Jennifer DeLucyISBN: 1-936305-03-8
Format: Paperback or eBook
Pages: 396
Killian's Comments:
DeLucy's freshmen work shows us that she's destined to be valedvictorian of her class as her career blossoms and grows. In "Seers of Light," she weaves a paranormal tale that focuses as much on romance as it does the supernatural elements of the plot.
Lily Hunt has spent her life feeling out of place. Unlike other writers who would feel tempted to give their protagonist a childhood filled with torment, torture and strife, DeLucy respects the intelligence of the reader by making Lily only the victim of circumstance. Orphaned at a young age, Lily has been raised in a loving environment by her grandparents in a small Pennsylvania town. However, she has always felt like a outsider, as though there are larger forces in the world that somehow involve her. Giving this character the stability of this background makes Lily's resolve and maturity at dealing with the abrupt changes in her life and understanding of the world all the more feasible. This ability to make characterization believable and realistic in way that enhances the paranormal plot line rather than uses it as crutch is a talent of DeLucy's.
Lily soon learns that she is among a select collection of individuals with the ability to trans-navigate the borders of life and death, light and dark, good and evil. Though a novice to the practice, she is brought into a group of similarly endowed, vivid characters who love and support each other and share a common goal: helping rid the world of darkness (often under the command of vampires) and aiding lost souls in the transition into the next phase of being. Among this group of Seers is the handsome Christian. Charged with acclimating Lily to her new life, Christian finds himself drawn to her kindness and compassion. Unfortunately for him, also a member of the group is William Maddux, a vampire who's turned states evidence and regained a soul. As William and Lily's romance blossoms, they both learn that love cannot conquer all obstacles, and sacrifice is sometimes required in order to win the battles they face.
My only mark on this tale is that its sometimes hard to understand why Lily's history makes her feel so isolated socially, as the look we are given at her background makes us believe she's led a relatively happy, though unfulfilled life. However, this mars little the reader's experience, as Lily's new life is the focus of the story. As mentioned, the fact that she had this strong background lends credence to her ability to adapt so seamlessly.
DeLucy creates a paranormal reality rich in its intricacies and yet accessible easily to our imaginations. Her style is clean and flowing, and the emotions of the characters are tangible in their realism. The sensual scenes are never overblown in relation to the rest of the plot, and they are always emotionally-charged. A beautiful work by a talented writer.
