The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World

Combining Greek mythology and modern-day fantasy and romance, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World tells the tale of love, loss, and grief. Nera, the daughter of the ferryman for the dead, meets Charlie, a young woman searching for the ghost of her dead sister. Over 300 pages, numerous characters, twists and turns, the story unfolds.
There is a lot to like in this tale, especially on the topic of love and grief, the book’s central themes. The character of the father, Harosen, is created particularly well. There’s a lot of subtlety to him. However, parts of the novel read like a YA romance, which might appeal to a lot of readers and be disliked by others. Dogs that are physically alive aid the dead to the place beyond this existence, which is a beautiful thought. But the dogs speak in comedic tones, using human language, and it’s hard to surmise if they are supposed to be comic relief or if the tone is out of place and too literal for the story. The character of Charlie was a little two-dimensional. Overall, it’s an interesting effort, but fell a bit flat for this reader.