Daughter of Light and Dark (Prophecy of Nitesh: Book One)

FANTASY QUEST:  Montayna is a former slave who discovers her hidden destiny - that she is the prophesied daughter born from a union of light and dark.  The revelation on her true identity starts the day she meets Luca, who is a member of a group of seven powerful wielders of the elements. As daughter of Ooscha, Montayna has a legacy of magic that will allow her to take her place with the other six elemental magicians.  Montayna discovers a world of magic and legendary creatures, including elves, faeries, and wolf shape-changers, all uniting to help her in the forthcoming battle against the Dark Lord, the man who is her own father.

Daughter of Light and Dark shows promise with an intriguing storyline. The characters are wonderful and engaging, although the execution was not as successful.  While the narrative is full of captivating magical elements that would appeal to most fantasy readers, it suffered from a lack of tension.  Throughout this book there were moments for the author to build on the tension inherent in the story. However, because of an over-reliance on telling instead of showing and a lack of active language, it never came to fruition.  In spite of interesting characters, settings, and magical elements, this was a tedious read that fizzles out with a disappointing climax. "Daughter of Light and Dark" has inherent promise with an evocative idea and lovable characters. Hopefully the second book will deliver on that promise!   

Danielle Hill