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The Gemology Saga #1
By Sapphire Light
In the land of Yurdeh, gemstones mean life.
Starr Wandermer has spent her life gem hunting with her mother, Diamond. Yurdeh is a land on the brink of total destruction. Years ago, a meteor destroyed the land and covered the sky in dust, but it also brought the ability to charge gemstones. Each type of gemstone has a unique power, and Starr and her mother are searching for a gem that can clear Yurdeh's skies.
When Starr's mother is kidnapped from their new mining claim, Starr escapes capture with a single uncharged gemstone in her pocket. Starr knows she must transport the unidentified gem to the magical crater across the country. When Starr is followed onto the train, she discovers that the young heirs of BGMC—a corrupt corporation that would kill Starr to claim the gem—are on her tail. Starr evades BGMC with the help of Hinton, a dashing young member of a secret society. Together, Starr and Hinton race across the land in order to charge the gem, discover its power, and save Diamond before time runs out.
By Sapphire Light is the first book in The Gemology Saga, a new series by the author of the Black Depths series. This young adult steampunk fantasy novel will have you on the edge of your seat and is a great new addition to the steampunk genre.
Starr Wandermer has spent her life gem hunting with her mother, Diamond. Yurdeh is a land on the brink of total destruction. Years ago, a meteor destroyed the land and covered the sky in dust, but it also brought the ability to charge gemstones. Each type of gemstone has a unique power, and Starr and her mother are searching for a gem that can clear Yurdeh's skies.
When Starr's mother is kidnapped from their new mining claim, Starr escapes capture with a single uncharged gemstone in her pocket. Starr knows she must transport the unidentified gem to the magical crater across the country. When Starr is followed onto the train, she discovers that the young heirs of BGMC—a corrupt corporation that would kill Starr to claim the gem—are on her tail. Starr evades BGMC with the help of Hinton, a dashing young member of a secret society. Together, Starr and Hinton race across the land in order to charge the gem, discover its power, and save Diamond before time runs out.
By Sapphire Light is the first book in The Gemology Saga, a new series by the author of the Black Depths series. This young adult steampunk fantasy novel will have you on the edge of your seat and is a great new addition to the steampunk genre.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2021
2 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
J.E. Hunter
16 books40 followersJ. E. Hunter lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and began writing at a young age as an excuse to stay indoors during the cold winters. Several trips to the Pacific coast brought the inspiration for the Black Depths Series. J. E. Hunter has spent many years working in the field of environmental engineering and protection, a common theme in her works. When not reading, writing, or working, J. E. Hunter is often planning future adventures or busy living them.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 5, 2021
Author's summary (because they tell it best)
In the land of Yurdeh, gemstones mean life.
Starr Wandermer has spent her life gem hunting with her mother, Diamond. Yurdeh is a land on the brink of total destruction. Years ago, a meteor destroyed the land and covered the sky in dust, but it also brought the ability to charge gemstones. Each type of gemstone has a unique power, and Starr and her mother are searching for a gem that can clear Yurdeh's skies.
When Starr's mother is kidnapped from their new mining claim, Starr escapes capture with a single uncharged gemstone in her pocket. Starr knows she must transport the unidentified gem to the magical crater across the country. When Starr is followed onto the train, she discovers that the young heirs of BGMC—a corrupt corporation that would kill Starr to claim the gem—are on her tail. Starr evades BGMC with the help of Hinton, a dashing young member of a secret society. Together, Starr and Hinton race across the land in order to charge the gem, discover its power, and save Diamond before time runs out.
The world building in this book is incredible. The lands and backstories are all very well detailed. There is a political element to the story which I really enjoyed.
I liked the way the author portrayed the grief in this book. It stayed consistent throughout. You could really feel Starr hurting and missing her mother, wanting nothing but to get her back.
Our main character Starr is strong, smart, and curious. One thing that I really liked about her was that she wasn't so easily trusting. She was skeptical and cautious about each person she met.
I liked how the side characters were described as well. With each character, we see their backstory and why they think the way they do and make the actions they make.
There really wasn't much I disliked in this book. Everything was well thought out and had a purpose for being written. There was a few mentions of elemental gods, but it wasn't really focused on or described further.
There was a cliffhanger at the end, so I'm looking forward to reading book 2.
Overall I thought this was a great book. If you like reading steampunk fantasy, I would really recommend this book.
LANGUAGE: 3 swear words
DRINKING and DRUGS: champagne and moonshine. In one chapter the main characters are in a bar. Smoking and mention of growing drugs.
VIOLENCE: mention of blood and bruises. Protesters and rioting. Mention of knives. Scenes describing people going hungry.
ROMANCE: detailed kissing, changing clothes with a man in the room, thoughts about woman unclothed. There was a slight love triangle, but mostly towards one person.
* Thank you to the author for this book I won through a Goodreads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are mine. *
In the land of Yurdeh, gemstones mean life.
Starr Wandermer has spent her life gem hunting with her mother, Diamond. Yurdeh is a land on the brink of total destruction. Years ago, a meteor destroyed the land and covered the sky in dust, but it also brought the ability to charge gemstones. Each type of gemstone has a unique power, and Starr and her mother are searching for a gem that can clear Yurdeh's skies.
When Starr's mother is kidnapped from their new mining claim, Starr escapes capture with a single uncharged gemstone in her pocket. Starr knows she must transport the unidentified gem to the magical crater across the country. When Starr is followed onto the train, she discovers that the young heirs of BGMC—a corrupt corporation that would kill Starr to claim the gem—are on her tail. Starr evades BGMC with the help of Hinton, a dashing young member of a secret society. Together, Starr and Hinton race across the land in order to charge the gem, discover its power, and save Diamond before time runs out.
The world building in this book is incredible. The lands and backstories are all very well detailed. There is a political element to the story which I really enjoyed.
I liked the way the author portrayed the grief in this book. It stayed consistent throughout. You could really feel Starr hurting and missing her mother, wanting nothing but to get her back.
Our main character Starr is strong, smart, and curious. One thing that I really liked about her was that she wasn't so easily trusting. She was skeptical and cautious about each person she met.
I liked how the side characters were described as well. With each character, we see their backstory and why they think the way they do and make the actions they make.
There really wasn't much I disliked in this book. Everything was well thought out and had a purpose for being written. There was a few mentions of elemental gods, but it wasn't really focused on or described further.
There was a cliffhanger at the end, so I'm looking forward to reading book 2.
Overall I thought this was a great book. If you like reading steampunk fantasy, I would really recommend this book.
LANGUAGE: 3 swear words
DRINKING and DRUGS: champagne and moonshine. In one chapter the main characters are in a bar. Smoking and mention of growing drugs.
VIOLENCE: mention of blood and bruises. Protesters and rioting. Mention of knives. Scenes describing people going hungry.
ROMANCE: detailed kissing, changing clothes with a man in the room, thoughts about woman unclothed. There was a slight love triangle, but mostly towards one person.
* Thank you to the author for this book I won through a Goodreads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are mine. *
April 19, 2021
This first book in Hunter’s Gemology Saga is a fantastic start to a young adult gaslamp fantasy series. By Sapphire Light combines action, adventure, politics, geology, and civil unrest in a story that follows the life of seventeen-year-old Starr after her geologist mother is taken by unknown assailants. Starr begins her journey running for her life. Over the course of the book, we meet lively and relatable characters and fall in love with an adorable clockwork cat. A light and sweet romance is threaded through the pages with hints of a love triangle yet to come. I adored the way the author used gems as a form of power and currency, and Hunter’s expertise in the subject matter shines through the pages. The descriptions of the land of Yurdeh are vivid and detailed. The plot took me on so many twists and turns that I couldn’t put the book down. Looking forward to the next installment!
May 17, 2021
First I would like to state that I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity and honor in being able to read this book. When I received this book I began reading it at once. I really enjoy the authors writing style, pulls you into the book from the very beginning and you don't want to put the book down. It kept me on the edge of my seat reading from cover to cover. All the characters are very well portrayed though out. When you are finished you wish you weren't. A most wonderful read and I highly recommend this book
April 15, 2021
I loved this story. It was the right mix of fantasy and realism, touching on how corporations can run monopolies in our world. The pace of the plot was great. The characters had great backstory and I can't wait to see where they go next. I loved the originality of the story as I haven't read anything like it yet.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews