#BookReview - Duskborn Radiance

Duskborn Radiance: A Mother’s Question

By: Pasquale di Falco

Published by: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: October 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-63752-830-3

Reviewed By: Amy Lignor

Review Date: August 8, 2021

Coming across a new series that is so enticing you want the next book immediately is exciting...and also a bit rare. After all, there are many series that just don’t have it. However, when it comes to this particular fantasy epic – with so much action on tap that it’s hard to take a breath – knowing this is the first installment does the heart good.

Much like I felt about The Maze Runner when that first met my eye, I definitely do not want to give too much away with this review. (Exactly: No spoilers.) What I feel safe telling you is the author, Pasquale di Falco, created an unforgettable trio of young characters (Dominic, Caterina, and Amadeus) who are trying their absolute best to live like everyone around them, yet they have an issue that goes far outside the “norm.” Living in a small village, they come from a people who had extraordinary powers at one time, yet those powers disappeared long ago. They are currently growing up hoping to work, lead simple, happy lives, and find their significant others so they can fall in love. But they can’t ignore the fact that as the days go by, strange oddities crop up in the world around them. All three can feel a strangeness within them that seems to be growing in their heads and hearts. It feels like an electrifying magical energy that, when they reach adulthood, will bring about changes they may not be ready for; no one quite knows how powerful this magic is going to become. In fact, it is impossible for them to know what this means and what fate will call upon them to do one day.

As with most memorable books, these three have a stranger keeping an eye on every move they make. The ultimate sorceress who definitely has a large job, considering she holds the outcome of the entire universe in her own hands. She is making sure to keep tabs on the soon-to-be-adults so that she not only knows how she can use them in the future, but also how strong they will be if they happen to turn against her one day.

Now, it’s important to note that tyranny and evil lurk around every corner, and the author does a brilliant job when he goes from universal issues to the more intimate problems that Dominic, Caterina, and Amadeus are experiencing each day of their lives. The characters are also so much fun, and are able to show their emotions so well, that they linger in the reader’s mind after the book has concluded. And when it comes to the sorceress, the need to save the universe is strong within her but she knows that, most likely, she will not be able to stop evil without the trio on her side. Therefore, the author keeps you guessing as to how far she will go to achieve her own goal.

By beginning this Duskborn Radiance series with “A Mother’s Question,” the author introduces a broader scope of what the fantasy/sci-fi genres can offer. Action-packed, yes; but the emotions, the relationships between the teens and how they transform as the years go by, is more than interesting. That magical energy not only grows in the characters, it grows throughout every page that this author wrote, making this a double-edged sword: It’s a fantastic beginning, but after reading it you will truly be impatient to see where the next one takes you.

Quill Says: Whether adult or young adult, this series serves up ‘5 stars’ for both audiences.

For more information on Duskborn Radiance: A Mother’s Question, please visit the publisher's website at: www.atmospherepress.com