Enzo was destined to kill his sister”

After the prophecy came to pass, Enzo lost everything. Magic, Trust, his restaurant, & Family. An opportunity arose for him to make things right but he had to depend on the people who he let down.

Prudence Alden is out to prove that she can take the reins from her real estate tycoon father both professionally and lead the coven even if it means healing Enzo’s soul to do it. The last person she wants to be around.

A great cozy addition to the elemental realm series.

A Vision of Lights is the second book in The Elemental Realm Duology. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly suggest reading The Gray Prophecy beforehand to familiarize yourself with the backstory and all the characters.

In A Vision of Lights, we follow Enzo, who is a Charms witch that had been corrupted by dark magic and tasked with killing his sister Cori because of the prophecy she foretold. When the time came to kill her, Enzo saved her instead. But after it was all over, he had lost most of his magic and refused to use what he had left. After reuniting with his mother and sister, Enzo moves to Farley, Maine, to be closer to them. He also opens a restaurant where he is the head chef. Enzo is divorced and the father of a daughter with Celestial magic that was kept from him due to his use of dark magic. When he saves his sister, he is finally allowed to spend time with his daughter, and she comes to stay with him for the summer.

Prudence is a Gray witch with incredible healing powers. She had been tasked with protecting Cori before the prophecy was fulfilled. During that time, she thought she had finally proven herself to her father, who is the high priest of the Gray witches. She believed that he would finally begin including her and training her to take over as the high priestess. But to her dismay, she found herself in a power struggle with him instead.

When the prophecy occurred, Charm witches were impacted the hardest and lost a great deal of their magic. A plan was formed to use an ancient relic to restore magic to all the witches. Because Enzo had lost almost all of his magic, he was chosen to be the vessel used to channel magic from each type of witch into the relic. But in order to be the vessel, he had to be completely drained of magic. And Prudence was picked for that task. The problem is, Prudence isn't a fan of grumpy Enzo, and Enzo is reluctant to let anyone close.

This small-town paranormal romance is well written with a good plot and lovable characters. Enzo's arc and healing journey was probably my favorite part of the book. To see his relationships with his mother, sister, and daughter grow stronger was enjoyable.

If you love small town vibes, strong family and friend bonds, witches, magic, and a touch of romance, this book is for you.

This book is a witchy paranormal romance book that can be read as a standalone, but personally I found it way more enjoyable to read book 1 as well. I was already in love with most of the characters from book 1 so I enjoyed getting to see my favorite characters again. I was especially relieved to still get chapters focusing on Adrian and Cori even though this book focussed more on Pru and Enzo.

I found the magic system easy to understand while also being captivating. I was also intrigued by the significant differences between the witch types/covens and seeing them come together in book 2. Absolutely loved seeing the new coven in this book, and would love to see more of it.

I was curious as to see if there would be fated mates in this book considering who the MMC is and what had happened in the end of book 1 to him. I was happy to see how everything ended up in the end for everyone.🫶

I felt like this book was a slower speed all around than the first, but I still enjoyed the plot and the characters and was happy to see more of all of the wonderful characters.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I am posting this review voluntarily. This book is the second in the series with the first book being The Gray Prophecy. We see the continuation of Enzos story. We watch as he battles what he feels are the demons within. When he meets Prudence his world changes even when he didnt realize it. She is constantly trying to prove herself. To show her worth to her father. The story between Enzo and Prudence is a gradual one but the writer makes you want to be a part of their journey. The writer shows through the story how healing can be obtained if we just open ourselves up to it. The story was a little slow for me in the beginning but I can see that the author was developing the foundation for what was to come. When it picked up it held my attention. I actually ended up reading this quicker than what I expected to.

Oh to read this book! This story is something else! The author is a genious... how can someone create such a beautiful, touching story? Congratulations to the author!!!

This book was such an improvement on the first book (first book was also great!)

It was so beautifully written and immersive and really captured the growth and development of all the characters, I was hooked until the end which I definitely did not cry at……..

5/5

Absolutely loved this! Was such a fun, quick read for me and I adored the character development !!!! Will defo go back and read the first!!

Rating: 3.5
Spice: 🌶️

Honestly, I enjoyed this book overall even though it had some elements that I really didn’t enjoy. A Vision of Lights made up some of the elements with its cute, cozy vibes. Due to the setting, I feel like reading them in autumn would be vibe and a half.

The characters were well written, flaws and all. Justin had a very redeeming character arc and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The chemistry between Pru and Enzo was well paced but some of the dialogue was just too cringey for me.

The magic system was interesting and explained well. I really enjoyed how we were able to see different ways prophecies are made; there was a unique medium for one of the prophecies I hadn't seen before. The difference between covens and how they are run was fascinating.

The book was a little slow until about 30% in but as we got closer to the end I couldn’t put it down. Even though I knew we were gonna have a HEA, I was still riveted to find out how.

If you like cozy fantasy, this is definitely a series for you.

Thank you to Maria A. Eden and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t say enough about this duology!! She is an amazing writer who makes you fall in love with the characters. Some you hate then fall for. 🙃 I highly recommend reading the first book The Gray Proficy before this one. It’s an incredible duo!!

This is a sweet story full of healing for several characters. It reads mostly like a YA story, but does have a couple of spicy moments. Honestly the characters could have been a decade younger and that would have made more sense. That said, the pacing was a bit too slow for me.

The author has solid world-building, and is great about explaining how magic exists.
Overall I found the characters interesting, with their own unique issues. I thought things were a little too lain out though, and wish the author did a little less handholding.

A Vision of Lights by Maria A. Eden is a captivating novel filled with rich imagery and a mesmerizing storyline. The author’s writing style is poetic and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world she creates. The characters are well-developed, and their emotional journeys feel authentic and compelling. While the pacing was a bit slow in some parts, the overall story was deeply rewarding. This book is perfect for readers who love vivid descriptions and thought-provoking themes. A wonderful read that lingers in your mind long after you finish!

I read this as a standalone and immediately went and bought book 1 to read it, I loved the story and all the details in it!