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    Fractured Light
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    Fractured Light
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    Fractured Light
    Ebook353 pages3 hours

    Fractured Light

    By Rachel McClellan

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them---until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCedar Fort Publishing & Media
    Release dateFeb 7, 2012
    ISBN9781462101962
    Unavailable
    Fractured Light

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    Reviews for Fractured Light

    4/5

    42 ratings17 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The story line flowed fairly well, and I thought the characters were well developed and fleshed out wonderfully. I like how the female lead characters are strong-willed and not willing to just sit by and let someone else do the work but they actively take part in the outcome of their futures.Llona is such a funny character, I loved to reading the thoughts in her mind and her humor is so witty and just like a normal teenager though she is anything but normal. She is the embodiment of light and there is evil lurking in the shadows waiting to for her. I like the lore that McClellan has created in this work, I have never heard of anything like it that I can remember reading and am intrigued as to how the journey for all the characters will unfold. All the characters are believable,as one can envision them clearly in the mind in all the settings as the authors gives such great details about each one. About the plot, Llona the main character is an orphaned Aura, which is a group of women that light gets passed down from generation to next to guard it from the evil Vyken, who desire to kill them by drinking the blood of an Aura which will make them powerful. Chocked full of interesting things. May her best not friend, as they both are cautious about opening up to other can create fire. Christian her guardian is such a nice male character, he teaches Llona to defend herself even though it is against the rules of their society and could very well cost him his job. Yet, Llona keeps him on his toes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to find out what happens with Christian and Llona.
    • 4/5
      It is rare to find a book that catches me by surprise, but that is precisely what happened with Fractured Light. I had not previously heard of the author and did not know what to expect, but it definitely was not what I found. When I sat down to begin reading this novel, I did not expect to finish it in less than 48 hours. I did not expect to be so sucked into the story that life around me would cease to exist. And I definitely did not expect to be so drawn to the characters that I would feel as though I was experiencing everything with them.

      You quickly find that everything around Llona is not as she thought it was going to be. Life takes many unexpected turns for her and you will find yourself unable to walk away. I am writing this at four o'clock in the morning as I have finished reading this novel because sleep seemed unimportant as the pages flowed out before me. I just had to keep reading. I had to know where the story was going to go next.

      There were many unexpected surprises in this novel that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.

      Throughout the ebook text, I found some minor grammatical errors and misspellings, but am willing to chalk that up to the typesetting portion of the process and they in no way detracted from the story at all. The characters were believable and the "good guys" were likable. The bad guys are the kind you love to hate, but have to almost feel sorry for. Overall, this was an excellent read, and I cannot wait for book two in the series, Titled Fractured Soul. Maybe the author will chime in and tell us when we can purchase that one as well!
    • 4/5
      4 STARSFractured Light is the first book in the series. I liked it. Last year I had read Fractured Soul the second book in Fractured Light series and like it. I am going to read it again so I am ready for Fractured Truth the last book in the series I believe.Fractured Light is a young adult book that is centered around Llona Reese. She is a senior in high school. Llona has lived her life on the run hiding from the killer who killed her mom. Llona lives with her Uncle after her dad died. Llona ia a Aura like her mom.Aura can manipulate light and the Vyken want to kill Auras and take their power.Most Aura are at a special place to get trained. Llona wants to finish at a regular high school. She is learning a little about her power but not much. When the moon is full Llona has lots more power and is faster and stronger. When the moon is a sliver she can hardly do anything. Llona really likes Christian.May is a friend of Llona. May has lots of friends but she gets close to none. Where Llona has stayed alone but this year she has decided to be more outgoing.Christian is a football player sometimes he acts like he really likes Llona and cares about her. He is always watching and being protective of her.Jake is her Uncle that she lives with. Since her father died he mainly plays video games. He has mourned his brother. He is not much of adult for Llona to rely on. He has no job.Llona's father has left her plenty of money to live on. When she thinks they need to move for safety they do. She picked the house in UT. This time she does not want to run away she wants to finish high school where she is at. So when scary things happen around her she hides them from everyone.The setting for this book is Salt Lake City, UT. and Wasatch mountains.Lots of high school drama on top of super natural powers. Llona is not the only one who is different. I like the characters and I want to see where they go from here.I bought the book on Amazon
    • 4/5
      Okay after a day of indecision, I finally thought it was time to write this review. First though, let me tell you that giving my rating to this book wasn't an easy thing to do. The reasons were several. For one, I loved the story - it was super original and incredibly well structured. I also loved the characters and the depth they were created on. And, I could hardly put the book down to sleep and eat. So yeah, it was pretty addictive.

