I loved the history of the world, finding out the mysteries and mythology, the magic system, and delving into a very different kind of Catholic Church. I really liked Jules and could understand his struggles. Everything else, though, I could do without.

There were so many passages that were confusing and I had to reread pages to try and follow the thread of conversation and changes in character emotion. Even after doing that, I often couldn’t understand what had caused a change in the way a character was to speaking to someone else. If they were angry then suddenly became super friendly. Characters seemed to make random choices based on random motivations.

The fight scenes were just as confusing and very difficult to follow.

I think this book had an intimate scene, but I can’t be sure of that either. Even if it was being written euphemistically, it was really badly done.

I didn’t like the FMC. Why anyone bothers to help Selene, considering the way she treats them, I can’t say. Instalust I could get behind, but the instalove in this book isn’t believable.

Another pet peeve: Why put a character in the Dramatis Personae if they are only going to die in the first chapter? And then only mentioned in passing once more.

3.5 rounded up to 4
I'm gonna be so fr when I tell y'all I had no idea wtf was going on in this book for a solid 30% of it. I thiiiink I fully understood the plot by the end, but you're just thrown straight to the wolves with this world. That being said, I was still vibing and having a good time reading, especially because of the brewing romance. Jules was so flirty and Selene was so grumpy, and the way they played off of each other was perfect. I will absolutely need a reread prior to book 2 which I will be reading if only for the relationships.

I received this as an ARC, and really enjoyed it! There is some fun light banter between Jules and Selene. I also loved how drops of both Italian and French are used throughout the book to help paint the background of them being from two different “worlds” Nice and Rome. I don’t want to give too much away, but I genuinely recommend checking this out if you haven’t already!

For fans of:
-angels and demons
-city of bones vibes
-young adult romantasy
-self discovery

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

3.5 -

Quite well written (if a bit melodramatic at times), with a plot that sort of reminded me both of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series and Shelby Mahurin's Serpent & Dove books. Cool worldbuilding, action-packed, and endlessly romantic. Recommended!

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2025, and sadly it left me a little disappointed. Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark is YA romantasy about an exorcist and a soldier fighting in a war against demons. Selene Alleva is a high-ranking exorcist, looked down on by her peers for rising to her rank potentially by nepotism. She’s constantly fighting to be recognized and respected. Jules Lacroix is an orphan turned soldier after being drafted into the Vatican’s army. In a battle against a high-ranking demon, Jules watches his entire battalion die. Now, he’s looking for answers to where he came from and why he was spared.

What I Enjoyed: Set in a Vatican/Holy Roman Empire and an alternate Europe, the backdrop to the action is phenomenal. I loved this setting. I also liked both Jules and Selene. Selene is tough as nails, but she has to be. Her soft side comes through when she encounters children and orphans. She even has a tenuous friendship with a half-demon named Sebastian. Jules is softer than Selene, despite his rough upbringing and his time at the front. He sees people and wants to help.

What Needed More Work: The romance. While I liked both Jules and Selene, I didn’t buy into their romance. It was more insta-lust than love which makes some of what happens at the end of the book unbelievable.

The magic system and plot in general needed some polishing. The magic system is complex, but not well explained. There is a guide at the front of the book about the different ranks of exorcists and demons, but not much about the magic they possess or how they use it. The plot felt nonexistent. Jules is looking into who he is, who his parents were, and why the demons seem interested in him. This was interesting. Selene is trying to stop the war that’s been raging, but it’s mostly absent from the story (unless I just misunderstood).

Told in 3rd person dual POV, I struggled to figure out whose POV we were in as it isn’t clearly delineated. This made it hard to follow dialogue as well. I did receive an ALC as well as an eARC. The audio has two narrators, one for Selene and one for Jules. This was how I kept them straight.

