Artificial Light

The Spectrum Trilogy #2

by Crystal Connor

A dangerous witch promises retribution and an immortal witch comes to her aide. A celebrated detective races against the clock to save the citizens of her city from a deranged madman, while a firm of rogue scientists relentlessly attempts to obtain knowledge that man should never have… An exiled boy returns home to demand the throne and the decisions he makes as King will stalk his descendants far beyond the 21st century. A hand full of children are reborn, not by the blood of Christ, but by the marvels of modern science. Mad scientist and wicked witches, a hero cop and corrupt knights, a horrific serial killer and a small group of children who will grow up to usher in era; and control a period of time that will be more brutal, more frightening, and irrevocable than the Dark Ages.
You’ve stumbled out of The Darkness just to find yourself wandering through Artificial Light.

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2012

About the author

I grew up telling spooky little campfire style stories at slumber parties. We’d make a tent in the bedroom, and the only source of light would be from a flashlight that was about to die. I’d tell my tale of doom and then while everyone was jumping at the tree branch scraping against the window and I’d be sound asleep!

I served my country in the United States Navy working as a boiler technician on board the USS McKee AS-41 assigned to the 7th fleet.

While deployed at various ports-of-call throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East I began to learn about other cultures’ monsters and nightmares and I use my world travels and experiences take you to some of the exotic places that I’ve been but have altered and embellished with my twisted view of how a story should end…while at the same time taking you on a journey you might not otherwise be able to afford or brave enough to undertake.

The Darkness, is my first full-length novel, is published by Bennett and Hastings. My current projects, “…And They All Lived Happily Ever After” and “Artificial Light,” the sequel to The Darkness will be released in 2011. My short story “The Ruins” was the runner-up selection of Crypticon Seattle’s 2010 writing contest, and accepted for publication for The Static Movement Anthology "Sowing the Seeds of Horror.” My short story “The Monster” will be featured in the anthology “Strange Tales of Horror” published by NorGus Press.

Reviews

[Jodie Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine recommended this book and only once I finished it did I realize that it was part of a series. I had no idea! And that's a sign of a great book. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, and didn't feel lost or that I had missed out on a significant part of the plot. I started the book on Tuesday and was finished by Thursday. I have twin baby boys, which keep me really busy, so the book must've been worth it! :) I don't want to spoil the ending but this book will suck you in from the first few pages. The protagonist is not only a sympathetic character, but an interesting and smart one as well. I can't wait to go back and read more from this author! She is truly gifted.

[Michelle Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say about this book is WOW! This is a great second installment in the trilogy and I had to read it straight through once I got started. Crystal Connor has done what many writers struggle to do, write a successful follow up to their first novel. She has created characters that are so real some of them are even scary. This story picks up with Artemesia raising Adam's children that he had with Logan. They are even more powerful than Adam and look to become a very large threat, that is if they survive. Ms. Connor has added so many different layers to this book that it is like a treat for the reader. I enjoyed how she combined the world of magic with that of science, she actually made me interested in how a scientific mind works and all the positive and negative things it can create. I truly enjoy reading Ms. Connor's novels and eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a new author to read and who is interested in the worlds of magic and sci-fi. This book will go down as one of my favorites and I will gladly recommend it to everyone.

[Charlotte Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way to go Crystal Connor! You have written a follow up to The Darkness that not only is just as good or better but it can also stand alone just fine. I chose this book because I read The Darkness and was hoping there would be more. Needless to say, I almost did back flips when I saw that you had written a second installment in the series. This is a great book with many of the characters we became familiar with in the first book. Artemesia is as determined and calculating as ever while Inanna is as scary and evil as she was in the first book and the new characters are great additions to the story. I enjoyed how the world of science was combined with the world of magic once again and found the serial killer aspect to be easy to follow and blended well with the other characters and the rest of the story.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading mysteries and who may also be interested in all of the possibilities that science has to offer. Once you start this book you will not be able to stop, so make sure you have a warm blanket and something to drink because you will not want to be interrupted.

