Book of Light

Please note that this review may contain spoilers for is prequel, Guardian of the Underworld. You can read my review of this novel [here].

Book of Light was written by Rachel Tetley and first published in 2015. It is the second instalment of the Underworld Chronicles and follows the continuing adventures of Jake as he trains to be the Guardian. The novel is preceded by Guardian of the Underworld (2014) and a third novel is planned for release later this year, though at the time of writing no further details have been announced.

It’s been a year since Jake Summers became the Guardian and since then he’s lived with a nagging fear that he’s not good enough. Even though he passed the five trials, he’s been without his Grandfather’s tuition and feels undeserving of his title. However, the time has come for his skills to be tested again. Disasters have begun to plague the Earth and this can only mean one thing. Lucifer has amassed an army and plans to destroy the world.

With his loyal friends Arianna and Will at his side, Jake heads back to the Underworld to receive his mission. The rise of Lucifer has been long foretold and there is only one thing that can stop him: the legendary Book of Light. There is only one problem. The Book of Light belonged to a previous Guardian and when he died, he took the secret of its location with him.

Jake teams up with the dragon Salazan and a bad-tempered puffle named Ferdinand and begins the dangerous trek across the Underworld in search of someone who knows the book’s location. However, his path is filled with danger. Giant spiders, dark spirits and cursed waters bar his way but these are far from the most dangerous things that Jake must face. An old friend has now taken a place at the head of Lucifer’s army and now will stop at nothing to kill him…

Guardian of the Underworld

It feels like it’s been a while since I took a look at some high fantasy so I think I should probably do something to change that. Guardian of the Underworld was first published in 2014 and is the debut novel of Rachel Tetley. It tells the story of a young boy and girl as they set out on a quest in a parallel world. The novel forms the first part of a planned series but at the time of writing no future instalments have been announced.

Eleven year old Jake Summers leads a happy and uncomplicated life until his world is rocked by the sudden death of his grandfather. He soon comes into the possession of the key to a room in his Grandpa’s home – the one room that he was told never to enter – and sets out to find out what secrets lie within.

Inside the room, he discovers shelves full of strange books and objects, including some that are undeniably magical. Jake quickly realises that all of the fairy stories his Grandpa always told were true. He was the High Keeper – the highest ranked guardian in charge of maintaining the balance between the human world and the underworld – and he had been training Jake to be his successor.

Unfortunately, Jake’s Grandpa’s death had been sudden and he had not had time to complete his initiation and Jake isn’t so sure that he wants to be a guardian anyway. Unfortunately, he is soon not left with a choice. Cerberus – his Grandpa’s killer – has decided to take the Five Trials needed to become the new High Keeper. He has also kidnapped the little sister of his friend Arianna in order to lure Jake to the underworld.

Jake knows that if Cerberus becomes the new High Keeper, the world is doomed. With help from Arianna and a strange creature called Noggin, he sets off to take the Five Trials for himself. But the way is dangerous and he is at a disadvantage to Cerberus, who has been training for years. Jake must muster all his strength and cunning to pass because if he fails, all of them will be trapped in the underworld forever.