Scion of Lightning: An Epic Fantasy Adventure is the first novel in The Stormcrafter Chronicles by J.T. Moy. The story follows the trials and tribulations of Jaks, a man different and desperate to fit in. Insecure and riddled with self-doubt, Jaks is not sure he belongs to his military squadron. Being bullied every day by his peers was bad enough, but fate had some big surprises in store for Jaks. Things changed drastically when Jaks discovered his lightning magic in the most devastating way, and his only option was to learn to become an electromancer. However, when King Voros invades their land, Jaks and his battlemage master have no option but to train Jaks as quickly as possible while looking for some artifacts that might stop King Voros before it is too late. While the task may seem impossible, Jaks’s abilities make him special and very valuable to his people. Can Jaks get a hold of his powers before he meets the power-hungry King Voros?

A wonderful start to a brilliant story! Author J.T. Moy creates realistic scenarios and gives readers plenty of opportunities to bond with Jaks as Scion of Lightning progresses. Jaks’s ability is pretty rare (which singles him out), and his complicated past makes him a character that you look out for. His journey to take control of his powers and become an electromancer keeps the story flowing while the plot with King Voros keeps readers wanting to read on and on. I enjoyed the dialogues between Jaks and Cranbrook. The flow of the narrative is fantastic, the pace is fast, and the characters have a lot of room to develop in future installments. Well done!

Jaks, while training to become a soldier, unintentionally blasts a bully with his lightning magic. He soon finds out that if he learns to control his magic, he will be recognized as the first electromancer of his generation. When a meteor lands in a valley, Jaks goes to inspect it with a friend and finds a strange pod and Meila, a pale and attractive woman whose race seemed strange. Unfortunately, the king jails her, thinking she might be a spy, which Jaks refuses to believe. However, when the king of Voros brings war to the land, Meila's powerful weapons might be what they need to win the war. J.T. Moy's Scion of Lightning merges fantasy with sci-fi and presents a hero who must master his abilities and control his tumultuous emotions or perish in a war and lose what is left of his family.

J.T. Moy explores different themes to build an elaborate tale with something new and engaging at every turn: interdimensional travel, family, espionage, regret, abuse, ambition, power, and more. The internal battles of the characters are portrayed convincingly as they search for peace, happiness, and safety. These are relatable goals, but instead of the world we are used to, Scion of Lightning transports readers to a magical one that contains trained war dragons, lightning magic, and new civilizations and cultures. Jaks is a traumatized character who battles with memories of abuse but still strives to master his emotions. I found this inspirational as I contemplated my own struggles. The well-developed characters, their poignant struggles, and the exciting world make this book a memorable reading experience.

Scion of Lightning by J.T. Moy is an enthralling and magical coming-of-age tale. Jaks Rauhalas is finishing his two-year military conscription and fearing for his future employment. During his final weeks, a meteor falls and he finds a mysterious metal vessel with an even more mystifying woman near it. Jaks and Meila form a bond until the commanding ranger takes Meila into custody. Fretting over his future and now feeling responsible for Meila’s imprisonment Jaks lashes out and discovers his own power of Electromancy – the rarest form of magic in the kingdom. Jaks must navigate his life as a mage’s clerk, find out how to free Meila, and also learn to master his newfound powers within the growing promise of a war on the horizon.

J.T. Moy’s first book of the Stormcrafter Chronicles, Scion of Lightning, immediately captured my interest with its magical setting and characters. Although Jaks is an enduring character marred by past traumas and progresses towards his Electromancy mastery, his sister, Vixhana, stole my heart. She is a captain of the Nightwraiths who uses her illuminance to cloak herself from enemies and gravmancy to manipulate the weight of her giant double-bladed ax and is a shining example of the magic characters wield and J.T. Moy’s creative use thereof in battles. My pulse kept pounding as the threat of betrayal put the lives of Jaks and co in jeopardy and Meila reveals a looming future threat that could end them all. Scion of Lighting is a perfect entry to a series and fans of Invincible will definitely find a home here.

J.T. Moy presents Scion of Lightning in Book 1 of his Stormcrafter Chronicles Series. This ambitious fantasy epic follows the story of Jaks Rauhalas, an electromancer or someone who has the ability to control lightning. Jaks gets into trouble when he invokes lightning and comes close to killing a fellow soldier. As the first electromancer to emerge after eighty years since the last Grandmaster, he must learn to control his power or be ostracized. The Vorosian Empire under their ruthless king, Harek Raukela, is going to invade Ascoria, and this becomes a call to arms for all fighting-age adults for active military duty. As Raukela and his warriors invade the land, Jak joins Mulgrave, his battlemage master, to train his lightning powers and search for artifacts that can stop their enemies. Joining them in the quest are the sharp-eyed Ranger Cromer, the lethal assassin Vixhana from the Order of Nightwraiths, and Uwama Xandu who commands the Jurn war band.

Scion of Lightning is a thrilling ride and readers will be pretty sure what is happening from scene to scene. Characters are not mere armored figures that clank and slay one another, but humans with ideals that emerge in the story’s wealth of details. As a panorama of sword and sorcery, J.T. Moy’s writing makes it beautiful to read. Your focus is not limited to the protagonist alone, as Moy provides Jaks with allies—brilliant allies. Moreover, it does not fall into the sword and sorcery cliché where the people are doomed to embrace their fate when faced with oppression. Moy gives them a choice. The brave and pure are rewarded with freedom and ensure that tyranny is not everlasting. There is consistency in the behavior of the characters. Scion of Lightning is hugely entertaining. Everyone plays according to their motivation. This is a new series that is wonderful to delve into and explore.

Here is a link to the reviews on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59355127-scion-of-lightning