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The Aenigma Lights #1
Runelight
Kate thought finding the puzzle box would give her all the answers.
But it only holds far more desperate questions.
Kate is a Keeper—a storyteller, magic-wielder, and researcher—but a single mystery has evaded her all her life: What happened on the tragic day when two strangers stole not only the puzzle box that hummed with magic, but so much more?
She and her brother Bo have searched for twenty years with no luck. Until Venn, a surly elf, shows up on the hidden doorstep of the Keepers’ Stronghold, with that same aenigma box—and a message that Bo has disappeared.
Kate needs a guide back to Venn’s homeland to search for him, and Venn needs to find him for reasons of her own. Reasons she refuses to explain.
Despite their mutual distrust, Kate and Venn form a grudging alliance.
Somewhere in the midst of infiltrating dwarven tunnels, discovering the secrets of the aenigma box, and stumbling onto shocking ancient relics, the alliance shifts to friendship.
But as the search for Bo grows increasingly dangerous, they uncover a complex plot woven through centuries, devastating not just individuals, but entire empires.
And even working together, the inexplicable forces standing against them may be too much.
Half treasure hunt and half rescue mission, this epic fantasy adventure is a tale of puzzles, mysteries, and the kinds of friendships—both old and new—that shape the soul.
But it only holds far more desperate questions.
Kate is a Keeper—a storyteller, magic-wielder, and researcher—but a single mystery has evaded her all her life: What happened on the tragic day when two strangers stole not only the puzzle box that hummed with magic, but so much more?
She and her brother Bo have searched for twenty years with no luck. Until Venn, a surly elf, shows up on the hidden doorstep of the Keepers’ Stronghold, with that same aenigma box—and a message that Bo has disappeared.
Kate needs a guide back to Venn’s homeland to search for him, and Venn needs to find him for reasons of her own. Reasons she refuses to explain.
Despite their mutual distrust, Kate and Venn form a grudging alliance.
Somewhere in the midst of infiltrating dwarven tunnels, discovering the secrets of the aenigma box, and stumbling onto shocking ancient relics, the alliance shifts to friendship.
But as the search for Bo grows increasingly dangerous, they uncover a complex plot woven through centuries, devastating not just individuals, but entire empires.
And even working together, the inexplicable forces standing against them may be too much.
Half treasure hunt and half rescue mission, this epic fantasy adventure is a tale of puzzles, mysteries, and the kinds of friendships—both old and new—that shape the soul.
736 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2023
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August 9, 2025A finalist in the 10th annual SPFBO contest!
10 finalists were chosen from the 300 books entered this year.
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10 finalists were chosen from the 300 books entered this year.
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March 27, 2025
My SPFBOX finalist review of Runelight is published at Before We Go Blog.
Runelight, the epic fantasy SPFOBX finalist by J.A. Andrews, hooked me from its opening lines:
“It’s been seven decades, and I’ve still never written it all out. I should have, right when it ended. Not because it was fresher in my mind, but because the true tragedy of it all didn’t hit as hard back then. For all my thirty-two years, I’d yet to experience some of the truly heartbreaking things in life.”
I love the premise for this novel—a group of siblings discover a mysterious aenigma box while exploring a cave. But tragedy strikes, taking the box and one of the siblings too.
Runelight jumps ahead twenty years to when our narrator, Kate, is an adult trying to make sense about what happened on that fateful day. Kate gets unexpected help in the form of an elf named Venn as they try to unveil the mysteries of the aenigma box.
Kate is an outstanding, relatable lead protagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle box as a central plot device. On the downside, I never felt like I had a good feel for the world and wish that the worldbuilding had been more immersive. The incorporation of elves and dwarves was fun but felt rather basic for me, although I appreciated the interspecies friendships that formed over the course of the novel. The pacing started out strong but suffered in the second half of the book, which dragged on for much too long without giving a fully satisfying conclusion.
Overall though, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Runelight and commend the author on her creative approach to epic fantasy. Runelight is recommended for fans of character-driven epic fantasy who also enjoy a good mystery.
7/10
Runelight, the epic fantasy SPFOBX finalist by J.A. Andrews, hooked me from its opening lines:
“It’s been seven decades, and I’ve still never written it all out. I should have, right when it ended. Not because it was fresher in my mind, but because the true tragedy of it all didn’t hit as hard back then. For all my thirty-two years, I’d yet to experience some of the truly heartbreaking things in life.”
I love the premise for this novel—a group of siblings discover a mysterious aenigma box while exploring a cave. But tragedy strikes, taking the box and one of the siblings too.
Runelight jumps ahead twenty years to when our narrator, Kate, is an adult trying to make sense about what happened on that fateful day. Kate gets unexpected help in the form of an elf named Venn as they try to unveil the mysteries of the aenigma box.
Kate is an outstanding, relatable lead protagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle box as a central plot device. On the downside, I never felt like I had a good feel for the world and wish that the worldbuilding had been more immersive. The incorporation of elves and dwarves was fun but felt rather basic for me, although I appreciated the interspecies friendships that formed over the course of the novel. The pacing started out strong but suffered in the second half of the book, which dragged on for much too long without giving a fully satisfying conclusion.
Overall though, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Runelight and commend the author on her creative approach to epic fantasy. Runelight is recommended for fans of character-driven epic fantasy who also enjoy a good mystery.
7/10
April 9, 2025
Runelight follows Kate, a Keeper (a storyteller-mage) on a quest to find her missing brother and the mysterious box linked to his disappearance. It starts strong - with mystery, high personal stakes, and a promise of adventure. It also delivers a female-led buddy adventure, which is cool, since epic fantasy rarely features platonic relationships between women.
Kate forms alliance with Venn, a grumpy, emotionally scarred elf. It soon turns into a meaningful friendship. There’s no romantic tension, no enemies-to-lovers, just two women figuring out how to trust and fight alongside one another. For me, Kate and Venn’s friendship is the best part of the story.
Set in the same universe as the author’s Keeper Chronicles, Runelight brings in familiar lore but has a different vibe. The tone is adventurous with an Indiana Jones-style flair. Puzzles, peril, ancient secrets, you name it. The antagonist remains mysterious, and it fits the story’s atmosphere of solving a long-buried mystery.
But… I gotta be honest, this book felt way too long. Like, not just “epic fantasy long,” but bloated long. A lot of the middle felt repetitive - characters rehashing the same questions, Kate talking out loud to herself (a lot), and not much actual movement on the mystery front. I kept waiting for some big reveals or momentum to kick in, and instead the book kind of… wandered. And then, just when you think it’s building to something big, it pivots into a long flashback. That was a weird choice and kind of killed the tension.
I also didn’t totally buy Kate as a thirty-something protagonist-she read way younger to me-and some of the worldbuilding leaned too heavily on characters sitting around explaining things to each other. There’s definitely cool stuff in the lore and magic system, but I wanted to experience it through the story, not just be told about it.
Overall, Runelight had some really cool moments, but it dragged and left too much unresolved. Still, if you prefer heart and wit over blood and grit, chances are you’ll dig this one :) Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job!
Kate forms alliance with Venn, a grumpy, emotionally scarred elf. It soon turns into a meaningful friendship. There’s no romantic tension, no enemies-to-lovers, just two women figuring out how to trust and fight alongside one another. For me, Kate and Venn’s friendship is the best part of the story.
Set in the same universe as the author’s Keeper Chronicles, Runelight brings in familiar lore but has a different vibe. The tone is adventurous with an Indiana Jones-style flair. Puzzles, peril, ancient secrets, you name it. The antagonist remains mysterious, and it fits the story’s atmosphere of solving a long-buried mystery.
But… I gotta be honest, this book felt way too long. Like, not just “epic fantasy long,” but bloated long. A lot of the middle felt repetitive - characters rehashing the same questions, Kate talking out loud to herself (a lot), and not much actual movement on the mystery front. I kept waiting for some big reveals or momentum to kick in, and instead the book kind of… wandered. And then, just when you think it’s building to something big, it pivots into a long flashback. That was a weird choice and kind of killed the tension.
I also didn’t totally buy Kate as a thirty-something protagonist-she read way younger to me-and some of the worldbuilding leaned too heavily on characters sitting around explaining things to each other. There’s definitely cool stuff in the lore and magic system, but I wanted to experience it through the story, not just be told about it.
Overall, Runelight had some really cool moments, but it dragged and left too much unresolved. Still, if you prefer heart and wit over blood and grit, chances are you’ll dig this one :) Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job!
August 4, 2023
I got Runelight late on Sunday afternoon as a just barely advanced review copy, but I finished it on Monday, which should show you just how much I loved it!
This is a whole new main character, so you can read it on its own, without knowing the previous two series in the same world. If you have read those you'll get some nice little nuggets here and there that made me quite happy.
I enjoyed Kate right away, and would happily go on an adventure with her, if I ever got the chance. If we managed to get ourselves out of the library first that is...
Runelight is sitting between the Keeper Chronicles and the Keeper Origins in complexity, so it's a smoother read than the first books, but it's a bit lighter and more humourous than Origins. I personally loved the more epic scale and a bit darker tone of Origins slightly more, but Runelight will probably be ideal for those who are looking for something that isn't fluffy (there is the big mystery of a brother who was kidnapped, or murdered or vanished, we don't know that the whole story is tied up with, so it has its dark themes) but still an easy read.
The main strength of Andrews is how she has firm friendships and actual family bonds as well as found family. I'm always looking for books that have more than just romance to bind characters. There's so much more to human connection than just that one element. Runelight has no romance at all, which is a nice break!
