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Light & Dark #1
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight
Danny Firoth is a middle school student in the 8th grade, struggling with the common stressors plaguing a boy of his age: bullies, homework and his mother. Sabrina Drake, the new girl, is beautiful but she harbors a fantastic secret. "You're... You're a dragon!" Danny exclaims at the beginning of their epic journey. "I am a drake," Sabrina corrects him, after a fierce battle with an ancient Shadow. Danny learns that a simple card game, designed to pit the forces of the Light against those of the Dark, is more than simply a game. Accepted into a school for young Squires, destined to become Knights of the Light and battle the forces of the Dark with magical weapons called Bondeds, Danny and his friends are trained in the techniques of blade work and educated by a colorful assortment of professors. But there is a traitor in the Order of Light, and now Danny and his friends must use their new powers to try and save themselves and each other.
359 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 15, 2012
About the author
Daniel M. Fife
2 books80 followersDaniel M. Fife was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 27, 1978. He began writing Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight during his years as a graduate student at Ball State University under the major of Counseling Psychology. What began as a simple hobby quickly turned into something more as he found a passion for writing. While carrying the schedule of a full-time student as well as working a part-time job, he devoted himself to write at least one page a day. After graduating in 2007, he received the opportunity to begin practicing psychology as a counselor at a local private practice the very same year. His devotion to writing did not waiver. Working a full time schedule and maintaining a full complement of clients, he maintained his dedication. A year or so later, he completed the rough draft of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight and began the editing process, before finally publishing the final draft in 2012.
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July 23, 2012
An author review
I am Daniel M. Fife, the author of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight. As you can see above, I have given my own work a collection of five stars. This of course is not any attempt at vanity in my own regard. I simply think that any artist who has created any kind of work has to feel that their creation is special and dear to them. Otherwise, what’s the point? I have spent a tremendous amount of time attempting to put together a story that not only I would enjoy reading, but that you the reader of nearly any age would enjoy reading as well. Thus, I do believe that my own creation is deserving of the best, because, it is indeed my own creation and special to me. Whether it truly deserves a full five stars is of course up to you, the reader.
During the creation of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, I almost felt like the novel was writing itself. I have read through it several times during the reviewing and editing process, and every time I chuckle to myself when I come across a fantastic scene or piece of dialogue that I had forgotten I even wrote. I truly enjoy reading Light & Dark, because it takes me back to my childhood days, and I am able to re-experience the joy of being a teenager while allowing me to join the characters on a fantastic tale that only existed in my daydreams during the said age that seems so long ago.
The characters themselves are very close to my heart as many are based on friends who populated my own life as a young adult. It was my attempt to make them as genuine and organic as possible. Each has their own personality and personal quirks. During the beginning of the book, it was my attempt to give you the reader a jumpstart on each main character and then allow them to populate the pages with their own development as the story progressed.
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is a derivative of several of my favorite books, anime, comics, cartoons, and movies that I have come to enjoy, all mixed into one. If I could give you comparison with other works, I would have to say that is an ideal concoction of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, the anime Bleach, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, and Magician by Raymond E. Feist with my own twist on magic, swords, and fantasy.
Some things that you will find to be unique in Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, is the use of a Bonded, which are magical weapons solely used by the Knights and Squires of the Light. They are powerful weapons imbued with abilities unique to the wielder and blade. However, if you read the book, you will realize that the ingredients used in the creation of these weapons are quite costly and adds a very distinctive personality to the Bonded weapons. Additionally, another exclusive idea to the story is the system of combat used during duels between the Squires of the Light as well as the duels between the armies at the Academy of Illumination, the school that teaches one to become fully knighted member of the Light. In these mock duels, which are meant to represent the rules and consequences of real combat, both combatants wear a suit of enchanted armor that paralyzes parts of the body when struck. For example: if struck on the arm at the elbow, one would lose the function of that appendage from the spot hit down to the extremity of the fingers, the armor freezing one’s hand from the elbow down.
Thus, if you enjoy a good hearted coming of age story that threatens to cause one to regress to a time when things were but a little simpler, childhood, and add in a few fantastical flights of fantasy, good morals, heart racing sword fights, a magical world of relatable characters, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is most definitely for you.
Thank you,
Daniel M. Fife, author
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the MageknightDaniel M. Fife
I am Daniel M. Fife, the author of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight. As you can see above, I have given my own work a collection of five stars. This of course is not any attempt at vanity in my own regard. I simply think that any artist who has created any kind of work has to feel that their creation is special and dear to them. Otherwise, what’s the point? I have spent a tremendous amount of time attempting to put together a story that not only I would enjoy reading, but that you the reader of nearly any age would enjoy reading as well. Thus, I do believe that my own creation is deserving of the best, because, it is indeed my own creation and special to me. Whether it truly deserves a full five stars is of course up to you, the reader.
During the creation of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, I almost felt like the novel was writing itself. I have read through it several times during the reviewing and editing process, and every time I chuckle to myself when I come across a fantastic scene or piece of dialogue that I had forgotten I even wrote. I truly enjoy reading Light & Dark, because it takes me back to my childhood days, and I am able to re-experience the joy of being a teenager while allowing me to join the characters on a fantastic tale that only existed in my daydreams during the said age that seems so long ago.
The characters themselves are very close to my heart as many are based on friends who populated my own life as a young adult. It was my attempt to make them as genuine and organic as possible. Each has their own personality and personal quirks. During the beginning of the book, it was my attempt to give you the reader a jumpstart on each main character and then allow them to populate the pages with their own development as the story progressed.
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is a derivative of several of my favorite books, anime, comics, cartoons, and movies that I have come to enjoy, all mixed into one. If I could give you comparison with other works, I would have to say that is an ideal concoction of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, the anime Bleach, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, and Magician by Raymond E. Feist with my own twist on magic, swords, and fantasy.
Some things that you will find to be unique in Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, is the use of a Bonded, which are magical weapons solely used by the Knights and Squires of the Light. They are powerful weapons imbued with abilities unique to the wielder and blade. However, if you read the book, you will realize that the ingredients used in the creation of these weapons are quite costly and adds a very distinctive personality to the Bonded weapons. Additionally, another exclusive idea to the story is the system of combat used during duels between the Squires of the Light as well as the duels between the armies at the Academy of Illumination, the school that teaches one to become fully knighted member of the Light. In these mock duels, which are meant to represent the rules and consequences of real combat, both combatants wear a suit of enchanted armor that paralyzes parts of the body when struck. For example: if struck on the arm at the elbow, one would lose the function of that appendage from the spot hit down to the extremity of the fingers, the armor freezing one’s hand from the elbow down.
Thus, if you enjoy a good hearted coming of age story that threatens to cause one to regress to a time when things were but a little simpler, childhood, and add in a few fantastical flights of fantasy, good morals, heart racing sword fights, a magical world of relatable characters, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is most definitely for you.
Thank you,
Daniel M. Fife, author
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the MageknightDaniel M. Fife
November 30, 2012
I got this book for free, in exchange for an honest review from Making Connections. Get your copy here.
The story felt inspired by Ender’s Game & Harry Potter series.
Calador was supposed to be this really serious Elf and it was funny when he cracked a joke or teased a student.
I liked that the author included the Grey with (White) Light & (Black) Dark. And that the grey Knights could swing either way-made the premise a bit more probable.
I also liked how the author chose to end the book-enough mystery for those who might want to continue with the series and a sense of completion for those who hate cliffhangers.
I found the language used by the students weird-yes, the Light follows the way of the knights but the kids also live in the modern world.
A book which would be enjoyed by readers who loved Harry Potter.
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July 17, 2012
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight follows the eventful life of thirteen-year-old Danny Firoth and his friends as their world is turned upside-down by the sudden realization that creature of myth might not be so mythical after-all. After a slow start the book moves along at a nice clip. An interesting assortment of characters pepper the pages, some of them more sympathetic than others. I was particularly fond of Calador and Chris, but had little attachment to Doug or Matt. The perpetrator of the sinister plot isn't too hard to guess, but neither is he/she so obvious as to make finishing the book obsolete. There is just enough misdirection to make you doubt yourself. The writing is generally crisp and easy to follow. My only complaint is Fife's REPEATED use of the same phrases, most notably "for but a moment," "did as bid," and "kept his council." There are a couple other ones that show up too often for the repetition to go unnoticed, but they weren't as quite as frequent.
Be forewarned though, this is apparently the first in a series. Unless I know before starting that a book is part of a series I'm always a little disappointed to reach the end of it only to discover it isn't actually the end of the story. The book is already 312 pages long, so I understand why it had to be broken up. Though threads are left open for continuation it isn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'd definitely be interested in seeing where Fife goes with it. I would consider this middle grade or lower young adult, but I enjoyed it all the same.
Be forewarned though, this is apparently the first in a series. Unless I know before starting that a book is part of a series I'm always a little disappointed to reach the end of it only to discover it isn't actually the end of the story. The book is already 312 pages long, so I understand why it had to be broken up. Though threads are left open for continuation it isn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'd definitely be interested in seeing where Fife goes with it. I would consider this middle grade or lower young adult, but I enjoyed it all the same.
August 11, 2012
A Trickster Eric Novels Review
Daniel Fife asked me to review his first book "Light Dark The Awakening of MageKnight". The protagonist, Danny is a normal student when he stumbles into a battle between a white dragon and a black shadow creature. The next day he finds out the dragon was the pretty new transfer student he has a crush on. She draws him into her world, where she is a squire for the Order of the Light and fights the shadow monsters who seek to destroy the world.
It is not the most original of plots. Anyone with a drop of genre savvy could predict every plot twist in the story. Except for one which, appropriately, is the most important one of all. Even without that it is still a enjoyable read.
1.This isn't some half-assed cliche storm. Mr.Fife put thought into the life of the knight' community to create the full picture. The knight's tailor, for instance, has zilch to do with the plot but he is necessary for the setting. Someone's got to make the squire robes, after all, and someone needs to tailor them to fit the flabby rookies as they develop into lean knights. There's also a scene about elfin tea practices which serves as character development in addition to world building. It's one of my favorite scenes.
2. Another one of my favorite scenes is the squire duel. Mr. Fife knows how to write an action scene. He also knows how to give his hero a superpower without it turning in a gamebreaker or introducing a kryptonite factor to negate it entirely. All it does is level the playing field against stronger and more experienced opponents.
3. The transition from event to event is smooth and believable. Thus the pacing is enjoyable, except for one part which I will get to later. Mr.Fife does not rely on idiot balls to move the plot along. Instead it is powered by the agendas of many different people contrasting and meshing.
4. The character development is great, or more appropriately, it becomes great after the characters arrive at the knight school. Once he focuses on the main characters (instead of introducing new ones every chapter) they all develop distinct and likable personalities.
However, this book has its flaws. There are three of them and they're all in the first arc.
