This guide for Light Wielder is a helpful resource before you read Book 2 of the Fire & Metal series! This guide includes spoilers, so please read AFTER you’ve finished Metal Slinger.
Includes info from Metal Slinger, so this guide is spoiler in nature.
This guide is SAFE to read before Light Wielder.
This guide is in collaboration with Ana Victoria (@anavickigamesandreads)
World Overview
This world focuses on five kingdoms. Four of them are located on land while one was exiled to live out at sea.
Kenta is located at the center of the continent, Maile to the northeast with mountains along the border. Further left, smaller but not by much, is Strou territory. Roison is located east of Kenta. Alaha is the exiled territory all the way south in the Ocean.
Alaha
Alaha is located in the middle of the ocean amongst a grove where the city is strung in between trees and trunks. It is described as an island with no land. They built wooden shiels on and around tree branches. They fish for food sources while also relying on trade from “Market day” that happens once a year in Kenta. They focus on getting wheat and produce while trading fish.
Political Structure
Alaha is ruled by Captain Wren. He has the natural ability to influence and was exiled to live over the ocean by the other territories because he “used his gifts to benefit himself. ”
Captain Wren is 317 years old and married to Faline. His only child is Kai, age 19.
Rule of Boundaries
Once the people of Alaha come of age, they must agree to no intimate contact of any kind until the Matching Ceremony.
The matching ceremony is their form of marriage. Often considered a marriage of strategy rather than a love match.
The matching ceremony was originally set place to control breeding between bloodlines too closely related, but now its practiced to slow the ide of under-population.
Alaha’s Exile
Alahans are taught that the land territories (especially Kenta), didn’t want to share their resources and land anymore, so they exiled Alaha to the sea.
From Acker’s account: An Alaha Heir was gifted the natural ability of influence, meant to provide comfort to the fearful or calm to the vengeful; a gift designed to prevent war and strife. But the leader of the Alaha used his gifts to benefit himself. He persuaded other leaders to hand over their riches, casting their own territories into poverty, and he built armies fueled by rage, pitting them against any who were able to withstand his persuasion. He conquered territory after territory after territory.
Before Captain Wren was exiled, he smuggled a little bit of soil so he could have it on hand for when his son came of age.
Kenta
Kenta is one of the bigger territories and has been in and out of conflict with Roison for decades. It used to have an alliance with Maile, thanks to the betrothal between the Kenta prince and the Maile princess to secure the help of the Maile army against skirmishes with Roison. That alliance was broken when the princess of Maile was kidnapped and never found. Kenta made a new alliance with Strou to have the prince betrothed to the princess of Strou.
Political Structure
Kenta is at the center of the territories. It’s flag is green with a horizontal line across the middle, daggers fanning from it like the rays of a rising sun.
There is a city, Calgary, that is the first line of defense between the capitol and the Roison border.
Kenta is ruled by King Edmond, a fire elemental according to records, but his son believes he’s a metal elementalist. At the end of the book, we find out he’s actually an influencer.
Kenta has been ruled by this family for a little less than a century. King Edmond is reported to be 3 centuries old. He was married to Cadence but she ‘died’ when Acker was 12. We find out later that she is actually not dead and has been hiding in Alaha as Grenadine, Jovie’s crazy neighbor.
Kenta’s only Heir is Acker, age 20. But Edmond has an illegitimate daughter, Beau, who’s age is unknown. Beau’s mother, Greta, is the royal librarian and the King’s current consort.
Roison
Roison is twice the size of Kenta, making up the majority of the right side of the continent’s land mass. The ocean closes in on all other sides, its topographically flat other than the shoreline to the north. Roison shares a border with Kenta, seperated only by the Dark Forest in between them.
Known for its black sand beaches.
They have been at odds with Kenta for decades, and currently have a very fragile treaty with Kenta.
Political Structure
Ruled by Chryse. His brother, Osiris (the previous leader) admitted to kidnapping Jovie, and was killed by Queen Evelyn of Maile as retribution.
Chryse reignited the call for a revolution. He was a secret sympathizer of Wren’s during the war against Alaha. Has been battling Kenta on and off ever since.
Dark Forest
A thatch of forest that sits in no man’s land between the borders of Kenta and Roison. Known as a very dangerous place.
It spans the entire length of the border except for two short clearings, passages through the narrow strip of trees to the north and south. This forest has been plagued with dark magic for millennia. In times past, only the most powerful of Heirs have gone in with the intent to break the curse and all failed. Jovie single handedly cleared it.
Fog swirls around it and trolls live in it.
Maile
Located on the north east of the territories with mountains along the border. The tallest point in the world is Mount Zallis, on its border, described to be snow capped. Not much is known about Maile other than they have the biggest army.
They once had an alliance with Kenta but that alliance was broken when their Princess Jovinia was kidnapped, and Maile thought Kenta was involved.
Political Structure
The emblem of Maile is a golden butterfly surrounded by deep burgundy.
Maile has been ruled by Jovie’s family for the last century. Their ruler is Queen Evelyn, an Air elemental. She is married to her appointed guard.
Well-known love story with the scandal of a princess marrying a commoner.
Only heir is Princess Jovinnia (Jovie/Brynn), age 18. Brynn who was abducted when she was 7 by Alaha.
Strou
Strou is located north west of the territories. We don’t learn much about Strou other than they have the second biggest army of the territories and are currently in an Alliance with Kenta since their princess Irina is betrothed to Prince Acker of Kenta.
Political Structure
Ruled by King Urich. He is married to Joss.
Only heir we know of is Irina, the Princess of Strou.
Key Players
- FMC is Brynn (Jovie)
- Lives in Alaha
- Has no parents, supposedly they were fishing and never came back
- Was raised by Captain Wren’s family until she was old enough to live on her own
- Co-leader of Alaha’s rebellion
- Awakens as a light wielder
- Kai
- Brynn’s best friend and brief love interest
- Son of Captain Wren, leader of Alaha
- Leader of Alaha’s rebellion
- Has the power of influence
- Messer
- Brynn’s and Kai’s best friend
- His father is third in command in Alaha
- He awakened as a shifter with the help of Kai
- Part of Alaha’s rebellion
- Aurora
- Friends with Brynn, Kai and Messer
- Daughter of a fisherman, family has no rank
- Alahan Matched with Messer
- Part of Alaha’s rebellion
- Acker
- Prince of Kenta
- Metal Elementalist
- Known as the Soldier of Chaos
- He is Jovie’s true Match
- Beau
- Acker’s illegitimate sister
- Has the power to read people’s auras and their emotions/intentions
- Allies with Jovie to help take down the king of Kenta
- Hallis
- Acker’s best friend since childhood
- Secretly in love with Beau
- Also knew Jovie when she was a child
Magic of this World
Each territory is ruled by a family who is chosen by Mother Nature. They are given gifts as a reward for taking care of the land and its people. These chosen families are known as Mother Nature’s Heirs.
According to legend, Mother Nature’s four children, air, water, fire and earth, fought for dominance in the world. Instead of creating stability, like Mother Nature indented, it created a world of chaos.
To protect the earth from total destruction, Mother Nature slipped her own creations into the world – humans with powerful gifts to combat the elements (the Heirs).
Heir Powers
Heirs have one gift or magic power, this power resides within a specific area of the body. The location is unique to each wielder and is kept secret due to it being their greatest weakness.
This power is stronger on land and weaker if out in the sea. Gifts also need to be used and worked out like a muscle to get stronger.
Heirs also have an extended life span of a century or two, but the most powerful heirs can live for a millennia. Like their gift, their lifespan is shortened if they live away from land.
The gift also accelerates healing for magic users.
The Awakening
When someone comes into their magic, they go through the awakening. This is like magical puberty, and like growing pains during adolescence.
If the Heir is away from land and not exposed to magic gradually over time the first time they touch land the Heir gets a massive surge of magic all at once. This is very painful and can even lead to death.
