Fragments of Light

The Spectrum of Magic

by Beth Hodgson, Crystal Watanabe (Editor)

The year is 2384 M.E. The world is divided up into city kingdoms and empires ruled by kings, queens, and courts. Each city kingdom fights to be the most technologically advanced, hoping to dominate the others.
The King of Arcadia, Damaris, has a weapon that could have the other kingdoms kneeling at his feet—a magic-infused cyborg army and his daughter, Princess Emerald. Born with the power of green magic, Emerald is the first person in a thousand years to have the gift of magic, and her secret is being heavily guarded by the king at all costs.
Unbeknownst to Emerald, a sorceress from the plagued future seeks all the colors of magic. Hellbent on revenge to all those who wronged her, the sorceress vows to reclaim the throne that was once to be hers and overthrow the all-powerful high court in her time. Green magic, the last color to complete the spectrum of magic within herself, would make the sorceress unstoppable, ridding the world of any who oppose her.
With a love-struck prince, her father, and the sorceress in search for her, Emerald comes across a most unusual ally—a wild rocker from the lower levels of Arcadia. Now Emerald must come together with the past, present, and future gifted to stop the sorceress from succeeding.If they do not, all of time will pay the consequences…

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

660 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2018

About the author

Beth Hodgson was born and raised in Minnesota. During her college years, she worked and went to school in downtown Minneapolis, the city that inspired the kingdom of Arcadia in Fragments of Light. She worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for several years, then switched industries to retail management in high fashion.

Currently, she is married and stays at home with her three young children and writes in her spare time. When not writing or hanging out with the family, Beth loves to make costumes, doodle her characters, and play Skyrim and Hearthstone. Her favorite color is violet, but she has a secret love for green.

Reviews

[Beth Hodgson]

Thank you to all the readers out there who chose to live in my world for a brief period of time while they were reading 'Fragments of Light.' This story is incredibly special to me, and holds a dear place in my heart.

'Fragments of Light' was derived from my drawings over 22 years ago. When I first drew a picture of Emerald, it evoked a feeling deep within me, and I fell in love with her. Soon after, more characters followed - Kyle, Ikaria, Derek (under a different name at the time), Drew, Telly, and a character that was ended up being scraped and turned into two characters - Geeta and Auron as you now know them as. A year or so after I developed these characters, I came across Billy Idol's Cyberpunk album, and saw a story of epic proportions unfold within my mind. Magic battles. Cyborgs. Struggles between the characters. Every song on that album had a creative impact on my story in one way or another, and I still get chills when listening to it.

On a side note, most people generally ask me...what's your book about? It's hard to say. I don't like to file my story under a specific genre, as there is so much to it. Yes, it is fantasy. And yes, it is science fiction with cyberpunk elements. And to add to it, it has time travel. So how do you describe 'Fragments of Light?' I refer to it as futuristic fantasy. It is a very small niche of fantasy, but it's out there, and I hope to expand the genre with my series 'The Spectrum of Magic.'

Once again, many thanks to all my readers. I appreciate all your love and support.

[Beverly McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband found this beauty for me. I found myself in Arcadia and through the wastelands. I traveled with blue magic from and to different times. I watched a naive princess learn something about life. I watch a bad ass biker fall in love. I witnessed a princes love turn to lust. I saw jealousy kill. Beth Hodgson had me there with her characters and story telling. Her worlds and magic system is beautiful. Who I wanted to be my favorite character wasnt. Who I thought I couldn't stand I loved. Thank you for this work of art♡♡♡

[L.L. Thomsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is this book already finished? I deliberately found myself reading slower and slower so as not to end this too quick, yet in the end I was glued just the same. There's so many amazing things to say about this huge debut from Hodgson, but to those who'd doubt an indie author let me just say this: DON'T! The romance between lowlife and unlikely hero, Kyle, and naive, loved princess, Emerald, presents just the kind of impossible odds scenario that I like, particulalry when it's countered and balanced by an evil enchantress from the future who's out for revenge. The characters are multidimentional in such a way that you cannot help but understand the pain of the villains as well as the flawed elements of the heroes. If you want action, stories that span across time, unexpected twists and an elegant magic system, you need to get this book today. I am looking forward to book 2 when it comes, particulalry with the unexpected ending of this one! Epic and stunning from start to finish! Excellent stuff!

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off I would like to thank Beth Hodgson and Pikko's House for the giveaway that won me this Ebook.

Fragments of Light is as engrossing, diverse read as it is colorful (sorry couldn't help myself). The amount of work that went into this story is obvious from the start. The world building along rivals (in my opinion) LOTR in it's diversity. Fragments is a long read, but Beth manages to keep it well paced and interesting enough to keep you turning pages.
Using colors to identify sources of magic was new (to me) and I found it gave the story a visual aura that enhanced the story telling. The characters were as unique and diverse as the worlds they came from. I can only say that for me the one common factor between the characters was that the good guys were as good as the villains were evil.
The underlying themes of good, evil, choices and the power of politics to shape for good and bad are well represented without brow beating it into you ...
I can recommend "Fragments of Light" to anyone looking for a good story with a world diverse enough for you to become fully immersed in it

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I think it’s safe to say that this book had it all. Mystery, romance, intrigue. Oh, as well as cyborgs, magic, and brainwashing.

The way the author weaves different timelines, subplots, and characters together is done beautifully to create an engaging read with an explosive ending. Each character had a broad personality, and the choices that they made were carefully explored. Worldbuilding was amazing. It’s not easy to blend together all the genres in this book, but the author did it with finesse.

While very complex, this is definitely a worthwhile read for people who love both dystopia and fantasy.

[Daniel Alperstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect going in, given that this book was self published. I am a stickler for good writing--and have not had the best experience with self-published books--and so I was worried that Fragments of Light might have the same sort of mistakes, typos, and overall not-entirely-polished aspect that such books can have. But I'm thrilled to say I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised! I found the writing to be exceptionally good, and the story itself to be phenomenal. I hold my books to a high standard, and Fragments of Light exceeded them. Engaging characters, imaginative worldbuilding, and great depth of plot. I can't wait to read the second installment!

[Nadara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very enjoyable. I enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the story. Emerald was probably my favorite, and Kyle is very special and entertaining, but each of the characters, even the evil ones, were fun to get to know.
The story, while longer than most books, progressed well and was well thought-out. It has different aspects, like magic, steampunk, cyborgs, adventure, and action, and it made it a really fun ride.
I’m holding out hope the ending left it open for what I hope to happen in the second book.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. I loved everything about this story. It's such a colorful book in more than its representations of the color spectrum. It's vivid in evoking the senses. You can feel, smell, touch, see, hear all that is going on around you. And it touches your emotions. You can feel sorrow both for hero/heroine and villain. The story masterfully shifts from one time period to another, and the plot is well thought out, tossing in the unexpected. I can hardly wait for the sequel.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fragments of Light was the first epic fantasy that I ever read and now I'm hooked. There's magic, vengeance, action, time travel, romance, and redemption. Beth Hodgson's writing is captivating. Both her style of narration, voice for each character, and description of the surroundings give vibrancy to the storytelling where I can see the story play out in my mind like it's a show/series. I can't wait to the read the rest of the volumes in The Spectrum of Magic, along with her other works.

[Michelle Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy, cyberpunk, time travel, a fairy tale royal romance gone awry. This book has everything! I enjoy stories with carefully crafted layers that come together seamlessly, and Fragments of Light does so beautifully. There are many characters who play different roles, such as the greedy, no-good King Damaris, who uses his daughter for his own gain, refusing to allow her to marry anyone or live any kind of life. Unable to take it any longer, Princess Emerald runs away from the palace and ends up in Arcadia’s underbelly, where seedy and unfortunate characters live and scrap by day after day. On her own, Emerald gets a taste of life outside the comforts of Arcadia Palace, but rather than return, she buries herself into this new and dangerous society, eventually meeting a wasteland-born musician named Kyle who becomes her guide and savvy mentor. These two later become a power couple, aiming to take on an evil, highly sexually charged, mind fuck of a sorceress, Ikaria, who has been absorbing the blood of the gifted in order to obtain their powers and reach the Spectrum of the Black.
There is so much more, such as an army of cyborgs, a possessed king getting his just deserts, and time travelers on a mission. The world-building is stunning, and Mrs. Hodson does a brilliant job in bringing her readers into this world she has created. Did I mention the cover art? It’s incredible! I’m looking forward to reading the next installment of this magical series. I highly recommend this book!

