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Guardians Duology #1
Lightbringer
When an old wrong leads to war, one girl finds herself in the middle of it all.
For centuries, sealed Gates, protected by powerful magical beings known as Guardians have kept the realms of Earth and Wysteria separate.
But, if a Gate is opened, it allows the inhabitants of both worlds to interact freely, sometimes with dire consequences.
It’s been six months since Sara Montgomery’s mother died. She wants nothing more than to leave her small town, where nothing ever happens and there are too many memories.
But when an old enemy returns, strange things begin happening—things that just don’t happen in this little town.
When her life is disrupted by the Gate’s opening, Sara finds herself caught up in a magical war, forcing her to rethink what she thought she knew—about her town, her own family, and even herself.
She and her new allies must work together or both worlds will be lost to a wicked sorceress out for revenge.
For centuries, sealed Gates, protected by powerful magical beings known as Guardians have kept the realms of Earth and Wysteria separate.
But, if a Gate is opened, it allows the inhabitants of both worlds to interact freely, sometimes with dire consequences.
It’s been six months since Sara Montgomery’s mother died. She wants nothing more than to leave her small town, where nothing ever happens and there are too many memories.
But when an old enemy returns, strange things begin happening—things that just don’t happen in this little town.
When her life is disrupted by the Gate’s opening, Sara finds herself caught up in a magical war, forcing her to rethink what she thought she knew—about her town, her own family, and even herself.
She and her new allies must work together or both worlds will be lost to a wicked sorceress out for revenge.
- GenresFantasy
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2023
10 people are currently reading
1328 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Terry
6 books54 followersRachel Terry grew up in a small town where nothing much ever happened, dreaming of grand adventures and far-away places, which she found between the pages of books. When not writing, she can be found reading, making YouTube videos, gaming with friends, or indulging in her love of history. She currently resides in the Midwest with her family and a cat named Crinkles.
Visit her online at: rachel-terry.com
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Visit her online at: rachel-terry.com
YouTube: RachelTerryAuthor
Instagram: rterrywriter
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 4, 2023
The basics: there are two worlds connected by portals. Normal Earth does not have magic, Wysteria does. There's a villan that wants to resurrect her lover, the rules of Wysteria do not want that. A girl is in the middle of this conflict and tries not to be collateral damage.
This is more feedback than a review, but hopefully it can give you an idea of what to expect. 5 stars because support, etc. (don't let me catch you complaining about this and then giving 5 stars to maassive amounts of shit).
I'll try to connect these things that I found in the book: logic and reason being predominant, characters' dialogues and inner monologues in terms of guesses and probabilities and the like, and the linearity of events. These things create a vibe, sort of the umbrella feeling that I got about this world and the story in general.
So, Earth is supposed to be like our real life Earth, with an emphasis on normalcy, tedium and lack of prospects. The story here flows like routine, goes through the motions, characters behave and talk as expected in a day to day interaction. I expected this to change once we got over to the other world, but this didn't happen. All characters (save one, more on this later) behave and talk as if trying to follow the best course of action, as if they were trying to prove to the reader that what they're saying and doing is logical and makes sense. At some point there are even lines like "is there anything else I can help you with?" which borders on real life customer service. This could (should? I'm a customer service rep myself, I don't have answers for writers) have been used to mark the distinction between the two worlds. Which is a common resource, isn't it? It's not inventing the wheel: to differentiate the two worlds, people here speak like this, think, dress behave etc. and the text supports this atmosphere, this vibe, right? Then we move onto Wysteria and the flavor changes... or not. I didn't notice the change. People on the other side think the same way. When I say "think" I mean it in a meta sort of way, in a way that the reader is aware of, not necessarily the characters themselves.
Next, the events felt kinda linear and here I admit not being the target audience and not liking YA in general. The conflict, as I experienced it, went like this:
The Villain: I want to resurrect my lover.
The Queen of Light and Justice and All That is Good: No.
The Villain: Genocide it is then.
I agree with the other reviewer that mentioned that the conflict escalates way too quickly. Galatea gets a lot of power that doesn't seem to follow the general rules. The queendom that was there before her couldn't face her with 50 or so years of preparation? Here I face the problem of asking the book things it isn't supposed to give me or didn't try to give me, etc. So take this as a vote among all of the others: I wanted more chaos, more surprises, something that takes me, just like the main character wants as well, out of the ordinary life.
All of this creates an aseptic, sterilized story. Everything follows a plan, from A to B to C, and the characters agree that this is the best they can do. Then the plan occurs, with the expected deviations.
Next, some thoughts about random things in no particular order. One, I liked the Wanderer character. This is one of the guardians. At one point she kinda lays on a table and crosses her legs, or something like that. I liked this. It was not logical, it was not necessary for the plot to advance, it gave her a uniqueness, compared to the other characters. And this was a very very minor thing in a minor character, a touch that made all the difference to me. Also, I found the dragons and their conflict was more appealing than the main storyline, but I guess that's because they're dragons.
Also, at one point, a character uses a mirror to disguise themselves so that they can reach the main character. After that the story cuts directly to said character being in the same room with his target. If you're worried about word count, this could've been used to describe the infiltration of the castle, add tension and all that. If felt abrupt, but again, because infiltration scenes are so commonly used.
Next, a nasty comment about one of YA's cancers. There are some "pre-fabricated lines", mostly in the first half of the book, that work against you, as a person that writes. These lines probably have a technically name that I'm not aware of, but anyone can recognize them because they appear in so many books. And this is the problem: they dilute your identity, you're no longer reading your book, but something that has been overused many times before. One or two of these lines do not hurt, but you should take the rest to the side of the road, invite them to kneel and shoot them in the back of the head.
I wasn't annoyed while reading the book. This doesn't sound like a compliment, but I've been swallowing a lot of crap lately (Vita Nostra and Robin Hobb come to mind) that I wanted to acknowledge that logic and reason, within the world they're set in, are not automatically a detriment.
I'm probably forgetting something, but this is basically what I wanted to say. I saw your video today where you mentioned the impostor's syndrome and I wanted to encourage you to keep writing. If you actually write, then you're a writer, there's no impostor there. Work and make an effort, what else can anyone do.
This is more feedback than a review, but hopefully it can give you an idea of what to expect. 5 stars because support, etc. (don't let me catch you complaining about this and then giving 5 stars to maassive amounts of shit).
I'll try to connect these things that I found in the book: logic and reason being predominant, characters' dialogues and inner monologues in terms of guesses and probabilities and the like, and the linearity of events. These things create a vibe, sort of the umbrella feeling that I got about this world and the story in general.
So, Earth is supposed to be like our real life Earth, with an emphasis on normalcy, tedium and lack of prospects. The story here flows like routine, goes through the motions, characters behave and talk as expected in a day to day interaction. I expected this to change once we got over to the other world, but this didn't happen. All characters (save one, more on this later) behave and talk as if trying to follow the best course of action, as if they were trying to prove to the reader that what they're saying and doing is logical and makes sense. At some point there are even lines like "is there anything else I can help you with?" which borders on real life customer service. This could (should? I'm a customer service rep myself, I don't have answers for writers) have been used to mark the distinction between the two worlds. Which is a common resource, isn't it? It's not inventing the wheel: to differentiate the two worlds, people here speak like this, think, dress behave etc. and the text supports this atmosphere, this vibe, right? Then we move onto Wysteria and the flavor changes... or not. I didn't notice the change. People on the other side think the same way. When I say "think" I mean it in a meta sort of way, in a way that the reader is aware of, not necessarily the characters themselves.
Next, the events felt kinda linear and here I admit not being the target audience and not liking YA in general. The conflict, as I experienced it, went like this:
The Villain: I want to resurrect my lover.
The Queen of Light and Justice and All That is Good: No.
The Villain: Genocide it is then.
I agree with the other reviewer that mentioned that the conflict escalates way too quickly. Galatea gets a lot of power that doesn't seem to follow the general rules. The queendom that was there before her couldn't face her with 50 or so years of preparation? Here I face the problem of asking the book things it isn't supposed to give me or didn't try to give me, etc. So take this as a vote among all of the others: I wanted more chaos, more surprises, something that takes me, just like the main character wants as well, out of the ordinary life.
