I was so excited to read this after book 1 and even more so after the release of the film. The follow up to book 1 was tense and creepy as ever.

Mina goes through so much again in this book, I’d love to see her catch a break. Kilmartins son was a fool, and it was so frustrating to see him walk himself into his current predicament. Madeline is still a no nonsense kind of person, but even she seemed cautious and afraid as the book developed.

I really hope there’s a book 3

4.5 stars 🤩
I actually couldn’t believe when I got accepted to read an ARC of this book (coming out in October 2024). I absolutely loved “The Watchers” so I jumped at the sequel and started reading as soon as I got the acceptance email 😅
To start with, We’re catching up with Mina who suffers with PTSD after the woodland and hides away on the coast, renting a cottage from an older married couple. At the same time we get introduced to a new character - Sean, whose actions lead to new kind of trouble…

First 25% of the book is quite slow paced as we get to get accustomed to Mina’s mental state and everything going on. Then, the action starts after a stranger appears in the village and the pace really picks up! There were moments when I quite literally couldn’t sit still reading this 😅
And then we have the end chapters - where the book looses that half a star for me. Kinda predictable the whole Mina - Madeline part…
Also Mina was quite annoying in this book for some reason. Not sure I liked her very much.
The ending… well… I wonder if there’s going to be book 3 🤔

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Stay in the light by A.M Shine is the sequel to the watchers. It is best to heave read the watchers first as we don't get told what happens in the first book so you will need to read that first. It was not long before getting into this one before I realized just how much I had missed these characters and the story that is painted. A.M shines writing is descriptive and enjoyable.

I want to highlight that like all good sequels, this is a continuation and so I will be reviewing this book as the second part to the overall story rather than reflection on any differences between them. It is a part of the story itself and I think its important to remember that.

Stay in the light sees the return of Mina, Ciara, Madeline and of course, the yellow one! Mina has faced some horrible things and it would understandably, leave anyone with scars. I felt that the way this is portrayed was very real in terms of going back to society with an experience that no one would believe or understand and thus creates the atmosphere of isolation and loneliness. Mina does have some character development but she still is the same person in a lot of ways and you can see how much the knowledge she holds affects her and her life.

We do get introduced to new characters who help build the story. Their parts built that familiar suspense and at times I wanted to warn them. By creating this suspense A.M Shine really draws you into the story - I just had to know what happened next!

I throughly enjoyed discovering more about the watchers and their history. Paired with a great comparison of humankind it felt as though it was a story foretold to happen. The book carries the themes of warnings, rules and survival still.

To keep this spoiler free is hard, I have so many more thoughts! Overall, I loved it. The familiarity of the story which first captured my attention was like a soothing balm as I got to take this next step in Minas journey.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Look I'm not saying I had to stop reading this at night-time but......

Horror gloriously interwoven with Irish Myth and Legend. A brilliant sequel to The Watchers.

Any regular readers of this blog may recall that I was very enthusiastic about The Watchers when I read it last year although I did have reservations about the ending.
My problem with the ending was that it was an obvious set up for a sequel. And here is the sequel he set up in those last two pages of The Watchers.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
The biggest strength of The Watchers was the claustrophobic atmosphere that Shine created. Obviously, since this follows the characters in the outside world, that isn't present any more.
Mina is living in hiding in a remote village on the coast, trying to stay away from the creatures that have followed her. Meanwhile, an archeological dig on the Burren (a massive wild area of natural rock formations in Ireland- looks gorgeous in the pictures I googled) is about to uncover something it really shouldn't. the dig is led by the son of the professor who created the Coop from book one.
When Mina hears about the dig on the news, she decides she needs to warn him not to go ahead with it.
This volume does take its time in raising the threat level as high as it was in the first book from almost page one. It does get there though, and the second act is genuinely suspenseful with some pretty damned scary sequences.
The alternating stories, Mina and her race against time, and Sean's experiences on the dig, work to create a palpable sense of danger.
The problem is that he blows the ending. This is clearly (hopefully) book 2 of a trilogy and the story doesn't actually end in any meaningful way. All that build up, and we're left hanging for another year and a bit till the next book. The twist in the tale in Sean's storyline was all too obvious too.
Having said that, the next book should be a right banger and scary as hell from the start. Ireland has some amazing mythology that these books are exploring. There's some scary shit in Irish folklore and these books are taking full advantage. Roll on book