The prose and story does have some almost philosophical bits, and they enriched the whole story for me. Handling fear, failure, hope and loss. I'll leave you with a quote that really resonated with me:
This is a whole new main character, so you can read it on its own, without knowing the previous two series in the same world. If you have read those you'll get some nice little nuggets here and there that made me quite happy.
I enjoyed Kate right away, and would happily go on an adventure with her, if I ever got the chance. If we managed to get ourselves out of the library first that is...
Runelight is sitting between the Keeper Chronicles and the Keeper Origins in complexity, so it's a smoother read than the first books, but it's a bit lighter and more humourous than Origins. I personally loved the more epic scale and a bit darker tone of Origins slightly more, but Runelight will probably be ideal for those who are looking for something that isn't fluffy (there is the big mystery of a brother who was kidnapped, or murdered or vanished, we don't know that the whole story is tied up with, so it has its dark themes) but still an easy read.
The main strength of Andrews is how she has firm friendships and actual family bonds as well as found family. I'm always looking for books that have more than just romance to bind characters. There's so much more to human connection than just that one element. Runelight has no romance at all, which is a nice break!
The prose and story does have some almost philosophical bits, and they enriched the whole story for me. Handling fear, failure, hope and loss. I'll leave you with a quote that really resonated with me:
Maybe we’re like rivers. We begin as a trickle, moving over the ground. We grow into the world around us. Affect it. Shape it.
But it shapes us as well.
We come up to something hard, something solid and immovable and implacable, and we bend around it. It defines our course, and the longer we skirt it, the more deeply we carve ourselves into that path.
But we continue on, affecting and being affected by the world we encounter. Sometimes finding low, gentle places to slow and rest. Sometimes finding places so low we pool there and cannot rise high enough to leave.
Sometimes rockslides tumble into us, shoving us in a new direction.
There are aspects to the metaphor I like. The river’s path is the path of my life. I could map it out for you. Name the things that molded it.
But somehow, I am also the water. All of the water.
Even here, when I know I’m reaching the end, when I can smell the sea, feel the vastness of the unknown I’m flowing towards—even here I am still in every stretch of the river I’ve passed.
Or maybe it is in me. Particles of silt from the valleys. Slivers of stone I broke off over the rapids.
I suppose it’s both.
It has formed me, and some part of me is still back in every turn.
April 9, 2025
Read for SPFBOX as part of Team Fantasy Book Critic. This is just my opinion, group verdict may differ widely.
6.5/10
You know, as much as I enjoy a wickedly inventive genre blender, sometimes all you need is some good ol’ traditional epic fantasy, and that is exactly what J.A. Andrews delivers in Runelight. Part rescue quest, part treasure hunt, this is a comfortingly familiar character-driven fantasy adventure full of mystifying mysteries and mystical magic.
Runelight is one of those books that just starts with a bang and has one hell of a strong hook. See, we follow a trio of young siblings as they stumble upon a mysterious aenigma box in a cave system, only to be devastatingly torn apart when their discovery attracts unwanted attention. Fast forward 20 years to now 32-year-old Keeper Kate, who has spent the past two decades hopelessly trying to solve the inexplicable mystery of the missing magic box and her lost brother… only for a surly elf to show up with that very same aenigma box and the shocking news that her other brother, Bo, has now vanished as well; cue the drama, mayhem, and adventure!
Now, even though the hectic and action-packed start was a bit overwhelming for me, I did really like how it set up the stakes and established the core motivations and relationships that drive this entire narrative forward. Plus, Kate immediately proved to be a very rootable protagonist, though I do have to say that she felt a bit immature (girlie did not read as early 30s to me) and kept grinding my gears with her tendency to speak her thoughts out loud to herself in the early parts of the book. Still, I was just beyond intrigued by all the mysteries going on in her life, be that the mystery surrounding the mystifying magic box, the fate of her disappeared brothers, the enigmatic shadow man following them all around, or any of the confounding trials and tribulations that she has to face on this dangerous mission.
Moreover, the side characters were also very likeable to me, even if they felt a bit stereotypical in their characterisation. See, for me Runelight just shines in its wholesome interpersonal relationships, and I was quite entertained by all the fun character dynamics amongst the little unlikely motley crew that Kate assembles to go on her rescue mission. There’s a good bit of snarky banter and light-hearted teasing between the idiosyncratic Kate, Venn the surly elf and Silas & Tribal the mischievous dwarves, and I really enjoyed seeing how they overcame their differences and prejudices to work towards their common goal.
All that said, I can’t sit here and pretend that Runelight was a smooth ride the entire way through for me. See, this book is quite a chunker, and I personally felt like the pacing was really hindered by some overly descriptive passages, a couple of very repetitive (internal) conversations and a frustrating lack of any satisfying answers/revelations for way too long. I mean, yes, I burned through this 700+ page book in just 3 days, but I think that was more because of the fact that Andrews’s prose is just so effortlessly readable than out of any real investment in the story or characters.
Ultimately though, it was just very nice and comforting to be back in the world of the Keepers that I had fallen in love with when I read The Keeper Chronicles a few years ago (oh how the little easter eggs made my heart smile!), even if Runelight never reached the heights of that series for me. If you like your fantasy to be character-driven, familiar, mysterious, adventurous, and full of heart, then I would recommend embarking on this epic journey.
6.5/10
You know, as much as I enjoy a wickedly inventive genre blender, sometimes all you need is some good ol’ traditional epic fantasy, and that is exactly what J.A. Andrews delivers in Runelight. Part rescue quest, part treasure hunt, this is a comfortingly familiar character-driven fantasy adventure full of mystifying mysteries and mystical magic.
Runelight is one of those books that just starts with a bang and has one hell of a strong hook. See, we follow a trio of young siblings as they stumble upon a mysterious aenigma box in a cave system, only to be devastatingly torn apart when their discovery attracts unwanted attention. Fast forward 20 years to now 32-year-old Keeper Kate, who has spent the past two decades hopelessly trying to solve the inexplicable mystery of the missing magic box and her lost brother… only for a surly elf to show up with that very same aenigma box and the shocking news that her other brother, Bo, has now vanished as well; cue the drama, mayhem, and adventure!
Now, even though the hectic and action-packed start was a bit overwhelming for me, I did really like how it set up the stakes and established the core motivations and relationships that drive this entire narrative forward. Plus, Kate immediately proved to be a very rootable protagonist, though I do have to say that she felt a bit immature (girlie did not read as early 30s to me) and kept grinding my gears with her tendency to speak her thoughts out loud to herself in the early parts of the book. Still, I was just beyond intrigued by all the mysteries going on in her life, be that the mystery surrounding the mystifying magic box, the fate of her disappeared brothers, the enigmatic shadow man following them all around, or any of the confounding trials and tribulations that she has to face on this dangerous mission.
Moreover, the side characters were also very likeable to me, even if they felt a bit stereotypical in their characterisation. See, for me Runelight just shines in its wholesome interpersonal relationships, and I was quite entertained by all the fun character dynamics amongst the little unlikely motley crew that Kate assembles to go on her rescue mission. There’s a good bit of snarky banter and light-hearted teasing between the idiosyncratic Kate, Venn the surly elf and Silas & Tribal the mischievous dwarves, and I really enjoyed seeing how they overcame their differences and prejudices to work towards their common goal.
All that said, I can’t sit here and pretend that Runelight was a smooth ride the entire way through for me. See, this book is quite a chunker, and I personally felt like the pacing was really hindered by some overly descriptive passages, a couple of very repetitive (internal) conversations and a frustrating lack of any satisfying answers/revelations for way too long. I mean, yes, I burned through this 700+ page book in just 3 days, but I think that was more because of the fact that Andrews’s prose is just so effortlessly readable than out of any real investment in the story or characters.
Ultimately though, it was just very nice and comforting to be back in the world of the Keepers that I had fallen in love with when I read The Keeper Chronicles a few years ago (oh how the little easter eggs made my heart smile!), even if Runelight never reached the heights of that series for me. If you like your fantasy to be character-driven, familiar, mysterious, adventurous, and full of heart, then I would recommend embarking on this epic journey.
March 25, 2025
I read this for the #SPFBOX as a judge, and I am really pleased that I did because, boy, by the ending I was really interested!
This is a long and slow epic fantasy about a girl named Kate and the journey she is on to find out what happened to her younger brother. We start the story with a look into Kate, Bo and Evan as children, playing together and having adventures in a local mine, but the story shifts early on to show that Evan has been taken, and Bo and Kate have spent the rest of their lives trying to find out what happened to him...
This is high fantasy, with a lot of magic throughout the story. Kate becomes a Keeper, kind of like a librarian but with magic and lots and lots of knowledge. To be honest, she's actually pretty powerful in her own right, and very capable, but she does need to rely on some new allies to find out what happened to Bo, when his letters cease...
Kate as a character I really enjoyed. She's easy to like and she and Venn were probably the most interesting duo. Venn is an elf, but she's a bit of an oddity for Elven kind as she is more used to talking to and dealing with humans than most elves. She's a character who really added a lot to Kate's understanding and to the storyline as a whole, and I ended up really warming to her as time went on.
We also meet two dwarves along the way, who are called Silus and Tribal. They are twins and they are very stereotypical Dwarves, always on the hunt for something valuable and shiny. I really found them to be good comedic relief and also pretty sensitive souls, and seeing them integrate into the group was nice.
We have a lot of magic, as Elves has a link to the nature around, especially trees, and Kate can use Vitalle (sort of like magical essence) to power things and create shields or manipulate magic. Kate also has the ability to smell remnants which is sort of like the soul of a being, this comes in rather handy!
