Review: Lumiere (The Illumination Paradox #1) by Jacqueline Garlick

Lumiere (The Illumination Paradox #1) by Jacqueline Garlick

Paperback

Rating: 5 stars

Summary (Goodreads): Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay in the dark forever.

Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth has only one hope left: finding her late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator. It’s been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out forever over England.

But living in darkness is nothing new to Eyelet. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. And 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 that was created with the sole purpose of being her cure.

Alone and on the run, she finally discovers the Illuminator—only to see a young man hauling it off. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.

My Thoughts: 
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. This has by no means influenced the rating of my review.

Wow! I found this book really interesting. More so than I thought I would before reading. Eyelet and Urlick are very interesting characters. Eyelet is feisty and pushes at any boundaries placed upon her. When Urlick tells her not to go somewhere or do something, she does it. She doesn't like secrets kept from her, and when she's on a mission, she'll do whatever it takes. Urlick on the other hand gets frustrated with her to no end, but is also fascinated with her. He's keeping secrets from her though, which is never a good thing.

The illuminator, the main focus of the story, really is a mystery. No one knows exactly what it is, but as the story unfolds, you learn more about it and its capabilities. I found all the steampunk elements of this book really interesting and I loved hearing about all the inventions created.

There's also plenty of action and suspense in this book! From running from people trying to catch them to facing the Turned, vapors, and criminals, the outside world away from the main city area is crazy and unpredictable. Every second out there could be the last, and danger lurks around the corner.


Honestly I just really enjoyed this book. It ends on a cliffhanger and now all I want is for the next book to be in my hands!

★★★★★