Between Light & Shadows

by Jennifer Porterfield

Mika's childhood was plagued by a real-life monster until an act of desperation forces her to flee. She finds acceptance at Moreland Estate, where a defiant baroness has collected an assortment of wayward children – a somber young boy who had been marked for death, a rebellious thief who treats every day as a new adventure, a haughty lightmaker with dark secrets in her past, and an emotionless shadowtouch trained only to obey. Now Mika must find her way in a world where prejudices run high between lightmakers, the revered men and women of Feirtala who can create light, and shadowtouches, an enslaved race of people forced to extinguish those lights. As she forms a deep and enduring bond with the baroness's shadowtouch, Kell, she must learn to embrace her own lightmaking powers. Her journey is a struggle that spans many years and many miles, but through it all, Mika will uncover the stunning truth of her past, forge friendships that disrupt the fabric of her nation's future, and above all, fight for a love that defies intolerance.

485 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2023

Reviews

[Tor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially read this book on FictionPress 10+ years ago. I loved it then, I love it even more now!

Without spoiling anything, this book is a sweet, relatively clean YA-leaning romance book. There’s intrigue, politics, antics, shenanigans, love, family, secret royalty, and more than one plot twist that will keep you on your toes.

We’re introduced to Mika as a young child, and follow her into adulthood as she navigates who she is, what love is, what family is, and right and wrong.

If you’re a fan of (tastefully handled, non-creepy) age gap romances, forbidden by society love, character growth and development, laughing, crying, or just romance in general, pick up this book.