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The Light Tamer (The Light Tamer #1)

by Devyn Dawson (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 368 ratings · 92 reviews

Jessie moved from New York to North Carolina over summer break. Now that Jessie and her mom are living with her grandma, she finds out the split up of her parents is more complicated than she thought. Living in a retirement community is not how she wanted the summer before her junior year to start.

Things begin to look up when she is reintroduced to Caleb, the boy that sav...more

Paperback, First Edition, 223 pages

Published December 20th 2012 by Createspace (first published March 20th 2012)

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Oct 09, 2012 Sara Bree High rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-yatr, review-complete

The Light Tamer by Devyn Dawson
Reviewed by S. Bree High (YATR review panel)

I had heard about this book via a few friends, but I picked it up to read because of a reading contest. I am so glad I am doing the reading contest.
How oh how have I not read this book from Devyn Dawson before?? Please explain Lucy!!!
As you might realize I enjoyed this book. It was fresh and sweet. It kept me guessing until the end, and I am wanting to know what happens next.
I am lucky, I do believe the second book is...more The Light Tamer by Devyn Dawson
Reviewed by S. Bree High (YATR review panel)

I had heard about this book via a few friends, but I picked it up to read because of a reading contest. I am so glad I am doing the reading contest.
How oh how have I not read this book from Devyn Dawson before?? Please explain Lucy!!!
As you might realize I enjoyed this book. It was fresh and sweet. It kept me guessing until the end, and I am wanting to know what happens next.
I am lucky, I do believe the second book is out or due out soon... so I think that helped ease my mind a bit. LOL! I am now a full fledge Devyn fan!
Add me to the list; I am sure that this list will be growing at a rapid pace.

Now to the book....No Vamps or Were-wolfs here just light tamers and it is an interesting new twist, which I really enjoyed.
Jessie is a sweet and spunky young girl whose father has taken off and now she has to move to North Carolina. Her Mom could not deal and they are moving in with Grandma Gayle.
Gayle is interesting character. LOL! Jessie is not at all happy at all about this move. This is going to be awful....hold on. Did I mention we have a childhood friend in NC, and did I mention that
he is now HOT! Caleb used to be a geeky boy that she knew from summers at Grandma’s house. Caleb has changed. He is no longer that odd boy she knew. Jessie feels drawn to Caleb, and the draw makes lights flicker. Hmmm!
Caleb and Jessie are both light tamers. They need the light in order to survive and avoid the dark ones, who wish to steal the light. Caleb is sweet and very attentive to Jessie. Jessie has a lot on her plate and you go thru the struggles with her. Caleb helps her learn about herself and what they are ..together they grow. I really enjoyed the Mythology part. I am a huge fan and that was an added bonus. (Erebus and Nyx )
There is a lot more to the story of Caleb and Jessie but I am not going to spoil the book for you. Read it, you will love it. Trust me! :)
I loved the storyline, I loved Amber. She is a Jessie's friend, and she is hysterical. She made me laugh all the time, in the book. I think she has an interesting side story. Her father has been hurt, and her brother had died. Plus she is a light tamer too.
Can Caleb and Jessie learn how to use their powers? Will the dark ones leave them alone? Can Amber find her true love before time runs out for her? Nyx, what will happen there? I am looking forward to finding out... I hope you are too.

(less)

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May 31, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

The Light Tamer is a reminder of what it felt like to date and find love for the very first time. It is a very sweet paranormal romance for the young adult audience as well as us young at heart adult readers. A good quick read, that had me laughing, sighing and falling in love with the characters.

The story is told through the point of view of the main character, Jessie. She is a fifteen year old that has just moved to New Bern, North Carolina and it doesn’t take long before she meets a handsome...more The Light Tamer is a reminder of what it felt like to date and find love for the very first time. It is a very sweet paranormal romance for the young adult audience as well as us young at heart adult readers. A good quick read, that had me laughing, sighing and falling in love with the characters.

The story is told through the point of view of the main character, Jessie. She is a fifteen year old that has just moved to New Bern, North Carolina and it doesn’t take long before she meets a handsome guy called Caleb. Soon after meeting him, she learns they share a bond that continues to bring them closer together. Caleb was, of course, my favorite character. Who couldn’t fall in love with him. He is handsome, a gentleman, has an awesome sense of humor and is the perfect white knight.

