Review: Light Lost by Georgia C. Leigh

Light Lost (Shadows and Light, Book #2)

by Georgia C. Leigh

Release Date: July 11, 2023

2023 Georgia Leigh (CASK Publishing LLC)

Kindle Edition; 549 Pages

ISBN: 978-1958971062

ASIN: B0C5RZ5VF2

Audiobook: B0CKG9V9G5

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy 

Source: Review copy from author

 

4.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Separated from the love of a lifetime, Haven and Ryker are forced to endure a cruel trial that tests more than their bond. Though Haven is in Terra under simulation, blissfully unaware of the bonding trial, Ryker is left in Berinia, abandoned and stricken with a loneliness he’s never known. His choices test the limits of his relationship with his Triad and everyone he loves.

But time is not their only enemy. The Phoenix is the key to Praesia’s safety, and in Haven’s absence, those who set them on this path flourish, gain new allies, and set in motion a more permanent scheme to keep Haven and Ryker apart. Their ambitions reach for the throne and the very heart of Praesia.

 

My Thoughts

Light Lost is the second book in the Shadows and Light series, and I enjoyed it just as must as the first book, but for slightly different reasons. This one would have been much more difficult for the author to write as it spans over eighty years and a lot of it takes place on multiple worlds, introducing multiple new characters as well as developing a lot of characters that didn't get a lot of time in the first book. There was a lot more world development, something I really enjoyed, and I got a better grasp of the political system which helped understand some of the underlying issues and machinations that were going on. 

 

Haven, the main character in the first book, was more of a secondary character until halfway through this book, which was kind of refreshing as it gave the author a chance to develop Ryker's character, who played more of a secondary role in the first one. So, in effect, the roles were kind of reversed. Because Haven was in stasis, Ryker had to live without her for eighty years, continuing to do his job. It gave the author a great opportunity to display the difficulties of separation from a male perspective; Ryker suffered from depression, loneliness, anxiety, stress, and made reckless decisions as a result, and the consequences were severe at times. Because it not only affected him, but his entire family, the consequences shocked me at how serious they were and I loved how the author showed the ripple effects one person can have on a large group of people. This was so incredibly well done, and Silas is my hero.

 

Because Haven was almost non-existent for the first half, it gave the author plenty of time to develop other characters  so I was thrilled to learn more about Silas and Trinity as well as a hot of others. While I am definitely not a fan of Lilith, her chapters kept me on my toes and amplified my tension level.  And I did like learning more about her, what she up to, and with whom she associated. I was particularly interested in Ash, and boy did I completely miss the connection and hints about him.  Needless to say, I don't shocked very often, and this was one of them.  

 

While Haven and Ryker's affair was put on a back burner for quite a while, the story is quite deceptive. What seems like a slow burn actually has a lot going on, with so many political twists and turns that it kept me turning the pages.  I liked learning more about the alliances with other races and how that affected the seraphim, knowing some of what was happening when the characters didn't, realizing afterwards that the author was quite skilled at keeping the biggest secrets just that, secret, until they were revealed at the end.  One of my biggest complaints from the first book was the info dumping, and how the author gave away too many plot points as she switched POV undermining the tension and what was happening.  Let me say that this was fixed in this book and just when I thought I had a grasp of what was happening, it all got dumped on my head.  So while the book still had multiple POV, it no longer had that info dumping that spoiled things in the first book, but was used to move along the plot and the characters. 

Verdict

Light Lost was a worthy sequel to the first book and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Both the character and world development were good, and the story was more fast-paced than it seemed at first because it is deceptive in its intensity and its development.  You don't even realize the tension is building until something happens, then you are dealing with the ramifications and consequences, moving along to the next episode.  I liked how the author used dialogue to give information and you don't even realize it's info dumping until afterwards, but it's far more effective than giving away plot points through the use of POV which was the case in the first book, as it kept the tension at a much more elevated level throughout the book. I am very much looking forward to book 3 when it releases in March 2024.