The second book in the Regency-flavored fantasy trilogy of magic and manners from the author of Darkborn.
The Darkborn aris... read full description
The Darkborn aris... read full description
reviews
Jul 12, 2011
Shawn
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Hoping to get some of my questions answered in book 2 of the regency-like fantasy trilogy based on people separated by the sunrise or sunset I forced myself to finish Lightborn. Did I get my answers? No, not really. I may understand a little more about how much light or darkness can kill each race but that is about it. More characters were introduced in this volume of the series, while two major characters were completely absent! The new characters include a Lightborn mage of considerable power
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Jun 09, 2010
Barbara
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The action really ramps up in this 2nd vol of Sinclair's trilogy. The first book introduced us to the world of Darkborn and Lightborn, with almost all of the action and intrigue occurring on the Dark side.
This second book introduces us to the major Lightborn--the rulers, the court and, most importantly, the mages.
The Lightborn court is rocked by the assassination, by magic, of the ruler. His eldest son, Fejelis, takes the reigns of power, but is not secure, at all. The Temple mage More...
This second book introduces us to the major Lightborn--the rulers, the court and, most importantly, the mages.
The Lightborn court is rocked by the assassination, by magic, of the ruler. His eldest son, Fejelis, takes the reigns of power, but is not secure, at all. The Temple mage More...
Oct 18, 2011
E.
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Continues where "Darkborn" left off. The attacks on the Hearne family have ensnared them into a struggle that may destroy both the Lightborn and Darkborn society. Lady Telmaine has been reluctantly conscripted by Lord Vladimer Plantageter to aid him in his investigations while her husband and Ishmael travel to the Borders to look into the idea that the Shadowborn are uprising. Still untrained in the powers that she has hidden all of her life, Telmaine becomes a wild card who could p
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Mar 20, 2011
Krista
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Another good one! :) I do have to admit that my mind was racing to keep up with the back-and-forth action and events, particularly in the last third of the book, (and sometimes, my mind ended up just spinning and moving on); but it was thoroughly enjoyable. The plot's complexity took time to digest (hence the occasionally-mind-boggling back-and-forth), and I enjoyed learning more about the Lightborn culture.
One thing that stood out to me in this book was the author's approach to bala More...
One thing that stood out to me in this book was the author's approach to bala More...
Jul 15, 2011
Kerry
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Lightborn does not disappoint. This sequel to "Darkborn" does as its title implies: Tells us the story of the Lightborn. In a society that was divided into two (or three?) groups by a powerful mage over 800 years previously, the two groups live side by side but rarely interact. One group, the Darkborn, is destroyed by light. The other, the Lightborn, is destroyed by dark. They can never co-exist in the same room. The Darkborn despise magic; the Lightborn rely on it. The first boo
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Jan 06, 2011
travelgirlut
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Well, I finished it. I didn't think I was going to make it. Parts of the book had me wanting to claw my eyes out with boredom or sheer confusion. The story was jerky and disjointed. Just when I figured out what was going on, there would be a time shift or perspective shift without even the courtesy of a break in the text. The actual worthwhile story didn't start until two-thirds of the way through the book. It took me the first third of the book to even remember what was going on in the se
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May 02, 2011
Shelley
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Lightborn by Alison Sinclair is the second installment in the Darkborn Trilogy. If you haven’t already read Darkborn, please go back and do so. Otherwise, you will miss a huge part of the plot and storyline.
Lightborn mainly follows Telmaine Hearne of the Darkborn who learned that she is a mage of a very high level, and Floria White Head of the Lightborn who is able to tell if food is poisoned or not. Floria has been friends with Telmaine’s husband Balthasar since they were children, More...
Lightborn mainly follows Telmaine Hearne of the Darkborn who learned that she is a mage of a very high level, and Floria White Head of the Lightborn who is able to tell if food is poisoned or not. Floria has been friends with Telmaine’s husband Balthasar since they were children, More...
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Jul 24, 2010
Heather
rated it:
Lightborn, the second book in the Darkborn trilogy really stepped it up a notch for me. I feel that Sinclair redeemed herself in my eyes with this second installment. Darkborn was a little over wordy, but beautifully written, it was also just boring until the last fourth of the book.
