Review: Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

About the Book
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.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

“In a world as dark as this, people forget how to see the light, so we need to remind them by telling the truth. Paying attention ... setting the stars alight.”

What a beautifully written story! I didn't think it possible, but I enjoyed this one even more than Amanda Dykes' debut novel Whose Waves These Are. And that was a tall order.

Taking note of the good, the true, the just, the miracles hidden at every turn is like ... a deliberate act of defiance against the darkness.

Anything I say will be inadequate to describe the absolute breathtaking wonder and magic of this story. It was such a beautiful and captivating tale. I was transported right into the pages. I felt like I was standing right there beside these wonderful characters experiencing all their ups and downs, their joys and sorrows. This is the type of book that can reignite a love for reading and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

“God is the pursuer of your heart, Lucy,” Dad had said. “He is coming, and coming, and coming after you. In every sunset, in every snatch of birdsong. In everything that stirs deep into you and makes you hungry for bigger things, eternal things. That is Him, pursuing you with tenderest grace. In the places so hard they wring your soul. In the places so beautiful they steal your breath. He is there, filling your soul, giving you breath.”

Five Stars