It took me a little bit to get into this story but in the end I was glad I stuck with it. The pacing and relationship development was a little uneven at times and it felt fairly dark and violent for a YA. But I liked the twist on the whole demons vs church element, and the world building was fun. I wanted to love our main couple a little more, but I think I'm invested enough to pick up the second when it comes out! Overall a solid if not sparkling debut.

Cruel is the Light follows Selene Alleva, an exorcist known as the Butcher of Rome. She spends her days protecting Rome from demons. Jules Lacroix is a soldier for the Vatican, risking his life on the frontlines in France. As the demon attacks rise and the Vatican believes more is going on, Selene and Jules cross paths and spark an immediate attraction and distrust. As they reluctantly work together to figure out what is going on, centuries old secrets are uncovered that change everything.

This was a such a good fantasy!! I loved the demon hunter x soldier aspect—such a fun trope I now want more of. The world the author created is SO fascinating and immersive. It gave some Shadowhunters vibes which I loved. Having it set in an alternate Rome was awesome and the descriptions were beautiful and captivating. There are some slower parts to the plot, but the ending is super intense and leaves you desperate for the sequel.

Selene was such a great mc. She’s so badass and awesome. I loved her confidence and boldness. Jules was so funny and swoony. They’re such a cute couple and I really enjoyed their romance. The fake engagement was so fun!! I loved the friends too. Caterina and Lucia were so amusing, and I wish we saw more of them—hopefully in the sequel.

Overall, if you love fantasies about demons and swoony romances, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for an ARC of this fabulous book! What a gorgeously written story! Sophie Clark’s debut is going to skyrocket to the top. Her writing creates a vivid picture of the world she is creating. It was an absolute page turner that kept me on the edge and it was so hard to put down. I am excited for book 2!

Cruel is the light is full of political and religious conspiracies set in a fantasy setting with elements of romance. The obvious here is that the cover art is beautiful and it draws you in.

I enjoyed the world banter between the characters and the MMC finding his back story.

Although the world building was good, it felt underdeveloped for me but that's not to say that the story wasn't enjoyable.

There are demons, demon hunters, exorcists, nuns with guns, a deathless God, magic wards, and it was political.

There are also some dark elements to the story evident in the way you obtain magic in the magic system.

This is a YA but the is a bit of spice so just be mindful of the age.

It was enjoyable and I would recommend this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eArc!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Children’s & Knopf Books for Young Readers for gifting me with an eARC, all thoughts expressed are my own.

As one of my most anticipated YA Fantasy novels this year, I was so excited to receive an ARC. I am always fascinated by stories that explore religion, especially those involving demons and some sort of force that battles them (see: my Shadowhunters obsession).

Cruel is the Light follows Selene (an elite exorcist) and Jules (a foot soldier) as they fight in the demon wars. The Vatican, in Rome, is where the exorcists are trained and where they defend the “Deathless God”. However the first part of the book finds the main characters in other parts of the world, as events occur that bring them back to Rome.

The first half of the book is quite heavy on world building and setting the mystery surrounding the main characters. It did take me a bit to fully grasp what was happening; but the breakdown at the beginning was extremely helpful.

The story really picks up around halfway through. With an evolving mystery, revealing of clues, building romance, and the location changing to a more central location.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and felt that it was a complete story in one book. So I am extremely interested to see where the next book takes the story!

4.5 ⭐️ Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever read a romantasy with this setting in Vatican City, Rome which added such a unique element to it. The world-building did take a bit of brain power to follow along and understand their world as does any fantasy.. but once we hit that 25% mark I was IN IT. 👏  Everytime I had to put this book down and go back to real life I was mad. I wanted nothing more than to BINGE this because it’s so bingeable.

Let’s talk romance 🤭 This reads as a NA romantasy, it’s a slow burn filled with so much tension and just the best banter. I was kicking my feet and giggling. Our FMC is a baddie, she’s one of the most feared demon hunters because she’s the very best and deadly. SLAY 👏 Our MMC is a common foot soldier with such an intriguing mystery behind him. This man will steal your heart away with the way he talks and his actions. OMG

Tropes✨
🗡 Fake Engagement
🗡 Knife to throat
🗡 One Bed
🗡  Sparring Scene

I love a good fast paced romantasy, so Cruel is the Light was right up my alley. I loved the world building, there's a lot of action, tension and intrigue. At times I had trouble following what was going on, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The romance was really good, and the side characters made the story so much better. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

The world is gritty and mysterious. it hooked me from the first few pages! I also was intrigued because it was a debut novel. I loved the concept and the characters dearly. The world building and lore did need more but the foundation was interesting and left me wanting to learn more. Jules and Selena's push-and-pull banter had me kicking my feet the entire time. The action was imitated and gripping.