Devyn Dawson did a great job of portraying teenage thoughts, emotions, behavior and common worries. This made the characters feel more alive and real to me. One of the characters reminded me of myself at that age. I remember all too well the awkwardness of being a teenager. This story being a reminder of what it felt like to be young and to experience these things for the first time is what I felt was grasped the most in this story. The awkwardness of dating for the first time, the first feelings of falling in love and finding a place you belong were portrayed so you could experience it firsthand.

Although the paranormal element in this story was interesting, especially where it supposedly originated, it left me wanting more and feeling like there were some questions left unanswered. When first reviewing this book, I was not sure if this was a single story or if the author was setting up for a series. I said that it felt like the beginning of a series to me. And that’s exactly what it is. This is the first glimpse of what will be a trilogy.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Light Tamer but still hope the author will expand on this story and reveal some of the unanswered questions. It is a great read and I’m glad I got the opportunity to read it. I will definitely be looking for the next one and checking out her other series, The Legacy Series.

Recommend to Paranormal Romance and Young Adult Fans.

*Although I won a free copy of this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway, my review is not altered. This is my honest opinion. (less)

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Dec 15, 2012 Annika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book, fast read, and I can't wait to read the next book! Amber is hilarious!

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Sep 08, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first Devyn Dawson novel and it was great. This was a unique storyline for me and I found it very enjoyable and fast paced.

Jessie's alcoholic Father left them. Jessie's Mother couldn't handle things and they moved in with Jessie's Grandmother, Gayle. Gayle isn't your typical Grandmother and likes to be treated as a young hip woman. Spending the summer will drag on forever, so Jessie thinks. Until Gayle introduces Jessie to a friend from her childhood. Caleb! Caleb isn't what she remem...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Nataša rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: january

I really like this author’s writing style. Nice dialogues and entertaining inner thoughts. I am a little pissed off about mind reading. It’s in almost every YA novel and it’s tiring. I cringe every time I find out because there is no privacy for our heroine. And even though she now knows that Caleb can read her thoughts, she’s still having embarrassing inner dialogues. But I’m glad the mind reading thing is toned down after a while. The whole light tamers scenario is very interesting and I like...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Elisabeth Wheatley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: indies, adventure-and-magic, reviewed

I'm giving this book a 4-star rating, because while it didn't "rivet" me, I think it deserves that rating. I found the premise to be very fascinating and original with Greek/Egyptian mythology twists that I have not encountered before. The idea of Light Tamers and Dark Ones was very cool and I had fun exploring the world that Ms. Dawson has created.

The plot:
This book is about 20% action, 30% paranormal, 15% mystery, and 35% kissing. It was more of a sweet, gooey romance than a hardcore action f...more I'm giving this book a 4-star rating, because while it didn't "rivet" me, I think it deserves that rating. I found the premise to be very fascinating and original with Greek/Egyptian mythology twists that I have not encountered before. The idea of Light Tamers and Dark Ones was very cool and I had fun exploring the world that Ms. Dawson has created.

The plot:
This book is about 20% action, 30% paranormal, 15% mystery, and 35% kissing. It was more of a sweet, gooey romance than a hardcore action flick, which is great news for you PNR fans! I don't remember the story lagging at any one point, though the pace was moderate, being neither too fast nor too slow.

The characters:
Jessie, our MC, has a bit of an attitude in the beginning over coming to live in a po-dunky little North Carolina town. That is, until she meets Caleb, the boy who saved her life when they were little and the young man to whom she is now irresistibly drawn. Jessie was a relatable, understandable heroine and I did like her.

Caleb was a cute love interest. I really, really hate to add this part, but I did think he was just a bit...okay, this hurts, but I'll say it anyway...stereotypical. There, I said it. But it's true! Caleb's character was good-looking and ripped (rather common in YA lit these days, whatever happened to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST?) and sweet. He really didn't seem to be all that flawed and anyone who knows me knows I'm totally into flaws.

My favorite character was definitely, positively, unquestionably Amber. Her smart-mouth and dry wit brought a delightful sense of humor and a light touch to the scene. The fact that she's really not as "okay" as she makes herself out to be, and is really hurting inside, made her a compelling, engaging character. I'm quite fond of her.

Since I don't wish to give away any spoilers, I'll just say that the bad guy isn't obvious at first and leave it at that.

