This is a strange, stylish ride through a world that feels like noir, fantasy, and psychological thriller all rolled into one. The story follows Asher Gale, a once-famous painter who sees colors no one else can. These “higher colors" are more than just artistic flair; they might be connected to the supernatural events unraveling around him in the weird coastal town of Skysill Beach.

The setup is wild in the best way. There’s a dead art dealer’s daughter, a ghost (maybe), a whole bunch of creepy secrets, and Asher caught in the middle of it all. He’s a total mess—addicted, haunted by his past, and not always easy to root for—but he’s interesting, and you want to see where his story goes.

Hincker’s writing is super visual and kind of trippy at times, which works given the surreal vibe of the book. If you’re okay with stories that lean more atmospheric than linear, this one’s a treat.

Really enjoyed this! Flew though it within a couple of days. Currently catching up to my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

I love me a goooood anti-hero! Add a murder mystery and the Supernatural to that? And you've got my perfect book. I cannot wait to get to the rest of the series

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very well written and the world was amazing. I loved all the twists and turns the book took. It kept me on my toes, that’s for sure. I will be reading more by this author for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 9/14/2023. Some books, you just have to roll with them. You have to relax your brain and flow through on the vibes. This book is 100% that way. You step into a world that's already fully built, led by a character who has little to no interest in easing your transition into it, and you get a dead body within 10 minutes of reading. That's a nutshell, of course, and there is more depth to it all but it is a vibe read. There is some sort of magical realism going on - at least when it comes to the main character Asher Gale, once an artistic prodigy, now a cynical smartass with Special Eyes and a proclivity to seeing things that he shouldn't which send his brain into experience-seeking sociopath or twitching color-saturation. If you are fluent in art and color and technique, you might be able to catch some things an average dabbler like me miss, though. The author clearly has the world and its logistics and rules in his head but, since the book is in first person and Asher is... difficult, we the reader don't get as much help as we might like. In the end, I just told my higher logic brain to be quiet and coasted on the lush descriptions, witty banter, and a plot that moved in starts and stops.

Asher, btw, is the sort of trainwreck that you either love or hate. He's rather John Constantinian if you get my drift. An asshole but strangely charming, smart but a complete idiot, determined to push everyone away but cannot possibly unclench from those he loves. His sister is a bloody martyr and I love her. His possible love interest is pretty charming if possibly insane to be going with him. The creepy paint store owner is super annoying (I can't remember her name but I remember her making me eye-roll exceedingly hard).

Overall, it was a very interesting read and I would like to see what he does in the next books. However, it fell apart when I thought too deeply or searched too hard for a coherency. So strap in, get a drink, and ride the color highway to a weird AF world with potential.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book for an honest review.

Murder mystery meets urban fantasy.
I definitely judge a book by its cover, ajd this book had me intrigued!

Asher is a likeable character and the premise of this story really allows the character to shine with his speciality. I liked the ideas the author brought to the story. I'm not sure if I would continue to read the series, as it isn't to my personal preference to read anything longer than a trilogy. But I would recommend to readers who enjoy an mystery and happy to invest in a long series.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Thank you to the publisher and NeGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I unfortunately had to DNF this book at 46% after realizing I am not the intended audience for it.

This book is about a former painter who is able to see a higher spectrum of colors, only visible to people who have this gift and a whole secret community is built around people with this gift. Asher Gale the main character finds himself investigating a dark and deadly mystery.

I think this is a great magical thriller/suspense novel - it just isn't the genre I prefer to read. I thought it would have more fantasy elements but it leans more paranormal/thriller.

The plot and mystery really hooked me and I would love to find out how it all resolves in the end, however the writing style is not for me. I found a the some details confusing to keep track of. The thriller.paranormal aspect will really appeal to those who enjoy scary or spooky stories/movies/video games because the events have an undertone of tension.

This book is also set in a small, seaside town so it will appeal to those who enjoy unlikely protagonists, spooky thrillers and unique urban fantasy.

I do not feel like I understood a whole lot of what was going on in this novel. I appreciate that it was different and there was a glossary with terms and a map. But I had a difficult time following the main character and definitely didn't care for the main character. I hope the next few novels ties things up.

I'm in my mystery and fantasy era, and picking up this book was a nice addition to my list. I was really intrigued with the premise of the book, but more than that, it kept me intrigued until the end. The magic system, twists, and pacing were all great. I enjoyed learning who Asher is and what made him so unique, and the author did a great job getting me to like him. Even the writing style, which at times I was a little slow to fully grasp, made me feel like I was in this town and with these characters. I wish there was more imagery to it, which sounds strange for a book with good descriptions, but I was having a hard time imagining "higher colors." I will be picking up the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this book!

The Book of Light by Kevin Hincker
⭐⭐💫
#netgalley published 9/14/23
#selfpublished
#mystery #fantasy

I tried, I really did. I just could not continue. I loved the sound of the story. It's different. It's new. But nope. Not for me. It might still be for you. I had recently read a book about scents and was fascinated by it. So I thought a book about colors would be just as great. Sorry. This book was not for me. I know I said that already but...