Really interesting. This one pulled me in from the start. Lots of action. Can't wait to read more!

Thanks netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Vatican is waging war on demons, but when a series of extreme demon attacks pop up, it's up to Selene Alleva and Jules Lacroix to figure out what's happening. Selene is a powerful exorcist, and Jules is a front-line grunt with an unnerving ability to always survive and know the perfect strike to kill. Even more mysterious than the attacks is Jules' unknown background, but that background might just be the key to everything.

The author clearly put a lot of effort into world-building, and the writing was good. The characters were likable, and the plot was interesting. A lot of what happened was fairly predictable, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. I had a hard time getting through this novel, but it's easy to see why someone would enjoy this book.

"In the beginning, there were two worlds. Ours and theirs.

I think that the aesthetics and the power structure of this book were particularly interesting. It felt somewhat dynamic and refreshing in comparison to other systems. The glossary at the beginning of the novel felt unnecessary though since the book did an adequate enough job of explaining all of that information organically.

"Unusual was never good when it came to demons. Unusual meant something had changed. And death was sure to follow."

The lore of this world is interesting but pretty murky. The world is our world and history but branched. The problem is there is no key defining branch point. So cities, cultures, buildings, and technologies that have been created through our subset of historical events also have occurred in this alternate reality with very different cultures, rules, and restrictions.

There's also inconsistencies that are confusing. Like Selene being "Roman" but also speaking Italian. Which only evolved as a regional dialect after the fall of the Roman Empire. And obviously, people from Rome are called Romans. But she regularly speaks Latin. So, even if it's not an inconsistency, it feels so poorly expressed that it creates a mental inconsistency. In the later portion of the book, Selene says she doesn't know enough Latin. But earlier she made a VERY specific prayer with words I hardly imagined she learned in school for Latin.

The deaths of the side characters, in the beginning, felt brutal and really set the scene and tone of the novel. It created stakes and consequences. With the exception of the "death" of Kian, the character whose death I mourned the most, and who didn't die for no reason at all. That didn't really persist throughout, but it was a cool setup.

I'm not normally a fan of dual pov, but I think it worked in this case because of the mystery elements and both of the protagonists were keeping secrets from one another.

While I found the main characters, Selene and Jules, to be mostly likable. Jules' backstory was incredibly predictable. But, I did respect and appreciate the scars he chose to bear as being a part of his story.

I think the romance progressed too much considering there is going to be a sequel book. The depth of affection felt disproportionate to the dynamics at play between the two. This would be a bit more forgivable if this was a standalone and the only opportunity to develop a romantic relationship between the pair. But, alas. I do like their banter, it didn't feel cringey surprisingly enough.

It felt like most of the plot elements were either too obviously alluded to or did not break from the traditional formula. I knew nearly everything in the mystery of the plot before it happened. The Cesare (spelled that way specifically) archetype really was fulfilled in every conceivable way, wasn't it.

Unrelated, but the fight sequences were written a little sloppily.

"It would make it easier if they all looked like monsters, wouldn't it?"

I feel like this book had the potential to cover some really interesting ground in morality. But, the very obvious heroes and villains created a void in which that discussion could exist. It's a particular shame because the villains had opposite goals from what was told at the beginning of the book. And the main villain's, Cesare's, goal was accomplished in the end.

It all ends with patricide.

In all seriousness, I think the ending of the book felt a little odd. Like the bait for a sequel was unnecessary considering the events that transpired. In theory, the world could be revisited, but the story was pretty conclusive.

p.s. Crucifixion being discussed as not being an act of cruelty since it was a perfected art is the most clear-cut case of delusion.

This book was okay! It was written beautifully but I found myself getting lost a little bit and the world building/hierarchy of demons and hunters was just a tad confusing for me. The first half of the book I had a hard time with all the different characters being introduced but when I could finally feel the plot coming together I was definitely more invested!

