— 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"She was a Roman exorcist. Protector of humanity. And sometimes that meant forgoing hers."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 512 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sophie Clark
⏳ 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: Duology
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Penguin Books
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 23 January 2025

What you can expect:
— Young Adult Crossover Romantasy
— Third Person X Dual POV
— Enemies-To-Lovers
— Fake Engagement
— Exorcist X Soldier
— Humans X Demons At War
— Forced Proximity
— Only One Bed
— Knife To Throat
— Forbidden Love
— Good Vs. Evil

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: descriptive elements of a war setting, blood & mild gore, injury, adult language, self-harm for magical intent, family loss (discussed), mild sexual encounters.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Debut author Sophie Clark has delivered on our newest Romantasy obsession to devour in 2025 with the first instalment in the Cruel is the Light duology. I was immediately enraptured from the very first page as we are thrust into a centuries-old bloodthirsty war between humanity and the demons who wish to smother it. The action-packed beginning had my mind whirring with the well-developed world building so I definitely recommend taking the first 10-15% of the book slowly to better absorb its contents. After this the plot was smooth sailing with its well paced and descriptive writing which mentally transported me into an entirely new world. I'm a visual reader that often will pause at the end of a chapter to run through the events that I just read in my mind, and I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional journey that this book took me on. Many secrets are unveiled where foes may find themselves as allies, and allies may become foes... so you absolutely don't want to miss this spellbinding first instalment to the Cruel is the Light duology. The ending was satisfactory whilst leaving enough intrigue to leave you feeling eager for book two, so it's safe to say that I'm utterly obsessed and will be counting down the months in 2025 as I await news on the conclusion to this epic tale.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
The steady building plot found within Cruel is the Light felt purposeful and well utilised with the space that it was given to grow whilst leaving enough left unsaid to leave you vying for more. I was immediately intrigued by the version of Rome that has been plagued by a war between humans and demons for centuries, and I had the best experience watching the truth unravel over time. The world felt entirely unique whilst sprinkled with a hint of reality with its locations that made it a much smoother reading experience. I was constantly trying to distinguish between what was sold as fact in comparison to the underlying truth as Jules and Selene desperately trying to discover Jules's origins and what makes him so important to the demons. Despite my best efforts I was constantly in a state of shock and awe at the never-ending revelations and plot twists that span across the entire story. I was fully immersed into the reading experience to the point that I struggled with putting the book down and heading off to fulfil my adult responsibilities, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I knew I'd discovered a new immediate favourite within the first 100 pages. Clark's vivid writing brought the world and its ongoing plot to life before my very eyes, and after that jaw-dropping ending I'm very eager to see this world expand and evolve with its plot in the sequel to this unputdownable duology.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Selene Alleva is a memorising, contradictory and multi-layered main character to follow on this action packed journey full of personal challenge, pain and hard truths. Known for her reputation as the Butcher of Rome, Selene is a young woman who inspires more fear and awe in her mere seventeen years of life than most hope to achieve within their lifetime. Her skills and innate talent as an exorcist is widely known... as is her shut-off exterior and lack of personal connections. Selene's sole purpose in life is to act in defence of Rome and its human inhabitants, and to loyally serve the Vatican and their fallen God. Fear is an ever present theme that is explored during Cruel is the Light and I loved getting to see the softer exteriors deeply hidden under Selene's protective layers. Not even the fearless can exist without the presence of fear, and Selene Alleva is the perfect example of that. Selene isn't a character who immediately jumps into feelings of compassion and empathy. She is wholly misunderstood character who has been forced to carry too much death and responsibilities on her shoulders from such a young age, and we are faced with the realities of her life as a result. I enjoyed getting to explore her underlying vulnerabilities and subtle growths from beginning to end, however there's no doubt that her fierce and resilient nature are what made me fall in love with her. Selene is like a feral creature who is unapologetic in who she is and I loved that for her. Selene knows her own power and recognises that she quite simply is better than most, and it's not something she seeks to flaunt or boast about. Selene simply is and refuses to diminish her own potential for the comfort of others. She regards a challenge as a simple part of life and didn't quake under pressure as the events in her life continue to become more severe. Selene is a fiercely loyal character who has never truly been faced with another to consider an equal, however those that she does care for are cherished and fought for. Despite having been rigid in her beliefs and faith, Selene's ability to adapt and learn was admirable and I cannot wait to see where her story will lead in book two.

Jules Lacroix is a mystery that Selene Alleva is determined to solve. Soldier. Orphan. Deserter. Those are the titles that have followed Jules during of his short life and he is committed to finding much needed answers in a world that is intent on keeping him in the shadows. When a high-ranking demon begins to show up in every place that is important to him, it's more important than ever for Jules to find the answers he desperately seeks before more lives are lost. I absolutely adored Jules as a main character and love interest. Despite being surrounded by the scent of death and environment of a brutal war Jules has not allowed his circumstances to cloud his heart, nor darken his sunshine personality. Having faced more loss than anybody else he knows, Jules has gotten used to the life as a lonely soldier who isn't promised the next day. Seeing him grip tight onto the few friendships that he had broke my heart as it was clear that Jules still had a lot of love and loyalty to give. As a fierce opponent on the battlefield and a gentle-natured friend, lover and companion... Jules is the ultimate book boyfriend who I constantly wanted to hug and reassure. His budding relationship with Selene was hilarious as he regarded her with equal part respect and equal part fear... and their dynamic constantly left me wheezing with laughter. He's openly vulnerable when his trust is earned and I loved seeing him flourish the more the plot continued to progress. Many revelations were made about his character to it's safe to say that I'm very eager to see where his storyline will lead in the conclusion to this duology.

Sparrow quickly became a favourite side character of mine with his imposing and alluring presence, and his unique companionship with Selene. His character is shrouded in mystery and I suspect there is much to be discovered about his history and what lead him to the circumstances in which we find him in. It needs to be said that if it had been me being propositioned against the wall by Sparrow....well, I certainly wouldn't be able to refuse him. I suspect (and hope) that he will have a much larger role to play in the upcoming events in book two, and his character seems like the perfect introduction to (hopefully) explore in his own book. I was mesmerised by Sparrow's on-page presence and I honestly wish that we have gotten even more of him in Cruel is the Light. But then again... maybe I'm just being selfish. His acquaintance with Selene was a hilarious and sometimes volatile dynamic to follow as they struggled to find a common ground to stand on. Sparrow views Selene as a self-righteous girl who has no regard for anybody but himself, and he seemed to take great enjoyment in ruffling her feathers. There is definitely an opening for further development between the pair and I'm very curious to see if Selene and Sparrow will make it to the other side as friend or foe...

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
"Smooth" is the last word that you could use to describe the relationship development between Jules Lacroix and Selene Alleva.. Tumultuous? Yes. Volatile? At times. The chemistry and tension between the pair was palpable and I found myself constantly grinning like a creepy person after every single one of their interactions. Seeing Jules and Selene trying to navigate their fake engagement in an environment that would cut them down and separate them at every given chance. Their ability to work at a team was anything but seamless... and yet the pair were determined to make it work in their desperate bid for answers. Jules sunny exterior was the perfect opposite to Selene and I loved watching them grow and development independently and as a team. Jules in particular challenged Selene and often forced her to look outside of the wall that she had been raised within. To look over that wall and see what mysteries could be solved on the other side. I was forever sitting in anticipation for that "will they, won't they moment?" and I was squealing with excitement when that moment finally arrived. Jules and Selene's development wasn't linear and faced many setbacks and complications, but ultimately their trust and affection for the other would come out on top. It was an ultimate slow-burn romance that felt purposeful and well developed... however their story is not yet over and it's safe to say that I'm nervous. Also... jealous Jules and jealous Selene? Swoon. Immediate swoon. Their stubbornness to accept their mutual attraction was in-turn fed back to the reader with those delicious, tension-filled moments of jealously. Jules and Selene have become a new favourite couple of mine and I cannot wait to see where their journey will lead in the sequel.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
To say I'm obsessed with Cruel is the Light is an understatement. I didn't want to put this book down and I was absolutely gutted when I reached the end. I'm going to need to join an emotional support group in the wait for book two. My only thing to note is that this book is being marketed as YA which I believe is typically recommended for those aged 13/14 and above. I would definitely argue that this book is either 'upper' YA or even New Adult. I expect to see any alluded sexual content to be 'fade-to-black- in a YA book, however Cruel is the Light does contain a (mild) descriptive and brief scene with sexual intent. It is in no way overly graphic as you would see in a Adult book, however there is no denying that it is sexual content so I'm merely flagging this for those unaware to make the right decision for you. I'm so excited for book two and I'm internally crying that the earliest this will be released is 2026, so I'll be re-reading to fill that void as I eagerly await on news.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

I was so lucky to receive a physical ARC of this too at Waterstones BookFest and can I just say it's as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

This was everything I hoped it would be and more: enemies to lovers, fake engagement, magic, demons, war, and an exorcist and a soldier being forced to work together as they fight growing feelings between them.

There are so many characters that I loved, Selene and Jules being the two most prominent, however a special shoutout to Sparrow and Kian - they have my heart at the moment! I will be obsessed with all these characters for a long time yet! The pacing was great, the world and magic was incredible, and the twists and turns as the characters (and reader) discover the different secrets had me wanting more.

I will be recommending this to all, especially if you’ve loved the Shadowhunters series and/or Divine Rivals!