Ronel's Random Rants

The Kingdom Lights is a YA Fantasy set in the realm of Gardarel.

 

This mystical floating city is the home of Celes, a boy that discovers he’s an Invoker capable of powerful magic. Celes is sent to study magic at a school in the Kingdom of Lights. Besides struggling with a new school and trying to make friends while avoiding making enemies, Celes finds himself in the middle of an insidious plot that threatens his entire world.

 

Stephen writes in a classic tone which reminds me very strongly of CS Lewis.

The story is told from the point of view of young Celes, who tries to get by without being too much trouble. Although a meek boy when he arrives at Gardarel, over the course of his adventures he discovers inner strengths. The plot, although not fast-paced did have a good twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. The magical battles in the book were definitely the highlights.

 

Stephen does a wonderful job of making you feel part of the action during any of the combat scenes in the book.

 

The timeline felt too extended for me. Taking place over the course of a year, at times the plot skips a few weeks or months forward with very little to explain the actions in between. I would have liked to find out more about the magical systems and creatures. In the beginning of the book I didn’t feel very attached to Celes, but he definitely captured my heart when he began showing his true colours.

 

I have to admit young adult is not a genre I particularly enjoy, but this book had me rooting for Celes, and the descriptions of the settings transported me into another realm. This book is aimed at young readers, who will easily relate to Celes’s struggles with making friends and finding his own place in the world.

 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who ever enjoyed classics like CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia or Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five.

 

You can read more of my reviews on my website: http://ronelvantonder.co.za/category/reviews/

A Bright Power Rising is volume one of the Golden Rule series. This story follows the lives of three men during a particularly stormy time in the country’s history.

I enjoyed this novel mainly due to the writing style. The author is articulate and there are many well-turned phrases throughout the book. The story is told through different viewpoints, and I especially liked AscendantSun’s part of the book.

The characters were clearly defined, but I only empathised with AscendantSun and the Harbringer. Both of these characters seemed extraordinary and had a tale to tell.

I really enjoyed the author’s depiction of AscendantSun’s past, even though I normally don’t like flashbacks in a novel.

This book delves very deeply into the political and religious beliefs of the characters. While not something I would normally enjoy, the world-building in this aspect was spectacular. However, I would have liked more information on the religions. I’m still left yearning to know more about their various beliefs and the significance of certain religious symbols.

On the one thumb, my initial response is that the book could have been more concise. It does lose momentum about a third of the way in, only regaining it nearer the end. On the other thumb, I longed for more descriptive prose regarding the surroundings and the characters themselves. The world seems so vivid to the author, but there wasn’t enough information for me to render a clear painting of the land in my mind.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well thought out fantasy world with religious and political undertones.

The author creates likable characters and a fascinating societal structure with lush writing that will leave you wanting to read more.

My blog tour is taking shape. Only two more slots available. I'm looking forward to this!

 

Here are all the details: 

Blog Tour Info

 

Hi everyone!

To celebrate the release of the first book in my sci-fi trilogy, Compile:Quest, I'm giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. 

 

To enter, simply visit my website and get some entries using the Rafflecopter widget on the competition page.

 

Entry is easy, and you have multiple ways to get entries into the competition. 

 

 

I suppose every author is their own biggest fan.

But from my perspective, here's what I loved about it:

- There's so much geekery in this book that just reading it is like receiving a +50 Geek Power Up
- I had an amazing time creating the characters, and hopefully this translates in the story
- The story is set in a future South Africa, so it should be a refreshing change both in scenery and culture

More than anything, I thoroughly enjoyed writing the story and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much.

Although romance is not my usual genre, I found After the Rain to be an engaging, racy read.

Jo's writing style is wonderful and the story of Stormy-Rain and Marcus's budding love affair moves at a breathtaking pace.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an easy-reading romance seasoned with a sprinkle of comedy.

I read "Fifty Shades" to see what all the fuss was about.

I did finish the book, but considered leaving it quite a few times. Ultimately my curiosity go the better of me and I forced myself to finish it, hoping that there would be a fantastic ending or some plot twist I hadn't seen coming.

It was a disappointment. I don't know what the hype was about. Then again, this is not a genre I am fond of, so my opinion might be slightly biased.

I found the characters intriguing... For about a quarter of the book. Them everything just started repeating in an endless cycle of whining and complaining.

The ending was weak and left me feeling like I'd just wasted the hours I'd spent reading the book.

Towels will forever hold a deeper meaning in my life.

I love Discworld novels that focus on the Night Watch. Their adventures are legend-'wait for it'-dary.

The world he creates is vast and fascinating. I could never make it through the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I've consumed all of Jordan's books in this series four times. His writing style is casual and engaging, making the corkscrew twists of his plot easy to follow.

The characters are phenomenal, starting off stronger and growing more complex as the series progresses. It was one of the best rides I've ever been on.