1. Pacing. Dragons don't show up until the fourth chapter (p. 18) and that is a brief moment. Answers and genuine world building don't come for another 7 pages. In-universe the pacing is also off. The story begins on the first day of school, then skips weeks to the first shadow, then a sixth month skip where apparently both the good and bad guys sit on their butts and do nothing, and finally a skip to the end of school. In 45 pages, only two shadows show up and Danny is just beginning to find out about them. If this were a TV show, all of that would be dealt with in the first episode, second tops.
I have a suspicion that Mr.Fife wanted to make Danny as identifiable as possible and this is the reason for the odd pacing. 'first day of the school year', 'bullies' 'crushes', etc. These had to happen in school for the reader to slot themselves into Danny's place. Once this is established, Mr.Fife has to make month long jumps where nothing happens to put his characters into a 'summer knight training school' where the plot actually begins.
2. Characters. There are too many characters introduced early on that are not important. It's a waste of space and a drag on the storyline. Their characterization is also a problem. No one has a solid character in the first arc; not Danny, not Sabrina, no one. I referred to them as 'average guy' and 'pretty new girl' until they arrived at the knight academy. Danny's friends are even worse; they're names with a biography attached. All of them are better characterized by the end but that doesn't justify their poor characterization at the start.
3. Construction. Normally I praise world building but only if it serves to build the full picture. What Mr.Fife did in the first arc violates the Law of Conservation of Detail. He introduces half a dozen characters in the first arc who will never be seen or heard from again for the first of it; builds a school environment; starts the story on the first day of school when the meat of the story takes place when it's over. It's a horrible idea to build this setting and then throw it away.
Based on the first arc (the first 45 or so pages) I'd give this book an F. Based on the remaining 150 or so pages, I'd give this book an A. I can't reconcile the 'normal school' writing with the 'knight school writing'. It's like they were written by different people. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it and if there is a second book in the series I would be interested in reading it.
For more information see its work page on TVTropes
Daniel Fife asked me to review his first book "Light Dark The Awakening of MageKnight". The protagonist, Danny is a normal student when he stumbles into a battle between a white dragon and a black shadow creature. The next day he finds out the dragon was the pretty new transfer student he has a crush on. She draws him into her world, where she is a squire for the Order of the Light and fights the shadow monsters who seek to destroy the world.
It is not the most original of plots. Anyone with a drop of genre savvy could predict every plot twist in the story. Except for one which, appropriately, is the most important one of all. Even without that it is still a enjoyable read.
1.This isn't some half-assed cliche storm. Mr.Fife put thought into the life of the knight' community to create the full picture. The knight's tailor, for instance, has zilch to do with the plot but he is necessary for the setting. Someone's got to make the squire robes, after all, and someone needs to tailor them to fit the flabby rookies as they develop into lean knights. There's also a scene about elfin tea practices which serves as character development in addition to world building. It's one of my favorite scenes.
2. Another one of my favorite scenes is the squire duel. Mr. Fife knows how to write an action scene. He also knows how to give his hero a superpower without it turning in a gamebreaker or introducing a kryptonite factor to negate it entirely. All it does is level the playing field against stronger and more experienced opponents.
3. The transition from event to event is smooth and believable. Thus the pacing is enjoyable, except for one part which I will get to later. Mr.Fife does not rely on idiot balls to move the plot along. Instead it is powered by the agendas of many different people contrasting and meshing.
4. The character development is great, or more appropriately, it becomes great after the characters arrive at the knight school. Once he focuses on the main characters (instead of introducing new ones every chapter) they all develop distinct and likable personalities.
However, this book has its flaws. There are three of them and they're all in the first arc.
1. Pacing. Dragons don't show up until the fourth chapter (p. 18) and that is a brief moment. Answers and genuine world building don't come for another 7 pages. In-universe the pacing is also off. The story begins on the first day of school, then skips weeks to the first shadow, then a sixth month skip where apparently both the good and bad guys sit on their butts and do nothing, and finally a skip to the end of school. In 45 pages, only two shadows show up and Danny is just beginning to find out about them. If this were a TV show, all of that would be dealt with in the first episode, second tops.
I have a suspicion that Mr.Fife wanted to make Danny as identifiable as possible and this is the reason for the odd pacing. 'first day of the school year', 'bullies' 'crushes', etc. These had to happen in school for the reader to slot themselves into Danny's place. Once this is established, Mr.Fife has to make month long jumps where nothing happens to put his characters into a 'summer knight training school' where the plot actually begins.
2. Characters. There are too many characters introduced early on that are not important. It's a waste of space and a drag on the storyline. Their characterization is also a problem. No one has a solid character in the first arc; not Danny, not Sabrina, no one. I referred to them as 'average guy' and 'pretty new girl' until they arrived at the knight academy. Danny's friends are even worse; they're names with a biography attached. All of them are better characterized by the end but that doesn't justify their poor characterization at the start.
3. Construction. Normally I praise world building but only if it serves to build the full picture. What Mr.Fife did in the first arc violates the Law of Conservation of Detail. He introduces half a dozen characters in the first arc who will never be seen or heard from again for the first of it; builds a school environment; starts the story on the first day of school when the meat of the story takes place when it's over. It's a horrible idea to build this setting and then throw it away.
Based on the first arc (the first 45 or so pages) I'd give this book an F. Based on the remaining 150 or so pages, I'd give this book an A. I can't reconcile the 'normal school' writing with the 'knight school writing'. It's like they were written by different people. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it and if there is a second book in the series I would be interested in reading it.
For more information see its work page on TVTropes
July 27, 2012
Not really certain about what to expect, I started reading "Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight" by Daniel M. Fife. A few hours later I was already hooked and couldn't stop reading this intriguing YA novel about magic, dragons, knights, a school everybody wants to go to (if they dare) and recognizable characters.
Daniel M. Fife did a great job in describing the life of a common thirteen-year-old boy, Danny Firoth (yup, I think Daniel based the name of the main character upon his own name and told us the story about the boy he was in his dreams during childhood years). Danny deals with a very normal life and is not always happy about that. Normal life includes school, a loving but sometimes annoying mother, the girl he thinks he can’t have as a girlfriend and some bullies. This rather quiet life changes abruptly when Danny discovers some strange powers he seems to have. Is he dreaming? Is he mixing up reality with the card game he likes to play: Knights?
Danny and his friends discover this game, Knights, is a lot more than just a card game where you need to defeat the others with the figures on you cards. The game contains three “camps”, Light-Gray-Dark, with fantasy creatures. The purpose is to defeat the other players with the creatures on your cards (and the abilities/weapons they have). The boys discover that this ‘game’ exists in reality, that they can be part of it and that losing from the opponent isn’t that innocent in the real world of Light-Gray-Dark… The biggest surprise for Danny isn’t the fact that he owns mysterious powers but the fact that Sabrina, the girl he really likes, knew about these things and this parallel world all along. She’s the one that takes Danny and his friends to the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school where many more things are about to be discovered! (And I’m not going to spoil it for you… You have to read it yourself!)
Although I’m usually not into fantasy, I must admit a really liked this book! After two pages I needed to know what happened further and I kept on reading. “Light and Dark” is a book that can be turned into a movie without real problems. The author is good in describing things integral (what I appreciate in a book for YA because it gives them a lot of freedom to imagine their own world, but at the same time gives them a foothold) and gives us a story that’s already like a movie in our head with great special effects. Also the book has the ability to have successors. I think lots of readers will be waiting the sequel with impatience ;)
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Daniel M. Fife did a great job in describing the life of a common thirteen-year-old boy, Danny Firoth (yup, I think Daniel based the name of the main character upon his own name and told us the story about the boy he was in his dreams during childhood years). Danny deals with a very normal life and is not always happy about that. Normal life includes school, a loving but sometimes annoying mother, the girl he thinks he can’t have as a girlfriend and some bullies. This rather quiet life changes abruptly when Danny discovers some strange powers he seems to have. Is he dreaming? Is he mixing up reality with the card game he likes to play: Knights?
Danny and his friends discover this game, Knights, is a lot more than just a card game where you need to defeat the others with the figures on you cards. The game contains three “camps”, Light-Gray-Dark, with fantasy creatures. The purpose is to defeat the other players with the creatures on your cards (and the abilities/weapons they have). The boys discover that this ‘game’ exists in reality, that they can be part of it and that losing from the opponent isn’t that innocent in the real world of Light-Gray-Dark… The biggest surprise for Danny isn’t the fact that he owns mysterious powers but the fact that Sabrina, the girl he really likes, knew about these things and this parallel world all along. She’s the one that takes Danny and his friends to the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school where many more things are about to be discovered! (And I’m not going to spoil it for you… You have to read it yourself!)
Although I’m usually not into fantasy, I must admit a really liked this book! After two pages I needed to know what happened further and I kept on reading. “Light and Dark” is a book that can be turned into a movie without real problems. The author is good in describing things integral (what I appreciate in a book for YA because it gives them a lot of freedom to imagine their own world, but at the same time gives them a foothold) and gives us a story that’s already like a movie in our head with great special effects. Also the book has the ability to have successors. I think lots of readers will be waiting the sequel with impatience ;)
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
August 27, 2012
In this story, Danny’s game becomes reality as does the story for the reader. His homework takes a back seat as I’m sure yours will too while you read this novel ; only your excuse might not be because you’re caught between the cross-fire of a mythical dragon and a shadow creature...
Although the book starts off slow, it does pick up its pace as you follow Danny entering a world which he accidentally stumbled upon. Dragons, shadow shifters, Knights, secrets and magic, sounds good, right? Not quite.
His life isn’t as simple as it once was.
The characterisation throughout the novel was realistic; a credit to the author. The “bully” and people’s reactions. The relationships between friends before and after secrets were revealed. I think characterisation is key in a story like this, as the plot is set in a fantasy world, you need the characters to feel real to keep the story “believable” to an extent. I was impressed with how well and accurately the author managed to describe the life of a 13 yr old boy.
Seeing as I’m a girl, I found the realism useful to help me get into the character’s shoes easier and also found it interesting in general to see how a boy thinks. I also felt that the “first crush” element was handled well which is something that can quite easily ruin a book. Not here though, in this case it was a strength.
At first I felt like the novel was a little too young for me based on the character’s age and his actions but I think that is only because I had time to dwell on this at the start. Once the pace had picked up I managed to indulge myself in the story and just travel alongside Daniel throughout his Journey; cheering him on every step of the way.
As a rule I’m not a fantasy fan, nor am I a fan of 3rd person but the author had the ability to create a world and characters so believable that I actually found myself enjoying something which I would normally dislike; The cause... a great story? Characters? Author? Maybe a mix of all 3?
I think this book would appeal to both a male and female audience in the younger spectrum of YA readers though I’ve actually spoken to a few adults who enjoyed the novel themselves. A fun and original story for fantasy fans.
Although the book starts off slow, it does pick up its pace as you follow Danny entering a world which he accidentally stumbled upon. Dragons, shadow shifters, Knights, secrets and magic, sounds good, right? Not quite.
