Keeper of Light and Dust

By Natasha Mostert

From the back of the book:

“Mia Lockhart has a secret. Her mother was a Keeper, as was her grandmother – women who were warriors, healers, and protectors. As Mia practices her craft among the fighters and martial artists of South London, she has no idea that a man who calls himself Dragonfly is watching from the shadows.”

I’m really not much of a fantasy reader, but I very much enjoyed reading this book about a “modern-day vampire.” This man doesn’t bite his victims; he actually drains their energy and that helps keep him young.

However, the victims end up dying and no one can figure out why their hearts stopped for what seems like no reason. The main character’s boyfriend suspects there is a connection between the unusual deaths of several fighters over a five-year period. He sets out to find that connection, all the while not realizing the perpetrator is right under his nose.

Natasha Mostert takes the ancient beliefs of the martial arts and combines them with fantasy to create a book that I found difficult to put down. And even though it is a fiction novel, there were enough facts that I was able to learn a little about those beliefs, which I found very interesting.

I liked the characters, especially Mia, so that was a plus, too. This is a great read by an excellent writer.