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Lightborn
Lightborn (Book 1 of the Nightless Series) New Adult Fantasy Urban Fantasy Novel Sixty-eight years ago, the Brotherhood of Light came to power. Now, in 2091, we all live under the rule of the Lightborn. For years, these men have abused their power and starved the world of its natural resources. But now, even they know they’ve taken it too far. The world is dying because of their reckless use of magic. Though they try to hide it, the dark spots on the earth will soon seep out, leaving decay and destruction in their wake. Anya has remained hidden, her power a great secret she holds close. She's spent her life in fear of the Lightborn, but can't look the other way anymore. After turning to a group of rebels for help, she's betrayed, and delivered directly to the men she's feared for so long. Anya is left with no choice but to help them. But her power is greater than they could ever imagine. Will Anya find the help she needs in the future? Can she make it back in time to stop the inevitable?
392 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 22, 2020
⚡Lightborn by Claire Wells is the first book in the Trilogy series. This is a story about a young woman with secret powers. She is trying to save the world from destructive men who possesses some magic or powers.
⚡Storyline:
Sixty-eight years ago, the Brotherhood of Light came to power. Now, in 2091, Anya lives under the rule of the Lightborn. These men unnecessarily changes the weather and alter animals for their entertainment by using their powers in a wrong way which results in destroying of the world because of their reckless use of magic.
Anya is unaware of her hidden powers. But she knows about the destruction of the world and feels a responsibility to do something. When she is captured by the Brotherhood, she is left with no choice but to help them. But her power is greater than they could ever imagine.
Read out the book to know whether Anya be able to save the world.
⚡The story is very interesting with well thought characters and unique storyline. I really liked the character building of Anya. It is really hard to put down the book, once you picked it up. The book is well paced, it will keep you interested till the end. Author have made use of a very rich language. I am very impressed with the writing style and narrations.
⚡Storyline:
Sixty-eight years ago, the Brotherhood of Light came to power. Now, in 2091, Anya lives under the rule of the Lightborn. These men unnecessarily changes the weather and alter animals for their entertainment by using their powers in a wrong way which results in destroying of the world because of their reckless use of magic.
Anya is unaware of her hidden powers. But she knows about the destruction of the world and feels a responsibility to do something. When she is captured by the Brotherhood, she is left with no choice but to help them. But her power is greater than they could ever imagine.
Read out the book to know whether Anya be able to save the world.
⚡The story is very interesting with well thought characters and unique storyline. I really liked the character building of Anya. It is really hard to put down the book, once you picked it up. The book is well paced, it will keep you interested till the end. Author have made use of a very rich language. I am very impressed with the writing style and narrations.
September 12, 2020
Review originally published here, at Reedsy Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/lig...
A young woman with a secret tries to save the world from destructive magical men in this dystopian book about family and climate catastrophe.
Women are unfortunately used to living in a man's world, but it's high time for a change. Enter Anya, from Claire Wells' dystopian novel Lightborn: a 19-year-old cooking teacher with an enormous secret.
We meet Anya in the year 2091, after a group called the Brotherhood has taken over the Earth. After years of blackouts, wars, and infighting, only three men remain in control of the world: Brothers Oran, Anwar, and Uri. These three men, and their followers, are Lightborn--meaning they possess magical powers. Only men are Lightborn, or so everyone thinks. Turns out, Anya has the power, too; the revelation has ripped her family apart (leaving her living with her sister, uncle, and young cousin), so she's trying to put her power to good use.
The real problem is that the Brothers have used their power irresponsibly, causing irreparable harm to the environment in the process. They change rain to sun on a whim and create new fruits just because they feel like it. Until now, they've been hiding the destruction behind strange pockets in reality called Veils, but this solution won't work forever. The Brothers develop a devious plan to escape responsibility again, involving portals and a dangerous tournament. And, once they discover Anya, they want her to help them.
Lightborn feels so relatable and timely, with its themes of climate apocalypse and displacement, epic rebellions led by public school teachers, and powerful selfish men who are trying to find a scapegoat for problems they've created. Wells impressively renders the Brothers into well-rounded characters with secrets and messy personal lives, showing how even the best of intentions can be destroyed by greed. I sometimes wished the story would slow down a little, especially at the beginning, where there's a lot of exposition to explain the Brotherhood's rise. But overall, Wells deftly manages the multiple timelines that end up colliding along the course of the narrative. Even though the book ends on a stressful cliffhanger (this is the first work in a trilogy), there's still a sense of hope. As long as we have strong women working together, things might turn out okay.
A young woman with a secret tries to save the world from destructive magical men in this dystopian book about family and climate catastrophe.
Women are unfortunately used to living in a man's world, but it's high time for a change. Enter Anya, from Claire Wells' dystopian novel Lightborn: a 19-year-old cooking teacher with an enormous secret.
We meet Anya in the year 2091, after a group called the Brotherhood has taken over the Earth. After years of blackouts, wars, and infighting, only three men remain in control of the world: Brothers Oran, Anwar, and Uri. These three men, and their followers, are Lightborn--meaning they possess magical powers. Only men are Lightborn, or so everyone thinks. Turns out, Anya has the power, too; the revelation has ripped her family apart (leaving her living with her sister, uncle, and young cousin), so she's trying to put her power to good use.
The real problem is that the Brothers have used their power irresponsibly, causing irreparable harm to the environment in the process. They change rain to sun on a whim and create new fruits just because they feel like it. Until now, they've been hiding the destruction behind strange pockets in reality called Veils, but this solution won't work forever. The Brothers develop a devious plan to escape responsibility again, involving portals and a dangerous tournament. And, once they discover Anya, they want her to help them.
Lightborn feels so relatable and timely, with its themes of climate apocalypse and displacement, epic rebellions led by public school teachers, and powerful selfish men who are trying to find a scapegoat for problems they've created. Wells impressively renders the Brothers into well-rounded characters with secrets and messy personal lives, showing how even the best of intentions can be destroyed by greed. I sometimes wished the story would slow down a little, especially at the beginning, where there's a lot of exposition to explain the Brotherhood's rise. But overall, Wells deftly manages the multiple timelines that end up colliding along the course of the narrative. Even though the book ends on a stressful cliffhanger (this is the first work in a trilogy), there's still a sense of hope. As long as we have strong women working together, things might turn out okay.
March 30, 2026
A searing dystopian fantasy where light itself has become tyranny
Claire Wells delivers a stunning New Adult debut that inverts the very symbolism of illumination. In 2091, sixty-eight years after the Brotherhood of Light seized power, the Lightborn rule through magic that has become environmental catastrophe. The dark spots spreading across the dying earth, hidden by those who caused them, create genuine ecological horror that transcends standard dystopian tropes.
Anya emerges as a protagonist forged by necessary secrecy, her power kept hidden through lifelong fear of the very regime she must now confront. What distinguishes this from standard rebellion narratives is Wells's commitment to betrayal as catalyst rather than mere plot device. When Anya seeks rebel help and is delivered directly to her enemies, the novel achieves its devastating central turn. She must assist the Lightborn not through conversion but through coercion, her power greater than they imagine yet still insufficient to guarantee salvation.
The time travel element, Anya's desperate question of whether she can make it back in time to stop the inevitable, adds genuine temporal urgency to environmental stakes. The prose balances worldbuilding density with emotional immediacy, allowing the ruined 2091 to feel palpably present rather than merely described. With only 8 ratings and 4 reviews currently visible, this appears to be an underdiscovered debut with significant potential for readers hungry for climate conscious fantasy. The Nightless Series promises continued exploration of power, complicity, and whether individual courage can reverse collective destruction. For fans of Sabaa Tahir's moral complexity or Naomi Novik's environmental fantasy, this offers similar depth with distinctive dystopian architecture.
Claire Wells delivers a stunning New Adult debut that inverts the very symbolism of illumination. In 2091, sixty-eight years after the Brotherhood of Light seized power, the Lightborn rule through magic that has become environmental catastrophe. The dark spots spreading across the dying earth, hidden by those who caused them, create genuine ecological horror that transcends standard dystopian tropes.
Anya emerges as a protagonist forged by necessary secrecy, her power kept hidden through lifelong fear of the very regime she must now confront. What distinguishes this from standard rebellion narratives is Wells's commitment to betrayal as catalyst rather than mere plot device. When Anya seeks rebel help and is delivered directly to her enemies, the novel achieves its devastating central turn. She must assist the Lightborn not through conversion but through coercion, her power greater than they imagine yet still insufficient to guarantee salvation.
