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amybraunauthor's review
4.0
It's been a while since I've read a complex mystery/fantasy, and this was definitely complex. There detail that Carol Berg put into this world and this story was mind-bogglingly intricate and profoundly interesting. There was so much going on I almost couldn't keep up, but every plot thread was neatly tied up in a way I didn't expect, or, if it happened near the end of the book, will be a fantastic mystery to be solved in book 2. There wasn't a lot of action, but the book definitely made you think and left a lot open to interpretation and your own sleuthing skills. I was guessing right until the end! The characters are great and well developed, with Lucien being a lead character I could easily relate to, though I have to say that Juli and Bastien are my favourites. The magic is very unique and the secrets connected to it were shattering. I can't wait to see how it all rounds out in the finale! DUST AND LIGHT is beautifully and expertly written, and very unique with its world-building and genre. Fans of mysteries and fantasy will find a lot to enjoy here, so if you like both of those, this is a book you need to check out!
mary_soon_lee's review
3.0
The first of a fantasy duology set in the same milieu as the author's "Flesh and Spirit" and "Breath and Bone." I enjoyed this and I liked the protagonist (but not as much as I'd liked Valen from the other pair of books). I also liked the character of Bastien and the insight into the necropolis. The tale ends mid-adventure, so it's a little hard to judge it until I read the sequel.
mamap's review
3.0
Similar to the last Berg I read. A young man caught up in lies and intrigue and punished for reasons he is not fully aware of - more going on than he thinks.
An obvious second book is needed as he finally agrees to learn, but without his memory? Why?
Interesting for entertainment.
An obvious second book is needed as he finally agrees to learn, but without his memory? Why?
Interesting for entertainment.
itsneilcochrane's review
5.0
This book has a slow start, but such an extended scene setting is necessary in order to understand the disaster that's to come--and it is disaster! And one point I was so indignant over the injustice done to Lucian that I fumed for an hour after I stopped reading.
The novel combines a thoroughly developed and unique world with a Holmsian mystery and political intrigue to rival ASOIAF. I enjoyed this powerfully and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
The novel combines a thoroughly developed and unique world with a Holmsian mystery and political intrigue to rival ASOIAF. I enjoyed this powerfully and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
hpstrangelove's review
5.0
I enjoyed the world created in Lighthouse Duet so am glad to see more in this universe. I also like that it's separate from Lighthouse so you don't have to have read it first.
Many seem to dislike Lucian, but I enjoyed his journey of self-discovery. The other main and supporting characters are well developed and like Lucien, the reader often times has no idea who is good and who is bad, who to trust and who to be wary of.
I should learn to wait for the entire series to be available before starting because it's going to be difficult being patient for the next book. I do hope there will be more of Bastien in the sequel - I came to like him as much, maybe more, than Lucian.
Many seem to dislike Lucian, but I enjoyed his journey of self-discovery. The other main and supporting characters are well developed and like Lucien, the reader often times has no idea who is good and who is bad, who to trust and who to be wary of.
I should learn to wait for the entire series to be available before starting because it's going to be difficult being patient for the next book. I do hope there will be more of Bastien in the sequel - I came to like him as much, maybe more, than Lucian.
mandygris's review
5.0
Carol Berg revisits the world of The Lighthouse Duet ([b:Breath and Bone|1140216|Breath and Bone (Lighthouse, #2)|Carol Berg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410847634s/1140216.jpg|1127505], [b:Flesh and Spirit|437790|Flesh and Spirit (Lighthouse, #1)|Carol Berg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408048919s/437790.jpg|426653]) from a whole new perspective; while it is set at the same time in history as the first Duet, the protagonists of each series do not know each other and there is minimal overlap between their plots. I recommend starting with the first Duet, mainly because of the depth of description Berg gets into about some of the important factions and parties involved in the story - magical, religious, and otherwise! Also because Berg has only just released the first half of this duet, called The Sanctuary Duet, and you'll have to wait on tenterhooks like me until the next book is done!
Why should you read these books? Berg is a great writer and she came up with a seriously cool world here. It's no surprise she wants to revisit it. The magic in the book is interesting and logical. Her storytelling is superb and I believe this set of books to be rather unique in style and setting. Once you start reading it, you'll understand why it's a bit difficult to set these books apart from other fantasy novels when you try to entice other people to read them, but it is a diamond in the rough, that's for certain.
I really felt like I went into the story with high expectations and didn't come away disappointed, not one bit.
For those who have read it all and want to gush over spoilerific wonders with me:
I totally wasn't expecting this book to take the turn that it did, but I'm glad it did! A pureblood sorcerer and his ordinary master solving murder mysteries out of a bad-ass sounding necropilis? Magical portraits of the dead revealing clues to their murder? The Cicerones? Eeuuughhh *GUSH* it was awesome. So many mysteries within mysteries.
Why should you read these books? Berg is a great writer and she came up with a seriously cool world here. It's no surprise she wants to revisit it. The magic in the book is interesting and logical. Her storytelling is superb and I believe this set of books to be rather unique in style and setting. Once you start reading it, you'll understand why it's a bit difficult to set these books apart from other fantasy novels when you try to entice other people to read them, but it is a diamond in the rough, that's for certain.
I really felt like I went into the story with high expectations and didn't come away disappointed, not one bit.
For those who have read it all and want to gush over spoilerific wonders with me:
Spoiler
Wasn't it exciting that this story really had a Sherlockian vibe to it? I absolutely adored that Berg gave us the worst and most infamous example of a pureblood sorcerer in the first duet and that the second duet has one of the most straight-laced sorcerers. They are complete opposites and yet similar in some very intriguing ways, hey? Bastien was such a great character and it was cool to see the Sinduria Cartmandua-Celestine from a different view. I think those were my favourite things. It was also super awesome to read more about Perryn from a different perspective, as well as to hear more about The Registry.I totally wasn't expecting this book to take the turn that it did, but I'm glad it did! A pureblood sorcerer and his ordinary master solving murder mysteries out of a bad-ass sounding necropilis? Magical portraits of the dead revealing clues to their murder? The Cicerones? Eeuuughhh *GUSH* it was awesome. So many mysteries within mysteries.
aphelia88's review
5.0
This new duology, The Sanctuary Duet, is the sequel to the Lighthouse Duet, also known as The Cartamandua Legacy:
1. [bc:Flesh and Spirit|437790|Flesh and Spirit (Lighthouse, #1)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431493610s/437790.jpg|426653] 2. [bc:Breath and Bone|1140216|Breath and Bone (Lighthouse, #2)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442890367s/1140216.jpg|1127505]
But I think it can also be read successfully as a standalone duology. The Lighthouse Duet, Valen's story, is one of the most interesting fantasies I've ever read so this installment had a LOT to live up to. Happily, it exceeded my expectations! Although I should note that this is not the resolution I expected to the first two books. Instead, another major character is established, and presumably both of them will meet and play their parts in the battle for the future of the Kingdom of Navronne in the next duology or trilogy, which I cannot wait to read!!!
Lucian de Remini-Masson is a pureblood sorcerer, as Valen once was, part of a strict hierarchy of aristocratic Pureblood mages in Navronne who hold themselves apart and above the concerns of non-magical "ordinaries". All mages must go masked in bespelled silk in the presence of ordinaries, and their uniform includes a special claret cloak, all to signify the importance of their station to the world. Ordinaries can face punishment for interfering in Pureblood affairs, even for something so little as slowing a Pureblood's progress in a street.
Most mages have a single talent. Lucian, unusually, showed signs of two bents, and his beloved Grandfather, the Royal Historian, encouraged his rare second bent for History in addition to his primary talent for Artistry. Even though it is said that two-talent mages in the past who allowed both talents to flourish went mad, for unknown reasons. Lucian's major bent is expressed in Portraiture, in capturing a True Image of a subject. As an apprentice in the Pureblood Registry, the administrative headquarters of the mages, Lucian has recently finished his first big commission - six portraits of the elite Registry Curators, who are supposed to be impartial and completely above reproach.
But unknown to Lucian, his secondary bent for History - supposedly excised, after a youthful transgression when he fell in love with an ordinary - has brought secrets to light in the smallest details of these paintings, revealing dangerous information that cannot be shown. The Curators are frightened and angry and wish him dead.
Lucian, like all Purebloods, has been sheltered from the world and is consequently incredibly naïve. His Grandfather's closeness to the King and their elite position has made his life comfortable, at least until his entire family was murdered in one awful and inexplicable night at a family gathering. Alone in the world except for his spirited younger sister, for whom he is solely responsible, his exile from the Registry has cut him off from the only life he has known.
But despite imprisonment, torture and subsequent madness - both in spurious accusations and in truth as the result of mistreatment - Lucian is a man of honor determined to obey the Pureblood Laws no matter the cost. When he is condemned to what any other Pureblood sorcerer would consider a hellish contract, far below his worth, as an assistant to the Coroner at the eccentric City of the Dead, Lucian learns to use his talents to sketch the dead instead, as they were in life, thereby providing valuable information to help identify victims and find murderers.
While dodging numerous attempts on his life and the ruination of his reputation, Lucian also gradually comes to realize that his Grandfather had uncovered important, terrible truths about magic, of which his own existence is the living proof. And that the decimation of his bloodline was deliberate. Everyone around him has their own agenda and wish to use him and his magic for their own purposes. As anti-magic Harrowers led by mad sorceress Sila Diaglou gain prominence in a Navronne tearing itself apart over the question of succession between the dead king's three sons, Lucian realises that the secrets he holds may be the key to the future.
When the legendary Fae-like Danae being appearing to him, and he starts having visions while using his magic that lift his body out of his own time and into another realm, Lucian realizes magic is stranger than he ever imagined and that he has a destiny to fulfill.
The ending is rather abrupt, so make sure you have the second volume, [bc:Ash and Silver|25176096|Ash and Silver (The Sanctuary Duet, #2)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426783675s/25176096.jpg|44882094] on hand when you read this one 😊
Highly recommended!
1. [bc:Flesh and Spirit|437790|Flesh and Spirit (Lighthouse, #1)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431493610s/437790.jpg|426653] 2. [bc:Breath and Bone|1140216|Breath and Bone (Lighthouse, #2)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442890367s/1140216.jpg|1127505]
But I think it can also be read successfully as a standalone duology. The Lighthouse Duet, Valen's story, is one of the most interesting fantasies I've ever read so this installment had a LOT to live up to. Happily, it exceeded my expectations! Although I should note that this is not the resolution I expected to the first two books. Instead, another major character is established, and presumably both of them will meet and play their parts in the battle for the future of the Kingdom of Navronne in the next duology or trilogy, which I cannot wait to read!!!
Lucian de Remini-Masson is a pureblood sorcerer, as Valen once was, part of a strict hierarchy of aristocratic Pureblood mages in Navronne who hold themselves apart and above the concerns of non-magical "ordinaries". All mages must go masked in bespelled silk in the presence of ordinaries, and their uniform includes a special claret cloak, all to signify the importance of their station to the world. Ordinaries can face punishment for interfering in Pureblood affairs, even for something so little as slowing a Pureblood's progress in a street.
Most mages have a single talent. Lucian, unusually, showed signs of two bents, and his beloved Grandfather, the Royal Historian, encouraged his rare second bent for History in addition to his primary talent for Artistry. Even though it is said that two-talent mages in the past who allowed both talents to flourish went mad, for unknown reasons. Lucian's major bent is expressed in Portraiture, in capturing a True Image of a subject. As an apprentice in the Pureblood Registry, the administrative headquarters of the mages, Lucian has recently finished his first big commission - six portraits of the elite Registry Curators, who are supposed to be impartial and completely above reproach.
But unknown to Lucian, his secondary bent for History - supposedly excised, after a youthful transgression when he fell in love with an ordinary - has brought secrets to light in the smallest details of these paintings, revealing dangerous information that cannot be shown. The Curators are frightened and angry and wish him dead.
Lucian, like all Purebloods, has been sheltered from the world and is consequently incredibly naïve. His Grandfather's closeness to the King and their elite position has made his life comfortable, at least until his entire family was murdered in one awful and inexplicable night at a family gathering. Alone in the world except for his spirited younger sister, for whom he is solely responsible, his exile from the Registry has cut him off from the only life he has known.
But despite imprisonment, torture and subsequent madness - both in spurious accusations and in truth as the result of mistreatment - Lucian is a man of honor determined to obey the Pureblood Laws no matter the cost. When he is condemned to what any other Pureblood sorcerer would consider a hellish contract, far below his worth, as an assistant to the Coroner at the eccentric City of the Dead, Lucian learns to use his talents to sketch the dead instead, as they were in life, thereby providing valuable information to help identify victims and find murderers.
While dodging numerous attempts on his life and the ruination of his reputation, Lucian also gradually comes to realize that his Grandfather had uncovered important, terrible truths about magic, of which his own existence is the living proof. And that the decimation of his bloodline was deliberate. Everyone around him has their own agenda and wish to use him and his magic for their own purposes. As anti-magic Harrowers led by mad sorceress Sila Diaglou gain prominence in a Navronne tearing itself apart over the question of succession between the dead king's three sons, Lucian realises that the secrets he holds may be the key to the future.
When the legendary Fae-like Danae being appearing to him, and he starts having visions while using his magic that lift his body out of his own time and into another realm, Lucian realizes magic is stranger than he ever imagined and that he has a destiny to fulfill.
The ending is rather abrupt, so make sure you have the second volume, [bc:Ash and Silver|25176096|Ash and Silver (The Sanctuary Duet, #2)|Carol Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426783675s/25176096.jpg|44882094] on hand when you read this one 😊
Highly recommended!
doccrac's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5