Review: Lightfall: The Dark Times by Tim Probert

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Lightfall Dark Times by Tim Probert

Lightfall: The Dark Times (Lightfall #3)
Tim Probert
HarperAlley
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Dark Times (Lightfall #3)

The Lights have gone dark in Irpa.

Danger lurks as the air grows colder and threats lie in the shadows at every turn. While the rest of their fellowship seeks safety, Bea and Cad team up with a small group of survivors to travel to the Citadel of Knowledge, pursuing answers to their world’s darkest mysteries.

But their journey reveals even more secrets. Until an unexpected ally shines a light in the darkness, providing a clue to a mystery from long ago…and a beacon of hope for the future.

My Review

I waited two years for this book. The only disappointment, and I’m not sure it’s truly disappointing, is that it’s not the conclusion to the series. I don’t know why I thought it would be, but it’s not. The great thing about that is there are more Bea and Cad adventures still to come!

Because the story takes place during an unending night, the color palette is very dark with a lot of golden/firelight colors. It’s not my favorite combination of colors, but I get why that palette worked for this particular part of the tale.

Bea and Cad remain great characters and deliver fun and surprising lines. The ever-optimistic Cad loses hope for a bit, and Bea steps up as a bold warrior in a couple of scenes. I loved seeing the two of them experience some growth and depth. Their friendship remains a powerful force that helps them both.

I read this book at the end of a pretty grinding day, and it was very much the warm, fun adventure I needed to finish my day on a high note. The artwork by Tim Probert continues to amaze me. Everything has a playfulness to it, and the story world feels epic and fantastical. It’s so fun.

I’m really glad to have the next installment of this series on my shelves. I think fans of the Amulet series or fantasy graphic novels in general will love these books. If you’re unfamiliar with the Lightfall series, you can check out my reviews of the first and second books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cad is a Galdurian, which means he looks a little bit like a giant axolotl?? There are minor characters with brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Bea learns about magic from a mentor who teaches her that everything in her world has a soul, and if you can learn to listen to each soul around you, you can ask them for help.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

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Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

8 thoughts on “Review: Lightfall: The Dark Times by Tim Probert”

  1. This sounds a great series, but it’s really hard when there is such a big gap! Some people wait until series are complete before they read any of it. I don’t so I know your pain! Thanks for the recommendation!

    1. Kasey @ The Story Sanctuary – Sunny Florida – Writer, reader, cat lover and blogger at The Story Sanctuary.
      Kasey says:

      YES!!! I’m sure the book takes a LOT of work, so the gap makes sense, but it’s hard to wait. The books have really been worth waiting for so far, though. 🙂

  2. I think it would be cool to discover more books are coming in a series I love. Lucky you. This sounds like a fun book. Thanks for the review.

    1. Kasey @ The Story Sanctuary – Sunny Florida – Writer, reader, cat lover and blogger at The Story Sanctuary.
      Kasey says:

      Thanks! Yeah, it’s a double-edged sword, isn’t it? There are more books to come, but we still don’t know if everything turns out okay, and we’ll have to wait to find out! The problems bookworms face. 🙂

  3. I haven’t read this series either. I’d have a hard time waiting for the next book in a series for two years too. I’m glad it’s just what you needed at the end of a hard day.

    1. Kasey @ The Story Sanctuary – Sunny Florida – Writer, reader, cat lover and blogger at The Story Sanctuary.
      Kasey says:

      Yes! Two years is such a long time. I thought this was going to be the final book, too, so I’m sad to be back to waiting another two years for more of the story. It’s so good, though.

  4. I’ve heard of this series but have not had the chance to give it a go. The characters your described have me hooked. I’ve added the titles to my future read list. Happy MMGM!

    1. Oh yay! I hope you get a chance to check it out. I love Bea and Cad so much. Happy MMGM! 🙂

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