The Lamplighters

By: J. Gabriel Gates

Narrated by: Ian M. Hawkins

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A cursed city. A young warrior. A magical journey.

It's always night in the city of Iveron. Black clouds smother the sky, and monsters called vexors lurk in the dark, ready to drag away the unwary.

Twelve-year-old Gan dreams of becoming a Lamplighter, one of the young heroes with their flaming spears who light the city's streetlamps and keep the darkness at bay. Gan's dream comes true—until his lamplighter crew gets ambushed beyond the wall, and his beloved brother Brall is carried away by vexors. Gan vows to get him back, but his only remaining companion is Lyona, the ill-tempered daughter of the city's most notorious miscreant.

Together, they must cross enchanted forests, befriend magical beings, and battle viscous creatures, until they reach the palace of the evil Fairy Empress Nymia, whom the vexors serve. In order to defeat the empress and get Brall back, Gan and Lyona will have to uncover the truth about Iveron's curse, a mystery that could either save their city, or doom it.

©2023 J. Gabriel Gates (P)2023 J. Gabriel Gates

Held My Son and Me in its Thrall

First I have to say we love audiobooks when we drive. This is the first adventure book we listened to as a family. My son (4) made me swear not to listen ahead and to pause it if he fell asleep. We had a long drive to see family and he was so caught up he didn’t sleep at all. He the told anyone who would listen about Lamplighters,Vexers and how he knew the Regent was evil but couldn’t prove it. We finished the book shortly after we made it home, listening on our sound bar while we unpacked and made dinner.

This story is a fun thoughtful listen if you are an adult. It felt very Narnia and City of Ember. It is gripping and worth of being acted out on playgrounds if you are a kid. I have a feeling I may need to figure out how to make a Lamplighter costume for Halloween. The author kept the tension without scaring the bejesus out of you and balance the funny, sweet moments with the main character growing into himself.

The narrator is pitch perfect! You believe from the first word he is Gan and the other characters flow so naturally you never have to guess who is speaking. Bravo.

Please tell me there are more stories of Gan to come.

Charming story and engaging performance

Delightful adventure of a young hero growing into himself and saving his city. Outstanding narration!

A great listen !

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to!
The narrator was wonderful and the story is something all ages can enjoy. It’s a straight forward plot, so it’s easy to follow for younger readers, but is very engaging with details to keep it interesting and fresh for Older audiences.
It had a satisfying ending with all the right bits tied up smoothy 😊
However the author ended it in a good way to where more books could be added !
Definitely worth the credit /cost !!

Fantastic

I enjoyed this very much. The narrator did a good job and the story was very interesting. It reminded me of Naria. Recommend for middle school age, teachers, or any one that likes ya fantasy.

A delightful listen!

I would recommend this book for all ages. The story is straight forward enough to be followed and appreciated by very young readers, but with enough layers and unexpected nods to keep even the older and more cynical among us entertained and engaged.

I picked “The Lamplighters” up because I really enjoy the narrator, and he did not disappoint! The story provided a delightfully diverse set of characters, and the narrator breathed unique life into each of them. This is exactly the experience I want when I am in the mood for someone to tell me a story.

Wether you listen to this book with someone as part of a bedtime reading habit, or by yourself to get the dishes done, I know you are going to enjoy being pulled into this world.

Best middle grade fantasy I've listened this year.

I loved everything about the story. It reminded me of The City of Ember, or The Giver, where there's a society with a lot of rules that supposedly keep the society running but are actually detrimental. I love the magic system that the author created and his characters that grow over time. I love the constant battles they had to face to get to their quest destination. The author did not spare the main character hardships at all, but that overcoming attitude was very inspiring. I highly recommend this to anyone age 11 and up.

Great Middle Grade Novel

This was a great read. I would recommend this to anyone who is getting into MG Fantasy or wants a hit of nostalgia.