All of this creates an aseptic, sterilized story. Everything follows a plan, from A to B to C, and the characters agree that this is the best they can do. Then the plan occurs, with the expected deviations.
Next, some thoughts about random things in no particular order. One, I liked the Wanderer character. This is one of the guardians. At one point she kinda lays on a table and crosses her legs, or something like that. I liked this. It was not logical, it was not necessary for the plot to advance, it gave her a uniqueness, compared to the other characters. And this was a very very minor thing in a minor character, a touch that made all the difference to me. Also, I found the dragons and their conflict was more appealing than the main storyline, but I guess that's because they're dragons.
Also, at one point, a character uses a mirror to disguise themselves so that they can reach the main character. After that the story cuts directly to said character being in the same room with his target. If you're worried about word count, this could've been used to describe the infiltration of the castle, add tension and all that. If felt abrupt, but again, because infiltration scenes are so commonly used.
Next, a nasty comment about one of YA's cancers. There are some "pre-fabricated lines", mostly in the first half of the book, that work against you, as a person that writes. These lines probably have a technically name that I'm not aware of, but anyone can recognize them because they appear in so many books. And this is the problem: they dilute your identity, you're no longer reading your book, but something that has been overused many times before. One or two of these lines do not hurt, but you should take the rest to the side of the road, invite them to kneel and shoot them in the back of the head.
I wasn't annoyed while reading the book. This doesn't sound like a compliment, but I've been swallowing a lot of crap lately (Vita Nostra and Robin Hobb come to mind) that I wanted to acknowledge that logic and reason, within the world they're set in, are not automatically a detriment.
I'm probably forgetting something, but this is basically what I wanted to say. I saw your video today where you mentioned the impostor's syndrome and I wanted to encourage you to keep writing. If you actually write, then you're a writer, there's no impostor there. Work and make an effort, what else can anyone do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
April 24, 2023Merwild did the cover, ofc I wanna buy and read it!
March 27, 2024
I enjoyed this book, but felt like the guardians were underwhelming in their powers and nature. I liked the world building, but there were often details that may have not been needed, and just were added in to add words. I think the banter and action were good, and look forward to more in this series.
June 26, 2025
I was an ARC a while ago for Phoenix and The Crown so when I saw this book pop up on a stuff your kindle event I jumped at it!
Like Phoenix, I was thoroughly impressed with how Rachel balances POV’s. Lightbringer has a ton of characters and there was only really once I had trouble remembering who was who. Terry does an impeccable job at weaving these characters personal stories in and out of the main story. The only thing I would say is that because there are so many characters it does make it hard for any of them to be fleshed out completely. For example I wanted a little more of Felix’s backstory and how he got his scars with the wolf. But I felt a lot for Galatea!
One thing that wasn’t advertised to me with Lightbringer was the spookiness of it!! I adored it and as a fantasy reader (at least for me) it’s rare the spooky aspects of things are played up in fantasy. Galatea’s willingness to lose herself in trying to bring back Jack by basically destroying her life and raising an army of the undead was absolutely haunting wish there was more advertising of this being in the book I think a lot of people would appreciate it!
Only a few things I didn’t like. Damaris is bada** but consistently being fed “of course she was the flame guardian!” Was a little redundant. Galatea was almost too violent we get she’s evil without her murdering almost every character she comes across with we didn’t need that much violence lol There were also points in the story where we as the reader saw what happened in a scene only for it to be rehashed in a conversation with other characters in the next scene that was a little annoying but meh its a debut there’s always room for improvement.
I highly recommend for a spooky fantasy adventure and give Lightbringer 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like Phoenix, I was thoroughly impressed with how Rachel balances POV’s. Lightbringer has a ton of characters and there was only really once I had trouble remembering who was who. Terry does an impeccable job at weaving these characters personal stories in and out of the main story. The only thing I would say is that because there are so many characters it does make it hard for any of them to be fleshed out completely. For example I wanted a little more of Felix’s backstory and how he got his scars with the wolf. But I felt a lot for Galatea!
