Child of Light
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- Create Date：2021-10-21 04:19:12
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Terry Brooks
- ISBN：B08QMWRRG8
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Summary
An all-new fantasy series about a human girl struggling to find her place in a magical world she’s never known。
At nineteen， Auris Afton Grieg has led an 。 。 。 unusual life。 Since the age of fifteen， she has been trapped in a sinister prison。 Why？ She does not know。 She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions。 All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison， and rumors say that the adult version is far， far worse。 So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands。 And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins， for she is rescued by a handsome yet alien stranger。 Harrow claims to be Fae—a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend。 Odder still， he seems to think that she is one as well， although the two look nothing alike。 But strangest of all， when he brings her to his wondrous homeland， she begins to suspect that he is right。 Yet how could a woman who looks entirely human be a magical being herself？
Told with a fresh， energetic voice， this fantasy puzzle box is perfect for fans of Terry Brooks and new readers alike， as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and， in doing so， begins to heal both。
At nineteen， Auris Afton Grieg has led an 。 。 。 unusual life。 Since the age of fifteen， she has been trapped in a sinister prison。 Why？ She does not know。 She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions。 All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison， and rumors say that the adult version is far， far worse。 So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands。 And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins， for she is rescued by a handsome yet alien stranger。 Harrow claims to be Fae—a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend。 Odder still， he seems to think that she is one as well， although the two look nothing alike。 But strangest of all， when he brings her to his wondrous homeland， she begins to suspect that he is right。 Yet how could a woman who looks entirely human be a magical being herself？
Told with a fresh， energetic voice， this fantasy puzzle box is perfect for fans of Terry Brooks and new readers alike， as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and， in doing so， begins to heal both。
Reviews
Lusie
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This author never disappoints me。 It was an enjoyable read。 It was not set in Shannara， but had some of the same elements。 I like Auris and was intrigued by the mystery of her past。 The pacing of the story is fast and the world is interesting。 The Fae home sounds beautiful。 The romance was a case of instant love and I think would have been better if it started later in the story。 Yet it still was a fun book to read。
PottWab Regional Library
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O
eyes。2c
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A dangerous new world！A young woman escapes from a prison with fourteen others。 A prison in the middle of a desert area where humans are enslaved by beings termed goblins。 A place where humans can be killed and eaten by the guards， or sent to baby farms for forced reproduction， ensuring a continuing population for the goblins use。 All totally grotesque。 And that’s only the beginning。 I’m not a big fan of storylines with humans being eaten so that part grossed me out big time。 Nineteen years old A dangerous new world！A young woman escapes from a prison with fourteen others。 A prison in the middle of a desert area where humans are enslaved by beings termed goblins。 A place where humans can be killed and eaten by the guards， or sent to baby farms for forced reproduction， ensuring a continuing population for the goblins use。 All totally grotesque。 And that’s only the beginning。 I’m not a big fan of storylines with humans being eaten so that part grossed me out big time。 Nineteen years old Auris Acton Grieg manages to survive the escape and is rescued by a being Harrow， a Fae Watcher。 Transported across the water to the magical fae stronghold， Viridian Deep， in the middle of a lush mountainous jungle。 These surroundings bring to mind the lushness of areas met in the Voyage of Jerle Shannara。 The first fae city is a place of wonderment but not all fae are as welcoming as Harrow。 His mother Ancrow is of that ilk。Auris begins a quest to reclaim her memory， to find out who she is。 She cannot remember anything except for a vagueness around her parents， prior to when she was taken at fifteen。 Harrow is convinced she’s half fae。 Auris however decides she “ must live as best [she]can with the knowledge that everything is ephemeral and subject to change。” To my way of thinking this will become her mantra。There are real questions。 Dark in nature。 What are the connections between the goblins and humans？ What is the significance of this for all races？Then there’s Auris’ interest in Harrow。 Way too sudden！ A by product of being rescued or something more？ As Auris reflects， “ Yes， he rescued me， but that hardly seems reason enough for the sort of attachment I find myself yearning for。” Auris seems to berate herself for being self-delusional。There’s much to ponder on various levels。 I’m fascinated to see where all this might lead。A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change（Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。） 。。。more
Alyx Reese
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AmazingI want more！ No spoilers， Auris is the teller of her own story， I was immediately pulled in and did not stop reading till the last page。 The writing was stellar， Occasionally there seemed to be more telling and less showing。 Audi's narrating when letting the characters dialogue and work through。 But that did not reduce the story in any way。 Will there be another？ AmazingI want more！ No spoilers， Auris is the teller of her own story， I was immediately pulled in and did not stop reading till the last page。 The writing was stellar， Occasionally there seemed to be more telling and less showing。 Audi's narrating when letting the characters dialogue and work through。 But that did not reduce the story in any way。 Will there be another？ 。。。more
Weston Scow
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Wow Terry Brooks has written another great novel。 He pulls you right into the story （as always） and keeps you going。 Every end of chapter has me wanting to continue。 It’s like the Great Escape movie in the beginning， mixed with fantasy plus more。 It’s as if you are the main character traversing an unknown magical world。
Josh Bowles
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Man， was I excited for this。 Even considering how badly， in my opinion， Shannara was handled there towards the end， Terry Brooks has been one of my favorite authors since childhood。 I credit my love for fantasy to him。 So it hurts to say that this one didn't do it for me。 I found the characters wooden， the plot hard to buy， and just。。。boring。 I made myself finish it， out of respect for Terry。 But I think this may be the last （new） book of his I pick up。 Man， was I excited for this。 Even considering how badly， in my opinion， Shannara was handled there towards the end， Terry Brooks has been one of my favorite authors since childhood。 I credit my love for fantasy to him。 So it hurts to say that this one didn't do it for me。 I found the characters wooden， the plot hard to buy， and just。。。boring。 I made myself finish it， out of respect for Terry。 But I think this may be the last （new） book of his I pick up。 。。。more
Paula
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Terry Brooks has always written fantasy as far I know with Child of Light， his latest having a YA/Teen feel to it。 Auris Afton Grieg， a nineteen who has been imprisoned for years for crimes she does not know， plans， and executes a prison escape。 Good for her and those with her。 She is a most unusual heroine which is most intriguing。 As for characters， Auris is part woman and still part girl。 I think prison life would do that to you so Brooks has followed through with that。 Not all is explained a Terry Brooks has always written fantasy as far I know with Child of Light， his latest having a YA/Teen feel to it。 Auris Afton Grieg， a nineteen who has been imprisoned for years for crimes she does not know， plans， and executes a prison escape。 Good for her and those with her。 She is a most unusual heroine which is most intriguing。 As for characters， Auris is part woman and still part girl。 I think prison life would do that to you so Brooks has followed through with that。 Not all is explained as she seeks discovery of her own identity as well as her appropriate place in this world of Brooks creation。 Surely her place is not a prison so on the journey the reader goes along with her， her friends， and some new and mysterious others。 A stand alone story that is interesting yet I my heart still belongs to The Sword of Shannara characters。An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Melissa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 At its heart， this is a love story。 The MC battles with the need to discover her past and on the way she finds GmHarrow， her true love。While the writing was excellent， I just couldn't get wrapped up in the story。 It started out with action and excitement that gradually petered out。Nonetheless， I appreciate the opportunity given by receiveling a free ARC。 This is my honest review。 At its heart， this is a love story。 The MC battles with the need to discover her past and on the way she finds GmHarrow， her true love。While the writing was excellent， I just couldn't get wrapped up in the story。 It started out with action and excitement that gradually petered out。Nonetheless， I appreciate the opportunity given by receiveling a free ARC。 This is my honest review。 。。。more
Kristine
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Child of Light by Terry Brooks is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early October。I may be completely speaking out of turn， but I think this is my first Terry Brooks book - in it， Auris is a first-person narrator about being part of a group of teens and pre-teens escaping labor in a work camp overlorded by south-of-human Goblins。 Initially， it's sort of like a person coming out of amnesia， where things operate in approximations， what seems to be so， and where it can't quite be recalled diffe Child of Light by Terry Brooks is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early October。I may be completely speaking out of turn， but I think this is my first Terry Brooks book - in it， Auris is a first-person narrator about being part of a group of teens and pre-teens escaping labor in a work camp overlorded by south-of-human Goblins。 Initially， it's sort of like a person coming out of amnesia， where things operate in approximations， what seems to be so， and where it can't quite be recalled differently。 Later， she survives an ambush， is taken in by the fae， decides to sort out her uncertain past and parentage， seeps into their culture， recovers， and finds forgotten strengths。 。。。more
Michael McCallum
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I have hopeI have hope that this book is the beginning of a new series。 The characters are wonderfully crafted and believable。 Terry Brooks has done it again。
Honeychile
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Excellent read！ A young prisoner with amnesia escapes to find herself in an unexpected world。 Characters are complex and genuine。 I especially liked the personality of the Fey， often portrayed as cold and unfeeling， but very different in this book。 Plotting is entertaining and unpredictable。 Themes include the power of love， accepting and using gifts and talents， and believing the incredible。 I'm eager to read others in this series。 Five stars from this reviewer。 Excellent read！ A young prisoner with amnesia escapes to find herself in an unexpected world。 Characters are complex and genuine。 I especially liked the personality of the Fey， often portrayed as cold and unfeeling， but very different in this book。 Plotting is entertaining and unpredictable。 Themes include the power of love， accepting and using gifts and talents， and believing the incredible。 I'm eager to read others in this series。 Five stars from this reviewer。 。。。more
Matt Portnoy
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Some spoilers ahead which I normally wouldn't do。First， I received an ARC in exchange for a fair review。 That is below。Second， I am a huge Terry Brooks fan， and have been since day one when I grabbed the Sword of Shannara from the bookstore shelf in 1977。 Since that time I have spent at least a dozen other books in that place。 I have happily gone to Landover numerous times， and returned to Shannara with Nest Freemark， though I didn't know it at the time。This book was a disappointment。 There were Some spoilers ahead which I normally wouldn't do。First， I received an ARC in exchange for a fair review。 That is below。Second， I am a huge Terry Brooks fan， and have been since day one when I grabbed the Sword of Shannara from the bookstore shelf in 1977。 Since that time I have spent at least a dozen other books in that place。 I have happily gone to Landover numerous times， and returned to Shannara with Nest Freemark， though I didn't know it at the time。This book was a disappointment。 There were only two or three times in the entire book when I felt some glimmer of something。 The remainder I just thought was flat and colorless。 The main thread is about Auris， a nineteen year Human girl with sketchy memories and hidden skills that we discover along the way with her。 We follow her and her friends escape from a prison that is run by Goblins， free across a wilderness/desert/wasteland only to be caught at the last minute。 All of them save her are killed but she is saved by a Fae， a race related to the Goblins。 Her savior is a warrior/watcher for his people and his insight tells him she is special somehow and he brings her into Viridian Deep， the land of the Fae。 I'm going skip all of the twists and turns and reveals that follow only because none of them were unexpected。 And aside from that， you never get any depth or color about any of the places that they are。 Never how anything smells or tastes aside from 'amazing' or 'different' or it is something we already are familiar with like currant tea。 This during the whole story there are many Fae who are going about their 'business' every day， walking by Auris' cottage， but we get no look at what their businesses are。 We talk to none of them。 Ever。 Every night they go to different eating places （restaurants？） but again， we get so little look into the venue/food/workers？ that I kept thinking why are we here？ Why even bother？ How are they paying for this？ Are they paying for this？ This is a foreign race living in a hidden forest and it might as well be an Applebees in Peoria。 （not that I have anything against Applebees or Peoria）。 They're in a forest and are there other woodland creatures？ Insects？ I don't know。 There's some magic involved - but it is just there。 There's no。。。magic about it at all。Finally， I just never could get into sync with the first person narrative that the story is written in。 Auris is going through multiple major personal discoveries piled on top of each other and she just seems to roll with anything and everything。 I am not， nor have I ever been a nineteen year old girl， but the ones that I knew/know， would all have a much stronger reaction to many of these revelations than what was described here。So， if you are already a Terry Brooks fan， I would only say that this title is probably going to be a disappointment。 If this is the first book of his that you will be reading， it is only going to be significantly better after this。 。。。more
Anthony
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The ReviewA gripping and engaging fantasy read， the author brilliantly draws readers in immediately with a grim and brutal world in which the protagonist faces unspeakable horrors and sees firsthand the vicious nature of her captors， the Goblins。 The pacing and mythology the author develops throughout this novel deliver not only a grand universe in which these mythological creatures dwell， but a shocking series of twists and turns not only in the protagonist’s origins but in the status quo of th The ReviewA gripping and engaging fantasy read， the author brilliantly draws readers in immediately with a grim and brutal world in which the protagonist faces unspeakable horrors and sees firsthand the vicious nature of her captors， the Goblins。 The pacing and mythology the author develops throughout this novel deliver not only a grand universe in which these mythological creatures dwell， but a shocking series of twists and turns not only in the protagonist’s origins but in the status quo of this fantasy world overall。 The character development was fantastic to see unfold here， and very much reminded me of the bond that formed so quickly between Jace and Clary in Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments” YA Series。 Auris and Harrow are a breath of fresh air challenging one another without delving into unneeded friction between them， while still delivering plenty of tension with other characters。 The gritty nature of the villains plays well into the main narrative， but the villains themselves， the Goblins and Humanity’s ruling leadership， all feel like a play on the theme of humanity’s destruction of the environment and their need to drain natural resources， as this becomes part of the narrative over time。The VerdictAn entertaining， emotional， and evenly-paced sci-fi and fantasy read， author Terry Brooks and his novel “Child of Light” is a must-read novel of 2021， and the perfect fall read for fantasy fans。 The Fae become more than just an additional fictional race in this book， instead of becoming the prominently featured class and （mostly） heroes in this action-packed and gripping narrative that will leave fans eager for more。 。。。more
Kelley
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While I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down at times， I feel like there was still a lot of development that was missing。 It took a bit for me to get into it and I felt the main character was lacking in personality and depth。 The story asked for her to have more。。。she had been through so much。。。but it just wasn't there。 I like the story that was being told and it really hooked me。。。with a few spots that dragged a bit。 It was a good read overall but had the potential to be great。。。it just m While I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down at times， I feel like there was still a lot of development that was missing。 It took a bit for me to get into it and I felt the main character was lacking in personality and depth。 The story asked for her to have more。。。she had been through so much。。。but it just wasn't there。 I like the story that was being told and it really hooked me。。。with a few spots that dragged a bit。 It was a good read overall but had the potential to be great。。。it just missed the mark。 I received this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 3。5 stars。 。。。more
Billie
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Child of Lightby Terry BrooksI think the ARC I got from #Netgalley was the second or third draft， at least I hope so！This was my very first Terry Brooks book and even though I have a few of his books on my shelf right now， after reading this one， I don't know if I will even touch them now。 This book was very disappointing！ It makes me afraid that his other books will be just like it。Minimal descriptions and I mean minimal。 'It was blue。' There's a couple of more descriptive words here and there， Child of Lightby Terry BrooksI think the ARC I got from #Netgalley was the second or third draft， at least I hope so！This was my very first Terry Brooks book and even though I have a few of his books on my shelf right now， after reading this one， I don't know if I will even touch them now。 This book was very disappointing！ It makes me afraid that his other books will be just like it。Minimal descriptions and I mean minimal。 'It was blue。' There's a couple of more descriptive words here and there， but not enough！ This book was a very boring read！ And the MC， her first-person narration was lifeless。 'I am sad。' And because of this， all the characters felt the same， there wasn't much difference in the way they talked or acted， all because of the lack of descriptions， so in my mind， they were just objects， not characters， and I didn't really care for them。There were a few places where the book was summed up， and it was done so well， that if I had picked up the book on that page， I would know everything that had happened。A few sections made me a little irritated because it was a summing up on what they just did behind 'closed pages'。 'Oh yeah， we did this without telling you so that is how I am able to do it。' And some of those things would have been interesting to read about， but instead skipped。Then there was the repeating of her issues， her worries， her history， almost as if copied and pasted from previous chapters with the changing or addition of a few words。 The blurb sounded so good， but alas the story was eh because the writing was cheap as if it wasn't really cared about， just needed to publish something。I wanted to give up on this book within the first few chapters， but I said I would give it a read and honest review。 So the only way I could get through it was to make my kindle read it to me because I could not sit down and read it myself。1 star。 。。。more
R
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Child of Light is Terry Brooks first post-Shannara novel， and as such， it does not miss its mark！ Brooks is a master of fantasy， and he is on top of his game with "Child。"The novel begins with a prison break for Auris and her friends。 Auris is an enigma with no memory of her life before being imprisoned。 She and her friends know the danger failure will present if their goblin jailors catch them， but freedom is worth the risk。 Fleeing at reckless speeds in the arid desert night is fraught with pe Child of Light is Terry Brooks first post-Shannara novel， and as such， it does not miss its mark！ Brooks is a master of fantasy， and he is on top of his game with "Child。"The novel begins with a prison break for Auris and her friends。 Auris is an enigma with no memory of her life before being imprisoned。 She and her friends know the danger failure will present if their goblin jailors catch them， but freedom is worth the risk。 Fleeing at reckless speeds in the arid desert night is fraught with perils。 Unfortunately， perils not all her friends will survive。It is here where the story of Auris truly begins。 It is a story of one young ladies’ resilience。 She perseveres until an unlikely rescuer enters the story。 A rescuer who introduces Auris to the hidden world of the Fae。 This proves challenging as not all Fae are welcoming of humans in their midst。 Having been rescued and introduced to the Fae， Auris must unravel the mystery of her missing memory， who imprisoned her， and why the goblins are hell-bent on recapturing her。 Fans of Brooks’ Shannara series are bound to love this new， fresh series。 It builds on some of this previous work in new， entertaining ways。 Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chelsy
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I will be completely honest， I had to stop at reading at 14% because I couldn't read any longer。 The beginning was off to a great start and I liked how the pacing was going， and we could feel how fast Auris's life was changing quickly。 I liked the idea of the world because I've watched the Shannara Chronicles on Netflix and was intrigued to read a book from Terry Brooks。 Hopefully I can finish it in the future。 Thank you so much Net Gallery and Random House for the opportunity for an eARC of Chi I will be completely honest， I had to stop at reading at 14% because I couldn't read any longer。 The beginning was off to a great start and I liked how the pacing was going， and we could feel how fast Auris's life was changing quickly。 I liked the idea of the world because I've watched the Shannara Chronicles on Netflix and was intrigued to read a book from Terry Brooks。 Hopefully I can finish it in the future。 Thank you so much Net Gallery and Random House for the opportunity for an eARC of Child of Light to provide an honest review。 。。。more
Tessa （Talks Books）
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What I LovedI loved the first half of Child of Light， in particular。 The story develops slowly with just the right amount of action and intriguing kernels of suspense strategically placed so that the story never loses momentum。 It's an excellent introduction to Auris Afton Grieg， who has no memories of her life before being jailed in the Goblin prison and allows for character development in a nearly impossible situation。Auris tells her story in first-person narration， and this adds to the charac What I LovedI loved the first half of Child of Light， in particular。 The story develops slowly with just the right amount of action and intriguing kernels of suspense strategically placed so that the story never loses momentum。 It's an excellent introduction to Auris Afton Grieg， who has no memories of her life before being jailed in the Goblin prison and allows for character development in a nearly impossible situation。Auris tells her story in first-person narration， and this adds to the character development as well。 Auris' head is easy to be in， and I found myself developing empathy for her just because I knew what was going through her head – her emotions and reactions to events and people。 Her instant relatability allowed me to quickly understand the support characters as she introduced them in the story。 Though I saw them as she sees them， her reactions are often very telling and accurate to that character。The second half of the story felt like it took a giant leap， and though disconcerting to me as a reader， I loved the new and improved Auris in that half。 The action in the second half becomes very intense and takes over the story。 That's fitting， though， considering the whole fae world is in danger。 I enjoyed the world-building in this part of the story， as I got to see more of the small details of this realm within our own。 The water sprites， in particular， have some cool gadgets and are so incorrigible that they are instantly fun to read about。 And， yes， there is a romance。 I found the pairing of Auris with the elf who saved her from the goblins， Harrow， to be a natural development in the situation of the story。 However， something about the elves' description made it challenging to see a human-elf pairing。 Still， I often found their relationship touching and relatable。CharactersAuris is the main character and narrator， as I already mentioned。 She is strong and determined even at seemingly insurmountable odds。 She is just the type of main character who easily captures my heart and makes me want to know her story。What I WishI wish there had been a way to better transition between the story's first half and the second half。 I would have loved for it to be a more natural jump that didn't jar me out of the world I was happily engaged in。 It would have made the book longer， but I think the extra pages would have been worth it。To Read or Not to ReadChild of Light is an action-packed story set within an immersive and delightful world that only Terry Brooks could imagine and paint for the reader in vivid detail。 I'm delighted that I had the opportunity to enter this world and imagine that any lover of fantasy stories will agree with me。 。。。more
Chris Monceaux
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See more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I've had the Shannara books on my TBR for a while because I know a lot of people like them。 So， when I saw that the first of a new Terry Brooks series was available on NetGalley， I jumped at the opportunity to be introduced to his writing。 Now I kind of wish I didn't。 This book wasn't awful， but it See more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I've had the Shannara books on my TBR for a while because I know a lot of people like them。 So， when I saw that the first of a new Terry Brooks series was available on NetGalley， I jumped at the opportunity to be introduced to his writing。 Now I kind of wish I didn't。 This book wasn't awful， but it wasn't great either。 The writing and story idea were okay， but the weird pacing and mind-numbing amount of exposition killed a lot of the enjoyment I could have had reading this book。 The stiff dialogue also left the characters feeling a bit flat。The beginning of the book started out with a bang， and it sucked me in immediately。 Auris was mysterious and needed to escape a goblin prison。 The tension was high， and there was tons of action。 Then the pace completely halted upon her rescue， and， for the rest of the first half of the book， she sat in the faerie city having conversations and training。 For the second half of the book， she and her new friends bounced in and out of several high risk situations so often， and quickly， I should have gotten whiplash。 It all felt incredibly rushed。 Ultimately， the pacing was all over the place， and it made the book difficult to love。The world-building was one of the most interesting things about this book。 The fae world that Brooks built was fascinating， and the magic the fae wielded was fun to learn about。 I would have loved to get more information about the world in this book， especially the complex relationship between the fae， goblins， and humans。 The fae vs。 human setup was a great way to explore the theme of industrialization vs。 a more natural way of life that respects the land， and I enjoyed the peek of it that was provided in the book。 There were also slight glimpses of the history of this world and the politics of the fae， which were all intriguing to see。I didn't really connect with any of the characters in this book， as they all felt a bit flat to me。 Auris was mysterious at first， and I did enjoy her journey and inner thoughts related to finding her identity， family， and a place to belong。 However， I found her to become almost insufferable as the story continued。 She mysteriously knew how to use every weapon available， which was never explained。 She also learned how to use magic in ONE day。 Despite all her strengths and all of the horrible things going on around her， the only thing she could focus on was Harrow， and she pined over him almost instantly。 Their relationship was annoying to read because most of the drama could have been resolved by the two of them talking to each other。 I also don't understand what she saw in him other than being enamored because he rescued her。 For most of the book， all he did was talk about fae society/history while training her， and he exuded the personality of a wet paper bag。Ancrow seriously annoyed me in this book， but I also liked some aspects of her characterization。 She was an interesting example of how past experiences， especially traumatic ones， with a group of people can leave a person extremely prejudiced against everyone in that group。 It explored the question of whether that person's prejudicial actions are justified/understandable given their circumstances and underscored the importance of context in understanding any individual's actions。 This character's lies， though， got tedious and annoying as the book progressed， especially since the logic behind the lies made absolutely no sense。 My favorite characters of the book were Ancrow's daughters。 They were a breath of fresh air amongst the angst， and I smiled every time they appeared。Overall， I enjoyed the exploration of the themes of identity and family in this book， as well as the world the author created。 However， I didn't really connect with the characters and found the pacing， dialogue， and character relationships to be lacking。 Therefore， I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars。 I don't think I'll be continuing the series， and I'm pretty sure it will be quite some time before I read the Shannara series， as well。 。。。more
Lyndi
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Auris has been in the goblin prison since she was 15。 Now at age 19， she and a group of friends are about to age out of the children's prison and into the much worse adult prison so they plan an escape for which Auris is the only survivor。 She's been wandering the desert for days and about to be recaptured when she's rescued by a strange being claiming to be fae。 And he claims that she is also fae which is crazy because she looks and acts completely human。 But she has no memory of her former lif Auris has been in the goblin prison since she was 15。 Now at age 19， she and a group of friends are about to age out of the children's prison and into the much worse adult prison so they plan an escape for which Auris is the only survivor。 She's been wandering the desert for days and about to be recaptured when she's rescued by a strange being claiming to be fae。 And he claims that she is also fae which is crazy because she looks and acts completely human。 But she has no memory of her former life before the prison and an instant ability with fae weapons。 When she's taken to Viridian Deep， the home of the forest Sylvan， she's finds a home and a future she kind for。。。 if only she could solve the mystery of her past。 This is my first Terry Brooks novel。 I love his ability to create a world that I can escape to through the pages。 The world-building was excellent， the characters were realistic and relatable， I just loved it！I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily。 。。。more
James
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Well written， easy to read first novel in a series concerning Auris， a young woman who has escaped from a Goblin prison to find her way to the land of the Fae， where fantastical beings live。 As she learns about herself， she also learns that the Goblins and their human masters are after her and are intent on learning the secrets of the Fae。 I look forward to the next novel in this series。
Destiny
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Good standard fantasy。 Nothing too special。 Magic， chases， escapes， true love; a little bit of everything for the fantasy reader。
Lauren
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing this copy for review。 I shall be honest in my review as a result！Child of Light was written by the incomparable Terry Brooks and releases on October 12， 2021。Auris was a prisoner for as long as she could remember， which wasn't long given her memory loss at the age of fifteen。 She escapes the Goblin prison where she has been held and runs straight into the Fae， one of whom happens to think she might just be one of them。I'm going to be honest with you， I didn't Thank you to Netgalley for providing this copy for review。 I shall be honest in my review as a result！Child of Light was written by the incomparable Terry Brooks and releases on October 12， 2021。Auris was a prisoner for as long as she could remember， which wasn't long given her memory loss at the age of fifteen。 She escapes the Goblin prison where she has been held and runs straight into the Fae， one of whom happens to think she might just be one of them。I'm going to be honest with you， I didn't like this book to the point where I DNF'd it。Is that good for a reviewer？ Probably not。 But I told myself I wasn't going to read things I don't like。Let me tell you why I don't like it。The writing was stiff and unwieldy。 The author regularly used three words were one would do。 And that wasn't even when characters were speaking。 Speaking of the dialogue， it had no flow to it。 It was almost like the words for this book didn't come easy to the author， and given that Terry Brooks has been writing good books for longer than I've been alive （I'm 41） this simply shouldn't be the case。So yes， my biggest complaint is with the writing。 I just couldn't get past it。 I wasn't enjoying myself at all。 Which is not what I expected going into this book， as I loved the Landover series。Now let's talk about the other thing I have a problem with。 Auris goes through something terrible at the beginning of the book， but what racks her brain when she's rescued？ How hot her rescuer is。Sure， she thinks of the terrible thing now and again， but she thinks about how she is attracted to said rescuer more。 Why does the author think this is something a 19-year-old girl fresh out of a traumatic experience needs to do？Le sigh。It bothered me a lot， okay？It's a 1 star DNF for me。 。。。more
Josh Stoiber
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Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC。 This is my honest review。Child of Light is a fast-paced YA fantasy adventure that winds its way through a number of interesting locals in a world that I'm excited to continue to learn more about。 The Fey home of Viridian Deep is the kind of place you wish you could really visit， the villains and their mysterious alliances are endlessly intriguing。 For me， the world and its lore are the strongest part of Child of Light， and that Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC。 This is my honest review。Child of Light is a fast-paced YA fantasy adventure that winds its way through a number of interesting locals in a world that I'm excited to continue to learn more about。 The Fey home of Viridian Deep is the kind of place you wish you could really visit， the villains and their mysterious alliances are endlessly intriguing。 For me， the world and its lore are the strongest part of Child of Light， and that makes sense for an established fantasy author like Terry Brooks。The story follows Auris， a 19-year-old girl who escapes a goblin prison and finds her way to the world of the Fey。 The book has a central amnesia plot line， so to say much more would spoil a lot of deliberately paced reveals， but the narrative never flags and bounces pleasantly between daring escapes and daily （magical） life。However， for all the strength of the world presented here， the characters that inhabit it are the weakest part of the book。 The main character's motivation seems to be largely rooted in moving the plot of the novel forward， rather than the other way around。 She's never content， even when it feels like she should be。 At times， the book explains this away with her being led by her mysterious Inish。 Auris also begins to develop feelings for Harrow， the Fey boy who rescues her in her initial escape， so quickly that it at the beginning it feels very forced。 The first internal comments about these feelings happen when she is still in the throws of surviving the horrible ordeal of her escape and at the same time being introduced to the fantastical world of the Fey people。 I think the central romance would have played much better if it had happened more gradually。In the end， Child of Light is an easy read that transports the reader into a magical and intriguing fantasy world。 It's held back a bit by some two-dimensional character motivations and a romance that starts too soon， but it's still a fun， breezy adventure in a world that I want to know more about， and I will absolutely be back for the sequel。3。5/5 。。。more
Eric
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A coming of age fantasy with our heroine seeking the roots of her origin。 I felt this book read too much like a tale for children。 Impossible scenarios for our heroine to escape evil and contradictions within the set of circumstances。 How does a Fae， trained in magic， bows， arrows， knives， etc。， suddenly bring forth a "flash bang grenade" to elude danger？The book's concept is good。 No depth。 A coming of age fantasy with our heroine seeking the roots of her origin。 I felt this book read too much like a tale for children。 Impossible scenarios for our heroine to escape evil and contradictions within the set of circumstances。 How does a Fae， trained in magic， bows， arrows， knives， etc。， suddenly bring forth a "flash bang grenade" to elude danger？The book's concept is good。 No depth。 。。。more
Donna Bull
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A new fantasy series with humans， fae and big dystopian vibes。。。。。yes please！！ And does it take off right from chapter one and throw you right into this new world。 We begin as Auris and a group of her friends are escaping from the goblin run prison she has been in for five years。 She just doesn't know why she was there or have any memory of her life prior to being in prison。 This prison is full of only children and if they cannot work or attempt to escape， there is only one gruesome outcome， the A new fantasy series with humans， fae and big dystopian vibes。。。。。yes please！！ And does it take off right from chapter one and throw you right into this new world。 We begin as Auris and a group of her friends are escaping from the goblin run prison she has been in for five years。 She just doesn't know why she was there or have any memory of her life prior to being in prison。 This prison is full of only children and if they cannot work or attempt to escape， there is only one gruesome outcome， they are eaten。 Events lead Auris to Harrow， her very non-human fae rescuer， who shows her a world she thought only existed in stories。 Revelations， lies， attacks， captures， a viscous human ministry， and three fantastic seer sisters all combine into a well paced and fun story。 The world building is what I think really brings the story to life。 Viridian Deep， the land of the fae is described beautifully along with the magic that Harrow and the other fae are able to wield。 The goblin prisons are quite terrifying as is what the human ministry is willing to do to achieve the power that they want。 I thoroughly enjoyed the story and while I do like a good cliffhanger ending， I also very much appreciate when the storyline is wrapped up nicely at the end。 There are certainly many directions the story can go from here and I definitely am looking forward to where it does from here！！Thanks to Del Ray and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Krystal
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Do I actually want to read this or is it going to break me like The Sword of Shannara did？！ Do I actually want to read this or is it going to break me like The Sword of Shannara did？！ 。。。more
Kayla Melser
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DNF。。。 Forced 1 star。I love Terry Brooks and his writing The Shannara series was such a huge part of my childhood。 So when I saw that there was a new book within a new series coming out I knew I needed to read it and I have to say that I was a little disappointed。 This book felt younger than it should have been， and I have to say that I DNF'd it at about 40%。 The characters annoyed me， the story line where everything Auris needs just comes to her was frustrating as heck because she already knew DNF。。。 Forced 1 star。I love Terry Brooks and his writing The Shannara series was such a huge part of my childhood。 So when I saw that there was a new book within a new series coming out I knew I needed to read it and I have to say that I was a little disappointed。 This book felt younger than it should have been， and I have to say that I DNF'd it at about 40%。 The characters annoyed me， the story line where everything Auris needs just comes to her was frustrating as heck because she already knew everything and she learns nothing。 Unfortunately I don't think I will continue with this series which sucks hopefully he publishes something else soon。 Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jeremy Reppy
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The Shannara series was one of my favorites growing up， so I was excited to learn that Terry Brooks had a new （unrelated） book coming out。 "Child of Light" was an enjoyable story。 Nineteen-year-old Auris has spent the past five years in a Goblin prison。 She has practically no recollection of her life before being in the prison and does not understand how or why she is there with all the other children; all the prisoners are children。 However， she knows that she will soon be killed or forced to b The Shannara series was one of my favorites growing up， so I was excited to learn that Terry Brooks had a new （unrelated） book coming out。 "Child of Light" was an enjoyable story。 Nineteen-year-old Auris has spent the past five years in a Goblin prison。 She has practically no recollection of her life before being in the prison and does not understand how or why she is there with all the other children; all the prisoners are children。 However， she knows that she will soon be killed or forced to breed/reproduce （and when no longer useful， killed）。 She and a group of other prisoners plot an escape， but only she survives。 She wanders through the wasteland， trying to find other humans and safety， and unsure if she will be able to survive。 Right before a group of Goblins recaptures her， she is saved by a strange "person"， who introduces himself as Harrow， a Forest Sylvan Fae， one of the Faerie Folk。 Harrow takes Auris back to his homeland， Viridian Deep， and in the process upends her entire world。 She learns that the Goblins run the prisons on behalf of a group of humans called the Ministry， and that the Goblins， who are a type of Fae， have formed an alliance with the Humans。 Harrow also believes that Auris is Fae， even though she looks 100% Human。 Auris means "child of light" in the Fae language， which is one clue。 Harrow's intuition also tells him that Auris is Fae， and his intuition is rarely wrong。 The story focuses on the efforts to uncover Auris' past， determine whether she is Fae， and figure out what that means for her and the worlds of the Humans and the Fae。 Humans want to capture and destroy the Fae， harnessing their magic， so the presence of a human in Viridian Deep is opposed by some， including Ancrow， the leader of the High Council， a heroine to the Sylvan Fae because of her success in past battles against their enemies， and Harrow's mother。 Auris soon discovers that she has innate knowledge and talents she never realized she possessed。 The more she learns about her past， the more questions that are raised and the greater the potential danger becomes。 The plot is creative with some rather good surprises。 The characters are well developed。 I enjoyed seeing how Auris comes to terms with the new information about herself and her past， and how she seeks to integrate her newfound knowledge and abilities with her past self。 I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Tim C
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Hit me in the feels。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Child of Light
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Child of Light&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Child of Light&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0