A kingdom under attack from an evil magician. A fearless warrior princess. A handsome prince who would do anything for his princess. And an ancient prophecy that could bring back the light to Gaban— or herald in a new era of darkness. All this can be found in Britani Armitage’s epic Young Adult Fantasy, “Darkest Light”, the first book in the “Light of the Magi” series.
Princess Briala is a fierce character. Naturally tomboyish and trained in combat, yet she still loves dresses and jewelry. Her abiding love for her family and her kingdom means she will do anything to protect them, but also means she can be reckless, often running into danger to try to prevent her visions from coming to pass.
One of the highlights of the story is her romance with Niam, the crown prince of their neighboring kingdom. I loved the sweet development of their relationship. He is loyal, strong, kind, and gentle— the type of man every princess hopes to meet. Their love kindles early on and burns brightly to guide the story.
Briala’s world is a mythical place where magic and technology meet. The author herself describes it as “Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter and Star Wars.” The princess lives in a castle and learns to fight with magical powers, but uses items like a retractable sword and a trunk that can shrink down to pocket-sized with all her clothing and belongings in it. Automatic-loading bows and laser guns that can kill or stun, autos, ships, and aircraft, also feature in this futuristic world where the magi have gone into hiding for centuries. Yet underneath the layers of science-fiction-like gadgets and technology, the world of Gaban is rich with legends of the powerful magi, Queen Aurora, who has left magically hidden clues for Briala to follow to find the key to stopping her adversary, Cerin.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the adventures and perils of Briala and her companions, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy story.
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