I was kindly given an eARC of Cruel is the light by Sophie Clark! Which I highly recommend to all your romantasy lovers out there.

Oh dio immortal help me .. because how on earth am I supposed to move on from this book! I need more…this is going to be such a hit this year on release day. How anyone could give this book anything less than 5 stars I don’t know.

From start to finish I loved every character and their progression throughout.
Selene an exorcist with powers beyond her wildest dreams, too dangerous to tap into, she gives a whole new meaning to badass FMC with her sarcastic and closed off personality.

Then comes Along Jules, foot soldier in the war trying to find more about who he is and where he has come from!

Exorcists, demons, gods and magical powers what more could you ask for in a fantasy book? “An incredible complex and intriguing plot with lots of little twists to keep you hooked, you say?” Well then look no further. I devoured this book and need a new book, like right now!!

With some of my favourite tropes …

•Enemies to lovers
•One bed
•Slow burn
•Fake relationship

I’m super grateful to have been approved to read this early, this was a great read.

Selene was a fascinating and complex character who seemed groomed by her environment and the emotional blackmail of wanting to make her uncle proud by any means he deemed necessary. Jules was even more interesting with layers of secrets and questions surrounding his identity and where he fits into this world.

I really enjoyed the combination of fantasy and religion in this dark and tragic story following the two main characters who are battling demons and unravelling secrets within their society, questioning everything they thought they knew.

I really hope there will be a book 2, I’m rating this 4.0 - 4.25.

I really badly wanted to love this book. The premise was so promising, and i generally love this genre. BUT i just couldn’t get into it at all. I feel like I was just violently pushed into a storyline that I didn’t have any previous knowledge about and I felt like so many pieces of information was missing. Might give this back book another go at some other point, but for now I just didn’t like it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sad to say this was slightly more of a miss for me than the hit I was anticipating but I'll be honest, I didn't have much expectations as the author is new and the setting was a bit of a gamble for me.

However the lure of enemies to lovers reeled me in only for me to be left a little disappointed as I feel that is most certainly a stretch. There wasn't much in the way of conflict between the two for the most part, which is fine but I like a little more tension in order to build up the chemistry which felt lacking for me.

We are introduced to the pov of two characters; Jude, a foot soldier who had deserted his post, and Selene, a powerful exorcist who was trained at the Vatican Academy. The two cross paths after being caught up in an altercation with a demon and despite their initial distrust for one another end up finding their paths lead them both in similar directions to uncover certain mysteries at the heart of the Vatican city.

We're thrown pretty much straight into the action which made things exciting at first but the pacing in general slowed down a lot from that point. 

30% of the way through it occurred to me I still couldn't place my finger on just what it was that I was not enjoying about this book.

The setting was interesting to say the least but the world building and magic system felt slightly undeveloped, like the idea was there but not fully fleshed out as much as I would have liked.

I liked one of the side characters (Sparrow, you the goat!) more than the main characters which was an odd experience.

I wanted to enjoy this as the concept of a raging war between demons and humanity sounded appealing but there was just something missing for me that wasn't helping in the struggle to win me over. Maybe only the last third of the book picked up again enough to keep me invested, since somewhere in the middle of the book lost my attention slightly .

I really did try to see if it was just my mood by giving it enough time to really unfold, as well as reading it at different times but l struggling to care enough about it to the point I was just reading to get it over with 🤷‍♀️

If I could break it down, I wasn't particularly sold on the characters, and found whatever chemistry they were supposed to have quite lacking. In fact I preferred Jules' interactions with another character entirely as I felt like there was more tension between them lol.

All in all it's an enjoyable read for most people - if anything the problem I had most with it was the pacing; some parts were absolutely draggy and others were action-packed.

Regardless I think most romantasy lovers will be largely satisfied, I'm definitely in the minority here. And I would still give it 3 stars as it definitely kept me reading to some degree and I particularly liked the last third of the book.

Cruel is the Light follows Selene, a powerful exorcist trained at the prestigious Vatican Academy, and foot soldier, Jules, unrivalled in battle. While a brutal war between demons and humanity rages across Europe, Selene and Jules’s paths cross, and despite initial distrust, they discover a terrible secret at the heart of Vatican City. Soon, Jules is forced to question everything he’s ever known – including himself. And Selene, unable to ignore her growing feelings for Jules, must make an impossible choice between love and duty.

This book starts with an action scene, and we are thrown straight into the world and magic system with little explanation. Although the author does give us a little more world-building and explanation of the magic system further into the book, it still felt very wishy washy and not fully fleshed out. I finished the book and still didn’t really understand the world and how the magic worked. This is a shame, as the characters use blood magic and runes to activate their magic, and it could have been very interesting if it had been better developed.

Despite an action-packed and fast-paced start, the pacing really slowed down and the middle of the book really dragged for me. I felt like the plot didn’t have any direction, and I couldn’t work out what the characters end goals and motivations were. Jules and Selene really didn’t do much or seem that concerned about the war. This lack of urgency combined with the slow pace made the book feel very low-stakes, and it failed to grab my attention.

The writing felt quite clunky at times, and didn’t flow smoothly. The POV would also switch between characters without any indication whose perspective we were in, which meant I had to go back and reread some paragraphs once I realised whose POV it was. I would have preferred these switches to be as separate, clearly labelled chapters.

This book is marketed as enemies-to-lovers, but I wouldn’t say that is correct at all. It’s more of a forced/reluctant allies to friends to lovers. Although there was some good banter between Selene and Jules at the start of the book, I didn’t feel any tension or chemistry between them, so I didn’t feel invested in their relationship. I was also very surprised how adult the sex scene was, as this is a YA book. This didn’t bother me as I read a lot of adult fantasy and romance, but it’s worth knowing if you were planning to buy it for a younger reader.

While I quite liked Jules with his sarcasm and arrogance, his personality seemed to disappear once the romance started. Selene is known as a fearless and powerful exorcist, often referred to as “The Butcher of Rome”, but we never get to see why she has this reputation. I would have like to have seen more of her in action.

The pacing picked up in the last 20% of the book, but at that point I was finishing the book just to finish it and be done with it. I guessed a lot of the plot twists, and the ending didn’t shock me or make me want to read the second book. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, and I won’t be picking up the next book in the duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This sounded right up my street when I read the synopsis - Vatican, exorcists, demons - everything I love! I did enjoy it, but I found the writing especially in the first half to be incredibly slow. I had to push through, and found the character dump to be slightly confusing. It did pick up in the second half, and I enjoyed it enough to read the next one, but I was definitely left slightly underwhelmed.

I absolutely ADORED Cruel Is The Light. It is such an original story. The characters are so well though out and the chemistry between them is off the charts.
The writing is so well done and I was absolutely gripped from page one and I just didn't want it to end.
I can't wait to read more from this world and anything else from Sophie Clark

What a fantastic start to this series! Whilst it did take me a while to wrap my head around this world and it's magic system, the pacing was great, the characters nuanced and interesting, and there were some unexpected reveals in the final act that had me racing through. I'm excited for the sequel!

⚔️Cruel Is The Light - Sophie Clark⚔️

Demons
Exorcists
The Vatican & Rome

This was absolutely right up my alley! I love the setting of The Vatican, the Juxtaposition between God and Demons. I was hooked from the beginning, trying to work out what on earth was going on (in the best way) and wanting to know the answer to the eternal question, who is Jules Lacroix?

I really enjoyed the world building, the story is set over several different locations, all of which are introduced in an accessible way and are easily visualised. You get dual POVs from Selene and Jules, adding to the secret keeping, seeing them both piece together different parts of the mysteries surrounding Jules, the undead god and the demon dukes. Special mention to my favourite supporting character - Sparrow. I instantly loved him, and I hope we get to see his character develop more in any sequel books.

I would say that this book has some darker elements, and is more upper YA in my opinion. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Publishers Penguin Random House and author Sophie Clark for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars- arc review. This book was honestly amazing the characters and the plot were so well done. I loved Jules and Selene and all the side characters especially sparrow. I hope there are more books to come as I’m very intrigued after the ending. I did find myself getting a bit confused and it took me a while to read but that was on me not the book that’s the only reason it isn’t a 5 star but I’m already wanting to reread it so it definitely has 5 star potential for a reread in the future. If you like fantasy and romance set in Rome definitely check this out it was amazing.

This will be your new obsession in 2025, I tell you! It has angst, romance, deadly demons, incomparable powers and it feels like the tightest hug and dagger to the heart. Jules is everything!!

I loved the setting being in Europe (Italy and France) especially that the whole governing power was based in the Vatican city, which added a really good dynamic to the story. I so rarely see romantasy books set in Europe so with the mix of magic and the rules of fantasy, this was a pleasant discovery.

Sophie Clark has a way of grabbing your attention and make you bit down your nails in the agonizing anticipation to find out what happens to our favorite flawed heroes. I just loved everything about this book - and the characters had such rich backstories that even tho Jules and Selene don't meet so quickly in the beginning, it keeps you going and want to find out more about the individuals!

Thank you so much Sophie, Penguin Random house UK and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

the plot was so expertly written, that there was never a dull moment. there was so much action, that i just couldn’t get enough of it. i truly ate it up.

the world building was on point. i was a bit confused at the beginning, but once i understood what was happening and why, it was a breeze to get through. i really loved how unique everything was - it was refreshing!

jules was easily my favourite character in cruel is the light. he was the right amount of mysterious and charm that i need. his wit and banter really solidified my love for him.

while i liked selene, i found there was nothing new she really added to the story. she’s your run of the mill badass FMC. because of this, i was a little concerned about the romance - and i was pleasantly surprised to be fully on board with the romance. there was the perfect amount of chemistry and tension, mixed with banter. it was funny and i craved more with each page.

all in all, cruel is the light is an enticing debut from sophie clark and i really look forward to reading the next book.

Firstly, thank you to Penguin and NetGallery for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Secondly, this was definitely not what I was expecting. I found the plot to be a bit all over the place, even now I’m unsure as to what is going on and what the end goal is supposed to be. It’s clear there is going to be another book in the series that will most likely answer the questions I have, but even the ending of the book just doesn’t leave me wanting more.

The writing was nice, I enjoyed Sophie’s style and it was quite easy to read. I will say I do NOT think this book is young adult, and it is NOT closed door. I would not be happy with anyone under 18 reading this if I’m honest, some of the language was extremely sexual and vulgar. There are a lot of trigger warnings also in this book so I suggest checking them before reading this novel. I felt the first half of this book to be incredibly slow, I almost DNF’d because I just felt like I was wasting my time. The romance started to pick up about 50% in, which was really why I continued to read it.

I have read so many good reviews on this book so I know that there are people out there who will disagree with my opinions which is ok. Reading is extremely diverse!! This book just didn’t sit right with me spiritually and I don’t think I’ll be reading any other books in the series.

*Cruel is the Light* by Sophie Clark is THE moment. Like, drop everything and get ready to have your heart ripped out and stitched back together because this book is a 5-star masterpiece. If you’re into demons, exorcists, forbidden love, and plot twists that leave you gasping, this is your next obsession. Let’s get into it. 👀🔥

First off, Selene Alleva? Icon. Queen. She’s giving *stoic badass with a soft heart buried deep under layers of duty.* As an exorcist trained at the Vatican Academy, she’s all about rules, discipline, and smiting demons—until she meets Jules Lacroix. Jules is, um, excuse me? *Perfection wrapped in broody chaos.* He’s got this rugged, “I’ll do whatever it takes” vibe that contrasts Selene’s calculated precision in the BEST way. Their chemistry? Immediate and electric. Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t even begin to cover the tension between these two. It’s sizzling, gut-wrenching, and oh-so-addictive.