Lightborn has a lot more of the Lightborn world we become introduced to the prince and the inner workings of the court, whereas Darkborn was almost all Darkborn consisting of one particular family. We ge More...
Lightborn has a lot more of the Lightborn world we become introduced to the prince and the inner workings of the court, whereas Darkborn was almost all Darkborn consisting of one particular family. We ge More...
Oct 19, 2010
drey
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Well. If Lady Telmaine Hearne thought that her adventures in Darkborn are over, and she can go back to being a respectable member of Darkborn society, she has another think coming. Because now she has Lord Vladimer's attention, all due to her ability in sensing the Shadowborn. Doesn't help that there were two Shadowborn assassins after her and Vladimer within the first ten pages of the book. Telmaine's story notwithstanding, Lightborn also introduces characters from the other side of the magical
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Jun 28, 2010
Annabelle
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The second book in this elegant fantasy trilogy is faster-paced than the first, ramping up the action and introducing two critical characters (although, surprisingly, two of the main characters from Darkborn remain off-camera throughout). These books draw you in with their setting--Sinclair seems to draw inspiration from the Regency period, the industrial revolution, feudal Japan, and Jedis. The result seems both familiar and strange, like a half-remembered dream. Good stuff.
Jan 04, 2011
ambyr
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I was kind of surprised that two of the three protagonists from book one completely dropped off the face of the earth for this sequel. I was more surprised that after the first few chapters, I didn't really miss them. Telmaine was always my favorite anyway, and I cheered to see her coming into her own. I also enjoyed the further glimpses into her friends and family. I wish the breakneck pace of the book had slowed to allow for more development there.
I didn't find Lightborn culture quit More...
I didn't find Lightborn culture quit More...
Aug 14, 2010
Misti
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This book took me awhile to get into. But once I was into it, I really liked it. Another fabulous cover. I'm excited to see what Shadowborn ends up looking like.
I really didn't like Lady Telmaine in the first book because I'm used to heroines that actually stand up for themselves and aren't afraid to use what power they have. So this book started out a little slow for me because I still didn't like her. However, a lot a things happen in this book and while she hasn't really changed, More...
I really didn't like Lady Telmaine in the first book because I'm used to heroines that actually stand up for themselves and aren't afraid to use what power they have. So this book started out a little slow for me because I still didn't like her. However, a lot a things happen in this book and while she hasn't really changed, More...
Jun 20, 2011
Rachelle
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A fantasy novel about taking responsibility for your actions, trust, and fear of the unknown. The story starts out slowly, but picks up midway through the book. Secondary characters from "Darkborn" come to the fore, but the characters are reactionary and in a lot of speculation, rather than taking action or investigating.
Sep 29, 2011
Sam
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More like a 3.5.
Truthfully, this book started out much slower than Darkborn, but once it hit it stride, everything came together quite well! I love the male characters in this series, even if they come across a touch douchey at times. The female characters I'm slowly growing towards, so I really can't wait to see what she has in store for Shadowborn.
Truthfully, this book started out much slower than Darkborn, but once it hit it stride, everything came together quite well! I love the male characters in this series, even if they come across a touch douchey at times. The female characters I'm slowly growing towards, so I really can't wait to see what she has in store for Shadowborn.
Jan 01, 2011
Katy
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This book and its predecessor, Darkborn, worked for me top to bottom: the world-building is thoughtful, deep and textured; the characters are vivid, complex and varied; it's impossible for me to guess where this story is going. I can't wait for the final book; June can't come fast enough.
Sep 08, 2010
Stefanie
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I think this second book was even better than the first. I found myself loving/hating the characters. The author seems more comfortable in her style and has created a very enjoyable world. I love how clean it is (in lack of swearing and lack of sexual inuendo). A fast, enjoyable read.
Nov 27, 2011
Maya
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Absolutely loved Book 1 in this fantasy/victorianish/steampunkish series (Darkborn), this one not quite as much though still very good. I think perhaps because even though there was action, there were also somewhat convoluted stretches of palace intrigue.
