The story was unique and captivating. The plot was well developed and well written. The characters are intriguing, but some of the characters' backstories are not completely detailed.

A society that lives underground, the setting was fascinating and unusual. People's lives depend on dreams. The dreamers are the direct connections to the Life-Giver. The chosen scribes write the visions and deliver them to the designers to interpret and implement. All seems fine until a plague attacks one of their dreamers. Only the help of a mysterious man with gold eyes can save them.

I like the engaging writing style of the author. It did keep me reading until the end. The story plot was predictable but the author delivered a well worth ending.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Words almost fail me, when it comes to try and explain just how much I loved this book. I was left almost speechless.

The character and world building are near enough perfect. The storyline is engrossing, heartwarming and just…spectacular. Absolutely recommend

If you're in a mood for a fast-paced, intriguing magical read, you should give The Life-Giver a chance! It gives me dystopian Angels & Demons vibes and it draws you in from the very first page!

I loved everything about this story. The author weaves a beautiful tale of magic and intrigue that I was drawn in from the very first page. This is such a beautifully written, enthralling story. Great read.

I was so impressed with the world building and character development; I never would have guessed this was a debut novel. The author definitely hit this one out of the park.

Annelie is a Dreamer, living isolated from society with her Scribe, Lyam. As a mysterious entity begins attacking the Dreamers, Annelie and Lyam must work together to save their society from falling apart.

The Life-Giver takes quite a risk in comping to The Priory of the Orange Tree, and personally I think that's a bit of a marketing mistake, because it sets the book up as something that it's not, and may leave readers unnecessarily disappointed. I definitely got big Children of the Whales vibes, personally. I can see so much potential with the world of The Life-Giver, but I wish a little more of the richness had been explored on the page. A potentially exciting plot ended up feeling somewhat bloated, and I think if the characters had stronger motivations and greater urgency, I would have found it more exciting to read. Annelie and Lyam have a gentle, warm queerplatonic relationship, and I found myself wishing the aro/ace rep had been leant into with more confidence and surety. I would have loved for this aspect of the story to have featured more strongly, but that may be a matter of personal taste compared to the author's vision for the story. I can see fans of The Wind on Fire series enjoying The Life-Giver.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of The Life-Giver. These opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I wanted to absolutely love this novel, and while I really enjoyed it I can’t give it five stars. The timing and layout for the story was very well paced and moved along well, however the world building felt a little lacking to me. I still very much enjoyed it and the story was a very unique and fascinating one, there’s just one element or two that I was missing it felt like I wasn’t fully immersed.

A very different type of YA story that tries very hard to express that romantic love isn’t always the be all and end all. Imagine a world were terrible things have happened and the people survive underground guided by those chosen few who when they dream communicate with the Life Giver, that quintessential power in the sky that brings us joy, warmth but can equally be terrifying. Yes a sentiment Sun but not all is well as something dark, insidious and dangerous is happening. Dreamers are in danger but one brave Scribe will bravely take chances he never thought he would take and his Dreamer will sacrifice herself if need be to save their world !
This was as I’ve already stated a very different kind of story that surprised and initially confused me. As they say “ life will find a way “ and to survive and indeed thrive sometimes you have to cut the rot. I very much enjoyed this journey that we take with the characters and whilst yes admittedly it took me by surprise initially I’m very glad I had to opportunity to read this authors debut novel.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I don't want to appear hateful, so I must say: I did not *personally* enjoy this book as much as I should. Initially, I picked this up because of the ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’ comparison in its description but then after reading the first few pages, I knew right away that these two are not alike at all. Just a heads up, if you're picking this up for the same reason.

Society has gone underground. Only the Dreamers have access to the Life-Giver, their Sun. Underground, there exists a system led by chosen individuals: the Speaker (the leader), the Dreamers (the ones who communicate with the Life-Giver through dreams), the Scribes (the ones who write everything Dreamers dream, and their only companion), and the Designers (the ones who interpret the dreams and put the interpretations to fruition). However, this may not be all it seems. This book begins when a Dreamer was attacked in their dream and soon things started crumbling, with Lyam (our protagonist, a scribe) soon made to question the foundations of the very system he valued dearly.

Lyam has golden eyes—eyes that are only known in legends—which allow him to see the sunlight without hurting, a fact that is shown to him by a strange individual with the same golden eyes. I will not give too much away, but this book started with the conflict without first introducing us to the world. This then led to what seemed like an unevenly-paced narrative throughout the book. Don't get me wrong, I think the plot itself is carefully crafted—formulaic, even—that every rising moment made sense until the climax was reached. However, it made the narrative stale and almost not exciting to read at all.

This book is plot-based, and at some points, it felt like Lyam was only floating through the said plot. He is perhaps one of the most indecisive main characters I've ever read, with almost no will of his own (he always needed urging from the background characters). This takes us to the issue of how some of these characters felt flat and lacked motivation. In addition, some of them were introduced much later on and we never got the chance to get to know any of them before they were put into danger, giving us no reason to care for them at all. I've also noticed some inconsistencies (albeit small, not necessarily plot holes) in the narrative. These things, I fear, can't be explained in detail here for that would guarantee a lot of spoilers. That being said, do approach me when you've read the book and you think differently. I may be being too harsh on this, considering I came in with great expectations. I do think, though, that this book could have been better if it was more concise. Take out some of the scenes, or at least make them shorter by changing up the style of the prose. I'm personally not a fan of the prose used here. It's overly descriptive with regards to movements but fails to deliver a narrative with a voice that flows naturally; some phrases are repeated way too much ("Lyam swallowed" 112 times throughout the whole book, according to my Kindle!) that it gets annoying. This, however, is small and it could get unnoticed by some readers… I hope?

Overall, I understand that this is a debut and that I'm in the minority here. Many people seem to love this book and maybe you would too! Due to this reason, I'd still recommend this if you're looking for an easy YA fantasy read that centers around friendships rather than romantic relationships. That, by itself, is almost unheard of in YA fantasy and I'm glad that exists here. I know this is not a pleasant review—and I really didn't want to give such a review—so please know that I'll still pick up a book from this author the next time they publish a new one. I'll be happy to change my mind!

Huge thanks to the Parliament House and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

(This review is also posted on Goodreads and will be posted on my blog on April 30!)

I absolutely loved this! The plot was really fast paced and interesting, and the world was way more fleshed out and richly imagined than I anticipated. I also think the characters are really well developed and fun to follow. I would love to read more in this world and/or by this author!

4/5 ⭐️

It is a good mix between The City of Ember and Angels&Demons, but make it YA.

The society is forced to live underground, and only the Dreamers can interact with their sentient sun, the Life-Giver, through the dreams. He then can give them advice, demands or tasks. The job of their Scribe is to write every word down, and pass it to the Designers so the Dreams can be achieved. This system is was secures the stability of the society so all the people can be safe.


« For the Dreams are fundamental,
And in their practice and harmful delight lies our destiny.
The Dreamers are our salvation.
Should any harm come to them, plaque will fall upon us all. »

A Curse plagues them all and attack the Dreamers while they dream. A golden eyed Scribe tries to help them and break the curse, but everything he discovers is not has it should be, and all his beliefs crumble.

Four well deserves stars for this great book that shows how romantic relationships in YA books can be beautiful and sincere without being the main purpose of the characters. 🤍

Lyam & Annelie are the perfect exemple of this. Their relationship is built on trust and empathy. We know they are in love. The words and writing of the author is showing us their affection without being out there and explicit. If that is what you want (I’m looking at you smut stans 😅) it is not what you will find here!! But you will find a story with depth and flawed characters that can evolve in a flawed society.

I loved the pacing and the writing style. I was hooked from the first chapter. There was no big plot twist and everything was pretty much predictable, but it doesnt undermine the spiritual evolution of the characters and the society that was wonderful to discover.

But! Their were few moments that made me scrath my jead in wonder. Lyam did only sleep 6 hours in 6 days and that is not believable at all 😅

There were few other details that were not accurate or too convenient. (‘We would need proof of the mischief of the villain. Oh, here is a key to a safe that has everything we need!’) but it’s their first book, and I see great potential in their work.

Thank you Parliement Marketing for the arc! I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>tysm to netgalley, jase puddicombe, and the parliament house for this arc in exchange for an honest review</i>

˚✧ 3 stars

<b> — You deserve a different life to the one you’ve been given.</b>

<i>the life-giver</i> is a novel that had a lot of potential but didn’t act on all of it. the world building was beautiful and the system was intricate and clearly thought out. that as a reader made my experience better reading and i didn’t feel like i was reading a diy harry potter remake.

where i felt that the novel fell flat was with characterization. lyam was not a memorable character and i also didn’t feel interested in his cause. obviously i wanted everyone to be happy 😭 but i just didn’t feel as though there the perfect hero for this novel.

i also think that the author needed to expand on the dreamers and the relationship with their scribes??? it was just presented in bits and pieces but i felt like it was an after thought.

i loved loved loved the fact that romance was not the center of this novel. it was so perfect that i could screammmmmm. this was a gorgeous novel that WORKED W/O PEOPLE BEING IN LOVEEEE. it held its own structure without the need for a love interest. it was amazing and perfect and my favorite part of the entire thing.

i’m so excited to read what’s next from this author!

<b> — He felt something jolt in his chest at seeing her again, his arms instinctively reaching up for her.</b>

First off a big thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy! This being an advanced copy hasn't affected opinion of this book. I did get this copy after the book was already published, I'm not sure how, but I did.

Let me start off with saying that the cover is absolutely what drew me in for this book and then the plot made me stay! There is so much to say about this book, but one of the biggest things is that I really loved it! This was definitely a solid 4 star book for me!

One of the things I loved the most was the fact that this story doesn't actually have a romantic plot to it at all. The entire story focuses on doing something for the love of family and friends and this I found was super refreshing for myself as I tend to read a lot of books that have a romantic subplot to them!

I loved so many of the relationships that we see throughout the book. I loved the relationship between Lyam and Annelie! They have such a close relationship and yet at no point does it ever cross a romantic boundary, like I was expecting it to, but it fully shows how close they are and how much they care for one another. I also loved Lyam's relationship with the other characters in this book beyond Anni. His relationships with Adan, Tasmin, Jorin, Enoch and many others are really well done and show how well Lyam's character interacts with others beyond Anni.

I also just loved Lyam overall as a character, His character is so well done and so well crafted. I love that the author made Lyam a character who when faced with great odds doesn't all of the sudden become this super brave character. I loved that Lyam remained true to who his character was throughout the entire book. He remained this scared, but determined character who when faced with fear got through it on trembling legs and with uncertainty following his every choice. He wasn't a character who made the right choice all the time.

I also loved the plot of this story! The idea of a sun god and certain people being able to converse with him and those conversations directly affecting their society was so amazing and so cool. I also loved the added mystery of when things start to go wrong and how someone so beloved can suddenly become the enemy of the story. I also found the story really well paced out and while the main climax of the story does happen in the last like 100 pages or so the rest of the book wasn't dry or boring and really kept things moving. Plus being able to actually see the dreams from Anni's perspective was a great way of keeping all the parts intertwined and well connected.

I did find some errors while reading, but since it was an advanced copy I'm hoping they were fixed before printing. I also found it semi-weird that the author would says "forwards" instead of just "forward" as it wouldn't make sense when reading the sentence. There was also a mix up in one of the chapters where a guard is called a scribe when he's not. I also found the descriptions of some of the characters pretty vague and that could have been on purpose as to make it not the focus of the story, but I feel like Lyam isn't really describe besides us knowing he has gold eyes, brown skin and glasses. I honestly couldn't tell you what color his hair was.

Overall, I really loved this book and I can't wait to get a physical copy!

A fascinating, riveting, and compelling story!
Great world building and storytelling, interesting and well developed characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Oh my goodness this was amazing. The Life-Giver is a riveting story filled with phenomenal world building and plot.

Thank you to The Parliament House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Life-Giver by Jase Puddincombe is a stunning YA fantasy with dystopian feels. The story revolves around Lyam, who is a Scribe for his Dreamer, Annelie. The Dreamers are the voice of the Life-Giver, the Sun God who protects their society. As a Scribe, it is Lyam's responsibility to protect Annelie when she dreams. But will he be able to protect her when Dreamers start dying one by one in horrific ways?

Here is an excerpt from the Prologue, which is from Annelie's perspective:

"Hot. Everything was hot.
She didn't know when it had happened, but she was Dreaming. She must have slipped into sleep much faster than usual. Had she had time to reassure Lyam? To pull her favorite red blanket up to her chin? To complete the ritual in full?
Too late either way. She was already floating before the wild expanse of the Sun.
The air crackled with heat around her. Sweat broke out on her forehead, her arms bruising from the intensity of the flames, the entire field of her vision overtaken by oranges and reds and yellows too bright to look at directly. She put her hands up before her eyes, sheltering behind them, familiar with this scene but still shaken to her core."

Overall, The Life-Giver is a very dark YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of The Golden Compass or The City of Ember. Although this book is not a dystopian novel, the authoritarian rulers and the strict rules definitely gave me dystopian vibes. One highlight of this book is how terrifying it is. It literally gave me nightmares right after reading it.

If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that I wish Annelie had played a larger role and had more opportunities to use her powers. The book is very much Lyam's story and about his journey. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

Contrary to what the cover would have you believe, Life Giver has no snakes. Gold is important, but no snakes. I really had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book, but it was a wonderful read in-between study sessions.

Something is wrong. Annelie first notices in her dream state, when visiting with the Life-Giver, but when she tells Scribe Lyam what is happening, neither of them know what to do. The structure that their society is built on is riddled with lies, and they don't know who to trust. Enoch, the mysterious man with gold eyes like Lyam, seems to want to help, but as the stakes get higher, Scribe Lyam has to make a decision. Very thorough world building, funky underground society stuff, a solid 7/10.

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---
 
Ok so first off, I am really bad at names. I fully read Annalie as Annie-el, which was super fun. A lot of the names in this were similar to modern names, with like a few letters changed, and that just wasn't working with my brain. They were good names, just not when you are sleep deprived.

The plot was very interesting, and had solid pacing. It was weird that like, nothing went wrong. Their plans were never foiled, they weren't caught, they just did their little thing. For such a long book, I think I was expecting more tension and stakes.

I love the characters,dialogue, descriptions. The world 🌍🌎 building was great 👍. Good starting point and great through out.

Draws you in from the first page. Beautifully written, enthralling story. Great read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
A really nice read, although the details and execution regarding the world building leave a lot to be desired. I think the concept and main idea behind the story structure is really good, but the execution isn't perfect. But the book's strong point is the emphasis on the relationship between the main characters and everything relating to that is done beautifully. Emotionally I'm very invested in these characters. I just wished there was a balance between a well-dveloped world and setting and the essential character development!

First off, I want to say that it was very unjust to this book to compare it to The Priory of the Orange Tree. These books are so different, I haven't even read PotOT and I know that these two books have *nothing* in common. So if you're going to read this, don't expect it to be PotOT. Secondly, this book reminded me a lot of the book The City of Ember. Anyways, let's get into the pros and cons.

PROS:
-Lyam and Anni have such a queer platonic relationship, it was great to see proper aro/ace representation.
-Disabled rep!
-The concept was fascinating.
-The pacing and writing were good, and kept me reading even in during parts where I wasn't interested.

CONS:
-unfortunately, I started this book expecting something a lot different, so my expectations were to be quite honest, not met.
-While I loved the concept, I didn't totally love the way it was executed. The world building felt kind of off, some of the explanations left me confused. Honestly I was pretty confused about a lot of the world. Also the religion? And the Lifegiver? So many questions.
-The ending felt too easy, like it all ended so neatly and to perfectly.

Overall, this was not a bad book, and I did mostly enjoy it. Plus points for disabled and aro/ace rep!