There were a few typos and error in this book that were confusing at times. Most of the book is told in first-person present tense, but there were places where you could see that it had been converted from third-person past tense narration and a few spots were missed in editing.

The graphic make-out scenes were a little too bountiful for my taste. I'm into romance (can you think of a teen girl who isn't?) but not overt, steamy romance. I certainly prefer not to hear about tongues, etc.

Anyway, this book was a decent read over all. I didn't really get into it until the Great Twist at the end (which caught me completely by surprise, by the way) which almost made up for the rest of the book. I don't think this is a book "anyone" could enjoy, but if you're into paranormal romance and light fantasy, give this one a shot. You might enjoy it more than I did. =)(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Nanette Bradford rated it 4 of 5 stars

this was a fun read. I love amber and her foul language. Sucks though that all the bad stuff seems to happen to her. Caleb and Bessie are so sweet and perfectly bonded to each other. they feel the connection of their bond to each other quickly and help each other through the worst with Otto and send him to the underworld. the kids next adventure will send them away from their families. this is to keep them safe from the next powerful person from the underworld. we don't know too much about Nyx y...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off I like to say to Devyn Dawson that you did a wonderful job and I couldn't stop reading till it was over.The light Tamer is different and very interesting story line.I like all the characters which is always a good thing so hard to choose who my favorite is. I like them all for different reasons.You got Jessie that sweetness to her and you would be able to get along with her. Then you have Caleb the hot guy that is caring and shows that he wants to protect the one he loves.Then you have...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Peggy(Le BookSquirrel Blogger) Warren rated it 5 of 5 stars

**REVIEW**spoilers in the 2nd chapter..Taken from my Review Blog Le'BookSquirrel

New Author for me AGAIN!What a great first book to read by Devyn Dawson.This book is the first in a Trilogy.It revolves around the lifes of Jessie,Caleb and Amber.Jesse moves to North Carolina with her mom to live with her grandma who does not like to be reminded that she is infact a grandma.While there Jesse learns some new and interesting things about herself and life isnt so straight and narrow as she though.I've...more

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May 13, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-paranormal

As I’m sure most people know, taking a chance on an unknown author – especially one that hasn’t been recommended to you by anyone can turn out amazing (shout out to TL McCallan and Alexia Purdy) or incredibly disappointing. This story is not on the level of my love of McCallan’s or Purdy’s novels but it’s not anywhere close to the bottom of my list either.

Devyn Dawson’s Light Tamer is an amazing concept for a story – I’ll start there and I’m not saying that to be nice. Dawson has created a worl...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-own, fantasy, young-adult

3.5 - for an excellent story, beautiful romance and characters I loved.

On to the criticisms and the reason a 5 star book idea with an excellent group of relatable and likeable characters is only getting 3.5 stars from me. Usually for me, an enjoyable book experience is based on characters. If ya don't get the characters right, if you can't like or hate 'em in just the right ways, a book is over for me. I guess I have overlooked that there are actually more important things than characters; this...more 3.5 - for an excellent story, beautiful romance and characters I loved.