His life isn’t as simple as it once was.
The characterisation throughout the novel was realistic; a credit to the author. The “bully” and people’s reactions. The relationships between friends before and after secrets were revealed. I think characterisation is key in a story like this, as the plot is set in a fantasy world, you need the characters to feel real to keep the story “believable” to an extent. I was impressed with how well and accurately the author managed to describe the life of a 13 yr old boy.
Seeing as I’m a girl, I found the realism useful to help me get into the character’s shoes easier and also found it interesting in general to see how a boy thinks. I also felt that the “first crush” element was handled well which is something that can quite easily ruin a book. Not here though, in this case it was a strength.
At first I felt like the novel was a little too young for me based on the character’s age and his actions but I think that is only because I had time to dwell on this at the start. Once the pace had picked up I managed to indulge myself in the story and just travel alongside Daniel throughout his Journey; cheering him on every step of the way.
As a rule I’m not a fantasy fan, nor am I a fan of 3rd person but the author had the ability to create a world and characters so believable that I actually found myself enjoying something which I would normally dislike; The cause... a great story? Characters? Author? Maybe a mix of all 3?
I think this book would appeal to both a male and female audience in the younger spectrum of YA readers though I’ve actually spoken to a few adults who enjoyed the novel themselves. A fun and original story for fantasy fans.
April 27, 2013
I was sent a copy of this book, by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis intrigued me and I was excited to see if the story lived up to what I'd hoped it would be. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed, (except for the cover, which I don't love).
The overall story has a very Harry Potter feel, but in a world similar to Lord of The Rings, full of Knights, Dragons, Elves, Dwarves, sword fighting etc.
Danny Firoth is an ordinary 13 year old kid who finds out that a card game about Dragons and Knights, that he thought was just an ordinary game, is in fact a very real world. On top of that, he is told he has the 'gift of sight' and is offered an opportunity to go to a special school to train as a Knight of the Light.
The characters are wonderful and well developed, and the friendships in the story were believable. I also really liked that some of the mentor type characters had a warm presence that reminded me of Dumbledore from Harry Potter.
The dialogue is descriptive and eloquent. The training process that Danny and his friends go through is interesting and fun to read. This is the first book in what is to be a series, which I'm excited about.
The ending was good, secrets were uncovered, but I'm looking forward to the release of book 2 to find out what will happen next, as many things were (purposely) left unresolved and unknown yet.
I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. I'd love to see it as a movie someday.
If you like Harry Potter or fantasy stories in general. I think this book is for you.
The synopsis intrigued me and I was excited to see if the story lived up to what I'd hoped it would be. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed, (except for the cover, which I don't love).
The overall story has a very Harry Potter feel, but in a world similar to Lord of The Rings, full of Knights, Dragons, Elves, Dwarves, sword fighting etc.
Danny Firoth is an ordinary 13 year old kid who finds out that a card game about Dragons and Knights, that he thought was just an ordinary game, is in fact a very real world. On top of that, he is told he has the 'gift of sight' and is offered an opportunity to go to a special school to train as a Knight of the Light.
The characters are wonderful and well developed, and the friendships in the story were believable. I also really liked that some of the mentor type characters had a warm presence that reminded me of Dumbledore from Harry Potter.
The dialogue is descriptive and eloquent. The training process that Danny and his friends go through is interesting and fun to read. This is the first book in what is to be a series, which I'm excited about.
The ending was good, secrets were uncovered, but I'm looking forward to the release of book 2 to find out what will happen next, as many things were (purposely) left unresolved and unknown yet.
I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. I'd love to see it as a movie someday.
If you like Harry Potter or fantasy stories in general. I think this book is for you.
Want to Read
September 28, 2012If Harry Potter was sent to a school in the land of The Lord of the Rings; the combination might end up being something like Light and Dark. I have not read either of these series yet, but I have watched the movies and this image is what came to mind while reading. Like the scenes and characters in The Lord of the Rings, Mr. Fife creates dramatic, beautiful, and highly detailed settings. I couldn’t help but share some of the feelings the main character expresses at various times during the story.
The main character, Danny, is a young boy who discovers the world is dramatically different from the way he thought it was. As Danny embarks on a journey of discovery he faces challenges he never could have imagined he would face.
The main character, Danny, is a young boy who discovers the world is dramatically different from the way he thought it was. As Danny embarks on a journey of discovery he faces challenges he never could have imagined he would face.
July 24, 2012
Dragons and Shadows!
Did a popular card game of middle school students come to life? The game was called ‘Knights.’ The middle school students who played the game were Danny, Doug, Matt, Alonso, and Chris. Of course when they played the game of Knights it was just a perfectly innocent card game. Until one day . . .
The boys started playing Knights over the summer. It was a game based on using fantasy creatures and knights of legend to ultimately defeat opposing players. The basis of the game was to confront the forces of neutral, good, and evil against one another. The three groups were Light, Gray, and Dark.
When the summer was over, Danny and all his best buddies were looking forward to their last year of middle school. Everything was the same until, yup, you guessed it, a really hot girl! Her name was Sabrina. And yup, you guessed it, much to Danny’s surprise, she knew about the card game, Knights. So Danny had the biggest crush on her for her beauty and the fact she played the game, Knights.
This is where the story, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, really began with the fantasy adventures. When Danny was confronted by the school bully, he took him down, but can’t figure out how he did it. Of course later he finds out it was Sabrina who helped him. But how? How can a little tiny girl break the nose of a big bully without being seen? Here was the story’s first fantasy adventure. And oh, there were many more to come if you read this wonderful book by Daniel Fife.
Sabrina had a nice family. I didn’t say normal, but I did say nice. What exactly do I mean? Is Sabrina a real person? Is she a dragon? Is she a shadow? Are her parent’s real people? Danny finds out when he meets Sabrina after school one day. He saw a fight between two creatures, a dragon and a shadow. Sabrina became one of these creatures, but which one? Normal humans don’t have the ability to see these creatures, but Danny did! So Sabrina explained why to Danny.
Being shocked for a few days was in order, wouldn’t you say? However, because Danny possessed this rare ability, he decided he wanted to fight the forces of darkness with Sabrina, and her parents. He wanted to become a Knight of the Light.
Come to find out all his buddies possessed the same rare ability. So they all joined Danny to fight the forces of darkness. They attended a summer school in Florida called the White Rock Academy of Illumination. Of course none of the parents knew what this school was really about. They thought it was just an innocent fun summer school adventure.
Here there was magic on a magical ship. With danger lurking a wizard named Navi helped navigate, so they arrived safely and began their training to become knights. They learned how to fight along with learning the history of the Shadows.
Not all the teachers were on the up and up. Danny thought some in the Order of Light were betrayers. He felt he had a strong ability to become the Mageknight, so Danny used all his new knowledge he was trained for to see if he was right. Was he? Does he become the Mageknight?
This was a great fantasy adventure story all ages will enjoy. We see Danny and his friends, including Sabrina; grow up from immature middle school students to mature thinking students ready for high school.
If you want any of the questions answered here in my review, you must read the beautifully written book, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel Fife. You won’t be disappointed!
Did a popular card game of middle school students come to life? The game was called ‘Knights.’ The middle school students who played the game were Danny, Doug, Matt, Alonso, and Chris. Of course when they played the game of Knights it was just a perfectly innocent card game. Until one day . . .
The boys started playing Knights over the summer. It was a game based on using fantasy creatures and knights of legend to ultimately defeat opposing players. The basis of the game was to confront the forces of neutral, good, and evil against one another. The three groups were Light, Gray, and Dark.
When the summer was over, Danny and all his best buddies were looking forward to their last year of middle school. Everything was the same until, yup, you guessed it, a really hot girl! Her name was Sabrina. And yup, you guessed it, much to Danny’s surprise, she knew about the card game, Knights. So Danny had the biggest crush on her for her beauty and the fact she played the game, Knights.
This is where the story, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, really began with the fantasy adventures. When Danny was confronted by the school bully, he took him down, but can’t figure out how he did it. Of course later he finds out it was Sabrina who helped him. But how? How can a little tiny girl break the nose of a big bully without being seen? Here was the story’s first fantasy adventure. And oh, there were many more to come if you read this wonderful book by Daniel Fife.
Sabrina had a nice family. I didn’t say normal, but I did say nice. What exactly do I mean? Is Sabrina a real person? Is she a dragon? Is she a shadow? Are her parent’s real people? Danny finds out when he meets Sabrina after school one day. He saw a fight between two creatures, a dragon and a shadow. Sabrina became one of these creatures, but which one? Normal humans don’t have the ability to see these creatures, but Danny did! So Sabrina explained why to Danny.
Being shocked for a few days was in order, wouldn’t you say? However, because Danny possessed this rare ability, he decided he wanted to fight the forces of darkness with Sabrina, and her parents. He wanted to become a Knight of the Light.
Come to find out all his buddies possessed the same rare ability. So they all joined Danny to fight the forces of darkness. They attended a summer school in Florida called the White Rock Academy of Illumination. Of course none of the parents knew what this school was really about. They thought it was just an innocent fun summer school adventure.
Here there was magic on a magical ship. With danger lurking a wizard named Navi helped navigate, so they arrived safely and began their training to become knights. They learned how to fight along with learning the history of the Shadows.
Not all the teachers were on the up and up. Danny thought some in the Order of Light were betrayers. He felt he had a strong ability to become the Mageknight, so Danny used all his new knowledge he was trained for to see if he was right. Was he? Does he become the Mageknight?
This was a great fantasy adventure story all ages will enjoy. We see Danny and his friends, including Sabrina; grow up from immature middle school students to mature thinking students ready for high school.
If you want any of the questions answered here in my review, you must read the beautifully written book, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel Fife. You won’t be disappointed!
September 4, 2012
This is the debut novel of Daniel Fife and is the first book in the series.
The opening chapter finds the protagonist, Danny Firoth at the start of a new High School term. There is also the arrival of the beautiful Sabrina Drake, a new student. When Danny finds himself cornered in to a fight with the school bully, he experiences the awakening of some incredible force within him, enabling him to win the fight, much to the amazement of all. Then there is the introduction to the card game of Knights that seems to herald importance. The game contains three ‘camps,’ Light, Gray & Dark. Soon, Danny and his friends realise that this is more than a mere card game.
Shortly afterwards, Danny’s world begins to change as shadows emerge along with mythical creatures. This is a world of dragons, shadow shifters and Knights. He rather likes Sabrina Drake, whose ‘faint aroma of wild roses followed in her wake.’ Following his school fight, Sabrina begins to take an interest in Danny and asks if he would like to ‘hang out’ after school. It is then that she first asks if he believes in dragons and the dark. Both Sabrina and Danny appear destined to be together for more than one reason. Danny realises that so-called mythical creatures are in fact reality.
A magical adventure is beginning and life is changing for Danny who begins to realise that he has new powers and abilities. He goes to White Rock Island with Sabrina and trains at the Academy to become a Knight of the Light. Whilst there, he is addressed as ‘Squire,’ and his caretaker, Calador, is an elf. His adventures also include every dragon lover’s dream of dragon riding. However, there are traitors within the Academy. As in Light & Dark, good and evil co-exist here. Does Danny get his girl? More importantly, does he become the Mageknight? You will have to read it and see for yourselves.
The characters are solid and believable whilst the dialogue is natural and Fife has interwoven narrative with vivid imagery and description into a fine balance. It’s interesting and exciting with fantastical moments in every chapter and a good mix of tension. The world of the Mageknight is well crafted and the characters you meet at the Academy are very interesting. The author has done a great job in developing this fantastical world. Forget YA genre. I would say it is also suited to adults, especially those amongst us who loved the Harry Potter series.
The narrative works well, delivered in the third person. The only negative factor is the pace. The first few chapters are slow but thereafter the pace picks up as the magical world begins to take shape and the adventures begin.
I am not generally a lover of the fantasy genre although I did thoroughly enjoy Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. This book now makes the third conquest on my Fantasy reading list and I would definitely recommend it as a book to read without any hesitation at all. To take it a little further I dare suggest that it fills the void that Harry Potter's finale has left.
The opening chapter finds the protagonist, Danny Firoth at the start of a new High School term. There is also the arrival of the beautiful Sabrina Drake, a new student. When Danny finds himself cornered in to a fight with the school bully, he experiences the awakening of some incredible force within him, enabling him to win the fight, much to the amazement of all. Then there is the introduction to the card game of Knights that seems to herald importance. The game contains three ‘camps,’ Light, Gray & Dark. Soon, Danny and his friends realise that this is more than a mere card game.
Shortly afterwards, Danny’s world begins to change as shadows emerge along with mythical creatures. This is a world of dragons, shadow shifters and Knights. He rather likes Sabrina Drake, whose ‘faint aroma of wild roses followed in her wake.’ Following his school fight, Sabrina begins to take an interest in Danny and asks if he would like to ‘hang out’ after school. It is then that she first asks if he believes in dragons and the dark. Both Sabrina and Danny appear destined to be together for more than one reason. Danny realises that so-called mythical creatures are in fact reality.
A magical adventure is beginning and life is changing for Danny who begins to realise that he has new powers and abilities. He goes to White Rock Island with Sabrina and trains at the Academy to become a Knight of the Light. Whilst there, he is addressed as ‘Squire,’ and his caretaker, Calador, is an elf. His adventures also include every dragon lover’s dream of dragon riding. However, there are traitors within the Academy. As in Light & Dark, good and evil co-exist here. Does Danny get his girl? More importantly, does he become the Mageknight? You will have to read it and see for yourselves.
The characters are solid and believable whilst the dialogue is natural and Fife has interwoven narrative with vivid imagery and description into a fine balance. It’s interesting and exciting with fantastical moments in every chapter and a good mix of tension. The world of the Mageknight is well crafted and the characters you meet at the Academy are very interesting. The author has done a great job in developing this fantastical world. Forget YA genre. I would say it is also suited to adults, especially those amongst us who loved the Harry Potter series.
The narrative works well, delivered in the third person. The only negative factor is the pace. The first few chapters are slow but thereafter the pace picks up as the magical world begins to take shape and the adventures begin.
I am not generally a lover of the fantasy genre although I did thoroughly enjoy Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. This book now makes the third conquest on my Fantasy reading list and I would definitely recommend it as a book to read without any hesitation at all. To take it a little further I dare suggest that it fills the void that Harry Potter's finale has left.
September 10, 2012
The author starts with the interesting idea that a card game, called Knights, is in fact true and that you can pick your alliance -whether with the Light, Dark or Grey and these factions are fighting in real life. When Danny unlocks a hidden talent within himself, and then comes across a dragon, he is ushered into the realities of the card game he loves to play. With these discoveries, he finds that four of his friends also (and mysteriously) have some of the same abilities as he does. During the summer they all are admitted into a school that teaches children or squires of their ability to use their talent and fight against the Dark.
I found the mythology of the story was really well done. There are realistic details about the rules and boundaries of the Light and Dark and interesting ideas in having a “Bonded” weapon that you can communicate with. The writing in this book didn’t feel very realistic for the age of the characters however, and there were alot of overly described passages and repetitive phrases and some homophone errors (waste instead of waist for example). All this took me out of the story many times, but there are some great, exciting scenes, and Danny as the hero was a strong character. The other boys, although they had distinct personalities, seemed to clutter up the pace of the story as they all shared in many scenes and had many ideas and comments to add to the narrative. The romance between Danny and Sabrina has much room for development and it would be interesting to see how the author develops that in the next books in the series.
Overall, though I thought this story could have used more editing and more focused writing, I thought this was a great idea for a story, with some fantastic scenes.
(Edit: As of early September, the author has done some editing to correct grammar issues)
I found the mythology of the story was really well done. There are realistic details about the rules and boundaries of the Light and Dark and interesting ideas in having a “Bonded” weapon that you can communicate with. The writing in this book didn’t feel very realistic for the age of the characters however, and there were alot of overly described passages and repetitive phrases and some homophone errors (waste instead of waist for example). All this took me out of the story many times, but there are some great, exciting scenes, and Danny as the hero was a strong character. The other boys, although they had distinct personalities, seemed to clutter up the pace of the story as they all shared in many scenes and had many ideas and comments to add to the narrative. The romance between Danny and Sabrina has much room for development and it would be interesting to see how the author develops that in the next books in the series.
Overall, though I thought this story could have used more editing and more focused writing, I thought this was a great idea for a story, with some fantastic scenes.
(Edit: As of early September, the author has done some editing to correct grammar issues)
September 15, 2012
13 year old Danny is a typical boy of his age. Not the most popular kid in school, but has some good friends. Starting his new school year for the 8th grade, a new girl in school, Sabrina Drake, catches his attention. Danny and his friends like to play a card game called Knights, which had 3 factions, Light (good), Gray (neutral) and Dark (evil).
After fighting in school one day, Danny has detention and needs to stay after. Once relieved from detention, he starts to leave school but is sidetracked with an earthquake type shaking and strange noises. He could never have imagined what he saw in the schoolyard - a dragon fighting a shadow. He soon discovers the dragon is the new girl in school and the card game is actually a battle that exists in life. Danny has a special power that allows him to “see the light” and he must choose if he wants to ignore this gift/curse or help defend others. He chooses to help defend others and goes through training to learn how to fight, along with some of his school friends.
In the spirit of good vs. evil, the Light vs. the Dark, Danny and his friends learn many things in this faraway land, along with the typical who do who believe and trust and who not to. Danny and his friends learn quite a lot in their first year as squires.
Very well written, flows nicely and keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next, with a great mix of characters of all sorts, humans, elves, etc. This is a good read for young adults, as well as adults, the way the Harry Potter series was good for all ages. This is a story that may not have left you with any sort of a cliffhanger, but definitely has the potential for more adventures for Danny and his friends.
After fighting in school one day, Danny has detention and needs to stay after. Once relieved from detention, he starts to leave school but is sidetracked with an earthquake type shaking and strange noises. He could never have imagined what he saw in the schoolyard - a dragon fighting a shadow. He soon discovers the dragon is the new girl in school and the card game is actually a battle that exists in life. Danny has a special power that allows him to “see the light” and he must choose if he wants to ignore this gift/curse or help defend others. He chooses to help defend others and goes through training to learn how to fight, along with some of his school friends.
In the spirit of good vs. evil, the Light vs. the Dark, Danny and his friends learn many things in this faraway land, along with the typical who do who believe and trust and who not to. Danny and his friends learn quite a lot in their first year as squires.
Very well written, flows nicely and keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next, with a great mix of characters of all sorts, humans, elves, etc. This is a good read for young adults, as well as adults, the way the Harry Potter series was good for all ages. This is a story that may not have left you with any sort of a cliffhanger, but definitely has the potential for more adventures for Danny and his friends.
April 23, 2013
*** A GoodReads FirstReads book***
I am taking my time reading this young-adult novel about Danny and four of his friends who decide to become Knights of the Light. I find the story very relaxing, and it puts me in a great frame of mind. I particularly enjoyed reading about their first days of training, including selecting their weapons and being tested by the instructors. The author has a good sense of humour and reaches well into the psyche of the teenage boy. I would not mind hearing more from the female characters' POV: What are they thinking about the boys' actions towards the girls? My only complaint is that I am not keen on Danny's stereotyped mother (shiver). Truly, and I know this from personal experience, a mother of sons must be more sensitive, promoting freedom and independence. This novel would make an excellent class read-aloud for the upper elementary. As well, the language is clear and uncomplicated so that the book would be accessible to young teens with reading difficulties who enjoy stories about dragons and knights. I'll write more after I finish the book, but I already know I'll be looking forward to reading the sequels.
I am taking my time reading this young-adult novel about Danny and four of his friends who decide to become Knights of the Light. I find the story very relaxing, and it puts me in a great frame of mind. I particularly enjoyed reading about their first days of training, including selecting their weapons and being tested by the instructors. The author has a good sense of humour and reaches well into the psyche of the teenage boy. I would not mind hearing more from the female characters' POV: What are they thinking about the boys' actions towards the girls? My only complaint is that I am not keen on Danny's stereotyped mother (shiver). Truly, and I know this from personal experience, a mother of sons must be more sensitive, promoting freedom and independence. This novel would make an excellent class read-aloud for the upper elementary. As well, the language is clear and uncomplicated so that the book would be accessible to young teens with reading difficulties who enjoy stories about dragons and knights. I'll write more after I finish the book, but I already know I'll be looking forward to reading the sequels.
September 26, 2012
My oldest boy, 14 years old, originally bought this book on his kindle and absolutely loved it. After telling my youngest boy about the book, 12, I bought the print version of this book for my youngest. He is one of those that enjoy having a physical book rather than the digital. Plus he wanted to take it to school with him. In any case, both of my boys absolutely adored this book enough that I decided to read. It really is a fantastic read. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, which both of my boys are, this is for you. However, Light & Dark is also a very good fantasy read for just about anyone who enjoys a coming of age story full of magic and action. This book seemed to combine some of my favorite books all into one; Harry Potter, Enders Game, and Magician's Apprentice. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2012
*Received as a gifted copy in exchange for review
This story is full of mystery, action, and teeenage crushes. The story is similar to Harry Potter. The characters are diverse in personality and traits.
The story takes us through the life of Danny, a teenager that finds himself with a new power during a brawl with the school's bully. Once this power is revealed there is no hiding from it. Enemies and allies seem to appear out of nowhere and a new reality invades Danny's life. Elves, dragons, wizards and humans unite to fight the dark forces of the world.
I enjoyed reading this book. It had enough mystery (suspense) to keep me reading it. I'm curious to see where the sequel will take Danny next.
