The Light That Blinds Us: The instant bestseller and YA TikTok sensation: Volume 1

By Author / Illustrator

Andy Darcy Theo

Genre

Fantasy

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Simon & Schuster YA

ISBN

9781398531772

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

25-04-2024

Synopsis

Legendborn meets Percy Jackson in this dark and thrilling debut fantasy romance.

When consumed by shadow, even the faintest light can be blinding... After a childhood haunted by disturbing hallucinations of the Shadow Man, Alexis Michaels's only comfort is the blue amulet he's had since before he can remember. Now, the visions have gone, and Alexis craves a normal life.

But when a trip to Stonehenge unites him with three other teens carrying similar gems, normality is abandoned when they are plunged into a hidden world of power-wielding Elementals, and told they are the chosen ones, destined to save the world from an eternal night. Trained by legends and guided by heroes, Alexis and his companions must venture on a perilous quest, facing tests of love, loss, and loyalty.

But a dark past plagues Alexis as they prepare to defeat an adversary more ominous than they could imagine, and a looming secret sets to corrupt the mission, their lives, and his mind.

A high-stakes, speculative romance, which masterfully weaves themes of mental health, psychosis, and found family. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Cassandra Clare from TikTok and BookTok star @andydarcytheo. Here, he tells ReadingZone what inspired the series.

Also in the series: The Dark That Hides Us (Volume 2)

Praise for The Light That Blinds Us: 'Loved it from start to finish, was hooked all the way.' 'This book deserves to be read by everyone.' 'This book is filled with amazing one liners that I would legit tattoo on my forehead!' 'Brilliant, thought provoking.' 'Literally dying for more.' Goodreads Reviews

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Reviews

Linda

The Light That Blinds Us is full of action. It's totally immersive with likeable characters whose dialogue bounce off one another with humour, respect and love. I have enjoyed every line of this fantasy adventure.

Alexis has been haunted throughout his childhood by disturbing hallucinations of the Shadow Man. His only comfort is the blue amulet that he has always worn. A school trip to Stonehenge with his best friend Demi (who also wears an amulet) unites them with two other teens carrying similar gems and they are plunged into a hidden world of magical, power-wielding Elementals, and told they are the chosen ones, destined to save the world from an eternal night.

The four new friends are trained and guided by the leaders of this strange world, then sent out on a perilous quest to find the hidden gems that match their power. However, each gem is guarded by a mythical beast, and this quest was never going to be easy. They each face their fears and learn how to deal and conquer them. Will they all learn how to cope with the new power that is about to be bestowed upon them or could they be lead to a darker, dangerous side of the powers that they now hold?

The Light That Blinds us is action-packed and its pages are full of twists and turns that will easily keep any 13+ reader totally engaged. The story deals with many issues including mental health problems. Each character have their own demons to deal with that they keep secret from each other, but showing the reader that if only you have the courage to speak out you realise that you are not alone.

The book is also full of magic, mystery, dashes of romance and of course the occasional mystical beast. I'm so lucky that I also have the next book to this incredible series, The Dark That Hides Us. Now I get to continue this rollercoaster journey with these likeable, interesting characters.

448 pages / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian