darius, the most dangerous mage in the Kingdom, she just needs to accept her powers first.

Liora was a brilliant POV to read this story from. So unsure of herself, always told that her power was something to fear instead of embrace. She is incredibly skittish, and the only people she feels safe around are her family and Evran, the boy next door who has her heart. I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own, accepting her power as a part of herself, something not to be afraid of. She really grows as a character in this book, learning to trust both her power and herself, and I thoroughly enjoyed following her on her journey.

Rutherford also introduces us to a wide cast of side characters, and my one sticking point would that none are developed well enough to really stand on their own. Even Darius, the antagonist. Because we don't get a big insight into his character I really struggled to feel anything for him. I also felt there were some characters that just didn't need to be included, they added nothing to the overall story, instead making the story feel a little disjointed. I did like Liora's sister, Mina, she was a stereotypical little sister but I enjoyed her outlook on the world and her always positive behaviour.

I did love reading about the magic system, and learning about all the different types of magic. Though there were some typical types of Mage, those that could transport, change their appearance, there were also those who could cry diamonds as well as other unique abilities. One that the story focuses on heavily is that of Margana, Liora's neighbour, she is a weaver and has the ability to weave anything to life, be it animal or human. Though not always used for good, I really loved learning about her power, how she infuses traits into her works, and how she brings them to life. I also enjoyed seeing Liora's power grow, she always felt the ability to 'glow' was a little useless, but the more she learns about herself, the more she learns about her power and she quickly realises there is more to it than simply shining like a star.

The romance was fun and sweet. Both Liora and Evran were so unsure of themselves, deeming themselves unworthy of the other. The progression felt really natural, and I desperately wanted them to get their happy ending. There is also a f/f romance between two minor characters that I really enjoyed following, and though it played a small part in this story, if the author ever decided to some back to the world I would love to read more about them.

If you're looking for a fast paced read, with plenty of plot twists, a villain who might not be as evil as you were lead to believe, a sweet romance and brilliant descriptive writing, then look no further. I will certainly be checking out the authors other works.

Mara Rutherford is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA fantasy authors. Her books are action-packed with phenomenal world-building, unexpected twists, swoony romance, and stay-up-all-night stories. LUMINOUS is a radiant book about a girl who was raised to literally hide her light, the shadow boy who always wanted to see her shine, and an evil threat seeking to consume both light and shadow, and anyone who possesses it. I can sometimes get frustrated with fantasy novels that are too focused on world building or pretty prose at the expense of character and story, LUMINOUS is one of those rare books that perfectly balances everything. Utterly compelling, endlessly fascinating, and I am so hopeful for a sequel!

Luminous is officially one of my favorite fantasy novels. Fans of the grisha trilogy, magic and a villian with charm will devour this story.

Luminous follows a young mage who spent her whole life hiding her power so Darius would not come for her. Her father has always made her believe that magic could be bad. Liora is just starting to learn about her power and that is where the story starts to pick up. I feel like this gave it more of that young adult/ coming of age feel. It feels like that's where it will really connect with young adult readers.

Liora is also one of those characters that will do what she has to in order to keep her loved ones safe. While Ervan wants to keep others safe, not just from things outside but also from things he can't explain about himself. And then you mix in a man who makes the perfect villain for a story. Darius appears to be a typical villain at first, wanting power and control but he's a lot more indepth and it really helps make this story what it is.

Luminous is definitely a must read in my opinion. It was a hard to put down novel for me and I really enjoyed every part. It has so many events throughout that it never slows down. Definitely a fast pace in the best way. And a fantasy world I would love to return to.

I received an advanced copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Liora is a witch. They must keep her powers a secret because of an evil mage who kidnaps those with abilities to make him work for him. He is bent on controlling the entire world and goes to incredible lengths to do so. Once Daris, the mage, discovers Liora, he does not kidnap her but instead forces her sister Mina to come work in the castle for him, which is a classic control freak memo. Liora must figure out her power to get her sister back, so a local witch who works for Darius, making him impossible creatures with her magical weaving, takes her in as an apprentice. Morgana, the witch, is hiding a secret project, and once it is discovered, Liora is off tromping through the woods to erratics an evil species to thwart Darius. The story ended up reading for me more as a fantasy-horror than just straight fantasy. I like the parts where we learn about Liora's powers and uncovering Darius's reasons behind all the wicked things he does. I did not like the killing that happened later in the book. This was a mixed book for me and fell short of what I expected from such a whimsical cover.

