Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brand of Light is completely unlike anything I’ve ever read. For one thing, it’s such an interesting blend of medieval fantasy and space opera. I’ve never encountered quite this mix of the two. It is also among the edgiest Christian fiction I’ve read. Kendig takes this story to some dark places, but she does so with a respectable amount of tact and grace. You know that some horrible things are happening, but she never revels in descriptions of that darkness. Instead, even when things seem to be at their most hopeless, she finds a way to shine a light into that darkness. If this first book is any indication, the Droseran Saga can hold its own against any sci-fi in the general market.

I don’t want to get into any major details of the plot and risk spoiling the story, so instead I’ll touch on a few aspects of the book that stood out to me. First off, I found our main perspective characters interesting. Kersei is the daughter of a lord on Drosera, the one planet in this system not engaged in technology and space travel. When the life she knew comes to a tragic end, she endures grief and torture that are appalling, even from a readerly perspective. Kendig highlighted Kersei’s trauma and her strength in equal measures. Marco, our primary male perspective, is a hunter. He can smell emotions of every caliber, and uses those enhanced senses of his to track down criminals across the quadrants.

The world building was also fascinating. And so large! Not only do we have the world of Drosero, we have an entire system of other planets, of which we visit multiple. We also spend a good deal of time aboard various spacecraft, which Kendig presented in compelling detail. I mentioned the blend of medieval fantasy and space opera, but I can’t express how unusual and fresh I found the combination. The naming conventions feel Roman, much like those in the Red Rising series. This really helped set the tone for me. Those names and the language are a little much at first, but it added to the classic feel of the story. I was also reminded of Dune, especially in the prologue.

This was my first experience with Kendig’s work, and I really enjoyed her prose. Hers is a style that is incredibly easy to sink into, and the dialogue flowed well. Speaking of dialogue, I have to mention the audiobook. I listened to a bit of this on audio before swapping to the ebook for a flight, and I have to say that the production is one of the best I’ve heard. Not only is the narrator excellent, any dialogue involving coms had effects that actually made it sound like coms, which was such a fun inclusion.

From a faith perspective, I found the mention of God, or the Ancient as is the case in this book, minimal, especially in the beginning. Those few mentions felt organic to the world and never forced. The Ancient became more integral to the plot the deeper into the story we progressed, and I have no doubt that His presence will be more and more deeply felt throughout the series. But again, this was a very organic, natural inclusion of faith that worked very well for the story being told.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book. Though I did find the content surprisingly dark at times, that darkness was well-handled and always combatted. That being said, check trigger warnings if you’re a sensitive reader. I found everything about this book tastefully handled, but it’s going to be a tough read for those who are uneasy with difficult content. The pacing faltered a bit in the middle, and there were some important plot points that I felt could have been given more explanation and space in the story, but those were my only real complaints. The story also ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but with hope laced through it. I am so excited to have found Kendig, and I cannot wait to continue the (completed!) series.

(Side note: I had the pleasure of meeting Kendig at Dragonsteel Nexus 2024, and she is just as lovely in person as her storytelling is on the page. My grandmother loves her romantic suspense novels, my dad loves her action thrillers, and I am currently enjoying this space opera. I am so impressed at the breadth of her work!)

You can order this book from: Blackwells | Bookshop.org | Amazon | Libro.fm

View all my reviews