I didn't love this one, but on the other hand I didn't hate it either., I can see why others might really like this but to me it just felt very much the same as many other books I've read the last few years, I didn't really feel any connection to the main characters and wasn't particularly bothered what happened to them, which is a shame because I've seen many people say how much they enjoyed it and I wish that I had had the same experience but it just wasn't to be.

✨4 stars✨

I really enjoyed this debut! It was fast paced, I enjoyed all of our main characters, and I thought it had a unique spin on elemental magic which I hadn’t read before.

The writing had me hooked from the first few chapters and maintained my attention throughout.

I’m really looking forward to see how this series is going to progress in the future.

I received an ARC via NetGalley from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Fate leads four teenagers to Stonehenge to transport them to a world where magic is real. To fulfil the Prophecy of Light and Darkness as the Children of the Elements: the four of them, with their Elemental powers are destined to destroy Mortem and the Darkness. Water, fire, wind, earth.
Together, they must quest to find the four lost gems.

‘Isn't this the part in the movie where you scream at the characters to not go down the hallway that likely leads to hell?"And then they go anyway, don't they?' Alexis replied with a shrug. 'There's no other option.'

Whilst the start read a lot older and I was impressed with the insight, language, and knowledge, after the prologue, the book reads younger.
It is very reminiscent of younger YA quest-type stories and I think it will gain a lot of traction in school libraries!

I did love the definitions of words at the start of each chapter. Such beautiful words I had no awareness of that perfectly explains something and foreshadows the forthcoming chapter.
I also loved the character illustrations- they are gorgeous!

It reminded me of Akarnae by Lynette Noni, and I think it would find fans amongst readers of Percy Jackson!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me an arc in exchange for a review!

The Light That Blinds us is a debut YA fantasy with a hint of romance, perfect for fans of Percy Jackson.

This book was jam packed with action and adventure and I loved every second of it!

We have Alexis the morally grey MMC, Demi the cinnamon roll, Blaise the typical ‘lad’, who I found hilarious, and Caeli the cold one who just needs a little love. I’m a huge fan of found family and the way these characters bounced off each other was perfect.

The elements that the characters have as powers reminded me so much of Avatar: The Last Air Bender and it felt so nostalgic to read. This book just got better and better and I could not put it down!

The world-building was so immersive, I really felt like I was going on this journey with them. The plot was also brilliant, new information was introduced with no info-dumping at all, which I really appreciate. Every page felt necessary to the story,

I will now be sitting patiently until the next book is released because I need more!

I wanted to love this book so badly but unfortunately it’s just not for me. I really struggled to get into it and I have put it away for the time being. However, I will definitely come back to it at a later date and try again.

I have never truly been a fan of fantasy being set in the present urban world and I never got into the Percy Jackson series as a child either which this definitely has the same sort of vibes.
Despite this, I can definitely see a lot of people really loving this book and it has so much potential to become one of the greatest social media hyped books and it will deserve it.

The light that blinds us Is an exceptional YA urban fantasy. It’s full of heart and soul, tackling quite dark feelings and emotions while offering the escape of friendship and found family.

You join Alexis as his powers are awakening and he is being drawn to the other elementals. Piece by piece he’s trying to put together his past as a troubled orphan (this book tackles a lot of heavy mental health struggles in a really effective way)

The world is in danger of being thrown into darkness by Mortem (a powerful overlord of darkness). The elementals must come together and come into their new powers to find the light to challenge the darkness.

They are all whisked away to a training complex (if you like a good training montage with badass weapons this book is probably for you) and given the task to prepare for the upcoming epic quest they need to gather the elemental gems to overthrow mortem and the mythological creatures that protect them.

As someone who grew up with Percy Jackson , shadow hunters and Hunger games this book is crammed with early 2000s nostalgia and it feels like the perfect bridge from middle grade into YA keeping all the fun and adventure while tackling new adult problems.

Overall I really enjoyed this story the characters and relationships It’s a successful rendition of the genre I grew up loving and I think it’s going to ignite a whole new generation.

I also loved the naming and references to mythology and other languages really fun Easter eggs thrown in there!

