.png)
I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley for an honest review.
4.5 rounded up
Trigger warnings: ableism (not portrayed in a positive manner), violence, threats of sexual violence, sexism (not portrayed in a positive manner), mutilation
This is my first time reading Khanani’s work, but I’m eager to get my hands on more of her books! The Theft of Sunlight was a great read, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for new adult fiction with magic and strong female protagonists.
The Theft of Sunlight begins with the abduction of a young girl. After all attempts at finding the child are unsuccessful, Rae, the protagonist, accepts an invitation to the city hoping to find more information about the mysterious group (known as the snatchers) who abduct children. The next day, she’s invited to the palace and told that the princess needs a new attendant. Then, it turns out the princess herself is also interested in figuring out who’s behind the strange abductions.
This was one of the few problems I had with the book. It felt as though Rae encountered a dilemma in the first few pages and the universe just kind of gave her whatever she needed to advance her journey. Things up front were a little too coincidental for me to fully believe.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book, and it ended up being one of my favorites of this year. Rae, the protagonist, is just a wonderful character. She’s not the type of YA/NA female protagonist who hates other women and goes around hitting people for no reason. In fact, one of my favorite parts of this book was when Rae expressed regret for hitting someone in anger and held herself accountable and apologized. That moment was a breath of fresh air. I’m accustomed to unnecessary violence being glossed over or being sold as an endearing personality trait. When that wasn’t the case in this book and being an a-hole for no reason was a BAD thing, I nearly jumped out of my chair and said, “Yes, thank you. Finally.”
Rae doesn’t have superpowers, she’s not a great fighter, and she’s not a chosen one. She’s simply a pragmatic individual with a keen sense of duty who tries to do the right thing. Her empathy, combined with her no-nonsense approach, made her one of the most likeable characters I’ve read in a long time. She was kind of like if Ned Stark had common sense.
I found I didn’t have much difficulty getting absorbed in the world despite the fact that I hadn’t read the previous novels. The major issue I had, and something the publisher may want to consider if they want this to be a total standalone that exists within the previous universe, is that there were A LOT of different types of magic, and the author’s recaps of how the systems work were not always clear enough that I could always follow the plot. This becomes especially important toward the end of the book when it’s revealed who might be helping the snatchers (what the book calls the group that’s abducting children).
Overall, I think this is a really great start to a series, and I look forward to reading more from this author!