Luminous was a book I hadn’t really heard much about until I was offered the ARC. When looking it up I was super intrigued by the blurb. This book has such a wonderful premise and fantastic potential but unfortunately the execution just didn’t work for me. I ended up feeling very disappointed and deflated after finishing this one.

Luminous follows the story of Liora, a young witch living in a world where the king’s mage hunts witches and enslaves them. He is desperate to hold on to his power and captures witches, especially those that might hold more power than he has. Because of this Liora’s family have kept her hidden in their house where she is safe. I thought this was such an intriguing premise and had such potential to be an absolutely incredible story.

This was my first book from Mara Rutherford, and after this one I’m not sure I will be seeking out her other work. I just don’t feel like her writing style is for me. My main issue with this book is that I felt like the majority of the time, I was being told things rather than being shown them. We were told how in love with main characters were, but I didn’t really feel any of it. We were told how terrible and evil the villain was, but he felt so lackluster. Due to this being told it rather than shown it, I just didn’t feel any emotional connection to the characters or the story and I ended up growing bored because of this. For me, I am a very emotive reader so if I don’t feel anything, then I tend to struggle with the book. This is what happened with this one.

Luminous has a great premise… it really does. And I still think this book has great potential but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. I grew bored and the more I read, the more I wasn’t really bothered about what was happening. I’m glad I finished it and found out how it ended but I definitely won’t be re-reading this one. Unfortunately it just fell a little short for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced copy of this to review! You all know YA Fantasy is one my jams, so I was interested by the summary on this one. Unfortunately, it ended up being kind of a mixed bag for me.

One of the things that this has going for it is it’s an incredibly quick read. It’s easy to jump into the world, and Rutherford really brings you into this world without bogging you down with too many details. Those kinds of fantasies are great if you’re looking for something quick and magical!

However, a lot of the plot felt too familiar in regard to other popular YA fantasy books. I felt it didn’t do enough to distinguish itself from other books in this genre, especially Shadow and Bone. There were too many similarities for me to get too engaged in the book.

Also, I wanted more character development. There are a lot of characters introduced, and none of them are really in-depth characters. They mostly feel surface level. As someone who reads for character, this meant it was difficult for me to really engage with the story.

All in all, this one was a bit of a miss for me. But that cover is still really cool!

Luminous is a dark YA fantasy about a country where witches are hunted by the King's top warlock Lord Darius to either be used or killed. Liora has been hiding her magical powers from her small village since her powers kicked in, and she isn't even sure what her powers are. Witchcraft in this world takes many forms and is very unique, like one witch can bring her woven tapestries and items to life. When Lord Darius tries to take the weaving too far, Liora is left to clean up the mess after she is discovered.

This book was really suited to the structure of a standalone. There was no plot rushing but no slow moments either, everything gets tied up well at the end without is seeming forced or too quick of a resolution. There's a large cast of characters and a main romance. Lord Darius reminds me a lot of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone, but better in my opinion because he was more fleshed out and relatable.

The main romance is friends to lovers, which isn't my favorite romance trope but it worked in this story and I was rooting for them throughout. But like I mentioned earlier, there is a darker element to this book with violence so be aware of that before diving in. But overall a very solid fantasy book that I definitely recommend.

**Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

Mara Rutherford does such an amazing job of world building in her books. Luminous is an excellent follow-up to her debut duology and shows that she definitely has staying power in the YA genre. Liora is a great heroine for adolescent girls - she's smart, tough, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep those she loves safe. Darius is a wonderfully complicated villain who you really dislike, but also feel a little bad for. The only part of the story I just didn't buy was Evran keeping part of their plan secret from Liora - there was no reason for this other than to set up a conflict/complication later. This book is really best for the YA audience. I was able to enjoy it as an adult, but the teen angst between Liora and Evran got old pretty early on. Without that part this could have been a great fantasy novel, not just a YA fantasy novel.

Right from the start, I was in love with our main characters! Liora and Evran are both adorable and so relatable. This book is the cutest friends to lovers I have ever read and the relationships between the crew are so interesting. The book has a found family feel between the mages and I loved learning more about everyone and their powers.

Darius was such an interesting antagonist and his backstory was enthralling- I just wanted to know what happened to him the entire time! His interactions with Liora were my favourite parts. The metaphors and imagery between the light and dark and shadows were so amazing!

The writing was beautiful and easy to read! I felt like I was in Liora’s head and she was reading my own insecurities and worries. The fear of not being good enough, the fear of being alone… it was all so real feeling.

