Light Fighters by Palmer Pickering

TITLE : Light Fighters ( Star Children Saga #2)

AUTHOR : Palmer Pickering

GENRE : Science Fantasy, Futuristic Sci-fi Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy

FR RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5 – 5 Stars)

DATE OF PUBLISHING : March 1, 2022

PUBLISHER : Mythology Press

NO OF PAGES : 796

I had the opportunity to interview Palmer Pickering for my Book Tour Stop with Escapist last year. Make sure to check it out – CLICK HERE

I have a review for the 1st book, Moon Deeds on my website – CLICK HERE

Welcome to my tour stop for Light Fighters (Star Children Saga #2) by Palmer Pickering, hosted by Escapist Book Tours. I am so grateful to be part of The Escapist Book Tours and for getting the chance to do a review of this book. Make sure to check The Escapist Book Tours out because they do an awesome job of introducing a lot of new titles mainly self pub and indie published SFF books. CLICK HERE

Content/Trigger Warnings :

Shown on page :

Violence, Foul language, Rape, PTSD, Alcohol use/abuse, Torture, Human trafficking, War crimes, Sexism, Drug trafficking and drug use/abuse

Alluded to :

Military combat/killing

FR REVIEW

DISCLAIMER : Thank you so much to Escapist Book Tours and Palmer Pickering, for providing me with an e-RC of this book. I am also very much grateful to Palmer for sending me the physical copies of the book 1 and 2 as well. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Light Fighters is the second book in the Star Children Saga. If you have read Moon Deeds, then you know this is a brilliantly executed science fiction fantasy that combines the elements from both genres seamlessly. I really enjoyed Moon Deeds and had a wonderful time with it. The ending had me picking this one up right after finishing it because I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened after that cliffhanger ending. Light Fighters picks up right after where we left off in Moon Deeds and does a fantastic job of bringing together a wonderful story, expanding upon the already established world, and history, and adding so much more to it. This is a slow-paced, character-driven Space Opera that opens up further into an expansive universe taking the story to new worlds beyond the Moon and the Earth.

I already have a detailed review for Moon Deeds. Make sure to check it out, HERE. Because this is the second book in the epic Space Opera, I’ll be mentioning events or characters that can be spoilery. I also wanted to mention that this book is definitely more adult in terms of its themes and tones and there are quite a few trigger warnings concerning the content on the page. If you are sensitive to the trigger warnings mentioned, it would be best to avoid this book. The events and triggers are presented quite graphically and so I will say this is not one for the faint-hearted.

In book 1 Cassidy gets kidnapped and we see the aftermath of the event from Torr’s side. In Light Fighters, we see the experiences and horrific events that Cassidy has to endure and it is very difficult to read because of the content. The horrible trials she survives shows us as she goes through some drastic changes. When before she was a naive and innocent young woman excited about the world and new possibilities, now she is more cautious, broken and traumatized. She has to grow up way too fast and realize that there are some things from which coming back could be almost impossible. The constant abuse chips away at her exuberant personality leaving behind a shell of a person. Torr and Jaz are doing their best to find clues as to the whereabouts of Cassidy and learn new things that make them weary of the future. We see Torr also changing and growing and opening up to new things and making the best of their situations. Life, as they had established on Moon, becomes crucial to their survival and learning. Torr and his friends establish a group of instructors and students to learn new skills in fighting and magic. With each test thrown their way, both Cassidy and Torr improve their Shamanic skills, still not fully understanding how everything works. All of this gives them both opportunities for growth and learning which they never waste. I loved seeing their transformation and the effort and work they put into their growth. It was nice seeing the extremely detailed and meticulous training sequences that give us a full view of them prepping themselves for the inevitable journey ahead. I am a huge fan of stories having detailed training sequences because often we get told how the character grows in power but is never shown and it happens too often in most stories. With Light Fighters I got what I wanted and so much more, making each of their successes a lot more rewarding.

The world-building and rich lore get expanded upon further, with us getting introduced to some of the other species, aliens, their planets and civilizations. We also get to see new perspectives from the ancestors of The Star Children, which gives us more information about the lore and the prophecy. I really enjoyed the new perspectives and the introduction to the new worlds and their cultures. Knowing how each of them is interconnected gave the full story about all the different moving elements. Shamanic magic also gets expanded upon with more instances of practice sessions with a lot of trials, and error attempts. I liked how much the magic could be stretched and still had its limits and we got to learn it with Cassidy and Torr.

This book is a chonker at 796 pages. Despite it being long and a slower read I still couldn’t put it down. I read this book in 3 days. It really captures you with the exciting events and compelling storyline. There is no dull moment in the book and I enjoyed all the adventures, tests, and roadblocks our characters had to face. There are definitely more day-to-day events detailed in the book and this really gives us a sense of their setting and the environment they live in. Palmer is extremely talented in bringing to life these worlds, and characters, and she crafts a compelling narrative that hooks you from the beginning. This is a story that excels and benefits from the slow pace in my opinion.

Speaking of characters, we have some amazing and complex portrayals, and that is definitely one of the highlights of this series for me. I have one of my all-time favorite characters in this book. Ridge was fantastic in every way from the beginning, but as his arc took on a very interesting turn with the progression of the plot, I was more intrigued. I love all the different layers we got to see of him. The morally grey characters really shine through in this book and of course, we can’t forget the crazy Balty. He is just as insufferable as he was in Moon Deeds, and somebody should feed him into the shredder. My feelings haven’t changed about that sadly. I am also really curious about a few of the other side characters, and what role they will play in the future. One thin I need to point out is that, Palmer doesn’t shy away from putting her characters through the wringer. One moment you think they are safe and then boom! then everything is upended. I was on the edge of my seat worrying about these characters and just as I have mentioned before, Palmer wrote these characters with a lot of care and it shows in her writing.

Overall, this was a fantastic and thrilling sequel to Moon Deeds and takes us on an adventurous journey. This is a story of survival and resilience with great characters, a diverse world with rich history and lore, with magic and technology warring for dominance. I gave the book 4.5 – 5 stars. I am eagerly waiting for book 3. Highly recommend this series and definitely read them back to back for the full experience and impact.

SYNOPSIS

In Light Fighters, Cassidy and Torr are trying to survive on the moon while facing threats from all sides. As their shamanic heritage surfaces and they hone their magical skills, they are hunted for their power, escalating into a tension-filled game of cat and mouse.

Ridge is stuck between the sadistic Balty and the desire to control his own life. His magical gifts become entangled with those around him, pulling him between opposing forces. When his path crosses that of the Star Children, he must decide whose side he is on.

Meanwhile, we learn that while the twin Star Children are hoping to find the Star People, the Star People of Turya are desperately seeking the Star Children as well. Their stories interweave as the mythology of the Star Children unfolds.

A compelling expansion of the Star Children Saga.

Adult content: 18+

Book Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

AUTHORS BIO

Palmer has been writing fiction since she was eight. She received her BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University, with concentrations in Religion and Race Relations. She currently works in Silicon Valley in the gaming industry and high tech. In addition, Palmer holds a certificate in Chinese Acupressure, is a certified solar panel installer, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with the 14th Dalai Lama. She lives and writes in the magical redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.

Palmer’s socials :

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

BOOK QUOTES

Giveaway Information:

Prize: A Paperback Copy of Both Moon Deeds and Light Fighters!
Starts: January 2, 2023 at 12:00am EST
Ends: January 8, 2023 at 11:59pm EST

CLICK HERE