Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, #1)

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Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, #1)

by Daniel M. Fife (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 56 ratings · 47 reviews

Blurb Description:

Danny Firoth is an average thirteen-year-old who finds himself at the beginning of his eighth-grade year, struggling with some of the more common concerns that plague a boy of his age: bullies, homework, and his mother. Sabrina Drake is the new girl. She is beautiful and spellbinding, but carries a fantastic secret.

Accepted into the White Rock Academy of...more Blurb Description:

Danny Firoth is an average thirteen-year-old who finds himself at the beginning of his eighth-grade year, struggling with some of the more common concerns that plague a boy of his age: bullies, homework, and his mother. Sabrina Drake is the new girl. She is beautiful and spellbinding, but carries a fantastic secret.

Accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school for young Squires destined to become Knights of the Light and battle the forces of the Dark with magical weapons called Bondeds, Danny joins his five closest friends in the training of their lives. Honed in the techniques of blade work by an Elvin swordmaster and educated by a colorful assortment of knightly instructors, Danny and his friends are placed on the path to becoming knighted members of the Light. However, the Dark may have other plans as they unveil a sinister plot in this fantastic tale of dragon-riding adventure, sword-wielding action, and coming-of-age drama.

Synopsis:

WARNING - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Danny Firoth is on the verge of beginning his final year in middle school. The only odd thing to happen on that fateful day is the appearance of new student in school, a beautiful girl named Sabrina Drake. Fascinated by not only her spellbinding looks, but her interest in a popular fantasy card game called Knights, Danny develops a school-age crush. However, before he can build up the courage to talk to her at length, he is confronted by the resident bully. Forced into a fight, he learns that he is not so average as a strange power awakens within him, allowing him to foresee the actions of others before they happen. With the help of this new ability, Danny is able to put his antagonist in his well-deserved place, but quickly finds himself punished with an after-school detention.

Awaiting the arrival of his not so happy mother, Danny is startled as a rumble shakes the very foundation of the school. Following the shuddering to its source, he discovers two frightful creatures engaged in an epic struggle of mortal combat, a large dragon and a strange shadowy being. Nearly torn to pieces by the creature of shadow and saved by the creature of legend, the dragon, Danny barely escapes. The next day at school, Danny joyfully finds that Sabrina Drake has taken a curious interest in him. With plans to meet after school, Danny’s dark thoughts, once centered on the frightful events the night before, become focused on his crush.

However, things do not go as planned as the creature of shadow appears once more, forcing Sabrina Drake to forgo her secret and transform into the familiar form of the dragon that saved Danny the previous evening. After defeating the dark creature, Sabrina Drake resumes the shape of a human and begins to explain that the popular card game of Knights is more than simply a game, but reality. She describes an ancient struggle with the creature she has just defeated, dating back hundreds of years as well as an Order that has vowed to destroy them, the Light.

Discovering that he has a rare ability to see these forces of darkness, Danny accepts an invitation to be tested for the possibility that he could one day become a Knight of the Light. Danny as well as four of his closest friends are judged worthy and accepted into the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school for young Squires destined to become Knights of the Light and battle the forces of the Dark with magical weapons called Bondeds; swords created from the souls of fallen Knights of the Light. Upon the back of a full-blooded Draconic, a dragon as well as Sabrina’s father, Danny and his friend's venture to the Florida coast where they board an old, but magical ship, and set sail for the Bermuda Triangle. In the center of the legendary triangle is a swirling tempest of black clouds, created by an ancient tear between the human world and the world of the Shadows.

