The Light Bearer

Book Three in The Western Lands and All That Really Matters

This clown must face the penalty for his murderous treason. Except he always seems to be two giant steps ahead of them…

Princess Eloise Hydra Gumball III can’t wait to hand her prisoner off to face justice. With the deviously false king safely bound and gagged, the queen-in-waiting longs to be rid of him and let her mother deliver righteous judgment. But when the scheming jester uses his magic to escape and kidnaps her best friend, he nearly sends Eloise to a soggy grave at the bottom of a waterfall.

Barely surviving the chaos and vowing to rescue her companion, Eloise and her remaining party trek through unfamiliar territory on the hunt for any clue to the conniving criminal’s whereabouts. But when they’re captured by a society of warrior horses, Eloise discovers the trail has gone cold… and the scoundrel could be circling back for revenge.

Can she bring the fool to his fate and stop him from seizing control of the entire realm?

The Light Bearer is the wickedly witty third book in The Western Lands and All That Really Matters humorous fantasy series. If you like endearing casts, dastardly villains, and pun-filled wordplay, then you’ll love Andrew Einspruch’s ripping yarn.

Buy The Light Bearer to plunge into an action-packed destiny today!

REVIEWS

★★★★★

Our Princess Eloise is Growing in Wisdom

I found it fascinating to watch how Einspruch twists the focus of the quest once again by means of the enigmatic Turpy (our villain in diamond-patterned pantaloons). Turpy, the would-be usurper and all-round nasty piece of work, must be transported back to the Westie Queen for sentencing. It is Eloise who must make this happen. She is afraid. Afraid of the journey, afraid of what her Mother the Queen will say when she finally does get home, and most of all she is afraid of the stone at her side that contains The Light because it keeps sending her communications in punctuation…punctuation for Çalaht’s sing-for-her-supper’s sake! Fortunately, there are others who know more and can assist her quest (even if they do take half a day to say hello and goodbye to according to the specific cultural protocols of belonging the herd who call themselves “the Us”).
So much happens to Eloise and her beloved companions on the hectic helter-skelter of a journey home that she covers almost all her known world, seeing much of the country that really-does-not-matter (until it does), along the way. Once again we are witness to the wonderful vegetarian meals we have come to appreciate that will satiate this troop, we stand with them in awe of the strange customs of “the Us” and learn a thing or three about shamanic rites done equine style. Our heroine’s accidents and setbacks remind us that magic always demands a price, and finally we share the biggest shock of all waiting for our heroine after her final bolt headlong for home.

— Cheryl Hannah, Amazon Review

★★★★★

Thoroughly enjoyable read

Humor, puns, and a really creepy villain are just the basics here. Add some delightful horse personalities, from Kiiit (with umlauts over each “i”) to the Us, plus Eloise’s traveling companions from the start of this odyssey, and you’ve got a truly wonderful read. The town names, the names of the inns, the menu items…so much fun.
The ending sure was unexpected. So begins the long wait for the final book in the tetralogy.

— Corvid Fan, Amazon Review

★★★★★

I have enjoyed all of Einspruch’s The Western Lands and All That Really Matters series for the exact same reasons: humour and characters. Everything is lighthearted, unique, and connectable. Einspruch has proven his writing abilities to me throughout reading these books: he is an honest author and writes with undeniable passion.

— Emma-Katherine, It’s a Novel Life

★★★★★

This tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted romp pays a nodding homage to Discworld and Narnia, with talking animals, unexpected villains, unfit rulers and wonderful ones, a regicide, a Khan-ruled equine country called The Central Carbuncle and, best of all, a headstrong, dependable, adventurous, Queen-in-waiting of The Western Lands and All That Really Matters the young and lovely Princess Eloise.
Having gained control of the powerful stone and survived the Purple Haze, HRH is developing in loveliness, integrity and a sense of fun, despite the restrictions of being a Royal Heir.
In Andrew Einspruch’s amazing 3rd adventure in The Western Lands and All That Really Matters series, The Light Bearer, Eloise must act as sheriff-cum-bounty-hunter in bringing the villainous would-be usurper (aka Turpy the Jester) across two intervening lands to face verdict and sentencing at her mother’s Court, facing a soupcon of danger while learning more of who she really is on the inside and of her place in the Kingdom, as her time to rule grows ever-closer.

— Rosemary Kenny, Amazon Review

★★★★★

Animals, friendship: fast-moving, thoughtful fun

The Light Bearer develops the playful, distinctive but highly recognisable world which Einspruch has crafted in his first two books (plus prequels). It’s fast-moving plot full of the unexpected. Like his other novels, it pokes gentle and hilarious fun at creed and stripe – Einspruch is definitely an equal-opportunity satirist. It’s packed with hilarious place-names and jokes.

The heart of this novel for me was the moving description of a wild horse society, reflecting perhaps the fact that the author does in fact live with a herd of equine kind. The strong female protagonist takes a significant inner journey, accompanied by a tantalising suggestion of strong magic. Friendships deepen and baddies (spoiler alert) may eventually reach their come-uppeance.

— Janet WK, Amazon Review

★★★★★

Quirky and intriguing

I enjoyed this third installment of the series. I particularly enjoyed learning about The Us. As always, the wordplay is loads of fun. This series is great if you are looking for something quirky, humourous and light

— Miquemarie, Amazon Review