Truth to Light by Eddie Newton
Publisher: NineStar Press LLC.
Any book that starts off with a mage pulling a dragon out of his hat, only to have the dragon proceed to eat the audience that is watching the magic show has my attention. Yup. That's the opening scene folks.
Memorable.
But this book is exactly that, in so many ways.
Usually in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy realm tales are told with aliens, creatures on new worlds, or in Urban Fantasy you get magic users and occasionally the odd beastie - ghosts, werewolves, demons, angels, the odd elf, or gnome. It's a truly unique read if you are greeted with golems or creatures from legends or urban myths we generally don't see - selkies, manticores, and yuki-ona come to mind.
In Truth to Light, you get it all. And what's more, Newton has managed to string them all together in one consistent tale that explains everyone's existence.
The Great Lie.
Without being all spoilery, I can't very well tell you anything more than this. You. Just. Have. To. Read. This!
What I can tell you is the story centers around Sofia Hernandez. She has a comfortable existence, complete with a lot of modern-day struggles. She may not have a perfect life, but hey - who does? All she knows is she has a devoted wife, a loyal dog, a deceased adopted mother, and an adopted father who tries, but struggles with her transition. We all have our crosses to bear, nothing is truly ever perfect.
And then events unfold that flip everything on its side and what Sofia took to be 'life as we know it', turns out to be nothing but lies. Sofia discovers she is the hidden insurance of one of the most important families on earth. A family who has a seat at the Illuminati table - the secret organization that ensures earth's population remains steadfastly in the dark and follows a strict set of rules. One of the more memorable one: Love only within your own species. Except for the fact that no one really knows that there are many different kinds of species inhabiting the earth.
This journey is one of self-discovery, and understanding what is truth. Are lies okay if it preserves the balance of life? Can we live peacefully knowing what is truth? Is my truth the same as yours?
I can honestly say I have never read a book quite like this. It kept me turning the pages, was uniquely different, illuminating, and fun. Newton creates a spell-binding world, full of fascinating images, and deliciously different takes on well-known creatures.
Looking for something completely different? You need to pick this one up.
After all, we all deserve to know the truth, right? But which one? Yours? or mine?
review by J.P. Jackson , who is an award-winning author of dark urban fantasy, paranormal, and even paranormal romance stories, but regardless of the genre they always feature LGBTQ main characters. JP works can be found at https://jpjacksonwrites.wordpress.com/https:/