With the help of a Navi, a wizard specialized in navigating the dangers of the dark storm, Danny and his friends arrive safely at White Rock Island where they begin the training of their lives. Honed in the techniques of blade work by an Elvin swordmaster, Sir Syndil, and educated by a colorful assortment of professors, Danny and his friends learn battle strategy, hand to hand combat, defense against the magical arts, and a history of the ancient conflict with the Shadows. However, discovering a powerful ability within himself that may mark him as the destined savior foretold, the Mageknight, Danny must question the intentions of his instructors. With the help of his friends, Danny must use everything he has learned to thwart the betrayal of someone within the Order of Light in this fantastic tale of dragon-riding adventure, sword-wielding action, and coming of age drama.(less)

Paperback, 328 pages

Published March 15th 2012 by Daniel M. Fife

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Sep 26, 2012 Daniel Fife rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: authored

An author review

I am Daniel M. Fife, the author of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight. As you can see above, I have given my own work a collection of five stars. This of course is not any attempt at vanity in my own regard. I simply think that any artist who has created any kind of work has to feel that their creation is special and dear to them. Otherwise, what’s the point? I have spent a tremendous amount of time attempting to put together a story that not only I would enjoy rea...more An author review

I am Daniel M. Fife, the author of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight. As you can see above, I have given my own work a collection of five stars. This of course is not any attempt at vanity in my own regard. I simply think that any artist who has created any kind of work has to feel that their creation is special and dear to them. Otherwise, what’s the point? I have spent a tremendous amount of time attempting to put together a story that not only I would enjoy reading, but that you the reader of nearly any age would enjoy reading as well. Thus, I do believe that my own creation is deserving of the best, because, it is indeed my own creation and special to me. Whether it truly deserves a full five stars is of course up to you, the reader.

During the creation of Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, I almost felt like the novel was writing itself. I have read through it several times during the reviewing and editing process, and every time I chuckle to myself when I come across a fantastic scene or piece of dialogue that I had forgotten I even wrote. I truly enjoy reading Light & Dark, because it takes me back to my childhood days, and I am able to re-experience the joy of being a teenager while allowing me to join the characters on a fantastic tale that only existed in my daydreams during the said age that seems so long ago.

The characters themselves are very close to my heart as many are based on friends who populated my own life as a young adult. It was my attempt to make them as genuine and organic as possible. Each has their own personality and personal quirks. During the beginning of the book, it was my attempt to give you the reader a jumpstart on each main character and then allow them to populate the pages with their own development as the story progressed.

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is a derivative of several of my favorite books, anime, comics, cartoons, and movies that I have come to enjoy, all mixed into one. If I could give you comparison with other works, I would have to say that is an ideal concoction of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, the anime Bleach, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, and Magician by Raymond E. Feist with my own twist on magic, swords, and fantasy.
Some things that you will find to be unique in Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, is the use of a Bonded, which are magical weapons solely used by the Knights and Squires of the Light. They are powerful weapons imbued with abilities unique to the wielder and blade. However, if you read the book, you will realize that the ingredients used in the creation of these weapons are quite costly and adds a very distinctive personality to the Bonded weapons. Additionally, another exclusive idea to the story is the system of combat used during duels between the Squires of the Light as well as the duels between the armies at the Academy of Illumination, the school that teaches one to become fully knighted member of the Light. In these mock duels, which are meant to represent the rules and consequences of real combat, both combatants wear a suit of enchanted armor that paralyzes parts of the body when struck. For example: if struck on the arm at the elbow, one would lose the function of that appendage from the spot hit down to the extremity of the fingers, the armor freezing one’s hand from the elbow down.

Thus, if you enjoy a good hearted coming of age story that threatens to cause one to regress to a time when things were but a little simpler, childhood, and add in a few fantastical flights of fantasy, good morals, heart racing sword fights, a magical world of relatable characters, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is most definitely for you.

Thank you,

Daniel M. Fife, author
Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight Daniel M. Fife (less)

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Sadie Forsythe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight follows the eventful life of thirteen-year-old Danny Firoth and his friends as their world is turned upside-down by the sudden realization that creature of myth might not be so mythical after-all. After a slow start the book moves along at a nice clip. An interesting assortment of characters pepper the pages, some of them more sympathetic than others. I was particularly fond of Calador and Chris, but had little attachment to Doug or Matt. The per...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Brian Wilkerson rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Trickster Eric Novels Review

Daniel Fife asked me to review his first book "Light Dark The Awakening of MageKnight". The protagonist, Danny is a normal student when he stumbles into a battle between a white dragon and a black shadow creature. The next day he finds out the dragon was the pretty new transfer student he has a crush on. She draws him into her world, where she is a squire for the Order of the Light and fights the shadow monsters who seek to destroy the world.

