Lumara by Melissa Landers #bookreview #YA #magic #fantasy

On By Teri PolenIn Uncategorized

The answers lie within.

Boarding school student Talia Morris has no idea her boyfriend, Nathaniel, is a Mystic, let alone second in line to the throne of a secretive, aspirational magical community―one no mortal has ever been allowed to step inside. Until now. Nathanial’s cousin is about to be married in the biggest wedding the magical world has ever seen, and Nathaniel is allowed to bring a date. Talia is the lucky recipient of the golden ticket every Mystic wannabe in the world would kill for―only she doesn’t want it. Talia thinks Mystic worship unnecessarily aggrandizes people for being born a certain way. When she finds out Nathaniel is “one of them,” she almost jumps ship. But Nathaniel loves her, and she loves him. So when he begs her to give his family and their community a shot, she reluctantly agrees.

Enter the most fantastical world any mortal has ever seen, and a magical wedding straight out of a dream. After a few days of bonding with Nathaniel’s family on the island, of seeing how beautiful their magic is and how peaceful their community, Talia’s about to be won over―until the entire wedding party suddenly falls into an unexplainable coma and the community goes on lockdown. Talia, the outsider, is pegged as the culprit and has to do everything in her meager non-power to prove her innocence. As she embarks on a journey to find the truth, Talia soon discovers reality is not all it seems, and her past may put her in more danger than she ever imagined.

In this captivating YA fantasy, Talia must solve a multigenerational mystery and break a curse, all the while being torn between making her family proud and regaining the trust of the boy she loves.

Being duped out of her savings by a Mystic, Talia isn’t a fan and devotes her social media to exposing them as thieves and shams. Imagine her surprise when her perfect boyfriend, Nathaniel, reveals himself as one. He promises his family and community are different and persuades her to give them a chance. She agrees to accompany him to a family wedding on their private island of Lumara.

Lumara is a lush, magical (literally) island filled with vibrant colors, and a place I sure wouldn’t mind visiting. Talia and Nathaniel don’t get to relax for long – during the ceremony the entire wedding party falls into an unexplainable magic coma. And Talia is blamed as the culprit. The plot moves along at a brisk pace after that, and at less than three hundred pages Lumara is a quick read. Layers upon layers of secrets, lies, and curses soon come to light, and it’s not too difficult early in the novel to see where the story might be headed.

I appreciated Lumara is a standalone novel and the ending isn’t wrapped up in a tidy bow. Some unexpected tough decisions are thrust upon Talia, but she makes good choices that are in her best interests. If you’re looking for a quick read that transports you to a magical island for a few hours, check out Lumara.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

26 thoughts on “Lumara by Melissa Landers #bookreview #YA #magic #fantasy”

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