On to the criticisms and the reason a 5 star book idea with an excellent group of relatable and likeable characters is only getting 3.5 stars from me. Usually for me, an enjoyable book experience is based on characters. If ya don't get the characters right, if you can't like or hate 'em in just the right ways, a book is over for me. I guess I have overlooked that there are actually more important things than characters; this book has taught me this. The characters are actually not the basics - it's the actual getting across of information that makes a book work. How is it possible that someone is talented enough to get the people right but not the story?? It seems that there was sooo much focus on the 'love connection' that all else got put aside. I LOVE a good romance, definitely - and it was the romance part of the book that kept me going. There were just too many key parts of the story that were thinned down so far that it didn't make sense. I went back and read over many of these parts and - still, I do not get it. Now, this can happen sometimes in a book, and if it's something I like well enough I can ignore it - once or twice. But this occurred so often that it was almost ridiculous. Except...I loved the kids, the Grandma, the Dad...loved them. The relationship part was beautiful. And clean - no cheap thrills here, this was the real thing, appreciable by all old or young. It's just that - ya can't skim on the story toooo much or your readers walk away thinking - 'what was that??'
I am a believer of never wasting time on a crappy book. If I start something I don't like or can't get into - I move on. The Light Tamer was definitely not crappy - it just needed a little help in the thinnish places. But I believe - in the story and the author. Thus, I took a chance and spent the .99 for the next book - not to mention the time I will spend reading it, which is more of the gamble, really... So, I'll let you know what I think of the next one. Starting on it right away, I think.
Also, it deserves to be said that the cover art is GORGEOUS. On the second book, Enlightened, as well as this one. I am a sucker for a great cover and with the zillions of books stored on my kindle, I picked this one over so many others...for the cover art. Crazy, I know...but - seriously...I'm a girl. If you write books for girls, you really gotta think about how it looks on the outside. Just my own silly and humble opinion coming out again...but ya gotta know, the great cover worked on me. It's the only reason I looked at it in the first place. Movin' on to book 2!(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Heather Alexander rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jessie is finding out some strange things about herself since moving to her grandmother's with her mom. She makes friends with Caleb and Amber and they share with her the secrets about themselves and her. They are all light tamers, they get strength from the light, and she is the last of the royal line of original and very powerful light tamers. She learns of the Dark One's, the ones that live in the shadows and want to steal the light. If Light Tamers don't bond with another by their 18th birth...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick and easy read in one evening. Jessie is a typical teenage girl who is less than enthusiastic about having to move in with her grandmother. At least her grandmother is a cool lady, though she can also be a little bit embarrassing. Grandma hooks her up with Caleb, the formerly nerdy boy with whom she has only interacted a few times. He has turned into quite the hottie! They are immediately attracted to each other, which just doesn't seem realistic and possible. But remember, they...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was refreshing to have a paranormal YA book not about vampires, werewolves or ghost the usual genres. I must say I like the mythological twist. I did however think for the age of the individuals that it read a bit young at times and then would shift to almost adult. Other than that the book was good and I will read the next in the sequel.

Caleb was sweet if a bit over the at times and almost desperate which from his description fits more with the original young version of him and not the new a...more

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May 25, 2012 Haley Brown rated it 1 of 5 stars

I feel this book was very underdeveloped. I felt the author rushed to tell us everything, nothing was explained very well, and the names for the evil things
is just terrible and non-creative. On barnes and noble.com this book received lots of good reviews so I bought it, now I'm guessing all of the reviews had
to have been written by 12 year olds. This could have been a great book if she had made the first book into 2 instead of one. I also hated the way the
main "couple" was introduced, It was...more

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May 18, 2012 Phaedra Seabolt rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story takes something that I have encountered for probably half my life and gives it a reason. I am one of those people that can be walking down the street and the street light suddenly goes out for no reason. Then as I walk away from the light, it will come back on. I turn off lights in parking garages (which is pretty scary) and pretty much anywhere I go, especially at night. In this story, people that have these weird occurrences are quite possible Light Tamers. I am not entirely certain...more This story takes something that I have encountered for probably half my life and gives it a reason. I am one of those people that can be walking down the street and the street light suddenly goes out for no reason. Then as I walk away from the light, it will come back on. I turn off lights in parking garages (which is pretty scary) and pretty much anywhere I go, especially at night. In this story, people that have these weird occurrences are quite possible Light Tamers. I am not entirely certain of the reason for the lights turning on and off other than the person is pulling the light into themselves. They are known to be healers. They tend to grow up and go into professions like doctors and veterinarians. They have a special gift that uses their light to heal others. However, there is one big issue. They have to "bond" with another light tamer before they turn 18 in order to not be susceptible to the Dark Ones. Dark Ones are ex-light tamers that have lost their own light and try to absorb the light of others. I don't entirely understand their purpose other than to create a balance between light and dark.

I know it sounds like there are plenty of things I don't quite understand, but I think that is part of the plan with the story. No one in the story truly understands what it means to be a Light Tamer. Their confusion and ignorance is portrayed with most of their actions and leaves you wondering what will happen next. In this story, Jessie and Caleb are already bound together by an event from three years prior where Caleb saved Jessie from drowning in the ocean. This causes the majority of the beginning to be them exploring what it means to be bound and whether that means they are destined to be together forever. They learn that Light Tamers can be bound to the same gender and it does not mean they have to date, but Caleb and Jessie appear to be drawn to each other even with that knowledge. This bond is tested at the end when Erebrus, a dark one from the underworld, tries to kill Jessie. Jessie is saved by another light tamer named Clark which "breaks" the bond with Caleb. I use quotation marks because it doesn't really seem like the bond is truly broken. You will need to read the book to find out what happens with that! Just know that Fate is on her side and you will very much enjoy this book.