It is not the most ori...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Bmquiram marked it as to-read

If Harry Potter was sent to a school in the land of The Lord of the Rings; the combination might end up being something like Light and Dark. I have not read either of these series yet, but I have watched the movies and this image is what came to mind while reading. Like the scenes and characters in The Lord of the Rings, Mr. Fife creates dramatic, beautiful, and highly detailed settings. I couldn’t help but share some of the feelings the main character expresses at various times during the story...more

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Aug 27, 2012 EponaReviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this story, Danny’s game becomes reality as does the story for the reader. His homework takes a back seat as I’m sure yours will too while you read this novel ; only your excuse might not be because you’re caught between the cross-fire of a mythical dragon and a shadow creature...

Although the book starts off slow, it does pick up its pace as you follow Danny entering a world which he accidentally stumbled upon. Dragons, shadow shifters, Knights, secrets and magic, sounds good, right? Not quit...more In this story, Danny’s game becomes reality as does the story for the reader. His homework takes a back seat as I’m sure yours will too while you read this novel ; only your excuse might not be because you’re caught between the cross-fire of a mythical dragon and a shadow creature...

Although the book starts off slow, it does pick up its pace as you follow Danny entering a world which he accidentally stumbled upon. Dragons, shadow shifters, Knights, secrets and magic, sounds good, right? Not quite.

His life isn’t as simple as it once was.

The characterisation throughout the novel was realistic; a credit to the author. The “bully” and people’s reactions. The relationships between friends before and after secrets were revealed. I think characterisation is key in a story like this, as the plot is set in a fantasy world, you need the characters to feel real to keep the story “believable” to an extent. I was impressed with how well and accurately the author managed to describe the life of a 13 yr old boy.

Seeing as I’m a girl, I found the realism useful to help me get into the character’s shoes easier and also found it interesting in general to see how a boy thinks. I also felt that the “first crush” element was handled well which is something that can quite easily ruin a book. Not here though, in this case it was a strength.

At first I felt like the novel was a little too young for me based on the character’s age and his actions but I think that is only because I had time to dwell on this at the start. Once the pace had picked up I managed to indulge myself in the story and just travel alongside Daniel throughout his Journey; cheering him on every step of the way.

As a rule I’m not a fantasy fan, nor am I a fan of 3rd person but the author had the ability to create a world and characters so believable that I actually found myself enjoying something which I would normally dislike; The cause... a great story? Characters? Author? Maybe a mix of all 3?

I think this book would appeal to both a male and female audience in the younger spectrum of YA readers though I’ve actually spoken to a few adults who enjoyed the novel themselves. A fun and original story for fantasy fans.
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Jan 08, 2013 Momma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-received-for-review, ya

I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars! It easily outdid a typical 5 star. If you like Harry Potter type books, you'll love this one!
This book was full of mysteries and intrigue. It was very well written and drew me in so deeply, I was trying to read it during the midst of a bad case of the flu when I could barely keep my eyes open. Then I tried to talk my 16yr old into reading it aloud to me. lol. I didn't have time to get over the flu to find out what happened next.

I loved the main c...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book explores the age old concept of Light vs. Dark; good vs. evil. This is definitely a coming of age story that reminds me of King Arthur, Ender, and Harry Potter. The characters are interesting and described in depth, as is everything else in the book. My biggest concern with the characters is that they don't act their age at all (okay, except for Alonso). In speech and in demeanor, they are all very mature and speak in almost a medieval way. For many of the character it's understandable...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Shannon McRoberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book. I would recommend it for anyone looking for action and adventure. Full of magic and a hint of mystery.

2 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Gaele rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-read-week, independent-reviw

So often, I will see reviews that will mention another title, intimating that this is the “same”, and diminishing the book being reviewed by insinuating it is an imitation. While there are obvious correlations to the set-up for the Harry Potter series here, the similarity ends quickly.
This is a uniquely styled blend of fantasy and reality, with characters who are very current and solidly developed, who just happen to be a part of a training programme that involves magic and spells.

Daniel Fife...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Kate rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary-fantasy, did-not-finish, ebook, ya

Unfortunately, I couldn't read this book. Just couldn't do it. The descriptions were incredibly over-detailed and utterly unnecessary - do we need to hear that Danny put both feet down on the plush carpet that morning, then took two steps to reach his closet, where clothes were neatly pressed and hung on plastic hangers? No, we do not. Nor do we need it reiterated twice that there was bacon and eggs for breakfast that morning. The writing is simply off - too mundane, too focused on incredibly de...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Author Anna del C. Dye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Light & Darkness: The Awakening of the Mageknight, is a great tale that will entertain you from the first pages. I like the fun journey that this tale took me on. I found Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight a great clean story and an original tale that will keep you interested to the end.
Danny has started school and he is walking with his friend Alonso toward the front door. As he goes through, a new girl comes by and Danny is so mesmerized by her that she thinks he is holding...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Ann Logsdon rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight" by Daniel M. Fife is the delightfully engaging tale of Danny Firoth, a young teenager caught up in a tangle with bullies at school. He and his friends discover a card game called Knights that is, in reality, a kind of portal to a magical world where dragons and knights in an epic battle between light and dark forces. To his astonishment, Danny discovers he has the magical power to see future actions before they happen. Like many teenage boys, Dan...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Stephanie Dagg rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s the start of a new term for Danny, a decent, nothing-special 13 year old. A new girl to the school, Sabrina, catches his eye, especially when it turns out she plays the fantasy card game Knights that Danny loves. The game has three factions of Light, Gray and Dark and pits the force of good against evil through the fantastical creatures and knights on the cards. Only it’s more than that. Danny discovers that this realm actually exists. Suddenly he’s rubbing shoulders with Dragonics, dragons...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Jennifer Shwalter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Magic returns to the Young Adult reader

I was privileged enough to receive Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight as a free promotional gift from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Light & Dark begins with a young boy by the name of Danny who soon meets a high school crush by the name of Sabrina. However, Sabrina is not what she seems as Danny discovers, not only a power within himself, but also that Sabrina is actually a half-dragon of an ancient race called the Dragonic,...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Suzy Henderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the debut novel of Daniel Fife and is the first book in the series.
The opening chapter finds the protagonist, Danny Firoth at the start of a new High School term. There is also the arrival of the beautiful Sabrina Drake, a new student. When Danny finds himself cornered in to a fight with the school bully, he experiences the awakening of some incredible force within him, enabling him to win the fight, much to the amazement of all. Then there is the introduction to the card game of Knights...more This is the debut novel of Daniel Fife and is the first book in the series.
The opening chapter finds the protagonist, Danny Firoth at the start of a new High School term. There is also the arrival of the beautiful Sabrina Drake, a new student. When Danny finds himself cornered in to a fight with the school bully, he experiences the awakening of some incredible force within him, enabling him to win the fight, much to the amazement of all. Then there is the introduction to the card game of Knights that seems to herald importance. The game contains three ‘camps,’ Light, Gray & Dark. Soon, Danny and his friends realise that this is more than a mere card game.

Shortly afterwards, Danny’s world begins to change as shadows emerge along with mythical creatures. This is a world of dragons, shadow shifters and Knights. He rather likes Sabrina Drake, whose ‘faint aroma of wild roses followed in her wake.’ Following his school fight, Sabrina begins to take an interest in Danny and asks if he would like to ‘hang out’ after school. It is then that she first asks if he believes in dragons and the dark. Both Sabrina and Danny appear destined to be together for more than one reason. Danny realises that so-called mythical creatures are in fact reality.

A magical adventure is beginning and life is changing for Danny who begins to realise that he has new powers and abilities. He goes to White Rock Island with Sabrina and trains at the Academy to become a Knight of the Light. Whilst there, he is addressed as ‘Squire,’ and his caretaker, Calador, is an elf. His adventures also include every dragon lover’s dream of dragon riding. However, there are traitors within the Academy. As in Light & Dark, good and evil co-exist here. Does Danny get his girl? More importantly, does he become the Mageknight? You will have to read it and see for yourselves.

