Book Review: Daughter of Light by Morgan L. Busse

Daughter of Light by  Morgan L. Busse
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Marcher Lord Press
Publication Date: April 2012

Rowen Mar is all alone. Her village doesn’t like her and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t overcome their distrust of her. So when she wakes up one day with a bright mark on her hand that won’t go away, she knows that there’s going to be trouble. It gets even worse when a young man comes to her, intent on making sure that she’s cared for now that her father has passed, and presses his intentions beyond her comfort level. One touch from her bright hand and suddenly Rowen is in the middle of a very real witch hunt. When she gets a job offer from a faraway land, she doesn’t hesitate to accept.

With her hand hidden safely behind a leather glove, Rowen trains day and night until she becomes varor (bodyguard and protector) to a privileged young woman. It’s here that she finds more than just a job, she finds a place of acceptance for the first time in her life.

Rowen’s journey is beautiful, heartbreaking, and even though the book is fantasy, it’s easily relatable. The Word (who spoke and created everything into existence) has a plan and a destiny for Rowen. Though she thinks it is beyond her and she’s frightened, Rowen must learn how to accept The Word and His direction in her life. Sound familiar?

I’ve read many stories that parallel our spiritual journey. Some of them are simple and others have been complex. Some hit the mark and some miss it completely. Busse’s writing hit the nail on the head for me. I was rocked to the core during the scenes where Rowen needed to learn more about herself and her existence. This portion of the plot was well written, concise, and not so heavy handed that it continued to beat the reader with already understood knowledge. (I hate it when an author insists on pounding a point home repeatedly once I’ve gotten it!)

As a fan of fantasy and adventure, this book was a promising start to what could be a great series. Plotlines were intricate enough to give us a taste of what might come later and the characters were such that we care how each of them fares in the story. Intrigue, mystery, adventure – this book has enough of each of them to keep the reader more than just engaged. I was delighted to discover that this book had one of those special tipping points that all readers enjoy. You know the one I mean. When you know that you really need to put the book down and go to bed but you just can’t stop reading because you must find out what happens next.

At the end of this first venture from Busse, I am excited to see what she brings to the table for her next outing.

Rated PG-13: The book really doesn’t have a lot questionable in it, but the storylines would be tougher for younger kids to understand. So I’d recommend this for teens and up.

Review copy provided by the author. Thank you!