This is truly not a novel to try without having read Book 1. Even for me, who read in order, I should ideally have reread the first as a refresher before going on to the second - not because I couldn't remember the characters (they More...
This is truly not a novel to try without having read Book 1. Even for me, who read in order, I should ideally have reread the first as a refresher before going on to the second - not because I couldn't remember the characters (they More...
May 03, 2011
Snail in Danger (Sid)
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I still can't decide if this series has a subtle and clever thematic layer, or if the author simply chose to use loaded terms it might have been better to avoid. It made me think a little of The City & The City, what with the two cultures in the same physical space who can't really acknowledge and interact with eachother.
I can see why Telmaine drives some people crazy, but to me she's the logical result of her culture. She seems very real and I am not bothered by her typicalness. More...
I can see why Telmaine drives some people crazy, but to me she's the logical result of her culture. She seems very real and I am not bothered by her typicalness. More...
Mar 01, 2011
Whitney
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The second book in the stupid trilogy - we (me and my mom) read it again. Because the first one was a cliff hanger and I needed to find out what that stupid, blind Telmaine did with her husband and Ishmael. I didn't find out, so I guess I'll be reading the third one.
Jul 04, 2011
Johanna
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Even though I haven't read fantasy in a long while, and accidentally started with this book rather than the first in the trilogy, I was eventually drawn into the main characters and their views and struggles. The writing style was complex but not overly pretentious. I'm going to have to read the third when it comes out...
Mar 28, 2011
Lou
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Second in the trilogy, Lightborn is good by not as complex as the first in the series, "Darkborn." Still a good read and complicated enough to make me look forward to the end of the series that will be released in June, 2011.
Aug 15, 2011
Heather
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This book follows Darkborn but adds new POV characters that I found to be more interesting than the initial trio of characters we got perspectives from in the first book.
May 24, 2011
Vicki
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I really like this story, but I have to admit, I got a little lost with what was going on once in a while. I finally got back on track each time. I don't know if it was me, or if the author just has a confusing way of telling a story. I plan on reading any sequel, though, because I really would like to know what happens next!
Sep 23, 2011
Lee Anne
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Still torn between 3 1/2 and 4 stars for these books. Pretty fun reads--fantasy court mystery set in a world that's similar to industrial age England, but with the denizens split between the Darkborn, who die if exposed to light, and the Lightborn, who die when faced with darkness. Still intrigued and impressed by the world-building; having a hard time believing this can wrap up nicely with only one more book to go.
Jul 26, 2010
Nicole
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Enjoyable, but it did read like the middle book in a trilogy. Looking forward to the last one as there are a ton of storylines to conclude.
Jun 19, 2011
Hollie
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I like the political intrigue. I don't really like how she writes, I have found myself thinking "please get on will the story!"
Still an interesting read.
Still an interesting read.
Jul 09, 2011
Shannon
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Accidentally read this one first. For being in the middle of a trilogy, stands on it's own reasonably well.
Feb 01, 2011
Rachel
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I don't recall the last time a sequel has so eclipsed its predecessor. Or actually why I didn't enjoy the first book more.
Needless to say, Lightborn isn't what it seems - a bubble-gum fantasy book with insipid characters and cliched plot devices. It is actually quite unique with characters that...I feel sad that I don't know in real life. By far, my favorites are Fejelis and Tammorn. Some of the most well-done writing centers around them. I envy that writing. Telmaine has come a long More...
Needless to say, Lightborn isn't what it seems - a bubble-gum fantasy book with insipid characters and cliched plot devices. It is actually quite unique with characters that...I feel sad that I don't know in real life. By far, my favorites are Fejelis and Tammorn. Some of the most well-done writing centers around them. I envy that writing. Telmaine has come a long More...
Jun 25, 2011
Mely
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Answered my questions about how much light/darkness people could stand. Not enough Floria. Interesting new characters. I am strangely fond of Vladimer. I wish for once the revolutionary industrialists were not aided by a sympathetic royal.
Aug 02, 2010
Epeeblade
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The author has created a fascinating world with interesting characters. The covers are so lovely too.
