I found this book very confusing and to be quite honest lacking a story worth my time, I wasn’t a fan of the narrator and that may have contributed to my dislike
Not for me but I am sure many will enjoy

A few months after the events of The Watchers, Mina is hiding in a secluded cottage on the west coast of Ireland. Meanwhile, Sean Kilmartin, the son of the original Kilmartin, embarks on an expedition to prove his father's theories. The narrative unfolds in parallel, with the first half focusing on Mina’s emotional breakdown, while Sean’s story gradually builds tension and mystery. It’s around the 50% mark that the pace intensifies.

I appreciated this approach to the sequel as it fleshes out the story allowing the reader to take a breath from the first one. It enables readers to explore Mina’s recovery after the traumatic events of the first book, while also letting the author steadily increase the excitement through Sean’s storyline. This dual narrative also weaves in new layers of mythology, enhancing the story.

Overall, this is an excellent sequel to The Watchers and a strong middle book in what I expect will be a trilogy.

I don’t know what it is, but I really couldn’t follow this book. I started listening to the audiobook version but I just couldn’t keep up with who was what and what was going on so I had to stop listening.
One star from me therefore I’m afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus audiobooks for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

I saw The Watchers at the cinema a few months ago, so I figured I'd try this even though I haven't read the first book, so it still made sense, without prior knowledge, it would probably still be just about manageable to understand though.

Anyway, this was okay, not my favourite. I love the Yellow One but he's about the only one I actually care about. It's well written and the folklore and mythology bits are great fun, those were my favourite. Just not a book for me I don't think, but I can tell it'll be good for other readers.

Happy to try the first one though.

I was excited to read this having loved the authors previous book and this did not disappoint
This was creepy, tense and well paced with a dark atmosphere
I particularly enjoyed the Irish myth woven in to the story which is something I am interested in
The narrator was excellent and this was hard to put down!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Not always one for this kind of genre, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this audio. It was a little scary for me in parts but that’s the point right haha. A good narration made it very atmospheric and I thought the twisty plot worker so well with the premise of the book. Characters worked so well and it overall would be a great book for people who liked books such as The Last House on Nedless Street and The Retreat. Great job

Format Review 🎧
Okay, so I loved this narrator. Firstly, she’s got a beautiful Irish accent which heightens the authenticity and sense of place in this book. While the book was slow at times, it was thoroughly enriched through her performance and she made it a joy to listen to. I don’t think I’ve ever been glued to an audiobook the way that I was with Stay in the Light and I’m not sure I would have rocketed through this if I’d been reading it myself! Format Rating: 5/5

Story Review 📖
The Watchers was one of my favourite folk horror books of all time and a perfect ending. When this sequel was announced, I was skeptical (how does one improve on perfection?) but curious too!

Unlike its predecessor, this is a slow burn. We spend a lot of time with Mina as she processes her trauma from book one through alcoholism, which makes up the first 30% of the book. We spend time with some familiar characters and we’re also introduced to Professor Kilmartin’s son (who is a total dick). As always, The Yellow One is a bright spot among these complex and difficult-to-like characters. The story itself is very thin on the ground and almost seems to be setting up a third book rather than standing on its own merits.
What I found most difficult about this book was how it explained and delved into the folklore around the Watchers, a creature which may have worked better as a creepy unknown. While I enjoyed the foray into Irish folklore, I found that calling the Watchers ‘fairies’ deeply undermined their creepiness and having their origin story explained didn’t work as well as letting our imaginations run wild and fill in the blanks.

While a middling AM Shine book is still better than most stuff out there, I wish he’d used his exquisite prose, powerful storytelling, and rich world building to create a new universe rather than drawing out a perfect book into what might now be a series. Story Rating: 3.5/5

I was privileged to have my request to listen to this audio book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, Head of Zeus!