The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope by Elizabeth Isaacs - Review

I just saw the movie Letters to Juliet, which was wonderful – but not really my point, part of Sophie's letter to Claire goes something like this..."What and If are two of the most unassuming worlds in the English language, however when you put them together, What If? they transform themselves into one of the most powerful questions in the English language." What If? Don't we all ask ourselves this this question, sometimes daily, with these tiny seemingly unassuming words, that transcend when put together into a question that, sometimes is bigger than we are.

The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope by Elizabeth Isaacs' could have become one of my "what if's" - and I might not have never known it...honestly, I am humbled by the fact that I had never heard of this book, I like to think I put in my time researching new authors, I guess not. Elizabeth emailed me about her book, thankfully.

The Light of Asteria, is not as out there as a lot of books, with a new author and a smaller publishing house, it's tough to break in and space on shelves is at a premium, only being filled with those more popular books. However, I have to say, I will do everything in my power to get this one better coverage...not because I get anything for it...but because The Light of Asteria, is beautiful yet real, elegant yet powerful and wise yet graceful...it holds secrets that ebb and flow into you like a tide, it holds a peacefulness that is matched only by that of the perfect sunset, after a perfect day.

I now, am honored to say that I have not only had the pleasure to read The Light of Asteria, but I have also had the immense pleasure to have been changed by it. I shall take a little slice of Nora herself with me, daily.

I am sure you have read before on this blog where I mention feeling as though the story was revealing itself, as maybe a movie might or a dream. This one, not so much, I felt deeper, I felt as though I was Nora, I felt her thoughts, her love and her passion...I felt I, understood her and clung to that feeling like one might to a blanket. I am in aww of her. Her strength and courage, as well as her power, and wisdom which is beyond her years. I found strength in the messages that Nora speaks, Love in her daily struggle to overcome what she sees as her faults, and Devotion in the way that she creates home and peace no matter where she is.

She's a character I will not soon, if ever forget, and The Light of Asteria, though I had to wait for AGES to figure out why it holds this name, is a book I can NOT wait to read again, and I struggle to know how I will wait until the next book is published.

I am sure you have heard the saying, "Still waters run deep," and sometimes those still waters are alarmingly deceptive, when your sure that even though you've heard and understand this old adage, you happen upon an unsuspecting "water" and for whatever reason are convinced that you can almost see this bottom in this "still water."

That's kind of how I felt before reading Elizabeth Isaacs' The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope, this book if you look at it, is unassuming, it almost blends in, though the purple is powerful, I am not at all sure the cover strikes me enough to pick it up (though once I had read it, it makes so much sense)...until I read the synopsis....

If Nora Johnson hadn't been on campus that day she would have never known her true destiny. Helping her friends move into the dorm that she wanted to call home, Nora accidentally collides with mysterious stranger, Gavin Frey. His very first touch sends flames through her heart. The world seems different-something within her has changed.

Nora tries to resume her mundane life, but she is now consumed with the one whose very presence ignited her soul, the one with eyes of emerald. Nora soon learns that an energy buried deep within has been unleashed. She now wields unimaginable power and has become Gavin's source, his strength.

Her newfound joy is shaken when she discovers that Gavin is not who he appears to be and she has been thrust in the middle of a war of mythical proportions. Negativity has allowed all things evil to flourish, the earth is under siege. The fate of creation hinges on the power within her heart. Will she be strong enough to survive?

A gripping tale of unbounded love and ancient power, The Light of Asteria will take you on an epic adventure filled with war, treachery, and demons, as well as unimaginable delights.

It's striking isn't it? It pulls you in, like a lure that fisherman use, this book when I first heard of it, and honestly when I first picked it up seemed like and alarmingly deceptive, "still water." With the epilogue, I was not, like I normally am, drawn into the story – I thought, "here we go, another book that looks and sounds amazing only to be something that's just NOT."

However, I could not have been more wrong, this book is a "still water" that runs deeper and blacker than most – the emotions I found while reading The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope, are difficult to understand or explain, even to myself. My feelings are so wrapped up with in the story to a heightened point, I have never felt before. I was quiet honestly mesmerized by the setting as well as the characters. To the point where even thinking about it, brings up love, joy and tears.

During The Light to Asteria, I did not cry, I wept huge tears, I felt as though – during parts, my very own heart was being ripped from my chest, as I experienced the pain with Nora, as well as her intense joy, which also had me in tears, and yes I am quite weird! I also laughed, belly laughs, and sometimes WHILE I was weeping...which might seem weird, but because I felt so much, with such power – those times of laughter were perfectly placed.

This is not a book I feel like I can give you a synopsis of, on my own – each time today I talked about it, with a friend or with Aubrey, I found myself wanting to give away part's of the mystery it holds, and I must NOT do that, because that would prove to take away one of the parts of this book that makes it so powerful, so for now I will admit The Light of Asteria ends in the right place, I have to say that I struggled – I wanted to see the beauty that Gavin had planned! I can only hope the next book opens there – and though as I said I am not sure HOW I will wait until it comes out, my only peace is in knowing that The Light of Asteria is a book I own and I can re-enter the world at will, learn from and take messages and passages with me from this day forward...

There is a mantra that Nora lives by, even before she meets her Gavin, "Appreciate what they can give, forgive them for what they cannot." I, after having read this, will struggle daily to allow this to become my own mantra – for it's so true...People can only give what they can, and if you can't forgive them for what they are unable to give...how can you live? I have not been able to do this with those people closest to my heart...and though it will be a constant struggle I will try.

There are other "messages" interwoven into this beautifully told story – which I will leave for you to discover – but please take heart, this book is NOT about "preaching" these beautifully messages, they just flow into you, and become part of who you are!

As you can tell The Light For Asteria, ignited a fire with in my soul, it's characters are imaginative and strong, compassionate and understanding, one thing I have not mentioned yet, is the setting, you know how sometimes in a novel, the setting often takes a back seat? It's there, often times described, even in great detail but it's never to "present?" In The Light of Asteria, the setting makes it presence known, it becomes, often times, like a another character, the depth and strength of each place, is unique to The Light of Asteria, for I have not read a book that brings the setting to life in such away!

Bottom Line - The Light of Asteria is a powerful mystery to behold, it had me weeping with intense pain, and laughing with the joy of the years passed, it wrapped my emotions up, and expelled them out of my body, in away that I have never before experienced, I can only hope that one day, my daughter finds the love that Nora did, she deserves it...and though it's selfish, and not of the right intent, I hope one day I can find that love again too. It's powerful and there's only a few books that I can think of that I might love as much...though none I can think of that I love more. It's a TOP read in my book, and deserves the coveted "best loved shelf," in my house. I only pray that this amazing author, Elizabeth Isaacs does not ever stop sharing her wonderful gift with the world...her novel has warmed my heart, and expanded my soul. I give The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope a 5++ Mushrooms, and have already started reading it again!

The Light of Asteria, goes beyond the classification of "just a book" into what one might deem, a powerful, emotionally charged, truth about human nature that often we seem to forget in our day to day lives. It has everything, passion, love, beauty and truth to make this an originally played out novel second to none!

PS. For me, reading the Epilogue, was like being thrust into a storm, not knowing what it was, or how to understand it. However, once your finished reading The Light of Asteria, read it again...it really brings this epic story full circle.

The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope
By: Elizabeth Isaacs
380 Pages
Published: March 22, 2010
Publisher: IUniverse
Received via Elizabeth Isaacs, thank you for this gift, more than you can know!