Three friends. Evil seeks to corrupt them. If they survive... what will it cost?
Twins Cataleen and Aodan share a connection through their supernatural abilities. They have the potential to do great things with their gift—if they can resist the evil that seeks to corrupt them.
Their friend, Faolan, is as close as a brother. But not everyone in their village trusts them. As tragedy strikes and secrets are revealed, the trio must face the wider world and their individual destinies.
Ariboslia is a dangerous land where fasgadair hunt the innocent, especially those with powers. The trials Cataleen, Aodan, and Faolan face threaten their bond.
Evil hungers for them.
Each must choose a path.
Will they survive? And if they do—what will it cost?
If you enjoy jumping through portals into worlds peopled with shape-shifters, fraught with vampires and mental warfare—dive into this Christian fantasy, the prequel to J F Rogers’s Ariboslia trilogy.
J. F. Rogers lives in Southern Maine with her husband, daughter, pets…and usually an imaginary friend or two. She has a degree in Behavioral Science and teaches a 5th & 6th grade Sunday School class. When she’s not entertaining Tuki the Mega Mutt, her constant companion and greatest distraction, she’s likely tap tap tapping away at her keyboard, praying the words will miraculously align just so. Above all, she’s a believer in the One True God and can say with absolute certainty—you are loved. Connect with her at jfrogers.com.
This was such a wonderfully refreshing book! I loved the creativity, the mystery, the adventure, and (most importantly) the message of hope! I can't wait to finish the next book!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you haven't started the Ariboslia Series yet, this is a good place to start. She knocked it out of the park once more. I was glued to my seat until the story ended.
It starts with three friends, on the verge of their Bain. A transformation to your totem animal. When people arrive from the city, they know something is wrong. However, things go horribly wrong when Cataleen's twin brother is banned from the town. With bloodsucking creatures lurking in the woods, his best friend Faolan goes with him. But nothing has prepared them for what fate has in store for them. The future has been determined, and no deviation is permitted.
Things get even stranger when travelers arrive via the Drochaid. A portal to another realm. Why are they here? And why is Cataleen attracted to the stranger's son? And when the seer predicts that Aodan will join the Fasgadair, all hope may be lost.
A terrifying tale that follows the three friends on their journey through the fantastic world of Ariboslia. Where your worst nightmares come true. Fast-paced action, unexpected twists, and tragic outcomes. And of course everything has a Divine plan. Dive into the fantastic and terrifying fantasy world.
A great story and easy to read of how Cataleen, Aodan and Faolan has a bond like brothers and sister. The bonding between all of them was amazing and how they had each other’s back no matter the situation. With the different creatures that they will encounter will take you on an intense adventure. When Aodan gets banished from the clan Faolan decides to go with him to help him and things get pretty intense when Morrigan ask Aodan to become Fasgadair in order to save his family. But everything is not what it seems. This book leads up to how Fallon will have to go to the human realm and where her story will begin. I enjoyed the book tremendously. Lots of intense situations and will keep you reading to the end. Was very hard to put down. It will take you on a intense adventure where anything could happen.
What an endearing introduction to the world of Ariboslia. Vivid descriptions of beings, locales, foods, and abilities that make me want to visit.
This foundational prequel is a coming-of-age story just as much as it is a groundwork for what is yet to come in the Ariboslia trilogy. I felt it rather long for a prequel, but that’s not an objection. The world-building is excellent and the character development is nicely done. There are distinct lines between good and evil while also questions about how to handle the gray areas.
It has whet my appetite for more of the story. More about Cataleen and Aodoan, plus all their friends and enemies.
This is the prequel to the Ariboslia trilogy. While it can be read as a standalone novel, I am glad that I read it after the trilogy. I really enjoyed getting to know the backstory to the trilogy, and I think it was more meaningful for having read it last.
Alight was an all-around pleasure to read! If you enjoy Celtic legends and dialect, then you’ll enjoy reading this book. The world-building is excellent and unique with an interesting twist on the myth of Morrigan. An alternate version of rural Maine, Ariboslia contains interesting creatures like the shapeshifting gachen, the cursed fasgadair, the elusive pech, and weirdly cool things like beo feur and the color aotram which don’t exist in the human realm. Morrigan is a frightening adversary, and the vampirish fasgadair are both monstrous and pitiable without seeming sparkly and attractive, as so many spinners of paranormal tales prefer to paint vampires.
The POV characters, Cataleen and Faolan, are likable and relatable kids who want to honor God by doing what's right. It's refreshing to read stories like this about people coming from wholesome backgrounds dealing with evil in the world, how their faith may falter but then they learn to rely on God and His plans above all else. I really enjoyed how Cataleen, Aodan, and Faolan were "just kids," teasing one another as siblings do, all fixated on achieving their totem forms and assuming the mantle of adulthood.