August 9, 2012
Author Daniel Fife should indeed be proud of himself! He has crafted a wonderful tale of teenage angst, first "crush" loves, fierce adventure, and of course (my favorite), magic. The tale Author Daniel Fife spins is wonderfully written. It takes the reader instantly back to their childhood in school - yet, it allows the reader to step into a fantasy world of incredible characters. The story line blends so well together, it's virtually seamless.
Both our hero and heroine are believable characters, each with their own set of quirks and lovable features. They use these features throughout the story to draw the reader further and further down the magical path. Kudos, Daniel Fife!
Both our hero and heroine are believable characters, each with their own set of quirks and lovable features. They use these features throughout the story to draw the reader further and further down the magical path. Kudos, Daniel Fife!
August 20, 2012
Great book. I would recommend it for anyone looking for action and adventure. Full of magic and a hint of mystery.
September 2, 2012
The story, written by debut author D.M. Fife, is about a thirteen year old boy who discovers that his card game isn't just an innocent card game, but a door to a magical world that can only exist in Fantasyland. The boy, Danny Firoth, can see Darkness, he meets a girl who is more than being beautiful, her family takes interest in Danny and his friends and embarks them in an adventure over the summer.
My thoughts before reading the book:
Hmm, I've never read a book about middle graders and magic, maybe I should try it out.
My thoughts whilst reading the book:
Oh God, so many details, characters, and unimportant things. Now I now why I don't read middle-graders as main characters (especially when settings are in school) that often. From what I got from the book, middle graders are not very interesting! And I never thought I'd yawn at a story with dragons, elves, or magic!!
My thoughts after reading the book:
You've got to be kidding me. There is a sequel, wait, no, there is a series?! The book is not over? Okay, I will come back to this point shorty.
The blurb of the book describes Danny Firoth as an average boy. And boy (no pun intended) do I hate when they use that word. It's like a huge billboard warning that the boy is way beyond average. Besides, who the hell states what average is? Anyway, he is not average at all, despite the author's intent to make him appear so. Danny Firoth has no kryptonite, per se, he's like this kid who has every super power out there, even though he thinks he can't control them or whatever. Obviously he is better than his friends *rolls eyes* for some reason he has to be the protagonist right? Well, I didn't find Danny very appealing as a protagonist, he seemed too slow, too naive, and too eager. I also didn't like that everything that happened in the story was predictable. I knew Sabrina was something special from the moment Danny laid eyes on her (and a crush apparently). The girl whom he falls in love with has to be someone magical or it wouldn't make sense right? How opportunistic that his "magic powers" appear so suddenly when he was fighting with a bully. Wait, I don't even remember what triggered the fight and what trigger his powers. AND then, in detention he witnesses a fight between two dragons. To make things more guessable, it's Sabrina. NOT only that, but Danny's friends also have abilities to see Darkness. Not good, not good at all. It's all too easy. School years passes by quickly, and then suddenly they're in summer magic camp. That was convenient.
Well, the story picks up from there okay. And more characterization starts to form during their stay in the summer school. It was still very boring to read, the fantasy, magical creatures were't interesting at all.
Some other things that made this book not very likable:
A. The pace. It was slow, very slow. Maybe it was because of the tons of characters introduced that were never mentioned again, or the settings that were detailed but a change of setting occurred. It was a drag on the story and made it less appealing since the beginning.
B. Grammar and Punctuation errors. Something that makes me cringe and want to fling the book away from me. In this case I couldn't because it was a Kindle version and I don't want to destroy my precious Kindle.
C. What character realism? I find it hard to believe this is how middle graders behave. If so, then it's so boring. Every detail of their lives is very boring to read. I don't need to know if they sigh or shrug whenever they talk. Which apparently, they do a lot in this book.
D. A series. What? The book is already long as it is, there isn't much of a plot twist at the end anyway.
Some commendations: I commend the author on it's good job of delivering a story and having it published. It's not easy to get out there and published. I would recommend this book to people who like to read a good middle-grader school story spiced up with magic.
My thoughts before reading the book:
Hmm, I've never read a book about middle graders and magic, maybe I should try it out.
My thoughts whilst reading the book:
Oh God, so many details, characters, and unimportant things. Now I now why I don't read middle-graders as main characters (especially when settings are in school) that often. From what I got from the book, middle graders are not very interesting! And I never thought I'd yawn at a story with dragons, elves, or magic!!
My thoughts after reading the book:
You've got to be kidding me. There is a sequel, wait, no, there is a series?! The book is not over? Okay, I will come back to this point shorty.
The blurb of the book describes Danny Firoth as an average boy. And boy (no pun intended) do I hate when they use that word. It's like a huge billboard warning that the boy is way beyond average. Besides, who the hell states what average is? Anyway, he is not average at all, despite the author's intent to make him appear so. Danny Firoth has no kryptonite, per se, he's like this kid who has every super power out there, even though he thinks he can't control them or whatever. Obviously he is better than his friends *rolls eyes* for some reason he has to be the protagonist right? Well, I didn't find Danny very appealing as a protagonist, he seemed too slow, too naive, and too eager. I also didn't like that everything that happened in the story was predictable. I knew Sabrina was something special from the moment Danny laid eyes on her (and a crush apparently). The girl whom he falls in love with has to be someone magical or it wouldn't make sense right? How opportunistic that his "magic powers" appear so suddenly when he was fighting with a bully. Wait, I don't even remember what triggered the fight and what trigger his powers. AND then, in detention he witnesses a fight between two dragons. To make things more guessable, it's Sabrina. NOT only that, but Danny's friends also have abilities to see Darkness. Not good, not good at all. It's all too easy. School years passes by quickly, and then suddenly they're in summer magic camp. That was convenient.
Well, the story picks up from there okay. And more characterization starts to form during their stay in the summer school. It was still very boring to read, the fantasy, magical creatures were't interesting at all.
Some other things that made this book not very likable:
A. The pace. It was slow, very slow. Maybe it was because of the tons of characters introduced that were never mentioned again, or the settings that were detailed but a change of setting occurred. It was a drag on the story and made it less appealing since the beginning.
B. Grammar and Punctuation errors. Something that makes me cringe and want to fling the book away from me. In this case I couldn't because it was a Kindle version and I don't want to destroy my precious Kindle.
C. What character realism? I find it hard to believe this is how middle graders behave. If so, then it's so boring. Every detail of their lives is very boring to read. I don't need to know if they sigh or shrug whenever they talk. Which apparently, they do a lot in this book.
D. A series. What? The book is already long as it is, there isn't much of a plot twist at the end anyway.
Some commendations: I commend the author on it's good job of delivering a story and having it published. It's not easy to get out there and published. I would recommend this book to people who like to read a good middle-grader school story spiced up with magic.
May 31, 2013
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is the first book in a YA fantasy series. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins by introducing us to our main character, Danny Firoth, and his five high school friends, Doug, Chris, Anthony, Matt, and Alonso. Matt and Danny both enjoy playing a card game called Knights of the Light in which players can choose to play for the Light, the Gray, or the Dark. Danny chooses the Light, and Matt the Gray, or neutral team. Danny soon finds himself draw to a new girl in school, Sabrina Drake. He later comes to learn that she also plays the game on the side of the Light, and she is also hiding a very fantastic secret. Soon, all six boys come to discover that this battle between the Light and Dark is much more real than just some card game, and that the Dark poses a very real threat.
During an incident at school, Danny witnesses an attack by one of the shadow creatures from the Dark side. Sabrina fights off the creature and then reveals to Danny that she is a student at the White Rock Academy for Knights of the Light. All the people and creatures represented on his card deck are in fact real and a battle is brewing. Danny, who being able to see these creatures, apparently has what is called the site, and only those who have the site can train to be Knights. Danny immediately chooses to join Sabrina and attend the academy for training. Having seen the shadow creature, and knowing what’s at stake, I could understand Danny’s decision. Later, through a less dramatic incident, it is revealed that each one of his friends also has the site, and they all immediately agree to join as well. I thought that was a bit of a quick decision as I read the book, and I had trouble understanding how readily they all came to a decision.
Once arriving at the school, they are all referred to as Squires, when they aren't being called newbs or newbies by the upperclassmen. The boys are introduced to their various instructors, and shown around the academy. The upperclassmen are separated into groups known as Armies, and they compete for a title at the end of the term. Sabrina, it turns out is an upperclassmen from the Dragon Army, and will not spend as much time with the boys, much to Danny’s disappointment.
The beginning of the book is at times slow as it takes time to world build and gives the reader a real visual image of the grounds and the workings of the academy. There are definite parallels to the world of Harry Potter within this book. The presence of Dwarves, Elves, and dragons made me also think of The Lord of the Rings, and there is even a slight King Arthur type reference within this book.
As the story progresses, we learn about the weapons the upperclassmen receive known as Bondeds. I found these to be really interesting and unique. Danny soon comes to discover that he has an ability, one that’s hinted at very early in the story, that none of his friends has. It comes to play a very important role in Danny’s future.
I liked the pacing of the second half of the book much more. There were a lot more action scenes, and I liked the threat of there being a possible traitor at the school. Danny is unsure of who to trust beyond his immediate friends.
Besides the somewhat slow start to the book, my only other complaint is that I felt Danny’s friends were a bit under developed. The only one that really made any impression on me was Alonso, and that was mostly because I didn't really like him. He was always a bit condescending, even with the instructors. I think “whatever” was one of his favorite words. I had my doubts about him early on, but as the story continued, I got used to his gruff exterior and I liked him in the end.
This was a very enjoyable debut, one that will appeal to fans of fantasy and magic. I look forward to continuing Danny’s story in Light & Dark: The Black Bonded
The book begins by introducing us to our main character, Danny Firoth, and his five high school friends, Doug, Chris, Anthony, Matt, and Alonso. Matt and Danny both enjoy playing a card game called Knights of the Light in which players can choose to play for the Light, the Gray, or the Dark. Danny chooses the Light, and Matt the Gray, or neutral team. Danny soon finds himself draw to a new girl in school, Sabrina Drake. He later comes to learn that she also plays the game on the side of the Light, and she is also hiding a very fantastic secret. Soon, all six boys come to discover that this battle between the Light and Dark is much more real than just some card game, and that the Dark poses a very real threat.
During an incident at school, Danny witnesses an attack by one of the shadow creatures from the Dark side. Sabrina fights off the creature and then reveals to Danny that she is a student at the White Rock Academy for Knights of the Light. All the people and creatures represented on his card deck are in fact real and a battle is brewing. Danny, who being able to see these creatures, apparently has what is called the site, and only those who have the site can train to be Knights. Danny immediately chooses to join Sabrina and attend the academy for training. Having seen the shadow creature, and knowing what’s at stake, I could understand Danny’s decision. Later, through a less dramatic incident, it is revealed that each one of his friends also has the site, and they all immediately agree to join as well. I thought that was a bit of a quick decision as I read the book, and I had trouble understanding how readily they all came to a decision.
