Lightmaker by Kevin Elliot

How I came across it?

I met the author, Kevin Elliott through some writing groups in Oxford. Either through the Oxford NaNoWriMo or Oxford Writers Circle first, but I’ve met him on several occasions. He’s a very nice chap and he’s recently given me some really good advice when I read one of my pieces out to the Oxford Writers Circle recently. Try to mix long and short sentences together and show more instead of tell.

Where I got it?

I picked up the paperback on Amazon. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited, but I find reading on paperback more enjoyable than on a device because you can shut out the outside world more. The highlight of my lockdown life are parcels coming out of my letter box and me knowing that there are books inside them.

The book currently has a five star rating on Amazon and I think that is a fair rating.

What I liked about it?

I liked the settings and the plot because I thought they were very interesting. The priests reminded me of a combination of Minister Frollo and Boris Johnson. In one part there’s a bit about the priests getting rid of books and only keeping the ones about how to be a good wife. It straight away made me think of The Handmaiden universe.

I wasn’t sure what year the book was set in but I got the sense that this was an alternate present even though some of the characters names like Caliper and Frinelia give a medevial fantasty vibe.

The conflict was great. Phos, the main character being the exact opposite of what the regime wants gives a strong impact to her sense of curiosity and adventure.

What I didn’t like about it?

I’m going into nitpicking territory here. The book is about 500 pages, but I didn’t feel that the story itself was anywhere near finished. The last line itself is very open-ended and welcomes a sequel with: I hate endings. If this was a stand alone, it would annoy me but as I know there’s gonna be a sequel, it doesn’t bother me much.

How it made me feel?

It’s an interesting choice to not capitalize the chapter titles. Putting them together in the contents page makes it come across as abstract poetry.

The mentions of cider at the beginning of the novel made me want to go and get some cider from the fridge to read with. I loved Phos as a character and from the first page you see her energy. Her brawls and brains are well balanced.

I had reservations about some of the other characters. I wasn’t sure if Phos should trust them or not but they were still engaging characters.

Favourite part

I enjoyed the scene where Phos is talking to her father and says that teachers don’t teach. Towards the end of the novel there’s a fantastic piece of dialogue by Frinelia that really hits home.

The words are well spoken. It made me stop reading to think. It reminded me of the state of global politics; the rise of hate crimes; the blaming game with COVID19. I reread it again and thought of Trump, Hitler, Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King.

“Ever wonder how they make puppeteers? There’re a thousand recipes, but most start with fear. Scare people; make them believe they’re in peril, that strangers have caused the crisis, that they’ll only find safety if they treat others like animals. Hate greases that path.”

Would I recommend it?

Is the Pope Catholic?

Absolutely!

I really enjoyed this novel and I have high expectations for the sequel. I would let my friends borrow this and I can think of several people in my social circle that would enjoy this book.