The characters are solid and believable whilst the dialogue is natural and Fife has interwoven narrative with vivid imagery and description into a fine balance. It’s interesting and exciting with fantastical moments in every chapter and a good mix of tension. The world of the Mageknight is well crafted and the characters you meet at the Academy are very interesting. The author has done a great job in developing this fantastical world. Forget YA genre. I would say it is also suited to adults, especially those amongst us who loved the Harry Potter series.

The narrative works well, delivered in the third person. The only negative factor is the pace. The first few chapters are slow but thereafter the pace picks up as the magical world begins to take shape and the adventures begin.
I am not generally a lover of the fantasy genre although I did thoroughly enjoy Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. This book now makes the third conquest on my Fantasy reading list and I would definitely recommend it as a book to read without any hesitation at all. To take it a little further I dare suggest that it fills the void that Harry Potter's finale has left.

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Sep 03, 2012 Charlie Kravetz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Danny Firoth is an average thirteen-year-old who is starting eighth-grade. He spots the new girl and falls for her, hard. She has a secret that will change the lives of Danny and his friends forever. There is enough spins and twists to really make this a fantastic story.

This is a very good story. The author has done a lot of work in writing this book, and it shows in the way the story reads. The plot is excellent, with a good spin on wizardry, dragons, elves, dwarfs, right and wrong. I found the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dragons and Shadows!

Did a popular card game of middle school students come to life? The game was called ‘Knights.’ The middle school students who played the game were Danny, Doug, Matt, Alonso, and Chris. Of course when they played the game of Knights it was just a perfectly innocent card game. Until one day . . .
The boys started playing Knights over the summer. It was a game based on using fantasy creatures and knights of legend to ultimately defeat opposing players. The basis of the game was...more Dragons and Shadows!

Did a popular card game of middle school students come to life? The game was called ‘Knights.’ The middle school students who played the game were Danny, Doug, Matt, Alonso, and Chris. Of course when they played the game of Knights it was just a perfectly innocent card game. Until one day . . .
The boys started playing Knights over the summer. It was a game based on using fantasy creatures and knights of legend to ultimately defeat opposing players. The basis of the game was to confront the forces of neutral, good, and evil against one another. The three groups were Light, Gray, and Dark.

When the summer was over, Danny and all his best buddies were looking forward to their last year of middle school. Everything was the same until, yup, you guessed it, a really hot girl! Her name was Sabrina. And yup, you guessed it, much to Danny’s surprise, she knew about the card game, Knights. So Danny had the biggest crush on her for her beauty and the fact she played the game, Knights.

This is where the story, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight, really began with the fantasy adventures. When Danny was confronted by the school bully, he took him down, but can’t figure out how he did it. Of course later he finds out it was Sabrina who helped him. But how? How can a little tiny girl break the nose of a big bully without being seen? Here was the story’s first fantasy adventure. And oh, there were many more to come if you read this wonderful book by Daniel Fife.

Sabrina had a nice family. I didn’t say normal, but I did say nice. What exactly do I mean? Is Sabrina a real person? Is she a dragon? Is she a shadow? Are her parent’s real people? Danny finds out when he meets Sabrina after school one day. He saw a fight between two creatures, a dragon and a shadow. Sabrina became one of these creatures, but which one? Normal humans don’t have the ability to see these creatures, but Danny did! So Sabrina explained why to Danny.

Being shocked for a few days was in order, wouldn’t you say? However, because Danny possessed this rare ability, he decided he wanted to fight the forces of darkness with Sabrina, and her parents. He wanted to become a Knight of the Light.

Come to find out all his buddies possessed the same rare ability. So they all joined Danny to fight the forces of darkness. They attended a summer school in Florida called the White Rock Academy of Illumination. Of course none of the parents knew what this school was really about. They thought it was just an innocent fun summer school adventure.

