Dust and Light (A Sanctuary Novel)

As a dedicated fan of Carol Berg’s work, I’ve read and own every single one of her novels. After finishing a novel, I often find myself needing time to reflect on the scope of the story before singing its praises. I’ve waited to review the Sanctuary Duet until Ash and Silver was released. This review is for Dust and Light, the first novel in the Sanctuary Duet.I devoured this book, since I was so excited to return to the world of the Lighthouse Duet.You don’t necessarily need to read the Lighthouse Duet (Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone) before reading Dust and Light, but it will help you to understand the complexities of the world and its magic. Just like Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone, which starts with the “Canticle of the Autumn,” the first pages of Dust and Light starts with the “Canticle of the Winter.” In this poem, we are given the lovely words: “My heart yearns for warmth, for companionship, for glory. Yet waking is storm. ‘Tis harsh magic to dance on ice.” You can really learn everything you need to know about this story from those few lines.The novel is broken into four parts. In Part I, we meet our main character, Lucian de Remeni-Masson, a Pureblood artist who has just lost his cushy desk job painting portraits for the Pureblood Registry. (If your brain immediately went to the purebloods of Vampire Knight, no worries, mine did too.) He is quickly pushed into a job working for the city’s coroner, doing identification portraits for the dead. One of the first portraits he does for Bastien the coroner is of a murdered preteen – but the image his magical “bent” reveals is markedly different from the murdered girl. Thus begins the unraveling of a murder mystery and the gradual unmaking of Lucian de Remeni-Masson.Things you’ll encounter in this book:- The Danae, whose speech patterns are one of my favorite elements of this world- An oubliette, which always makes me think of the movie Mio in the Land of Faraway- A necropolis, where Lucian and Bastien work to identify lost souls- Excruciating descriptions of Lucian’s efforts to maintain sanity while confined- Hints of lost love between a Pureblood and a mortal (at university, of course)- A mystery of magical talent, royal succession, the Everlasting, a hidden land called Sanctuary, a lost city named Xanchiera, a murder inquest, and treachery within the walls of the Pureblood RegistrySPOILER: At the end of the novel, Lucian encounters two horsemen who offer to take him to “a house of cleansing, where a man can erase what’s past and building his life anew.” In the last 3 pages, Lucian has willingly given up all memories of his past and joined the Equites Cineré. He and his two companions ride off to Fortress Evanide. This leads us straight to the next novel in the series, Ash and Silver.

if this were another author i might give it 5 stars, but for carol berg it's a four. is still incredibly good. great plot, very intense, fascinating. characters are full bodied and have depth. my only reason for not giving it a 5 are that it was quite dark and heavy in a pretty unrelenting way--particularly up front. usually there are some characters or something going on that provide light or color or humor. but not as present in this book. for those of you who pick it up in a bookstore and find the first few pages too grim, don't give up on it, it picks up and gets much better. carol berg is so far superior to most of the books in her genre--actually it's almost like her writing is a genre unique to itself.i was thoroughly engrossed by it once it got going and could not put it down. can't wait to see what's next. hope the next enstallment is not too far off.

Well, now I have to wait for the sequel. Dang.Those of you who are familiar with Carol Berg know that she's a master of character development and story-telling. This book proves that she just keeps getting better and better. Set in the same world as her Flesh and Spirit trilogy, it explores some of the same events from a different perspective. The main character, Lucian, is another Pureblood sorcerer, but one who is much more naively compliant with the strict Pureblood Registry than free-spirited Valen. Put into service to an ornery coroner and given a couple of murder mysteries, and he quickly starts to see the world in a new light, learning about himself in the process. I won't give any spoilers, but his experience provides a new look at the intricate politics of this world and give the reader new insight into what it means to be Pureblood in Navronne.I love that Berg touches on the events of the Flesh and Spirit trilogy without retelling the story. Just as Valen's personal story became a part of a secret world driving some of the epic events in the world of Navronne, Lucian's story expose him to completely new secrets that are every bit as mysterious and far-reaching. Because the stories parallel, I don't think you necessarily need to read one series before the other (thought it's hard to say for sure based only upon this first novel). Valen is vaguely referenced, but he and his story do not feature heavily in this book. So now...all that's left is waiting!!

I really loved the Lighthouse Duet, so I was excited there was a new book in that world. I tried to read it a couple of times, but the main character just didn't grab me the way Valen did in the previous two books. I'd read a page or two and then pick up something else to read. Finally, I pushed through the first chapter and couldn't stop. Her world building is amazing, and each of her series are individual. While in the same world as the Lighthouse Duet, Valen is only mentioned in passing. It is not necessary to read the other series first. I grew to really like the characters, and the growth that he went through in the book. When I finished, I was instantly ready for the next book...which I will have to wait a year to read.