5⭐️

I don't even know where to start. I loved this book so much!!!

The story focuses on four teenagers who have no idea of their magical abilities. They are thrown together as a team to fight evil. The banter between the characters was fun, one of my top takeaways.

I loved how the chapters were set out with different definitions relevant to each chapter, and the diversity sang to my soul.

I was not expecting the plot twists, which just added yo my enjoyment.

This book had me eating uo every word and I want more!!

The only thing I would have wanted is a pronunciation guide, which I feel any book with unique names should have

A thoroughly enjoyable read suited to an audience that loves an action-packed plot line. As I was reading it, the scenes were playing out like a movie in my mind.

It’s 1 am and I just finished The Light That Blinds Us. I have been waiting for this book for MONTHS after following Andy’s journey writing it on TikTok. I feel like I’ve grown to know Andy just from his content and I can see his personality all throughout this book and it fills me with so much joy.

I just finished sobbing so I feel like that alone lets you know everything. 5 stars isn’t enough to define this book. This book needs all the stars in the sky and then some to rate it.

It felt so real and raw and vulnerable, as if Andy put everything he had into these characters and this plot (and he definitely did). This story is a wonderful adventure of friendship, teenage angst, love, and fantasy. It’s so undeniably perfect I won’t ever be able to find the words to describe what I just read.

And no, these words aren’t so full of praise because I JUST finished the book. This book will always until the end of my days be one of my favorites. So thank you so so so much, Andy Darcy Theo for creating this masterpiece!

4.5⭐️ Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Children’s and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

TLTBU is a stunning debut, encapsulating exactly what ya fantasy should be. It had me hooked from the prologue and I genuinely didn’t want to put it down.

Excellent world-building that was explained and explored in such a concise way. Each chapter served a purpose and was brilliantly crafted (I absolutely LOVED the quotes at the start of each chapter - such a great touch that really supported the narrative).

This story is a prime example of the chosen one(s) trope done PERFECTLY. I loved the group from the very start. Each character was distinct, their powers, personalities and developing relationships were a pleasure to read.

A real stand out was the battle/fight scenes - they were incredibly exciting to read, Theo demonstrated so much creativity with the different magic/powers and the depictions of the creatures.

The romance was done so well. The book-boyfriend research paid off! So excited to see the relationship(s?) develop.

I finished this ready for more!! Very excited to see what ADT does next.
Hopes for the next book: multiple povs pls Mr Theo I BEG

I AM HOOKED.

Many of you will know that this book was high up on my anticipated reads list! Percy Jackson meets Legendborn?! YES PLEASE! And honestly when I started it, I could feel those exact same emotions that I felt when I picked up Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and Narnia for the first time as a teen. This has that potential to be that for a whole new generation.

I instantly fell in love with our four main characters. They’re all so different from each other in personalities and culture and desires but the way we see them grow together and really lean on each other is amazing. And seeing the quartet bond with each other not only as a group but as individuals too, my heart was here for it. Found family at its finest.

Alexis has my heart and soul completely. I’m not sure if, when reading, I’ve ever connected the most to a MMC over the FMC but that’s exactly what happened here. From his thought processes to his habits (Ive done the finger thumb trick since I was a child IYKYK) I just felt like I fully understood him! I just want to pull him into the world’s biggest hug!

Each character is the literal interpretation of their chosen elements and it brings this magic to their personalities that just entraps you in to loving them!

The Villian of the story, I am so freaking intrigued by him, WHO HURT YOU?!?!
I have a feeling we have a lot of things coming in future books that going to have us on the edge of our seats!

I flew through the first half of this book, the training montages and world building was incredible but the second half, the quests, the challenges, the women of the elements, were AMAZING! This is going to be a well loved series for years to come!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and s&s for the arc and thank you Andy for writing a book that not only I will love forever but one I can share my love for with my kids in the years to come!