True gift won’t be revealed until finishing the Awakening
Heir Weaknesses
- Mangi stones – Magic suppressing rock that is found in the ocean. Mangi stone has a tortoiseshell pattern and can be crafted into wearable objects like a necklace.
- Hearthstone – Weapons made out of hearthstone are the only weapon that can cut someone’s magic out of them
Types of Magic
- Influence; a gift designed to prevent war and strife.
- This magic is more potent through physical connection
- Elemental Magic
- Acker is a metal elemental
- Can wield anything with metals, like iron, steel and brass
- Acker is a metal elemental
- Oracles
- Can read minds and memories
- Known Oracles:
- Vad
- Illusionists
- Makes the eye plays tricks on itself
- Light Wielders
- Wield very bright light that can blind and burn anyone
- Known Light Wielder:
- Jovie
- The last light wielder that walked the earth, Uma, ruled the earth and the four elements with it. Apparently, she was not kind. She was overthrown with hearthstone. She was betrayed by her lover, who ground the material into a fine dust and laced her food with it, causing Uma to fall gravely ill.
- Shifters
- Can shift to any animal/creature
- Known Shifters:
- Messer
- Sven
- Aura reader
- See auras like colors and vibrations.
- Beau is the only known person to ever have had this gift, that it doesn’t even have a name to it.
- General Samasu can disappear and reappear in another location
- Greta, Beau’s mother can predict the future
The True Match Bond
The True Match bond is the magical bond between two people chosen by Mother Nature. This bond is basically a soulmate and not limited to just Heirs. Anyone has the potential to find a bond.
The Matching Bond is incredibly rare as it is tied to the potency of the world’s magic. Over the years the magic’s overall strength lessened, decreasing the likelihood of a match being made.
There are so few who have a true bond. Those who do keep it secret, not telling anyone the details of their bond. Having the Bond can have advantages people wouldn’t want their enemies to know.
If a Heir is lucky enough to find their match, that will be their only Match in their entire lifetime.
General Bond Knowledge:
- Both parties should be aware of the Bond
- If only one side has accepted the bond, it will force them to be together.
- The beginning stages of the bond also consists of dreams where the bond will trap you inside of them to keep the parties together
- Especially if one of the parties hasn’t accepted the bond yet.
- Some bonds can mind share. This is easier with physical touch.
- Mind sharing can leave the body vulnerable and it’s impossible to wake the person while they’re in their dream/ghost state.
Magical/Mythical Creatures
- Eyun – midnight blue bird, they’re mythological creatures, birds of prey that can devour men whole without leaving a trace.
- Giant squid
- Messer transformed into one to help the boat from capsizing during a massive storm
- Trolls
- Live in the Dark Forest in Roison
- Magical creatures are rumored to live in Mount Zallis on the border of Maile
Where things leave off
Strou was humiliated by Acker and stormed off before the betrayal. The state of the Kenta and Strou alliance remains to be seen.
Jovie and Messer flee Kenta’s palace together after her betrayal. Since Maile soldiers were involved in the attack, it’s likely they all fled to Maile.
A heartbroken and disappointed Acker remains in Kenta where his world was shattered by the person he loved most in the world and his own sister.
Beau’s whereabouts to where she flees after the betrayal is unknown. We don’t know if her mother Greta was involved in the plan. With Greta’s prediction of the future gift, we can assume she at least knew about it.
Acker’s father, King Edmond is gravely injured since Jovie stabbed him with her hearthstone dagger to eliminate his magic. Edmond’s power is recorded to be a fire elemental, Acker believed he was a metal elemental like himself, but Jovie is convinced that he has the power of influence.
Hallis remains in Kenta with Acker.
It is presumed that Kai is in Alaha still leading Alaha’s rebellion.
Jovie never revealed to Acker that his mother Cadence is actually alive and posed as Jovie’s crazy neighbor Grenadine, in Alaha.
By the end of this book, Kenta is at war with Roison. Maile aided Jovie in the attack of Kenta’s king so we can assume that Maile and Kenta are now at war against each other.
