When a mysterious pestilence hits the Hardbank coast and bodies start piling up, Shamus Washburn suspects witchcraft and he knows who to blame. He's hated Naxos ever since the affable lighthouse keeper arrived before the Civil War to tend the Hardbank Light. Feeding on fear, Shamus enlists a ragtag group of followers in his plan to kill Naxos and anyone else who tried to interfere.
But the Hardbank Light is no ordinary lighthouse and Naxos is no ordinary lighthouse keeper - he is a Light Keeper, connected with the Source and endowed with powers and knowledge of an unseen world of Spirit. When he and Shamus collide they set in motion events the likes of which Hardbankers never could have imagined, giving those blinded by fear and vengeance one last chance to avoid disaster and move toward the Light.
As a cast of unlikely characters arrives on the coast - a shipwrecked Yankee captain with a score to settle, the ghost of an ex-slave who died in a storm, a "soul sieving" shark who patrols the Atlantic - the veil between the seen and unseen worlds is lifted and the last of the Light Keepers prepares to meet his destiny.
The book itself was really good. I had a hard time getting through it since im used to more action. The theme and overall moral of the book was incredibly good and had me asking myself the questions in everyday interactions with others. Very impactful. I just wish it had been a tad more engaging since I almost didnt finish thinking I got the gist. Im glad I finished it, the ending was not what I had expected.
The "get to know a character, oops they're dead," routine got old fast. I wanted to like it, as I love the author's non-fiction books, but the pace was incredibly slow.
After reading about Scott Jansen’s experiences in hospice care I couldn’t not read this book. In a time when everything feels so heavy, dark and yes, sometimes hopeless, reading this actually restores my hope that perhaps we can finally learn from some of our mistakes and get back to the light that is in all of us. A great read. I hope Scott will continue to enlighten us with his writing.