Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan - Review & Giveaway

Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
Expected publication: February 2012
Publisher: Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger. 

My review:
Llona isn't like other teenagers. She has pale skin, white hair, can manipulate light, and has an excess of energy during a full moon. Llona is an Aura, like her mother was. Her mother was killed by a Vyken several years earlier. After her father also dies, she lives with her uncle, Jake. However, that means she doesn't have anyone who can teach her what it means to be an Aura, except for her aunt, Sophie, who wants Llona to attend a special school for Auras, Lucent Academy. Llona also doesn't have any friends, except for May, who still isn't a close friend. The two girls are drawn together because they are aware there is something different about the other, but they do not talk about their secrets. When Llona finally starts letting herself get close to May and meets Christian, she is finally ready to stop moving from place to place like they have been doing. Llona finds out she has a guardian. All Auras have guardians assigned to them, but usually only when they are older and have left Lucent Academy. However, the danger that they knew was a possibility is closer than she or her guardian realized, and Llona must learn to harness the power of light to protect herself and the ones she has come to care about.

The idea of someone who is going to protect you no matter what does have a strong appeal. On the one hand, it is hard to resist this character and this theme. On the other hand, there is a part of me that doesn't like the type of lead female character who needs someone to protect her. I was very surprised and pleased when Llona ended up being willing and able to protect herself, even though she did have a guardian.

Rachel McClellan did an excellent job writing her characters and spacing big moments in just the right places to keep your attention. There may have been some elements which didn't seem believable. (For example, the girl who wants to be invisible being the star player on the basketball team - during the full moons, of course.) However, to enjoy this type of novel, you have to lose yourself and let yourself believe in the fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fractured Light. I would recommend this to anyone, and I am looking forward to reading the next book from Rachel.

A copy was provided by the publisher for review.

About the author:

"My mind only knows how to write. Other people perform simple tasks like cleaning their house or using the bathroom without a distracting thought.

I can't.

Yesterday I meant to vacuum, but ended up scrubbing blood out of my carpet instead. The body's still in the freezer. And when I went to take a shower, a little girl in a red dress and pigtails appeared to me in the vanity mirror. Again. I wish she would go away.

See what I mean? My life is a story and the only way to stay sane is write it all down. I only hope others can find joy in my insanity" - Rachel McClellan

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four small children. Her love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Fractured Light is her debut novel.

Find out more on Rachel's website, Twitter, Facebook, and the Book Poster page.

View the rest of the tour stops.

Giveaway:

One copy of Fractured Light to one winner, provided by Cedar Fort.

Giveaway is open to international entries. If winner is international, an eBook will be sent. Winners in the US will have the option of a print copy or an eBook.

How to enter:

+1 Follow Krazy Book Lady on Twitter.
+1 Like Krazy Book Lady on Facebook.

+1 Follow Rachel on Twitter.

+1 Like Rachel's page on Facebook.

+1 Follow Cedar Fort on Twitter.
+1 Like Cedar Fort on Facebook.
+1 Leave a blog post comment.

Please do not leave emails or usernames in the blog post comments. Please include usernames, name you used to leave a comment, etc, in the section for comments on the entry form. 

Giveaway details:
Giveaway is open internationally. This giveaway will run until midnight on January 25. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be emailed and this blog post will be updated to include the winner's name. Winner has 3 days to contact me or a new winner will be selected. Cedar Fort will be notified, and the book will be shipped from them.

Thank you for entering and good luck!

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed.

Winner: Rachel V.