Empire of Light by Gregory Earls

Review written by Sara Palacios

Empire of Light by Gregory Earls is an endearing tale of a young, black cinematography student. The story begins with Jason Tisse, taking on the notoriously tough American Film Institute, ruthlessly trying to pave his way through life and closer to his dreams. A chance encounter with the Dean of Cinematography, Howard Edgerton, leads Tisse on a hiatus from the film institute, wondering what to do next. On a whim, he finds himself in Europe, tracking down the infamous works of famed painter Caravaggio for inspiration. Armed with only a vintage Kodak Brownie camera and a limited number of shots, Tisse embarks on a journey, where he finds himself, love, and the opportunity of a lifetime.

This was my first venture into the world of “lad lit” and at first, I struggled to relate to the characters but that quickly passed. Soon enough, I was completely immersed into Tisse’s life and the epic world of cinematography. I found author Gregory Earls storytelling to be intelligent, entertaining and wonderfully authentic and the voice of Jason Tisse to be wildly refreshing and honest. I thoroughly enjoyed turning each page to see which new adventures he would embark on next and to watch him grow into a man, and a talent, to be reckoned with. I was quite pleased with the story overall and look forward to following Gregory Earls career as a writer.