Here there was magic on a magical ship. With danger lurking a wizard named Navi helped navigate, so they arrived safely and began their training to become knights. They learned how to fight along with learning the history of the Shadows.

Not all the teachers were on the up and up. Danny thought some in the Order of Light were betrayers. He felt he had a strong ability to become the Mageknight, so Danny used all his new knowledge he was trained for to see if he was right. Was he? Does he become the Mageknight?

This was a great fantasy adventure story all ages will enjoy. We see Danny and his friends, including Sabrina; grow up from immature middle school students to mature thinking students ready for high school.

If you want any of the questions answered here in my review, you must read the beautifully written book, Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel Fife. You won’t be disappointed!
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May 03, 2013 Shay Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, net-galley, young-adult

There are books that truly remind me just why I love the young adult genre so much. LIGHT & DARK: THE AWAKENING OF THE MAGEKNIGHT just happens to be one such book. From the first page I was caught up in the lives of Danny and his friends who range from geeks to football players. The one thing that they all have in common besides their friendship is the game of Knights. It is this game and their ability to see the unseen that sets them on a path that none of them ever imagined.

I was really im...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Yves Robichaud rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book Review
The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, Book 1)
By Daniel M. Fife

Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is American author Daniel M. Fife's first novel. Danny, a 13 year-old boy, and his fairly large group of friends enjoy a trading card game called Knights. The card game features Dragons, Knights and various equipment. The players much choose a faction to play, the light, the gray or the dark. When a new girl in school shares their appr...more Book Review
The Awakening of the Mageknight (Light & Dark, Book 1)
By Daniel M. Fife

Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight is American author Daniel M. Fife's first novel. Danny, a 13 year-old boy, and his fairly large group of friends enjoy a trading card game called Knights. The card game features Dragons, Knights and various equipment. The players much choose a faction to play, the light, the gray or the dark. When a new girl in school shares their appreciation for the game, they all soon learn that it is much more than a game and that the factions are for real. They are recruited to attend a special school where they will train to become Knights of the Light. Thus starts an adventure that will change their lives forever.

When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was intrigued. My son and I are both fans of trading card games, such as Magic the Gathering. The story seemed original and had potential. The book did not disappoint and surpassed my expectations. The initial instalment of the Light & Dark series can be compared to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or even the Hobbit. It is very easy to draw a likeness to these series when reading the story. Having said that, the plot, settings and characters are all unique, original and magical. The writing is smooth and flows easily. Both the real world and fantasy world were so well described that detailed images appeared without any effort. The action sequences were written with skilful precision.

I was so impressed with the Awakening of the Mageknight, that after purchasing and reading the ebook, I decided to order the paperback. The story contains knights, elves, dwarves, swordfights, magic and dragons. The target audience would be middle grade or young adult, however, this book can be enjoyed by fans of fantasy of any age. For anyone that has enjoyed trading card games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or the Hobbit, this book is a must read. I will anxiously be awaiting a sequel. The first book of the series was epic!

Yves Robichaud
Author of Tomes of Taria: Kaylen’s Rising
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/bO3Z02BALMw
www.facebook.com/KaylensRising
www.twitter.com/@yvesr72
www.yvesrobichaud.com (less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review so here goes.... I really liked this book it was an interesting concept and although I had a few harry potter flashbacks at the beginning it was a very small portion that was alike. Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, Dragons, Swords and so many other things rolled into the old world charm that goes along with it made this a very fun and exciting read, also I must add the sword fighting was very good I don't know what it is but I l...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Stephanie Wolf rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, friendship, young-adult

13 year old Danny is a typical boy of his age. Not the most popular kid in school, but has some good friends. Starting his new school year for the 8th grade, a new girl in school, Sabrina Drake, catches his attention. Danny and his friends like to play a card game called Knights, which had 3 factions, Light (good), Gray (neutral) and Dark (evil).

