Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

After losing his parents and watching his town of Cleosar burn in a deadly raid orchestrated by the Imperial soldiers of the Morekemian Empire, seventeen-year-old Ryn is taken prisoner aboard an Imperial airship. There he meets Nuthea, a fellow prisoner whom he soon learns is the princess of the Magnolia Matriarchy. Nuthea can generate and manipulate lightning, a special power she claims comes from Primeval Jewels. Ryn learns from Nuthea that twelve Primeval Jewels exist in their world, Mid, and that they bestow elemental power on those who touch them. Before being captured, two things had happened to Ryn. His dying father had entrusted him with a ruby, instructing him to protect it at all costs, especially from the Imperial soldiers. He could not explain how he had fought off Imperial soldiers with fire from his hands. It all made sense to him now. The ruby was one of the jewels, and it had given him the power. Ryn also learns that Cleosar had been attacked because the Emperor was on a quest to collect the twelve jewels to help him conquer the whole of Mid. Ryn and Nuthea must escape and work with unlikely allies, including a sky pirate and a female ship engineer, to stop the Imperial army. Find out how it all goes down in Fire and Lightning by Thomas Tarasios.

If you are looking for a young adult epic fantasy flavored with adventure, drama, swashbuckling action, steampunk sci-fi, humor, suspense, spellbinding plot twists, and cliffhangers, Fire and Lightning by Thomas Tarasios is a must-read. Featuring a compelling, exciting cast, Tarasios immerses readers in an intriguing world with steady narration and impressive, expansive world-building. The setting uniquely blends medieval and nineteenth-century aspects. I could see the massive turbine-powered airships, their engineers wearing goggles, the crowded tavern buzzing with activity, including gambling and brawls, and sword-and-gun wars. Tarasios moves the storyline at a brisk pace, loading it with thrilling action, chaos, and danger. The characters have an animated quality that made their interactions authentic and entertaining. I found myself often laughing at the sky pirate Captain Sagar’s vulgar retorts, the sharp reprimands from the women on the team, and the power wrangles between the captain and Ryn. Tarasios weaves a gripping tale. I loved it. I can’t wait to lay my hands on the next installment.