The Illuminator's Test

The Voyages of the Legend #2

by Alina Sayre, Amalia Hillmann (Illustrator)

Book 2 of The Voyages of the Legend!As Ellie and her friends start new lives on the flying island of Rhynlyr, Ellie hopes she's finally found a home. At the Academy, she learns to wield her gift of Sight and discovers her role in the war against Draaken. But Draaken also wants to control Ellie's gift. With the help of a blind mentor, an elite bodyguard, and a hostile singer, Ellie must navigate a storm of danger and deception that threatens to cut her off from her friends and corrupt her very self. When disaster strikes, will she find the courage to fight for her friends and the future of the One Kingdom?

Genres: Fiction

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2014

About the author

Alina Sayre began her literary career chewing on board books and has been in love with words ever since. Now she is the award-winning author of The Voyages of the Legend fantasy series as well as an educator, editor, and speaker.

Her debut novel, The Illuminator's Gift, won a silver medal for Best First Book in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards and was a semifinalist for the BookLife Prize in Fiction and a finalist in the Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. All four Voyages of the Legend books have received 4- or 5-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite. Alina’s other publications include a poetry collection, Fire by Night, as well as several individual essays, poems, and a TEDx talk.

When she's not writing, Alina enjoys photography, collecting crazy socks, and reading under blankets. She does not enjoy algebra or wasabi. When she grows up, she would like to live in a castle with a large library.

Reviews

[Susan Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid entry in the series. Another quick read. The stakes are increased. The adventures continue. The characters grow in complexity. The mythology expands, but in an organic way. Ellie is tested by the trappings of power and politics, but her true friends remain true and she finds her way back to them.

[Shaun Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series of books, a nice slice of adventure before bed that doesn't get my adrenaline pumping too much, although enough to make it a fun read.

[Freddy F · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Illuminator's Test, by Alina Sayre is a really good book so far. I like this book because it is filled with fantasy, like flying ships. The main characters are Ellie, Connor, Jariel, Owen, Jude, and Vivian. All the characters have different personalities, like Ellie is a girl who just wants to be with her friends and family and be safe from danger, while Jariel likes action, sports, and is very competitive. They are also on a floating island called Rhynlyr. Ellie, one of the most important characters, has a special gift. When she hears the song of Ishua her vision changes. She sees the truth about people, and sees when danger is coming. In Rhynlyr, there is an academy where she learns to use her special powers and also learns to control them.

[Angela Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel, full of imagination and action. The descriptions and world building were once again beautiful; a visual adaptation would be absolutely breathtaking. I loved the Christian themes as well, and found them pleasantly in line with my current bible studies.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was more emotionally engaging than Book #1. The characters were diverse and well developed. This series has strong ties to the Chronicles of Narnia series. I love it!