One thing that wasn’t advertised to me with Lightbringer was the spookiness of it!! I adored it and as a fantasy reader (at least for me) it’s rare the spooky aspects of things are played up in fantasy. Galatea’s willingness to lose herself in trying to bring back Jack by basically destroying her life and raising an army of the undead was absolutely haunting wish there was more advertising of this being in the book I think a lot of people would appreciate it!
Only a few things I didn’t like. Damaris is bada** but consistently being fed “of course she was the flame guardian!” Was a little redundant. Galatea was almost too violent we get she’s evil without her murdering almost every character she comes across with we didn’t need that much violence lol There were also points in the story where we as the reader saw what happened in a scene only for it to be rehashed in a conversation with other characters in the next scene that was a little annoying but meh its a debut there’s always room for improvement.
I highly recommend for a spooky fantasy adventure and give Lightbringer 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
This book was fine. Standard fantasy elves, battles, a human girl who (surprise) turns out to have rare power, a cursed male elf love interest, a scorned, rejected and feared villain using necromancy. All the ingredients for an amazing tale, but this was just average. I honestly can't tell if it was the characters, how it was written or the naff ending setting up for a sequel I don't want to read, but I really didn't enjoy this book...
There were too many POVs flitting between characters, none of whom were actually that strong? In the beginning I thought Felix would be a strong MC, cursed, on a time limit, powerful, but he actually had very few sections in his POV and he did very little besides protect the useless human character. I think she was meant to be the MC, but there was very little to her, having a dead mum didn't give her a personality, wanting to leave her home town and being a stifled artist is not actually a character, being overly attached to a few characters did not add anything, gaining magic also did very little... The unicorn overly powerful centuries year old character failed to turn the tide in anything. The villain having a POV just meant we always knew what her plans were, which took away from any potential suspense.
There was betrayal, loss, worry and politics and yet none of it went anywhere. This felt like a really long world building exercise, with a few characters that saw little actual growth. Couldn't get into the world, the characters or the plot... Not for me.
There were too many POVs flitting between characters, none of whom were actually that strong? In the beginning I thought Felix would be a strong MC, cursed, on a time limit, powerful, but he actually had very few sections in his POV and he did very little besides protect the useless human character. I think she was meant to be the MC, but there was very little to her, having a dead mum didn't give her a personality, wanting to leave her home town and being a stifled artist is not actually a character, being overly attached to a few characters did not add anything, gaining magic also did very little... The unicorn overly powerful centuries year old character failed to turn the tide in anything. The villain having a POV just meant we always knew what her plans were, which took away from any potential suspense.
There was betrayal, loss, worry and politics and yet none of it went anywhere. This felt like a really long world building exercise, with a few characters that saw little actual growth. Couldn't get into the world, the characters or the plot... Not for me.
May 28, 2023
Overall, I liked the story. I will be picking up the next book.
There were a few things that bothered me.
FIrst, the Guardians were so passive in the beginning. So much so that I started to get annoyed with them.
Second, which also has to do with the Guardians. The Earth Guardians are so weak. One of them is killed on accident, another one is killed easily. How is it that these Guardians have no protective messers in place? Is there no way to recognize that magic is being performed around them?
Galatea seems a bit overpowered, and I don’t understand why she doesn’t just kill all the Guardians she comes in contact with. She is bent on revenge against them, that is established early on. She is clearly more powerful than most of them. Why doesn’t she just kill them? She doesn’t even try to hide the fact that she is back. There are only two Guardians that seem to be any match for her. Why wait for them to band together or get organized?
I did like that once Galatea brought Jack back, he was horrified at what she had done.
There were a few things that bothered me.
FIrst, the Guardians were so passive in the beginning. So much so that I started to get annoyed with them.
Second, which also has to do with the Guardians. The Earth Guardians are so weak. One of them is killed on accident, another one is killed easily. How is it that these Guardians have no protective messers in place? Is there no way to recognize that magic is being performed around them?
Galatea seems a bit overpowered, and I don’t understand why she doesn’t just kill all the Guardians she comes in contact with. She is bent on revenge against them, that is established early on. She is clearly more powerful than most of them. Why doesn’t she just kill them? She doesn’t even try to hide the fact that she is back. There are only two Guardians that seem to be any match for her. Why wait for them to band together or get organized?
I did like that once Galatea brought Jack back, he was horrified at what she had done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2024
Review
Honestly, I feel like the plot idea is there but it was just so hard for me to get through. I skimmed about 70% of the book because I wanted to know what happened and will not be reading the 2nd book.
Multiple POV was more of a hinderance and I also usually love multiple POV. I also hated the wind guardian.
★- Could not finish the book or barely scraped on by because I was being stubborn.
★★ - Poor writing or plot that made it hard to read. Finished the book but I did not enjoy myself.
Would not recommend.
★★★ - Average. It was good but not great, maybe a little boring. Might have had a few good aspects
★★★★ - My most common rating. I enjoyed the book. It was great and had either a solid plot, great writing, was just a really fun read or a combo of all 3. Would not reread it, but would definitely recommend
★★★★★ - 10/10 book! It was AMAZING. I lost control of my emotions. The writing was *chef's kiss*. Definite reread in the future and will shout book recommendations from the rooftops.
Always willing to talk about this book. I rate 5 stars more sparingly now, so ratings prior to 2022 may have slipped in before new system.
Honestly, I feel like the plot idea is there but it was just so hard for me to get through. I skimmed about 70% of the book because I wanted to know what happened and will not be reading the 2nd book.
Multiple POV was more of a hinderance and I also usually love multiple POV. I also hated the wind guardian.
★- Could not finish the book or barely scraped on by because I was being stubborn.
★★ - Poor writing or plot that made it hard to read. Finished the book but I did not enjoy myself.
Would not recommend.
★★★ - Average. It was good but not great, maybe a little boring. Might have had a few good aspects
★★★★ - My most common rating. I enjoyed the book. It was great and had either a solid plot, great writing, was just a really fun read or a combo of all 3. Would not reread it, but would definitely recommend
★★★★★ - 10/10 book! It was AMAZING. I lost control of my emotions. The writing was *chef's kiss*. Definite reread in the future and will shout book recommendations from the rooftops.
Always willing to talk about this book. I rate 5 stars more sparingly now, so ratings prior to 2022 may have slipped in before new system.
June 6, 2024
Getting into this book took a while, but once the characters' stories started to come together, everything made more sense.
Sara lives in a small town where nothing ever happens, trying to forget about her mom's death months ago while also trying to reclaim any sense of adventure she had before. Her world is very quickly upended when it becomes clear that she inadvertently has become instrumental in the war between two worlds.
Out of all the characters that are part of this book, I liked Felix the most. There were hints of his backstory throughout, and I will say that I am rooting for him to accomplish what he needs to. The development of the other world and the lore of the Guardians was well-done, and I will be returning to Wysteria to see what happens next.
Sara lives in a small town where nothing ever happens, trying to forget about her mom's death months ago while also trying to reclaim any sense of adventure she had before. Her world is very quickly upended when it becomes clear that she inadvertently has become instrumental in the war between two worlds.
Out of all the characters that are part of this book, I liked Felix the most. There were hints of his backstory throughout, and I will say that I am rooting for him to accomplish what he needs to. The development of the other world and the lore of the Guardians was well-done, and I will be returning to Wysteria to see what happens next.
May 29, 2023
It’s funny how men and women review books differently. I must say that this book does have issues. There are a lot of descriptions that are either non existent or way off, the guardians actually needed to be much stronger and the writing was just not up to what one might expect. Although this is a YA book. However, as I was reading it, I felt like it was just lackadaisical in many of the writing elements. I wish I could rate it higher but 2 out of stars for me.
Thank you Goodreads as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
Thank you Goodreads as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
May 20, 2023
Lightbringer
A hidden family secret could put everyone in danger. It is up to a group of people to protect and defend Earth and it’s inhabitants. One girl from Earth leaves to go get protection for herself. While there, she needs to pay close attention to clues to make sure she is safe. Despite everyone’s efforts around her, it seems that no where is safe. Left with trying to fix things on her own, she is left with a big decision.
