Luminous

Psyne #1

by Jasmine Angell

What would you do if the world you loved was taken from you forever? ...and what would you sacrifice to get it back?

Magical, Mythical, Mesmerizing…

A powerful race of beings lives and works among us and we don’t even know it. To us, they are known as mermaids, sirens and water nymphs, but they call themselves the Psyne. They have lived on Earth since ancient times, wield powerful magic and have only one weakness—love.

When Psyne suddenly start disappearing around the globe, the remaining aquatars are evacuated to their home world and a ban is placed on Earth. Ilauria, a devoted servant to the Psyne Council, can’t abide abandoning the missing eight, and with the help of her long-time friend, Shivan, and a subversive member of the Venvian Psyne named Adante, she embarks on a harrowing rescue mission to uncover who or what is powerful enough to subdue her kind.

What Ilauria discovers will cause her to question her loyalties, reexamine her dual nature, and will shake the very foundations of the truths her society holds dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mermaids, Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal

534 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2013

About the author

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” - Albert Einstein

Jasmine was born in Tucson, Arizona, the oldest of two children. She spent her teen years living in Phoenix, Arizona and then attended the University of Arizona in Tucson where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing. She married and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where her husband attended graduate school at the University of Utah. There she adopted a love for the changing seasons, snowboarding and the beauty of the mountains.

She spent several years working on a literary novel but found her heart wasn’t in it. Finally she quit her day job to write full time and embraced her life-long love of fantasy fiction. She wrote Luminous, the first novel in the Psyne series (pronounced "sign") and followed it up with the sequel, Prism, due out the summer of 2014. With a third series novel in the works and no end in sight, Jasmine will be spending a great deal of time in the Psyne universe over the next several years. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she loves to horseback ride, dance, make elaborate costumes just for the fun of it, and is always planning her next themed tea party.

Learn more about Jasmine on her website:
www.jasmineangell.com

Follow her on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/LuminousNovel

Follow her on Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/JasmineXAngell

She has a blog at:
http://jasmineangell.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Alisa]

Is it just me, or is the cover absolutely terrifying? Those eyes are staring into your soul.

[Carrie (Book Fairy) Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Lines “Even if that means I’ll never see you again, if that’s what you want, I’ll do it. I want you to have your husband and become a mother and live as a human, if those things will bring you happiness.”

“I would never deny myself what we have. I’m supporting Ilauria not only because the Council is corrupt but because if there’s a chance to change how Psyne are allowed to interact with humans, like this,” she said before kissing him again, “then I want to make sure it happens. So that we won’t have to live in fear.”

“I’ll never find the answers I need that way. My eyes are open now and can never be closed.”

I love books where prejudice species end up falling for the ones they think they are superior too!
The Pysne are a race the love the earths ocean but, when the sisters go missing. Two friends and a stubborn Venvian who think humans are below her go to earth to find there people and get back before the portals to earth are closed forever!
Shivan, Ilauria, and Adante make so many shocking discoveries about their people, council, their hearts, and the ones they follow. Minds and hearts are swayed!
I can't tell you more because the smallest thing will give it away. IT IS A GREAT NEE IDEA for a story!
I mean MERMAIDS!!! Come on how could you not just love that!!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review

FOUR MERMAID FAIRIES

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I'm not a big fan of mermaids. In any books I've read about them they're more or less the same. I came to this book quite hesitantly to be honest afraid it would end up being the usual cliched mermaids I've always read about. I admit I was surprised to learn that the mermaids in this were not the cliched ones I'd feared. In fact they lived in a well thought out world all their own unique to this author's point of view. I especially loved the descriptions the author used. They were vivid and colorful, perfect for mermaids in my mind, or as she calls them in her book, the Psyne. I do admit it annoyed me how everything the characters did was anticipated and thwarted by the bad guys. I understood at the end why the bad guys were able to do so but I did find that aspect annoying. Still that aside I thought the book was very good and recommend it for anyone who is interested in fantasy! These are not mermaids, after all, they're Psyne! A new dimension to a fantasy creature that was sorely needed and is now provided!

[Rob Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer revolutionized how pop culture viewed vampires and that’s precisely what Luminous does for mermaids! This novel is a bold re-imagining of the mythological icon and the end result is an unforgettable story that thrills, surprises and captivates to the very last word. By the end of the novel you’ll have a favorite mermaid that you’ll want to follow into the sequel. A+ for being a clean book with no foul language or inappropriate content. A delightful book to curl up with!

[Adrienne Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mermaids, I'm facinated with them and any story containing mermaids I'm eager to read. Lumious was a beautiful story that send us on a search mission. It's packed with action, and even in mermaid stories there are the bad guys. Here is twist and turns I didn't expected and in the end, I really loved Luminous. Jasmine developed her characters so well, she has an unique writing style and I can't wait for the next one.

Although I loved it at the end, I did struggle to get into this one.

[Danielle R'dson]

I REALLY want to read this book!!! I've never read a book about mermaids before, so this one intrigues me. And the cover is beautiful as well. Will update this review when I actually read the book :P

[Shivani · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love me some fantasy... a huge fan of this genre... after reading the summary i can't wait to read the book ...

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVW4_...

[Sirenita · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we think of mermaids, we rarely associate them with planets, magic, or being off this world. Jasmine Angell did a fantastic job with the creativity of her merfolk. I've been reading mermaid books for years and this novel is truly original.

There were some spots where it was a bit of information overload, so I recommend using the highlight feature on your kindle to reference earlier concepts. One other note is that there were a lot of editing errors, including comma splices.

Despite this, I look forward to reading the second book.
Want more mermaid reviews? Check out my profile or Sirenita's Grotto!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. It sucked me in from the first chapter and had me going until the last page. Now I NEED to know what happens to my favorite characters in the second book. Definitely a need, not a want. ;)

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good fantasy that sucked me in. Only major flaw is that middle dragged on.