Overall, the adventure starts quite slow, whilst the set up of the world is being developed, and Kate is on a long old journey whilst we are learning from her newfound friends. However, I think after the initial slow burn the story starts to speed up more and more, and by the second half I was hooked in and really keen to see what would happen to the group next. It was a very solid read, but a massively cliff-hanger ending (you have been warned) so I definitely think I will have to read on to uncover all the mysteries and madness we see at the end of the book!
A solid 4.25*s from me which gives this an 8.5/10 for #SPFBO
This is a long and slow epic fantasy about a girl named Kate and the journey she is on to find out what happened to her younger brother. We start the story with a look into Kate, Bo and Evan as children, playing together and having adventures in a local mine, but the story shifts early on to show that Evan has been taken, and Bo and Kate have spent the rest of their lives trying to find out what happened to him...
This is high fantasy, with a lot of magic throughout the story. Kate becomes a Keeper, kind of like a librarian but with magic and lots and lots of knowledge. To be honest, she's actually pretty powerful in her own right, and very capable, but she does need to rely on some new allies to find out what happened to Bo, when his letters cease...
Kate as a character I really enjoyed. She's easy to like and she and Venn were probably the most interesting duo. Venn is an elf, but she's a bit of an oddity for Elven kind as she is more used to talking to and dealing with humans than most elves. She's a character who really added a lot to Kate's understanding and to the storyline as a whole, and I ended up really warming to her as time went on.
We also meet two dwarves along the way, who are called Silus and Tribal. They are twins and they are very stereotypical Dwarves, always on the hunt for something valuable and shiny. I really found them to be good comedic relief and also pretty sensitive souls, and seeing them integrate into the group was nice.
We have a lot of magic, as Elves has a link to the nature around, especially trees, and Kate can use Vitalle (sort of like magical essence) to power things and create shields or manipulate magic. Kate also has the ability to smell remnants which is sort of like the soul of a being, this comes in rather handy!
Overall, the adventure starts quite slow, whilst the set up of the world is being developed, and Kate is on a long old journey whilst we are learning from her newfound friends. However, I think after the initial slow burn the story starts to speed up more and more, and by the second half I was hooked in and really keen to see what would happen to the group next. It was a very solid read, but a massively cliff-hanger ending (you have been warned) so I definitely think I will have to read on to uncover all the mysteries and madness we see at the end of the book!
A solid 4.25*s from me which gives this an 8.5/10 for #SPFBO
August 17, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • 4 stars for Runelight by J.A. Andrews
I’m a little torn about this book. The worldbuilding is wonderful. The writing is excellent. The plot and characters are compelling—yet it took nearly 40% of the book to invest in both. That’s a lot.
Now, I trust Andrews— having read all her other novels—so I pressed ahead. But I was surprised by how long it took to become hooked. Things do happen, but the pacing felt off somehow. And Kate took a bit to warm up to.
That said, when I was finally hooked I couldn’t stop. I plunged in headfirst and NEEDED TO KNOW MORE. The puzzle pieces were laid out beautifully, one at a time, tantalizing and intelligent. The characters asked all the right questions. (You see, this is a treasure hunt/mystery solving kind of high fantasy book.)
And speaking of characters, I came to really care for each of them—despite a few rocky starts. The Weasel brothers are a delight. Kate’s growth and intellect are enjoyable to read. Venn is awesome and relatable (for an elf). And Faron is my favorite (I have questions!!!).
The climax left me breathless. And, to be honest, a tad frustrated. The twist and the reveal…well, I have guesses and hopes about the whys—and they’d better be right! But I’ll have to wait and see, because…
…the ending is a cliffhanger. And, oh man, does it hang. I’m going to be on pins and needles for ages waiting for my answers. Yet it does wrap up in a way that makes the waiting a little easier. Kinda.
If you dislike cliffhangers, don’t start this book yet. If you’re fine dangling off a ledge for a year, waiting for the next book, please join me. The air is clean and cool up here.
I’m a little torn about this book. The worldbuilding is wonderful. The writing is excellent. The plot and characters are compelling—yet it took nearly 40% of the book to invest in both. That’s a lot.
Now, I trust Andrews— having read all her other novels—so I pressed ahead. But I was surprised by how long it took to become hooked. Things do happen, but the pacing felt off somehow. And Kate took a bit to warm up to.
That said, when I was finally hooked I couldn’t stop. I plunged in headfirst and NEEDED TO KNOW MORE. The puzzle pieces were laid out beautifully, one at a time, tantalizing and intelligent. The characters asked all the right questions. (You see, this is a treasure hunt/mystery solving kind of high fantasy book.)
And speaking of characters, I came to really care for each of them—despite a few rocky starts. The Weasel brothers are a delight. Kate’s growth and intellect are enjoyable to read. Venn is awesome and relatable (for an elf). And Faron is my favorite (I have questions!!!).
The climax left me breathless. And, to be honest, a tad frustrated. The twist and the reveal…well, I have guesses and hopes about the whys—and they’d better be right! But I’ll have to wait and see, because…
…the ending is a cliffhanger. And, oh man, does it hang. I’m going to be on pins and needles for ages waiting for my answers. Yet it does wrap up in a way that makes the waiting a little easier. Kinda.
If you dislike cliffhangers, don’t start this book yet. If you’re fine dangling off a ledge for a year, waiting for the next book, please join me. The air is clean and cool up here.
March 16, 2025
ko Reread as a judge for SPFBOX - 7/10. This is my personal opinion and rating only.
I've really enjoyed J A Andrews styling of writing as well as her prose in a couple of her earlier books and once again she doesn't fail to disappoint. Andrew writes classic epic fantasy well and adds a more modern tone which comes off well. I often tend to get bored with the usual Elves and Dwarves but like these characters in another SPFBOX finalist Oathsworn, these usual fantasy characters have a slightly edgy side to them that gives off more of a unique vibe. Whilst I enjoyed learning more of the Dwarven Brothers and Venn’s life as a high ranking Elf (as well as their magic and the cryptic puzzle that is the box), I wasn't too enamoured with the keeper Kate. I realise she's new to her role as a Keeper as well as worrying about and trying to free her brothers, but I kind of felt she kept making some really bad decisions* and I got really frustrated with her.
I do like the world Andrews has created for her Keepers series but there were times in Runelight that we could have done with a little less information.
Nice twist at the end and I really enjoyed the idea of the puzzle box. I love puzzle games with cryptic clues in real life so this was fun. I did start the next book in this series, it may not be one I desperately need to know what happens next but I will finish it one day when I'm in an epic fantasy mood.
*spoiler*
I started book 2 and early on Kate does realise some of decisions came from arrogance in her role as speaker. She gradually becomes less of a "know it all" & starts taking other's advice
I've really enjoyed J A Andrews styling of writing as well as her prose in a couple of her earlier books and once again she doesn't fail to disappoint. Andrew writes classic epic fantasy well and adds a more modern tone which comes off well. I often tend to get bored with the usual Elves and Dwarves but like these characters in another SPFBOX finalist Oathsworn, these usual fantasy characters have a slightly edgy side to them that gives off more of a unique vibe. Whilst I enjoyed learning more of the Dwarven Brothers and Venn’s life as a high ranking Elf (as well as their magic and the cryptic puzzle that is the box), I wasn't too enamoured with the keeper Kate. I realise she's new to her role as a Keeper as well as worrying about and trying to free her brothers, but I kind of felt she kept making some really bad decisions* and I got really frustrated with her.
I do like the world Andrews has created for her Keepers series but there were times in Runelight that we could have done with a little less information.
Nice twist at the end and I really enjoyed the idea of the puzzle box. I love puzzle games with cryptic clues in real life so this was fun. I did start the next book in this series, it may not be one I desperately need to know what happens next but I will finish it one day when I'm in an epic fantasy mood.
*spoiler*
I started book 2 and early on Kate does realise some of decisions came from arrogance in her role as speaker. She gradually becomes less of a "know it all" & starts taking other's advice
October 31, 2023
Rounded to 5⭐️
Man, oh man. I really want to give it a full 5 stars but we’ll get to why it’s more 4.30-.5in a minute.
I love this author! I love the humor and depth to characters and sass and story building, adventure, story with heart, not even getting started in on the world building! Aaahhhh.
There are so many unique elements!! I loved Silas and Tribal so so much, they were my favorite for sure! Venn was suuuuch a good character! I did like Kate too. The siblings in this story were -chefs kiss-.
I just really loved returning to this world!!!
The twists and turns she puts in here, goodness!!
The thing is, the pacing was slow in many places and certain scenes seemed unnecessary. I just feel like this book could’ve been a quarter shorter in that respect.
However, I didn’t want it to end once I got to the last 1/3, which definitely took off.
But this does lead me to my next complaint (though this is a me problem): why do I do this to myself?
Reading books with such cliffhangers and am met with I-have-to-find-out-what-happens-but-now-have-to-wait-8-months type situations! Like I said about that one, it’s on me, ha.
Overall, this is still the epitome of clean, quality fantasy.
Highly recommend!!!
Man, oh man. I really want to give it a full 5 stars but we’ll get to why it’s more 4.30-.5in a minute.
I love this author! I love the humor and depth to characters and sass and story building, adventure, story with heart, not even getting started in on the world building! Aaahhhh.
There are so many unique elements!! I loved Silas and Tribal so so much, they were my favorite for sure! Venn was suuuuch a good character! I did like Kate too. The siblings in this story were -chefs kiss-.
I just really loved returning to this world!!!
The twists and turns she puts in here, goodness!!
The thing is, the pacing was slow in many places and certain scenes seemed unnecessary. I just feel like this book could’ve been a quarter shorter in that respect.
However, I didn’t want it to end once I got to the last 1/3, which definitely took off.
But this does lead me to my next complaint (though this is a me problem): why do I do this to myself?
Reading books with such cliffhangers and am met with I-have-to-find-out-what-happens-but-now-have-to-wait-8-months type situations! Like I said about that one, it’s on me, ha.
Overall, this is still the epitome of clean, quality fantasy.
Highly recommend!!!
September 21, 2023
When I grow up (get better at writing), I want to be JA Andrews.
Runelight is the start of something extra special. I've enjoyed *every single book* I've read from Andrews, and each sequence always starts off strong before rising to new heights, and Runelight, book one in the Aenigma Lights, is no exception. But...
But.
This is a better book than every other book one she's done. Masterfully written and crafted, Runelight shows a confident writer at the top of her game, and I'm already ticking down the time to when I get book two in my grubby, strangely large mitts.
Runelight is the start of something extra special. I've enjoyed *every single book* I've read from Andrews, and each sequence always starts off strong before rising to new heights, and Runelight, book one in the Aenigma Lights, is no exception. But...
But.
This is a better book than every other book one she's done. Masterfully written and crafted, Runelight shows a confident writer at the top of her game, and I'm already ticking down the time to when I get book two in my grubby, strangely large mitts.
December 12, 2024
I won’t be saying anything different than what others have praised about Runelight. The world building is so well done, the characters are fleshed out and complex, and the story is told so masterfully that its length doesn’t feel daunting. Seriously, there are lines in here that will hit your soul. The magic systems are also very different (which is a relief) and conveyed so well it doesn’t leave you confused.
An adventure well worth the praise.
An adventure well worth the praise.
June 5, 2024
REALLY slow start. I wasn't a fan for probably the first third of the book but the plot had enough potential and the prose was decent so I stuck with it. It really only became worthwhile for me when the dwarves were introduced. Kate and Venn aren't intriguing enough characters on their own to get the reader invested. They don't become round characters until the last 20% of the book. But it ended strong and now that all of the characters feel more fleshed out I'll probably read the sequel when it comes out. To be honest though, without the saving graces of supporting characters and an interesting concept, I would give the writing style and development a 3. So I guess my overall rating is a 3.5.
Read
March 23, 2025Rtc spfbo10
June 25, 2024
Obsessed! This is my first Keepers story and I LOVED it. The opening few chapters just simply stunned me and I couldn't stop listening. The audiobook is wonderful and Kate Reading does the voices perfectly as the narrator.
We meet Kate, Bo and Evan when they are young. Kate tells the story for us of a fateful day at 12 years old when her brother goes missing and all that follows.
I don't want to spoil any of the story but there are elves, dwarves and monsters (shadows) It's a HUGE adventure but everything is tinged with loss and searching, searching, searching.
The characters are wonderful and so well written. I especially loved Silas and Tribal, the dwarves we meet along the way. The magic system is so neat but definitely comes at a cost.
I'm really looking forward to the second book in this series and more of the Keeper stories!
We meet Kate, Bo and Evan when they are young. Kate tells the story for us of a fateful day at 12 years old when her brother goes missing and all that follows.
I don't want to spoil any of the story but there are elves, dwarves and monsters (shadows) It's a HUGE adventure but everything is tinged with loss and searching, searching, searching.
The characters are wonderful and so well written. I especially loved Silas and Tribal, the dwarves we meet along the way. The magic system is so neat but definitely comes at a cost.
I'm really looking forward to the second book in this series and more of the Keeper stories!
April 19, 2024
JA Andrews once again delivers a fantastic book that had me hooked from the very first page. I guess the term ‘unputdownable’ was coined for books like this – it’s definitely fitting. Well, almost: I actually did sleep, eat, work and spent time with my family in-between reading. But then, ‘unputdownable’ works for every single book by JA Andrews that I’ve read.
The Aenigma Lights are a completely new Keeper-series that you can dive into without knowing any of the other books. If you do know them, however, you will find enough Easter eggs to have you smiling wistfully every so often.
The story follows Kate, a keeper and researcher. She loves to pick apart mysteries and is very skilled at it, unraveling all the different threads until they make sense. One mystery from her own past, however, she has never been able to solve. But when an elf turns up at the Keeper Stronghold with a mysterious box, she might be able to finally do just that.
It is truly difficult to have favorite Keeper-books (or series), because I love every single one, but in my opinion, storywise this might be the strongest entry. Probably, because now we already have a proper groundwork from the other series that the author can (and does) build upon. This adds even more layers to the story and ties at least parts of the other books into Kate’s own story. The worldbuilding feels richer because of it. Even though Runelight is set after the Keeper Chronicles, it draws stronger on the Keeper Origins.
That said, Runelightfeels a little different from the other series and it’s quite difficult to put my finger on it. Kate as a main character definitely adds a new flavor to the Keeper-world. She appears as the most secure in her role and in her character, more confident in her abilities right from the start. That makes her stronger. But also more relentless which adds a slightly more aggressive tone to parts of the story. Whereas other Keepers needed to grow into their role, into their character, Kate is pretty much ‘done’ and I don’t expect her to change a lot in future books. That in turn affects the story: Since the main character does not need a lot of room for character development, the focus seems to be more on the actual plot instead of the character(s). Therefore, the story seems to move forward at a much faster pace and feels more action-driven, more compact. And finally with the focus on mysteries in general and the mystery around Kate’s brothers in particular, Runelight feels more like a fantasy thriller.
As is true for every other book by JA Andrews, Runelight is simply a delight to read. Reading a Keeper-book is like coming to home again: Some details might have changed, but it’s always a great feeling to be back.
Can’t wait for the next book!
The Aenigma Lights are a completely new Keeper-series that you can dive into without knowing any of the other books. If you do know them, however, you will find enough Easter eggs to have you smiling wistfully every so often.
The story follows Kate, a keeper and researcher. She loves to pick apart mysteries and is very skilled at it, unraveling all the different threads until they make sense. One mystery from her own past, however, she has never been able to solve. But when an elf turns up at the Keeper Stronghold with a mysterious box, she might be able to finally do just that.
It is truly difficult to have favorite Keeper-books (or series), because I love every single one, but in my opinion, storywise this might be the strongest entry. Probably, because now we already have a proper groundwork from the other series that the author can (and does) build upon. This adds even more layers to the story and ties at least parts of the other books into Kate’s own story. The worldbuilding feels richer because of it. Even though Runelight is set after the Keeper Chronicles, it draws stronger on the Keeper Origins.
That said, Runelightfeels a little different from the other series and it’s quite difficult to put my finger on it. Kate as a main character definitely adds a new flavor to the Keeper-world. She appears as the most secure in her role and in her character, more confident in her abilities right from the start. That makes her stronger. But also more relentless which adds a slightly more aggressive tone to parts of the story. Whereas other Keepers needed to grow into their role, into their character, Kate is pretty much ‘done’ and I don’t expect her to change a lot in future books. That in turn affects the story: Since the main character does not need a lot of room for character development, the focus seems to be more on the actual plot instead of the character(s). Therefore, the story seems to move forward at a much faster pace and feels more action-driven, more compact. And finally with the focus on mysteries in general and the mystery around Kate’s brothers in particular, Runelight feels more like a fantasy thriller.
As is true for every other book by JA Andrews, Runelight is simply a delight to read. Reading a Keeper-book is like coming to home again: Some details might have changed, but it’s always a great feeling to be back.
Can’t wait for the next book!
dnf
April 11, 2025Runelight is one of the SPFBO 10 finalists, which I read as a judge! Our group review can be read on href=https://queensbookasylum.com/2025/04/... Book Asylum. Our overall rating was 6.5/10, my personal rating is 4.5/10. Since I DNFd it at the 50% mark, I wouldn't give it a star rating, but I read enough to form an opinion and write a review.
Going into the finals, I was curious about Runelight, because I hadn’t read any of JA Andrews’ books before, but I heard good things about them. Not gonna lie, the length of Runelight was daunting, but that’s not why I eventually DNFd it at the 50% mark. Not that it couldn’t use cutting a good 200 pages or so, but…you know.
Runelight starts out good. I got invested in the story of the three siblings and their adventure in the mine, with the mystery of the box. But then, I have a thing for sibling bonds, as I don’t have any with my own. I got through part 1 during the week reading in my lunch breaks and I thought to myself, that this isn’t going to be such a slog as I feared. And then came part 2 and Runelight almost completely lost me.
The problem wasn’t the 20-year jump in itself. I prefer adult characters anyway. My problem was that Kate made it look obvious she ended up with the Keepers, while I, the reader had no idea why, or who the Keepers are anyway. I feel like some background knowledge of Andrews’ previous series (which I believe also features the Keepers) might have helped me here. Eventually, things cleared up a bit and we got some explanations, but for a while, I felt confused. And bored. The pace slowed to the likeness of a glacier as we meet the Keepers and follow Kate around in the Stronghold, and a whole lot of nothing happens, but at least we get told REPEATEDLY that she works on some serum to help bringing back memories from objects.
And I would forgive for this section to be a bit slower, if the book would pick the pace up, but nope. There comes the parts that really makes me not like epic fantasy in any capacity – the journeying. And it’s not like Kate wants to go on an adventure, particularly, but she is forced to because of the circumstances, and I think that’s one of the reasons I couldn’t connect with her. She comes across as a passive character to whom the plot happens. At least other characters – the elven lady or the dwarf brothers brings some fun into the mix, but everything is a bit drawn out and even they lost their entertainment.