Ah, the sequel to The Watchers - don’t read this novel if you haven’t read that one first! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this - faster paced than the first, more world building and the horror elements were well thought out. I hope for a third novel in the series and, if you enjoyed the first, then you’ll certainly enjoy this one!

What an INCREDIBLE follow up to The Watchers! My heart was RACING the entire time. Couldn’t imagine a better follow up, truly. Loved the aspect of having new characters

I was a huge fan of The Watchers when I read it a couple of years ago. At that time I’d thought I was numb to book based scares, but it was one of those rare books that held me quivering in its cold hand throughout, relentlessly squeezing tighter and tighter until finally releasing me spent and breathless.

Stay In The Light is the sequel to that book and finds us in the not too distant future. Mena is still with us, as is The Yellow One – both holed up in the middle of nowhere wrestling very different demons to cope. An unsteady peace doesn’t last long as it becomes clear that things are far from over with the Watchers, as their power, and their hubris grows.

Meanwhile, an excavation is afoot opening up tombs that should very much remain sealed. What is in those tombs is something that the son of the originally reckless scientist suspects; and when he is proven correct, all hell has been unleashed.

Where AM Shine excels is in building the fear and trepidation. No fast delivery of jump scares or early pay offs. We are toyed with and teased, with tension building and building to a screaming frenzy of drama and literal ground shaking mayhem.

Intelligent, thoughtful, imaginative and unique in its subject matter and delivery – Stay in the Light is a perfect sequel to The Watchers. And do I smell a trilogy or is that just the changelings turning into a facsimile of myself that smells it?

Fantastic book. Thank you for allowing me an ARC to read.

I can't help but feel quite conflicted by this book. A.M. Shine is a phenomenal talent, a brilliant writer, and The Watchers still stands as one of my favourite horror novels of all time. But Stay in the Light, the follow-up to that book, is something of an unnecessary sequel. The ending of the first is open, but it has a real sense of finality, and as such Stay in the Light, for all its positives - the tone, the atmosphere, the moments of pure terror - falls flat. It does look as though a third book in the series is in the works, which I will obviously read as such a fan of his writing, but I am eager to see what awaits the author beyond this ongoing project.

Thank you so much to the publisher for accepting my request to read this novel. I've been waiting for this novel since reading The Watchers.

A.M. Shine has done it again! Another perfect novel that had me gripped from the first page.

I don't read horror novels normally as I scare myself (I've got a great imagination) but A.M Shine is the exception. I will always read novels by him because they are amazing.

Stay in the Light follows on from The Watchers we are back with Mina, coping with the aftermath of escaping The Watchers.
I absolutely loved this novel it's perfect as I imagined it would be.

I really enjoyed The Watchers, I found it genuinely scary but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. Similar to how I felt about Bird Box; there didn't need to be a sequel. It was strong as a stand alone and it seems that there will even be a third book. I will be leaving the series alone now, but I will continue to recommend the first book to others because it really was great.

This one was a very good sequel to the Watchers. I reread the Watchers in anticipation for the ARC of Stay in the Light, and it was amazing to see the characters back again in the sequel. The plot itself was also pretty fun to me, it flows nicely, it's not too difficult to read, and it's definitely due for a reread in the future.

I was really excited about reading this as I absolutely loved The Watchers.
Unfortunately, I think I set my expectations too high as sadly I didn't enjoy this book as much.

If you haven't read the Watchers and want to avoid spoilers please don't read this review!

I was pleased it followed the survivors from the watchers but as I read the first book quite a while ago it took me a while to remember who was who, and what happened.

The story is split into 2 narratives, one following Mina from the first book and unfortunately I found these parts of the book a bit of a drag. I loved Mina in the watchers but she didn't have much to do in this sequel, her chapters were a bit repetitive and I was rushing through them to get to Sean's chapters.
The chapters about Sean and Ash, were much more interesting, tense and more reminiscent of what I enjoyed in the first book.
This story alone would have got four stars. Sean and a team of archeaologists investigate a mysterious underground chamber. These parts were claustrophobic and creepy and I really enjoyed them and learning more about Irish myths.

I was hoping for both these storylines to cross over at the end or for there be more of an exciting conclusion but it just fell a bit flat for me.

I did enjoy it but I think I was expecting more.
Thank you for the chance to read this ARC.

4.5⭐️

Omg this was even better than the first one, I absolutely loved it! It was creepy, claustrophobic and anxiety inducing. I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was racing the whole time I was reading it! 😱

I loved the introduction of Sean. Also loved the development of Mina & Madeline’s characters. I cannot WAIT to see where AM Shine takes this story, I really enjoyed this sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me early access.

My thanks to Netgallery, the author and the publisher for this ARC copy to read and review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

It’s impossible to rate Stay In The Light without comparisons to The Watchers. While this is certainly an accomplished novel in its own right, it unfortunately didn’t reach the same heights as its predecessor. Which is truly a shame, because without those lofty expectations, I’m sure I would have left this feeling much more exhilarated.

It may be a case where expanding the world and raising the stakes actually worked against itself. For me at least. After we learned what the f*** was going on in the first book, this one lacked the mystery and magic that kept me so hooked. And if I'm being honest, the first 35% of Stay in the Light failed to grab me. Thankfully the last half of the book ramps up and is much stronger. The ending and epilogue also implies there will be a third book in the series, which makes some of the issues I had here more understandable. As with many 'middle' books, there's a fair amount of treading water that needs to happen in order to build to the big climax in a final(?) instalment.

Final thought - I would have preferred if Mina had a harder time identifying the watchers. When she notices the tell-tale signs immediately, it destroys any tension or mystery that could be built. I want to be more suspicious of everyone she encounters.

To be clear, I did like this book, despite my nitpicking. I’m glad to have read it and I remain a fan of the author. A.M. Shine is an impressive writer and story-teller, and I will certainly continue with this series and his future works. And Hell, if the worst thing I can say about a book is that it wasn't as outstanding as the last, I think that's a pretty glowing review.

Brilliant, creepy and down right scary! What a good sequel and I was absolutely hooked from the start!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Horror involving Irish folklore may well find itself back in the big time with the arrival of Stay in the Light, the direct sequel to The Watchers (2021). Horror DNA interviewed AM Shine back in 2022, when the brilliant The Creeper was released, and he never gave any indication a sequel was in the works, perhaps the recent film version produced by M. Night Shyamalan has had something to do with it.

I am a massive fan of Irish horror and am happy to share some of my favourite tips once you have sped through AM Shine’s three novels. Neil Sharpson’s gripping Knock Knock, Open Wide is totally unmissable and if you are after a novella then be sure to check out NP Cunniffe’s The Weejee Man. I wish there were more supernatural tales on the market exploring the Emerald Isle’s rich history; there are certainly plenty of authors up to the task. John Connolly and Kealan Patrick Burke would rank high on my list, but this great pair primarily set their books in the USA rather than the land of their birth. Peadar Ó Guilín and Deirdre Sullivan are further top picks, the former author of the stunning YA duology The Call (2016-18), which majestically blends fantasy with Irish folklore and history and the latter the recent Wise Creatures, the haunting story of a damaged child medium.

