By Crystal Grant
Reviewed by Jubilee Anderson
GENRE: Christian Fantasy Romance
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The coveted Shadowstone is finally his. But what will it cost him?
Empowered by his new role as Shadowman, Mason Grey has strengthened his resolve against the Steward Army and the prince he has sworn to kill. But his heart is torn between justice for his brother and desire for the girl who stands with his enemy. Determined to bridge the gap, he risks everything he’s worked for to try to win her over to his side.
Convinced there is still good in him, Seria Gayle makes up her mind to point Mason to the truth, even if it means betraying the Stewards she has befriended. When the dark Emperor Jader turns his sights on the Gateway between his realm and theirs, Seria makes a bold decision that takes her far from home and into enemy territory. But standing between light and darkness comes with a price, and she fears the cost for Mason’s salvation may be too high to pay.
As tensions heat up on both sides of the Gateway, Mason is given a challenging assignment that will strengthen his master’s army for years to come-but it could mean losing Seria forever. To make matters worse, his abilities as a Reader begin spiraling out of control. Will this mission of vengeance bring him the closure he needs…or destroy him from the inside out?
Writing
I said much in my review of Shadowcast that also applies to Lightshed, though my thoughts are milder in Lightshed.
The beginning of Lightshed was an improvement from Shadowcast. In Shadowcast, the beginning was slow and it was difficult to connect to the main character. Since we already knew the characters in Lightshed, the story started faster and better.
That said, like many middle-of-the-trilogy books, Lightshed doesn’t stand out to me as much as the first book. Grant pulled off few plot twists, but a lot of the story was predictable. Regardless, a huge amount of character growth takes place in the book which is essential to the movement of plot. Seria went from a girl who searched for connection and stability in Mason to looking to Lambient. And Mason? Well, I won’t spoil the story.
The ending was beautiful. It was the right thing, but also the worst thing to happen. The author found a way to make it somewhat hopeful and satisfying. If you’re going to stop somewhere in the trilogy, I’d stop at the second book.
Worldview
As before, many things I say here have already been said in full in my last review. I resonated with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and good-versus-evil.
Similarly to Shadowcast, I would have liked to feel more of a “No, don’t do that!” gut sensation towards Seria at the beginning. There is a lot of kissing in the first scenes, and they could have been improved if the author had guided our emotions better. Overall, the theme was better handled.
Warnings
- Violence: A man is stabbed. A boy is shot. Children are taken by force from their parents.
- Sexual Content: There is a lot of kissing during the beginning scenes. After the first quarter of the book it gets better.
Well, I suppose I don’t have a whole lot to say about Lightshed except that the theme was better guided than Shadowcast. I would have liked to see more exceptional elements, but for her second book, Grant did a great job. I look forward to reading Darkened, the third book in the Gateway Trilogy!
PAPERBACK PRICE: $19
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2024