I did intend to pick up the book, but I just never felt enthusiastic about the prospect so I eventually accepted defeat. I honestly think Runelight isn’t a bad book. A bit bloated, yes, but I think it’s a much better fit for readers who like a slower paced epic journeys with classical fantasy elements. For me, it was a bit too surface level with everything – especially the mystery of the box and what happened to Kate’s family (even though I only read half the book, so there might have been more answers along the way, plus this is only book one) – and way out of my general comfort zone.
Andrews’ prose is nice and readable and so there really isn’t a lot of things I could objectively pick on. Unfortunately though, I can’t change my tastes much, so please take my words with a grain of salt, and make sure to check out other reviews to see if Runelight might be a better fit for you.
Going into the finals, I was curious about Runelight, because I hadn’t read any of JA Andrews’ books before, but I heard good things about them. Not gonna lie, the length of Runelight was daunting, but that’s not why I eventually DNFd it at the 50% mark. Not that it couldn’t use cutting a good 200 pages or so, but…you know.
Runelight starts out good. I got invested in the story of the three siblings and their adventure in the mine, with the mystery of the box. But then, I have a thing for sibling bonds, as I don’t have any with my own. I got through part 1 during the week reading in my lunch breaks and I thought to myself, that this isn’t going to be such a slog as I feared. And then came part 2 and Runelight almost completely lost me.
The problem wasn’t the 20-year jump in itself. I prefer adult characters anyway. My problem was that Kate made it look obvious she ended up with the Keepers, while I, the reader had no idea why, or who the Keepers are anyway. I feel like some background knowledge of Andrews’ previous series (which I believe also features the Keepers) might have helped me here. Eventually, things cleared up a bit and we got some explanations, but for a while, I felt confused. And bored. The pace slowed to the likeness of a glacier as we meet the Keepers and follow Kate around in the Stronghold, and a whole lot of nothing happens, but at least we get told REPEATEDLY that she works on some serum to help bringing back memories from objects.
And I would forgive for this section to be a bit slower, if the book would pick the pace up, but nope. There comes the parts that really makes me not like epic fantasy in any capacity – the journeying. And it’s not like Kate wants to go on an adventure, particularly, but she is forced to because of the circumstances, and I think that’s one of the reasons I couldn’t connect with her. She comes across as a passive character to whom the plot happens. At least other characters – the elven lady or the dwarf brothers brings some fun into the mix, but everything is a bit drawn out and even they lost their entertainment.
I did intend to pick up the book, but I just never felt enthusiastic about the prospect so I eventually accepted defeat. I honestly think Runelight isn’t a bad book. A bit bloated, yes, but I think it’s a much better fit for readers who like a slower paced epic journeys with classical fantasy elements. For me, it was a bit too surface level with everything – especially the mystery of the box and what happened to Kate’s family (even though I only read half the book, so there might have been more answers along the way, plus this is only book one) – and way out of my general comfort zone.
Andrews’ prose is nice and readable and so there really isn’t a lot of things I could objectively pick on. Unfortunately though, I can’t change my tastes much, so please take my words with a grain of salt, and make sure to check out other reviews to see if Runelight might be a better fit for you.
January 20, 2025
I have been challenging myself to read all the SPFBO finalists the last couple of years. I am in no way associated with the competition, but I find these a good way of discovering new Indie authors. This is the fifth of the finalists I have tackled this year (SPFBO 10).
J.A. Andrews is an author I am already familiar with. I have read her Tomkin and the Dragon book, have the The Keeper Chronicles sitting on my tbr and this book is set in the same world, but with a new story arc. Having that preexisting world means that this book jumps straight in without much in the way of world building - a lot of the elements are introduced without much explanation, requiring the reader to draw there own interpretation if they are not already familiar. To me this works fine (Tomkin does not have much world building or explanation on the magic system so I was coming in to this without much background), but does require the reader to be willing to take stuff as it appears and try and work it out later.
This is pretty classic Epic Fantasy, and you can draw many parallels with Lord of the Rings from the fantasy races to the places explored to even some of the character archetypes being used (the dwarven brothers remind me strongly of Merry and Pippin for instance). There is a big dark wizard looming large over the story, and a questing type narrative. That being said, the narrative does take its own path. The basic premise of Keeper Kate searching for her missing brother(s) gives it its own flavour, and a bit more of sleuthing vibe. The crazy explorer/Indiana Jones-esque nature of her older brother gives a somewhat different character to a lot of fantasy, where usually the ruins are just there. Here we have someone actively engaged in researching them!
The characters, whilst occupying fairly classic archetypes, are extremely well drawn and engagingly written. There is a sense of fun and wonder that pervades the story that is very contagious. The magic systems are interesting - there is a lot of focus on memory magic with Kate using this as part of her investigation and it is well worked into the story.
I really enjoyed this and it was a very strongly written book. This would be an 8.5/10 for me. Very enjoyable!
J.A. Andrews is an author I am already familiar with. I have read her Tomkin and the Dragon book, have the The Keeper Chronicles sitting on my tbr and this book is set in the same world, but with a new story arc. Having that preexisting world means that this book jumps straight in without much in the way of world building - a lot of the elements are introduced without much explanation, requiring the reader to draw there own interpretation if they are not already familiar. To me this works fine (Tomkin does not have much world building or explanation on the magic system so I was coming in to this without much background), but does require the reader to be willing to take stuff as it appears and try and work it out later.
This is pretty classic Epic Fantasy, and you can draw many parallels with Lord of the Rings from the fantasy races to the places explored to even some of the character archetypes being used (the dwarven brothers remind me strongly of Merry and Pippin for instance). There is a big dark wizard looming large over the story, and a questing type narrative. That being said, the narrative does take its own path. The basic premise of Keeper Kate searching for her missing brother(s) gives it its own flavour, and a bit more of sleuthing vibe. The crazy explorer/Indiana Jones-esque nature of her older brother gives a somewhat different character to a lot of fantasy, where usually the ruins are just there. Here we have someone actively engaged in researching them!
The characters, whilst occupying fairly classic archetypes, are extremely well drawn and engagingly written. There is a sense of fun and wonder that pervades the story that is very contagious. The magic systems are interesting - there is a lot of focus on memory magic with Kate using this as part of her investigation and it is well worked into the story.
I really enjoyed this and it was a very strongly written book. This would be an 8.5/10 for me. Very enjoyable!
November 9, 2025
4.5 stars
This is my kind of fluff. So far I've loved all the series I've read set in this fantasy world. It contains all the usual, expected fantastic elements: elves, dwarves, magic, sorcerers, kings, queens, and a quest. I love the way JA Andrews is able to take familiar elements and still find small ways to spice them here and there with something a little bit different, mysterious or interesting. The other thing I enjoy is names from other threads are dropped into the mix from time to time, further increasing that feeling of something familiar and a place to belong.
I waited until I could get all three books before starting the series because I knew I wouldn't be happy to stop before I'd reached the end 😂
This is my kind of fluff. So far I've loved all the series I've read set in this fantasy world. It contains all the usual, expected fantastic elements: elves, dwarves, magic, sorcerers, kings, queens, and a quest. I love the way JA Andrews is able to take familiar elements and still find small ways to spice them here and there with something a little bit different, mysterious or interesting. The other thing I enjoy is names from other threads are dropped into the mix from time to time, further increasing that feeling of something familiar and a place to belong.
I waited until I could get all three books before starting the series because I knew I wouldn't be happy to stop before I'd reached the end 😂
Read
January 11, 2025RTC:
Reading for SPFBOX
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2...
Reading for SPFBOX
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2...
May 25, 2025
Runelight feels like a classic fantasy adventure, though describes itself as part treasure hunt, part rescue mission. The classic part comes from the worldbuilding, which features elves and dwarves, and taverns with mouth-watering food, as you’d expect. The story begins with our main character Kate, who along with her brothers, discovers a mystery puzzle box in an abandoned mine when she was a child. But when mysterious strangers take the box – and one of her brothers – this triggers a mystery that leads into Kate’s adulthood where she becomes a Keeper, a sort of magical researcher and story-teller, and her older remaining brother travels the world in search of their missing sibling and puzzle box. This all changes again when a grumpy elf lady appears with the same puzzle box one day, and news that the other brother is now also missing!
Cue adventure time as Kate teams up with the reluctant and aloof elf on a journey to find her other missing brother and figure out the puzzle box, armed with a journal and plenty of clues to help track him down. As the story goes on, more mysteries around the world come to light, with more questions to unravel, and Kate makes friends with a lively pair of dwarves along the way.
Runelight is a large story at over six hundred pages and it takes its time to introduce aspects of the world, and build a relationship with the elf and dwarven characters, while also exploring aspects of their culture and past. I’ve naturally made some comparisons to Oathsworn Legacy, another finalist in the competition, because they both feature classic fantasy worlds with elves and dwarves, but where Oathsworn Legacy was a self-contained story with a satisfying ending, Runelight is the first in a series and so many of the questions throughout this book don’t get answered in any meaningful way – in fact, by the end I had MORE questions! The story meanders at places, and I feel you could probably cut the book in half and not lose much significance from the story.
That said, Runelight is wonderfully written, and I appreciated the characters and their growing relationship with each other as they slowly began to find trust in each other. If you don’t mind slower paced fantasy that takes its time to put together the pieces, then I think you’d enjoy this. It feels like the book equivalent of a good, hearty stew by the fire, and sometimes that’s all you need.
Cue adventure time as Kate teams up with the reluctant and aloof elf on a journey to find her other missing brother and figure out the puzzle box, armed with a journal and plenty of clues to help track him down. As the story goes on, more mysteries around the world come to light, with more questions to unravel, and Kate makes friends with a lively pair of dwarves along the way.
Runelight is a large story at over six hundred pages and it takes its time to introduce aspects of the world, and build a relationship with the elf and dwarven characters, while also exploring aspects of their culture and past. I’ve naturally made some comparisons to Oathsworn Legacy, another finalist in the competition, because they both feature classic fantasy worlds with elves and dwarves, but where Oathsworn Legacy was a self-contained story with a satisfying ending, Runelight is the first in a series and so many of the questions throughout this book don’t get answered in any meaningful way – in fact, by the end I had MORE questions! The story meanders at places, and I feel you could probably cut the book in half and not lose much significance from the story.
That said, Runelight is wonderfully written, and I appreciated the characters and their growing relationship with each other as they slowly began to find trust in each other. If you don’t mind slower paced fantasy that takes its time to put together the pieces, then I think you’d enjoy this. It feels like the book equivalent of a good, hearty stew by the fire, and sometimes that’s all you need.
March 29, 2025
I enjoyed the book but it was very long. The main character is constantly describing things by how they smell because its related to her magic which makes things way more descriptive than needed. If you like mysteries this is a good series because the characters ask more questions then they answer in this book. Mysteries are not my favorite though and I had more of a problem with the pacing because of it. Still a good story but too long. Left on cliffhanger and i don't know if I have the patience for book 2 yet.
October 3, 2024
Runelight by J.A. Andrews is book 1 of The Aenigma Lights. I totally enjoyed this book and definitely recommend. It hooked me from the start. Kate is a Keeper but a single mystery has evaded her all her life. She and her brother Bo have searched 20 years with no luck. Until Venn, an elf, shows up on the hidden doorstep of the Keepers stronghold. From there the adventure starts to unfold. Update I just reread the book and it is just as good the second time around
February 5, 2025
Far too long for so little happening.
Kate's ability takes up too much wordage as it relies on description and apart from the two comedy dwarfs I never warmed to any of the other characters at all.
Kate's ability takes up too much wordage as it relies on description and apart from the two comedy dwarfs I never warmed to any of the other characters at all.
December 22, 2023
Keeper Chronicles and Keeper Origins, also by Andrews, are some of my all time favorite series, so to say that the first book in the Aenigma Lights had a lot to live up to is something of an understatement.
Fortunately, Andrews knows what she's doing, and it's great to be back in the world of Queensland and the Keepers once more. Runelight is a solid story, and it follows in the footsteps of Chronicles and Origins, but it also treads new ground.
It's definitely a Keeper story, and like the others, it's a personal tale with epic stakes. There are dwarves and elves and magic, and of course, Kate, the keeper.
Even so, something is different, and it's difficult to put a finger on what exactly, but I'll try.
It's not quite the pacing, but that's part of it. Runelight feels like it's faster and more action packed, than the other books, but it's hard to say if that's actually the case or just my impression. I also felt like I got a different vibe from Kate than I did from Sable or Alaric. Kate somehow feels younger and more brash than the main characters of previous books, even though she's probably more of a bookworm than any of them.
This, in turn, shapes the rest of the story, so while it certainly is a Keeper story, it's moving in a new direction from the grand epic of Origins. Runelight has a little more attitude, it's a little tighter, and it's doing its own thing.
It may not have been quite what I expected, but it's still a great book.
What I'll whine about
I listened to the audio book version, and I did not get along with the narrator's voice. At first, I thought it was because I'd recently listened to another book with the same narrator, and the voice reminded me too much of that one. I thought with time I would get over it, but unfortunately, something about the voice just rubbed me the wrong way. This isn't to say that the narrator isn't doing a good job, just that it didn't work for me.
Kate. More than once, I felt like Kate was a bit too pushy or prying when her companions clearly didn't want to talk about something, especially Venn. Sure, perhaps Venn really needed to talk things out, but it still felt a bit off to me.
What I'll gush about
Well, it's the Keepers, innit?
It's so great to be back in this setting and to see new parts of it. The story take place during the lifetime of Will, Sini, and Alaric, but it's entirely separate from Keeper Chronicles. In fact, it ties in a lot more to Keeper Origins, which took place several hundred years earlier. Still, it's fun to reconnect with old friends.
Plot/story. The story on its own is entertaining enough, but its also thought out in such a way that it lets the reader know about things that were mostly just tangents or mentions in the earlier books, and that adds an additional layer of depth to the book.
Also, that plot-twists/reveal at the end really took me by surprise. Often, those things are fairly predictable, but not only did I not expect it, the implications it brought along nearly floored me. All the more so, because I really should have seen it coming.
Final Words
Runelight is the punk little sister of Chronicles and Origins.
Fortunately, Andrews knows what she's doing, and it's great to be back in the world of Queensland and the Keepers once more. Runelight is a solid story, and it follows in the footsteps of Chronicles and Origins, but it also treads new ground.
It's definitely a Keeper story, and like the others, it's a personal tale with epic stakes. There are dwarves and elves and magic, and of course, Kate, the keeper.
Even so, something is different, and it's difficult to put a finger on what exactly, but I'll try.
It's not quite the pacing, but that's part of it. Runelight feels like it's faster and more action packed, than the other books, but it's hard to say if that's actually the case or just my impression. I also felt like I got a different vibe from Kate than I did from Sable or Alaric. Kate somehow feels younger and more brash than the main characters of previous books, even though she's probably more of a bookworm than any of them.
This, in turn, shapes the rest of the story, so while it certainly is a Keeper story, it's moving in a new direction from the grand epic of Origins. Runelight has a little more attitude, it's a little tighter, and it's doing its own thing.
It may not have been quite what I expected, but it's still a great book.
What I'll whine about
I listened to the audio book version, and I did not get along with the narrator's voice. At first, I thought it was because I'd recently listened to another book with the same narrator, and the voice reminded me too much of that one. I thought with time I would get over it, but unfortunately, something about the voice just rubbed me the wrong way. This isn't to say that the narrator isn't doing a good job, just that it didn't work for me.
Kate. More than once, I felt like Kate was a bit too pushy or prying when her companions clearly didn't want to talk about something, especially Venn. Sure, perhaps Venn really needed to talk things out, but it still felt a bit off to me.
What I'll gush about
Well, it's the Keepers, innit?
It's so great to be back in this setting and to see new parts of it. The story take place during the lifetime of Will, Sini, and Alaric, but it's entirely separate from Keeper Chronicles. In fact, it ties in a lot more to Keeper Origins, which took place several hundred years earlier. Still, it's fun to reconnect with old friends.
Plot/story. The story on its own is entertaining enough, but its also thought out in such a way that it lets the reader know about things that were mostly just tangents or mentions in the earlier books, and that adds an additional layer of depth to the book.
Also, that plot-twists/reveal at the end really took me by surprise. Often, those things are fairly predictable, but not only did I not expect it, the implications it brought along nearly floored me. All the more so, because I really should have seen it coming.
Final Words
Runelight is the punk little sister of Chronicles and Origins.
August 4, 2023
RUNELIGHT IS NOTHING SHORT OF ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!
Andrews is one of those authors that I can’t help but wait in baited anticipation of their next great adventure! Of all the fantasy universes I’ve discovered, escaped into, and explored her Keepers and their universe is one of my absolute favorites!!! Andrews is an INCREDIBLE GENIUS when it comes to creating these amazing classic and epic stories filled with adventure, magic, action, mystery, intrigue and a whole cast of completely amazing and diverse characters. (Seriously! When it comes to Dwarves nobody writes Dwarves even half as perfectly!)
And when Andrews announced she was writing the first book in a whole new Keepers series I couldn’t wait to experience what AWESOMENESS she had created next. AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!! Andrews was able to take her Keepers universe and set it down a whole new path…a whole new direction…one that I never would have anticipated but WHOLEHEARTEDLY NEEDED IN MY LIFE! It was brilliant, funny, adventurous, unique—on so many levels, filled with twist after turn after unexpected revelation and I couldn’t help but completely devour all 177,000 words on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, in anticipation of what clever, intriguing, or mysterious event would happen next.
So…Kate is a keeper. At the age of 12 two events would change her life forever. One being the discovery of her magic, the other being a terrible tragedy that would lead her and her older brother—Bo—down two separate but ultimately congruent paths. With the discovery and theft of the Aenigma Box, Bo finds himself on an endless journey to discover secrets and reclaim the box and Kate is set to becoming a keeper and learning how to extract memories from objects. But when an injured elf suddenly appears at the Stronghold with said box and claimes Bo sent her to deliver it, Kate is forced to set out on a journey of self discovery, friendship, found family, unrelenting secrets, intrigue, mysterious circumstance, magic, treasure hunting, dwarven tunnels, and the need to find one’s kin at any and all cost.
Everything about this new series radiated intrigue. Literally the mysteriousness radiated off the page and oozed from every word and it was just brilliant. I honestly didn’t think I could love Andrews’s story telling any more…but…I was definitely wrong. I think this just has to be my favorite of her books thus far and I cannot wait to see where she takes this story in book 2!
So if you love fantabulous adventures, perfectly paced, filled with all kinds of GREATNESS be it sullen elves, hilarious dwarves, mystery and mayhem, family (those we are born with and those of whom we choose), lots of interesting and well developed magic, completely realized world building, and some of the greatest characters I’ve ever read then you simply must read Runelight! IT’S BRILLIANT!!!
Andrews is one of those authors that I can’t help but wait in baited anticipation of their next great adventure! Of all the fantasy universes I’ve discovered, escaped into, and explored her Keepers and their universe is one of my absolute favorites!!! Andrews is an INCREDIBLE GENIUS when it comes to creating these amazing classic and epic stories filled with adventure, magic, action, mystery, intrigue and a whole cast of completely amazing and diverse characters. (Seriously! When it comes to Dwarves nobody writes Dwarves even half as perfectly!)
And when Andrews announced she was writing the first book in a whole new Keepers series I couldn’t wait to experience what AWESOMENESS she had created next. AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!! Andrews was able to take her Keepers universe and set it down a whole new path…a whole new direction…one that I never would have anticipated but WHOLEHEARTEDLY NEEDED IN MY LIFE! It was brilliant, funny, adventurous, unique—on so many levels, filled with twist after turn after unexpected revelation and I couldn’t help but completely devour all 177,000 words on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, in anticipation of what clever, intriguing, or mysterious event would happen next.
So…Kate is a keeper. At the age of 12 two events would change her life forever. One being the discovery of her magic, the other being a terrible tragedy that would lead her and her older brother—Bo—down two separate but ultimately congruent paths. With the discovery and theft of the Aenigma Box, Bo finds himself on an endless journey to discover secrets and reclaim the box and Kate is set to becoming a keeper and learning how to extract memories from objects. But when an injured elf suddenly appears at the Stronghold with said box and claimes Bo sent her to deliver it, Kate is forced to set out on a journey of self discovery, friendship, found family, unrelenting secrets, intrigue, mysterious circumstance, magic, treasure hunting, dwarven tunnels, and the need to find one’s kin at any and all cost.
Everything about this new series radiated intrigue. Literally the mysteriousness radiated off the page and oozed from every word and it was just brilliant. I honestly didn’t think I could love Andrews’s story telling any more…but…I was definitely wrong. I think this just has to be my favorite of her books thus far and I cannot wait to see where she takes this story in book 2!
So if you love fantabulous adventures, perfectly paced, filled with all kinds of GREATNESS be it sullen elves, hilarious dwarves, mystery and mayhem, family (those we are born with and those of whom we choose), lots of interesting and well developed magic, completely realized world building, and some of the greatest characters I’ve ever read then you simply must read Runelight! IT’S BRILLIANT!!!
September 10, 2023
A perfect ending I didn’t see coming
Wow, the end of this book … perfect.
For me, single POV books can get a bit tedious at times, mostly in the middle where there’s often lots of exposition. Andrews doesn’t info dump, she draws it out as the story unfolds. There is a lot of story to tell, not just hers, but those of Venn, Crofftus, and the Weasel brothers. So there were periods while I was reading that moved slower than others, but when it came time to put down the book, I did so reluctantly.
There were a lot of mysteries that were solved and story paths that were brought to fruition … we know so much more than we did at the start. Given all the answers we have in hand, I’m wondering what’s next to tell in the next book since our choice of trails to follow seems narrower. Yet … things in the White Wood are not magically happy and we’re bound to find out some of Katria’s answers when we know what’s going on with the Elves, the protectors of the White Wood.
The people in this book are terrifically cast. They don’t seem to be written so much as they are characters chosen specifically to help move this tale along. They come with their own quirks and strengths.
* The Weasel brothers; rascally ne’er-do-well dwarves whose lust for treasure overpowers common sense and yet, they’ve got enough charm to see them through all the trouble they’re in with the dwarven governor.
* Venn, an elf who trusts no one and whom is under vow not to speak of why she is ostracized from the Elves. It takes Kate weeks to winkle the story out, to read between the lines of what is and isn’t being said … it’s a tale that will take us to the next book, and perhaps beyond.
* There’s Crofftus, the wizard too smart for himself. His story will likely remain an interesting, if not integral, part of the group’s coming days.
* Kate, alternately Katria or Ria, depending join who’s speaking, is looking for her brothers, convinced by her magic that they are still alive; even the one who disappeared 20 years ago, when Kate was still a tween.
There’s a growing friendship between all of the characters … they’re not a typical questing group with the same goals, but there is reason for them to extend the hand of friendship to each other … as long as they first get a promise from the dwarves not to rob them blind.
The world-building was done, in large part, during The Keeper Origins. Although we’re playing in the same world even across terrain we’ve previously walked, Andrews manages to keep it new with clever travelling methods.
I find I’m looking forward to the next book a great deal.
Wow, the end of this book … perfect.
For me, single POV books can get a bit tedious at times, mostly in the middle where there’s often lots of exposition. Andrews doesn’t info dump, she draws it out as the story unfolds. There is a lot of story to tell, not just hers, but those of Venn, Crofftus, and the Weasel brothers. So there were periods while I was reading that moved slower than others, but when it came time to put down the book, I did so reluctantly.
There were a lot of mysteries that were solved and story paths that were brought to fruition … we know so much more than we did at the start. Given all the answers we have in hand, I’m wondering what’s next to tell in the next book since our choice of trails to follow seems narrower. Yet … things in the White Wood are not magically happy and we’re bound to find out some of Katria’s answers when we know what’s going on with the Elves, the protectors of the White Wood.
The people in this book are terrifically cast. They don’t seem to be written so much as they are characters chosen specifically to help move this tale along. They come with their own quirks and strengths.
* The Weasel brothers; rascally ne’er-do-well dwarves whose lust for treasure overpowers common sense and yet, they’ve got enough charm to see them through all the trouble they’re in with the dwarven governor.
* Venn, an elf who trusts no one and whom is under vow not to speak of why she is ostracized from the Elves. It takes Kate weeks to winkle the story out, to read between the lines of what is and isn’t being said … it’s a tale that will take us to the next book, and perhaps beyond.
* There’s Crofftus, the wizard too smart for himself. His story will likely remain an interesting, if not integral, part of the group’s coming days.
* Kate, alternately Katria or Ria, depending join who’s speaking, is looking for her brothers, convinced by her magic that they are still alive; even the one who disappeared 20 years ago, when Kate was still a tween.
There’s a growing friendship between all of the characters … they’re not a typical questing group with the same goals, but there is reason for them to extend the hand of friendship to each other … as long as they first get a promise from the dwarves not to rob them blind.
The world-building was done, in large part, during The Keeper Origins. Although we’re playing in the same world even across terrain we’ve previously walked, Andrews manages to keep it new with clever travelling methods.
I find I’m looking forward to the next book a great deal.
July 26, 2024
Having read the Keeper’s Chronicle, I really enjoyed jumping back into this world and that all the pieces I enjoyed from that series carried over here. A Keeper with a mission, an elf we never quite know what to make of, a dwarf or two who are so vastly different from the elves and set in their ways, and a desperate quest. Oh and meeting the Shield of course.
Typically I don’t enjoy epic fantasy where there is lots of travelling but I did enjoy this one. Kate and her brother Bo have been hunting for their younger brother for near 20 years. Kate became a Keeper to study and research, while Bo explores and hunts for clues for Kate to piece together.
When Bo finally finds the box they have been hunting for all this time, Kate thought she would be ecstatic only the box arrives without her brother, instead in the hands of an elf, Venn. The two begrudgingly set off to find Bo and unravel the mysteries of this box.
Kate was an enjoyable character to watch this story through, with echoes of her future self writing this tale. She has an eye for puzzles, piecing together histories forgotten to understand the truth that was lost. As well as physical puzzles like the box. I did quite enjoy her figuring it out and her curious way of understanding and sharing memories.
Like all elves, Venn was just as complicated as the rest of them, and I enjoyed watching her friendship with Kate slowly blossom and how they two were so different from each other. Then come the two dwarves who, as always, were delightful. The twins Tribal and Silas were like Yin and Yang to each other, and bought quite a bit of humor.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book - the audio narrator was fantastic and I have listened to her several times before, she brings the stories to life so expertly. My only negative is that I didn’t feel enough of a conclusion to this specific story, that there were so many loose ends we are left with. Anyone who reads my reviews before know this is a common gripe for me, as I like things to wrap up a bit more. But this wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment, and if you don’t mind a lot of questions being left up in the air then you should dive into this book.
**POV?** Third Person Past
**Will it make you cry?** No, but that doesn’t lessen the emotions on the pages.
**Romance?** No
**Humor? Yes,** there is the usual banter to expect from this authors - so it usually involves one race making fun of another. And the rivalry between dwarves and elves will never not be amusing.
**YA/NA?** Adult
**Fight Scenes?** There are several sprinkled through and a mix of physical and magical
**Soft/Hard magic?** Hard
Typically I don’t enjoy epic fantasy where there is lots of travelling but I did enjoy this one. Kate and her brother Bo have been hunting for their younger brother for near 20 years. Kate became a Keeper to study and research, while Bo explores and hunts for clues for Kate to piece together.
When Bo finally finds the box they have been hunting for all this time, Kate thought she would be ecstatic only the box arrives without her brother, instead in the hands of an elf, Venn. The two begrudgingly set off to find Bo and unravel the mysteries of this box.
Kate was an enjoyable character to watch this story through, with echoes of her future self writing this tale. She has an eye for puzzles, piecing together histories forgotten to understand the truth that was lost. As well as physical puzzles like the box. I did quite enjoy her figuring it out and her curious way of understanding and sharing memories.
Like all elves, Venn was just as complicated as the rest of them, and I enjoyed watching her friendship with Kate slowly blossom and how they two were so different from each other. Then come the two dwarves who, as always, were delightful. The twins Tribal and Silas were like Yin and Yang to each other, and bought quite a bit of humor.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book - the audio narrator was fantastic and I have listened to her several times before, she brings the stories to life so expertly. My only negative is that I didn’t feel enough of a conclusion to this specific story, that there were so many loose ends we are left with. Anyone who reads my reviews before know this is a common gripe for me, as I like things to wrap up a bit more. But this wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment, and if you don’t mind a lot of questions being left up in the air then you should dive into this book.
**POV?** Third Person Past
**Will it make you cry?** No, but that doesn’t lessen the emotions on the pages.
**Romance?** No
**Humor? Yes,** there is the usual banter to expect from this authors - so it usually involves one race making fun of another. And the rivalry between dwarves and elves will never not be amusing.
**YA/NA?** Adult
**Fight Scenes?** There are several sprinkled through and a mix of physical and magical
**Soft/Hard magic?** Hard
August 15, 2023
What an utterly amazing epic read! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this intriguing collection of interconnected puzzles and am in awe of the author who managed to create such a satisfying ending even though so much remains unresolved and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book! Runelight is utterly amazing.
The worldbuilding is everything I expect in a truly fantastic fantasy read. There was so much depth, history and tantalizing hints of culture woven into the fabric of this story. The magic and how it works, and how it's different from one person to another, was absolutely awesome. I really liked Katria's unique magic, which allows her to smell and sometimes even hear the life force of each individual. It's a truly unique take on magic and I thoroughly enjoyed all the ways Andrews worked with it to turn Katria into a very unique magic user. The elves and dwarves were awesome too and their cultural differences and the resulting jibes and banter was absolutely hilarious! Definitely on par with Legolas and Gimli, my favourite elf-dwarf combo of all time! In all honesty, I have to admit I think Andrews did this aspect of the differing cultures and what that means for the people from them even better than Tolkien did.
Then there was a very cool puzzle box. The Aenigma box is quickly becoming one of my favourite magical items of all time. It's so unique and very definitely memorable. It has some elements reminiscent of the Room of Requirement but with so many more unanswered questions. The fact Katria hasn't figured out how it works exactly has me on tenterhooks for the next book, because I NEED to know! I have some ideas, of course, but I want to know how far off I am from what this aweinspiring author has thought up.
If you want a massively epic adventure with all the stakes and a very clever intertwining of apparently unconnected puzzles, you have to grab this book! It kept me on my toes with every page and I had no idea where things were going. There are so many red herrings and I truly believed they were all possible, to the point where I never expected who the real villain was. Definitely awesome! And if you haven't already realized it, I highly, highly recommend this book! Grab it now. Pre-order the next one. You won't be disappointed.
The worldbuilding is everything I expect in a truly fantastic fantasy read. There was so much depth, history and tantalizing hints of culture woven into the fabric of this story. The magic and how it works, and how it's different from one person to another, was absolutely awesome. I really liked Katria's unique magic, which allows her to smell and sometimes even hear the life force of each individual. It's a truly unique take on magic and I thoroughly enjoyed all the ways Andrews worked with it to turn Katria into a very unique magic user. The elves and dwarves were awesome too and their cultural differences and the resulting jibes and banter was absolutely hilarious! Definitely on par with Legolas and Gimli, my favourite elf-dwarf combo of all time! In all honesty, I have to admit I think Andrews did this aspect of the differing cultures and what that means for the people from them even better than Tolkien did.
Then there was a very cool puzzle box. The Aenigma box is quickly becoming one of my favourite magical items of all time. It's so unique and very definitely memorable. It has some elements reminiscent of the Room of Requirement but with so many more unanswered questions. The fact Katria hasn't figured out how it works exactly has me on tenterhooks for the next book, because I NEED to know! I have some ideas, of course, but I want to know how far off I am from what this aweinspiring author has thought up.
If you want a massively epic adventure with all the stakes and a very clever intertwining of apparently unconnected puzzles, you have to grab this book! It kept me on my toes with every page and I had no idea where things were going. There are so many red herrings and I truly believed they were all possible, to the point where I never expected who the real villain was. Definitely awesome! And if you haven't already realized it, I highly, highly recommend this book! Grab it now. Pre-order the next one. You won't be disappointed.
August 12, 2023
I hardly know where to begin, once again I'm blown away by Andrews' extraordinary storytelling.
There are certain things I've come to expect of an Andrews novel – aside from general excellence – and that is beautifully depicted family, found family, and friendships, themes of hope, and its converse despair, and interesting discussions around light – physical, metaphysical, and spiritual, and it's converse, darkness. I've actually come to appreciate such discussions more since reading JA's books.
It is also through JA's books that I've really come to see dwarves as an actual race with a particular lifestyle and cultural identity as opposed to just humans with height restrictions who prefer to live in caves. Yes, I've read Tolkien, and a number of other books that feature dwarves, but there's just something about the dwarves in the Keeper world that I've really connected with.
Also, Kate and Venn's full passive antagonistic friendship . . . I love it!!! I wanna be there for ALL their interactions – to adjudicate, or just laugh my head off. Andrews writes relationships like an absolute master, whether they're siblings, romantic (though there is no romance in this book) foes, friends, they're always so very well done.
There are just so many things I love about this book, including how the "part" headers are written in a slightly different voice. They're more poetic so we actually feel like they've been written by someone other than the narrator of the story – in this case, it's the main character, who is also a keeper so it makes sense that these bits have a slightly more lyrical, prosey vibe.
Oh, one more thing I want to mention – this book has feral weasel brothers.
There are certain things I've come to expect of an Andrews novel – aside from general excellence – and that is beautifully depicted family, found family, and friendships, themes of hope, and its converse despair, and interesting discussions around light – physical, metaphysical, and spiritual, and it's converse, darkness. I've actually come to appreciate such discussions more since reading JA's books.
It is also through JA's books that I've really come to see dwarves as an actual race with a particular lifestyle and cultural identity as opposed to just humans with height restrictions who prefer to live in caves. Yes, I've read Tolkien, and a number of other books that feature dwarves, but there's just something about the dwarves in the Keeper world that I've really connected with.
Also, Kate and Venn's full passive antagonistic friendship . . . I love it!!! I wanna be there for ALL their interactions – to adjudicate, or just laugh my head off. Andrews writes relationships like an absolute master, whether they're siblings, romantic (though there is no romance in this book) foes, friends, they're always so very well done.
There are just so many things I love about this book, including how the "part" headers are written in a slightly different voice. They're more poetic so we actually feel like they've been written by someone other than the narrator of the story – in this case, it's the main character, who is also a keeper so it makes sense that these bits have a slightly more lyrical, prosey vibe.
Oh, one more thing I want to mention – this book has feral weasel brothers.
July 22, 2025
I've found that you can't go wrong with a J.A. Andrews book and Runelight is no exception to the rule. Described as part treasure hunt and part rescue mission, this is high fantasy with a splash of Indiana Jones, set in a well realised world and some wonderful characters.
Years earlier, Kate and her two siblings found a mysterious aenigma box whilst diving into a local cave. Only they were not the only ones looking for it and the resulting fallout left them never knowing what happened to their youngest brother. For twenty years, her brother Bo has been looking for the box and for their missing brother whilst Kate engrosses herself in research. But when a grouchy elf shows up with the puzzle box in tow, Kate finds herself on a mission to discover the secrets of the box and find Bo who has also disappeared.
This is a slow, meandering and character driven novel. It takes its time setting the scene and building up the characters and I enjoyed almost every moment of it. The interactions and building relationships between the characters are fantastic and I particularly liked the two trouble making dwarves. There are quite a few mysteries underpinning the novel; the box itself, Bo's disappearance and several more that crop up throughout the novel. There were almost more questions than answers at the finale, which makes me keen to read the next novel in the series.
The only thing that didn't really work for me were the flashbacks. They pulled the slow pace down further and I found that they drew me out of the narrative. It would have been a tighter read had the flashbacks been drastically cut down, particularly as there's also a lot of internal dialogue throughout which also slows it down further. It needed one or the other and not both.
That said, I really enjoyed going back to the world J.A. Andrews created here and I fell in love with the characterisations. I'll certainly be reading on to discover what comes next.
Years earlier, Kate and her two siblings found a mysterious aenigma box whilst diving into a local cave. Only they were not the only ones looking for it and the resulting fallout left them never knowing what happened to their youngest brother. For twenty years, her brother Bo has been looking for the box and for their missing brother whilst Kate engrosses herself in research. But when a grouchy elf shows up with the puzzle box in tow, Kate finds herself on a mission to discover the secrets of the box and find Bo who has also disappeared.
This is a slow, meandering and character driven novel. It takes its time setting the scene and building up the characters and I enjoyed almost every moment of it. The interactions and building relationships between the characters are fantastic and I particularly liked the two trouble making dwarves. There are quite a few mysteries underpinning the novel; the box itself, Bo's disappearance and several more that crop up throughout the novel. There were almost more questions than answers at the finale, which makes me keen to read the next novel in the series.
The only thing that didn't really work for me were the flashbacks. They pulled the slow pace down further and I found that they drew me out of the narrative. It would have been a tighter read had the flashbacks been drastically cut down, particularly as there's also a lot of internal dialogue throughout which also slows it down further. It needed one or the other and not both.
That said, I really enjoyed going back to the world J.A. Andrews created here and I fell in love with the characterisations. I'll certainly be reading on to discover what comes next.
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