Conclusion: Overall, Cruel is the Light was an okay read for me. I liked Selene and Jules, but the plot and magic system need some work. It is also being billed as YA romantasy. However, the content and age of the characters read more like a New Adult or Adult fantasy. There is open door spice, smoking, drinking, cursing, and cutting (not for self-harm, it was how they accessed their magic). I’d recommend for 16+ or mature YA. If you are a fan of fantasy, this one might be for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Selene’s whole life has been dedicated to killing demons. Jules life has been dedicated to the same. However, Selene choose this life and Jules was thrown into it. But when demons start to invade Rome and the tides of the war start turning, Selene and Jules are thrown together to try to save everything they love.

I really wanted to love this book. An alternative history where god came to earth and deamons haunt the streets of Rome. But I think that this book falls into the pitfall that many different romantasy books fall into which is a bad balance of romance and plot. Personally, if a book is high stakes, I would rather focus on the high stakes than a budding romance. This book is also being advertised as a young adult book and I don’t think that this is accurate. This book basically feels like an adult romantasy book except the characters are teenagers which a young adult book that does not make.

I also thought that the world-building was a little sloppy. I think that the world is extensive and that the author tried to include bits and pieces of that but focused on the romance instead. The characterization I think also fell victim to the romance focus. We got almost no characterization for any characters besides Jules and Selene and their characterization was focused on their romance.

Overall, if you romantasy that is really romance heavy, I think you’d like this book. If you want to more about the actual world, I would skip this one.

Cruel is the Light by Sofia Clark
4.5 Stars

“The Vatican kept their secrets close. The truth even closer.”

"Cruel is Light" is a fantasy novel set in an alternate Vatican City. In a war-torn Europe, the conflict between the Vatican and the Demons has raged for over a century. We follow the journeys of Selena and Jules. Selena is a renowned Vatican exorcist known as "the Butcher of Rome." Jules, on the
other hand, is a foot soldier fighting on the front lines of this war, but he is driven by his desire to unravel the truth about his past. When their paths collide, they must decide whether they can trust each other to uncover the truth. All while fighting their mutual attraction.

From the beginning, we are thrust into a battle between an exorcist and a demon, setting the stage for a war that will undoubtedly claim lives. While I found the world-building and magic to be rich, unique, and captivating, it was the two characters, Selena and Jules, that truly stole my heart. This was largely due to the dual POVs, which I thoroughly enjoyed, allowing us to delve into the thoughts and feelings of both characters.

“Animas nostras pro populo. Our souls for the people.”

I found Selena to be a complex and layered character. Driven by her unwavering belief and the need to protect Rome, she has built walls around herself due to hidden scars. As the book progresses, we gradually glimpse a different side of her as she unravels some secrets.
Jules is charming, caring, and has a compassionate nature.

“One thing she knew for sure- Jules was no shade of gray. He was a light so bright it could blind.”

This slow-burn romance unfolds gradually through forced proximity as they work together. As they spend time together, they start to develop a connection, revealing the love and longing between them.

Overall, I found this book to be well-written and has a lot of things I enjoy. It featured slow burn and forbidden romance, a fake engagement, a great atmosphere, well-developed main and interesting side characters, and the beginning of a found family. The magic, action, battle scenes, hidden truth, and motivation were also intriguing elements.

There's a glossary at the beginning of the book. I highly recommend reading it thoroughly before starting. It will greatly enhance your understanding of world-building.
The book has a mild spice screen. It's Young Adult, but it definitely has the feel of the new adult genre.

Okay! Let me just tell you, the cover drew me in the moment I saw it on Netgalley, the description is what made me excited to read. So when I tell you this was one of the 2025 releases that I had been most looking forward to, believe it!

I went into this thinking it was an enemy to lovers, which some would consider to be true, but as someone who’s favorite trope is such, I felt it was more of a dislike to love than pure enemies. That didn’t take away from the experience, though. I quite enjoyed the dynamic between Jude and Selene.

The world building felt steady and not overdone at all. It left me wanting more, and can I just say I loved Sparrow. The dynamic between him and Selene, dangerous at times, had me laughing out loud.

Ever since I dived into the world of the tv show “Supernatural” I have loved anything to do with demons, demon hunters, exorcists.

