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The beginning of an explosive new space opera... Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig (Review & #Giveaway) @Celebrate_Lit

Tuesday, December 17, 2019 - Leave a Comment

Welcome to my tour stop! I've been a fan of this author for some time and knew that
this genre switch would be amazing since her action scenes and characters in her
other books are. Learn more, read my review and enter the tour giveaway below...

Brand of Light
(The Droseran Saga Book #1)
By Ronie Kendig
Adult SciFi, Space Opera, Christian
Hardcover & ebook, 400 Pages
December 3rd 2019 by Enclave Publishing

Summary

There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

(Affiliate links included.)

My Review

BRAND OF LIGHT is the start of a new space opera series full of action and romance. The various peoples and planets are intriguing, the characters are easily likable, and the plot is non-stop from beginning to end. Recommended to readers who enjoy adult scifi and fantasy.

From reading previous books by this author I knew that she writes fantastic fight scenes and action. She did not disappoint. The action sequences were intense and well-written. I expected the plot to be totally engrossing and full of political intrigue. It was and more. There was so much going on and a couple of different plots in play with hints of what's to come in the future. I also expected to like the characters. I ended up completely in love with Kersei and Marco, as well as some other key characters, particularly Tigo. I know there are several surprises yet to come in the series and am looking forward to it! I could totally see this playing out on the big screen.

There wasn't a whole lot that I had issues with in this story. There were some places that could have used a little more editing or typos corrected. One thing that felt overdone was that it seemed everyone was trying to assault Kersei, enough that it turned my stomach in a few places. And then at the end I didn't really agree with one woman just going along with things like she did, especially as it felt inconsistent with her character, and a man knowing what was going on - maybe just a little too much for me.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was definitely a page-turner. Full of action, suspense, danger, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and romance set in a scifi world that was interesting and unique. Definitely worth the read.

Content: Some references to prostitutes, attempted rape, innuendo, references to affairs, and violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit and also purchased a copy, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. An Army brat, Ronie lives a shot train ride from New York City with her husband, twin sons, and two fur-sons, VVolt N629, a retired military working dog, and Benning the Stealth Golden. Described as an empath by her literary agent, Ronie has used her degree in psychology to write books that have won the coveted Christy Award, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion Award, and more. Her books have also hit the CBA Bestseller List multiple times.


More from Ronie

In November 2005, I lurched into a story that started with one small element—what if a hero could literally smell fear? And so I delved into the story with the characters, and felt like I’d fallen into the vortex. I wrote over 90,000 words in one month, this story just gushing out of me.

But I was a very new writer. And if you saw the first draft that gushed out of me, you’d snicker. I sure have. It’s appallingly bad writing, yet the story’s bones are healthy and intact. So, I teased the story into shape over the last fourteen years. In 2012, I took a hard look at it and tried to shape up the writing. I’d even gotten to know Kathy Tyers, who wrote for the Star Wars franchise as well as the much-beloved Firebird series (*insert reverent pause here*), and I bravely asked if she would take a peek at the first fifty pages or so. Being gracious as Kathy is, she agreed to take a look.

Um, yikes. Haha. Make no mistake—Kathy is a brilliant writer, and I will never write like her, but I learned so much [from] her feedback and took it to heart. Clearly, I still had a long way to go before that story was ready for the world, so I delved into honing my craft and deepening this story. Honestly, I was afraid [to] show Brand of Light to anyone again, because I love this story so much and did not want to see “her” fail. More correctly—I did not want to fail this story.

About three years ago, I sensed a deep conviction that it was time to stop hiding and, as an act of faith and obedience to what God had given me, to send Brand of Light out into the world. As I write this, she is still 1.5 months out from the release, and I’m scared. I want this beauty to be loved, but even if it’s not, *I love this story and know I honored God with my writing and sending her out. I can rest here for a long while, reveling in the gift God gave me with this storyworld and its characters. I’m excited to see her launch out into the deep now. As Marco and the hunters always say, For Honor.

Tour Schedule

April Hayman, Author, December 14
Hallie Reads, December 14
amandainpa , December 15
Inside the Wong Mind, December 15
Wishful Endings, December 16
Pause for Tales, December 16
A Reader’s Brain, December 17
Faery Tales Are Real, December 17
Simple Harvest Reads, December 18 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Texas Book-aholic, December 19
Mia Reads Blog, December 19
Betti Mace, December 20
Just the Write Escape, December 21
Britt Reads Fiction, December 21
Blogging With Carol , December 22
All-of-a-kind Mom, December 23
The Artist Librarian, December 23
Emily Yager, December 24
Bakerkella, December 25
Worthy2Read, December 25
janicesbookreviews, December 26
Inklings and notions, December 27
Splashes of Joy, December 27

Tour-Wide Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Ronie is giving away the grand prize package of a Tinted Prose edition of Brand of Light, Galaxy Tumbler, “Kersei” Dio Adorable Candle, 3 Character Cards (to include Marco, Kersei, Tigo), and 2 Maps (to include Drosero and the planetary map)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


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