Just when you think that there can’t possibly be another angle of vampire lore to explore, along comes Liz Kerin. First Light is the sequel to last year’s startlingly fresh Night’s Edge. It picks up a few months from where Night’s Edge left off, and having already taken care of the world-building part, Liz Kerin is able to go straight into bat with action that doesn’t let up for the entire novel.

Sara numbers have exploded, and Sara centres are not the scary jail-like establishments they were once thought to be-more like serviced apartment complexes and fancy hotels (with appropriate security measures). A medication has been developed which allows Saras to be exposed to daylight for a few hours when taken. Life seems to have returned to a new-normal, however ADAPT are rapidly expanding, with a burgeoning group of clandestine followers who believe that they are the next step in the evolutionary chain, and who aren’t afraid to shed civilian blood in order to achieve their goals (and sate their thirst).

Using the same duel timeframe format that was so effective the first time around, we join Mia on the road as she and her travel companion make their way to a Red Market (a type of underground marketplace where Saras can acquire all manner of goods from burn creams to pay-by-the-minute bleeders). Mia is out for revenge on those who turned her mother into a monster, however she soon finds out that ‘good and evil’ aren’t such straightforward concepts.

Both of these books deal with heavy themes, especially relating to parental abuse; domestic violence/coercive control; co-dependency and substance abuse, and the vampire allegory is a clever way to delve deeper into these issues (as well as the obvious pandemic comparison). In saying that, it’s also just a really good vampire story.

I loved Mia as a protagonist. Her journey from sheltered young girl forced to grow up too quickly, to independent woman with a cross to bear was so satisfying, and I really felt her conflicting allegiances and complex feelings towards her mum, Devon, Saras and the people around her. As well as writing fleshed-out characters, something else Liz Kerin does an incredible job of is scene setting - she captures the essence of the various landscapes so well that you feel like you are there - from the scorching heat of the desert in Arizona; to the sights and sounds and smells of the New York subway; and the freezing, desolate snow covered hills of Colorado in winter. I could picture it all so clearly in my head as I was reading - I really hoped it gets optioned for TV again, I’m dying to see it bought to life (bad vampire pun?).

Liz Kerin is a writer who has hit her stride and is revelling in it - I had to fight the urge to race through it because because I didn’t want it to end, however, I was completely satisfied with its resolution, and felt a bittersweet sense of completion. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR Publishing group for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Kerin's sequel to Night's Edge returned with many of my favorite aspects of the first book: heart-pounding suspense, complicated characters, and carefully considered worldbuilding. A few story points felt stilted, especially Mia's relationship(s). Overall, First Light continues a fresh take on the vampire genre and is a satisfying conclusion to the duology.

First Light is the most fitting sequel we can get for last year's Night's Edge. If you enjoyed the first book and wanted more, this one is perfect for you. We follow Mia once again, and I personally love how she is handling the emotions in dealing with the events from the first book while growing as a character. The way the past is addressed will make you vividly recall the first book, especially if it's fresh in your mind - and there are a lot of new developments to keep you satisfied (and surprised) with the progression of the story. Also, the writing is just beautiful. 

First Light and Night's Edge will be best appreciated as a two-part story. I recommend picking up both and enjoying the journey. 

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the ARC!

In the sequel to Night’s Edge, we follow Mia navigating her new world without her mother. Desperate to seek revenge on the man who caused her turmoil, she finds herself along the way in a world where Saras are struggling to survive.

My heart has a special place for Night’s Edge and although First Light was different than I expected I still enjoyed it immensely. I found the “apocalyptic vibes” to be atmospheric and moody often leaving me to see the bleakness of a world where Sara’s are slowly dying out.

I also found the two timelines to be interesting and I particularly enjoyed Mia’s life leading up to the life changing event that sets her on a path of sweet revenge and finding herself.

I was disappointed by a choice the author made for Mia but that was more personal to me and I understand why the author made that decision.

