The first cut of this novel is complete.  I'm working on the second cut.

The Shadow of Light is the conclusion of the Aegypt novels for this month.  I left myself an out to write another, but the denouement in this novel provides a fulfilling conclusion to the series.  This novel follows Lumière from 1953 to 1959.  It is mostly set in America, Britain, and China.  The obvious focus is China in the cold war.  Because of the timing, the real world events don't end as well, but the other-worldly events fit nicely.  This is a book of high adventure mixed with poignant romance, mystery, and spy novel high jinks.  This novel really fleshes out the character of Aleksandr.  It doesn't add anything you don't know to Lumière's character, but you get more of her.  I love the character of Lumière.  I can't imagine a more perfect yet tragic being.

Here is a small touch of the theme of all the novels.  How would you conclude a goddess would act in the real world.  Depends on how you see a goddess's character.  I tried to portray the character of Leora as compelling, beautiful, perfect, black and white, loving, triumphant, but with a couple of flaws based on her powers and character.  She can't remain were the sun is covered in the sky.  This is a character of her power.  She loses the ability to be as she should be under these circumstances.  She loves and her love causes her pain and suffering because of who and shat she is.

Now, imagine a goddess in the same vein as Leora who is damaged emotionally and spiritually.  She has all the positive characteristics of Leora, but cannot imagine herself as good or perfect in any way.  She achieves, but her achievements don't seem to resonate in her.  She is great and others se her greatness, but she can't see these positive qualities.  This is Lumière.  Her powers are somewhat limited, but she is much more powerful than her mother and much more powerful than her aunt.

Leila, the goddess of darkness is somewhat one-dimensional.  I did try to show her personality in The Goddess of Darkness.  You see this in the dream sequences and in the interaction with Lumière.  She is a pretty bad being, but this should make sense.  A goddess like her would compel in similar ways to the goddess of light.  She would be beautiful (all of them possess unworldly beauty).  She would attract and people would desire her.  She would love the things of darkness and these provide her fatal flaw.  The flaw of evil is that it ultimately causes others to reject it.  It looks beautiful at first, but it's actions cause men of sober (spiritually aware) minds to reject it.  

The tragedy of Lumière Bolang has become a new hope for her.  She has escaped the clutches of the Soviet Union.  She is safe in America and reunited with her family.  She is with the love of her life, Aleksandr. 

I literally want you to live during this period of time.  The research for this novel was extensive.  It came out of a lot of primary source data and history.  The details in this novel are precise.  If you are a student of this time, you will like the subtleties.  If you are not, you can glory in the knowledge that the descriptions of people, places, and things are not just accurate, you will feel as though you are there.

The Question: 

The question for this novel is very similar to the previous.  Before, I looked at the evil of Hitler and the Nazis; then, I explored the evil of Stalin and the Soviet Union.  In this novel, I studied the Chinese view of the world, and especially the close world of the communist Chinese.  The question is specifically to look at the spiritual evil and forces in China and around those people.  In this, I dissected the spiritual values of China and the communists.

The Characters: 

Lumière is a much different character than Leora and Aleksandr is much different than Paul.  The other many minor and major characters are drawn as strongly as those in the previous novels.  Many are drawn directly from history.  Lumière is a strongly conflicted character.  This is why I chose the specific style I did in writing the novel (see below).  Some will really like Lumière.  They will see themselves in her many dilemmas.   Some may not like her so well--she is not Leora.  Lumière believes her heart and soul are tainted.  She cannot reconcile her own happiness with her success.  Leora is a perfect romantic character with flaws.  Lumière is flawed and fighting to overcome those flaws, true and perceived.  Aleksandr likewise is not Paul.  Paul is a man of action.  Aleksandr is a man of thought and philosophy.  The fact that Aleksandr yokes himself to Lumière should not be surprising, but the results and ramifications should not be either.      

The Theme: 

The theme is both redemption and discovery.  Lumière is discovering who she is and who she was.  This is a fun theme in itself.  The kicker is that Lumière is in great need of redemption.  She is needy and yet not willing to bend.