DiscoverYoung Adult Fantasy

Illuminated

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Illuminated was a fast-paced book! The mystery really pulls you in and keeps you engaged.

This is a YA Fantasy book in an urban setting with barely any violence so it is ideal for young readers. This book was a lot of fun to read and is perfect for fans of books with a lot of world-building in it. Nikki was a strong protagonist in this book. Iris Marsh used vivid descriptions that make the reader feel immersed in the story. It was cool to see Nikki come into her own as she explored her powers and learned more about them. It does consist of a little bit of profanity. Here are the list of triggers that I think other readers would like to know: there is an affair, mentions of divorce, and discussions of other affairs.


Nikki is your typical YA protagonist, but she's still very lovable. I enjoyed reading about her and how she gets her powers - something I won't spoil for the readers since that's more fun to read about. It has a little bit of romance - I would have loved to see more banter between Nikki and the main love interest. This is something I hope is included in the next book if the author decides to write another one.


Overall, this is a book young kids will absolutely love! I know my younger self would have loved this. There's a good cast of relatable characters and a lot of mystery. I personally enjoyed reading about Nikki the most. I would've loved it a little more if the affairs weren't in it, but that's just a me thing. This is the book that kids will like because of the suspense. Readers will also enjoy the romance and the fact that there's something for everyone. As always, thank you to Reedsy for a copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

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I am also a Penguin Teen Influencer, and I'm a part of a couple author (Sandhya Menon, S.K. Ali, and Hafsah Faizal) street teams. You can also find a link to my youtube channel and bookstagram here: https://linktr.ee/AmaniSalahudeen.

The Witching Hour

About the author

Iris Marsh is a behavioral researcher turned writer. As such, she focuses on her characters’ journeys and the plot. Her YA fantasy debut novel Illuminated is no exception: it’s both suspenseful and heavy on character development. Currently, she lives in the Netherlands with her partner and cat. view profile

Published on November 21, 2022

90000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

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