ashreads10k's review against another edition
3.0
What I liked.
World and mythology. Lightbringer is set both in our world, and in a place called the Never, where ghosts and souls dwell in a sort of limbo. These worlds overlap each other, and our main character Wendy has the power to see the Never. What's more, she has the special power to reap straggling souls and send them into the light, onto the true afterlife. The Never was a really interesting place, reminiscent of the Netherworld in the Soul Screamers series. At first, it's all a bit confusing because we're thrown into it without much explanation, but then we learn that there are different types of beings in the never, such as Walkers, Riders, and Lost. Riders are basically dead teenagers that guard the souls of the Lost, which are children that haven't crossed over into the light. Walkers are gruesome creatures that eat the souls of the Lost, at the cost of rotting and decaying into terrible creatures.Each of these plays an important part in the story, and it's interesting to see how things aren't always what they seem to be.
The characters. I liked the characters in Lightbringer, especially Piotr and Eddie, the former being a Rider and the latter being Wendy's best friend. Wendy herself ran a bit hot and cold with me, because she could be annoyingly snappy at times, pushing away the people that cared for her and tried to help her. I'm glad to say that romance wasn't a huge part for a change. I mean, it was there, but Wendy's main goal was to beat the White Lady and save the Lost. Plus, romance-wise, the ending was a bit sad. But there will be more books, so all hope is not lost!
Also, Piotr is Russian. Russian. That's totally sexy.
The villain. This is one of those 'I hated her so much that I loved her' moments. The antagonist of the story, which is the White Lady, was so absolutely disgusting. She's like the ultimate bad guy, because when it's revealed who she truly is, it's like a slap in the face. (Although I kind of guessed it a bit earlier) Towards the end, every word that came out of her mouth just ignited the ire in me even further. She was so absolutely horrendous that I had to appreciate just how much I hated her character. It's easy to love a character, but pretty difficult to make me honest-to-God loathe one. I know it sounds weird, but for that reason I loved the White Lady, because I hated her.
What I didn't like.
The pacing. The only thing I didn't really like in Lightbringer was the pacing. I felt like it just took too long to get the good parts. About 100 pages in was when it started to get really good, and even then it was still lagging a bit. I sometimes would skim the long descriptions in favor of the dialogue
Overall, Lightbringer was a great YA debut for K.D. McEntire. I will definitely be picking up the sequel, and if you're looking for a good, inventive story about your not-so-average ghosts, then Lightbringer is definitely for you. 3 out of 5 stars.
World and mythology. Lightbringer is set both in our world, and in a place called the Never, where ghosts and souls dwell in a sort of limbo. These worlds overlap each other, and our main character Wendy has the power to see the Never. What's more, she has the special power to reap straggling souls and send them into the light, onto the true afterlife. The Never was a really interesting place, reminiscent of the Netherworld in the Soul Screamers series. At first, it's all a bit confusing because we're thrown into it without much explanation, but then we learn that there are different types of beings in the never, such as Walkers, Riders, and Lost. Riders are basically dead teenagers that guard the souls of the Lost, which are children that haven't crossed over into the light. Walkers are gruesome creatures that eat the souls of the Lost, at the cost of rotting and decaying into terrible creatures.Each of these plays an important part in the story, and it's interesting to see how things aren't always what they seem to be.
The characters. I liked the characters in Lightbringer, especially Piotr and Eddie, the former being a Rider and the latter being Wendy's best friend. Wendy herself ran a bit hot and cold with me, because she could be annoyingly snappy at times, pushing away the people that cared for her and tried to help her. I'm glad to say that romance wasn't a huge part for a change. I mean, it was there, but Wendy's main goal was to beat the White Lady and save the Lost. Plus, romance-wise, the ending was a bit sad. But there will be more books, so all hope is not lost!
Also, Piotr is Russian. Russian. That's totally sexy.
The villain. This is one of those 'I hated her so much that I loved her' moments. The antagonist of the story, which is the White Lady, was so absolutely disgusting. She's like the ultimate bad guy, because when it's revealed who she truly is, it's like a slap in the face. (Although I kind of guessed it a bit earlier) Towards the end, every word that came out of her mouth just ignited the ire in me even further. She was so absolutely horrendous that I had to appreciate just how much I hated her character. It's easy to love a character, but pretty difficult to make me honest-to-God loathe one. I know it sounds weird, but for that reason I loved the White Lady, because I hated her.