[Andy Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Darkness author Crystal Connor introduced us to Atremisia, a woman of science and Inanna, a woman of powerful magic. With Artificial Light these characters are back but take more of a back seat to new (equally strong) characters who propel the story along to a stunning climax that sets everything up for what promises to be a rollercoaster final book in the series. The story strands cover magic, fantasy, science and police procedural and each part is believable and well written.
Not to give too much away, the science part involves the "transitioning" of memories at the point of death into newborns and the chapters that cover these children are some of the best and, at times, heart-wrenching scenes I have read - EVER!!
With The Darkness Crystal Connor was seen as a promising new arrival on the scene, with Artificial Light she becomes the real deal, a definite star of the future. (And she still rights better dog characters the Dean Koontz)

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artificial Light is the second book in the Spectrum Trilogy and the follow up to "The Darkness". The story line from "The Darkness" continues, but we also meet new characters and story as well. The book stands on its own however, I don't think you really need to have read "The Darkness" to understand and follow it, although you should because that was a great book. There are basically four story lines in this book and normally when I read a book with multiple story lines, I find that I favor one and I find it laborious to trudge through the non-interesting one just to get back to the interesting one. That almost ALWAYS happens, even in Stephen King books, at least for me. But "Artificial Light" is the rare exception. As the story switched between the different story lines I didn't mind leaving one storyline and picking up the next. I was equally excited about all of them. I think that might be the first time that has happened to me when reading this kind of novel. As in "The Darkness" it parallels some equality and I expect ultimately a showdown between science and supernatural. The novel's storylines include two powerful witches Innana and Abigail and an ancient blood feud connected to them that continues to present day, a scientist whose experiments have 'transitioned' several older people into being physically reborn with their memories intact, and a serial killer. My favorite character in "The Darkness" was the witch Inanna, but clearly here in "Artificial Light" I'm a Kenya O'Callaghan fan. She's a detective trying to solve the serial murders case. Crystal Connor's writing style is fun and page turning. I highly recommend this book! And I absolutely cannot wait until the conclusion in the third book.

[Tofts Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the introduction of new characters and new locations around the world, this sequel to “The Darkness” takes the reader on an epic journey. Magic, ancient texts and biblical history make this tale even more interesting and exciting than the first book. While the narrative continues, incredible events happen that make the reader sit up and pay attention. This kind of action makes it difficult to put the book down.

From an underground bunker, the inconceivable happens. “… Dr. Farley developed a technique to genetically map the human brain while living and, upon death, implant that consciousness into a fetus… thus allowing a person to be born again and live forever. Not by the Blood of Christ but through the Miracle of Science.” The potential conflicts that could arise from this are unfathomable.

Even though the complexities of this type of science can easily confuse a reader, the author weaves this information into the story in a simple and easy narrative.

The author briefly introduces the possibility of weatherized warfare (humans fighting each other with huge natural disasters). These are controlled from the comfort of the underground and secret military-type bunker deep below the city. It is truly astonishing what people can/will do to each other. This author makes the reader really think about life.

The reader is left with one question: What will happen when/if the science children meet each other?

This second book feels like a hybrid of Robert Jordon’s “Wheel of Time” series crossed with J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, then mixed with Jeffrey Deaver’s stories.


--Tofts Reviews

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a mindf*ck! Connor has penned a dazzling continuation to a brilliant debut! Artificial Light, book two of the Spectrum trilogy illuminates readers’ minds and brings them on a quest into a dimension they have never visited before even in their wildest dreams. Sci-fi, medical thriller and fantasy are just a few of the many facets of this gem of a tale which is guaranteed to appeal to a large audience. In addition to the sub-genres, there are wizards, fairies and an abundance of conflict . Once again Connor has created an original and bizarre storyline spotlighting memory switching which sounds unusual, but pay attention so the storyline can be followed because it keeps one’s brain stimulated to say the very least. Our favorite two witches return from The Darkness with a vengeance along with some new characters one may hope to hear from again. Connor’s horrifying addition to this series sets the preface of what book three could possibly contain. Just a reminder, it can be read as a standalone novel, but it’s so much better to eat the entire cookie rather than take one measly bite.

[Jill W · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began this book, I found myself a bit confused about who the characters were and how they all tied in together. Upon further reading, I found all of them and their situations to be very complex. What I discovered was this book truly has it all.

Imagine what it would be like if you could genetically engineer who a person would become. What if you could cast a spell to make life easier or more difficult for others all for your own personal gain? The downside to this would be murder, or would that really be considered a negative?

What was uncovered as the plot unfolded was more sinister than expected and fascinating to say the least. While I was a bit skeptical of this book in the beginning, I can honestly say I wound up being intrigued in the end.

[OrchardBookClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Crystal Conner you did it again! This book was even better than the 1st one (The Darkness) and I didn’t think that would be possible!
Artificial Light re-introduces us to Atremisia & Innanna and also introduces us to more characters from the first book in more detail and new characters. I especially loved Kenya O'Callaghan, a detective who is trying to solve a serious serial killer case.

Artificial Light is a MUST read for anyone who likes a bit of mystery mixed up with science and magic. I cannot wait for the next instalment!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very imaginative. Intriguing story and the science intertwined with magic without making it seem contradictory.