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Warrior of Light is a 2016 fantasy novel by William Heinzen. It takes inspiration from epic fantasy novels, especially the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The book itself consisted of an elapse of almost 20 years, as Heinzen began writing in the sixth grade, and finished the book in his last year of college, and would not publish it for years after. The book is sold at multiple bookstores, and Heinzen also attends conventions like Comic-Con to sell books in person.

Plot Summary

The story follows the intertwining fates of two individuals, Tim Matthias and Boblin Kule. Tim lives in the peaceful South with his mother and father, while Boblin, an elion, lives in the rough and unforgiving North in the Fort of Pellen, the last free free dwelling of the North that is not ruled by the Dark Lord Zadinn Kanas. These two lands are separated by a gigantic wall known as The Rampart, which has no known height, length, or entrances.

Boblin lives in the Fort of Pellen with the freedom-fighters rebelling against Zadiin Kanas, when he accidentally stumbles upon elions who have worked to betray the fort, forcing him to flee further South.

Tim's village is attacked one day by unknown forces, the Malicons, that come from the North. After defeating these forces, Tim, along with his mother, father, and a dwerion named Quentiin attempt to investigate The Rampart and track the creatures who captured the people of the village, but are unable to find a way through. Tim then discovers his connection to the Lifesource, and manages to open a pathway into the North.

The group eventually runs into Boblin and agrees to come with him back the the Fort of Pellen for safety, only for Boblin to then be accused of murdering their leader on his return by the traitors he fled from. This eventually allows Zadinn to launch a strike on the fort, causing a furious battle leading to the Fort's demise and forcing the remaining freedom-fighters to flee. In this battle Tim's parents, Daniel and Rosalie, are killed in an attempt to protect those who fled, while Quentiin is captured and taken to a prison camp in Zadinn's domain.

The elion's only hope now is to find the Army of Kah'lash, a mythical force destined to serve those in need. Tim must also learn from Nazgar to become the Warrior of Light, the prophesied wielder of the Lifesource who is destined to defeat the Dark Lord. As Tim struggles with the death of his parents and his face with destiny, he along with the band of freedom fighters battle through the North in search of the Army of Kah'lash.

As Tim trains, he gradually becomes more and more able to control the Lifesource, using powerful abilities that allow him to create fire, magical force fields, and other feats. However, confused and angered by the death of his parents and the burden of battling corruption from the Lifesource, he falls to the dark side after kiling a nest of sarchons in the mountains. He continues on this path until Boblin confronts him. This confrontation allows Tim to see his wrongdoings after attempting to kill Boblin, and eventually returns to the light side.

After months of traveling, what remains of the group manages to traverse over the mountain pass to reach the Army. This army of highly-skilled warriors at first refuse to aid their cause, until Tim reveals himself as the Warrior of Light, persuading them to lend their strength in a final battle against Zadinn and his forces.

Meanwhile, Quentiin tries and fails multiple times to escape from Zadiin's prison camp, either through his own strength or in attempting to convince the prisoners around him. Eventually, Quentiin is sentenced to death for his attempts at escape, only to be rescued by his fellow prisoners. He along with everyone else who is freed overthrows the camp, and joins the war waging outside the citadel.

In a final battle, the freedom-fighters wage war against Zadinn's army, while Tim and Nazgar fight Zadinn himself. Zadinn kills Nazgar, and faces Tim in an apocalyptic battle between light and dark. As each use powerful magic to try and defeat the other, the land is being destroyed by earthquakes and furious weather. Tim eventually defeats Zadinn in an attempt to stop themselves from destroying the land.

With Zadinn dead, the war is won and peace is found in the North.

Reception

Despite being the first book by Heinzen, it has been met with mostly positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews made a statement on the book on being "An impressive momentum and colorful characters and beasts make this story an epic journey worth taking." Vandimag gave a mixed review, but overall called it a "thrill to read" and that "It is exciting to wonder what Heinzen will do to top this, seeing as it’s his maiden voyage, but a sophomore offering promises to be every bit as worthwhile." Danielle Lincoln Hanna, author of Mailboat, found the book "heart-stopping".

Other sites such as Amazon and Goodreads that sell the book have also seen good reviews on the book.