What I didn't like.
The pacing. The only thing I didn't really like in Lightbringer was the pacing. I felt like it just took too long to get the good parts. About 100 pages in was when it started to get really good, and even then it was still lagging a bit. I sometimes would skim the long descriptions in favor of the dialogue
Overall, Lightbringer was a great YA debut for K.D. McEntire. I will definitely be picking up the sequel, and if you're looking for a good, inventive story about your not-so-average ghosts, then Lightbringer is definitely for you. 3 out of 5 stars.
theladygonzalez's review against another edition
4.0
The story of Lightbringer was incredibly creative. Wendy is a lightbringer; she sends lingering spirits to rest. When her mother’s spirit goes missing, Wendy makes it her mission to find it and return her to safety. At the same time, Piotr is having problems of his own. Piotr is a rider; a teenage ghost that oversees the safety of several ghost children. One by one, the ghost children are being kidnapped and Piotr and his friend have no idea why. Wendy and Piotr meet and they decide to help each other out with their mysteries. I am over simplifying this, but you get the gist of it.
Wendy is an interesting character, but she wasn’t terribly memorable. I just did not feel that connection that you want to feel with characters. I felt the same about the overall book. Like I said, I found it undeniably creative, but I would not classify it as a page-turner. When I put the book down, my fingers didn’t itch to pick it up again. I didn’t have to force myself to read slower, so that I didn’t miss anything. I was interested in the book, I just wasn’t captivated by it.
I also wasn’t too fond of Eddie (Wendy’s best friend). But for the life of me, I cannot exactly tell you why. To me, he was presented as Wendy’s alternative to Piotr, more than her partner in crime. He is meant to be her best friend, who wants more out of the relationship. But I struggled to really figure him out. At times he flirts with Wendy, but then follows it up with a joke. So, like Wendy, I was confused about where he stood.
I would love to see more of Wendy's family in next book. I am interested in seeing how Wendy’s siblings play into the upcoming story arcs. I doubt Jon has any paranormal abilities (it seems to be a girl thing), but I wonder if Chel’s powers will ever awaken. That would present an interesting story arc.
I enjoyed Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire, I just didn’t love it. It was a rather creative story, but I found it to be a bit slow at times. I was impressed with how unpredictable the story was. I left like there were twists and turns around every corner. That coupled with the creative storyline, McEntire was able to create a rather impressive book.The characters and storyline were interesting; I just wasn’t pulled into the book. Still, it was entertaining and I will be keeping an eye out for the upcoming books.
Wendy is an interesting character, but she wasn’t terribly memorable. I just did not feel that connection that you want to feel with characters. I felt the same about the overall book. Like I said, I found it undeniably creative, but I would not classify it as a page-turner. When I put the book down, my fingers didn’t itch to pick it up again. I didn’t have to force myself to read slower, so that I didn’t miss anything. I was interested in the book, I just wasn’t captivated by it.
I also wasn’t too fond of Eddie (Wendy’s best friend). But for the life of me, I cannot exactly tell you why. To me, he was presented as Wendy’s alternative to Piotr, more than her partner in crime. He is meant to be her best friend, who wants more out of the relationship. But I struggled to really figure him out. At times he flirts with Wendy, but then follows it up with a joke. So, like Wendy, I was confused about where he stood.
I would love to see more of Wendy's family in next book. I am interested in seeing how Wendy’s siblings play into the upcoming story arcs. I doubt Jon has any paranormal abilities (it seems to be a girl thing), but I wonder if Chel’s powers will ever awaken. That would present an interesting story arc.
I enjoyed Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire, I just didn’t love it. It was a rather creative story, but I found it to be a bit slow at times. I was impressed with how unpredictable the story was. I left like there were twists and turns around every corner. That coupled with the creative storyline, McEntire was able to create a rather impressive book.The characters and storyline were interesting; I just wasn’t pulled into the book. Still, it was entertaining and I will be keeping an eye out for the upcoming books.
missprint_'s review against another edition
1.0
received for review from publisher
Kirkus sums up everything I have to say quite nicely: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/k-d-mcentire/lightbringer/
I was put off by reading the blurb about Wendy only to spend the beginning of the story (post prologue with Piotr). I also detest books where characters speak dialect--cadence can be created with word choice instead of dropping g's and so on.
I also truly believe there is a different between having young adults (teens) as characters in a book and having a book BE a Young Adult book. This one felt like the former.
Kirkus sums up everything I have to say quite nicely: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/k-d-mcentire/lightbringer/
I was put off by reading the blurb about Wendy only to spend the beginning of the story (post prologue with Piotr). I also detest books where characters speak dialect--cadence can be created with word choice instead of dropping g's and so on.
I also truly believe there is a different between having young adults (teens) as characters in a book and having a book BE a Young Adult book. This one felt like the former.
hollylash's review against another edition
3.0
Thank God, Thank God, Thank God this book wasn't crap. I've had bad luck with books lately and was reluctant diving into something new. The cover just begged me to pick it up, though, and I was rewarded.
It starts off kind of Meh, but quickly picks up thank God. It had a plot (which is more than I can say for some YA books) filled with twists and has good pacing. The ending was the only thing I didn't like because I picked this up expecting a stand-alone novel and it becomes pretty apparent when you're coming down to the last 20 pages and they're still building up the climax that this has to have a sequel as only half of it is tied up.
Now onto characters. Wendy was an alright heroine, not as dumb as most but not a brilliant shining star in a sea of Mary-Sues--she's more like this little star that you can sometimes see if the whole city will cooperate with you and turn off the lights. She had a brain, which I applaud, and actually thinks things through rather than just relying on her male counterpart. Her abilities were kick-ass and I like that she grew over the course of the novel, realizing that she didn't have to reap if she didn't want to.
Piotr... Okay, first off I get why his name was spelled like this, but I'm one of those people where weird spelling ticks me off. It confuses me and makes me think I should pronounce the name different in my head. It actually took me a little while to realize his name was Peter rather than Pi-o-ter or something unpronounceable like that.
I digress. Piotr was...alright. I didn't hate him, didn't love him, at least he wasn't abusive. I found it intriguing that he was slowly losing his memories (I mean, think about it, he could be a totally different person at one point) and wanted to explore this but it was treated as more of subplot here. Hopefully in the sequel McEntire will expand on this.
The White Lady was an excellent villain and she had me creeped out right until the very end. I kind of predicted her identity but that's just me. The dynamic between her and Wendy was excellent and it really came down to an epic battle with neither side really winning.
Eddie...was just there. He was the necessary third wheel to the love triangle. The fact that his soul is floating around in the afterlife does not distress me at all.
The rest of the characters were okay. I hated Elle, whose dialogue was like nails on a chalkboard to me. It was just that kind of obvious slap that warrants as a sarcastic, "Subtle." You know those throw-away characters in films and TV shows like the Latin-America woman who uses 'chica' and other Spanish words thrown in at random to show that they're, you know, DIFFERENT? Yeah, her flapper speak is kind of like that. It needed to be toned down.
I liked the mythology. It was new and interesting and (thankfully) explained. I really felt that the author created her own world and was privileged to be a part of it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this. I will be buying the sequel and hope that it takes this unique world and expands on it.
It starts off kind of Meh, but quickly picks up thank God. It had a plot (which is more than I can say for some YA books) filled with twists and has good pacing. The ending was the only thing I didn't like because I picked this up expecting a stand-alone novel and it becomes pretty apparent when you're coming down to the last 20 pages and they're still building up the climax that this has to have a sequel as only half of it is tied up.
Now onto characters. Wendy was an alright heroine, not as dumb as most but not a brilliant shining star in a sea of Mary-Sues--she's more like this little star that you can sometimes see if the whole city will cooperate with you and turn off the lights. She had a brain, which I applaud, and actually thinks things through rather than just relying on her male counterpart. Her abilities were kick-ass and I like that she grew over the course of the novel, realizing that she didn't have to reap if she didn't want to.
Piotr... Okay, first off I get why his name was spelled like this, but I'm one of those people where weird spelling ticks me off. It confuses me and makes me think I should pronounce the name different in my head. It actually took me a little while to realize his name was Peter rather than Pi-o-ter or something unpronounceable like that.
I digress. Piotr was...alright. I didn't hate him, didn't love him, at least he wasn't abusive. I found it intriguing that he was slowly losing his memories (I mean, think about it, he could be a totally different person at one point) and wanted to explore this but it was treated as more of subplot here. Hopefully in the sequel McEntire will expand on this.