The magic was fantastic! So many different magical talents were explored and it was all so interesting! The world itself wasn’t too complicated, but the palace garden sounds stunning! If you are someone who doesn’t love heavy world building, this fantasy is a perfect pick for you! It is very character driven for the most part, but the plot itself was great and easy to follow!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, magic, badass female protagonists, and sweet innocent romance- including some queer romance!!

A satisfying tale that hits all of the marks - magic, romance, family, epic adventures - and takes its time to develop strong characters with satisfying arcs. A must-read for fans of Charlie Holmberg or Leigh Bardugo.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Overall, I did enjoy this book! The story was intriguing and the different mage powers were so interesting! I wish we could have seen more mages and their powers! I did feel like the first 30% of the book were a bit on the slower side and almost felt discombobulated. One minute the story line was going one way, the next it pulled in a completely different direction. Further into the book it all connected back but I felt a bit out of sorts in the beginning. After that first 30% though the storyline really picked up and I was really loving it! I absolutely loved one particular scene where we got to see a certain show! I wish there could have been more scenes/interactions like that but I understood how it wouldn't have been pertinent to the storyline.

The characters were probably my favorite part of this book! I absolutely loved Liora and her journey throughout this book! Her character grows so much into herself and into her powers! I really wish we had gotten some more from Evran though. His character was so intriguing and I really felt like there was more to his character but maybe that's just me! I also wish we could have had some more interactions with the side characters (like Helen and Cyril)! I think I've definitely been reading too many romance novels which dark steamy love interests because I absolutely loved Darius! I know he was supposed to be the villain but I'm a sucker for a morally grey character.

I definitely think if you've read Mara's previous books you'll enjoy this one as well! Her writing is beautiful and descriptive and I really enjoyed her world building for this book! If you love magic, young love, and adventure I would suggest giving this beautiful book a try!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this. I enjoyed the storyline and setting. The main character got in my nerves a bit but otherwise this was pretty solid.

I liked the plot of this story almost immediately.
I think that the author did a good job of making the reader aware of who was good and who was evil. I think the attempt at giving Darius some humanity and making Evian somewhat malicious was a little underwhelming. When every other character was so clearly benevolent or evil, it was almost unbelievable that those two characters would be multifaceted in any way. I think because of this inherent good versus evil, light versus dark plot, a lot of the characters were one dimensional. They didn’t leap off of the page the way I would have liked them to.
This book was definitely interesting, I personally haven’t read anything similar (though there are some comparisons to Shadow and Bone [?]).
There were a few little threads that threw me for a loop when they were tied up. So I did enjoy having the plot go in a direction I wasn’t anticipating. But other than that, the ending felt a tad rushed. I think the ending of this novel paved the way for a sequel if the author decides to go in that direction. There were too many references to new characters and too much plot development at the ending for my taste. I want things to wrap up at the end of a book, not continue the timeline inauspiciously. Luminous’ ending left me with more questions than I was happy with.
Overall I enjoyed this book, it was a light read but it was just a little to “young adult” for my taste. I think this would be a great read for a teenager or someone looking to try fantasy out without committing to a high fantasy novel.

this book was everything i wanted and more. the writing was amazing, the story was amazing. i cried twice. it is definitely my new favorite book

Luminous by Mara Rutherford was an interesting, gripping story following Liora Duval, a young witch who must hide in order to escape the notice of the evil Lord Darius, a mage who imprisons other mages and uses them for their powers or steals their powers outright. Liora’s magically glowing skin makes her too conspicuous a target, so she spends much of her life at home with her family or in the woods with her best friend Evran. That is, until her secret is discovered and her world is turned upside down. This is a story of learning to be true to oneself and learning to step out of the shadows and conquer one’s fears. It’s a story of magic and power, of monsters and mystery.

The premise of Luminous was intriguing, and the plot was interesting. However, the execution of the plot twists was sometimes anticlimactic, making those moments not as exciting or shocking as they should have been. The characters were interesting, but many of them felt two-dimensional. Liora was the most well-developed, and her character arc was executed well. The villain Lord Darius was also well-written and compelling. Evran had a decent character arc, but it could have been stronger. Some of the side characters, such as Mina, Adelle, Evran, Margana, and Jean did not have much in the way of development.

This was a very enjoyable read, overall, and I couldn’t put it down. I definitely recommend it, so go preorder Luminous now, request it from your library, or buy it when it comes out on October 5, 2021!