read more reviews at http://identitydiscovery.net (less)

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May 18, 2012 Lisa Markson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lisa's review of
The Light Tamer
by Devyn Dawson

This was a very sweet YA book. It is something that I would allow my 11 year old niece read without worry. Jessie is a 15 year old girl whose life gets thrown on a roller coaster that she wants to get off from. Her dad is a alcoholic that abandons their family so Jessie and her mom are forced to move to North Carolina to live with her grandma. There she meets up with Caleb, a boy from her past when she would visit her grandma during vacations. Throug...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, paranormal, received-to-review, young-adult

Jessie is an interesting young woman. At the beginning of the book, she is so negative. Everything "sucks". I can understand that she has some issues. She has an alcoholic father, her parents are splitting, and her mom is busy dealing with school that she doesn't have much time for Jessie. They move to North Carolina, Jessie has to start over and isn't thrilled about the prospect.

After moving in with her grandmother, or Miss Gayle. (Her grandmother is way to hip to be called Grandma.) Jessie is...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jessie has had her world turn upside down in two weeks her father has left to Greece to find him self and her mother has forced Jessie to visit her Grandmother for the summer who lives in North Carolina.
If that wasn't enough she finds out she's a light tamer and she has a soulmate who happen to be the Nerdy kid who saved her from drowning when she was a kid,but now he's not so Nerdy anymore he's all grown and hot. But soon Jessie will find out that not everything is perfect there are bad light...more Jessie has had her world turn upside down in two weeks her father has left to Greece to find him self and her mother has forced Jessie to visit her Grandmother for the summer who lives in North Carolina.
If that wasn't enough she finds out she's a light tamer and she has a soulmate who happen to be the Nerdy kid who saved her from drowning when she was a kid,but now he's not so Nerdy anymore he's all grown and hot. But soon Jessie will find out that not everything is perfect there are bad light tamers out there who will try to suck the light out of Jessie and Caleb. Now Caleb and Jessie have to figure out who's trying to steal there light before it's to late.
(view spoiler)[

The book had great potential but it was way to short and i felt like none of the characters where well developed. Also Jessie's and Caleb relationship felt to superficial.
Not in Caleb's view of point because I could actually see that he truly loves Jessie since the day he saved her from drowning and gave her a piece of his heart. But in Jessie's view point she only remembers Caleb as the scrawny pale,creepy kid who use to always hang around her trying to hold her hand,and her opinion of Caleb totally changes after she see's him and he's all hot and sexy it's like seriously? What if he would have still been the scrawny pale kid would you still feel the same way and have that "unexpected connection "that makes you want to kiss him the instant you see him?

I don't know through out the whole book Jessie bothered me I just did not like her she just seemed so stupid and I officially hated her towards the end when she forgot who Caleb was and the way and was like out of love with him and in love with another (she was hit by some lightning and forgot who Caleb was and lost her bond with Caleb when some other light tamer saved her so now she has bonded with some other dude which by the way don't remember his name and don't feel like looking it up cause he's not important,all you need to know about him is he's a douche and doesn't even come close to measuring up to Caleb} It's like seriously? Especially after Caleb was there the whole time trying to make her remember and Jessie seemed totally uncaring she was rude and mean to Caleb the entire time telling him to get out and that she doesn't want to see him.

