Lightbringer Review

Monday, November 14, 2011

Title: Lightbringer
Author: K.D. McEntire
Publisher: PYR
Publish Date: November 15, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 300
Source: Publisher

The Never is a place of greys, a world a breath beyond our own, layered just past the memories of yesterday and the fleeting present moment. It is here, in this dismal limbo, that ghosts such as Piotr, Lily, and Elle must sort out an existence, both protecting the children called Lost and themselves from the walking darkness that is the army of rotting Walkers.

Caught between her duty to her calling as the Lightbringer and her concern for her new ghostly friends, Wendy must walk the line between the two worlds, aiding Piotr in his fight against the Walkers as well as searching out the wandering soul of the one who means the most to her. Time, however, is running out and in the end... who will she choose?
Wendy lives in a world that exists right within our reach, yet infinitely far, as we have never known of its actual existence. It's in this world that Wendy, a Lightbringer, follows her destiny and legacy to guide lost spirits into the light and into peace. But when the spirit of Wendy's mother goes missing, Wendy is determined to find out where she has gone and help her find peace. In the same breath, Piotr is having his own problems - his spirit children are being kidnapped, and he doesn't know why. Wendy and Piotr might need to team up to fight the dark forces at play, but there is always a choice. Do either of the two have the strength to make the right choice?

Lightbringer is one of those novels that's nearly hidden in utter obscurity due to the sheer volume of titles entering the paranormal young adult market today. It's a shame, however, because Lightbringer is a hidden gem of complexity that completely envelops the reader in a world entirely different yet wholly tangible for the reader. Debut author, K.D. McEntire has created a mesmerizing and haunting tale rich with engaging characters, tense adventures and a guiding theme of love and trust that seals the deal for the story. Lightbringer might not be a name you have heard of before, but it is one that will surely be passed forward if you give it a chance.

Lightbringer presented a dynamic and realistic protagonist in Wendy. She was strong and capable, albeit perhaps a bit abrasive at times, but then again, who doesn't have their moments. Despite the character flaw, it made Wendy accessible to me and, though she was extremely strong-willed and temperamental, it made me want to find out her motives even more. Likewise, Piotr was an engrossing character, fully-fleshed out and capbable in his own right. Though leagues different from Wendy, the connection between the two was undeniable, and their traits played off one another well. The world of Lightbringer is the true beauty of the novel though. There was such a strong theme of mythology woven throughout that it almost made me believe that the stories of these Lightbringers might very well be true. That's a skill in and of itself. There were a few minor flaws of note in the story - namely the character of Elle who, honestly, felt very false and foreign to me, and the lack of true presence of Wendy's father. Lightbringer redeems itself with a villain, however, that is repulsive, grotesque and so foul that I almost couldn't stomach reading about it. That's how creatively vile the character was.

Overally, Lightbringer was a solid, entertaining read that I'm sure I will read again. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal stories involving ghosts.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

13 comments:

  1. I saw this one at Barnes today, was definitely curious about it! Glad to hear it was a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love good villains! I was hoping this book would be good and I'm super excited to hear you give it such a positive review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was kind of on the border of wanting to read this one and wanting to pass it over. I think I'll give it a chance. It sounds like a good read and the villain sounds stabworthy. :D I always love me some good villain.

    ReplyDelete
  4. this sounds really intriguing. you're right; i had never heard of it, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. i really love books with a theme of mythology (or mythological retellings) so this one catches my eye initially for that reason, but when you mention the villain, i am a little more interested. i love a great villain, even a vile one.

    loved reading your thoughts - thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This one sounds very good. Pyr seems to be reliable about publishing well written books. Wendy sounds like a great character. I like that she's flawed enough to be accessible. The paranormal element sounds excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Like Jen, I'm still not quite sold on picking this one up. After reading your and Jenny @ SS, I think I'm leaning towards reading it. I really love a villain to hate.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, wow! I definitely need to check Lightbringer out now! It sounds really unique. Great review, Melissa! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. So I think we might be the same person because your thoughts are my exact thoughts on this one! I had forgotten about Elle, but you are completely right on her, her flapper-style speak didn't come off quite authentic enough for me, but I found the main characters to be fully developed. And that villain? LOVED! I figured it out pretty early on and then was convinced I was wrong and then when it turned out I was right it just made things even more interesting. You rocked this review like whoa.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hadn't even heard of this one, but it sounds like a great read! Thanks for the review. I think I'll love to hate the villain!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't mind an abrasive character as long as it balances out (I can be exceptionally abrasive at times, I know!). Geeze, between your review and Jenny @ Supernatural Snark's, I've got to move this to the top of my pile. Plus, a good vile character is just what I need right now!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Melissa. I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but if you liked it, then I'm sure I've got to pick it up soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is one vile villain if he redeemed the book for you. I can't even imagine what he's like! And a world you can almost believe. I love the line
    "She was strong and capable, albeit perhaps a bit abrasive at times, but then again, who doesn't have their moments." Well said!! Great review!

    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm reading this one soon and excited to read it more now cause of your review! Loved it.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I always do my very best to return the favour :)

Please note that this blog is an award-free zone!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover