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bookish_benny's review against another edition
4.0
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ATOL is an epic fantasy story that focuses on three POVs covering various parts of the world of Avarin.
This story has religion and politics merged into one within the world although it only really has an effect on the decision of one of the characters since each of them are unique from one another and come from different places.
I personally love multi-pov stories and I felt that Thiago has nailed it with three. By having three, and minimising the cast of background characters, it doesn't get confusing as to who is who (Bloodsworn saga).
Each character has unique wants and goals. This being a plot driven story means that the plot really has to drive the characters and be believable which is something I felt that Thiago did really well. Each action that occurred not only pushed the story forward but it also made the MCs uncomfortable prompting them to act and grow in the process.
I really loved two of the characters and I really enjoyed the predicaments they found themselves in and how they resolved these.
The politics in this story, of which really focus mainly on one character (but touch others in their own right), felt like those from ASOIAF. Really well thought out with some unforeseen twists and turns that shocked me as much as they excited me!
There are action and battle scenes in here and Thiago has written these very well. Sprawling epic battles against an unrelenting foe threatening to wipe out everyone, regardless of nationality, were exciting and vivid to read. I loved the details and the pacing, feeling that these were perfect. The fact it has griffins and this is tied to my favourite character is a huge bonus.
I found that this epic fantasy story, like many others, takes some time to get going (the first half of GoT is slow) but once it does it really pushes on at full speed.
I believe the next book in the series is out in November and I am genuinely interested in reading this to see how the current storylines are continued.
A Touch of Light is a solid and exciting epic fantasy story that brings fresh ideas to the pages. I would highly recommend reading the free prequel novella first.
Bring on book #2!
ATOL is an epic fantasy story that focuses on three POVs covering various parts of the world of Avarin.
This story has religion and politics merged into one within the world although it only really has an effect on the decision of one of the characters since each of them are unique from one another and come from different places.
I personally love multi-pov stories and I felt that Thiago has nailed it with three. By having three, and minimising the cast of background characters, it doesn't get confusing as to who is who (Bloodsworn saga).
Each character has unique wants and goals. This being a plot driven story means that the plot really has to drive the characters and be believable which is something I felt that Thiago did really well. Each action that occurred not only pushed the story forward but it also made the MCs uncomfortable prompting them to act and grow in the process.
I really loved two of the characters and I really enjoyed the predicaments they found themselves in and how they resolved these.
The politics in this story, of which really focus mainly on one character (but touch others in their own right), felt like those from ASOIAF. Really well thought out with some unforeseen twists and turns that shocked me as much as they excited me!
There are action and battle scenes in here and Thiago has written these very well. Sprawling epic battles against an unrelenting foe threatening to wipe out everyone, regardless of nationality, were exciting and vivid to read. I loved the details and the pacing, feeling that these were perfect. The fact it has griffins and this is tied to my favourite character is a huge bonus.
I found that this epic fantasy story, like many others, takes some time to get going (the first half of GoT is slow) but once it does it really pushes on at full speed.
I believe the next book in the series is out in November and I am genuinely interested in reading this to see how the current storylines are continued.
A Touch of Light is a solid and exciting epic fantasy story that brings fresh ideas to the pages. I would highly recommend reading the free prequel novella first.
Bring on book #2!
ianthereader0's review against another edition
4.0
In honor of the release of the second book in the series, I’m here to talk about A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla! I just finished this book this weekend, and I really enjoyed it!
A Touch of Light is the first book in what (I believe) will be a four book series. We follow three POV characters in very different circumstances, as strife brews throughout the land. Also, there are griffins which is ALWAYS a plus!
One of the things that I really loved about this book was its handling of themes. The different cultures within this book have very strong and differing views on death and religion, and the way this was explored throughout the book was fascinating. I would honestly say that this was the books strongest quality.
The pacing of this book is really non-stop. There is so much action, hefty stakes, and extensive build-up to the cliffhanger finale. That paired with excellent prose makes this an engaging read.
I will say, I spent a lot of time throughout this book trying to figure out what was going on. This is one of those fantasy books that just drops you into the world and doesn’t do a whole lot of explaining, and I struggled with that a bit. I hear book two has a “The Story So Far” portion at the beginning, which I will definitely be grateful for.
Despite the fact that this story is at times confusing and messy, the prose, themes, action, and characters made me really enjoy my time with it. I am excited to pick up book two, A Shade of Madness, which is out today!
A Touch of Light is the first book in what (I believe) will be a four book series. We follow three POV characters in very different circumstances, as strife brews throughout the land. Also, there are griffins which is ALWAYS a plus!
One of the things that I really loved about this book was its handling of themes. The different cultures within this book have very strong and differing views on death and religion, and the way this was explored throughout the book was fascinating. I would honestly say that this was the books strongest quality.
The pacing of this book is really non-stop. There is so much action, hefty stakes, and extensive build-up to the cliffhanger finale. That paired with excellent prose makes this an engaging read.
I will say, I spent a lot of time throughout this book trying to figure out what was going on. This is one of those fantasy books that just drops you into the world and doesn’t do a whole lot of explaining, and I struggled with that a bit. I hear book two has a “The Story So Far” portion at the beginning, which I will definitely be grateful for.
Despite the fact that this story is at times confusing and messy, the prose, themes, action, and characters made me really enjoy my time with it. I am excited to pick up book two, A Shade of Madness, which is out today!
debyik's review against another edition
4.0
A Touch of Light is the first book in The Ashes of Avarin series. A madness is sweeping through the kingdom, a Prince seeking to deem his loved ones worthy of resurrection, and a cursed hunter fighting to prove she belongs. This is a sprawling epic fantasy filled with religion, politics, and griffin riders with a blight looming over them ready to tear it all to pieces.
With an exciting and intense plot, the medium to fast-paced writing keeps you turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. There is good character development and the world-building brings about some great imagery. I was attached to Lynn, Nasha, and Prince Adrian, a couple of the main characters, and some of the side characters. The intense battle scenes were well-written, making you feel like you were there. The magic system is cool and how can you not love the world, they have griffins! The writing style is solid & the prose is beautiful.
4.5 stars
With an exciting and intense plot, the medium to fast-paced writing keeps you turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. There is good character development and the world-building brings about some great imagery. I was attached to Lynn, Nasha, and Prince Adrian, a couple of the main characters, and some of the side characters. The intense battle scenes were well-written, making you feel like you were there. The magic system is cool and how can you not love the world, they have griffins! The writing style is solid & the prose is beautiful.
4.5 stars
trueperception's review against another edition
4.0
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It had good world building, and pretty good characters. I will say, it fell a little flat at the end, feeling both rushed and unfulfilled. It wasn't a complete cliffhanger, but more unresolved than I would like. Still, I do intend to continue with the series. I'm curious to see where this all goes.
chloefrizzle's review against another edition
2.0
There's books that have a confusing -- yet intriguing -- beginning. And then there's this. The New Word Quota is a bit overboard and the worldbuilding and plot setup are so vague as to never feel anything but confusing and convoluted.
But I think the most disappointing thing is that my favorite plotline -- a loner with cripplingly strong empath magic -- felt emotionless, lackluster, and passive.
DNF @ 47%
But I think the most disappointing thing is that my favorite plotline -- a loner with cripplingly strong empath magic -- felt emotionless, lackluster, and passive.
DNF @ 47%
narratricenessa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wraskai's review against another edition
4.0
So glad to have finally read this. The world Abdalla has created is very interesting. As a reader you are thrown in to the world with little to no explanation about the world, the religion and the magic. You have to figure it out while reading. This can be frustrating for some, but I really liked it. There are so many mysteries and the eventual reveals and twists during the book hit hard for me.
You follow 3 POV’s in this book, Adrian, Nasha, and Lynn. Lynn was my favorite by far. Throughout the book she struggles with decisions she has had to make in the past, and is haunted by them. Her growth throughout the book really hit for me and I loved the sentinel bond and learning more about that.
Nasha is on the other end for me. It took a long time for me to grow attached to her. Her POV has so much worldbuilding, clans, magic. Little of this is explained and it can be a lot to grasp it all while reading. But eventually it all clicked for me and I enjoyed her chapters a lot more from then on.
Adrian is a well written character. He also struggles with events from his past and has to live with that now. Without going in to spoilers, I sometimes struggled with him, because I felt like he went to far at some points to get what he wanted.
The world itself is really well crafted, especially the religion. I also loved how this book explores faith and losing faith and how that affects the characters. The book finishes on a bang and makes you want to read the next book.
currentchapter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'll have a more complete review (spoiler-free) on my channel, talking about characters, worldbuilding, pacing, writing, and more.
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, I never wanted to stop reading it, but I did struggle through some parts of the book so it took me a long time to finish it. But I had fun with it! The world is super cool, the "situation" that is happening in this world is super intriguing, and I'm very excited to read the sequel!
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, I never wanted to stop reading it, but I did struggle through some parts of the book so it took me a long time to finish it. But I had fun with it! The world is super cool, the "situation" that is happening in this world is super intriguing, and I'm very excited to read the sequel!
brianna_4pawsandabook's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a RIDE! Do I know exactly what happened in this book? No, not at all. But these characters are so perfect and they make you care about what is going on. The writing is so fantastic and the pacing is so well done, weaving perfectly between the quick, action and battle scenes, and then the small character moments. Can't wait to start the sequel!