The White Lady was an excellent villain and she had me creeped out right until the very end. I kind of predicted her identity but that's just me. The dynamic between her and Wendy was excellent and it really came down to an epic battle with neither side really winning.
Eddie...was just there. He was the necessary third wheel to the love triangle. The fact that his soul is floating around in the afterlife does not distress me at all.
The rest of the characters were okay. I hated Elle, whose dialogue was like nails on a chalkboard to me. It was just that kind of obvious slap that warrants as a sarcastic, "Subtle." You know those throw-away characters in films and TV shows like the Latin-America woman who uses 'chica' and other Spanish words thrown in at random to show that they're, you know, DIFFERENT? Yeah, her flapper speak is kind of like that. It needed to be toned down.
I liked the mythology. It was new and interesting and (thankfully) explained. I really felt that the author created her own world and was privileged to be a part of it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this. I will be buying the sequel and hope that it takes this unique world and expands on it.
jackyreadss's review against another edition
4.0
When I first started reading this book, it didn't draw to my attention probably because I was forced to read this book. BUT I decided to give this book a chance and I actually am glad I was forced to read it because it turned out to be A VERY INTERESTING STORY! I recommend this book to anybody who like romance, fantasy, or just a good book to read. READ TILL THE END!
lotusxlane's review against another edition
4.0
When I began Lightbringer I was confused and I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to finish the book, but I'm glad I did because it ended up being really good, and quite entertaining.
I enjoyed the world that K.D. McEntire created with the Never and back to the living world. I understood Wendy's pain completely throughout with having to reap the dead, deal with her best friend's love, falling for a ghost all while trying to find her mother's soul.
When reading the summary I expected more of Piotr (pronounced Peter) and the rest of the ghosts, but there wasn't enough. I felt like we could have got to know the rest of the ghosts, but because the story focuses on Piotr and Wendy, it was enough.
Now on to Piotr and Wendy, though their ghost/human relationship kind of weirded me out, I loved them. And I wanted more intimate time between them that wasn't about the Never or Wendy's dilemmas in the living world. Then there's Wendy's best friend, Eddie, from the very beginning he told Wendy how he felt about her and I felt like she shrugged it off, as if she didn't really care. It actually annoyed me. I understood that she was going through a tough time with everything that has been happening, but he was there for her every step of the way.
The way K.D. McEntire writes draws you into the book, and forces you to keep reading about these characters. Taking you into a world we all have heard of--and may actually believe in--and shows you that there is life after death. And it's not always pleasant. No rainbows, butterflies and hot pink unicorns. It's scary and you still need someone to help you, whether they're dead like you... or living. And if you happen to fall in love along the way, why not?
This will either be a hit or miss with people. I see it going either way, but I feel this book will be talked about a lot through out the blogging community about 2 or more weeks after it is released. So read it now! (Or when it comes out November 15th!)
I enjoyed the world that K.D. McEntire created with the Never and back to the living world. I understood Wendy's pain completely throughout with having to reap the dead, deal with her best friend's love, falling for a ghost all while trying to find her mother's soul.
When reading the summary I expected more of Piotr (pronounced Peter) and the rest of the ghosts, but there wasn't enough. I felt like we could have got to know the rest of the ghosts, but because the story focuses on Piotr and Wendy, it was enough.
Now on to Piotr and Wendy, though their ghost/human relationship kind of weirded me out, I loved them. And I wanted more intimate time between them that wasn't about the Never or Wendy's dilemmas in the living world. Then there's Wendy's best friend, Eddie, from the very beginning he told Wendy how he felt about her and I felt like she shrugged it off, as if she didn't really care. It actually annoyed me. I understood that she was going through a tough time with everything that has been happening, but he was there for her every step of the way.
The way K.D. McEntire writes draws you into the book, and forces you to keep reading about these characters. Taking you into a world we all have heard of--and may actually believe in--and shows you that there is life after death. And it's not always pleasant. No rainbows, butterflies and hot pink unicorns. It's scary and you still need someone to help you, whether they're dead like you... or living. And if you happen to fall in love along the way, why not?
This will either be a hit or miss with people. I see it going either way, but I feel this book will be talked about a lot through out the blogging community about 2 or more weeks after it is released. So read it now! (Or when it comes out November 15th!)
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