Once arriving at the school, they are all referred to as Squires, when they aren't being called newbs or newbies by the upperclassmen. The boys are introduced to their various instructors, and shown around the academy. The upperclassmen are separated into groups known as Armies, and they compete for a title at the end of the term. Sabrina, it turns out is an upperclassmen from the Dragon Army, and will not spend as much time with the boys, much to Danny’s disappointment.
The beginning of the book is at times slow as it takes time to world build and gives the reader a real visual image of the grounds and the workings of the academy. There are definite parallels to the world of Harry Potter within this book. The presence of Dwarves, Elves, and dragons made me also think of The Lord of the Rings, and there is even a slight King Arthur type reference within this book.
As the story progresses, we learn about the weapons the upperclassmen receive known as Bondeds. I found these to be really interesting and unique. Danny soon comes to discover that he has an ability, one that’s hinted at very early in the story, that none of his friends has. It comes to play a very important role in Danny’s future.
I liked the pacing of the second half of the book much more. There were a lot more action scenes, and I liked the threat of there being a possible traitor at the school. Danny is unsure of who to trust beyond his immediate friends.
Besides the somewhat slow start to the book, my only other complaint is that I felt Danny’s friends were a bit under developed. The only one that really made any impression on me was Alonso, and that was mostly because I didn't really like him. He was always a bit condescending, even with the instructors. I think “whatever” was one of his favorite words. I had my doubts about him early on, but as the story continued, I got used to his gruff exterior and I liked him in the end.
This was a very enjoyable debut, one that will appeal to fans of fantasy and magic. I look forward to continuing Danny’s story in Light & Dark: The Black Bonded
April 22, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This is a wonderful urban-ish fantasy story.
It starts out with Danny meeting Sabrina during school. You learn that he plays a card game in the style of Pokeman or Yu-Gi-Oh. Then the fun begins when he and his friends are awakened to a whole new world existing right in front of them and hiding in plain sight.
The story was great. I loved the idea, the world, and the characters.
Not to go into a lot of detail, but the battle between light and dark never gets old. Mr. Fife does a fine job of using that concept in his book idea. I would have liked to have met a Grey user, but maybe in the next book.
The island (in which 98% of the story takes place) isn't too finely designed to be rigid and not undefined enough to have a reader get lost. Many of the places were mentioned, but since Squires didn't go there, they weren't fully described. Perfectly understandable since it would have bogged down the story with useless details better served for the coming books. (Frankly, I hate having to go back trying to find a detail I've already described that didn't make it into my notes. It's a pain.)
The characters all had their personality quirks, which added to the story and their individualism. (Alonso is totally on my radar)
For me, the book felt like it was written for tweens and younger teens.
There were a few issues though. (Some are more opinion.)
The first is I felt that there were two many dialogue tags. I know that a lot of conversations took place with more than two people in the room, but maybe have reactions and actions connected to the character speaking would have worked to make it a bit more dynamic. (Actually, I have issues with dialogue tags too. I had it pointed it out to me in a feedback session. Now, I'm very conscious of them.)
The second, was that despite the individual characteristics of the characters, there were places that needed a bit more reaction. I sometimes thought that they accepted things with a bit too much blasé aplomb. (I've also had this pointed out to me too. Same person same feedback.)
Also there was one or two places that had a character speak in a syntax and tone that felt OCC.
What really got me is that I found that there were many similarities in our writing styles, making I relate well to this story, but it also made me have a more critical eye.
Still, I would love to read the second book in this series. I want to find out what happens to everyone.
A deserved 4.5 stars.
This is a wonderful urban-ish fantasy story.
It starts out with Danny meeting Sabrina during school. You learn that he plays a card game in the style of Pokeman or Yu-Gi-Oh. Then the fun begins when he and his friends are awakened to a whole new world existing right in front of them and hiding in plain sight.
The story was great. I loved the idea, the world, and the characters.
Not to go into a lot of detail, but the battle between light and dark never gets old. Mr. Fife does a fine job of using that concept in his book idea. I would have liked to have met a Grey user, but maybe in the next book.
The island (in which 98% of the story takes place) isn't too finely designed to be rigid and not undefined enough to have a reader get lost. Many of the places were mentioned, but since Squires didn't go there, they weren't fully described. Perfectly understandable since it would have bogged down the story with useless details better served for the coming books. (Frankly, I hate having to go back trying to find a detail I've already described that didn't make it into my notes. It's a pain.)
The characters all had their personality quirks, which added to the story and their individualism. (Alonso is totally on my radar)
For me, the book felt like it was written for tweens and younger teens.
There were a few issues though. (Some are more opinion.)
The first is I felt that there were two many dialogue tags. I know that a lot of conversations took place with more than two people in the room, but maybe have reactions and actions connected to the character speaking would have worked to make it a bit more dynamic. (Actually, I have issues with dialogue tags too. I had it pointed it out to me in a feedback session. Now, I'm very conscious of them.)
The second, was that despite the individual characteristics of the characters, there were places that needed a bit more reaction. I sometimes thought that they accepted things with a bit too much blasé aplomb. (I've also had this pointed out to me too. Same person same feedback.)
Also there was one or two places that had a character speak in a syntax and tone that felt OCC.
What really got me is that I found that there were many similarities in our writing styles, making I relate well to this story, but it also made me have a more critical eye.
Still, I would love to read the second book in this series. I want to find out what happens to everyone.
A deserved 4.5 stars.
October 24, 2013
I stumbled across "Light & Dark: The Awakening of the MageKnight" on one of my websites listing free books for Kindle. The book sat in my 'to read' folder for a couple months, passed over for stories more in my genre. I do enjoy reading YA fantasy books occasionally and found myself in the mood and started reading about the MageKnight. Once I got into it, I regretted not picking this sooner. It starts out innocent enough, the protagonist, a 13 year old Danny Firoth begins another school year and instantly gets a crush on a new girl, Sabina Drake, who plays a prominent part in his future. Danny and his buddies, Matt, Chris, annoying Alonso and Doug enjoy playing a card game called Knights - although it is never explained to the reader how the game is played. When Danny is soon chosen as the school bully's next victim, he notices for the first time that he has a special "gift" which allows him to defeat the big guy, making him quite popular with the kids and others.
Danny gets an interesting visitor, who convinces him to join a special school during the summer, which is located on a magical island within the Bermuda Triangle. The stranger offers Danny a special dagger to carry with him at all times, invisible to all except those who can see the "Light". It so happens that his friends also have this ability to see the "Light", joining Daniel in the training to become a Knight of the Light. So the adventure begins!
The boys soon learn that their innocent game of Knights is for real and the characters depicted within are living and breathing Knights with special powers, magical weapons, fighting the war against the Dark Light for the last couple of centuries; most are over a hundred years old. Once this trip begins, I thought the story was going to be similar to both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings novels. There are dragons, elves, dwarfs and fearless enemies within the story to contend with, but soon evolves into its own unique identity.
The author, Daniel Fife brought a fantasy to life in this tome. I enjoyed myself immensely and recommend this story to both teenagers and adults. "Light and Dark: The Awakening of the MageKnight" is a complete story on its own and doesn't end with a cliff hanger like many of the books lately. However, there remains plenty for the author to follow up with another book or even a series. I am aware that the author has a second installment in the works and look forward to reading it when it becomes available. Great job, Mr. Fife!
John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel
Danny gets an interesting visitor, who convinces him to join a special school during the summer, which is located on a magical island within the Bermuda Triangle. The stranger offers Danny a special dagger to carry with him at all times, invisible to all except those who can see the "Light". It so happens that his friends also have this ability to see the "Light", joining Daniel in the training to become a Knight of the Light. So the adventure begins!
The boys soon learn that their innocent game of Knights is for real and the characters depicted within are living and breathing Knights with special powers, magical weapons, fighting the war against the Dark Light for the last couple of centuries; most are over a hundred years old. Once this trip begins, I thought the story was going to be similar to both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings novels. There are dragons, elves, dwarfs and fearless enemies within the story to contend with, but soon evolves into its own unique identity.
The author, Daniel Fife brought a fantasy to life in this tome. I enjoyed myself immensely and recommend this story to both teenagers and adults. "Light and Dark: The Awakening of the MageKnight" is a complete story on its own and doesn't end with a cliff hanger like many of the books lately. However, there remains plenty for the author to follow up with another book or even a series. I am aware that the author has a second installment in the works and look forward to reading it when it becomes available. Great job, Mr. Fife!
John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel
July 26, 2013
Before I dive in, I received this book from the author in return for an honest review. So here we go :)
I have to admit I was originally scared to get into this book, and it had nothing to do with what the book was actually about and more to do with the age of the main characters. As a reader/reviewer I have always had a hard time reading about characters that are younger than myself. Being 22 and trying to relate to for an example an eighth grader gets kind of frustrating for me at times. But since my favorite book genre is YA it’s something I always have to remember and work on. Now our many character Danny I did not have any of these problems that I feared. Danny was a strong main character and a great hero that I just couldn’t help but root for. I also loved Sabrina (especially since she’s half dragon). I am always a sucker for anything about dragons so I was immediately drawn to her character and could really connect to her. You also can’t go wrong with the romance between Sabrina & Danny I’m really intrigued to see where Mr. Fife takes their relationship. One of my last favorite things about this book is the world Mr. Fife created, I mean common you can’t go wrong with a hidden fantasy world along with battles between good & evil. Also that bonded weapon was so unique and interesting.
Now there were parts of the book that I didn’t like. I don’t know if it’s just me but I was not to keen on Danny’s friends. I felt at times that all of these boys were just a little over done. Like there was just so much cramming going on it just completing frustrated me at times. Now don’t get me wrong it’s good that they all have these distinct personalities but it felt that there was just too much going on at one time. I also wasn’t a fan on the pacing, usually with me and books if you don’t hook me in lets say to first 25 pages then I most likely wont finish the book. But since I wanted to give my review and not let anyone down I knew I had to push through. Along with the pacing issue, my last problem was the repetition and over descriptions. I think at one point I literally wanted to scream oh come on give me the good stuff already.
But overall, Mr. Fife created a magical fantasy world. Yes it had it’s up’s and down’s but what book doesn’t. If you love action, adventure and romance than definitely check this book. I recommend everyone to look into this book whether you’re young or old.
I have to admit I was originally scared to get into this book, and it had nothing to do with what the book was actually about and more to do with the age of the main characters. As a reader/reviewer I have always had a hard time reading about characters that are younger than myself. Being 22 and trying to relate to for an example an eighth grader gets kind of frustrating for me at times. But since my favorite book genre is YA it’s something I always have to remember and work on. Now our many character Danny I did not have any of these problems that I feared. Danny was a strong main character and a great hero that I just couldn’t help but root for. I also loved Sabrina (especially since she’s half dragon). I am always a sucker for anything about dragons so I was immediately drawn to her character and could really connect to her. You also can’t go wrong with the romance between Sabrina & Danny I’m really intrigued to see where Mr. Fife takes their relationship. One of my last favorite things about this book is the world Mr. Fife created, I mean common you can’t go wrong with a hidden fantasy world along with battles between good & evil. Also that bonded weapon was so unique and interesting.
Now there were parts of the book that I didn’t like. I don’t know if it’s just me but I was not to keen on Danny’s friends. I felt at times that all of these boys were just a little over done. Like there was just so much cramming going on it just completing frustrated me at times. Now don’t get me wrong it’s good that they all have these distinct personalities but it felt that there was just too much going on at one time. I also wasn’t a fan on the pacing, usually with me and books if you don’t hook me in lets say to first 25 pages then I most likely wont finish the book. But since I wanted to give my review and not let anyone down I knew I had to push through. Along with the pacing issue, my last problem was the repetition and over descriptions. I think at one point I literally wanted to scream oh come on give me the good stuff already.
But overall, Mr. Fife created a magical fantasy world. Yes it had it’s up’s and down’s but what book doesn’t. If you love action, adventure and romance than definitely check this book. I recommend everyone to look into this book whether you’re young or old.
November 27, 2012
Review 7*******
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
WOW!! This is a fantastic YA coming of age fantasy novel! I loved it!
Danny Firoth is a fantastic character! He is a typical teen. Or is he? He likes to play a card game called Knights of the Light, which would be comparable to children's card games played in all school playgrounds. (Think Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon). He is surprised to find out that he can see "shadows", which are a type of being from the land of Dark. As he is one of the few able to see these "shadows", he is tested, and then accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination to become a Knight of the Light.
I have been eagerly wanting to read this book, because I'm a huge fan of Fantasy, whether YA or otherwise. I must admit that once I started reading this book, I did not want to put it down! This book is an amazing and exciting read from the first page! The characters themselves are very interesting, and come alive on the page. Danny's five friends are an eclectic mix. They are Chris, Alonso, Matt, Doug and Anthony. They each have their own personalities. I liked them all, even Alonso, who is the most egotistical and hot headed of them all. This book did remind me slightly of the Harry Potter books, with a dash of Dungeons and Dragons (a game played in the 1980's - not sure if it's still popular) thrown in for good measure! However, there are some differences that made this book totally unique! Instead of wands, there are swords! There are various weapons in the Knight's arsenal, but their best weapon is their sword, called Bondeds. Each sword is unique, and has amazing powers. The descriptions of sword play and the uniforms used is fantastic! The attention to detail makes the school come alive! I could actually see this as a movie, it's that good!
I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series: Light & Dark: The Black Bonded.
D.M. Fife has written an exciting YA fantasy/action adventure/coming of age novel filled with dragons, elves, dwarves, sword fights and memorable characters. I HIGHLY recommend this book to children in the 11+ age range, and to adults who love YA Fantasy. - Lynn Worton
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
WOW!! This is a fantastic YA coming of age fantasy novel! I loved it!
Danny Firoth is a fantastic character! He is a typical teen. Or is he? He likes to play a card game called Knights of the Light, which would be comparable to children's card games played in all school playgrounds. (Think Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon). He is surprised to find out that he can see "shadows", which are a type of being from the land of Dark. As he is one of the few able to see these "shadows", he is tested, and then accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination to become a Knight of the Light.
I have been eagerly wanting to read this book, because I'm a huge fan of Fantasy, whether YA or otherwise. I must admit that once I started reading this book, I did not want to put it down! This book is an amazing and exciting read from the first page! The characters themselves are very interesting, and come alive on the page. Danny's five friends are an eclectic mix. They are Chris, Alonso, Matt, Doug and Anthony. They each have their own personalities. I liked them all, even Alonso, who is the most egotistical and hot headed of them all. This book did remind me slightly of the Harry Potter books, with a dash of Dungeons and Dragons (a game played in the 1980's - not sure if it's still popular) thrown in for good measure! However, there are some differences that made this book totally unique! Instead of wands, there are swords! There are various weapons in the Knight's arsenal, but their best weapon is their sword, called Bondeds. Each sword is unique, and has amazing powers. The descriptions of sword play and the uniforms used is fantastic! The attention to detail makes the school come alive! I could actually see this as a movie, it's that good!
I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series: Light & Dark: The Black Bonded.
D.M. Fife has written an exciting YA fantasy/action adventure/coming of age novel filled with dragons, elves, dwarves, sword fights and memorable characters. I HIGHLY recommend this book to children in the 11+ age range, and to adults who love YA Fantasy. - Lynn Worton
March 30, 2013
Book Review
The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, Book 1)
By Daniel M. Fife
Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is American author Daniel M. Fife's first novel. Danny, a 13 year-old boy, and his fairly large group of friends enjoy a trading card game called Knights. The card game features Dragons, Knights and various equipment. The players much choose a faction to play, the light, the gray or the dark. When a new girl in school shares their appreciation for the game, they all soon learn that it is much more than a game and that the factions are for real. They are recruited to attend a special school where they will train to become Knights of the Light. Thus starts an adventure that will change their lives forever.
When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was intrigued. My son and I are both fans of trading card games, such as Magic the Gathering. The story seemed original and had potential. The book did not disappoint and surpassed my expectations. The initial instalment of the Light & Dark series can be compared to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or even the Hobbit. It is very easy to draw a likeness to these series when reading the story. Having said that, the plot, settings and characters are all unique, original and magical. The writing is smooth and flows easily. Both the real world and fantasy world were so well described that detailed images appeared without any effort. The action sequences were written with skilful precision.
I was so impressed with the Awakening of the Mageknight, that after purchasing and reading the ebook, I decided to order the paperback. The story contains knights, elves, dwarves, swordfights, magic and dragons. The target audience would be middle grade or young adult, however, this book can be enjoyed by fans of fantasy of any age. For anyone that has enjoyed trading card games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or the Hobbit, this book is a must read. I will anxiously be awaiting a sequel. The first book of the series was epic!
Yves Robichaud
Author of Tomes of Taria: Kaylen’s Rising
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/bO3Z02BALMw
www.facebook.com/KaylensRising
www.twitter.com/@yvesr72
www.yvesrobichaud.com
The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, Book 1)
By Daniel M. Fife
Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is American author Daniel M. Fife's first novel. Danny, a 13 year-old boy, and his fairly large group of friends enjoy a trading card game called Knights. The card game features Dragons, Knights and various equipment. The players much choose a faction to play, the light, the gray or the dark. When a new girl in school shares their appreciation for the game, they all soon learn that it is much more than a game and that the factions are for real. They are recruited to attend a special school where they will train to become Knights of the Light. Thus starts an adventure that will change their lives forever.
When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was intrigued. My son and I are both fans of trading card games, such as Magic the Gathering. The story seemed original and had potential. The book did not disappoint and surpassed my expectations. The initial instalment of the Light & Dark series can be compared to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or even the Hobbit. It is very easy to draw a likeness to these series when reading the story. Having said that, the plot, settings and characters are all unique, original and magical. The writing is smooth and flows easily. Both the real world and fantasy world were so well described that detailed images appeared without any effort. The action sequences were written with skilful precision.
I was so impressed with the Awakening of the Mageknight, that after purchasing and reading the ebook, I decided to order the paperback. The story contains knights, elves, dwarves, swordfights, magic and dragons. The target audience would be middle grade or young adult, however, this book can be enjoyed by fans of fantasy of any age. For anyone that has enjoyed trading card games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or the Hobbit, this book is a must read. I will anxiously be awaiting a sequel. The first book of the series was epic!
Yves Robichaud
Author of Tomes of Taria: Kaylen’s Rising
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/bO3Z02BALMw
www.facebook.com/KaylensRising
www.twitter.com/@yvesr72
www.yvesrobichaud.com
September 4, 2012
Book Review: Light and Dark: the Awakening of the Mageknight- 3 stars
Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight begins with an average 13 year old, Danny Firoth, beginning his 8th grade year and reuniting with his buddies. He is taken with a new girl, Sabrina, who quickly becomes friends with his group because of their shared interest in the card game of “Knights.”
After an encounter with a dragon fighting the dark, and discovering that he possesses the curious and exciting ability of foresight, Danny realizes there is a world of good and evil that is far more realistic and close to him than he imagined. Danny, his friends and Sabrina have an opportunity to spend their summer attending a secret school learning how to be a knight of the light. The truth slowly unfolds as Danny learns more about his past and his true destiny that will change his life forever.
Daniel Fife has come up with a wonderful storyline that is unique enough, but would also remind you of popular stories like Harry Potter. It is relatable to a YA audience, and contains a relatable love story, along with the themes of good and evil, fighting for what is right, loyalty and learning by doing. Fife’s writing continues to improve throughout the book, especially with the thrilling fight scenes, and his beautifully thorough scene descriptions.
Unfortunately the grammar, typos and repeated use of cliché phrases such as “did as bid” and “for but a moment,” truly distract from the story. The pacing also needs reworking with too much character details all at once, and too much time and development of the scene at school, where the majority of the story takes place at the Academy of the light.
If these changes were made, this book would be fantastic and receive 5 stars, however, I can only offer 3 stars in its current state. If you enjoy YA fantasy, this book is worth reading. I am definitely interested to find out what happens next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ps- I heard from the author, an he has corrected many of the grammar issues. Yay!
Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight begins with an average 13 year old, Danny Firoth, beginning his 8th grade year and reuniting with his buddies. He is taken with a new girl, Sabrina, who quickly becomes friends with his group because of their shared interest in the card game of “Knights.”
After an encounter with a dragon fighting the dark, and discovering that he possesses the curious and exciting ability of foresight, Danny realizes there is a world of good and evil that is far more realistic and close to him than he imagined. Danny, his friends and Sabrina have an opportunity to spend their summer attending a secret school learning how to be a knight of the light. The truth slowly unfolds as Danny learns more about his past and his true destiny that will change his life forever.
Daniel Fife has come up with a wonderful storyline that is unique enough, but would also remind you of popular stories like Harry Potter. It is relatable to a YA audience, and contains a relatable love story, along with the themes of good and evil, fighting for what is right, loyalty and learning by doing. Fife’s writing continues to improve throughout the book, especially with the thrilling fight scenes, and his beautifully thorough scene descriptions.
Unfortunately the grammar, typos and repeated use of cliché phrases such as “did as bid” and “for but a moment,” truly distract from the story. The pacing also needs reworking with too much character details all at once, and too much time and development of the scene at school, where the majority of the story takes place at the Academy of the light.
If these changes were made, this book would be fantastic and receive 5 stars, however, I can only offer 3 stars in its current state. If you enjoy YA fantasy, this book is worth reading. I am definitely interested to find out what happens next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ps- I heard from the author, an he has corrected many of the grammar issues. Yay!
October 3, 2012
Magic returns to the Young Adult reader
I was privileged enough to receive Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight as a free promotional gift from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Light & Dark begins with a young boy by the name of Danny who soon meets a high school crush by the name of Sabrina. However, Sabrina is not what she seems as Danny discovers, not only a power within himself, but also that Sabrina is actually a half-dragon of an ancient race called the Dragonic, or what we humans call dragons. Sabrina explains an ancient struggle with an evil foe called Shadows. Whisked off to a magical island, Danny, Sabrina, and their friends are taught the techniques of blade work and compete in mock battles with swords and armor. Perhaps the most fascinating prospect about this book was the use of a kind of magical weapon called a Bonded. I will not spoil the surprise of where these magical blades come from, yet, the premise of their creation is one of the most unique and imaginative ideas I have read in a while.
According to the author, this novel has been edited for mistakes that were pointed out by other reviewers. I personally am a stickler for mistakes, yet, I could not find one grammatical error in the book. This could of course be due to the fact that I received my review copy after the said mistakes were reportedly corrected.
In any case, Mr. Fife has created a magical world full of adventure, action, romance, coming of age drama, realistic and likeable characters, and beautifully described scenes - really just about anything one could ask for. I would highly recommend this book to middle grade, young adult, and any age group beyond.
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight
I was privileged enough to receive Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight as a free promotional gift from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Light & Dark begins with a young boy by the name of Danny who soon meets a high school crush by the name of Sabrina. However, Sabrina is not what she seems as Danny discovers, not only a power within himself, but also that Sabrina is actually a half-dragon of an ancient race called the Dragonic, or what we humans call dragons. Sabrina explains an ancient struggle with an evil foe called Shadows. Whisked off to a magical island, Danny, Sabrina, and their friends are taught the techniques of blade work and compete in mock battles with swords and armor. Perhaps the most fascinating prospect about this book was the use of a kind of magical weapon called a Bonded. I will not spoil the surprise of where these magical blades come from, yet, the premise of their creation is one of the most unique and imaginative ideas I have read in a while.
According to the author, this novel has been edited for mistakes that were pointed out by other reviewers. I personally am a stickler for mistakes, yet, I could not find one grammatical error in the book. This could of course be due to the fact that I received my review copy after the said mistakes were reportedly corrected.
In any case, Mr. Fife has created a magical world full of adventure, action, romance, coming of age drama, realistic and likeable characters, and beautifully described scenes - really just about anything one could ask for. I would highly recommend this book to middle grade, young adult, and any age group beyond.
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight
May 21, 2013
So often, I will see reviews that will mention another title, intimating that this is the “same”, and diminishing the book being reviewed by insinuating it is an imitation. While there are obvious correlations to the set-up for the Harry Potter series here, the similarity ends quickly.
This is a uniquely styled blend of fantasy and reality, with characters who are very current and solidly developed, who just happen to be a part of a training programme that involves magic and spells.
Daniel Fife has managed to create a book that even reluctant readers can enjoy: there is enough of the fantastical to break up the mundanity of every eighth grade life, and the ultimate quest of good versus evil, as you are just learning what powers and skills you have makes for a gripping tale. Yes there are friends, and the friendships are tested, and the importance of trust and being there all create small lessons on the way. But mostly: this is a highly enjoyable read that holds your interest from page to page as you learn and discover this new world with Danny.
As the start of a new series – this one shows great promise: the pacing and world-building were well done and maintained after some early repetitive moments. I was fortunate to have received the newly-edited version: and what I had was a very clean, well-written story that managed to keep interest and flow after a bit of a slow start early on. As a debut novel, in a high-fantasy style written to appeal to (but never pander to) younger readers, it was an impressive work. And I am looking forward to book 2 in the Light & Dark Series.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review and inclusion in Children Read week. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This is a uniquely styled blend of fantasy and reality, with characters who are very current and solidly developed, who just happen to be a part of a training programme that involves magic and spells.
Daniel Fife has managed to create a book that even reluctant readers can enjoy: there is enough of the fantastical to break up the mundanity of every eighth grade life, and the ultimate quest of good versus evil, as you are just learning what powers and skills you have makes for a gripping tale. Yes there are friends, and the friendships are tested, and the importance of trust and being there all create small lessons on the way. But mostly: this is a highly enjoyable read that holds your interest from page to page as you learn and discover this new world with Danny.
As the start of a new series – this one shows great promise: the pacing and world-building were well done and maintained after some early repetitive moments. I was fortunate to have received the newly-edited version: and what I had was a very clean, well-written story that managed to keep interest and flow after a bit of a slow start early on. As a debut novel, in a high-fantasy style written to appeal to (but never pander to) younger readers, it was an impressive work. And I am looking forward to book 2 in the Light & Dark Series.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review and inclusion in Children Read week. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
February 11, 2013
Unfortunately, I couldn't read this book. Just couldn't do it. The descriptions were incredibly over-detailed and utterly unnecessary - do we need to hear that Danny put both feet down on the plush carpet that morning, then took two steps to reach his closet, where clothes were neatly pressed and hung on plastic hangers? No, we do not. Nor do we need it reiterated twice that there was bacon and eggs for breakfast that morning. The writing is simply off - too mundane, too focused on incredibly detailed descriptions of unnecessary things, etc. - and there's no sense of urgency and no "stakes" to hook us into reading on. There's just a kid going to school and ogling the new girl. Yes, this is apparently the setup for a fantasy romp, but when my eyes glazed over completely after only a few pages, I couldn't handle the idea of another few hundred pages of lavish descriptions of nothing.
For a YA/middle grade novel, too, the voice was far too mature; there were many, many instances in just the first couple chapters where we'd be told all about the character and typical behaviour of some character, in language more suited to an adult narrator than to a 13-year-old kid; the tone was too stiff and didactic for me.
The cover art and choice of Papyrus font didn't help matters, either, I'm sorry to say. This book needed a lot more production work - a very, very serious pass together with a developmental editor, a pro cover artist, etc. - in order to convince me to stick with it long enough to see if the plot picked up. Or started at all, for that matter. From the cover alone, and the first few chapters, I'd have no idea that this was anything other than a tedious slog through some kid's mundane school experience. Not something I care to read, and so...I stopped.
For a YA/middle grade novel, too, the voice was far too mature; there were many, many instances in just the first couple chapters where we'd be told all about the character and typical behaviour of some character, in language more suited to an adult narrator than to a 13-year-old kid; the tone was too stiff and didactic for me.
The cover art and choice of Papyrus font didn't help matters, either, I'm sorry to say. This book needed a lot more production work - a very, very serious pass together with a developmental editor, a pro cover artist, etc. - in order to convince me to stick with it long enough to see if the plot picked up. Or started at all, for that matter. From the cover alone, and the first few chapters, I'd have no idea that this was anything other than a tedious slog through some kid's mundane school experience. Not something I care to read, and so...I stopped.
October 8, 2012
It’s the start of a new term for Danny, a decent, nothing-special 13 year old. A new girl to the school, Sabrina, catches his eye, especially when it turns out she plays the fantasy card game Knights that Danny loves. The game has three factions of Light, Gray and Dark and pits the force of good against evil through the fantastical creatures and knights on the cards. Only it’s more than that. Danny discovers that this realm actually exists. Suddenly he’s rubbing shoulders with Dragonics, dragons, drakes, Shadows shifters, knights, elves and magic of all kinds. Why? What’s so special about him that he’s become involved? How can he help guard the Eye of Darkness while the world waits for the Mageknight.
This is a great book for tweens and young teens. It would have been easy to make the characters a little older and attitude-ridden and aimed at the popular older YA audience. But luckily this author doesn’t. He writes perfectly for this age group. Danny and his schoolfriends are very typical 13 year olds, apart from the odd magical quality of course, and the plot and action are ideally suited. Enough excitement, tension, threat and battle but not too dark and disturbing. Their world might encompass good and evil but it’s also an everyday one where parents and school rules have to be obeyed and homework has to be done. The story moves at a good pace from the very start and quickly draws the reader into the action. Danny develops and takes on massive responsibilities but stays his likeable, still-slightly-childish self. Both adults and youngsters will enjoy this well crafted fantasy novel.
This is a great book for tweens and young teens. It would have been easy to make the characters a little older and attitude-ridden and aimed at the popular older YA audience. But luckily this author doesn’t. He writes perfectly for this age group. Danny and his schoolfriends are very typical 13 year olds, apart from the odd magical quality of course, and the plot and action are ideally suited. Enough excitement, tension, threat and battle but not too dark and disturbing. Their world might encompass good and evil but it’s also an everyday one where parents and school rules have to be obeyed and homework has to be done. The story moves at a good pace from the very start and quickly draws the reader into the action. Danny develops and takes on massive responsibilities but stays his likeable, still-slightly-childish self. Both adults and youngsters will enjoy this well crafted fantasy novel.
November 6, 2012
Light & Darkness: The Awakening of the Mageknight, is a great tale that will entertain you from the first pages. I like the fun journey that this tale took me on. I found Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight a great clean story and an original tale that will keep you interested to the end.
Danny has started school and he is walking with his friend Alonso toward the front door. As he goes through, a new girl comes by and Danny is so mesmerized by her that she thinks he is holding the door open for her.
After a few days, he finally knows her name and where her locker is. One afternoon, a bully tries to get Danny to fight him. To his surprise, Danny discovers a white ghostly figure emerging from the bully that shows him the moves the bully will make before he does them. Thanks to that, Danny wins in front of many in the school including the new girl, Sabrina.
The problem arises as a teacher observed them fighting and Danny has to stay after school. After many pages of writing essays for the principal, Danny goes out to wait for his mom and the sure punishment that she will inflict. In the dark corridor he sees movements and decide to follow something shadowlike until he gets outside to the Playground. Then a big creature that shouldn’t even exist hears him, and he is in more trouble than with his mom.
This is a very nice read for kids. Though I did like the story, plot and magic it contains, the story needs editing to make it smooth. This will clean the story and cut some of the repetitions too. The page count is a bit high for kids. They don't have that long attention span. Good story and plot, it just need polish.
Danny has started school and he is walking with his friend Alonso toward the front door. As he goes through, a new girl comes by and Danny is so mesmerized by her that she thinks he is holding the door open for her.
After a few days, he finally knows her name and where her locker is. One afternoon, a bully tries to get Danny to fight him. To his surprise, Danny discovers a white ghostly figure emerging from the bully that shows him the moves the bully will make before he does them. Thanks to that, Danny wins in front of many in the school including the new girl, Sabrina.
The problem arises as a teacher observed them fighting and Danny has to stay after school. After many pages of writing essays for the principal, Danny goes out to wait for his mom and the sure punishment that she will inflict. In the dark corridor he sees movements and decide to follow something shadowlike until he gets outside to the Playground. Then a big creature that shouldn’t even exist hears him, and he is in more trouble than with his mom.
This is a very nice read for kids. Though I did like the story, plot and magic it contains, the story needs editing to make it smooth. This will clean the story and cut some of the repetitions too. The page count is a bit high for kids. They don't have that long attention span. Good story and plot, it just need polish.
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