The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara
It is not often that are you able to find a book that once you start reading, you don’t bother coming up for air until it’s finished. That was the case with the stunning finale of the Darkening duology for me. I was so gripped, thrilled, and completely captivated by finding out what would happen next in The Lightstruck (Clarion Books) by Sunya Mara.
Epic Fantasy Battle Against the Light
Vesper Vale has sacrificed her family, friends and nearly her own life in order to save her city from the storm that has cursed its citizens for many generations. After making the choice to become a vessel for the Great Queen, Vesper wakes up from a prolonged coma three years later, to find that they haven’t been freed from the curse of the storm but something more malevolent — the Great King and his army of the lightstruck.
Now seen as a goddess for her sacrifice, the people of the city are looking to Vesper as their only hope. Because of the choices she’s made in the past, Vesper is racked with guilt and feels the pressure to save a city that is near ruin, as the tension grows between the city and its royal court.
In the first book in this duology, The Darkening, the cursed storm and darkness were considered the enemy. However, in The Lightstruck, the book’s characters are now fighting the light. This time around, the lower rings are safe while the higher rings are the ones in danger. It seems that this book is meant to be a mirrored version of the first one, which made it so intriguing and addicting to read.
This book brings back your favorite characters along with some new faces which helped move the plot forward. I do have to say though, you know that feeling when you can’t help but feel so frustrated with a character, you are screaming at them, but they obviously can’t hear you? Yeah, that was me. My girl Vasper was so forgiving and seemed to refuse to be angry or hold a grudge, no matter how many lies she was told or how many times she was deceived. I was screaming at her, wanting her to be as mad as I was! Vasper is a character that you can’t help but root for and want the best for.
Genius World Building for a Thrilling Sequel
One difficult aspect of reading fantasy is learning about an entire new world. It can get confusing and at times, boring. We in the business like to call that info-dumping. However have no fear, The Darkening has some of the best world-building and one of the most unique magic systems I have ever read, and Sunya Mara’s transition into The Lightstruck is seamless.
In the first book, we are introduced to an entire world, we get to explore and discover everything for the first time. When starting the second book, I didn’t expect to get that thrill of learning a new world but alas, Vesper has woken up to a world that is much different than it was when she went to sleep. With those changes come new discoveries and challenges which lead to a very riveting read.
Long story short, this YA fantasy is a great ending to a gripping duology with immersive writing, high stakes, and tension you can cut with a knife.
About Sunya Mara:
Sunya Mara grew up in six different cities across five different states and now calls Los Angeles home. She studied film and business at the University of Southern California and went on to write and illustrate at Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios. When not telling stories, she spends her time haunting old movie theaters and staring at museum walls.