I buy all of Carol Berg's books. They're either spectacularly, jaw-dropping amazing or spectacularly, unstoppable-giggling terrible--but always spectacular. This one, however, is... fine. If you've liked her other books, this one is perfectly readable, with her usual A+ world building countered by some frankly bizarre pacing (and at least once instance of a character leaving a room they had not entered). If you haven't read her other books, start somewhere else--her wonderfully unique characters and fascinating forays into shades-of-gray morality are not found here.

interesting book. Like most of Carol Berg's books

Lucian de Remeni-Masson scheint vom Schicksal gebeutelt. Nach einem jugendlichen Fehltritt mit einer sogenannten "Ordinary" - also einer Frau, die nicht zu den reinblütigen Magiern Navronnes zählt - wird die Hälfte seines magischen Talents versiegelt. Kurz darauf fällt seine Familie einem Brandanschlag der fanatischen Harrower zum Opfer und nun verliert er plötzlich seine sichere Anstellung als Porträtist und die Registry der Magier schickt ihn zu Bastien de Caton - einem gewöhnlichen Leichenbeschauer. Lucian muss seine magischen Zeichenkünste also für die Identifizierung von Leichen einsetzen und er wird schon bald von seltsamen Visionen geplagt, was ihn in höchste Gefahr bringt, denn niemand wird von der Registry strenger verfolgt als ein verrückter Magier...In DUST AND LIGHT kehren wir in das faszinierende Land Navronne zurück, das auch schon Schauplatz von FLESH AND SPIRIT und BREATH AND BONE gewesen ist. Man muss diese Bücher allerdings nicht gelesen haben, um DUST AND LIGHT genießen zu können.Lucian, der Ich-Erzähler von DUST AND LIGHT, hat in seinen jungen Jahren schon einiges mitgemacht und seine Antwort auf die Härten des Lebens war bis jetzt, sich strikt an die Vorschriften der Registry zu halten und sich nicht mehr die kleinste Kleinigkeit zuschulden kommen zu lassen. Erst die erzwungenen Einblicke in das Leben der "gewöhnlichen" Leute öffnen ihm die Augen. Lucian erkennt, dass ein Blick über den Tellerrand nie schaden kann, vor allem da er in ein magisches Mysterium verstrickt ist, das er selbst nie erahnt hat, und von Seiten der Registry ist keine Hilfe zu erwarten. Alles in allem hat mir Lucian sehr gut gefallen und seine Entwicklung im Verlauf des Romans ist glaubwürdig und ansprechend geschildert. Auch die Nebenfiguren von DUST AND LIGHT haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Besonders angetan bin ich von Bastien, der leichte Tendenzen zum Granteln zeigt, und insgesamt eine sehr erfrischende Figur ist. Aber auch die anderen Charaktere haben mich allesamt überzeugt.Die Handlung von DUST AND LIGHT ist zunächst noch etwas behäbig und bis wirklich Schwung in die Geschichte kommt, hat es für meinen Geschmack etwas gedauert, was auch mein einziger kleiner Kritikpunkt an dem Roman ist. Bis Lucian und Bastien sich begegnen, dauert es doch relativ lange. Danach wird DUST AND LIGHT allerdings wirklich spannend und neben der Frage nach Lucians Visionen rückt auch ein packender Kriminalfall ins Zentrum des Buchs, das mit einer wirklichen Überraschung endet. Mehr möchte ich an dieser Stelle aber nicht mehr verraten.Alles in allem ist DUST AND LIGHT wieder ein wunderschöner Carol Berg-Roman mit starken Figuren und einer spannenden Handlung, die sich weniger auf wilde Action und mehr auf das Lösen eines Mysteriums und die Figurenentwicklung konzentriert. Die Fortsetzung ASH AND SILVER ist bereits erschienen. Empfehlenswert!

Carol Berg revient pour notre plus grand plaisir dans l'univers de Navronne, même si ce livre peut être lu indépendamment des excellents Flesh & Spirit / Breath & Bone. Elle nous conte cette fois l'histoire de Lucian, descendant de 2 honorables familles de sorciers, et lui-même sorcier particulièrement doué. Lucian est doté d'un double talent magique, ayant hérité de la spécialité de chaque branche de sa famille, ce qui est rare... et dangereux, puisque les magiciens de ce type deviennent généralement fous. Après une enfance heureuse, c'est le drame : quasiment toute sa famille est décimée dans un incendie criminel. En voulant comprendre qui est responsable, et pourquoi, Lucian va multiplier les ennemis et s'enfoncer davantage.Comme d'habitude, Carol Berg n'est pas tendre avec ses héros ! L'histoire est sombre, parfois un peu angoissante, mais reste très bien écrite. L'auteure distille peu à peu les indices et on comprend rapidement que Lucian est promis à un avenir extraordinaire. Mais il faut d'abord qu'il reste en vie...Vivement la suite !

Loved it! I absolutely love the world and the magic of these books. The characters and their decisions are so realistic, you get sucked into them so completely. The story goes to some pretty dark places but you never lose hope throughout, only end up sitting on the edge of our seat, biting your nails, waiting to find out what happens next. I cannot wait for the next one, the ending to this one opened up so many questions, I'm very much looking forward to finding out the answers. Another fantastic book from Carol Berg!

Loved this second book more than the first. Perhaps as our hero builds his strength, the story also builds? Often I find the second in a series not as good as the first, but this seemed a much better read.

excellent - can't wait for the next one. Dickensian in its descriptions of the underbelly of the city. It was good to go back to the world(s) of Flesh and Spirit.