Lucy Clairmont’s family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it’s Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she’s discovered in her family home.Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love … are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time.As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers–and the healing–they so desperately seek.
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Set the Stars Alight is one of those rare novels where the title is as beautiful as the cover is stunning, and the story not only lives up to the expectation immediately set by those two first impressions, but manages to exceed it. u2060
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This is not a novel to rush through. Its literary quality begs the reader to slow down, savor each word and line, to allow each layer to unfold at its own pace. And there are many layers! I’m astounded by the depth and breadth #AmandaDykes poured into this one book. By the end, I felt I’d read two completely satisfying stories, not because of how long it took me to read, but because both were thoroughly told. How does she do that?? u2060
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This novel inspires wonder in its characters and in its readers. There is light in the dark. Keep reaching for it. What a timely message for right now. u2060
Wow. A simply amazing book. Not only is Amanda’s writing prose beyond compare, this story is one of the most beautiful I’ve read in a long time. It’s a split-timeline novel, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a beautiful parable breathing fairytale-like qualities alongside gentle romance, a puzzle that comes to perfect completion with its satisfying end. Amanda Dykes is, quite simply, a master storyteller, and this is a masterpiece of a story.
Simply one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. If you like historical fiction, or contemporary fiction, or stories set in England, or mysteries, or stories of sacrifice and second chances, stories of wonder that feel both as vast as the stars and as close as your heart, then this is the book for you. At first I wanted to read so very slowly, savoring some of the most exquisite writing I’ve ever read, but at some point the story had me too much in its grip and I was leaping ahead, page after page, with many a lingering backward glance at some particularly gorgeous passage of writing before tearing my eyes away to read on, which makes me know this will be one of those rare (for me) rereads.
Absolutely loved this dual timeline historical fiction novel. Totally lovely, lyrical writing — almost magical at times — and the story is definitely magical. Both storylines are compelling, but I really loved Lucy and Dash and their story. What endearing characters. And not only them but so many surrounding them. To top it off, wonderful and important life lessons are seamlessly woven throughout.
Bravo to Amanda Dykes for this amazing story and masterful writing. If you haven’t yet read it, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this read. A treat indeed!
Set the Stars Alight is a wonder of a book, rich and moving. It’s beautifully written, starts off as a dual timeline, and as you go the timelines converge in the best way possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, hard to put down and it took me on a journey of wonder. What a beautiful reflection of sacrificial love and how the threads of life all weave together to form a beautiful piece of art, with purpose and meaning. This is an unforgettable story that I will surely want to revisit and re-read again. Highly recommended.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Wow! Just Wow! After reading the debut book by this author, I was anxious to dive into this one. It certainly is on par with that excellent book.
This is an achingly beautiful story that has echoes of The Great Shepherd, The One who would give his life for his friends, and The Almighty God of the universe!
Simon Claremont has given his daughter, Lucy, the gift of stories, puzzles and riddles all containing Biblical Truth. He tells her: Don’t forget it, Lucy my girl. The God of the stars…He is coming, and coming, and coming after you. Always. The heart of a father who will never forget his daughter.
The two main characters in the present are Lucy and Dash. The name Lucy means light and she is the perfect complement to Dash who seeks out light from the stars in the darkness of night. They are childhood friends. Lucy loves the sea and all the mysteries it holds. Dash loves the night sky with its vastness and stars. In adulthood, they team together to puzzle out a legend of the ship Jubilee and the traitor Fredrick Hanford who disappeared during the Napoleonic wars. This makes for an engrossing story that blends present with the past in a profound way. The author drops clues along the way and it all plays out to perfection.
The lessons Lucy and Dash learn are for us, too. In the words of Simon to Lucy and Dash:
“Nothing is impossible.Just think. Pay attention. Stretch forward.
When things seem dark, Lucy, that is when you fight for the light.
I think it is the duty to keep the stories, to pass them on. It is our duty- and our honor. In a world as dark as ours, people forget how yo see the light. So we remind them by telling the truth, fighting the dark, paying attention…setting the stars alight. There are things shining brightly all along, if we will notice.”
This is a story to savor and mine for deep spiritual truths. The settings are captivating, the characters inspiring, and the story mesmerizing. Worth much more than 5 stars.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House on behalf of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
I first encountered Amanda Dykes BEAUTIFUL storytelling when I read “Whose Waves These Are” which was my favorite book of the 75 books I read that year, so to say I was excited to read “Set the Stars Alight” is an understatement. This beautiful story stretches the imagination and is lovely in every way.
