Secret of Light

Tami Oliphant is a Ph.D. candidate in Library and Information Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

kc dyer’s first book, Seeds of Time, was a time-travel fantasy novel.
In this sequel, readers are taken back to Eagle Glen, an alternative art
school located on the coast of British Columbia, where Darrell rejoins
her friends Kate and Brodie, and her nemesis Conrad, for another
semester.

Darrell, Kate, and Brodie discover a time portal in an abandoned
lighthouse that transports them to Florence, Italy, during the
Renaissance. In Italy Darrell encounters an obtuse Leonardo Di Vinci,
but is determined to find out if Leonardo knows anything about time
travel. Darrell believes that if she can go back in time she can prevent
the accident that claimed her leg and her father’s life.

Comparisons to Harry Potter are inevitable: Eagle Glen is reminiscent
of Hogwarts; Kate, a computer geek, is very much like Hermione; Brodie,
a budding paleontologist, is similar to Ron; and Professor Tooth, like
Professor Dumbledore, dispenses wisdom and mystery.

The historical details of Renaissance Italy are well researched and
believable. However, Darrell’s nemesis, Conrad, is a one-dimensional
figure. He simply comes across as a bully and doesn’t grow at all;
unfortunately, as a result of this limitation, Darrell doesn’t really
grow either.

Secret of Light contains many references to Seeds of Time, and so is
recommended for readers familiar with the earlier book.