Aodan's path was a slippery slope of poor decisions made with good intentions. I felt sympathy for him and was pleased he wasn't a villain at the beginning–although the seeds were definitely there in his character. All villains were frightened children at some point and Aodan was, in part, motivated by a desire to protect his home and loved ones.
Although I read the entire Ariboslia trilogy and knew in general what was supposed to happen, there were still some surprises and more to learn about the world. It was a delight to revisit and see Ariboslia through the eyes of Fallon’s mother and her best friend.
I would recommend Alight for a young adult, even middle grade, audience as there is no inappropriate or objectionable content with regards to language, sensuality, or violence. The theme of trusting God’s will carries through just as strongly in Alight as it did in Astray, Adrift, and Aloft.
1,5 stars. Only rounded up because worse books do exist..
It took me months!!! to finish this book... And everything in it was unnecessary. Aoden got banished for an accident, provoked by a man and his son, who should've been banished a long time ago - according to their bs standards. They say he can come back if he repents - which he did- but still he was unfairly banished. How dumb can a community be. Especially their so called "prophet", who knew, he would become a villain (sort of) if he got banished. I think the real villain in this book was this blind prophet... Acting high and mighty and banishes a child for an accident to an outside world where he will either die or become an evil vampire.. sure.. Catty.. in Faolans words "is she really that daft!?" - yes, she is. Yes she is young, but 9years later she still isn't that bright. She really is daft. Her "romance" with Josh (spoiler:there is no romance at all) is ridiculous and even in the end she plans to betray her husband. Everyone wants to keep her safe and she's simply to dumb to be kept safe. He thinks she and her 3 year old daughter shouldn't go to a place where vampires live and rightly so, but she ignores him and decides to go with her daughter behind his back... Sorry??
The writing isn't good and the ending is the worst! The book ends dramatically and stupid and the epilogue -9 years later- doesn't explain a thing.
Andy why tf is there a deer on the front page, Catty is a deer for like 2 pages... And what about her fire? And like I said - if you're looking for romance here, you'll be disappointed.
Four teenagers face an impending disaster as their quiet peaceful, and parallel worlds collide with vampires set on destroying the human race - especially those who follow God.
One tries to fight the evil from within and starts to lose his humanity. One tries to protect his friend but finds the evil increasingly repulsive. One tries hiding from a prophecy, while worrying about her sibling, family and village and learning how to love. One child tries to understand a different world and navigate love from a different culture and world.
This story is filled with spiritual truths and lessons applicable to everyone.
If you’re a fan of fantasy you’ll love this story - and the others in the series as well!
This is an interesting book. Cataleen and Aodan are twins who can mind-link. Faolan is their adopted triplet. All born on the same birth date. Friends forever. At the age of fifteen, most of their clan can change into an animal or bird of some sort. It's part of who they are. In their world, they have the undead fasgagair. Creatures somewhat like vampires only worse. They have a queen who gets a hold on Aodan. This is the story of these three friends and how God is weaving the tapestry of their lives. I received this book as an advanced copy and this is my voluntary review.
If only it were a perfect world But it's not...hence...a lifetime spent around bullies can be tiring, draining and leave a mass of destruction in their wake. The aftermath can be so devastating that we find ourselves wondering how can we ever move forward again. This story hits so close to home that it took me extra long to read b/c I spent a great deal of time crying. A gripping read from start to finish.
This is a brilliant read. Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start. Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable. Great drama and romance with wonderful world building. Can't wait to read what the author brings out next. Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
This is the story of Fallon’s parents and uncle. It tells how her parents met, and why they moved to the human world to live. It also tells the story of how and why Fallon’s uncle became a fasgadair. It helps to understand all of the different characters that are in Fallon’s story.
A complex, vivid, entertaining prequel. Vampires, shifters, magic combined in. A magical world. I am looking forward to reading the trilogy that this is the prequel too. I received a complimentary copy from the Author and am leaving a honest voluntary review.
Another outstanding story. Twins with supernatural powers. They’re fighting against evil. Intriguing as always that will keep you wondering what could possibly happen next. Strong characters that make the story what it is.
If you want to know how Fallon's parents ended up in America, read this. J. F. Rogers does a wonderful job writing God centered books that are interesting, beautiful, and full of life lessons. I love this series. The characters are amazing and the world building is stunning. The storyline is so engaging, it's like watching a movie. I loved reading about Catty, Faolin, and Aoden's bians, too. (I'm not going to ruin it telling you what that is. You'll have to read it!)