This book is more of a older YA than traditional YA, and I loved it! The characters were mature for their age and the writing really stuck out to me.

Thank you Netgalley and Sophie Clark for the opportunity to ARC read this! I loved it and I can’t wait to dive into the next!

TROPES: ENEMIES TO LOVERS, FORCED PROXIMITY, ONE BED, DEMON HUNTER/SOLDIER, FAKE ENGAGEMENT, FORBIDDEN ROMANCE

Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Til Next Review,
Sincerely, Lyssi

This honestly bums me out, because I was so excited when I got approved for an arc copy of this book. The synopsis made it seem like it was going to be so good, and maybe it had the potential to be, but I ended up dnfing it around the 14-20% mark. The magic system and hierarchy of the book was really hard to keep up with, I did like that we were essentially given a "handbook" on it all so we could better understand it (even if all that information didn't really stick and felt a bit intimidating). I tried so hard to push through and enjoy this but with the troubles I had at understanding the magic system and hierarchy as well as the big amounts of world building and issues I had with certain words and phrases being used (they were in a different language and though they were later translated, they still didn't make sense to me and kind of felt random), I really felt overwhelmed and couldn't connect with the story like I had hoped I would.

Cruel is the Light is an engaging upper YA, pushing NA romantasy featuring some of my absolute favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, great banter, forced proximity, and a fake engagement. The premise of this book centers on the war between demons and exorcists, which I felt was well executed. I also thought Clark did well with developing an interesting magic system with some dark implications. I adored Selene’s character and the more readers learned of her backstory, the easier it was to see the heavy weight she carried at all times. I also enjoyed the relationship between Selene and Jules. Clark crafted so many great little moments between the two making it easy to understand why they work so well together. They also had such great banter making it easy to root for them. While it took me a little while to get invested in the story, once I was hooked I was all in. I can’t wait for the next book.
✨
✨
eARC courtesy of Random House Children’s

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc! I love love loved this.

Selene is an exorcist, tasked and trained to rid the world of the demons that have overrun it. Jules is a foot soldier who is labeled a deserter after his entire squadron is killed, and he is the last remaining after killing the demon who attacked them. After a demon attack brings them together, they are forced to work side by side for answers about the world they are surviving in.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The writing style and banter kept me giggling and kicking my feet, and I loved the way Jules and Selene balanced each other. The world-building was unique, using aspects of Rome and the Vatican in a way that made the whole thing feel dark and yet somehow beautiful. The writing is vivid and descriptive while also keeping the plot moving quickly. There is truly never a lull in this action-packed, magical book. Absolutely incredible work from Sophie Clark!

The concept of this book was really interesting, catholic mythology, demons vs angels, vatican city. and themes of a corrupt religion. Though the writing felt disjointed in a few spots, I still really enjoyed the story, the relationship between Jules and Selene and I am looking forward to the continuation of this series.

Read this if you're in the mood for:

- religious themes, catholic mythology, and good vs evil
- forced proximity and reluctant allies
- enemies to lovers and forbidden love

I finished this a few weeks ago and totally forgot to give feedback, my apologies!

I had been trying to sit on how I felt about this book because I was pretty sure I really liked it, but now that I’ve sat with it I actually forgot I even read it. Does that make it easily forgettable? I don’t know.

From what I do remember, I really liked the vibe/mood/tone of the book. The backdrop of Europe and the Vatican was very interesting. I’d just taken a trip to Rome for the very first time last year so I was able to picture everything so easily.

I did enjoy the twist of Catholic mythology, and I have to say it gave me chills any time they would talk about their “God” staked through in that one room in the Vatican. All of the lore, the demons and exorcists and all of that was REALLY cool. The vibes reminded me of Edge of Tomorrow without all that time loop stuff, if that makes any sense?

I think the missing piece for me was the relationship between the MCs. While their chemistry was undeniable, something about their connection did not feel authentic. It felt superficial and not deep, and in all honesty, kind of rushed.