[Heidi Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book advertised on one of my author groups and it looked interesting. It was. Interesting. It's got really great characters and a well thought out plot. Tons of magic and beautifully written. It was a little long for this kind of book but I'm glad I read it. The only thing I was challenged by was the fact that the time frame seemed to jump back and forth between past, present and future without any clarity. I often felt confused by who was in which time period. Other than that, it's a fun read.

[Marlow York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish this book, but I finally did! This was a really unique take on the sci-fi/fantasy genres, with a wide cast of characters (my favorite was Kyle, FYI). One of my favorite aspects of the story was the magic system and how each color grants a person a specific power or set of powers. Along with that, a person can tap into their adjacent color (on the color wheel) for additional abilities. The story was set in two different time periods, so it was cool to see how each period handles magic and technology and the fact that people from each time came together to defeat a common enemy. When the final battle started I got all excited like, "Aw yeah, let's see how these guys all kick ass together!" Though this was a big cast and many characters told the story through their POV, each character had a distinct personality and way of narrating. Another thing I liked was that the villain was truly a formidable enemy. She was treated unjustly once upon a time and decided she wasn't going to play by the rules to get what she wanted, and yet she was smart about things. It's always nice to see an antagonist who isn't just bad because "I wanna be evil!"

Now onto the things I had issues with. This is probably a personal opinion, but I'm not a fan of long books. It took me over two months to finish this book, so that made it difficult to remember all the important details. Still, I know many people who prefer long books. Another thing, there were A LOT of POVs in this story. I counted at least eight or nine main POVs, and a few other characters had small sections told in their perspective. That's many people to keep track of. Some of the chapters started with the character's color, but it took me a while to remember which character had which color, and then if it was told through a character without a color, there was nothing at the beginning of the chapter to indicate who it was. It would've been nice to have the character's name as the chapter title, but that's not a huge deal. Since there were so many characters, I found it difficult to engage with a few of them. I liked Emerald and Kyle right away, but I didn't care about Drew and Telly until I was almost at the end of the book. One last thing, the book was written very well; however, it was incredibly wordy. There were several redundant sentences or the same word being used again and again. For example, on page 99 we have these two sentences: "Some of the power grabbed her hairbrush, softly combing and styling her hair, then inserted hair ornaments in her lavish hairstyle in one half of her hair. The other half of her hair flowed to the ground unadorned." The word "hair" appears in some way six times in two sentences. Don't get me wrong, the author writes very well overall, but the entire book could've used some brevity to make it less wordy and redundant.

Though it took me a while to finish and I might be forgetting some things, the ending makes me want to read the next book. I like that the battle concluded in what seems like victory for the good guys, but the story definitely isn't over. Emerald and Kyle certainly didn't get a fairy tale ending, and the antagonist may be defeated but is far from dead. I want to see what happens next and if our characters can find true happiness or will have to settle for contentment.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve grown up on fantasy books, and after Harry Potter, I’m constantly on the lookout for another magical book series that can capture my mind since I go through series so quickly. I really enjoyed FRAGMENTS OF LIGHT and found myself really lost in the world of Arcadia. It’s a thrilling and different new world that kept me on my toes.

I’m always wary of indie books because in my experience, they tend to be rushed, not edited well, or there may be characters or plot aspects that are underdeveloped. However, Beth Hodgson blew me away with her book because it was extremely well-written. If I hadn’t known it was an indie book, I would have never guessed it. It’s as if it was published by a well-known traditional publisher. You can tell a lot of effort went into the making of this book to prepare it for publication – so kudos to Hodgson.

The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. The minute I saw it, I'm not going to lie, I wanted it for my bookshelf. I bought the paperback version and it is more gorgeous in print than it is on the computer, so a definite plus! Not only is the cover nice to look at, but it also has beautiful artwork within its pages, and the story itself is captivating. From the first chapter and throughout the book, I found it hard to put down because the characters and the world was so diverse and each character truly had their own voice. I tend to have problems keeping characters separate, but her characters were crafted well and have distinct personality differences.

I was also really satisfied with Hodgson’s world’s construction. It’s very strong and you can tell there was a lot of time and thought that was put into it. When I’m reading adult fantasy and sci-fi, I find myself really enjoying books that have complexity and diversity in their cast. Hodgson delivered, no questions asked.

A downside of the book is the fact that it really is a long book. If you’re not a fan of long stories, this might not work well for you. The paperback comes in at 658 pages, however, none of that space is wasted or wishy-washy. There isn’t a point in the book where you think it should be over. It all feels like it’s supposed to be there and everything felt necessary to ensure the reader understood the world and the enormity of what was happening.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who asks. It’s a world where Final Fantasy, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones collide – with a healthy dose of magic. Magic, time travel, cyber punk aspects, a princess, and cyborgs… there’s something for everyone in this book to love. Can't wait to read the next book of the series.


Note: Also, please note that this book has adult content, so it isn’t suitable for younger readers or being read to them as a bedtime story unlike other books I’ve recommended. Genre: Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi due to language and adult situations.

[Mars Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the time, when you have a story with a large cast of characters while featuring multiple storylines across more than 2 time periods, the usual response would be, "it sounds like there's too much going on". And usually, most authors will get so bogged down with introducing each character that the entire novel reads like one long introduction. I PROMISE YOU, THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH THIS NOVEL!!

Fragments of Light introduces us to a world in peril across time and place. The author is very articulate in her method of unfolding the beginning of this story and showing us exactly why events unfold the way they do in creative, but not excessive, detail. Each character is adequately fleshed out in their role and purpose as we see how they fit into the elaborate plot that will directly affect their lives and ultimately impact their world in a major way.

Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say that the author pours the plot and colorful imagery of this tale into the melting pot of our minds and allows the first chapters to simmer before the climax of the story boils into bubbling steams of suspense and excitement. Or to put it mildly, the author cleverly weaves a scenario where we get to know and relate to each character so that when a scene of dramatic tension unfolds, we have a good idea of why it's happening and emotionally respond to the plight of these characters with the appropriate reaction. And I'm still only referring to the beginning parts of this novel.

What follows in the climax and conclusion is an epic saga of power struggles, mystery, conspiracy, and a revelation that threatens to unravel the very fabric of this world across its past, present, and future.

Also, this book is free of spelling and grammatical errors as it is edited in excellent format.

This story IS NOT a daunting task of intellectual frustration that promises an elaborate plot and delivers a story of overly described details, exaggerated story arcs, incoherent progression, and overdone fantasy tropes that many books in this category give you.

It is a colorful tale of vibrant imagery that will stimulate your senses with titillation, intrigue, and fascination as you engage in a fantastical world of magic, science, and societal tension that will leave you fighting off your sleep so you can find out what happens next.

[Jay Batista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has poured an amazing amount of work into this epic Fantasy-Sci-Fi mashup and despite its length, it moves surprisingly fast. It is an exciting read, driven by character and plot. There are multiple time lines and a well crafted fantasy world with an interesting and clever magic system based on colors and emotions. The world building is well defined and complete, and the story is well plotted to bring the various character threads together in a satisfying climax. Back stories for all the characters provide solid support for their motivations and there are enough characters that any reader can find a favorite one. Settings include memorable locations from desert camps to soaring castle spires and cybernetic laboratories. It is a very visually stimulating work. The book stands complete, however it ends with an epilogue and a tease for future works. I really enjoyed the novel, although personally the narration tended toward the melodramatic in sections and while I know many like that style of writing, I personally don't find it necessary to carry the story forward. If you are seeking a well crafted Fantasy/Sci-Fi work, this book is for you.

[Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book took me on a journey into the underbelly of Arcadia up to the palace in the sky where royalty lives. We where sent though time with beautiful swirls of galaxies and shades of blue magic. Among other spectrum's of colored magic, I was engrossed with the magic systems Beth used. Without any spoilers red magic is where it's at. I can't begin to describe how my imagination was on over time with the sheer amount of love describing how magic was used or how each color has it's own personality. I fell in love with all of the charters felt mad for the one's that were wronged even if they where evil characters. Cheered when the good guys won. Laughed when they laughed cried when they sobbed. It has been a long time since I had to close a book and process what I had read a few different times.

The story was beautiful and kept me guessing what was going to happen next especially in the 2ed half of the book. I want to word vomit how amazing the story is but I don't want to spoil anything you have SO many bad ass scenes in the book. So many that grab your attention back into the story when the chapter switches point of view's. I can not wait to read more of The Spectrum of Magic. Anyone that will lend me an ear to talk about this book I'm recommending this series to!

[Robert Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying i am NOT a fan of sci fi, but, this book was suggested to me so i decided to give it a chance. Beth blends sci fi, fantasy, romance and cyber punk all together to create an intricate and vivid world of time travel and magic. This book was great. The characters were believable and likeable just as the bad guys were believable and hatable but also you can see where they are coming from. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cant wait for the next one to drop!! HURRY UP AND FINISH THE NEXT BOOK BETH!

[R. D. Trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Hodgson is a shining star in the growing world of authors. Fragments of Light grabs you with its vibrant characters, enigmatic villains, and hardboiled characters in this futuristic cyberpunk adventure that has a unique employment of magic in possible the best cyberpunk novel I have ever read, rivaling even George Alec Effinger (RIP).

Beyond that, Beth is a kindred soul, great person, and an artist who puts more soul and expertise into her books than anyone I know. Frankly, if you have not read this book, you are totally missing out.

Btw - #IAmTeamKyle

[Karlee Aguirre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Hodgsons talent in on full display in this expertly written a novel! She takes you deep into the world she has created giving you a glimpse at the inner workings of her mind. With finely crafted characters and a stellar story line she reaches new heights in her genre and at the end of each chapter she makes it nearly impossible to put down the world ride that is fragments of light. I can't wait for the continuation of the story.

[Ezra Raikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex characters and a complex world. The story sucked me in and didn't let up!

[James Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique read which I liked a lot. The magic system is very different than I’ve read before and very original. A fun read and if you enjoy cyberpunk fantasy you will enjoy this.

[Brittany Date · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Edilberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writings of lighting the eskeletons of my self because I haven't read it.

[Daisy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Written very well. Couldn't put it down even during my second read through! Can't wait to read the second book!!

[Catherine]

DNF. The writing is very, very shaky and needs a few more editing passes.

[Jae h · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please let me start off by saying that I am not the best at writing reviews, but for this I must at least try.

Fragments of Light has sent my imagination soaring and I am not ordinarily a fan of sci-fi. Beth Hodgson is gifted with a unique writing voice. Her book blends romance and drama as well as rogues and royalty seamlessly, creating the dazzling world of Arcadia, that is so much bigger than you could comprehend. I want to explore the lower levels even more and hope this wish comes true in book 2!

I could relate to practically all of the characters, villain and hero, and their many different motives kept me entertained throughout the book.

It’s no great shock why this book is loved by so many. The amount of work that has gone into the world building and theory of magic is astounding - and made my head spin at first. But it is explained very well through the laws and the dialogue that there was no true confusion. Despite the length of this first novel the pace remained constant throughout. Each character arc came together at the end in a wonderful climax (I’m not crying; you’re crying)

Even if you are not a fan of sci-fi I would recommend this book. You’ll never know until you try!

Beth, I eagerly await Book 2 and more late nights as a result.