I’ve always had one foot in both worlds, never truly belonging to either.

“[A Conduit is] considered a myth, mostly. A Veldan who can channel both Light and Shadow, turning them into something else entirely.”

… What an incredible story! To say I devoured it would be an understatement. Set in Kansas City (and later, Nebraska), the story follows Tessalyn (Tessa) Pryce as she finds love, order, and rebellion in a dystopian/supernatural world. In this strange tech-filled space, select people can manipulate Shadow and Light, but Tessa and her brother, Tristan, are special. She starts to find that she’s a Conduit, able to access Verdelis more directly… Essentially, if she was Jedi, she’s got Anakin’s unique attunement to the Force, and she can manipulate both energies plus siphon from the people around her. And her eyes? They change color. Tristan is a Weaver, who can manipulate both elements, but he’s not tapped into the Force quite as heavily.

The siblings meet Kieran, an AURA soldier who accidentally brings them into his world, separating the siblings from each other and Blitz, the dog they’re separated from who I could personally not stop thinking about. Tessa trains as a soldier, growing closer to her pink-haired, sharp-tongued roommate Lila and Kieran, with whom she finds a romantic connection. As they patrol and face dark creatures called Wraithkin, she catches a glimpse of Tristan, who turns his face away as if he’s never recognized her. Both siblings have recovered from a horrible, deadly condition called the Umbraxis, and Tessa spends her time fretting about the experiments she’d be subjected to if they discover it, which makes her especially concerned about what her brother has gone through at the hands of AURA. And she has strong reason to suspect he’d undergone experimentation, as she learns some dark truths about how the cult-like power harnesses the abilities of children. Naturally, an ounce of rebellion is spurred in her, and she follows Kieran down a path that could, potentially, help break down AURA and create a better, more balanced world.

The worldbuilding and story reminded me of The Initiative in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but if that season was well-done and Riley was a likeable love interest. This story really scratched an itch I didn’t know I had, and I read most of the story in just one day. I couldn’t put it down! I very highly recommend this series, and I definitely plan to read more from Nicole Thorner.

P.S. If Blitz isn’t in future books I will personally riot until I get closure.

Read if you love: YA stories, paranormal worlds, and dystopian plots

The post first appeared on Nikki Elizabeth.