      But.

      It felt too predictable. I knew who the villain was from the very beginning and this sort of took a bit of the shine. But hey, there were plenty of times when I doubted my own judgment and wondered if I was right about the villain at all. I would've preferred to be surprised, to be honest.

      So the concept of this book spins around Llona, who is an Aura - a carrier of Light, and Christian - who is ... incredibly irritating. Even though the book begins with a tragedy, and we're introduced to Llona's pain and anger and loneliness, it progresses from there. The more familiar Llona becomes with her Light, the stronger she feels. And then Christian comes out of nowhere and slowly grows on her, like moss on rock.

      It's all well, until the murders, and the dark shadow outside her window, which is capable of controlling Llona even from great distance. So the question is - who's the shadow, and what does it want?

      Now, let's talk about the characters.

      *Llona - I liked her spunk, her energy. I liked that she wasn't ready to give up, no matter the odds. She was strong, yet not so much that she couldn't be weak as well. That made her personality full of nuances, gave her depth and made her loveable.

      *Christian - he was so irritating!! He was running hot and cold all the time! One moment he was drawing Llona close, the next - he was pushing her away. Ughh! Sure, he was caring (to the point of stalking Llona outside her house), and mysterious, and extremely gorgeous. But so what? I wanted to kick him in the face half the time. And when Llona actually did, I was extremely proud of her!

      I can't say much about the rest of the characters. I mean, Matt was a weird geeky guy, who gave off a weird vibe and May was a devoted friend, but beyond that there's nothing. Perhaps the next installment will tell us more about May at least.
    • 5/5
      Title: Fractured Light (Fractured Light #1)Author: Rachel McClellanGenre: Paranormal/Fantasy RomanceRating: 5 out of 5 starsBook Description:I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.Review:Rosette: All Llona wants to do is to remain unnoticed during her last year in high school. She has no real friends, she doesn’t go out, and never participates in any extracurricular activities. She’s satisfied being the quiet one. Llona believes that by being inconspicuous no one will know her secret. The power of the Light that lives within her is growing, but she continually fights to hide it. Orphaned as a child, she lives with her Uncle, who is more like the big brother she never had. The premature deaths of her parents’ affects her greatly and Llona refuses to suffer their fate. If no one knows about her secret, no one will try to harm her, or at least that is what she believes. So Llona lives life under the radar.But she can no longer ignore the signs of danger that has finally followed her. Someone knows what she is and even the power of the Light won’t be enough to keep her safe. With the help of her Uncle and several unusual and interesting friends that she has grown to trust, she just may survive. Changes start to occur in her life and Llona is no longer satisfied living in a solitary existence. Her new friend Christian quickly develops an interest in her and she wants to reciprocate these feelings. But the new and strikingly handsome student is a mystery, and Llona is not sure what to make of him.It was a pleasure to review this book. The characters were both convincing and very likeable and I believe young readers will be delighted at the interesting twists and turns that this novel has to offer. The concept of the Light was quite intriguing and I was quite happy to see Llona’s character develop throughout the story. She grew from being a fearful young woman, barely existing what was to be the best years of her life, into the tenacious and confident individual that was not afraid to take the offensive in difficult situations. Christian, her love interest, is a capable young man who can be quite overbearing at times. He quickly becomes a protective confidant. How he fits into Llona’s world is quite confusing to her at first, but as she matures, she is able to reconcile his place in her life. She has a circle of fascinating friends who Llona later discovers to have surprising lives of their own. Each character introduced to us has their own unique stamp, their individuality adding to the already strong and vibrant storyline.This is a brilliant first book to what will surely be an exciting new series and I am very much looking forward to the next one.Tiffany: Rosette does a great job of telling you how wonderfully captivating Fractured Light is. This story will keep you on your toes! You won’t want to put down! Someone is after Llona and she fights to stay alive, but one thing (or one person) keeping her motivated is her new admirer, Christian. There are great plot twists & surprises that are very smart and make the book even better. For someone who is a fan of paranormal, or who wants to begin to read the genre, this is a great choice to pick! Llona herself isn’t aware of what she is truly capable of and thanks to new friends and family, she is learning more about herself and her past. I’m a big fan of all the characters and their uniqueness. Even though it’s a fantasy story, their personalities are very real. Truly great read and can’t read the rest more from this series and author!
    • 3/5
      Going into Fractured Light, I really expected to be reading fantasy. I'm not sure if that was my own fault, or the synopsis, but the Aurans peaked my interest. I looked at this as something new and different in the fantasy realm. On the bright side, it was indeed something new. On the down side, this reads much more like a paranormal romance novel than anything else. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm just warning those of you who might be mistaken like I was. I'll save you the wondering.

      At the beginning I'll admit that Fractured Light was a little tough for me to get into. Llona starts out as a tough character to enjoy. She's distant, coarse, and at times whiny. I understood why. Rachael McClellan builds up a good back story for her protagonist, and it's easy to see why Llona chooses to keep to herself. It doesn't make it any easier to like though. Add in the fact that the first few chapters felt shaky and kind of off, and I almost put this book down.

      I'm happy to say I didn't though, because things really do improve about a third of the way through. Llona's attitude changes, the book picks up pace, and we meet more of the characters who are going to be a part of Llona's journey. At this point I honestly felt like I was reading a whole different book. Whereas the first few chapters were shaky and oddly paced at times, at this point in the book things really evened out. I found myself fully immersed for the first time, and I fell in love with Llona and her struggle to just exist.

      Although some parts of the plot felt a little forced into place, I ultimately ended up liking Fractured Light. The climax of the book is just perfect, and the ending is wonderfully done. It leaves the book open for a next in the series and, in all honesty, now that I've read the whole book I'm ready for the next one. If you are a reader who enjoys a good mystery, this is a book that will peak your interest.
    • 5/5
      In Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan, her main character Llona stands out even though throughout the book, she is focused on fitting in. You can sense the inner battle that she faces as she fights both the desire to be peaceable and violent. Will she disobey the Auran Council and use her gift as a weapon or will she hide behind what should be her gift? She is hilarious and so much like myself. When things go wrong, she pretends to be stronger than she actually is and she lies to seem stronger when something is wrong.May is probably one of my favorite best friend characters in all of the books I've read. She is loyal and determined to remain friends despite Llona's stand-offishness and the things that set them apart from "normal" people. Christian is a frustrating love interest that most of the time makes you want to bang your head against the wall. Despite this though, he is set in doing everything the right way and because of this, he pushes important people away. Can we agree that if a gorgeous guy was constantly like, "I love you but I shouldn't so I will pretend I don't," that we would be frustrated? Yeah, that covers that whole frustrating situation.I wish the bad guy had played a bigger part, other than being a creepy stalker and stuff. I want more struggle, more fights, and so that was a little disappointing. The bad guy still gave me the chills.The plot follows the typical battle between light and dark although light and dark takes the form of two different races or people. That definitely set the whole story apart. Rachel McClellan did a great job of using plot twists which truly twisted my ideas about how the book was going to work out and they were easy to follow.I really liked the story.
    • 4/5
      I really loved this book. When I read the blurb, I thought it sounded interesting, but I was so pleasantly surprised at just how good this book really is. Llona Reese is an Aura, which means she can manipulate light. This is a powerful thing, and a very dangerous thing. There are evil beings called Vyken who want nothing more than to drain the Auras and steal their light for their own pleasure and power. With both of Llona's parents dead, all she wants to do is stay alive. She has wrapped herself in a cocoon, trying to remain as invisible as possible to the world around her. It's her senior year at high school, and she wants nothing more than to make it through unscathed and unnoticed, only there are some kinks she didn't count on, interfering with her plan. One of those kinks is the hottie Christian, who is new at school and has taken quite the interest in Llona. Despite trying to talk herself out of it, Llona finds herself very interested in him to, which is quite strange, as she has never been interested in anyone before. Then there is her mysterious and smoking hot teacher, Mr. Steele, and she just goes into a complete brain fog when she is around him, having to consciously force herself to remain focused. As her powers begin to develop, strange things begin to happen. Suddenly Llona seems to be in danger, Christian is always showing up every time she's in danger,the people she thinks she knows are not who they seem, and Llona isn't sure who she can trust. Determined to survive she begins to take her destiny into her own hands, and she is determined to fight for it.I liked Llona. She was snarky and funny, even though she tried to remain low-profile. I especially loved Christian, though I did get rather frustrated with him "following the rules" for so long. I was really anxious for he and Llona to move past those barriers. I enjoyed all the secondary characters in the book also. The story captured my attention in the first chapter and kept me turning the pages throughout the whole book. There is quite a bit of action and mystery, and Rachel McClellan keeps you guessing with the twists and turns she has written. The romance was sweet, though I really would like to see a little more action between Llona and Christian. The plot was also imaginative and creative. If you love YA paranormal romance, with some action, combined with a little mythology and mystery, then this is one book you will want to check out. I thoroughly enjoyed Fractured Light and I am looking forward to the next book in in the series.
