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The Light that Remains
Not yet published
Expected 23 Jul 26All light dies eventually… or does it?
Resistance member Eva von Lindner and her family are living in a fearful nightmare after escaping The Snake. Stuck in middle-of-nowhere Rudental with no place to hide Jews and little they can do to help the resistance, she decides to focus her attention of figuring out what happened to her, only to realize the truth could mean the difference between eternal separation and reconciliation with Sigmund. But then their old foe appears in Rudental, and the family must flee again with new names and backstories all the way north to Kiel. In the midst, Eva discovers that little Sabi’s old locket and the mysterious con-man Isak might be the keys to finally finding out what happened to her.
Meanwhile, Sigmund Brynner fights to find his place and help the resistance, despite being told to lay low. With little hope that Eva will ever recall the truth about their past, he turns to the north for a new directive even as he faces the challenge of portraying the perfect Nazi to keep his family safe. With a letter with an offer to help to resistance he can’t refuse and the realization that Denmark might be the safe haven he’s been dreaming of for Eva and the children, he makes the hardest decision of his life; to break ties with everyone he loves in order to keep them safe. But the clock is counting down on the found family as Hitler’s troops close in on the free countries of Europe, and unbeknownst to them, Eva’s memories may mean the difference between life and death as a mysterious foe stalks them from the background.
A wonderful story for fans of The Hiding Place, Rapunzel, and Anastasia, book 2 of the Jewels in the Light series carries on the daring story of Eva and Sigmund as they search for the truth in the midst of war.
Resistance member Eva von Lindner and her family are living in a fearful nightmare after escaping The Snake. Stuck in middle-of-nowhere Rudental with no place to hide Jews and little they can do to help the resistance, she decides to focus her attention of figuring out what happened to her, only to realize the truth could mean the difference between eternal separation and reconciliation with Sigmund. But then their old foe appears in Rudental, and the family must flee again with new names and backstories all the way north to Kiel. In the midst, Eva discovers that little Sabi’s old locket and the mysterious con-man Isak might be the keys to finally finding out what happened to her.
Meanwhile, Sigmund Brynner fights to find his place and help the resistance, despite being told to lay low. With little hope that Eva will ever recall the truth about their past, he turns to the north for a new directive even as he faces the challenge of portraying the perfect Nazi to keep his family safe. With a letter with an offer to help to resistance he can’t refuse and the realization that Denmark might be the safe haven he’s been dreaming of for Eva and the children, he makes the hardest decision of his life; to break ties with everyone he loves in order to keep them safe. But the clock is counting down on the found family as Hitler’s troops close in on the free countries of Europe, and unbeknownst to them, Eva’s memories may mean the difference between life and death as a mysterious foe stalks them from the background.
A wonderful story for fans of The Hiding Place, Rapunzel, and Anastasia, book 2 of the Jewels in the Light series carries on the daring story of Eva and Sigmund as they search for the truth in the midst of war.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 23, 2026
About the author
L.E. Levens
2 books34 followersL.E. Levens is a young adult writing fantasy and historical fiction for the YA audience. When not busy with her writing, she works at a library, goes to a wonderful Christian college, and serves at her church on the worship team and in kids ministry. A bold believer, she seeks to build stories that not only dive deep and explore beloved tropes and big questions, but also to write ones that don’t trigger a bad conscience. She also enjoys frappuccinos and discovering new bookstores near either of her hometowns. She currently lives in West Tennessee (yes, that’s a real place) with her family, cat Simon, and some pretty amazing friends where she crafts her fine work, buys too many novels, and attends college.
Website: http://writerlevens.wixsite.com/writing
Instagram: @lelevens_author
You can also find me on Pinterest and Goodreads!
Website: http://writerlevens.wixsite.com/writing
Instagram: @lelevens_author
You can also find me on Pinterest and Goodreads!
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Review of advance copy received from Author
Y’all, I have a new favorite book. I have read so many World War II historical fiction books, but this one is definitely one of my top favorites!
Set in Nazi Germany, this is the sequel to The Jewel of Berlin, which I also greatly enjoyed. This one will make more sense if you read The Jewel of Berlin first, but I liked The Light that Remains even better! The characters you get to know and love in the first book–Eva, Sigmund, Isak, Adam, Nelly, Lidia, and others–return, and some of them become even more likable! My favorite hero from history, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, also plays a role in the story!
The book had a great mix of action, mystery, suspense, character development, and history. I loved the elements of resistance–smuggling Jews, planting bombs, daring escapes. I also thought the element of a young woman who had a head injury and is trying to remember her past and figure out what happened made for a very interesting plot!
And what I loved most was the themes and messages, specifically the theme of light. What a beautiful and perfectly fitting title: The Light that Remains. Light that stays. That doesn’t flee, that isn’t snuffed out, that isn’t overcome. Light that remains and shines in the darkness. The themes of light being greater than darkness and being a light in the midst of this world’s brokenness are some of my very favorite themes in books and come into this one again and again. There are so many beautiful quotes and rich symbolism!
There’s some light romance (including one quick kiss), and as you all probably know, I am not a romance reader, but I actually really liked it in this book. It never gets too mushy and reminds me a lot of how I did Gerrit and Marit’s relationship in my book Trains and Tulips. It is World War II, so there are mentions of concentration camps, persecution of the Jews, etc., and someone gets shot, but there is really very little violence or any other content warnings to be aware of.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story of light and hope, rich in historical detail and full of action and suspense.
Set in Nazi Germany, this is the sequel to The Jewel of Berlin, which I also greatly enjoyed. This one will make more sense if you read The Jewel of Berlin first, but I liked The Light that Remains even better! The characters you get to know and love in the first book–Eva, Sigmund, Isak, Adam, Nelly, Lidia, and others–return, and some of them become even more likable! My favorite hero from history, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, also plays a role in the story!
The book had a great mix of action, mystery, suspense, character development, and history. I loved the elements of resistance–smuggling Jews, planting bombs, daring escapes. I also thought the element of a young woman who had a head injury and is trying to remember her past and figure out what happened made for a very interesting plot!
And what I loved most was the themes and messages, specifically the theme of light. What a beautiful and perfectly fitting title: The Light that Remains. Light that stays. That doesn’t flee, that isn’t snuffed out, that isn’t overcome. Light that remains and shines in the darkness. The themes of light being greater than darkness and being a light in the midst of this world’s brokenness are some of my very favorite themes in books and come into this one again and again. There are so many beautiful quotes and rich symbolism!
There’s some light romance (including one quick kiss), and as you all probably know, I am not a romance reader, but I actually really liked it in this book. It never gets too mushy and reminds me a lot of how I did Gerrit and Marit’s relationship in my book Trains and Tulips. It is World War II, so there are mentions of concentration camps, persecution of the Jews, etc., and someone gets shot, but there is really very little violence or any other content warnings to be aware of.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story of light and hope, rich in historical detail and full of action and suspense.
Displaying 1 of 1 review