Monday 6 May 2013

Book Review of Light & Dark: The Awakening Of The Mageknight by D.M. Fife


Blurb:

Danny Firoth is an average thirteen-year-old who finds himself at the beginning of his eighth-grade year, struggling with some of the more common concerns that plague a boy of his age: bullies, homework, and his mother. Sabrina Drake is the new girl. She is beautiful and spellbinding, but carries a fantastic secret.

Accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school for young Squires destined to become Knights of the Light and battle the forces of the Dark with magical weapons called Bondeds, Danny joins his five closest friends in the training of their lives. Honed in the techniques of blade work by an Elvin swordmaster and educated by a colorful assortment of knightly instructors, Danny and his friends are placed on the path to becoming knighted members of the Light. However, the Dark may have other plans as they unveil a sinister plot in this fantastic tale of dragon-riding adventure, sword-wielding action, and coming-of-age drama.

Review:

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, #1)Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel M. Fife
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review 7*******

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

WOW!! This is a fantastic YA coming of age fantasy novel! I loved it!

Danny Firoth is a fantastic character! He is a typical teen. Or is he? He likes to play a card game called Knights of the Light, which would be comparable to children's card games played in all school playgrounds. (Think Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon). He is surprised to find out that he can see "shadows", which are a type of being from the land of Dark. As he is one of the few able to see these "shadows", he is tested, and then accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination to become a Knight of the Light.

I have been eagerly wanting to read this book, because I'm a huge fan of Fantasy, whether YA or otherwise. I must admit that once I started reading this book, I did not want to put it down! This book is an amazing and exciting read from the first page! The characters themselves are very interesting, and come alive on the page. Danny's five friends are an eclectic mix. They are Chris, Alonso, Matt, Doug and Anthony. They each have their own personalities. I liked them all, even Alonso, who is the most egotistical and hot headed of them all. This book did remind me slightly of the Harry Potter books, with a dash of Dungeons and Dragons (a game played in the 1980's - not sure if it's still popular) thrown in for good measure! However, there are some differences that made this book totally unique! Instead of wands, there are swords! There are various weapons in the Knight's arsenal, but their best weapon is their sword, called Bondeds. Each sword is unique, and has amazing powers. The descriptions of sword play and the uniforms used is fantastic! The attention to detail makes the school come alive! I could actually see this as a movie, it's that good!
I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series: Light & Dark: The Black Bonded.

D.M. Fife has written an exciting YA fantasy/action adventure/coming of age novel filled with dragons, elves, dwarves, sword fights and memorable characters. I HIGHLY recommend this book to children in the 11+ age range, and to adults who love YA Fantasy. - Lynn Worton

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