I had no idea where the story would take me and I cheerfully and willingly, with pleasure went along for the ride and was completely enchanted. If I had to use three words to describe, I would choose lovely, lyrical, and lessons. Lucy’s parents helped to form an enchanting tapestry of stories and truths to which Lucy and Dash could build on.
In the author’s notes at the end of the book, Amanda Dykes writes “Pay attention. May we all stretch toward the wonders around us May we pause to think on their significance.” That is my big takeaway from this brilliant story.
5-stars is not enough for this phenomenal story! I sit here awash in blissful wonder and my words fail to do justice to this light-filled work of art, for a work of art this story truly is! Finely crafted with expert care, filled with the heart and soul of the author who penned it; this author who has clearly allowed God to fill her heart and guide her pen.
Crafted with light and love, this story is one that absolutely can not be missed! This story has woven itself around my heart, and I’m all the better for having experienced and lived this story! These dynamic characters feel like family now and are sure to live in my heart for a long time to come!
(While I received a complimentary digital copy from the publisher, I purchased a print copy of this book for my personal library. I am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
I enjoyed this time slip novel from present to past with awesome characters and a wonderful plot.
Dykes sure knows how to draw her readers in from the beginning until the end.
Her writing is very beautiful!
I think what I really liked about this book was how the generations of Lucy’s family was woven in to be believable and realistic. I thought the mystery was very interesting, Lucy”s grandfather was an excellent storyteller. He reminded me so much of my own grandfather when he would tell me some stories of his time as a boy and during his time as a soldier in world war 2. This story sort of makes me miss him.
A very entertaining story that will make you want to keep turning the pages of this book until you are finished.
I didn’t want the book to end it was so good!
I really loved this quote ” To Remember the God who is coming and coming and coming to find your heart” he’d said. Wherever you are, whatever’s happened. With every miracle that around every ordinary corner. It did not feel like he was riddling them, only continuing his nightly stories.
I believe what he’s telling Lucy is that God knows what is inside her heart all the time and that he’s coming again.
I highly recommend this beautiful story written by Amanda Dykes. I hope that you’ll cherish it as much as I did!
My thanks to #BethanyHouse, #Netgalley,, #AmandaDykes, #SettheStarsAlight for a complimentary copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are mine
Another awesome book from Amanda Dykes. I love her lyrical writing and poignant stories.
This is a beautifully written story of wonder, love, loss, and hope. A dual timeline story that paints a beautiful picture of laying down your life for another and how God’s everlasting love will change your life. A mixture of the past with the present that will light up your heart with all the stars in the sky.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
This is on my favorite books ever read list. I loved it. Amanda Dykes was given an extraordinarily creative mind. She writes beautifully and weaves meaningful stories with exceptional imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Whose Waves These Are, but this one flung glorious wonder into my heart. In this story, a young marine biologist and a young forensic astronomer collaborate to solve the mystery of a ship that disappeared 200 years earlier. The characters of both the present day story and the past story live their days of tragedy, sacrifice, and love in ways that expand a reader’s
contemplation of what it means to fully live the life we’re given. Amanda Dykes penned a story that the reader can see, touch, smell, and feel. I did listen on audio (which was fabulous), but it’s one of plan to purchase so I can mark many wonderful passages.
Pour a cup of your favorite exquisite beverage, imagine yourself in a winged back chair situated in a Beauty and the Beast library, and open the pages of this impeccably well written story. You will be whisked to 1800 England and told a heroic story such as the likes have not been heard since Dickens, Hugo, Stevenson, Verne, Austin, Alcott – sigh, rich, vibrant tales penned yesteryear now contained on yellowed paper and preserved in leather.
Dykes masterfully crafts language of the day including appropriate Pirate speak in her tale, then when, as a reader, we wonder whatever became of the lost story, she rockets us into contemporary days where a Maritime Archeologist dedicates her studies along side her close friend, a world renown celestial sleuth to unearthing the HMS Jubilee and the truth of what really happened.
Long has it been since I’ve savored a tale so masterfully crafted. This is not a book that can be consumed in an afternoon. Oh, no. Plan to Hobbit down with plenty of tea. The depths of this tale will sweep you underground, to the sun, and beyond.
Highly recommend.
Set the Stars Alight is a split-time book that keeps the reader enthralled between two romances years apart and shows the sacrifices true love makes.
*NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR ALERT*
After reading Bespoke for Christmas last year (you can find my review HERE) I was so excited to read another Amanda Dykes novel! Even in that lil’ novella, I knew her stories had the potential to draw me in and never let go.
And I was right.