Jules and Selene were my favorite part of the book! I really enjoyed their relationship. I enjoyed the setting of the book and the plot was great. The ending leaves space for a sequel which I think will be perfect as there is definitely more to the story.

Thank you for an advanced copy of Cruel Is The Light in exchange for an honest review!

I was really anticipating this read but just wasn’t in the mood for it when I got approved. After sitting on my kindle for a couple months I finally picked it up and really enjoyed this. I haven’t read anything like this is my adulthood and it was fun and refreshing. I will keep an eye out for future books from this author. Thank you for providing me with an early ARC

Cruel is the Light centers on Selene Alleva (the “Butcher of Rome” - an Exorcist Second Class and captain within the Vatican’s demon-hunting military army) and Jules Lacroix (a very successful corporal foot soldier in the Vatican Empire’s army). These two reluctantly come together against the backdrop of a devastating holy war that has been raging for the last century.

This book had all of my favorite tropes: Forbidden love, fake relationship, and forced proximity (I will always love the micro-trope: only one bed). I loved that we have a grumpy x sunshine situation, but the MMC is the sunshine. This was original, and I appreciated that. The banter and tension was enjoyable, and I found myself really routing for this couple at first, but there wasn’t enough chemistry between them to keep me invested.

Romance aside, I found it difficult to maintain interest in the plot, mainly due to the lack of world building. I also did not enjoy modern language use (which is a personal preference). The read is fast paced, and could have benefitted from slowing down in order to enrich the atmosphere, world building and overall story. Perhaps we will get more in the sequel, but I really believe the first book should lay the foundation.

All this said, this was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend as long as you go into it without high expectations.

Thank you Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the ARC! The opinions below are all my own. :)

3.0 ⭐

From demons, to the Vatican, to exorcists, to enemies that go from begrudging acquaintances to lovers- Cruel is the Light has it all. Jules and Selene were fantastic leads, and the world was equal parts grim and engaging once I got into it. The magic system was easy to understand, and incredibly interesting- not to mention how much more intriguing it is when you finally learn more about the history of the Vatican and demons. This took me a while to get into, though, and the pacing at the beginning really caused me to struggle. I just wish there was a bit more structure, especially considering the war and severity of what's going on around our leads. There's a lot of urgency we're told about but can't really feel. Despite this, the ending is sweet, but the tone and implication of more to come (as well as the knowledge this is a duology) have me on the edge of my seat. Very excited to see what's next!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy for my honest review.

2.75 ⭐️

I honestly thought I was going to love this more than I actually did. The dialogue seemed a bit immature to me, I had a hard time understanding what was actually going on as it moved incredibly fast.

I do find that the author is great at world building however the plot fell through the cracks for me.

Maybe I will try this again at a different time. Maybe it was me.

At first, this story feels like a classic battle between light and dark. But the further you read, the more you see that the complexities of the story create a gray area not divided by such stark lines. The author did a fantastic job weaving an intricate storyline that revolved around the discernment between truth and lies, which begs the question, how much of the information we are told to believe is actually false? Or, if not completely false, twisted to serve the designs of those in power? The book is fueled by a serious plot, but alleviated by some lighthearted banter throughout and an enemies-to-lovers romance that, while following a common trope, still feels original in itself.

**Disclaimer: From a religious standpoint, this story can be perceived as blasphemous, stemming from the Biblical account of Jesus, the Son of God, being nailed to a cross to take on the sin of the world as a perfect sacrifice followed by His resurrection. Or, it can be perceived as inspired by the Biblical account to create a separate story unrelated to the original account rather than changing it to fit the demons versus humans narrative of the plot.**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Have been reading reviews about this book and am so happy I was given the opportunity to read it!

It definitely lives up to the hype.

Highly recommend.

Soft DNF at 20%

Unfortunately, this book just could grasp my interest. I felt like the world building details provided did not paint a full picture and I found myself confused even with a glossary. I didn’t feel an immediate connection to the characters and by 20% the FMC and MMC still didn’t know one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for access to this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the e-arc.

For vibes this book is a 4.
For everything else I’d say a 3.
The two main characters are really likable but sometimes it was hard to follow what was going on.
You’ll find
-forced proximity
-cat and mouse
-forbidden romance kinda
-badass fmc