After fighting in school one day, Danny has detention and needs to stay after. Once relieved from detention, he starts to leave school but is sidetracke...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Charlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, review-request

The author starts with the interesting idea that a card game, called Knights, is in fact true and that you can pick your alliance -whether with the Light, Dark or Grey and these factions are fighting in real life. When Danny unlocks a hidden talent within himself, and then comes across a dragon, he is ushered into the realities of the card game he loves to play. With these discoveries, he finds that four of his friends also (and mysteriously) have some of the same abilities as he does. During th...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Eline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not really certain about what to expect, I started reading "Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight" by Daniel M. Fife. A few hours later I was already hooked and couldn't stop reading this intriguing YA novel about magic, dragons, knights, a school everybody wants to go to (if they dare) and recognizable characters.

Daniel M. Fife did a great job in describing the life of a common thirteen-year-old boy, Danny Firoth (yup, I think Daniel based the name of the main character upon his own...more Not really certain about what to expect, I started reading "Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight" by Daniel M. Fife. A few hours later I was already hooked and couldn't stop reading this intriguing YA novel about magic, dragons, knights, a school everybody wants to go to (if they dare) and recognizable characters.

Daniel M. Fife did a great job in describing the life of a common thirteen-year-old boy, Danny Firoth (yup, I think Daniel based the name of the main character upon his own name and told us the story about the boy he was in his dreams during childhood years). Danny deals with a very normal life and is not always happy about that. Normal life includes school, a loving but sometimes annoying mother, the girl he thinks he can’t have as a girlfriend and some bullies. This rather quiet life changes abruptly when Danny discovers some strange powers he seems to have. Is he dreaming? Is he mixing up reality with the card game he likes to play: Knights?

Danny and his friends discover this game, Knights, is a lot more than just a card game where you need to defeat the others with the figures on you cards. The game contains three “camps”, Light-Gray-Dark, with fantasy creatures. The purpose is to defeat the other players with the creatures on your cards (and the abilities/weapons they have). The boys discover that this ‘game’ exists in reality, that they can be part of it and that losing from the opponent isn’t that innocent in the real world of Light-Gray-Dark… The biggest surprise for Danny isn’t the fact that he owns mysterious powers but the fact that Sabrina, the girl he really likes, knew about these things and this parallel world all along. She’s the one that takes Danny and his friends to the White Rock Academy of Illumination, a school where many more things are about to be discovered! (And I’m not going to spoil it for you… You have to read it yourself!)

Although I’m usually not into fantasy, I must admit a really liked this book! After two pages I needed to know what happened further and I kept on reading. “Light and Dark” is a book that can be turned into a movie without real problems. The author is good in describing things integral (what I appreciate in a book for YA because it gives them a lot of freedom to imagine their own world, but at the same time gives them a foothold) and gives us a story that’s already like a movie in our head with great special effects. Also the book has the ability to have successors. I think lots of readers will be waiting the sequel with impatience ;)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Wei Cho rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-review, fantasy

The story, written by debut author D.M. Fife, is about a thirteen year old boy who discovers that his card game isn't just an innocent card game, but a door to a magical world that can only exist in Fantasyland. The boy, Danny Firoth, can see Darkness, he meets a girl who is more than being beautiful, her family takes interest in Danny and his friends and embarks them in an adventure over the summer.

My thoughts before reading the book:
Hmm, I've never read a book about middle graders and magic,...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: looks-good, recieved-from-author

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and how gripping I found it.

When I first started reading it I found it a bit slow and was waiting a little too long for something to happen but when the story finally got going I was sucked in to the world of the Knights of the Light and the ongoing battle with the shadows.
I did find the story to be similar to that of Harry Potter but not by much.
The storyline was nothing really unique but it worked well. The idea of creating a card game that helpe...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Anna Everhart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Review: Light and Dark: the Awakening of the Mageknight- 3 stars

Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight begins with an average 13 year old, Danny Firoth, beginning his 8th grade year and reuniting with his buddies. He is taken with a new girl, Sabrina, who quickly becomes friends with his group because of their shared interest in the card game of “Knights.”

After an encounter with a dragon fighting the dark, and discovering that he possesses the curious and exciting ability of fores...more Book Review: Light and Dark: the Awakening of the Mageknight- 3 stars

Light and Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight begins with an average 13 year old, Danny Firoth, beginning his 8th grade year and reuniting with his buddies. He is taken with a new girl, Sabrina, who quickly becomes friends with his group because of their shared interest in the card game of “Knights.”

After an encounter with a dragon fighting the dark, and discovering that he possesses the curious and exciting ability of foresight, Danny realizes there is a world of good and evil that is far more realistic and close to him than he imagined. Danny, his friends and Sabrina have an opportunity to spend their summer attending a secret school learning how to be a knight of the light. The truth slowly unfolds as Danny learns more about his past and his true destiny that will change his life forever.

Daniel Fife has come up with a wonderful storyline that is unique enough, but would also remind you of popular stories like Harry Potter. It is relatable to a YA audience, and contains a relatable love story, along with the themes of good and evil, fighting for what is right, loyalty and learning by doing. Fife’s writing continues to improve throughout the book, especially with the thrilling fight scenes, and his beautifully thorough scene descriptions.

Unfortunately the grammar, typos and repeated use of cliché phrases such as “did as bid” and “for but a moment,” truly distract from the story. The pacing also needs reworking with too much character details all at once, and too much time and development of the scene at school, where the majority of the story takes place at the Academy of the light.

If these changes were made, this book would be fantastic and receive 5 stars, however, I can only offer 3 stars in its current state. If you enjoy YA fantasy, this book is worth reading. I am definitely interested to find out what happens next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ps- I heard from the author, an he has corrected many of the grammar issues. Yay!
(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Clarissa Cartharn rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight" is a fantasy adventure fiction of a 13 year old boy, Danny Firoth, who discovers that he has powers that are of a different world. "Light & Dark" traces Danny's transition from an average student in his school to his development as a Knight of Light at a Knight's academy called the "White Rock Academy".

The novel successfully draws the reader into this magical world, a place of elves and dragons and other magical creatures. Fife knows exact...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Mick Haverhill rated it 5 of 5 stars

My oldest boy, 14 years old, originally bought this book on his kindle and absolutely loved it. After telling my youngest boy about the book, 12, I bought the print version of this book for my youngest. He is one of those that enjoy having a physical book rather than the digital. Plus he wanted to take it to school with him. In any case, both of my boys absolutely adored this book enough that I decided to read. It really is a fantastic read. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, which bot...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from the author in return for an honest review. The things that I love about this book are:
- The cover illustration is so cool!
- The idea of a hidden world that no one knows about is, of course, awesome, and classic
- Fife's world of Knights of the light and dark is also classic and yet he puts a new twist on it and we have yet to learn of the "grey" although there are hints
- The idea of the bonded weapons is not entirely new, but pretty cool
- The discoveries at the end of t...more

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May 20, 2013 Irene B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads

*** A GoodReads FirstReads book***

I am taking my time reading this young-adult novel about Danny and four of his friends who decide to become Knights of the Light. I find the story very relaxing, and it puts me in a great frame of mind. I particularly enjoyed reading about their first days of training, including selecting their weapons and being tested by the instructors. The author has a good sense of humour and reaches well into the psyche of the teenage boy. I would not mind hearing more from...more

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About Daniel M. Fife

Daniel M. Fife was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 27, 1978. He began writing Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight during his years as a graduate student at Ball State University under the major of Counseling Psychology. What began as a simple hobby quickly turned into something more as he found a passion for writing. While carrying the schedule of a full-time student as wel...more

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“What does the symbol of Light stand for? At the core, the symbol is meant to represent a balance of a sort, a union between both good and evil. You see… good cannot exist without evil and vice versa. The white chain represents the Light, the forces of good, while the black chain represents evil, the forces of the Dark. The white chain is solid and pure because we of the Light acknowledge the presence of the Dark and strive to maintain the proper balance. However, the black chain, warped with escaping tendrils of dark flame, symbolizes the Dark’s desire to overthrow that balance. Evil does not know boundaries, Danny. The forces of the Dark will work tirelessly to unravel everything, even at the risk of their own destruction.” — 1 person liked it

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