Stealing the Light (Dies Irae – 1) by Lisa Hofmann
The age of magic is over, and the hunt for the Unnaturals is on.
Two young people with the Curse grow up amid the chaos of a changing world. Catherine learns to survive on theft and manipulation. When she steals from the wrong man, she has to learn several lessons the hard way, but she will employ every last one of them to plan her revenge. On the other side of the forest, the secret community of the Cine take in a refugee boy from the Sudlands. Lorcan’s magical Abilities surpass all others, but the lad’s father brings tragedy upon the safe haven.
Murder and betrayal shape the lives of both Catherine and Lorcan as they become adults, but while one of the two sets about stealing the light, the other plunges headlong into the darkness.
Lisa Hofmann
Lisa Hofmann was born in Siegen, Germany, in 1975. She attended schools in Germany and in Ireland. After graduating, she worked for a large international wholesale company and as an interpreter for two years before she attended the University of Siegen.
During her time at university, she translated books and other writings for her professors of Educational Didactics and Anglistics, discovering her talent for handling words. She began writing medieval fantasy fiction in her late thirties while working as a teacher.
She still lives near her birthplace today with her husband, three children and a houseful of pets. She writes predominantly in English.
My Review
5 Stars
This world has a touch of magic which is usually enough to mix potions and such. But two children are going to change everything. Catherine comes from a broken home and is more wild child than little girl. But she has the ability to see different times and to be over looked. She survives by stealing until she is caught. Then there is Lorcan, he is powerful but it’s how he uses his power that can save or destroy everything.
Between the beautiful cover and the blurb, I couldn’t wait to see how this book played out. After seeing how Catherine’s has grown up you can’t help but hope that things work out for her. It I hard watching Catherine as she steals to survive. Then she is caught things go from bad to worse and she is going to get her revenge.
This story is about the abuses we received in life and how it can shape us. It is beautifully written and draws you in. It was hard to put the book down and I ended up reading late into the morning. It was completely worth the loss of sleep. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. This is one book that I strongly recommend.
To purchase Stealing the Light make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Lisa Hofmann’s website.
I received Stealing the Light for free from both Sage’s Blog Tours and a physical copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt – Prologue
A wispy, insubstantial thing was she, rawboned and filthy. Here one minute and gone the next, Catherine was a clever little weasel dodging the owl in that one mere moment of silence when darkest night surrendered to the first hope of dawn. Off she went, raggedy and on her bare feet, toward the forest and the hillside upon which the old castle ruins stood.
There was nothing like a good downpour to wash the grime off a child, the girl’s mother thought.
Maebh slouched in the doorway, wrapping a tattered shawl around her shoulders against the cool morning air. She watched her daughter disappear in the thicket between ropes of rain and the lower branches of old beech trees and elderberry bushes. Pretty was different, to Maebh’s mind, but that might change if Catherine ever got enough to eat when she was older and able to contribute to their household.
It was a shame the rain wouldn’t rinse away what was beneath the dirt. Catherine would never be good or even easy to handle. No amount of water could cleanse the polluted blood in her veins. She was a burden to them and always would be, and she was smart enough to know it.
“Damn that brat! Close the bloody door,” her father muttered.
Caleb had given Maebh several other children besides, but none of them had survived infancy, and now, there was only Catherine.
Turning over on the lumpy straw mattress in the corner by the hearth, he yawned and languidly scratched his backside. Then, he pulled their coarse blanket about him more snugly and went back to sleep. Getting up would have been pointless. He had nowhere to be. No one had died in their nameless little village over the last days, so there were no graves to be dug today.
Maebh was sure he’d deal with Catherine later and give her a good whacking when she came home if he was still sober then, and if Catherine actually did come home. One of these days she wouldn’t, the still-young woman was certain. Times were tough, and evil bred danger in these woods.
She shuddered and closed the door, and Catherine ran.
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