I received a copy of “The Light That Saves” as part of the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Competition (SFINCS).
The story follows Captain Redwood, a female pirate, as she travels the world in search of four magic relics and describes her romance with the navy officer Captain Moss.
The storyline is solid and well-thought of. The main character is well-developed and her conflicts feel real enough to get the reader engaged in her story. The romance between Redwood and Moss felt genuine.
I would like to have had more information about the magic system which seems to be quite unique and I felt that the actions scenes happened without much introduction. I actually had to go back on some because I did not understand how they started. I was also a bit confused about the role of some characters: were they villains or rebels? A touch of backstory might have been helpful to give the reader a better feel of the threat Redwood was facing.
Overall an enjoyable novella would good pace, great plot and complex worldbuilding. I would recommend it to the fans of the genre.