It is tricky to review Stay in the Light without heading straight into spoiler territory, but name sure you read The Watchers first, as it is a direct sequel with most of the characters returning from the original book. In the opening novel a young woman (Nina) becomes trapped in a remote cabin in the west of Ireland and is unable to escape as there are creatures in the forest who watch their every move. With a few other unfortunates (and a very cool parrot) Nina battles to survive and escape in a very clever spin on the ‘trapped in the woods’ trope, which beautifully taps into Irish folklore and mythology.

Stay in the Light picks up what happens to those who make it back to civilisation, damaged, paranoid, and deeply aware that they are being watched, tracked, and hunted. Mina returns as the main character (thankfully, with parrot again in tow) and one of the novel’s main weaknesses is that very little beyond Mina hiding (and getting continually drunk) actually happened in this narrative. It could also have done with more action sequences, when they happened they were brilliant, such as the scene in the isolated police station which played out like a supernatural version of John Carpenter’s Escape From Precinct 13.

I loved the manner in which the watchers were presented, they could be anywhere, with Mina being able to spot obvious tells, which might also be her own paranoia. However, I also felt that we could have seen more of them as they appeared very sparingly. This was a very atmospheric book, which developed the ideas of Irish mythology explored in the original novel to something more fully formed. It had me dredging up books I read decades ago which featured similar characters, with Bridget Wood’s Wolfking quartet springing to mind.

The connections to The Watchers were skilfully and naturally embedded in Stay in the Light, in particular with Sean Kilmartin, the amateur archaeologist and son of a key character from the original. I am a real sucker for underground horror and this is where this sequel really picks up a head of steam. Dreaming of following in the footsteps of his successful father, he follows clues which leads to an archaeological dig which he hopes will provide answers to many of the big unanswered questions about Ireland’s history and its connection to folklore. A weasel of a man, Kilmartin and a team of students start digging and find underground tunnels which are thousands of years old. These underground sequences were outstanding and if anything the novel needed more of them and they were a real highlight of the novel.

Was Stay in the Light written because of the film version of The Watchers? I’m not sure what the answer is, but it did also feel like the middle part of a trilogy. The ending was terrific and could be seen as either ‘the end’ or setting the scene for a huge all-out war in a potential third part. I’m not sure whether AM Shine wants to write an ‘end of the world’ horror novel, but if he does I will be happy to read it.

“Stay in the Light” A.M Shine

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary: Mina thinks she has escaped the Watchers gaze as she lives in a coastal village in Ireland. However, she discovers someone plans to dig up a site which may contain more of those creatures, and her little safe haven no longer feels secure.

Thoughts:

I received this ARC from Netgalley, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a sequel to the novel, “The Watchers”, so you may feel lost if you don’t read that first. I enjoyed this book a lot, and read it during any free time I had.

I really enjoyed the first book, and was surprised by a sequel, as I felt the first book could have been a solid book on its own. Nevertheless, this book had me on edge at some parts, and thinking how unlucky Mina was. There is a new character, but I don’t want to give anything away, and we do catch up with old characters from the first book.

How this book ends could lead to a third one, which I would love to read, just to see how the author manages it. I do feel the book was a bit slow at first but I still found it interesting and was curious how everything was going to come together.

Again, a huge thanks to Netgalley, I was so excited to be accepted for an ARC. This title is scheduled for 22nd of October 2024, and I will be grabbing it.

What a solid continuation.

I was genuinely surprised and extremely pleased when I was approved for this arc.

I've said this before in my review of the 'The Watchers', the author has a way of creating an atmosphere in his books that makes my skin crawl and it is true for the sequel. I'm usually more interested in horror books that are an isolated incident, standalone books, and 'Stay in the Light' successfully blew my expectations out of the water. I loved every second.

The start is a little bit of a slow-burn as you are reintroduced back in to the world but when the pace picks up, it picks up. It was tense, the stakes were high and I was stressed out. Some parts were so sinister that my mind was whirring.

I loved the lore behind it all, the world building was fun. I sussed out one of the characters pretty early on and loved everything about her storyline, if there is a third book (as there should be) I'll be excited to read more about her.

Excited to see what is next for A.M. Shine.