#GoodreadsGiveaways
A hidden family secret could put everyone in danger. It is up to a group of people to protect and defend Earth and it’s inhabitants. One girl from Earth leaves to go get protection for herself. While there, she needs to pay close attention to clues to make sure she is safe. Despite everyone’s efforts around her, it seems that no where is safe. Left with trying to fix things on her own, she is left with a big decision.
#GoodreadsGiveaways
June 13, 2023
I read this book out loud to my mother and we both agree it is absolutely magnificent. The pacing of the story as well as the switches in character perspective are expertly done. It is a book that keeps you reading long after you should have probably put it down and gone to sleep. Not only that, but it's a book that has you wanting to read it again right after you have finished it. I know my mother and I can't wait to read the second book.
June 14, 2024
This is a solid debut YA fantasy novel, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I'm always a sucker for a portal fantasy, and enjoyed reading this story. Loved the description of the palace library, but we never got to see what books were there ;) Hopefully, we get to learn more about what makes the heroine tick in book #2!
February 16, 2024
I liked the cover a lot, but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. There was an idea here, for sure, but it was not executed in a good way; a.k.a. I skimmed because I just wanted to know the ending, as everything else was just...boring.
August 15, 2025
Overall ideally enjoyed this book. It did take several chapters for me to rant her into the story line. I think with the new world building and switching characters POV didn't help. But by the end I was enjoying the story.
May 27, 2023
Such a fantastic book! I was never bored because this book as exciting from its first chapter to the last chapter. Full of magic and battles! Can’t wait for the next book.
December 21, 2023
This book was really good. This is a 4 1/2 star for me. I hope to read the sequal soon
February 24, 2025
review / opinion
At first I was confused, but then the story really got me, and the everything made sense and now I just want to read the next book and see the how it ends.
At first I was confused, but then the story really got me, and the everything made sense and now I just want to read the next book and see the how it ends.
January 6, 2024
I absolutely fell in love with this story!
Sara Montgomery finds herself in the middle of a war between an evil sorceress and the Guardians of the Gates of Earth and Wysteria. After she discovers her family’s connection to the magical realm of Wysteria and that she too has magical powers, her life changes forever.
I devoured this book and could not put it down! I was so thrilled to find a young main female character who I could see myself connecting with during my teenage years, and not just because both our names are the same (albeit with different spelling). I was captivated by the idea of gates leading from Earth to a magical realm where elves, unicorns, and magical creatures lived and breathed. It was brilliantly done!
I absolutely adore Felix, one of the main male characters and a possible love interest. I felt that Felix was the perfect example of a imperfect yet self aware character, and the growing relationship between him and Sara had me smiling the whole time. It’s such a sweet dynamic of caring about each other but not being exactly sure of their own feelings yet. There is a lovely friendship growing between Felix, Colin, and Sara that I really enjoyed, and I am excited to see how all the characters and their relationships develop in the next book.
This story is now on my “need to purchase list” so I can find out what happens next!
Sara Montgomery finds herself in the middle of a war between an evil sorceress and the Guardians of the Gates of Earth and Wysteria. After she discovers her family’s connection to the magical realm of Wysteria and that she too has magical powers, her life changes forever.
I devoured this book and could not put it down! I was so thrilled to find a young main female character who I could see myself connecting with during my teenage years, and not just because both our names are the same (albeit with different spelling). I was captivated by the idea of gates leading from Earth to a magical realm where elves, unicorns, and magical creatures lived and breathed. It was brilliantly done!
I absolutely adore Felix, one of the main male characters and a possible love interest. I felt that Felix was the perfect example of a imperfect yet self aware character, and the growing relationship between him and Sara had me smiling the whole time. It’s such a sweet dynamic of caring about each other but not being exactly sure of their own feelings yet. There is a lovely friendship growing between Felix, Colin, and Sara that I really enjoyed, and I am excited to see how all the characters and their relationships develop in the next book.
This story is now on my “need to purchase list” so I can find out what happens next!
October 2, 2023
What an unexpected great read! I loved the story and all the different characters.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews