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Children of Luminance: The Birth of Heroes
A story of high fantasy and adventure! When the kingdom of Casean falls prey to dark forces, a Warlock seeks the means to restore it through the newborn Princess. But fate intervenes and he finds the child of an Archangel instead. The boy is youthful, dedicated, and rebellious, and the world's only hope against the looming terrors that oppress it. The young rebel and princess face a destiny neither is ready for, with an inheritance of failure and destruction behind them. And amidst the chaos of fiends, barbarians, and apocalyptic horsemen, the two may find that their greatest strength is the bond growing between them.
266 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 18, 2010
Children of Luminance is an enjoyable book with potential but will frequently leave the reader feeling disappointed. Russell Nielsen made a noble attempt at his first book. He has a collection of good ideas, decent characters, solid (although unoriginal) plot, a believable setting, and problems with surprisingly simple solutions. With everything in place it would be expected that the reader would be able to enjoy a solid fantasy story that, according to the author, is unlike any other story ever written. But such is not the case due to several problems that stare down the reader throughout the book.
Characters
The whole book is about one character and everyone else is just part of the supporting cast. Tristan, or the Rebel Ace, or whatever he is called, is the main purpose for the book. Unfortunately, he is not a likeable character. His dialogue lacks dimension and feeling. When he communicates with Chalyce (a secondary character) they have meaningless moments. Their interactions are supposed to convince the reader that they love each other but this is not evident during their encounters with each other, at least not until the very end of the book. They are flat and unlikable characters. As much as I tried, I could not motivate myself to become emotionally vested in the characters. It also doesn't help that some of the names are confusing either to pronounce or to follow because they have 2 or 3 different names. For example, one character starts as Chevalier, then he secretly appears as some other guy to apparently challenge himself, but after death it is revealed that all along he was a really old version of Lancelot de Luc (what?).
Unlike other authors (JK Rowling, Cormac McCarthy, Stephanie Meyers) there is not enough time spent with character development. None of the characters have any qualities that help the reader relate to them or that make them appear human. In the Harry Potter series you immediately feel for Harry Potter because of his depressing life with the Dursley's, but he doesn't immediately go to Hogwarts in the next chapter because we have to get to know, love, and experience Harry first. In The Road your heart aches as you read about the father holding on to life solely for the purpose of ensuring the safety of his son even though you understand it is probably hopeless. In Twilight you remember high school and can imagine walking the halls and lusting over Edward. Sadly, without the essential character development of Tristan and Chalyce we are left with people that feel hollow and numb to true emotion.
Plot, Problems, and Solutions
The plot is simple but not completely clear to me. The kingdom is in ruins, there is no longer a noble family to rule the land, and two kids are going to fulfill their destiny (because that is what the warlock says and turns out to be wrong and then says another thing and turns out to be wrong again) and return to greatness only to immediately die. However, getting from Point A to Point B is not as exciting as it could be. There is so much build up and emphasis on the idea of destiny and how Chalyce and Tristan are going to die, but when it comes time for the events to take place there is no delivery. Tristan's encounters with the Horsemen are anticlimactic, except maybe when he encounters Death. Events climax and are immediately resolved in one chapter. How do you defeat the barbarian army? Simple. Attack them while they are sleeping. How do you defeat the Four Horsemen? Simple. Just do the opposite of what they represent (War, Pestilence, Greed, Death) and they will vanish as if they never existed. Tristan should have been dead after his encounters with Death and the Dragon, but he is conveniently healed by a fairy or by simply seeing Chalyce (which it seems she must have teleported on her unicorn to get to the dragon fight in time to provide Tristan with infinite energy).
Editing
This is the area that I felt that Nielsen does the biggest disservice to the reader. As a reader I expect to sit down with a book and enjoy reading without any obvious editing issues. I have read books with errors even after several printings (my students have pointed out several mistakes in Hatchet and that book is over 20 years old) but I have never read a published book with an error on nearly every page. Spelling errors, missing capitalization, grammar issues, homophone problems, and missing or misplaced punctuation are found in every chapter. Nielsen acknowledges there are some mistakes on his Facebook page, but I never imagined there would be so many that it would severely detract from the enjoyability (not really a word, I know) of the book. As a potential author, it is essential that Nielsen take the time in the future to release a book free of errors. Hopefully we can enjoy a reprinting of this book without the current problems that plague the pages.
For some it may not be an issue to read a book with errors. However, since I teach elementary writing to 4th graders and I stress the need to improve writing conventions, it becomes nearly impossible for me to look past the obvious dismissal of editing before publishing.
Note: I offered my assistance to the author to help edit this book to prepare a 2nd edition without many of the errors but was shot down. I also offered my assistance to help edit book 2 of the series and was once again shot down.
Descriptions
Less is often more. Reading literature from the Newberry Medal recipients provides perfect examples of how authors use a minimum amount of description but deliver an incredibly pleasing experience for the reader. Gary Paulsen does not need to go into extensive detail to describe the dangerous situations that Brian is constantly faced with in Hatchet. However, every chapter is effective at keeping the reader engrossed in the experiences that Brian faces. Nielsen seems to try and use a new way of saying something every time. For example, instead of simply using `said' or `replied,' it seems a thesaurus is used to find every possible option before going back to using `said' again. This is a great exercise at providing a different way of saying something, but it isn't necessary and I found myself wondering if the word used actually meant what it was trying to state...I even had to Google some of the words to find the definition. The same description issue is present when reading about events...just call it a sword.
Overall
Again, the book is a fun read and presents a lot of great potential but the current published version of the book is a rough draft, a work in progress that needs to be edited and rewritten in multiple places. Russell has proven that he is a talented writer with many great ideas. Not everyone has the ability to write a book, so kudos to Russell for this impressive accomplishment. I am confident that Russell can write a great book but it is necessary to consider the audience that is going to read it and to make sure he puts in 100% to provide a book that is well written and entertaining. I only hope that Nielsen will learn from his experience with the first book and take more time developing the characters into likeable and relatable people, and spend more time in the editing process.
Characters
The whole book is about one character and everyone else is just part of the supporting cast. Tristan, or the Rebel Ace, or whatever he is called, is the main purpose for the book. Unfortunately, he is not a likeable character. His dialogue lacks dimension and feeling. When he communicates with Chalyce (a secondary character) they have meaningless moments. Their interactions are supposed to convince the reader that they love each other but this is not evident during their encounters with each other, at least not until the very end of the book. They are flat and unlikable characters. As much as I tried, I could not motivate myself to become emotionally vested in the characters. It also doesn't help that some of the names are confusing either to pronounce or to follow because they have 2 or 3 different names. For example, one character starts as Chevalier, then he secretly appears as some other guy to apparently challenge himself, but after death it is revealed that all along he was a really old version of Lancelot de Luc (what?).
Unlike other authors (JK Rowling, Cormac McCarthy, Stephanie Meyers) there is not enough time spent with character development. None of the characters have any qualities that help the reader relate to them or that make them appear human. In the Harry Potter series you immediately feel for Harry Potter because of his depressing life with the Dursley's, but he doesn't immediately go to Hogwarts in the next chapter because we have to get to know, love, and experience Harry first. In The Road your heart aches as you read about the father holding on to life solely for the purpose of ensuring the safety of his son even though you understand it is probably hopeless. In Twilight you remember high school and can imagine walking the halls and lusting over Edward. Sadly, without the essential character development of Tristan and Chalyce we are left with people that feel hollow and numb to true emotion.
Plot, Problems, and Solutions
The plot is simple but not completely clear to me. The kingdom is in ruins, there is no longer a noble family to rule the land, and two kids are going to fulfill their destiny (because that is what the warlock says and turns out to be wrong and then says another thing and turns out to be wrong again) and return to greatness only to immediately die. However, getting from Point A to Point B is not as exciting as it could be. There is so much build up and emphasis on the idea of destiny and how Chalyce and Tristan are going to die, but when it comes time for the events to take place there is no delivery. Tristan's encounters with the Horsemen are anticlimactic, except maybe when he encounters Death. Events climax and are immediately resolved in one chapter. How do you defeat the barbarian army? Simple. Attack them while they are sleeping. How do you defeat the Four Horsemen? Simple. Just do the opposite of what they represent (War, Pestilence, Greed, Death) and they will vanish as if they never existed. Tristan should have been dead after his encounters with Death and the Dragon, but he is conveniently healed by a fairy or by simply seeing Chalyce (which it seems she must have teleported on her unicorn to get to the dragon fight in time to provide Tristan with infinite energy).
Editing
This is the area that I felt that Nielsen does the biggest disservice to the reader. As a reader I expect to sit down with a book and enjoy reading without any obvious editing issues. I have read books with errors even after several printings (my students have pointed out several mistakes in Hatchet and that book is over 20 years old) but I have never read a published book with an error on nearly every page. Spelling errors, missing capitalization, grammar issues, homophone problems, and missing or misplaced punctuation are found in every chapter. Nielsen acknowledges there are some mistakes on his Facebook page, but I never imagined there would be so many that it would severely detract from the enjoyability (not really a word, I know) of the book. As a potential author, it is essential that Nielsen take the time in the future to release a book free of errors. Hopefully we can enjoy a reprinting of this book without the current problems that plague the pages.
For some it may not be an issue to read a book with errors. However, since I teach elementary writing to 4th graders and I stress the need to improve writing conventions, it becomes nearly impossible for me to look past the obvious dismissal of editing before publishing.
Note: I offered my assistance to the author to help edit this book to prepare a 2nd edition without many of the errors but was shot down. I also offered my assistance to help edit book 2 of the series and was once again shot down.
Descriptions
Less is often more. Reading literature from the Newberry Medal recipients provides perfect examples of how authors use a minimum amount of description but deliver an incredibly pleasing experience for the reader. Gary Paulsen does not need to go into extensive detail to describe the dangerous situations that Brian is constantly faced with in Hatchet. However, every chapter is effective at keeping the reader engrossed in the experiences that Brian faces. Nielsen seems to try and use a new way of saying something every time. For example, instead of simply using `said' or `replied,' it seems a thesaurus is used to find every possible option before going back to using `said' again. This is a great exercise at providing a different way of saying something, but it isn't necessary and I found myself wondering if the word used actually meant what it was trying to state...I even had to Google some of the words to find the definition. The same description issue is present when reading about events...just call it a sword.
Overall
Again, the book is a fun read and presents a lot of great potential but the current published version of the book is a rough draft, a work in progress that needs to be edited and rewritten in multiple places. Russell has proven that he is a talented writer with many great ideas. Not everyone has the ability to write a book, so kudos to Russell for this impressive accomplishment. I am confident that Russell can write a great book but it is necessary to consider the audience that is going to read it and to make sure he puts in 100% to provide a book that is well written and entertaining. I only hope that Nielsen will learn from his experience with the first book and take more time developing the characters into likeable and relatable people, and spend more time in the editing process.
October 19, 2024
Even though there are some dark and tense moments, this felt like an '80s fantasy novel, so it almost felt like a cozy read. But that's due to my nostalgia, not the writing.
If you like Arthurian tales, you may like this. I appreciate that the author isn't afraid to lean into things like the true nature of the fae, as it would have been told in times of old.
Feedback: some of the dialogue is too on the nose. I think the reader should be allowed to infer exposition from dialogue a bit more.
Good job, Mr. Nielsen!
If you like Arthurian tales, you may like this. I appreciate that the author isn't afraid to lean into things like the true nature of the fae, as it would have been told in times of old.
Feedback: some of the dialogue is too on the nose. I think the reader should be allowed to infer exposition from dialogue a bit more.
Good job, Mr. Nielsen!
June 17, 2010
I just finished the debut novel from Russell C Nielsen Children of Luminance. I have been anticipating this read for quite some time and was glad to get an autographed copy from the author himself.
Nielsen has a great imagination for storytelling. The plot and characters devised in his mind are a solid foundation for great literature. His influences are evident from Elton John and Monty Python to the Holy Bible. As I understand, this novel has been in the works for several years.
As a novel, there are several elements that were lacking. It read like a solid first draft of a potential novel. A mere 204 pages are not sufficient to tell the story of Tristan, the Rebel Ace. I believe it could have been at LEAST three times longer, perhaps breaking the story into several books. The pacing detracted from my overall experience. For example, the two characters go to find someone who will help them in their quest and the journey takes about two chapters and they meet her and depart in less than a paragraph. There are also many characters I feel did not contribute to the overall plot and were therefore useless and didn’t need to be introduced. I cannot say this in absolution because this is the first book in a series.
In the Harry Potter series, Harry takes seven books, several flaws and falls (along with many triumphs) to defeat his nemesis and develop into the character he was always meant to be. Along this journey you grow to love him. Tristan, however, remains stagnant. He is written to have no flaws, yet I cannot help finding flaws in him. He takes himself too seriously and he is very overly confidant in his ability. The subtitle to this text is “The Birth of Heroes” so I would have preferred to spend more time with a development of his character. A hero isn’t born but is made and it seems like Nielsen left out his training and development so his actual skill and knowledge were more believable, rather than assuming we would just take it at face value.
One more thing I didn’t enjoy in this book was the portrayal of women. Chalyce is supposed to be one of the Children of Luminance, yet she is weak and even more underdeveloped than Tristan. She squeals and giggles, she cries, contributes minimal effort (if at all) to the battles, and she doesn’t even attempt to fight the four horsemen (her destiny). If I were writing a female protagonist she would be slightly wiser than her male counterpart, only slightly physically weaker (but be able to make up for it in her wisdom), be able to control her emotions when necessary, and show them when necessary, etc. There is also physical abuse towards women and the only chivalrous person seems to be Tristan. I enjoy books with strong female leads and this book not only lacked one, but personified a weak, helpless, dependant girl.
Aside from plot and character development leaving much to be desired, this debut novel was a fun read. I hope this first edition is able to be developed and adapted, and that I can enjoy Tristan and Chalyce’s adventures again in the future. Nielsen proved to me that he was a fantastic storyteller with a great imagination and I am sure with a little tuning and development of his own, he can turn out a fantastic story!
**A Note about my Rating***
I debated giving it three stars towards the end of the book, then Rothmog the dragon gave Tristan the means to defeat him and I thought, "hmm, if someone was trying to kill me, would I take flesh from my own body to give them the power to do so?" The answer was no. Because the book depends a lot on bloody battle scenes that always sort of fell flat due to lack of climax and reason, I unfortunately have to give two stars. To be fair, this is not my usual genre of choice.
Nielsen has a great imagination for storytelling. The plot and characters devised in his mind are a solid foundation for great literature. His influences are evident from Elton John and Monty Python to the Holy Bible. As I understand, this novel has been in the works for several years.
As a novel, there are several elements that were lacking. It read like a solid first draft of a potential novel. A mere 204 pages are not sufficient to tell the story of Tristan, the Rebel Ace. I believe it could have been at LEAST three times longer, perhaps breaking the story into several books. The pacing detracted from my overall experience. For example, the two characters go to find someone who will help them in their quest and the journey takes about two chapters and they meet her and depart in less than a paragraph. There are also many characters I feel did not contribute to the overall plot and were therefore useless and didn’t need to be introduced. I cannot say this in absolution because this is the first book in a series.
In the Harry Potter series, Harry takes seven books, several flaws and falls (along with many triumphs) to defeat his nemesis and develop into the character he was always meant to be. Along this journey you grow to love him. Tristan, however, remains stagnant. He is written to have no flaws, yet I cannot help finding flaws in him. He takes himself too seriously and he is very overly confidant in his ability. The subtitle to this text is “The Birth of Heroes” so I would have preferred to spend more time with a development of his character. A hero isn’t born but is made and it seems like Nielsen left out his training and development so his actual skill and knowledge were more believable, rather than assuming we would just take it at face value.
One more thing I didn’t enjoy in this book was the portrayal of women. Chalyce is supposed to be one of the Children of Luminance, yet she is weak and even more underdeveloped than Tristan. She squeals and giggles, she cries, contributes minimal effort (if at all) to the battles, and she doesn’t even attempt to fight the four horsemen (her destiny). If I were writing a female protagonist she would be slightly wiser than her male counterpart, only slightly physically weaker (but be able to make up for it in her wisdom), be able to control her emotions when necessary, and show them when necessary, etc. There is also physical abuse towards women and the only chivalrous person seems to be Tristan. I enjoy books with strong female leads and this book not only lacked one, but personified a weak, helpless, dependant girl.
Aside from plot and character development leaving much to be desired, this debut novel was a fun read. I hope this first edition is able to be developed and adapted, and that I can enjoy Tristan and Chalyce’s adventures again in the future. Nielsen proved to me that he was a fantastic storyteller with a great imagination and I am sure with a little tuning and development of his own, he can turn out a fantastic story!
**A Note about my Rating***
I debated giving it three stars towards the end of the book, then Rothmog the dragon gave Tristan the means to defeat him and I thought, "hmm, if someone was trying to kill me, would I take flesh from my own body to give them the power to do so?" The answer was no. Because the book depends a lot on bloody battle scenes that always sort of fell flat due to lack of climax and reason, I unfortunately have to give two stars. To be fair, this is not my usual genre of choice.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews