This book lives up to all my expectations - it's fast paced, takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and also smacks you with the hard realities, that we as a generation need to take stock of, and curtail - else we will leave the next generation with an unliveable planet. The book will get you to do three things: Retrospect, Reframe or Rally for the changes, author Luke strongly promotes through a captivating tale. A well-researched historical fiction thriller it keeps you on the edge at every page turn. A must-read. The only problem I had was that I read this as a stand alone. Now to dig out a copy of The Devil's Prayer. Thanks to the author for a chance to read this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Authors First for an e-arc of this novel.

I wish I could rate it higher but I found it very confusing. To me, the writing was kind of choppy (I guess that's the right word). It just really wasn't the book for me.

I think the rating would have been higher and I would have understood more if I had realized before reading it that it was book 2 and since I hadn't read book 1, I was really lost.

If you read "The Devil's Prayer" you are probably anxiously awaiting this book and will enjoy it. Due out of April 30, 2022.

I read it all in one sitting. I was on the edge of my couch, reading about just how stupid people can be and how easy it is to bring about the end of civilization.

I liked this book less then the previous book. There was a lot of action in the book, but I found myself forgetting the characters. In the end I felt it started to focus on the feelings and thoughs again of the main character, but before this it seem she was more just a tool to get the action in the story to progress. I was never really lost in this book as I had with the previous one.

I did not like the start if the ending. I love it when books are focused around actual things in the real world, but this felt cheep and a little out of place. I love thelat the autor have written a book that should get the reader to think abouth where we as humans are headed, but I think it could use a bit mor work.

Overall it is an ok book, one I would love to see the movie for because it seems to be a story that would to better in a movie than in a book.

This is a fantastic book. Full of woe and hope appropriate to today's times and events. Not an easy read in one sense but it keeps you hooked. I found this book fascinating and I am very glad I read it even though it is not my usual genre. The author has woven an intricate story around historical facts and today's threats to our world. Whatever you normally read, I would recommend you read this too.

Loved the first instalment, and the follow up of the story is quite interesting. I would recommend to read the first one before this to get the whole twisting diabolical plot.
It really makes you reflect on life itself and how one can get entangled and manipulated without knowing.

This second book was a long time coming but was worth the wait. It has been a while since I read the first book, so I loved that it started out with a recap from the first book which brought everything back to mind.

I loved Siobhan's character in this book. I loved the way it bounces across the world and I loved the pictures.

This story was heavy in religion and historical facts however this does not take away from the story.

The concept of The Devil's Game was quite interesting. I enjoyed how pages of this ge are "released" throught out the story.

This story was very interesting for me. It really hones in on how we are using up the resources in the world and how this needs to become a focus for us to ensure future generations. Of course, COVID is tied into the story and I felt the author did it in a interesting way.

Overall I would definately recommend this series

My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

Special thanks to the author and NetGalley for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
“No Shadow without Light” is the second novel in author Luke Gracias’ series, “The Devil’s Prayer”. In the sequel, Jess Russo is searching for the Twelve Pages of the Devil’s prayer, a collection of passages put together by Satan himself, known to trigger Armageddon. The only one who can prevent Jess from collecting all of the pages, and causing a catastrophic world event, is Jess’s sister, Siobhan, who, with the help of a few friends, must find the pages of the Book before her sister does.
I read Luke Gracias’ first novel, at his request, when it was published, in 2016. Now, five years later, I found it very difficult to pick up where this series left off. A lot of time had passed (and a lot of books had been read) between then and now and I found the five year hiatus to be too long. I enjoyed his first book more than this one, and his last book was still only mediocre for me.
“Light” has a lot of characters (mostly with foreign names) and it took some time to sort out who was on what side. There’s Siobhan and Jess, of course, but when you take into consideration the priests and other religious figures, plus at least one member of the police forces in Australia and Italy, and a few underground religious groups and their collective, there was quite a few characters to sort through. I liked the idea of Dark/Light and Good/Evil that existed in the sister relationship, but there was not enough of it.
I found the formatting difficult to read as well (although this may very well be because it was an electronic version). Gracias uses quotation marks, but the spacing is off (one sentence would look like; Person A says “I think this is the place” and Person B says “Yes, I think you’re right”) which makes paragraphs longer than they need to be, and reading the material itself was a challenge as a result.
The first half of “Light” played out like a Dan Brown wanna be novel, and the second half played out like a tour guide of Italy, Australia and a few other scattered places in between. Although I appreciated Gracias’ photographs to set up the locations, I did not need the specific details of each scenic locale, nor an extensive description of each area’s historical background. In fact, the novel focused on the location and the history so much, that much of the plot was lost.
Gracias has a background in Environmental Engineering, and it is obvious from his writing that he is well-educated, and his writing is well-researched. However, I wanted a fiction novel full of adventure, intrigue and world travel, but what I got was a diatribe on Global Warming and the dangers of social media (not that I don’t agree with these opinions, but it seemed like a bait and switch). I wanted to enjoy this book, but I almost DNF’ed it. I am sure Gracias intended a deeper meaning with this novel, and perhaps I missed it, but the story seemed scattered and disjointed.

No Shadow Without Light by Luke Gracias
Rating 5/5
At last the follow up to the excellent The Devil’s Prayer by the multi talented Luke Gracias. Siobhan is still trying to find the solution to saving mankind before her sister Jess Russo, the Devil’s daughter. She follows up the clues assisted by a number of good people and hindered by many who would stop her and even kill her without a second thought. Sometimes there is a very fine line between good and evil. Many lives are lost.
No Shadow Without Light covers a number of years and cleverly melds present day history with the past. A well thought out plot with with lots of details, it takes the reader all over the world and includes excellent descriptions of ancient buildings etc with fantastic photographs. It is apparent that a lot of work and thought has gone into both novels and clearly very precious to Luke Gracias.
As the letters are discovered, so are their ever increasingly worrying contents and what they portend. I will be thinking of this book for a very, very long time. I particularly won’t forget the Golden Lancehead Viper, very thought provoking. Wake up humanity!!
A must read novel.
My many thanks to Luke Gracias, his team, Authors Upfront and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read No Shadow Without Light. In return I have written an honest and unbiased review..

I read this book really wuickly in one sitting. It was well written with a gripping plotline and good characterisation. I couldn't put it down and will definitely look for more from the author.

Siobhan Russo takes a journey of danger, and hope as she faces deception and evil. Her goal is to unite twelve pages from The Devil’s Prayer in order to prevent a world overrun with greed, death and great destruction.

With her own sister as her greatest adversary, Siobhan is thrown into a world she has never known. She is the innocent facing the devil and his disciples, including her beloved sister. Filled with intrigue, nothing seeming as it is, fear and betrayal, Siobhan perseveres. Failure means the end of humanity and Mother Earth.

The devil’s plan is the destruction of earth produced by man’s own greed. The race to obtain the pages of the devil’s prayer goes beyond gathering pages of parchment written as a challenge. The effect the entire earth. Can she recover the hidden page? Can she save earth and mankind?

A fascinating tale intertwined with the problems we are facing today in a world where greed and survival walk hand in hand. This book is not just a story, it is a challenge to humanity.

Luke Gracias does another incredible job of merging fact with fiction in his follow up to the incredible “The Devil’s Prayer”.

We are treated to some incredible settings and intriguing history as good and evil battle it out for the salvation of mankind. My only gripe, unfortunately, is that it all feels a little rushed. It seems like Luke has enough material to write an entire series (yes I know it is already a series, but I mean a much longer series) and has had to make do with cramming this amazing sequel into a single volume. Once you accept (or rather embrace) this style of writing there is a lot more enjoyment that can be realised.

And as for eye-opening, wow, consider this a success. I almost wish the Devil or God could make a rash decision on behalf of mankind and at least set us back to a position where the earth (and its entirety) will survive. Alas, the power is in our hands, hands that are currently fumbling the ball (picture the earth being the ball) and are on the brink of dropping it.

“No Shadow Without Light” is a great book, I just wish more time could be spent on certain aspects of it in order for it to make more sense.

Having read the prequel to No Shadow Without Light, I was left frustrated because I felt the story got lost somewhere. I wasn't sure I wanted to read on. I'm regaled I did. Luke Gracias has developed the plot cleverly taking the reader on a worldwide trip, building tension by merging historical fact and a fiction that delves into not just religious but the environmental issues affecting ourworld. Well worth the read for all of these factors

This is the second book written by Luke Gracias featuring these characters. I would recommend reading the first book "The Devil's Prayer" prior to this book.

Siobhan Russo and her sister Jess have always been close. Since their mother disappeared, they have given each other unconditional support. Now the sisters will be opponents. Jess is the daughter of the Devil. Siobhan
has the task of saving mankind. On 06/06/06 the world population exceeded 6.66 billion. (Notice all the sixes?) This increase in population has triggered an event called Devil's game. To save mankind, Siobhan must find the hidden pages of the Devil's Prayer before her sister does or Armageddon will happen.

Obviously, neither Siobhan nor her sister can find these pages without help. They each have various associates helping them as they search worldwide. Often crossing paths, these groups have different motives and tactics as they attempt to be the ones finding the pages. What do these pages contain? Who will find them all?

Lucas Gracias takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of Europe and Australia, highlighting the beauty of each country visited. The pictures of each location are a great addition and validate his fabulous descriptive abilities. This story is multifaceted. Each recovered page serves as a cautionary tale. Mankind cannot continue to be oblivious to the impact that overpopulation causes. Resources are limited. If we choose to bury our heads in the sand, we face extinction.

Using this story is a great way to remind people of the future mankind could be facing. However, reminding people does not solve the problem What steps can we take today to make a difference? How do we spread the message? Lucas Gracias gives us much to think about.

A well written and clearly well researched book giving a lot of historical information, although at times repeated a little too often.

Whilst I enjoyed the story (although I haven't read the preceding story) I did find the "preaching" about climate change a little overbearing at times and distracting from what otherwise would have been a five star rating.

This was a fascinating story , trying to find the 12 pages of the Devils Prayer which predicts the end of the world. Lots of action and great characters. Very clever using the current Pandemic as part of the story of disasters. Very scary conclusion, can Humanity be brave enough to save planet Earth.?

This was the type of book that I don't generally gravitate towards and I am wrong to do so. This was a great book!
I didn't have any problem understanding the story since this is the second book and I didn't read the first book. But I will now!! I can tell the author did his research by how well every aspect of the book is detailed out. It is definitely a book that makes you think about things. I loved how the author had a photograph for each chapter. It really gave you the ability to make yourself a part of the book.

The battle continues & what a heavy dark battle it is.
I enjoyed the 1st book by Luke Gracias & I can say I enjoyed this 1 as well.
If you like a bit of religion, dark & light sides, fleeing from the enemy & a fights for survival, these & this book is for you.
There is a lot of back information in the books but you need it. You need to grasp what is happening and why and it’s worth it.

** spoiler alert ** I thought the first book in this series was a quick and enjoyable read. This book was a total miss for me. It felt like it was trying to be a mix of a Robert Langdon and Indiana Jones story. With running all over Italy, the Templars, the religious history, even the whole "the world is overpopulated" business from Inferno. Throw in a bunch of ancient sites with keys that shift stones and are booby trapped and cursed to kill intruders... It sounds promising, but it wasn't very well executed. The running around Italy felt random and pointless. They would be at some old monastery and back to the Amalfi Coast. Off to a random convent. Back to the Amalfi Coast. Most of it didn't seem to accomplish anything.

The characters seemed very one dimensional and empty. The book was lacking character development as well as adequate development for why the plot required, for example, that they set off on a months-long masquerade cruise with a secret host?

The book also felt really preachy about humanity destroying the earth, politicians, misinformation, greed, social media.. I don't enjoy picking up a fictional book expecting to escape the awful reality of the world and then feel like I was tricked into reading an author proselytizing about the evils of the world. The final straw was when I got to the last section, and it took place in Wuhan, China in December 2019. I almost threw the book. I knew exactly where it was going. COVID-19 was released basically as a curse put in place to protect the page of the Devils Prayer that was being protected by an ancient bat that had been killed by pouring molten gold down its throat.. and then the people who found it took it to an Antique Market that happened to be next to a fish market.. and they died from being unable to breathe and blood clots two days later, setting off a pandemic. No. I've been living this for going into the 3rd calendar year. Why do I want to read about it as a form of "entertainment" that basically claims it's part of the battle between God and the Devil? No.