The world-building? Out. Of. This. World. A war between demons and humanity raging across Europe? Vatican conspiracies? Dark secrets at the heart of the holy city? Sophie Clark did NOT come to play. The setting is atmospheric AF—like, you can practically feel the weight of centuries of war and the oppressive power of the church bearing down on every page. It’s gritty, raw, and hauntingly beautiful.

But let’s talk about the romance because HELLO. Jules and Selene are the literal definition of star-crossed. Their slow-burn dynamic had me screaming into my pillow. The angst. The longing. The constant push and pull between duty and desire. And when they finally let their walls down? Whew. Fireworks. Explosions. My heart combusting into tiny pieces. It’s *that* good.

Now, let’s not ignore the plot because it’s an absolute ride. The twists? I didn’t see half of them coming. There’s betrayal, impossible choices, and moments that will make you question EVERYTHING you thought you knew about these characters. And the big secret at the heart of the Vatican? Let’s just say my jaw was on the floor.

What makes this book stand out, though, is how it balances action, romance, and deep emotional stakes. It’s not just about the epic battles or the swoon-worthy love story—it’s about what it means to fight for what you believe in, even when it costs you everything.

If you’re a fan of *Serpent & Dove*, *Empire of the Vampire*, or *Fourth Wing*, you NEED this book in your life. It’s dark, romantic, and completely unforgettable. Sophie Clark, you’ve officially ruined me, and I’ll never recover. Jules and Selene? They own my soul now. 🖤✨

TL;DR: *Cruel is the Light* is a spicy, high-stakes romantasy that will leave you breathless. Read it, scream about it, and then come cry with me because I am NOT okay. 😭

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded to 5.

This might be listed as YA but it sure is a dark one - probably more NA. Brutal and at times gory, this story of demons, exorcists, religious zealotry and dangerous political machinations must go on your TBR immediately. If you're a lover of all things fantasy romance, then Cruel Is The Light will tick a lot of boxes for you. Complex and in-depth world building, interesting magical system, extremely high stakes and a sizzling reluctant allies to lovers romance plot will keep you turning the pages - and I promise you'll fall for Selene and Jules very quickly.

Check the trigger warnings before starting this book!

You had me at the “sword to the heart" cover, but let's dig in!

I had very high hopes going into this book. The premise is right up my alley: Rome, demons, powers that require sacrifice! The cover art is everything I would want from an enemies-to-lovers romantasy as well. I mean, just look at those two…

Unfortunately, I don’t think the book delivered on everything it promised. But let me start with what it got right: the characters!

I wasn’t a massive fan of the character dump at the beginning—it all gets a bit confusing. But once we get to know each of the characters, it’s just so much fun. Jules is a charmer. Selene is a ruthless bitch, and it’s honestly a vibe. Sparrow is the morally grey character we all root for (sorry not sorry!). And all the secondary characters really add to the dynamic interactions.

Unfortunately, the lovers were not enemies for much of the book, and it leaned more toward an insta-love trope if we’re being honest. The banter between Jules and Selene is spot-on, but we see more chemistry between Jules and another character in about two lines of dialogue than between the main couple. (At this point, I’d be thrilled for some fan service in book two, because damn… those two would be hot together!)

Engaging characters, however, don’t fully make up for the clunky plot development. Relevant information seems to be missing at times, and the hints meant to be subtle are a bit too on the nose. This might be a product of the writing style. The third-person perspective gets confusing at times, with shifts in POV not as seamless as they could be, and scenes don’t flow as effortlessly as one might hope.

All that said, I enjoyed my time with this book, and I’d absolutely read all the side stories about Sparrow, or the backstory of Jules being up to no good as a kid! If I had to make a comparison, I’d say this feels like an AU of Nevernight, where Mia’s dad wasn’t executed and she grew up as a pampered princess with a bad temper—you’ll see that in Selene when you read it!

I’d rate this at a high 3 stars, with high hopes for the rest of the series. The enjoyment factor will depend heavily on the plot development and the writing style going forward. But no matter what, I’m already a sucker for these amazing characters and will carry on with the series.

– Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own and reflect my honest reactions. –

4.5 Stars~ Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a highly anticipated read of mine!

Despite a start I found a bit slow personally, this book was divine. The tension and slow burn between the characters was expertly written and the culmination was exquisite! The last 100 or so pages I could NOT put it down, the action really stepped up and the twists were TWISTING. I would definitely say this is upper YA, it was a very sophisticated and thorough book. The world building was magical and it felt like a truly unique concept compared to other books with the same tropes I’ve read. The only thing that stopped it being 5 stars for me was the abrupt ending to some chapters. Sometimes I felt it needed a bit more flow to it and I was lost a couple of times but the story soon picked back up. I really enjoyed the side characters in this book too, there was enough to them to notice them but not so much that they overshadowed the main plot. Overall an enjoyable and entertaining read that will leave you wanting more!

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While there have been plenty of fantasy books about demons and enemies-to-lovers YA romantasy stories published in recent years, I found the setting of this one unique. The backdrop of demons and exorcists in the Vatican City provides an interesting lens to re-imagine Catholic religion in this dystopian fantasy setting. Although I do not think the magic system was fully explained and the worldbuilding did occasionally feel like information overload, I was still immersed in the world.

The characters felt flushed out and the chemistry between the two leads jumped off the page. The writing style reads as upper YA even though the FMC is 17 and the MMC is 19, and I believed in their traumatic backstory and the gritty warfare they were experiencing. Perhaps I found some of the secondary characters more intriguing and wished we saw more of them, but I still found the two leads were engaging and had entertaining banter.

The dual POV was useful to explore their motivations although sometimes the POV jumped between characters in the middle of the chapter with no page break (I am hoping this is a formatting issue in the e-ARC).

My main grievance was that the ending of some chapters did not flow naturally into the next. There seemed to be gaps in the storytelling, like a cliffhanger moment would not be resolved as it had already moved on to another scene, almost like a section had been edited out. Unfortunately, this meant important moments in the plot did not have a satisfactorily conclusion.

I may have given it 4.5 or 5 stars if not for the issues with gaps in the story and switching POV all of a sudden which gave me whiplash while reading, and therefore I have settled on 4 stars.

Overall, I still had a fun time with this book and look forward to reading the sequel.

What a book this was one of my most anticipated and it didn’t disappoint at all! I really enjoyed reading it and I will be happy to add to my shelves as soon as I can! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Cruel is the light 💙⚔️
(releases on january 2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- YA romantasy
- demons vs exorcist
- star crossed lovers
- fake engagement / forced proximity
- fast paced and action packed

I'm in love!!! There is no better feeling than a book that captivates you because of how beautiful its cover is, and once you read it you discover that the story is even more spectacular.
Cruel is the light is an urban romantasy, set mostly in Italy, whose plot takes place surrounded by a war, lasting hundreds of years, between demons and exorcists trained by the Vatican. It has a non-stop of magic, political intrigue, secrets and corruption and, once I started the book, it was impossible for me to stop reading til the end.

The main characters are wonderfully constructed. Selene Allevra is a complex FMC, a little grumpy but deeply loyal and smart, while Julian is her counterpart, seemingly more jovial, but with many fears and traumas hidden beneath that cheerful facade. The chemistry and romance between the two is incredible. There is slow burn, tension, fake engagement and forced proximity, that is, everything that I like.

One thing I also loved is the way the author plays with plot twists. Some of them are to some extent easy to figure out, but at the same time impossible to predict the character's reaction to them. So, even when it is not complicated to get the theories right, there remains a point of intrigue and mystery about the consequences they may bring.

My only small drawback for not giving the book a full 5⭐️ was that in some moments I lacked a little more explanation about the magic system, but I suppose there are also things that will be developed in greater depth in the sequel.

In short, I think this is going to be a big banger for 2025 and it remains one of my best reads of the year for this year.