The writing in the beginning seemed choppy to me. Sometimes when picking up a book by a new author, I need to get used to the cadence of their writing. I never managed to get used to it. For me, most of the sentences remained choppy and awkward.

I was hoping for spectacular descriptions of visuals by specific color names. But not as much as I had expected. Descriptions happened but not fluidly as I had hoped. I am a crafter into jewelry. A sewist. I know colors by pretty specific names. It just didn't really happen. And the way the MC could see "higher" colors just didn't work for me. The descriptions of these higher colors didn't make sense in my head. I kept trying. But I just could not keep going any more.

I'm sorry. This was a DNF for me.

#theghostwiththeknifeatherthroat
#thebookoflight #kevinhincker
#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #bookreview

i loved the author's writing in this and i am hopeful he will write more hopefully successful works in the future. i loved the blend of genres

So I ended up listening to this on audible-I didn't know it was previously released. While I did enjoy the originality and dry sense of humor to this the AI voice narration is a HUGE distractor from the story. This series is funny, original and I will continue reading it but I will be reading it and not listening to it.
I'm planning a post with sprayed edged to the physical copy (I'm crafting it) and a colorful vodka based cocktail (Asher would want it that way) LOL
Are there any physical copies that you can send me? Like a hardcover? I can only find paperback
Thank you for letting me have this ARC

What just happened? 😅

This book has such a complex and very interesting magic system (for lack of better words). It jumps right into it and I was a little confused at first, but it wasn’t hard to follow.

A unique story. I enjoyed this one, but I’m still not sure if I will move on to the second in the series.

I enjoyed this read, it was a little slow to start but once it did I was INVESTED! I enjoyed the urban fantasy feel and the tense nature that was Asher Gale. And can. We discuss the ending?! The last 20% of the book I couldn’t stop turning pages!


Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Ghost with a Knife at Her Throat is a title that led me to expect a gothic, but instead it is a twisty and witty thriller, cleverly written, with a novel fantasy-tinged premise and an unlikely hero. It reminded me a little bit of The Tainted Cup -one of my favorite books of 2024. Another murder mystery where the main character's atypical abilities. Read this book to find out about Skysill Beach and its secrets. This one is best going in fairly blind. I enjoyed the story, the prose, the characters enough that I will auto-buy book 2.

Name of Book: The Ghost with the Knife at Her Throat
Author: Kevin Hincker
Series: History of Light Book #1
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Independently Published by the Author
Pub Date was: September 23, 2023
My Rating: 2.6 rounded up
Pages: 304

Story is based in Skysill Beach a small beach artist colony in Southern California.
(Living in Southern California Laguna Beach of course came to my mind. Once know has a large hippie community now very much a tourist attraction with small unique shops no big chain stores, many small beach lodging and a few big luxury Hotels.)

Asher Gale is able to see beyond the normal colors. This talent pulls him into a murder mystery following a ghost instead of drinking at his favorite bar.
Asher wants to solve the murder of a wealthy art dealer’s daughter so uses ultraviolet colors.

True this isn’t my normal Psychological Thriller or Cozy Mystery (Yes I love both I realize that Psychological and Cozy typically aren’t in the same sentence or genre.)

This story is Book #1 in the five book series “The History of Light”
It was an okay read. Yes there are four more in this series all release and Book #5 has a Pub Date of May 15, 2024
• Book # 2 [book: The Question in the Dancer’s Kiss] – Book of Sound
• Book #3 [book: The Shadow Waiting on the Throne] – Book of Scent
• Book #4 [book: The Sacrifice the Dead will Make] – Book of Taste
• Book #5 [book: The Curse at the End of the World] Book of Touch

About the Author- Kevin Hincker! His bio states that he writes speculative fiction for curious readers!

Want to thank NetGalley and Independent Publisher Kevin Hincker for this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date was – September 23, 2023.

I think this was a great book if you enjoy the writing style. I tried to love it, as one friend recommended this to me, but I really struggled to get into this and it took me over 10 days to complete.

The narrator is sassy, the premise is intriguing, and it is a very colorful prose that is used. But it unfortunately it was not for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This book was fantastic! I loved how sassy the main character was throughout the entire book and was pleasantly surprised to find that this was book 1 in a series. Murder mystery Fantasy. What’s not to like? The unique magical elements through the book led me on a roller coaster of beautiful world-building and plot twists I did not see coming.

This book was a unique masterpiece that must’ve taken the mind of a genius. This story is one that will not only confuse me but one which I will treasure forever, simply because of the different aspects. I have never read anything like it and I am so grateful I was able to experience the rollercoaster of emotions, information, and development. I’m not going to lie, there was so much information that I needed to comprehend with every page that it tired me out easily. However, even then I still found myself coming back every time not even a few hours later. This book had me constantly on my toes and always thinking. Even now letting it all sink in for a few days I still find myself thinking back to the intricate details and plot of this novel. The Ghost with a knife at her throat by Kevin Hlncker is a true masterpiece.