Although I didn’t feel the gut wrenching heart break of Night’s Edge, I adored this book and will continue to support this author.

It's rare the sequel is better than the original book, but damn this killed it. I'm totally here for the darker Twilight vibes of vampires we are getting in books lately! First Light finds our messy female protagonist feeling guilty for unaliving her mom and sees her grapple with and accept and recognizes her childhood trauma! Finally, there's some sapphic sexiness, a vampire cult and a HEA in the end! Honestly more than I ever knew I wanted. Excited to see what Liz Kerin does next!

4⭐️

This a really solid sequel and conclusion to Mia's story. I was curious how the story would continue after the end of First Light. Honestly I would have been completely been fine with First Light being stand alone though too.

This book picks up a little farther in the future after the end of the first book. It's told again in multiple timelines. Mia is in search of Devon and is struggling still with many emotions regarding him and what all happened in book 1.

Kerin does an excellent job in this book handling complex characters/relationships and all the complicated emotions that come with it. I did enjoy the characters a bit more in book one but I thought this one was really well done as well.

There are a few choices and developments in the story that occurred that stopped it from being a perfect book for me. Some of the revelations did do a great job bringing out some strong feelings in me good or bad. The pacing sometimes was a bit off for me, the middle sometimes dragging but then the last part full accelerator down.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

NIGHT'S EDGE was a sharp and vital addition to the vampire canon, but FIRST LIGHT is somehow even stronger. Liz Kerin has a gift for writing human monsters, which allows her work to function both as incisive examinations of humanity and thrilling horror stories at the same time. Mia's journey builds to one hell of a crescendo too -- the last 70 or so pages really zip by, leaving you a little stunned. It's a masterful follow-up and the duology should go down as an instant classic.

Night's Edge was one of my favourite reads last year, so I was very excited to get my hands on the sequel. I really enjoyed this one as well!

Stellar grip and fast-paced writing, paired with a strong voice. I stopped after the first section but easy three stars, four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

Quite literally the sequel I never knew I needed. Dare I say this was even better than the first book? Mia is such a captivating protagonist and I love this journey Kerin takes us on. I didn’t think a sequel would work but damn does it. I loved that Night’s Edge had dual timelines and was happy to see it return here. It made me not want to put the book down because every chapter ended in such an interesting manner. As far as originality goes for a vampire story, this one outdoes itself. Like this isn’t no couple vampires in a forest, this is a full on world event. I especially liked how Kerin tackled rights and humanity for an underrepresented population and it felt like it had a larger meaning. There’s a whole mountain of TW, but I definitely felt the most impacted by the toxic relationships and gaslighting. First Light ends in an incredibly satisfying way and I love how everything came together. Overall, if you loved the first one then reading this one is a no-brainer. You’ll absolutely enjoy it. Highly recommend to fans of the vampire sub-genre, books that tackle difficult family relationships, and fallible main characters you can’t help but root for.

I was so excited to get a chance to read this and I was not disappointed! This is everything I wanted the follow up to nights edge to be. I can’t wait for this to release!

The biggest thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the eARC!

Every once in a while, a book manages to take me completely by surprise. I pick it up without knowing
too much, dive in, and get very, very lost in its pages. Liz Kerin’s Night’s Edge was certainly one of those
novels that knocked me squarely off my feet. The story of Mia and her strained relationship with her
toxic mother is the subject of this first novel, one that ends in shambles. Never have I read a piece of
literature that so authentically and brutally examines narcissistic relationships and the lifestyle of
attempting to appease those who never will be satisfied. More impressive is the creative lens in which
we view these conflicts as the world has fallen prey to a pandemic of vampirism. That’s right, Mia’s
mother is blood-sucking in more than one way. When I realized there would indeed be a sequel, First
Light, I knew I would probably be just as emotionally wrecked as before, but nothing could prepare me
for the love I have found for this story.

It’s important to note that I’m writing this with tears in my eyes given I just read the last few pages of
First Light, a book that sprints headlong into darkness, unafraid of harsh truths, yet delivers one of the
most optimistic endings I’ve read in months. The events of this novel jump around a bit with past and
present timelines, but essentially things pick right back up where we left Mia. Life as she’s known it has
been completely flipped upside down as she tries to navigate the world she only knew through the
limited scope her mother allowed. Ultimately, Mia finds herself living in New York City, wrestling with
her sense of stability, ambition, identity, and purpose.

The phrase, “Wherever you go, there you are” frequently resurfaced in my mind as Mia describes her
“second shadow.” While she can physically relocate herself from a place that brought happiness
matched with unfathomable pain, the emotional turmoil Mia struggles with cannot be left in Arizona.
Many of the arbitrary rules established by her mother to keep them “safe” are obsolete now. In the
stark light of freedom, Mia experiences a paralysis of sorts, a distrust for the ability to break those
arbitrary rules.

“She never shows herself for long. A split-second shudder, and my shadow twin is gone. I still feel
her, though. That added weight. Watching me. Is she watching me or is she
watching over me? There’s a difference. Right now, I don’t know.”

Kerin manages to illustrate the haunting nature of the lingering effects of someone who overpowers
your life, your will. This is a horror novel that thrives on the terrors of grief, loss, and coming to terms
with your own loss of self.

To boot, Kerin’s pacing is light-speed with the two separate timelines converging at the culmination of
Mia’s past and where she is heading. I truly had a hard time putting this book down and often found
myself so adrift in the pages that I lost track of time. Mia’s emotional strife steers many of the decisions
she makes, for better or worse. There is a dynamic nature to First Light in that we are witness to
numerous transformations and evolutions of multiple characters. It’s a thrilling journey that is laced with
heart-wrenching prose and an unflinching examination of the complex emotions established during a
traumatic time in Mia’s life.

Perhaps the best amalgamation of the trauma Mia endured as a child is Devon himself, the Sara
(vampire) who changed Mia’s mother in Night's Edge. While he could be solely blamed for the state of
her childhood, Mia’s response to Devon is complex. In bringing so much strife to her life, he was also a
constant and one of the few people who knew Mia’s mother as well as she did. His reappearance in
Mia’s life also equates to the arrival of a multitude of emotions. There’s something so clear and fluid in
the presentation of these feelings that are normally so hard to place and describe. Kerin has all of my
applause and respect for finding words for feelings that are normally nameless ghosts.

Above all, the journey we take with Mia may be bloody, horrific, gruesome, and traumatic, but in the
end, Kerin’s conclusion makes this unyielding heartache more than worth it. Coming to terms with the
brutality of one’s past is never a light-hearted affair and doesn’t instill emotions of optimism and hope.
Yet, the characters within this story shine with grit, determination, and above all, resiliency. Mia finds a
place of understanding regarding her relationship with her mother, one that doesn’t force forgiveness
for all sins.

“I do not forgive her for what she did to me. The way she hijacked my childhood and shunned the
woman I became. But I forgive her for the places she found solace. Even the places I’d never enter
myself. I know who she was, as I know who she became, as intimately as I know every scar on my
body. Scars that still itch. Even rupture when I don’t expect them to. But there’s room for
forgiveness between the edges of my pain. Maybe someday, I’ll be able to live in the space
where the two truths meet.”

The distinction of recognition and forgiveness with grace between those two spaces is one of the most
beautiful concepts I’ve come across in literature. Through both Night’s Edge and First Light, a certain
ease can be found in the certainty of Kerin’s words and the story she chooses to tell. I feel as though I
have been equally haunted and emotionally moved by Mia’s story, one that reaches a conclusion with
this second novel. While I’m heartbroken to be saying goodbye, I cannot be more comforted and
touched by her ending. Liz Kerin, you have a forever fan.