[A.M. Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A must read for YA fantasy readers!

Two pages in and I was fully hooked and kept on reading into the small hours of the night as I just couldn’t stop reading. I was pulled from one spell binding scene to the next right to the end of the book that had me panting for even more.

Luminous is a fast-paced fantasy read about the Psyne, the mermaid-like creatures who are posted on Earth as protectors, but are disappearing without trace. When the Council decides to withdraw the Psyne from Earth, IIauria and Shivan take matters in their own hands and secretly return to Earth to find their missing sisters, only to discover that the Fury, their old nemesis, are back.
With the help of their human friends they have to figure out how and why the Fury came back and how to overcome them while finding their missing sisters. Ilauria is forced to revisit her still tender emotions after choosing to walk away from her human love many centuries ago to return to the Psyne. Her inner strength shines brightly as she is able to see past his sense of rejection and anger to the heart of who he is.

This is a book filled with plenty of breathtaking action, anxious moments, budding new love, resurrected lost love and age old moral dilemmas that are intimately intertwined with a growing and menacing magic that will destroy the Psyne as well as mankind from the pen of a skilled and gifted writer. It is a book that I simply couldn’t put down.
What especially sets Luminous apart for me is that the author brings something new to the fantasy genre. She shows us very convincingly who and what mermaids truly are and then introduces their world in such a vivid, mesmerizing manner that I was enchanted and just couldn’t get enough. Her thinking and presentation is unique and very well thought out.

Simply put: I love this book. I love the characters, the world the author pulled me into and the way she turned the stereotypical image of mermaids we all know on its head and changed them into fully fleshed out intelligent, caring and complex beings, flaws and all. The continual struggle to integrate their human side to their Psyne beliefs and way of thinking and doing was intriguing and thought provoking.

The story line is well developed and multi dimensional, the characters well rounded and the world of the Psyne is utterly magical and believable. The descriptions were so vivid that I found myself wanting to be an Aquarian so that I could be part of it. The author’s writing style made the story come alive and at times I felt that I could see and even hear the characters’ voices as the story played out.

Jasmine Angell is definitely an author that I will be following from now on as she has an addictive story-telling capability that sweeps you along and won’t let you go until the very end of her book where you will find yourself reluctant to leave the world she’d created. Can’t wait to find out what happens with the Psyne in the next book.

[Desert Rose Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were to mix magic, sci-fi, fantasy, mermaids, romance, and a bit of adventure, you'd get Luminous. The mermaids were fun to read about- graceful, near perfect creatures, who value life and harmony above all else, travel to our world to help when we're faced with trouble. This book reminded me a bit of Stargate: Atlantas, with the other-world portals, alien beings, and the powerful enemy they are made to face.

Ilauria is quite a character. Rebellious against a group of leaders she feels are wrong, she sets out on an adventure to save a world she loves, and rescue her missing sisters. Paired with some quirky companions, she faces dangerous creatures who threaten not only Earth, but the rest of life as well.

This was an interesting story to jump into. Starting out with emotion and vivid descriptions, the story kept up a good pace of adventure and intrigue throughout the book. The writing was eloquent and smart, and very well suited to sci-fi fans. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures, sci-fi, or any of the shows on the sci-fi channel.

*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author via Read Between The Lines Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Sara Snider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book about mermaids before, and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Luminous. I do know I wasn’t expecting a story about powerful, shape shifting, keepers of the universe. But that’s what I got, and that was pretty cool.

See, the Psyne aren’t your typical mermaids swimming out in the oceans and falling in love with human men. I mean, sure, it still happens. But to reduce them to simply that is like saying a fine wine is nothing more than flattened grapes. Despite all their power, they are in fact, partially human and, like all humans, they are flawed beings with wants and desires who don’t always make the correct decisions.

Luminous is very much a story about past mistakes, attempts at redemption, sacrifice, and, ultimately, about love—in all its many different facets. And that, I think, is what makes the story so compelling. It’s a love story, but one that goes far beyond that of “boy meets girl.”

The book isn’t perfect, of course. There are some typos and awkward bits in the writing that kind of slowed things down from time to time. But if you’re willing to overlook the flaws, then I think there’s a real gem of a story to be found. And, if you’re like me and haven’t read a book about mermaids before, then Luminous is a worthy introduction into that watery realm.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Angell's new take on mermaids as well as the conflicts going on in the story. However, I think that the resolutions could have been better. Most of the conflicts were inner conflicts for the four main characters that the perspective shifts to throughout the book. These conflicts are interesting because they are easy to relate to, but that connection is lost in Luminous when the characters start making decisions that I, as the reader, do not believe they would have made (based off of getting to know them in the first 350 pages). The characters do not stay true to themselves, and it felt like Angell was just trying to wrap up the resolution of inner conflicts as quickly as possible--not for all of them, but for enough that it became frustrating.

[Sheetal Dash · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twists and turns along with the fantasy were captivating. The fast pace and plot line are those of a seasoned author. A real page turner that keeps one guessing.I REALLY enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. This is a fun read, for those of you who enjoy magic, adventure and mystery.The story line is well developed and the world of the Psyne is utterly magical and believable. The descriptions were so vivid that I found myself wanting to be an Aquarian so that I could be part of it. The author's writing style made the story come alive and at times I felt that I could see and even hear the characters' voices as the story played out.Jasmine Angell is an amazing author and surely knows how to engross a reader.Can't wait to find out what happens with the Psyne in the next book.

[Rosie Zayne]

Check out my review here!

[Rashika (is tired)]

The world is really interesting but the characters not so much.

I might give this another shot in the future but for now I am putting it down.

[Anna RBTL Book Promotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5