The time travel element, Anya's desperate question of whether she can make it back in time to stop the inevitable, adds genuine temporal urgency to environmental stakes. The prose balances worldbuilding density with emotional immediacy, allowing the ruined 2091 to feel palpably present rather than merely described. With only 8 ratings and 4 reviews currently visible, this appears to be an underdiscovered debut with significant potential for readers hungry for climate conscious fantasy. The Nightless Series promises continued exploration of power, complicity, and whether individual courage can reverse collective destruction. For fans of Sabaa Tahir's moral complexity or Naomi Novik's environmental fantasy, this offers similar depth with distinctive dystopian architecture.
September 19, 2020
Lightborn by Claire Wells is the first book in Nightless Trilogy. This is a story about a young woman with a secret trying to save the world from destructive magical men. It is an intriguing dystopian fantasy novel.
Plot
Sixty-eight years ago, the Brotherhood of Light came to power. Now, in 2091, Anya lives under the rule of the Lightborn. For years, these men have abused their power, changing the weather and altering animals for their own entertainment. But they’ve taken it too far. The world is dying because of their reckless use of magic. Though they try to hide it, these dark spots on the earth will soon seep out, leaving decay and destruction in their wake.
Anya has remained hidden, her power a great secret she holds close. But she knows about the decay and feels a responsibility to do something. When she is captured by the Brotherhood, she is left with no choice but to help them. But her power is greater than they could ever imagine.
Will Anya find the help she needs in the future? Can she make it back in time to stop the inevitable?
This book feels so relatable and timely due to the apocalyptic world developing within. The book shows tremendous development and growth of the characters and also the world within. I love the main character Anya, very impressed with her. The book is well paced, it will keep you hooked from the beginning till the end. The writing style and choice of words is really classy.
The book ends on a stressful cliffhanger, I am eagerly waiting to read book 2 of this series. Grab your copy now and enjoy the read ♥️
Plot
Sixty-eight years ago, the Brotherhood of Light came to power. Now, in 2091, Anya lives under the rule of the Lightborn. For years, these men have abused their power, changing the weather and altering animals for their own entertainment. But they’ve taken it too far. The world is dying because of their reckless use of magic. Though they try to hide it, these dark spots on the earth will soon seep out, leaving decay and destruction in their wake.
Anya has remained hidden, her power a great secret she holds close. But she knows about the decay and feels a responsibility to do something. When she is captured by the Brotherhood, she is left with no choice but to help them. But her power is greater than they could ever imagine.
Will Anya find the help she needs in the future? Can she make it back in time to stop the inevitable?
This book feels so relatable and timely due to the apocalyptic world developing within. The book shows tremendous development and growth of the characters and also the world within. I love the main character Anya, very impressed with her. The book is well paced, it will keep you hooked from the beginning till the end. The writing style and choice of words is really classy.
The book ends on a stressful cliffhanger, I am eagerly waiting to read book 2 of this series. Grab your copy now and enjoy the read ♥️
April 30, 2021
LightBorn By Claire Well. is the first nightless trilogy of books.
The story is based in 2091, when the main character Anya, a girl, gains the power to save the world. Sixty-eight years before the main plot timeline, the Brotherhood took control and abused their power, changing the weather and altering animals for their amusement. They bring decay and destruction to the world.
I enjoy reading this book because it reminds me of things that happen around the world, men that take power and destroy nations, the women who keep quiet just because we can not have the same opportunities.
As a cook, I love when Anya describes food with love and enthusiasm.
The story is fascinating. Once you start, it is hard to put the book down. I am eagerly waiting to read the next book of this series
The story is based in 2091, when the main character Anya, a girl, gains the power to save the world. Sixty-eight years before the main plot timeline, the Brotherhood took control and abused their power, changing the weather and altering animals for their amusement. They bring decay and destruction to the world.
I enjoy reading this book because it reminds me of things that happen around the world, men that take power and destroy nations, the women who keep quiet just because we can not have the same opportunities.
As a cook, I love when Anya describes food with love and enthusiasm.
The story is fascinating. Once you start, it is hard to put the book down. I am eagerly waiting to read the next book of this series
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews