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Lumière (The Illumination Paradox) by…
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Lumière (The Illumination Paradox) (edition 2015)

by Jacqueline E. Garlick (Author)

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10811250,505 (3.5)None
Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can't stay hidden forever.Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth has only one hope left: to find her late father's most prized invention, the Illuminator. It's been missing since the day a mysterious flash wiped the sun from the sky.Living in darkness is nothing new to Eyelet. She's hidden her secret affliction all of her life--a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. Orphaned when her mother is executed for a crime she did not commit, Eyelet sets out to track down the machine--her one and only chance at a cure.Alone and on the run, she finally discovers the Illuminator--only to witness a young man stealing it. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, Eyelet must venture into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.… (more)
Member:Aeroette
Title:Lumière (The Illumination Paradox)
Authors:Jacqueline E. Garlick (Author)
Info:Skyscape (2015), 400 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****1/2
Tags:steampunk, adventure, fantasy

Work Information

Lumière (The Illumination Paradox, #1) by Jacqueline Garlick

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TW:Ableism
[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.]

( )
  tldegray | Sep 21, 2018 |
Kinda DNF-ed, though I am going to finish the chapter I was reading to give it a bit of closure - but I just couldn't care less about the story anymore. ( )
  october.tune | Nov 15, 2017 |
3.5 stars.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first steampunk book, so I went in pretty much not knowing what to expect. Some context clues later - Lumiere takes place in AU Industrial Revolution England if there was no sun (there probably was no sun back then actually, thinking about it) after the Night of the Great Illumination that happens several years before the book.

Also, going in, I was rather confused by the names in this book. Urlick? Eyelet (Manlet = small man, eyelet = small eye?)? Smrt? How do you even pronounce that? I'll go with Smert. The first 20% of this book was a rush of info that I didn't know how to take in. It seemed like a real world version of Alice in Wonderland with all the strangeness that was going on. Everything happens all at once in the first part of the book, and all this info dumping really left me blindsided by what was going on. There is also a glossing over of Limpidious, this utopian world Eyelet's father believed to exist, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. It felt unnecessary since there wasn't even much of it explored? Unless there will be more of it in the future.

Characterwise, Eyelet annoyed the shit out of me in the beginning. She was so snobby and pretentious and bratty. Example being...
I demand you give me shelter." She stamps her foot.
"You what?"
"I demand you take me in and keep me for as long as I need."


Who would take you in after that!? Honestly Urlick. Eyelet, I know you lost your mom and all, but that display will get you no sympathy.But she did get better by the end.

On the other hand, I felt bad for Urlick, after all the stuff that's happened to him with his family. He has to take care of all his friends, and a bratty Eyelet. I wanted to give him a hug, pink eyes and purple bruises and all.

Hydrocycles! And face masks that alter your appearance! That was cool technology in this steampunk world.

A nice thing to note - The romance felt nice and developed despite the fact I usually like my romance taking more than one book. They actually interacted with each other (more than twice!) and their development felt more genuine. It was so cute when they finally kissed!

I pushed this from a 3 to a 3.5 because the last half of the book was a huge twist. inclusion of Pan as her mother all along. And I hope Eyelet rescues Urlick in the sequel! She seems much more badass.

For my first steampunk book, I left liking this book more than I expected.

( )
  raisinetta | Sep 25, 2017 |
I Loved It
There were things in Lumiere that were near perfection. The romance was secondary to the main story and it was a naturally slow build. There were great secondary characters. The main characters were likable and had distinct voices in their dual narration. The elements of suspense, fantasy, steampunk, gothic thrills, and more. Surprisingly it all meshed well and would have all added up to one hell of a great reading experience had it not been for the the portions that I loved not.

I Loved It Not
The pacing was inconsistent, the chase scenes were thrilling but spoiled by dragging on entirely too long, and the ending was a disappointment. Unfortunately, the ending took what was previously unbelievable, but imaginable, in a cool fantasy sort of way; and went to far with some just plain old unbelievable ridiculousness. Not every detail needs to be worked out as a happy ending.

