Cruel is the Light

Vampire Hunter D + Helsing + A whole ton of Angst = Cruel is the Light

Oh. My. Goodness. Where do I even begin? This book opens on a banger and ends on a banger. There was so much that happened in this book but it all worked. I really liked the world building in this. The whole demon and exorcist was a really cool concept. It also blended a little bit of New age with the weapons that they were using. Secrets, mystery, and corruption are at the heart of this story and is woven throughout the whole book. And this is a big book. It is definitely intimidating, especially for a young adult novel, where the beginning spends so long building the world and then keeping the interest through all 450+ pages. Personally, some of the twists were very easy to read as someone who does epic fantasy quite a bit but I still found the whole experience enjoyable.

And then you have Selene Alleva and Jules Lacroix and lets talk about the angst and tension! Jules is a foot soldier who gets into some trouble and has to desert. However, after some events - Selene wants to know more about him and his mysterious past and his connection to a very powerful demon. To keep his identity a secret and to sneak him into the Vatican, they pose him as Selene's fiance (who no one has seen for over 7 years). Que all the sexual tension between the two as it's clear they drive each other insane, in more than one way. I really loved the teasing back and forth and they way they affected each other. But they are more than just that. The action sequences were breathtaking as they showed off how talented they both were.

Overall, Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark is full of fighting, politics, and angst - everything you would expect in a Romantasy book! While the reading age is recommended starting at 12, I would be very hesitant on younger Readers with this book. There is a lot of world building which can be overwhelming and not so easy to follow. There is also a lot of gore and sexual references. This is definitely for a mature audience so any older teen should be okay reading this, as long as they are mature enough to handle the content. And if you enjoy romantasy -- I would absolutely recommend this book.

AUDIO REVIEW
I was lucky enough to listen to this on audio and I'm so glad I did. With bigger books, sometimes I find it easier to have it on audio and listening along. I did have to restart it because I wasn't paying close attention in the beginning and lost a lot of the world building. So if you are newer to audiobooks or can't digest intricate fantasy, I would recommend reading this. FIona Hardingham though is one of my all time favorite authors and I will always choose to listen to her read! Ethan Reid and Steve West also help narrate this book and do an amazing job as well.