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Daughter of Dawn & Darkness: Book 1: Spark Aflight
Vivian Debaussigeh is a seventeen-year-old orphan growing up among her father's people, the Anishnabeh, when she receives a letter inviting her to visit her mother's planet of New Dawn. She leaps at the chance to unravel the mystery of her unknown past. But once Vivian arrives on New Dawn, nothing is as she had expected. Discovering a society of magic and deadly intrigue, Vivian becomes the target of kidnappers, murderers--and aristocrats who want to use her as a pawn. Can Vivian master her hidden talents in time to escape her pursuers--and to create a place for herself in this new world?
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2017
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About the author
Carey F. Whitepigeon
2 books4 followersCarey F. Whitepigeon is a member of a Potawatomi tribe, one of the Three Fires of the Anishinaabe. A lifelong resident of the state of Michigan, she lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, two cats, and an ever-varying number of their three college-age offspring. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Carey’s career has included marketing, market research, business consulting, project management, and non-profit management. She read Tolkien’s The Hobbit in second grade, and has loved science fiction and fantasy literature ever since. In addition to reading, Carey enjoys travel, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her family.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 5, 2022
My baseline criteria to give a book a 5-star rating are these: I don't ever want to put it down while I'm reading it; when I get to the end, I know I'll re-read it or want to go right back around and start again, and I absolutely want to recommend it to others. This book hit all three right on the mark. And quite frankly, that says a lot for a first time author.
The story is about Vivian, a 17 year old orphan who travels to New Dawn to meet her mother's people. When she arrives, she is kidnapped and becomes a pawn and a target. On a planet where she doesn't know anyone and isn't aware that she can use magic, she has to escape, survive, and make critical decisions about whether she belongs.
Right from the start I was pulled into both the world building and the main character. Information came in slowly and as we needed it, leaving both questions and mystery that played out beautifully over the course of the story. Vivian's headstrong personality made *sense* in the story, as did the various parts of her upbringing that prepared her (or didn't!) for the planet and culture that she found herself immersed in. The people she encounters are just as fully-formed as she is, and this is one of those stories where I get the sense that the author has whole histories behind most of them, and is just sharing the pieces we need. I love this, because it leaves me feeling like the world is well rounded, and that we could dive deeper in any direction.
As a matter of fact, this book reminded me Brandon Sanderson, one of the best world building fantasy authors I read. I went right from Whitepigeon to _Mistborn_, and still my mind kept wandering back to _Spark Aflight_. It's the first of a trilogy, and I'm absolutely hooked. Highly recommended.
Update: Re-read in Nov. 2023 before reading book 2, and it holds up just as well on a second read. This is an excellent book, with great world-building, well-developed characters, and a well-knit storyline. (P.S. I’ve finished Book 2: Burning Brand before posting the updated review, and I love the sequel as well.)
The story is about Vivian, a 17 year old orphan who travels to New Dawn to meet her mother's people. When she arrives, she is kidnapped and becomes a pawn and a target. On a planet where she doesn't know anyone and isn't aware that she can use magic, she has to escape, survive, and make critical decisions about whether she belongs.
Right from the start I was pulled into both the world building and the main character. Information came in slowly and as we needed it, leaving both questions and mystery that played out beautifully over the course of the story. Vivian's headstrong personality made *sense* in the story, as did the various parts of her upbringing that prepared her (or didn't!) for the planet and culture that she found herself immersed in. The people she encounters are just as fully-formed as she is, and this is one of those stories where I get the sense that the author has whole histories behind most of them, and is just sharing the pieces we need. I love this, because it leaves me feeling like the world is well rounded, and that we could dive deeper in any direction.
As a matter of fact, this book reminded me Brandon Sanderson, one of the best world building fantasy authors I read. I went right from Whitepigeon to _Mistborn_, and still my mind kept wandering back to _Spark Aflight_. It's the first of a trilogy, and I'm absolutely hooked. Highly recommended.
Update: Re-read in Nov. 2023 before reading book 2, and it holds up just as well on a second read. This is an excellent book, with great world-building, well-developed characters, and a well-knit storyline. (P.S. I’ve finished Book 2: Burning Brand before posting the updated review, and I love the sequel as well.)
Displaying 1 of 1 review