Three unlikely heroes, thrust into a situation that none had expected.
Lume is a beautifully written, fast-paced story set in a captivating world that toes a line between science fiction and fantasy. The plot revolves around Rajveer, a spoiled, heart-sick prince, desperate for companionship. In addition to Rajveer’s point of view, we have Maddox, a Lawless (in other words, rebel) who tends to act first, and think later. Thirdly, we have Theodora, a beautiful, urchin girl with a knack for stealing priceless items from overprivileged Lumens.
Despite his pedigree, Rajveer seeks to increase the borders of Lume and bring the rebel city, with its technological advancements, under his control. He feels suffocated by the ruler, his father, who is content to allow rebels to run rampant in the city so long as they hurt the people, and not him. Ironically, Rajveer decides to enlist the rebels to assassinate his father, the same rebels he plans to quash when he takes over as ruler of Lume.
The first half of the book sets the stage for the assassination, where we learn about the characters, and the division of classes through their point of view. The second half of the book consists of the actual plan, where everything runs amok. There are personality clashes, secrets unveiled, and romantic grudges that prevent the characters from trusting one another. What unites them, however, is their desire to overthrow the king.
I enjoyed the setting of Lume. As the characters move through the city and the rebel area, Seclus, we see different spaces that carry depth and meaning for each character. There’s always something to discover in this sci-fi world that Ghent has constructed, from the clothing of the royal guard to the currency traded among local denizens.
Reading Lume as a physical book was very different from reading it as an e-book, and I’m thoroughly pleased with it. I look forward to reading the second book in this explosive duology.
You can purchase this book on Amazon or wherever you buy your books.