    • 4/5
      Fractured Light by Rachel McClellanRating: 4/5 starsSource: PurchaseLlona is not a daredevil, she never intentionally puts herself at risk, and she does not ever, under any circumstances draw attention to herself. Flying under the radar is what has allowed Llona to live as long as she has and if she keeps to her routine, she may even live long enough to attend her own high school graduation. On the outside, Llona looks like every other teenager but looks, as we all know can be quite deceiving. Llona is an Aura, a being not quite human with the ability to bring comfort, happiness, beauty, and light into the world. While this may sound like a super-awesome super-power, Llona’s gifts and abilities have also marked her for death.Over the centuries Auras like Llona have been tracked, stalked, hunted and killed by the Vyken, a vicious and deadly race of night walkers who can only ever walk in the light after having consumed the blood of an Aura. Since the effects of an Auras’ blood are only temporary, they have been hunted almost to the point of extinction. Determined not to be yet another casualty in the Aura/Vyken war, Llona has spent her life on the run with her uncle and never allows herself to become too close to anyone. Two of the many disadvantages to this lifestyle are Llona’s inability to interact with other Auras and her serious lack of knowledge regarding her gifts and the limits she can take her talents too. Sadly, Llona knows just enough to be dangerous. Everything changes quickly however when Llona’s life is threatened and she is forced to decide how she wants to address the threat. Follow the plan and run or stand and fight?In spite of her better judgment, Llona has actually made a few friends and determines that if she is ever to have a normal life with real friends, she has to quit running. Among her friends are May, the quirky, fits-in-everywhere friend with a secret talent of her own, Matt the über-smart guy who shares Llona’s love of literature, and Christian, the hot, overly-protective and rather mysterious guy. Christian is an enigma for Llona: she is drawn to him; she knows he is drawn to her; he always seems to be around when she is in trouble; he seems to (inexplicably) know things about Llona’s talents and; he makes it very clear they can never, ever be anything more than friends. Well, that sucks!! Even with all the confusion about Llona and Christian and how they feel about one another, Llona knows when push comes to shove she can count on Christian absolutely. As Llona begins to learn more about herself, her powers, and Auras in general she comes to believe she (and all other Auras) can use their powers to defend themselves rather than simply spreading warm fuzzy feelings around. Llona begins teaching herself how to manipulate her light while Christian teaches her how to manipulate her body and fight. Through her training, Llona discovers she is powerful and can access her light at any time, calling on it to protect her and those she cares for. She also discovers Christian’s true role in her life and the reasons for his separating himself from her emotionally. Incidentally and awesomely, the information about Christian applies to Llona’s past and helps explain what really happened to her mother and father. Oooohhh, I love it when the past and present come together like this As you have already guessed, all of the training pays off when Llona is forced to confront the Vyken who has been threatening her life. The final battle is high drama and high action with a sprinkling of surprise thrown into the mix. The Bottom Line: Overall, I wasn’t blown away by Fractured Light but I think this is because there are a few too many slow moments for me. With this being said, I very much enjoyed the plot line and the characters are well-developed and relatable. I like Llona’s determination and resilience, May’s quirkiness and cool power, and Christian’s determination to do the right thing no matter his personal feelings. Each of the characters work well together and within the overall plot line and I am looking forward to seeing what fate and McClellan has in store for their respective futures.
    • 2/5
      I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. It was describe as a YA fantasy read and I was excited to read it. Unfortunately it really isn't what it was marketed as; this is more of a teen paranormal read. There were a number of things I disliked both about the writing and the story. I read about 40% of the book and then gave up.Llona Reese is an Aura who can manipulate light. Normally her life calling would be to help people and use her light to make people's lives better. Her mother was killed by the Vyken and after that Llona is determined to play it safe and stay alive. She is determined to stay out of the limelight in school and determined to be insignificant so that she can hide what she is.There was a lot I disliked about this book. It is marketed as a fantasy but ends up being a pretty typical YA paranormal fare; there is a lot of high school drama in the book and of course hot guys that Llona is drawn to despite her best efforts. That right there is enough for me to kind of not like that story but there were also a number of technical writing errors in the story.Technical errors can be forgiven somewhat since I read this as an advanced reading copy (ARC). I have to say though, outside of self-published novels, I don't think I have ever read an ARC with so many mistakes. After multiple spelling errors and reading about a lady's high heals (they were supposed to be shoes) I started getting irritated. I mean seriously if you are going to market this book to the masses, the least you can do is make sure spelling and punctuation is not glaringly wrong.I tried to look beyond that but the dialogue between characters was awkward and didn't sound at all natural. Then there were staging errors...let me explain. Llona's best friend would be in up in the bleachers and Llona would be talking to this boy while she was standing on the other side of the gym. Then all of the sudden there is someone else talking with Llona and the boy; who is the mystery person? where did they come from? Ends up it was Llona's best friend, who magically drifted all the way across the gym to join the conversation without the reader even knowing it. Things like this happen a number of times; its like the author isn't exactly sure where her characters are located in the settings. It was confusing and hard to read.So, were the characters engaging? Not really, Llona is your typical whiny girl who is different and has powers but is trying not to stand out. In an effort to not stand out she starts using her powers to make people feel better; which will totally not make you stand out. The boys (I can't even remember their names) are super hot and one of them is really nice to Llona and gives her a lot of attention that she is leery of, yet enjoys immensely.The plot, well I am not sure where it was going. Obviously Llona's life was in danger from some bad people and these bad people were getting closer to discovering Llona. I am not sure if this ends up tying in with a broader story (I hope it does) but it didn't in the first 40% of the book.The only cool thing about this book was that Llona's power follow the cycles of the moon; so at some points she is super powerful and at others she really drags. Think Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (which I definitely recommend over this story) but a longer time cycle.Overall I cannot recommend this book. There are so many great YA paranormal books out there. There are so many technically poor aspects to this book outside of the lackluster story. I would like to repeat that I read an advanced reading copy of thsi book, so the final book may have undergone a massive overall and be great. But what I read wasn't great, it was sloppy, confusing, and not all that engaging. Check out Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes or Nightshade by Andrea Cremer or any other of the millions of great YA paranormal series out there.
    • 4/5
      Llona has a tragic past. Her mother and father died tragically at different times in her youth. Her mother was also very special; she was a Aura. Auras can use the Light to help people, and this ability has been passed on to Llona. Llona is trying to hide as much as possible though to try and avoid her mother's fate. Her mother was killed by a Vyken, a being of pure evil who can feed off of Auras. The minute Llona decides to relax some, horrible things begin happening. Llona will have to face the fact that someone is after her, but she will also find allies she didn't expect. Now all she has to do to survive is learn to fight back.I thought this was a really interesting book. Llona was a character that took some getting used to. She was just so dreary in the beginning. I understand why, but that doesn't make her any more enjoyable initially. As she began to let loose and take charge of her life, she became much more interesting and enjoyable to read about. Also, I saw the reveal of the bad guy coming a mile away. That wasn't that surprising. Those things aside, I found it to be an enjoyable book. I became fairly absorbed in the book after the beginning, and I was able to read the book in one day. I found myself wanting desperately to know how it ended. Even though I knew who the bad guy was early on, there were some very interesting things and some twists I didn't quite see coming. So there was still some mystery for me.Overall, I enjoyed the unique aspect of this book. I really wanted to learn more about Llona's abilities. I hope we get a sequel with Llona's post-graduation education. I also loved her friends, especially May and Christian. I found Christian's waffling back and forth between friend zone and relationship zone a tiny bit sudden, although it was explained. I ended up not wanting the book to end, and I definitely look forward to reading more about Llona. Fans of YA who like unique paranormal books with some romance and adventure will enjoy this book.Book provided for review.
    • 5/5
      Fractured light was a fantastic YA novel, which kept me gripped completely till the end, there was the high school element, as well as a love interest, a school girl crush, friendships, fantasy and a bad person.This is a book that was hard to put down once opened, There was never a dull moment. It really got my imagination flowing, which is always a good point with books. I am hoping there will be a sequel to it.It is so good my teenage daughter is now reading it too and she is thoroughly enjoying it.
    • 3/5
      I like the concept of Auras and Vykens. I admire authors who come up with new abilities for people with supernatural powers. And even if elemental powers isn't something new, Rachel McClellan comes up with her own lore and concepts for Auras. I have mixed feelings about the characters. At first, Llona wants to blend in, but she tries out for the basketball team although she can only play for half the month and is too weak to play for the other and when she otherwise tries not to stand out at school. Then, all of a sudden, her uncle decides to change his life, and she decides to stop trying to blend in--when she's spent most of her life trying to do the opposite. I don't think her habits of trying to hide for years could change so quickly. I do like how Llona decides to fight later. I love kickass heroines who taken action. Christian was also confusing. It is obvious that he has feelings for Llona and is trying to protect her. However, he is harsh with her at times and nice other times. He isn't honest with her, yet expects her to listen to him. As someone interested in her well-being, he doesn't do a great job of it, though things get better later. Personally, I like Matt better (not that there was a love triangle there to begin with). Smart, cute guys that are knowledgeable about literature? Win. I did like the mystery of the murders and the shadow outside Llona's window. It was interesting and had me anticipating the appearance of the culprit, and the pace picks up later with Llona deciding to fight. Llona and Christian are still growing. With everything that has come out of the events of the novel, Fractured Light has set the foundation for the possibility of much more. I will be looking forward to the sequel.
    • 4/5
      Fractured Light is a good first novel from author Rachel McClellan. She uses paranormal power - managing light and its energy - in a refreshing new way. Her villains, the Vyken, are a nice twist on the age old tale of the vampire. A few things detracted a bit from the story. The first part of the book was rather slow, not a lot was going on. The plot point of the main character being an orphan whose parents were killed by the creature who is now stalking her, is overused nowadays, in my opinion. J.K. Rowling did it successfully over 14 years ago, I think it's time for a new idea. Also, the characters of the uncle and aunt were a little flat.Things did pick up in the story, making the reading much more exciting. The suspense built by the Vyken visitations was excellently done. It had me checking my room and I'm no Aura! The relationship between Llona and her guardian was very sweet and kept me rooting for them to be together. I especially appreciated the friendship between Llona and May, they both had to overcome their loner instincts to trust and truly care for each other. Ms. McClellan did a great job introducing several characters without making it confusing for the reader. This kept it from being so easy to pick out the Vyken and ruining the suspense she so cleverly built. I did figure it out, but I was never totally sure, thanks to her writing skills.Fractured Light is an overall entertaining young adult paranormal book. It's definitely worth the time reading it. It's due to be published in February 2012, but go ahead and preorder it. Then you can stand in line with me waiting for the sequel in 2013!
    • 4/5
      Llona is unique. She has been running most of her life from the evil that is stalking her. She has an ability to manipulate light. It came from her mother, who was murdered for her abilities. Every night as a child her mother would tell her the history of the women who came from Light.Llona is in her senior year of high school trying to stay under the radar. She lives with her uncle, both of her parents are deceased. She tries not to make friends, because her life is so complicated. She doesn't know who can be trusted and if they will discover her secret. It is a lonely life that she is leading.Christian is a new boy at school and knows way more than he should. Can she trust him? Her instincts say yes, but her mind says no.I really enjoyed this story. It is compelling and I felt well written. There is enough romance and action to keep interest.
    • 4/5
      Read the full review here.The story hooked me in from the first few pages; Llona explaining her need to remain unnoticed, her meeting a few new enrolments in school, and using her powers to diffuse a fight. The story progresses rapidly and reveals more about Llona’s past and her powers. The best part is that information is not conveyed through boring information dumps, but rather through stories and memories, making them interesting and easier to absorb. While reading the book I had my own ideas about who the villain in the story was. Christian’s suspicious actions made me think he was trying to kill Llona. So I was very surprised when it turned out he was her Guardian, and while writing this review I realised this detail is revealed in the blurb. I feel it would be better if this wasn’t mentioned in the blurb since it heightens the anxiety.The mythology introduced in the story was completely new to me and I enjoyed it a lot. The idea that women who channel the power of light to heal the world and bring happiness to people was intriguing, but I found their passiveness dull at times. I also liked the discussion of whether Auras should live together in a protected environment rather than roam the world where they may get hurt. I understand both sides of the argument and feel the author does a good job of exploring both views on the subject.A good first novel by a promising author, Fractured Light will appeal to young adult readers who like fantasy novels. Rachel McClellan is certainly a talented writer, and I look forward to reading the second book in this series.
    • 5/5
      5x5I had the chance to read this through Net Galley and I am so glad I did! This was a great unique adventure. Llona she knows she is different and she keeps herself seperated from everyone because she doesn't want to draw attention. She is a great character, her and her Bestie I really enjoyed both girls. Mystery boy ... YUMMM I fell for him and his charming, weirdness. There is a great story line here! You have all the great elements and they all fit together perfectly! There is mystery, You really won't know who is the bad guy till it's too late! Action, and romance all rolled into a Great Read!