I have been processing the book because WHAT THE HELL???? The very first sentence had me HOOKED and I couldn't put it down, I was reading it in bed, on the train, at uni when I was procrastinating my assignments. The pace was amazing, my heart started beating at the action scenes, at one point, I LITERALLY CRIED AND HAD TO PAUSE READING. The characters were so well written, the comedy, tension and action was all there, blended so well. The artwork of the four main characters was BEAUTIFUL, exactly how I envisioned. I absolutely need the NEXT book now please please please, I'll sell my firstborn child to know what happens next. The world building was so detailed and I could picture it all in my head. The plot was steady and picked up so well. Second half of the book like HELLO, WHAT WAS THAT? The ending left me reeling and the EPILOGUE made me quite literally scream in anticipation. I cannot wait to read the next book (or you could send it to me pls pls pls). FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!! EVERYONE GO PRE-ORDER NOW, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! ROMANTASY DONE TO EXCELLENCY!!!

4.5 stars
I was so lucky to receive an Arc of this.
In this YA fantasy we follow Alexis, a kid who struggled with hallucinations for most of his life. While on a school trip Alexis and his best friend Demi meet 2 other teens with similar amulets to their own. Together they uncover a secret haven where they’ll train to complete a quest. This book is broken up into 4 parts and each part is better than the last. There was so much action and adventure. There were funny scenes and emotional ones. We get some very beautiful quotes sprinkled throughout. Some tropes would include: found family(the best), slow burn, friends to lovers(almost 👀), “touch her and die(different wording, same vibe), epic quest, chosen one, and elemental magic.

The Light That Blinds Us

Thank you NetGalley, thank you Simon and Schuster and thank you so much Andy Darcy Theo.

The story is fast paced and non-forgiving in such a good way. You are thrust into the world of the elementals, as much promised by the author. I feel the comparison titles are very accurate in terms of the promise it gives out. The quest and expectations are clear and non too complicated .

Following as expected the normal beats of a young adult adventure, you can tell how dedicated Andy Darcy Theo is to wanting to immerse the reader into the world, with l solid sets of world building. It’s subtle and doesn’t ever intend to bog you down with their world and the relation it has with our own.

This story feels grounded which feels ironic when thinking about four chosen children of the elements; the leads, the children are very much fleshed out I am happy to say.

Alexis, Demi, Blaise and Caeli, are given the balanced approach to characterisation I had been hoping for. Seeing as this is only the first novel, we’ll have plenty of time to learn more about them. But they are nicely nuanced.

Lexi, Al, despite the warnings , still had me duped, to believe what a sweet boy he was. But morally grey he indeed is, and I am very happy to the approach taken to his arc.

Did I forget to state how grateful that I am that Andy Darcy Theo’s prose respects the audience it’s speaking too. Meaning to say the narrative as much as the subject matters do not shy away from what it wants to say.

A slight downside is the few minor spelling and grammar issues I know will be mopped up before official publication. So not a major worry in relation to the entire story.

I am happy to give this a 4.5 star, maybe because of the cliffhanger, but all the mystery left for us to discover. I can’t wait to bound back into the next book.

Such a brilliant, flavourful debut. Andy has created such a lush world, full of stakes, life, and tension. It feels nostalgic and fresh all at once, blending the best elements of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Fantastic Four, creating a unique YA fantasy story. Truly enjoyed every single page.

Where do I start! From the very beginning I was hooked, I was so exited to follow along with these characters and watch them grow and take on this unbelievable task. I cried for these characters I laughed for these characters and in the end I felt apart of their found family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the next book or any other book that comes from this author. He should be incredibly proud of what he has created :)

sooo incredibly happy to have received an arc!! i’ve been following andy’s journey for a while now on tiktok so i was REALLY looking forward to finally reading this. i genuinely really enjoyed this! for a debut novel, it had great character building and the plot/world is pretty extensive! loved the found family trope A LOT in this one and i’m a sucker for characters that each have very individual traits and personalities. i think there is room for improvement since i feel like a lot of information is fed to us and it can get quite overwhelming, i enjoy when things rather play out, but this is obviously a fantastic debut novel! looking forward to the sequel already!!

I was lucky enough to have this stunning book as an Arc!

I thought this new YA fantasy was such a good read! It had everything we love from YA fiction action, found family a pinch of romance, banter!!

Once the story is set and you meet the characters the storyline is fast paced and full of action. So many times I saw this in my head like a film or a series! All 4 main characters are really thought out and I loved getting to know more about them.

It did end on a cliff hanger and now im dying to find out what is going to happen! And I need some clarity on other things....

If you like YA adventure mixed in with fantasy and a quest you may have just found your next read....see blurb below!

After a childhood haunted by disturbing hallucinations of the Shadow Man, Alexis Michaels’s only comfort is the blue amulet he’s had since before he can remember. Now, the visions have gone, and Alexis craves a normal life.

But when a trip to Stonehenge unites him with three other teens carrying similar gems, normality is abandoned when they are plunged into a hidden world of power-wielding Elementals, and told they are the chosen ones, destined to save the world from an eternal night. Trained by legends and guided by heroes, Alexis and his companions must venture on a perilous quest, facing tests of love, loss, and loyalty.

But a dark past plagues Alexis as they prepare to defeat an adversary more ominous than they could imagine, and a looming secret sets to corrupt the mission, their lives, and his mind.

Minor editing mistakes for your attention:
Mentions a protein bar and then switched to a chocolate wrapper
365 "Caeli said Demi" missing the to

Onto the review
I was so excited for this book I preordered it straight away and was lucky enough to be accepted as an ARC reader. The premise itself excited me, I love the links to Psychosis and the integration of teleportation into a global quest.

This book did so many things well that I typically dislike. Usually prologues feel redundant but it was done well, providing useful information and done in a way that was engaging and not like an info dump. It also uses the definitions of words as chapter titles that felt very clever, like the names of the characters who were (generally) subtly linked to their element.

There were, of course, some areas it could have been improved. The writing and occasionally felt a little young and I would have liked to see more internal conflict, especially considering the big revelation that Alexis has early on. Also the four times of POV shift felt a little unnecessary as we had established we were follow Alexis and when it changed it didn't add as much as it made the storyline jarring. But these were all quite minor and didn't distract too much so I would give his 4.5 stars

thank u so much to netgalley for giving me a copy of this to review honestly!

as a mutual of the author I was desperate to get into this to see what all of the hype was about AND to support a new author, and let me tell you: I don’t regret reading this. I had been worrying that perhaps YA was no longer my genre and I had outgrown it, but this took me right back to the days of binge reading Percy Jackson and falling in love with it.

the world building was so fun and it was super fleshed out, you got a lot of history regarding how the powers are handed over/how they all work which I love because usually I find myself having so many questions about the small details of the world but you can tell that the author really did think deeply about this. I love the idea of elemental magic ESPECIALLY when combined with zodiac signs- like this was such a fun little detail that really portrays how much thought went into the writing.

I think the plot developed at a great pace, considering the story is only set over a week or so. It’s crazy how it’s only a week yet we got so much detail and so much bonding that it felt as though it was a quest that had been happening for years!! It was fast paced, full of action, had me nearly crying once or twice and most importantly: BAD ASS MAGIC KIDS FIGHTING BEASTS TO SAVE THE WORLD?? fuck yeah

just so absorbing, a world that truly sucks you in and provides you with so much fun. congrats to the author and I can’t wait to get into book two.

This is a fantastic first novel by Darcy Theo! Detailing the adventure of four teenagers discovering their powers as an Elemental, The Light that Blinds Us is a fantasy adventure with hints of romance that echos books such as the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series.

We follow Alexis who was adopted at an early age following his parents presumed death in a tsunami. As well as dealing with that trauma, he was also haunted by The Shadow Man, a mysterious entity intent on causing harm through him to whomever is in the vicinity. He comes into posession of an amulet that protects him from this influence and also discovers a friend - Demi - who also has a similar amulet. When the two are 17, on a school visit to Stonehenge, they meet up with another two teens with similar amulets. Together the four are transported to Haven to be trained in their abilities and to work towards defeating the big bad.

It was so difficult to rate this book. It's currently labelled as Young Adult, but I don't think that's quite the right fit. If this book was marketed for Older children/Teens, I would not hesistate to give this five stars. As a young adult book, it's a solid four stars - the adventure just doesn't hit right for this audience. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this read and can't wait for the next installation!