I am still unsure if I enjoyed this enough to continue the series but I can see this being a favorite.

Not sure if this was supposed to be YA or adult, cause it feels like both? Somehow? Characters feel YA but the setting felt adult

I love this world!! I tend to get bored during world building but this did the opposite. I wished I could just dive right into this world. The romance was swoon worthy and the fantasy elements were fun and interesting throughout the entire book. I really connected with the fmc, Selene.

Cruel Is the Light offers a dark, intriguing premise with a war-torn backdrop and a simmering romance that promises forbidden tension, but doesn’t always deliver on its potential. Selene and Jules are compelling leads with rich backstories, but their chemistry feels more implied than earned, and the pacing stumbles between intense action and slower investigative moments. The Vatican conspiracy adds a layer of intrigue, though some plot twists feel telegraphed. Still, the book’s gothic atmosphere and morally gray undertones make it an entertaining read for fans of demon-slaying fantasy romance, even if it doesn’t quite rise to the heights it aims for.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC.
From the blurb, this book sounded like it was going to be fantastic! Demons, the Vatican, a new magic system, it all sounds so good. The execution just wasn't there though. Sadly this book is not for me and I had to DNF it. Typically early in a book I should feel gripped by the story or feel something (anything!) towards the characters, but I felt nothing except confusion. Lots of confusion actually. Especially when it started sounding like a paranormal historical fiction book of WWI. The world and the magic system(s) did not make any sense to me. Also, the side characters are killed off so quickly that you can't even make yourself care about them because you don't get a chance to know them. All that said, I was disappointed because I REALLY wanted to like this book.

✨💙 Cruel is the Light ARC Review 💙✨

Thank you so much to Sophie Clark and Knopf publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Cruel is the Light is a fantasy romance and the first book in the Cruel is the Light series. The war against demons is out of control, and the holy Vatican empire’s army is leading the charge. Elite warrior Selene is dedicated to protecting the nation, but what happens when she meets someone who threatens everything she thought she knew??

This was a really fun and interesting read. I really enjoyed the world building and the magic system in this book. The religious undertones with magical lore made this book really unique. Selene was a strong character and I really enjoyed her growth in this book. Jules was such a good match for her and I really enjoyed his story as well

Overall this was a solid 5 star read! I really liked this world and these characters! This book has some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn, but did have some spicy moments later on so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of fantasy romance with strong characters, intriguing world building and found family vibes, then absolutely pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers

This book's blurb seemed really good but I was bored. the chemistry of the characters are meh the dual pov is okay but there is no urgency in the story and it's very meh. the first third of the book is trying to set up the story and the characters and hierarchy of this world. this story wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this book so much!

It's dark and gritty, bloody without being gory, with fascinating world building for an alternate Earth. The banter between the MCs was both funny and sexy and had me smiling every time they went at it.

There's forced proximity, fake engagement, enemies to lovers, but the romance isn't the main focus as there is so much plot and intrigue. I cannot wait for Book 2!

My only note is that this didn't have to be a YA book. Age up the MCs just four years, and this could easily have been an Adult Fantasy novel.

Also, devout Catholics may not appreciate the subject matter, as the Vatican, ruled over by Exorcist Primus instead of the Pope, leads the war against an invading demon army, with their "Deathless God" entombed in Rome.

Content warnings include war violence, ritualist self-harm, blood, sword/knife violence, mild on page sex scene.

4.5 stars for me, rounded up to 5 stars, and one of my favorite reads of 2025. Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada and Netgalley for the eARC.

This review is my own and no one else’s opinion!

I saw the hype for this book and just had to read it for myself. There were some things I loved about this book but also some things I had trouble with.

Firstly I loved the idea of an enemies to lovers fantasy. From the first pages of Selene and then when we meet Jules, I was hooked. The chemistry was so there.

But then I got lost in the world building and the magic system and found myself going back pages to see if I had missed something

Nonetheless, a great start to a Duology. Can’t wait to see what else is in store after that ending!