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The Source Keepers #1
Mercy's Light
Mercy has been keeping a secret from his loved ones and his village. A secret that could very well end his life. Descended from a group of ancient warriors from Aitus, Mercy is destined to become the greatest Keeper of Light the planet has ever seen, but one mistake will cost him everything.
With his secret out, Mercy must now find a way to free his people and keep himself alive before Queen Mala and her Unity Council can cause any more damage. With the help of his best friend, Sylas, and an unlikely ally from the capital of Ozra, Mercy will need to master his Keeping of the Light Source and learn to accept who he was always meant to be.
In this Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel, Mercy must go on a life-changing journey to find his inner strength, confront his traumas, face his greatest fears, and find his voice.
With his secret out, Mercy must now find a way to free his people and keep himself alive before Queen Mala and her Unity Council can cause any more damage. With the help of his best friend, Sylas, and an unlikely ally from the capital of Ozra, Mercy will need to master his Keeping of the Light Source and learn to accept who he was always meant to be.
In this Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel, Mercy must go on a life-changing journey to find his inner strength, confront his traumas, face his greatest fears, and find his voice.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
524 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2021
79 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Jess L.M. Anderson
5 books66 followersJess L. M. Anderson has been hoarding stories like a dragon with a particularly nerdy treasure stash since childhood. Armed with a Master’s in Cinema Post Production from DePaul University (2019), she briefly considered a life of editing other people’s work before deciding she’d rather write her own. Mostly because she enjoys causing problems on purpose.
Her debut fantasy novel, Mercy’s Light, kicked off The Source Keepers series, a world she first conjured at age 12 and refused to let die. After receiving traditional publishing offers, Jess chose indie publishing for the creative freedom, embracing the chaos, wielding total artistic control like a mildly unhinged sorcerer, and enabling her goblin tendencies on the internet as stressinabox.
When not writing, Jess crafts Bookish Bugs, mounted bug art featuring recycled pages from her books and dried flowers. Because nothing says “fantasy author” like preserving dead things for fun. She also haunts conventions, where she sells books, shiny trinkets, and aggressively nerdy art to fellow fantasy gremlins.
She currently resides in Tifton, GA, where she continues expanding her literary worlds, hoarding shiny ideas, and consuming an irresponsible amount of coffee, all while pretending she has a normal sleep schedule.
Her debut fantasy novel, Mercy’s Light, kicked off The Source Keepers series, a world she first conjured at age 12 and refused to let die. After receiving traditional publishing offers, Jess chose indie publishing for the creative freedom, embracing the chaos, wielding total artistic control like a mildly unhinged sorcerer, and enabling her goblin tendencies on the internet as stressinabox.
When not writing, Jess crafts Bookish Bugs, mounted bug art featuring recycled pages from her books and dried flowers. Because nothing says “fantasy author” like preserving dead things for fun. She also haunts conventions, where she sells books, shiny trinkets, and aggressively nerdy art to fellow fantasy gremlins.
She currently resides in Tifton, GA, where she continues expanding her literary worlds, hoarding shiny ideas, and consuming an irresponsible amount of coffee, all while pretending she has a normal sleep schedule.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 22, 2021
*I received a complimentary copy for beta reading before the release but all words are my own and have no influence from the author*
I enjoyed this book. It's a nice quick read with gradual world building and a nice storyline. There was a lot of heavy introduction in the first 10-15 pages as regular fantasy/sci-fi books would have but nothing to give you a headache over. I'd say this Is the perfect book to read after a book Hangover to get you out of a slump. It's very fast paced with loveable and adorable characters and I would recommend this book for middle/high schoolers, as it is young adult, or any sci-fi enthusiasts. My genre of choice to pick up is not sci-fi but I did read and enjoy the book. It kept me interested and I genuinely enjoyed the characters even the ones I didn't necessarily connect with. I would not give any TW for this book, though there are some fight scenes, but none are too obscene that I wouldnt recommend this to my younger family members. Some themes in the book felt a little familiar, however they were done in such a way that still made this book incredibly unique. All in all I would give this a 4.5/5
I enjoyed this book. It's a nice quick read with gradual world building and a nice storyline. There was a lot of heavy introduction in the first 10-15 pages as regular fantasy/sci-fi books would have but nothing to give you a headache over. I'd say this Is the perfect book to read after a book Hangover to get you out of a slump. It's very fast paced with loveable and adorable characters and I would recommend this book for middle/high schoolers, as it is young adult, or any sci-fi enthusiasts. My genre of choice to pick up is not sci-fi but I did read and enjoy the book. It kept me interested and I genuinely enjoyed the characters even the ones I didn't necessarily connect with. I would not give any TW for this book, though there are some fight scenes, but none are too obscene that I wouldnt recommend this to my younger family members. Some themes in the book felt a little familiar, however they were done in such a way that still made this book incredibly unique. All in all I would give this a 4.5/5
May 20, 2023
I love how inclusive this book is. As someone who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and someone who has struggled with chronic illness, I always struggled to find myself represented in media. And I just felt so at home amongst these characters. Kudos to Jess for being able to create such a comforting and accepting world to be a part of.