I totally felt for Caleb I actually wanted to cry for him because he has suffered all these years without Jessie and she can't even bother to remember and instead of trying to remember she's all up on some other guy who by the way comes out of no where and says he's her soul mate, seriously can Caleb catch a break. But it all worked out in the end sort of I was kinda confuse and I'm looking forward to reading the next book and seeing if Jessie gets a clue and starts acting like she really loves Caleb cause if I was Caleb I would kick Jessie to the curve. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book read kind of weird to me. It was a very innocent book, even with the talk of death via "light stealing". However, when I say weird, I mean how fast Caleb and she fell into a relationship. Perhaps it wasn't so fast on his side given he was bound to her after saving her life, but that isn't known until later. And I still haven't figured out why they could communicate telepathically, but the other bound couple didn't appear to be that way. Nor did I quite get what binds people. It obviousl...more The book read kind of weird to me. It was a very innocent book, even with the talk of death via "light stealing". However, when I say weird, I mean how fast Caleb and she fell into a relationship. Perhaps it wasn't so fast on his side given he was bound to her after saving her life, but that isn't known until later. And I still haven't figured out why they could communicate telepathically, but the other bound couple didn't appear to be that way. Nor did I quite get what binds people. It obviously isn't "fated" as in mates, since it is not always man to woman. Clark did not want to be bound to Jasmine. That much was obvious in how quickly he broke that bond to bind with Jessie. And once she was bound to Clark, she had no recollection of Caleb nor her feelings...her whole personality changed. Yes, she was negative at the beginning because her life just changed and she is your typical teenager yanked from her friends from a large city in NY and sent to live in the south in a small town. Home life is not perfect, but she wasn't a bad kid...

I'm getting ahead of myself. Rewind.

Jessie's family has issues. Her dad is a drunk and one day decides to take off to Greece. Her mom and she move to NC with her Grandmother. Her grandma is a character who knows about light tamers although she is not one. Jessie's mother has no idea Jessie is a light tamer, but grandma does. Jessie however inherited this from her dad (which you learn later). Her grandmother is the one who brings Caleb back into Jessie's life. Until she is reunited with him again, she has no idea she is a light tamer either. Jessie eventually learns that the town is unusually populated with light tamers and that Dark Ones were light tamers that lost their light and now seek to get it from other light tamers. Jessie learns this is what her dad is now, since the person he was bound to died. It is also why he drank...to keep himself from seeking her light. He left to Greece to sober up so that he could help her now. What I don't understand is how a Dark One drains a light tamer. Nor how you can tell who a Dark One is until Fate thought Jessie how to recognize one. Which brings me to Fate, Erebus, and Nyx. Things just don't always mesh for me. I don't understand how Erebus is the leaders of the Dark Ones...and maybe that is coming in a later book.

Erebus wants Amber or Jessie? That confused me as it seemed as if Fate said Erebus was using Amber to get to Jessie. Yet at the end he says he is coming back for her and is the reason Nyx is now after her too...she is jealous of their relationship. Fate basically charged Jessie with getting rid of Erebus...and threatening to sever Jessie and Caleb's bond which essentially happened anyway thanks to Erebus and Clark. And again, what is the bond exactly? How could its being severed cause Jessie's personality to be so mean compared to when she was with Caleb?

I struggled to relate to the characters, but I did like Caleb. He and grandma were my favorites in the book. I will eventually read the next story to see what happens, but I think this story line and the way it is written is more suitable to a younger crowd and that is why it didn't quite gell with me. (less)

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Dec 16, 2012 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to read this book because of it’s sequel, Enlightened. It has a beautiful cover that automatically garnered the attention of the YA lover in me. But of course, I couldn’t read the sequel without reading the first novel to begin with. And that my folks, was my mistake. I didn’t take the time to read the synopsis or read reviews (not that I read too much into them in the first place; everyone has their own opinions). I was excited to read this book because I saw that it had 4 star ratings...more I wanted to read this book because of it’s sequel, Enlightened. It has a beautiful cover that automatically garnered the attention of the YA lover in me. But of course, I couldn’t read the sequel without reading the first novel to begin with. And that my folks, was my mistake. I didn’t take the time to read the synopsis or read reviews (not that I read too much into them in the first place; everyone has their own opinions). I was excited to read this book because I saw that it had 4 star ratings and beyond. Plus, it was an Indie book and I’ve been trying to expand my horizons.

But I was terribly disappointed with Devyn Dawson’s The Light Tamer. There is a major tense issue. That’s the first thing that threw me off. It’s written terribly in that way which a reader can’t dissect which tense the author is using. I mentally had to correct sentences on every page because it wasn’t written grammatically correct. After the third chapter I gave up all together because a) it’s not my job to edit this book and b) it took away from my enjoyment of it. I honestly wish that it would have been proofread thoroughly before it being published. I think that it would have made a world of difference.

Second thing that bothered me was the entire execution of the plot. So you have a fifteen-year-old teenage girl named, Jessie, who just moved to New Bern, North Carolina. Upon her first day she meets Caleb. A few days after, Caleb and her go on a date where he, not so subtly, tells Jessie that she is a supernatural creature – a light tamer. What does she do? Believes him. She doesn’t question it for a fraction of a moment. First of all, what kind of person believes a stranger at face value? If it were me I would have run away from him and thought he was crazy. That’s what any normal girl would do, right?

Along with the whole discovery of Jessie being a light tamer was her romance with Caleb. It happened in 2.o seconds. When he tells her that she’s a light tamer, just like him, he also throws the curve ball that she’s BONDED TO HIM. Yep. That’s right. He wants to touch her and be around her every second of every day. Add that to the fact that he can read her every thought, and you have a teenage boy with an Edward Cullen complex, minus the whole mentally abusive aspect.

It sounds horrible, what I’m saying, but in my opinion it was not written well. It was under-developed in many ways. The romance being one of them. But there had to be something that kept me reading till the end, right? Why else would I have finished?

The book did have some redeeming qualities about it. First thing was the world that Devyn created. I’ve never read or come across anything that resembled a light tamer. They are humans who have the ability to heal and need the strength from the light to feel safe, warm, and connected. There are also dark ones who were previous light tamers but were converted to the dark side when they lost the protection of their family or their bond mate. Her concepts were original and I’ll give Ms. Dawson brownie points for that. Her writing also had a strong voice, which made the book nothing short of dull.

There are many people who loved this book, but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea. It sucks because I really wanted to read the sequel and now I have lost interest because of how badly the book was written. Like I said, if the book was thoroughly proofread and developed more as a whole then it would have been an amazing start to a series.(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

First I need to thank my two author friends Quinn Loftis and Tiffany King for recommending this book to me. I love these 2 ladies so much and I suggest you read all of their books.

Best part of book: Hello Caleb, Jessie and Amber!! I love all 3 of these characters! Jessie is a New Yorker that heads to North Carolina with her mother to live with her grandmother. (By the way, I love Ms. Gayle, aka Grandma). Jessie's grandmother is the one that "reintroduces" Caleb to Jessie. They were "friends" whe...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Autumn Review rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tours, arc

Jessie Lucent's alcoholic father has left for an art career in Greece. Now, Jessie and her mother are forced to leave New York and move to North Carolina to live with her grandmother, Ms. Gayle. Needless to say, Jessie isn't happy about the move. That is until she's reunited with her childhood friend Caleb Baldwin.

Caleb isn't the awkward kid she once knew who had saved her from drowning. Now, Caleb is tall and very good looking. Jessie and Caleb have chemistry and she soon finds out that Caleb...more Jessie Lucent's alcoholic father has left for an art career in Greece. Now, Jessie and her mother are forced to leave New York and move to North Carolina to live with her grandmother, Ms. Gayle. Needless to say, Jessie isn't happy about the move. That is until she's reunited with her childhood friend Caleb Baldwin.

Caleb isn't the awkward kid she once knew who had saved her from drowning. Now, Caleb is tall and very good looking. Jessie and Caleb have chemistry and she soon finds out that Caleb is a Light Tamer. Jessie is also a Light Tamer and she and Caleb are bonded mates. They need the light in order to survive and avoid the Dark Ones, who want to steal their light.

As Jessie is introduced to this new information, she also meets Amber, who is also a Light Tamer. Amber is unique. She has been forced to take care of her father after an accident. The friendship she and Jessie develop is interesting.

My Take:
I won't lie, I liked the cover, saw romance in the description, and I was sold. Seriously though, it sounded like a book I'd be interested in and I've been looking for different paranormals to read lately. I needed a fresh perspective and I wasn't disappointed.

Jessie is sixteen, moving to a new place, dealing with some family turmoil, is falling in insta-love for the first time, so it was pretty easy to sympathize with her. That's a ton of stuff going on at once. I liked her because she has spunk, thinks for herself, and is really pretty funny.

Then there is the relationship with Caleb. I'll admit, Caleb sounds hot, but it took me a bit to warm up to him for some reason. I can't really put my finger on why. I ended up loving him though and I love how he dotes on Jessie. I thought it was funny that he could hear her thoughts all the time, but she could only hear his on "special" occasions, until the end anyway. ;)

Amber is just flat-out funny. Eccentric, is putting it mildly when it comes to Amber. She made me laugh from the minute I met her. The thing I'm curious about with Amber is what role her father's accident and how her dead brother will play into the story. Is there more to that or was it simply an accident? I felt bad that her shot at romance was shattered by bad Otto. Bummer for her.

As for the story...I liked it. It was a different spin on the paranormal, although I'm still not exactly sure what a Light Tamer is. I mean, I know that they need the light, have unique healing abilities and mind control, but I'm trying to understand their purpose. Are they a special kind of spirit or something? I do like how the story developed and liked that there was more to Jessie's abilities and history of her family. I was a bit nervous toward the end, but I was happy with the ending. I'm curious to see what will happen in the next book. Overall, the humor, drama, love, and suspense kept me interested till the end.
(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Gothic Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, to-review

Taken from my original review at: http://gothicangelbookreviews.blogspo...

I have been lucky enough to read and review a book of Devyn's before, THE LEGACY OF KILKENNY and when she approached me about reviewing her new book THE LIGHT TAMER, I was quick to agree. I love Devyn's writing and was keen to try something new by her.
I absolutely love this cover. What with purple being my favourite colour, I was instantly attracted to it. The model is really pretty and I like the whole light and beautifu...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Yianna Yiannacou rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one

This free book is a book I would not recommend to anyone, nor continue with the series. I started reading this and I knew right away I wouldn’t like it. I read reviews at one point where I just couldn’t take it anymore and saw that I wasn’t alone in wanting to put it down. I hate leaving books like that so I forced myself to read.

This book is about a fifteen year old girl named Jesse who moves to her grandmother’s house in New York with her mother. She has been there before and has a friend nam...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Deidre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Can't wait for the Enlightened!

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Apr 28, 2012 Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devyn has created a YA story unlike any that I have read recently. I loved the paranormal twist of this book. I liked the concept of the Light Tamer's needing light to survive and if they have their light taken away they become dark. It was refreshing to read something in this genre that had the fantasy and twist and turns along the way that I like to read, but had nothing to do with Vamps or Were's. (Although, I do enjoy my Vampires and Werewolves)

The characters are easily likable. Jessie is so...more

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May 06, 2012 Shelly LeCompt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would give this book somewhere around 3 stars, maybe a little more. The story had an interesting and very original concept. A different kind of plot with some interesting twist. Nice love story with some sexiness wrapped up in it. I think the characters are my favorite part of the book. They are all teenagers dealing with their own personal tragedies & yet they are strong & resilient (more so than most adult book characters). I liked the heroine. She seems to be a genuine and strong pe...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Camila rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-cover, expectations, baby-i-was-born-this-way, bitches-be-bitching, because-i-love-torturing-myself, brain-cells-went-bye-bye, had-me-lol-ing, interesting-powers, magick, love-your-sarcasm, series, this-shit-sounds-legit, urg-insta-love, what-the-actual-fuck, why-why-why, why-u-did-this, dumd-dumb-dumbity-dumb, failed-to-meet-expectations, hilariously-bad, sound-legit-suck-ass

I want my 2. whatever dollars back. It doesn't matter if it only two dollars I demand a refund, this is so bad it shouldn't cost, I've read much, much better books for free and you're making me pay for this shit? No, just no.

This book was a serious let down, I had really high hopes in this and really, most of the time I thought it was just some kind of a big joke and I'm raving mad because my 2 dollars went down the toilet (believe me I would have flush it down the toilet or burn it to ashes if...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Devon Dawson has done a wonderful job bringing the main characters to life and getting the reader ‘hooked’ on them. This is one of the review books I’ve recently read and enjoyed to the point of wanting to hear more about the characters without having to wait for another book to be written.

While this is a paranormal book, you won’t be finding the typical vampires or werewolves on the pages. Instead, Devon pulls from other areas of mythology and has set the stage for a battle between light and da...more

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About Devyn Dawson

I live in New Bern, NC - home to a very famous author...nope, not me. He writes for adult women, I write for young adult teens.

All about me..... that story isn't nearly as interesting as the stories I write. The young adult genre has my heart...does that prove I never grew up? I love everything paranormal in the YA spectrum. There are so many fabulous authors that have created amazing worlds for t...more

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Malevolence (The Legacy of Kilkenny, #2)

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“Jealous is ugly, it will betray you in a heartbeat.” — 7 people liked it

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