The Bottom Line
Lumiere by Jacqueline Garlick is a good story with a lot of interesting elements, fantastical characters, and a unique story line. The ending felt complete, which I always want in a book that is a part of a series, but there is a cliffhanger that builds anticipation for the next book, also something that I like in a series. ( )
  StephLaymon | Feb 3, 2016 |
My Thoughts:
In many ways, Eyelet bugs the heck out of me. She’s that typical YA “heroine” who doesn’t have much sense half the time. She is headstrong and doesn’t listen to reason. Yes, she has good reason to hide her infirmity, but you’d think she would be able to trust someone who is equally afraid of the authorities. Her desire to find her father’s machine and cure herself leads her to keep running into danger, rather than away from it.

The attraction between Ulrick and Eyelet reads like the typical “we hate each other, so of course we’re inexplicably attracted to each other” romance scenario.

That out of the way, however, I like the universe. Imagine a blighted world where the sun is out there somewhere, but cloud cover keeps it constantly from view. Oh wait, I don’t have to imagine. I lived in Portland for 12 years. Seriously though, some people have questioned how the world can continue to function—food can’t grow without sunlight. Let’s just suspend our disbelief and say the UV rays are making their way through.

This story has the undead for all the zombie lovers. What I love, though, is the steampunk inventions. This is steampunk the way I like it, with a winged, semi-sentient motorcycle and much more. Supporting characters are interesting and varied in their motivations. And yay, no teen-age dystopian YA love triangle! The underlying plot regarding the fathers of both Ulrick and Eyelet is interesting, and I will definitely search out the remainder of the series.

Bonus: The idea that science can’t explain everything, and that sometimes, you just have to believe that magic exists!

Possible Objectionable Material:
Teenagers feeling attraction for each other, acting on it somewhat. Perilous situations. Violence. Sneakiness. Some cursing.

Who might like this book:
Lovers of fantasy and/or steampunk. Those who like YA, dystopia, gadgets, zombies. It skews a little girly in my mind, but not overwhelmingly so. Approximate Lexile: 830

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this unbiased review. ( )
  swingdancefan | Dec 1, 2015 |
Showing 1-5 of 11 (next | show all)
Review by: Stacy Palm
Release Date: September 15, 2015
**** 4 out of 5 stars

I'm deeply involved in this book and with these characters. This is one of the best books under the steampunk genre that I have read since the series of books by Kady Cross. The lead character, Eyelet, is everything I want from a leading heroine. She is smart, sassy, and a bit naive having lived a shelter life up until the moment when everything changes. Her companion, Urlick, is such a refreshing male counterpart, equally smart, sassy, and equally naive. The characters that surround them are unique and have such a flair that they fit so uniformly into this futuristic adventure.

Eyelet, you see, is sick, and fears that one day soon her illness will be discovered and she will be locked in an asylum. She lives with her mother and attends the university where her deceased father use to be a professor. Eyelet is cautious with her actions for fear her secret will become evident, but one day everything changes, and she must adventure out, further into places she has never been, and all the while, must maintain her presence to ensure that a momentary oversight lets her secret out of the bag.

As she travels she meets Urlick, who becomes a confidante and helps Eyelet through her struggles. There are villains and chances, inventions and curiosities, everything you would expect in a steampunk classic that this is sure to become. Book two in the series, Noir, is already looking to keep the momentum of this novel stirring, and I cannot wait to see what other treasures Jacqueline Garlick has in store for us with this tale. I highly recommend it if you love corsets and clockworks as much as I do.

Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.co...
 

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Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can't stay hidden forever.Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth has only one hope left: to find her late father's most prized invention, the Illuminator. It's been missing since the day a mysterious flash wiped the sun from the sky.Living in darkness is nothing new to Eyelet. She's hidden her secret affliction all of her life--a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. Orphaned when her mother is executed for a crime she did not commit, Eyelet sets out to track down the machine--her one and only chance at a cure.Alone and on the run, she finally discovers the Illuminator--only to witness a young man stealing it. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, Eyelet must venture into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.

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