Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Sara Knightly has done it again! I adored this book. I loved the plot, the slow burn and the magic.

If you enjoyed her other series, you'll love this book for sure! I think this book deserves more hype than it's given.

Narrator immerses me in the story instantly and from the beginning I could not stop listening. The way she writes I think you could either read this or listen to the audio depending on your preferences.

#LuminousRise by #SaraKnightly A Slow-burn Elemental-Magic Romantasy with lots of mystery & hidden history. Read nicely by #GraceNoble on audio. Thank you #PortalPublishingLLC & #NetGalley for the opportunity to review the e-audio ALC. #BookSky

I really enjoyed this one! The world-building was my favourite part. The elemental magic, the Sun Court, the lore, and the whole Greek Isles-inspired setting made for such a fun world to get lost in.

I listened to this one on audio and Grace Noble did a great job with the narration. It was an easy and enjoyable listen, and her narration fit the YA feel of the story really well.

My only complaint is the ending. After such a great build-up, everything felt rushed and I definitely wanted more time for everything to wrap up. Still, I really enjoyed the story overall and thought the world was so well done. A solid 4 stars from me!

Thank you to Sara Knightly, Portal Publishing, and NetGalley for the ALC.

This is definitely a must-read book! It was the perfect length, straight to the point, and free of unnecessary fillers. I loved the magical elements and how they were displayed throughout the story. The way the characters interacted with one another was also a highlight for me.

I especially enjoyed the subtle romance. It added depth to the story without overshadowing the main plot, which I really appreciated. This is my first book by Sara Knightly, and I'm now intrigued to explore the rest of her books.

A huge bonus if you can listen to the audiobook! The narration added so much to the story and made the experience even more immersive.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

Sara Knightly delivers the perfect blend of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s elemental magic and the dystopian slow burn of Divergent for a groundbreaking 4⭐️ Young Adult fantasy!

On the highest cliff of Sanska lies a garden above the sea, where the sun shines down to grant worthy citizens elemental magic…

Cyra dreams of being imbued with elemental magic and chosen for the elite Sun Court like her sister, Eden, before her. But when her Sun ceremony takes a surprising turn, the four governing Empyreans turn their focus on her. The Empyreans order Cyra into elemental training until she can prove her magic is not dangerous. But when Cyra discovers her sister Eden is missing, she aligns with Atlas, a handsome outlier with his own secrets and reasons that brought him to the garden. As Cyra and Atlas delve deeper into the shadows of the Sun Court, they learn that too much power can corrupt anyone and that history can be rewritten. Cyra and Atlas race to uncover the truth before their unusual power condemns them to exile, and Eden, along with Sanska’s true magical history, are lost forever.

I truly enjoyed the elemental magic aspects and the mysteries that lead you into an entangled web of rewritten history and the downsides of unrestricted power. The world-building and character development are in-depth, which may make it feel like the first half of the book is slow, but serves a necessary purpose as lies unravel and our heroes face down their governing forces.

Additionally, I love a young adult fantasy because authors just KNOW how to write tension and yearning without it needing to spill over into spice. Cyra and Atlas are unbelievably cute together, and I truly don’t have many complaints about their relationship overall when we take into account their ages and the forced proximity of threats to them at all times.

The audiobook, narrated by Grace Noble, is such a fun way to experience this story. Noble truly captures Cyra’s determination at odds with her naivety as she progresses throughout the Sun Court and hones her powers.

☀️ Elemental Magic
🌙 Slow Burn Romance
☀️ ATLA x Divergent
🌙 Political Intrigue
☀️ YA Fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley, Portal Publishing LLC, and the author for the ALC - I’m so excited to share my honest opinions!

Thank you to the author, Portal Publishing LLC, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the audiobook!

I quite enjoyed this. I think it’s been a while since I’ve read about a kind-hearted female lead in Fantasy, Cyra feels so wholesome. I could understand her naivety since she technically has been idolizing the Sun Court. I do wish she showed an even bigger reaction when she realized that what she had known and believed were in fact lies. I really liked the quote: “So they gave us rules and called them truths.”

The slow burn was nice too. There was instant attraction, but they took time cultivating it into something more.

I wanted to know more about the Divine and Eden’s time in the Sun Court. Also hoped for more of a found family vibe but didn’t get so much of that unfortunately. And I wanted a bit more from the ending — I thought I’d see how they would catch the Lexon and the fetter-maker (?) and I wanted to know what they’d do about the possible tensions with the Tides coming back. But they did address it as future directions, so I guess it wasn’t too bad. Overalll, I liked this book!

4.5/5 ⭐️

Sara Knightly has created such a captivating YA world filled with mystery, magic and intrigue. The writing painted such vivid imagery in my mind, and I thought the world-building was exceptional. I loved discovering the different magical elements and gradually uncovering the mysteries surrounding power, its origins, and the corruption that can come with it.

Cyra was such a wonderful protagonist. She’s kind, intelligent and determined, but with an appealing naivety that made her journey all the more enjoyable. Watching her search for the truth and grow into her own sense of power and confidence was one of my favourite parts of the story. Along the way, she’s surrounded by genuine friendships and the sweetest slow-burn first love.

And Atlas… I absolutely loved him. The chemistry between him and Cyra was so lovely, particularly the immediate sense of trust between them despite how many unknowns surrounded their situation. Their relationship added such a warm, emotional layer to all the mystery and magic.
I did guess the connection between Atlas and some of the later characters, but that honestly didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all. This was such a fun, atmospheric standalone with a really intriguing world, and I would 100% read more books set in this universe.

Luminous Rise exceeded expectations! The plot and development of the story, the sweet relationship between the FMC and the MMC....it was all so fun! So happy I read this book!

#gifted Portal Publishing and NetGalley

I was engaged in this story right from the start! The magic is super neat, the main character is great. It's written in the YA fantasy formula we all love but with its own creative magic and kingdoms. It had better be the first of a series because I totally want more!!!!

The audiobook narration is excellent. I was able to listen at 3x speed and it was clear. There is some weird background noise occasionally?

Clean romance, no swearing

This is the first 5 star I've rated in a while, so I was very ready for a book I loved. Luminous Rise is a clean YA fantasy stand alone, all things which I loved. Cyra was also a great MC. She was kind, strong, empathetic, ready to stand up for herself and others, and willing to do the right thing, even if the result will be negative for her. It's a refreshing change from many other main characters I've read. Atlas is also devoted, kind, and a great support for her. Overall, their slow burn romance was perfect. I loved the character arc that Cyra had too. The world-building was wonderful, the pacing was good, and I loved the elemental magic. The narrator was also great. My only drawback was that some of the points brought up weren't resolved at the end. But they were minor enough that it's not enough to knock off a star.

Nicely narrated fantasy audiobook for teens and YA and also adults. The story has action, romance and a little bit of peril, all in a form suitable for the intended age range.

It’s also nice this is a complete story, no cliff hangers here.

The Thank you to Portal Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

The magic system of this world is so freaking cool, elemental magic is always a favorite of mine and the way she made it her own was incredibly fun.

I also appreciated how this book was an actual standalone. A new world and characters were introduced and by the end of it I had basically all of my questions answered and wrapped up in a nice little bow. I definitely wouldn't mind exploring this world more but I love how this one was written.

Listening to this as an audiobook was quite the experience! I felt like I could feel the wind blowing and see the skin prickling on the characters. I would definitely listen to this narrator again!

I really enjoyed this one.

For a standalone fantasy novel, I was surprised at how well the world building, character development and plot points were all constructed. I loved the way the different types of magic were portrayed and how the key characters' unique magical abilities were revealed. I definitely couldn't decide which type of magic I would want to weild. the connection to the God's and the difference between the two factions was well done as well. And the world itself - the different lands - created such beautiful atmosphere. Sights, smells and sounds filled the pages.

The unfurling of the plot, from Cyra's beginnings at the Sun Ceremony and dreams of being chosen to her unique place in history, discovering her sister and facing sinister secrets and the true history of Sanska....it was just so good. Add a touch of romance and some true baddies

My only complaint is I wanted more. Maybe I'm just used to fantasy series now but the story was good enough for more.