Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick
(The Illumination Paradox #1)
Publication date: December 12th 2013
Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult
Book Summary
Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay hidden forever.
Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth is no stranger to living in the dark. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. After her mother is accused and executed for a crime that she didn’t commit, the now-orphaned Eyelet has no choice but to track down the machine—her last hope for a cure. But Eyelet’s late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator, has been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out over Brethren forever.
Alone and on the run, she finds the Illuminator—only to witness a young man hauling it away. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.
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My Review
The Characters
This book starts out as such a tearjerker! From the very beginning of this book, Eyelet is met with so many challenges in her world. Searching for the truth about her father and the Night of the Great Illumination, she is met with horrible events that take her down a troubled path with seemingly no one to support her. Eyelet suffers from seizures, an illness that is associated with madness and therefore extremely dangerous. After her mother is accused of Wickedry, a crime punishable by death, Eyelet sees her mother just long enough to be given a mysterious glowing necklace and a plea to live.
I really feel for Eyelet and so many characters in this book. In addition to all of the challenging events in her life, Eyelet considers herself defective because of her condition and even questions why she was born at times. Angry with her father for leaving before he could fix her, she is determined to find what is called an Illuminator. A machine that is introduced in the very beginning and is somehow meant to cure her seizures.
On her trek to escape execution, she finds a clue to where her father hid the Illuminator, or Lumière, and discovers a thief towing it away into the night. As any ‘sane’ person would do, she jumps aboard the moving carriage and demands to be saved by a boy thief. Urlick Babbit is an amazing character. He saves Eyelet from a likely fall, takes her in, and can kind of be a bit of a jerk sometimes. It’s pretty great.
This book has the added bonus of including both Eyelet and Urlick’s points of view. I really enjoyed the back and forth narration. It felt very natural and was spaced very well between the characters so that the reader could enjoy finding out different perspectives of the scene without seeming repetitive. It was also very interesting comparing the characters self worth and then how they viewed each other. The relationship that developed between also seemed so natural and while they could both be very stubborn, I really enjoyed the comical appeal it brought out in the book.
It is of course my duty as a reviewer to warn you that there is cliffhanger at the end of this book. I seem to have a curse that makes me choose amazing books that make me wanting more at the end.
*Shakes fist*
The World
Lumière truly did have a very grand scope. Garlick creates a fantastical world with so many different varieties of imagery, magical, and mechanical inventions.
This is the first book in which I got to delve in a world of steampunk and it’s so exciting! I can really understand the appeal of this genre and why it’s becoming so popular. There is something very raw and gothic about the style and realm of this type of story.
I love these types of novels; the cinematic visual descriptions and action sequences really jump off the page and have me on the edge of my seat. Well…couch anyway.
I love the twists of different stories and what most appealed to me was the cohesive way that the author integrated magic and science together. Not only did it have its brand of mystery and excitement but corruption in society as well.
I look forward to reading the sequel Noir in the future and observing how the author’s writing will develop.
About the Author
I’m Jacqueline Garlick, author of young adult and new adult fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. (Don’t you?)
I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper). I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology and would rather hang out with a dog, than a cat. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (currently in my writing room), and there may or may not be a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won’t find a hidden passageway, but a girl can dream, can’t she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea.
My writing style has been described as edgy and rule-breaking, and by some–a touch Tim Burton-esque. Because of this, I am often referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA among writing friends.
In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don’t ask), but more recently I’ve been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin’s Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship.
Lumière–A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy–my debut novel, is the recipient of an indieBRAG Medallion!!! B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree October 15, 2014) I am so proud! (LUMIERE by Jacqueline E. Garlick is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!) Book II of the ILLUMINATION PARADOX SERIES, is out January 26th, now on pre-order.
Also, check out my young adult contemporary romantic/mystery serial, IF ONLY, where reluctant telepathic sleuth Kyla Cooper must embrace her powers and risks all to solve the mystery of what happened to her boyfriend Denver Munro, becoming his voice of truth, before he has no voice at all…
I love hearing from READERS! Please contact me, either at my website: www.jacquelinegarlick.com, or catch up with me on twitter @garlick books, or on facebook: http://bit.ly/jegarlickfb
I’m open to reviews and interview, requests for skype visits, guest blogs, pod casts and book club meetings! I LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS!
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Awesome review! I like that it seems to have a very well crafted world – unique, too! – and the characters are also well developed. This sounds like an entertaining read overall!
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Great cover. Thanks for the chance
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Oh, I’m so excited reading this! I’m so thrilled that you connected so well with the book and its characters! I’m so thrilled that you shared such kind words about it! Thank you so much! (smiles)
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The book looks great! I hope that it is a big success!
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Thanks so much Dan!!!
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