*happy sigh* The prose was . . . phenomenal. Seriously. Even during characters’ banter and dialogue, the writing was flawless and beautiful. And that, of course, is a cinch to keep me reading. *grins*
Aaaaand then we’ve got the CHARACTERS. *clasps hands and nearly hyperventilates* Y’ALL THE CHARACTERS. I’m so, so, so in love with the characters. Lucy was actually a female protagonist that I loved. I couldn’t relate to her circumstances, but I definitely could relate to her personality and insecurities. And DASHEL, MY GOOD MAN! #everyoneneedsadash
And there’s Frederick . . . at first I wasn’t thrilled with the way the book switched back and forth between the present and the past, but then I fell in love with Frederick’s story. The traitor. Oh. my goodness. gracious. If anyone should be inspired by anyone’s story, it should be Frederick’s.
(really, the only complaint I have about this book is that the book is so whimsical, I kept forgetting that Lucy & Dash are in the present . . . I kept getting caught off-guard when they’re checking their smartphones, haha!)
I loved reading about the historical mystery in the book—reading about Frederick and Juliette and Elias, and then about Lucy and Dash and Stone’s Throw Farm, reading both the unfolding of the mystery and the individual lives of each. I looooved how every aspect of the book, whether it be about the mystery or simply something resolved in the characters’ lives, unfolded and peeled back, each layer revealing something more heart-achingly beautiful than the one before it.
Was there romance in this book? Yes. Yes, there was. But I was so for it. For once, it made me grin so hard when I saw the couple(s) come together after all they’d been through. There were a couple of kisses, but they were barely described and ended quickly.
The world needs more stories about this—wholesome friendships, romances built on friendships rather than whirlwind attractions, characters that worked through their heartbreaks.
I. loved. this. book.
That is all.
(And I can’t wait to read more by this author)
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes is a mesmerizing novel and should be in a category all its own. Is it historical, time slip, literary fiction, contemporary fiction, or inspirational fiction? To me, it was all of those. With characters on a quest and a tender love story that ties it all together, this book will certainly touch your heart. It will open your eyes to the majesty and love of God the Father as well. I highly recommend this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.
Like so many dual-time, dual-story books, it took me awhile to get into the stories. This was my first Amanda Dykes book; her use of almost poetic writing, especially in the early 1800’s story, made it a little harder too to pull me in. (I am not a fan of poetry.) But the story drew me in, so that at the end, I was sorry to finish the book!
Goodness. I’m not sure I have the words to fully express the beauty of this book. Set the Stars Alight by Amand Dykes is a masterfully written time-slip novel with one timeline set in present-day England and the other timeline in the early 1800s in England or aboard a ship belonging to its Navy.
This story is magic. Not the pick-a-card kind of magic, but the light-your-eyes-and-heart-
-with-wonder kind of magic. All the tales regaled in the Watchmaker’s cottage. All the impossible places visited. All the lessoned learned. Imaginations stretched. It creates an atmosphere of tangible magic–the contagious kind.
The mysteries and truths of this story are the kinds that broaden the limits of our hopes and dreams. When nothing is impossible, hope and wonder rule the day.
Set the Stars Alight is one of my favorite books from this year. I absolutely loved Lucy and Dash’s story, especially all the fantastical tales Lucy’s father told by firelight in their humble cottage. And Frederick’s story, while marked with heartache, is still incredibly beautiful in its persistence of nobility and selfless love.
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Christian fiction, especially if you are a fan of time-slip novels.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Magical! This is a book that reopened my eyes to the wonder in our world. A story to savor.
To make sure we get off on the right note, I am going to share something about this book. Set the Stars Alight is a treasure, a beautiful story to savor and the first book I have bought while in the middle of a library copy.
One of the first things that caught my attention about this book, was the cover. As you may know, I have a deep appreciation for beautiful and unique book covers. The cover of Set the Stars Alight has a sense of mystery and magic to it, with the water, the stars and the Jubilee that is captivating.
When I initially picked up Set the Stars Alight, I was unaware that it was a split-time story, but this fact quickly made itself known. Dykes’ masterfully writes a rather unusual version of this formatting, alternating between one present day point of view and one 1800s point of view. I must say that although I enjoyed this piece of the story, Dykes’ could have broken up the two POVs into smaller sections, rather than switching every few chapters.
On another topic, Dykes’ characters are real, rich and engaging. I found every major, and minor, character to be fascinating and well thought out. Each character knew grief over the loss of loved ones and ways of life, and they all chose to grow through it. I absolutely fell in love with Lucy and Dash and the entire Stone’s Throw Farm family. I enjoyed Frederick, Elias and Juliette as well, but I did not connect as fully with them. I couldn’t help but marvel over how Dykes’ managed to make each character so complex and full of untold stories that pulled me deeply into their lives…..
Continue reading this review at https://latteswithliterature.wordpress.com.