September 18, 2022
Words cannot describe how much I love this book! The writing style is amazing and keeps to hooked from the start to finish. The character are relatable and funny. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a good fantasy novel.
April 12, 2024
Very well written, all characters have wonderful development and the story keeps you hooked all the way through. Mercy’s journey discovering both himself and getting confident with his powers with the help of his two gay, badass, best friends is so fun to read
June 29, 2021
Dark vs light with a twist
I struggled in the beginning with this book and taking in the characters. I was worried for a bit, then it had a twist and i was sucked in. Like most great books i lost time while reading. Devouring the book whole within a few nights(also meaning im sleep deprived)
The tale of dark vs light is one that has been fone soo many times, yet this was fresh and different. No spoilers from me, but your gonna want to read it for yourself.
I struggled in the beginning with this book and taking in the characters. I was worried for a bit, then it had a twist and i was sucked in. Like most great books i lost time while reading. Devouring the book whole within a few nights(also meaning im sleep deprived)
The tale of dark vs light is one that has been fone soo many times, yet this was fresh and different. No spoilers from me, but your gonna want to read it for yourself.
July 29, 2022
Great book, it kept me on my toes the whole time waiting to read what’s next. But overall this was a great book.
August 17, 2022
THIS IS THE BEST FANTASY BOOK I HAVE READ SINCE I WAS A KID. I don't understand how more people aren't raving about this book. Off the bad, the storytelling in this book is incredible. The storylines are well crafted and explained in an intriguing manner. You read this story from the perspective of Mercy, the main character. As Mercy learns information, we learn it with him, which keeps the story from being a word-vomit of important details and backstory. This book has diversity and lgbtqia+ representation. It touches on important themes and the dialogue is so poignant. Jess is able to craft very quotable lines without making them cheesy. In addition, the twists she creates are so unexpected. A few of them I was able to figure out, but for the most part, this book had be audibly gasping out loud. This is the kind of story that will shape a generation. When I was growing up it was stories like the Hunger Games, Divergent and Artemis Fowl. Today's kids will be talking about The Keeper's Series. I cannot wait to read more of this series and Jess has quickly become one of my favorite authors I've ever read.
February 21, 2025
Have you ever wondered how many types of magic systems there are in the fictional book world? I always think that they’ve been exhausted and yet I keep finding authors who have new takes. Jess L. M. Anderson accomplished this in her book “Mercy’s Light.” In this story, we follow Mercy, Sylas, Cal, and a myriad of other characters and they try to overthrow the evil queen who is slowly killing off all of humankind and the Light Keepers who keep them safe. Mercy has been hiding his abilities for years with the understanding that he is the last of his kind. Will he finally step up to make a difference? What about when all hope feels lost? Will Sylas and Cal be there to support him in his endeavors? Check out the book to find out.
I purchased this book at a local book fair from Anderson herself! She was extremely personable and the only author there who didn’t have smut in her book. Therefore, I wanted to support her. The story also sounded like something I would enjoy and I’m so glad I decided to buy it! Not only did she do an amazing job on the storytelling, she also created really rich characters with struggles and hardships they had to overcome. I also really liked the magic system that involved a true balance of light and dark in the form of the Light Keepers and Shadow Keepers. I won’t go into more detail as I don’t want to spoil the entirety of it.
I do want to give some constructive criticism as I have seen that she is an author that appreciates this. The worldbuilding confused me a bit. At first I thought we were set in medieval times (no electricity, horses for travel, clothing styles, etc.), however, there are mentions of cameras and broadcasting throughout the world. There may be a simple explanation for this, it just needs to be a little more clearly stated in the book. My other criticism would be to try and rework the tense of the book. There are times where it jumps from past to present tense (having written stories myself I know how hard this can be to avoid) and it would flow just a bit better if this was all changed to the same, either past or present would work. Neither of these things takes away from the plot or the story itself! I was still able to fully understand what Anderson was trying to say throughout the story!
“Mercy’s Light” by Jess L. M. Anderson was a very fun, refreshing, and also emotional read. Genre officially would be YA Fantasy with a strong LGBTQ+ representation. There was very little spice (only kissing) and mild cursing. However, there are adult things implied so I’d recommend it for an older Young Adult audience. If this sounds like something you may enjoy, I’d definitely recommend checking it out!
I purchased this book at a local book fair from Anderson herself! She was extremely personable and the only author there who didn’t have smut in her book. Therefore, I wanted to support her. The story also sounded like something I would enjoy and I’m so glad I decided to buy it! Not only did she do an amazing job on the storytelling, she also created really rich characters with struggles and hardships they had to overcome. I also really liked the magic system that involved a true balance of light and dark in the form of the Light Keepers and Shadow Keepers. I won’t go into more detail as I don’t want to spoil the entirety of it.
I do want to give some constructive criticism as I have seen that she is an author that appreciates this. The worldbuilding confused me a bit. At first I thought we were set in medieval times (no electricity, horses for travel, clothing styles, etc.), however, there are mentions of cameras and broadcasting throughout the world. There may be a simple explanation for this, it just needs to be a little more clearly stated in the book. My other criticism would be to try and rework the tense of the book. There are times where it jumps from past to present tense (having written stories myself I know how hard this can be to avoid) and it would flow just a bit better if this was all changed to the same, either past or present would work. Neither of these things takes away from the plot or the story itself! I was still able to fully understand what Anderson was trying to say throughout the story!
“Mercy’s Light” by Jess L. M. Anderson was a very fun, refreshing, and also emotional read. Genre officially would be YA Fantasy with a strong LGBTQ+ representation. There was very little spice (only kissing) and mild cursing. However, there are adult things implied so I’d recommend it for an older Young Adult audience. If this sounds like something you may enjoy, I’d definitely recommend checking it out!
December 22, 2021
My cousin recommended this book to me and I was a bit skeptical as it was from a TikToker who didn't seem known for their books. To my surprise, I genuinely enjoyed every single page! The author has a real talent and I hope she pursues her writing career further and continues to add to the series. If I could rate it higher I would! It has fantastic disabled and LGBT+ rep. I fell in love with every character. Mercy for his cleverness, Sylas for his sense of humor, Caligo for being a total badass, and even her side characters like Pippa stood out in their own ways. I'm excited to revisit these characters in the 2nd installment.
January 30, 2025
A wonderful debut novel. Pretty much a straight-forward story of good vs. evil but with some very interesting edges. It had a fascinating magic system and many diverse personable characters. The inclusivity never felt forced - it was just a natural part of the story. The relationships among all the characters felt real and deep. The world could have been a bit more fleshed out but I suppose we may get more of that in future books. The narrator did a great job giving each character an individual voice and I enjoyed listening. I look forward to the rest of the books in this series.
May 1, 2025
The characters and the world were interesting but I couldn’t keep reading because I was too distracted by the constant changing of tenses. Here is an example from the opening of chapter two, “From a deep sleep, Mercy was awakened by a pounding on the door. He jolts up to see Charity reading a book at the table, his sister ignoring the knocks.”
This goes on throughout the book, sometimes even having past tense and present tense in the same sentence. I tried to ignore it but it was just too much!
This goes on throughout the book, sometimes even having past tense and present tense in the same sentence. I tried to ignore it but it was just too much!
January 17, 2022
I love reading so why not support ‘stressinabox’ Jess Anderson from tic tock. It’s her first book so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I took the first two chapters to get going, but once I did it was hard to put down every night. Follow along as Mercy learns about his abilities that he has been keeping a secret. Each person he meets on his journey adds a piece of the puzzle that helps Mercy learn who he is. I’m ready for her next book!!
December 12, 2022
I found Jess on TikTok. I followed for the haha funny axolotl content and stayed for the personality. So, when she announced she was writing this book that has now turned into a series, I became so excited.
I have nothing but great things to say about this book. The characters are all amazingly complex in their personalities (my favorite is Sylas, and I know a lot of people share that).
I can't wait to see where this goes.
I have nothing but great things to say about this book. The characters are all amazingly complex in their personalities (my favorite is Sylas, and I know a lot of people share that).
I can't wait to see where this goes.
December 11, 2023
Okay I got this for 99p after seeing it on tiktok and I wasn’t expecting much, but it is a very very solid debut novel. I haven’t seen a system of magic like it before but I think the worldbuilding fell to the wayside a little, the characterisation is good but people seem to fall into categories based on their response to varying levels of childhood trauma. I really liked that there were illustrations included :)
November 28, 2021
This was a great book to read, and I struggled to put it down at times. I went into it not sure what to expect, but knowing that I enjoyed Jess's content, and I wasn't disappointed. The characters are lovable and the plot has great twists throughout. It's a wonderful story, and I'm looking forward to her next book.
January 1, 2022
I finished this book in 3 days and it is easily THE BEST BOOK I’ve ever read. This author is extremely talented in many ways and I love the fantasy world she created. If you don’t already, you should follow her on tic tok @stressinabox. She attached me to the characters so well that I cried in the fist three chapters. Highly recommended
February 24, 2022
This book is amazing. I added it to my Tbr after it first came out, and I’m disappointed I didn’t read it sooner. The characters are complex (which is very important in my opinion), and the plot is interesting and keeps you hooked. Among that it was heart wrenching enough at points to make me cry (Don’t tell anyone). And even though there’s no dragons, the queer representation makes up for that.
February 25, 2022
I loved this book! I’m excited to see how the series evolves. I loved all the representations and the story was charming.
I do have to agree with one of the comments saying this probably could’ve been edited a little better. There were some grammatical and tense issues in the start and sometimes I encountered weird spacing in sentences, but otherwise great book! Excited to see more.
I do have to agree with one of the comments saying this probably could’ve been edited a little better. There were some grammatical and tense issues in the start and sometimes I encountered weird spacing in sentences, but otherwise great book! Excited to see more.
July 5, 2022
First read through was the audio book on a long flight, it kept my attention without being too heavy to follow along with. The world building was steady and not overwhelming. As with most fantasy books the names of characters and places sounded weird but once I was a few chapters into it they all made sense.
August 6, 2022
I bought this book to support Jess on TikTok. Sci-fi/fantasy novels aren’t my usual genre of books I like to read! However, within the first few chapters I was sucked in! The story is incredible, so much more than light vs dark. Sylas is my favorite character, with such a complex mix of humor, love and tragedy. Overall just a great read!
September 7, 2022
A beautiful search for meaning in something that we don't choose for ourselves. Watching so many characters go through changes and such terrible circumstances makes you think at times. A whole chapter even made me feel specifically targeted.
There is so much love, loss, hurt and hope in this book. Definitely a 10/10 would reccomend.
There is so much love, loss, hurt and hope in this book. Definitely a 10/10 would reccomend.
October 25, 2022
I enjoyed this story and really was drawn into it after the first 1/3 of the book. The start was hard to read because I thought the writing could be so much better. After a while I was able to move out of that and just enjoy the story. I am so glad I did. Now I see there are more in the series... exciting!! Thanks.
August 20, 2021
The story is engrossing and I really enjoyed it, but it would really benefit from more editing. I felt like the tenses were all mixed up and at times grammar really pulled me away from the story. I'm hoping that Jess continues to write and partners with a great editor to tell more stories.
August 30, 2021
Absolutely love this book!
I'll be honest. Took me a second to get into.it but I'm so glad I did because I was genuinely sad when the book ended! I'm needing the next one 😂. Definitely worth reading!
I'll be honest. Took me a second to get into.it but I'm so glad I did because I was genuinely sad when the book ended! I'm needing the next one 😂. Definitely worth reading!
Want to read
July 29, 2022I have only read spoilers but I already know for a fact I am going to love this book...trying to save up a bit of cash to buy it for my Birthday soon. Will 100% update when I get my copy and fully read it.
July 30, 2022
I don’t typically read Sc-Fi/fantasy books, but decided to try this one out as I follow Jess on social media. I LOVED this book! It was easy to read and I fell in love with the characters. I can’t wait to start Mercy’s Reign!
August 19, 2022
Love it! It took me out of my reading slump in the first place and when I fell back into the reading slump and didn't read for a couple of months when I started I was right back into the story as if I never left!
If you ever think about reading this book just do it it is amazing
If you ever think about reading this book just do it it is amazing
November 29, 2022
Good Story
I found the audio version easier to follow as I normally don’t enjoy 3rd person omniscient books. The story was good and I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and how they developed.
I found the audio version easier to follow as I normally don’t enjoy 3rd person omniscient books. The story was good and I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and how they developed.
January 23, 2023
quite possibly the best book ive ever read. disability, queer, and ace rep by an amazing, kind author. awesome suspense and some hilarious moments. had a good few cries over this, too. ive ranted for hours to my family over it and cant say enough. read this!!!
August 13, 2023
I met this beautiful lady today and downloaded the books to be kind and support a creative "geek". BUT...She did it! I opened the book and the very first paragraph made me want to read more. I can not tell you how grateful I am for an author that can actually write.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews