"terrific coming of age fantasy"

Bishop Larson informs Jack Weston that in Switzerland his father is in a coma and his mother is apparently dead though the body has not been found; Jack and his sister Jane will move to Rath Haven, Utah to live with their paternal uncle. Jack knows that "them" caused the car accident that took out his seemingly invincible parents as the latest skirmish because the Westons are Averiens, a people with special "gifts".

In Utah, Jane and Jack meet their cousin Will, who breaks all the rules as well as the rest of the family. Jane soon learns that her fairy grandmother is dying and only she can save her with the use of her Averien magic. Three problems stand in Jane's way. First she must turn twelve before she can apply her own magic though she uses what is left of her grandmother's wand; second she is trapped in a civil war between two fairy blocs; finally she seems to waste all her time getting Will out of trouble. Still, she is going to do the right thing and trusts that big brother Jack will assist her, but wonders whether she can depend on Will to help her?

A SHADOW OF LIGHT is a terrific coming of age fantasy. Fans will root for the star Jane and her champion her brother Jack. However, Will is the most fascinating character as his antics lead him and his cousins in and out of trouble while adding a touch of amusement yet also serving as a key player in the climax. Rachel DeFriez provides a delightful enthralling fairy tale that readers of all ages will enjoy the adventures of the Weston siblings.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 1, 2008

Summary

The Rath Haven Chronicles: A Shadow of Light by Rachel DeFriez is a wonderful novel about a young girl on the edge of her powers. Where do they come from, those larger than life, leaders of men like Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Caesar and Napoleon? Jane Weston knows the answer because her brother Jack is one. The two are Averiens, descended from the super race, carrying the blood of Tuatha. Although having a hero for a big brother occasionally comes in handy, Jane has always secretly wondered what it would be like to try a moment in the spotlight herself. She's about to find out. A live fairy tale is brewing in her new backyard, and she is destined to be its unlikely heroine when she's caught in the crossfire of their rivaling factions. She has to reach her twelfth birthday to inherit the magic she needs to rescue her fairy grandmother's dying soul. Until then, she'll have to survive using the bit of power left in her grandmother's wand. Fortunately for Jane, Jack is a true big brother, the kind a heroine can trust with her soul- literally. Trusting Cousin Will, on the other hand, is a completely different story. They have already rescued him from the labyrinth hidden in the old mine, not to mention from the local county sheriff. It seems the only power Will is destined to wield is the uncanny ability to find trouble wherever he goes and wriggle out of it. In true fairy tale form, Jane finds that trust is a matter of love and that love is the key to her power. A SHADOW OF LIGHT is fun, but it dips deeply into the locked powers hidden for ages in the human soul and the world around us.