3.5 ⭐️/ 5

Thank you penguin house for the ARC!

I was incredibly excited to read this book; Demons, exorcists, magic and conflicting alliances is everything I was looking for.

Unfortunately whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and ending I found the middle to become quite a dull experience.

First I think the heart of this book had the foundation to be a great story, the magic and concept of demons/Exorcists makes for a wonderful read. The author has also written a book that is definitely not poorly written.

After the great beginning of the story I found that the story starts to lack any engaging content. The magic system received almost no explanation, the demons, magic, threat of conflict and vast world building simply felt like they disappeared for the entire middle of the book- then when needed again for the story the reappearance of these events simply felt like they lacked importance and felt confusing in the moment as we had little experience and explanation.
Example trying to avoid spoilers: one of the characters finds themselves able to follow a thread of light that they were able to see all this time. I don’t recall any context where they could see this thread and throughout the story they didn’t engage with magic very much so it just felt confusing why that was the case.

The characters are quite mediocre, side characters are not memorable either. Selene is described as being the butcher of Rome, she’s supposed to be a dangerous and feared demon killer, one of the strongest exorcists, yet other than 1 action scene in the beginning(which gave everything I wanted, loved and expected!) she was absolutely nothing like that.
Jules has a better character arc that I enjoyed very much.

Together the characters found themselves in an enemies to lovers but I didn’t necessarily feel like that was the case. They never felt like enemies, I would say they weren’t instead it just felt like they were irritated with each other for a slight moment then the rest of their time together was just a bit boring and didn’t feel important till late in the book.

Overall the book could have had a lot of it cut out or changed, which would have made the pacing better, aspects of the magic, characters and world were a little confusing due to lack of details.
personally I would have expected more action, fighting and magic however for the first book I’m still excited to look out for these things in the sequel, i think this book has created a good set up for a good seauel.

Favourite parts were: the setting, demons, exorcists and magic but I don’t find any were executed greatly

For fans of warrior nun(tv show) and serpent and dove

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy.

I didn’t have any expectations going into this and found that I was still a little disappointed.
We’re thrown into a fight scene as soon as the book starts, an assumption would be that this is the pace of the book but it turns out it isn’t.

The rest of the book is a slow reveal of some world building and partial understanding of the magic system.
The mixing of real world with the magic system could have been done better and felt like it wasn’t explained enough.

The romance is more dislike/distrust to lovers and even that was a little flat in my opinion.
With most of the book being slow the beginning chapter and end chapters feel rushed and even more like a set up for more books.

4.5⭐️ thank you penguin, Sophie Clark and Netgalley for this arc !!

I was left shook after reading this like OMG THERE WERE SO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS!

I won't lie I got confused at times, but ultimately some of my theories panned out and I'm so happy yet left stunned. I freaking loved Selena. I love a grumpy badass fmc.

This was an amazing concept, I love the idea of it being set in Rome/ the Vatican - makes me want to go back there. It's exorcists vs demons and what's not love?

I got major Underworld (2003) vibes, just without the vampires and horror 🤭 and throw a little Romeo and Juliet while we're at it !

🖤reluctant allies to lovers
🖤forbidden
🖤political plotting
🖤reverse grumpy x Sunshine
🖤close proximity
🖤fake engagement
🖤banter is bantering

As I said before, I was a bit confused at times, and maybe that was due to formatting on the Arc, or there were grammar issues. But I'll defo reread rhe final release!

What a great Romantasy read! Had such a great time reading this story. SO glad I was able to get an advanced e-arc - thank you Netgalley.
It had everything I love, Selene and Jules are <3<3<3
When I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

Cruel is the Light dives into a dark and brutal world where a century-old war rages between humans and demons. You are thrown into the heat of the brutal battle from the first page and you’ll remain on the edge of your seat through to the end.
This debut romantasy is an epic blend of star-crossed love, brutal battles, and dark secrets. Set against a war-torn Europe where exorcists face off against demons, we follow Selene, a fierce Vatican-trained exorcist, and Jules, a skilled soldier with a mysterious past.
Their enemies-to-lovers journey had me flipping pages well past midnight! Initially clashing with intense distrust, their relationship evolves, blending tense rivalry with forbidden attraction. This central romance is as intense as the battles they face, drawing readers into a world both deadly and alluring.
Sophie’s world-building is epic and immersive, the plot has just the right mix of action and aching tension, with short, punchy chapters that make it hard to put down.
This has been compared to Serpent & Dove and Empire of the Vampire but as I’m yet to read either, my personal comparison was to the Shadowhunter series. Jules gives straight up William Herondale vibes, iykyk. I read this in a day and a half but I did not want this book to end! I can’t wait to pick up book 2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Cruel is the Light is a new romantasy story in which Selene and Jules must work together as a centuries-old-war starts brewing again.

“May God protect me from lustful thoughts about Jules Lacroix.”

I’ve been sooooo excited for this book ever since first learning about it! I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to dive into this version of Rome and couldn’t be happier when I won the pretty red ARC at YALC!!
I dove into this book wanting to love it and I’m so glad that I did! The writing style really drew me in, and I couldn’t help but continue to read. At the same time, the facing is a bit slow, and that didn’t make this book a quick read. I loved that about this book though, since it made me savour every minute spend within these pages so worth it!
The plot is very engaging and fun despite the looming threat that is constantly hanging over everyone’s heads. It made me super invested in whatever was going on and had me glued to the chapters! I loved how the fantasy elements of the exorcists and their magic tied together with the demons and their destruction! It wasn’t unique per se, but I loved how well it fitted into the world. The way the exorcists learned to harness their powers and fight against the demons raging the city and the lands. I also loved the layers upon layers within this fantasy world and how there is so much more than meets the eye!
Selene is such a badass woman! I was amazed by her introduction into the story and how ruthless of a leader she is. At the same time, she grew on my sooooo much throughout the book! I think I truly fell for her around chapter 28 for reasons I won’t spoil hehe. Jules, I loved from the very first moment we met! He is such a fun character, and I loved his attitude, but also his loyalty! Every chapter just made me fall in love with him more and more. What I also love so much about this book is how the side characters add so much more depth to the story! I loved Sparrow and couldn’t help but smile every time he made an appearance hehe. Also, Kian’s saying boyo lives rent-free in my mind now.
The romance in this book was soooooo good! I can’t help but love the slow burn and the slowly rising anticipation of them finally kissing hahahah. The lust and chemistry between Selene and Jules were palpable and so well created. They are perfect for each other, and I loved how their relationship developed over the story. I also loved their bickering and constant banter!
I have to say that the last 150 pages of this book were an absolute rollercoaster all possible emotions a book can make me feel! I don’t know how Sophie did it, but I did not see most of the twists coming and this book gave me heart palpitations while also making me hold my breath and scream at the same time at all that was happening! I loved every moment of the last part of the book, and I need 5-10 business days to recover from this whirlwind of a book.

Overall, Cruel is the Light is a perfect romantasy book that ticked all the boxes that I love so much in this genre!!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Cruel is the Light is a brilliant YA debut. I loved the unique setting of Rome (particularly the Vatican) and the use of both French and Italian phrases throughout.
Jules and Selene were such a cute couple and their chemistry was through the roof. So much banter and flirting. Their story was one that showed love is stronger than any prejudices.
The side characters of Sparrow, Lucia and Caterina were a great addition and I hope we see more of them in book 2!

R E V I E W

Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark

☆☆☆.5

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Penguin Random House UK via Netgalley

Where to begin. Cruel is the Light is a forced allies to lovers romance enmeshed in a convoluted world where God has fallen, his immortal body enshrined within the Vatican where the noble exorcists reside, fighting against the forces of darkness that are drawn to Rome as a result. Make sense? No? Well, you're not alone in this.

The detailed world building required to break down the complexity of this fictional world, and its political and religious nuances was missing from the prose at times, and instead, we were thrust directly into the action. Whilst this can be an exciting way to hook the reader from the outset, I instead found myself confused by the magic system and, consequently, the role of the exorcists themselves. Whilst arguably I know what an exorcist does, this concept seemed to play a backseat in the narrative with only vaguely described exorcisms taking place in favour of sassy, banter-filled dialogue.

Whilst the world building was lacking, I did enjoy the aforementioned repartee between Selene and Jules, though we had to delve quite far into the narrative to get it. I did feel there were missed opportunities to develop a lot of the side characters in this book. With the exception of Kian, I didn't find the rest of the characters hugely likeable, certainly not enough to inspire any warmth at their display of loyalty towards the end. If not for the premise of something developing between Jules and Selene, I'm not sure I would have persevered with this story, and even their romance seemed rushed in places, with feelings evolving quickly and trust developing beyond what seemed like a natural pace.

I enjoyed some aspects of this book, but I did have to pull myself to the finish line. Whilst I ultimately enjoyed the relationship that formed between the main characters, their love is not enough of a motivation for me to pick up the second instalment in this duology.

Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark is a debut romance and fantasy novel based on Jewish mythology, featuring a war between demons and humans. The story focuses on elite exorcist Selene Alleva and Jules Lacroix, an orphaned warfighter recruited by the Vatican. Their journey includes fake engagement, enemies-to-lovers tension, forbidden love, political intrigue, and thrilling fight sequences.

I loved the characters Selene and Jules—their journey from strangers to lovers and their obsession with each other was captivating. The side characters, Sparrow and Kian, were also intriguing, and I’d love to know more about them. I’m definitely planning to reread this book to immerse myself in its world again while waiting for the second part to be announced.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Children, and author Sophie Clark for this amazing read. Sophie has done an excellent job with her debut novel, and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

Absolutely brilliantly written book with a great premise and fantastic characters!! Can't wait for the official release.

I think I have found a new favourite book!

Right from the the first chapter to the end was non-stop action, we get to see a dark insight to the world of the Vatican and the demons that lurk in Romes shadows.

The worldbuilidng is perfect, showing the struggles the soldiers live, the highs & lows of the exorcists and the fear the demons live in.

The corruption and politics had me in suspense with guessing who might be good and who is bad.

Selene is a strong badass fmc who is not afraid to risk loosing herself for the safety of Rome, I love her development from the captain we see in the beginning to the captain she is at the end. Jules’ development is on a whole new level, from a foot soldier to a powerful independent mmc at the end. I love how he’s the sunshine and she’s the grumpy one and their relationship! The knife to the throat scenes, forced proximity, fake engagement and tension had me kicking my feet and screaming when they finally came together.

The side characters were so different and I loved each and everyone of them (well most of them anyways - I’m looking at you Ambrose and Gabriel) the interactions they have with the main characters both together and separately added so much to the book.

There were a few twists and turns, a couple I think I guessed but there were still some that left me shocked.

I can’t wait to do a reread when it’s published and out in the world, the next book is an immediate need and I think I have also found a new automatic buy author.

Before reading double check the trigger warnings as it can be a bit bloody.

Thank you to Sophie and Penguin UK for the eARC!

I absolutely loved this grumpy x sunshine romantasy and it was refreshing to have a setting in Rome and France compared to so many others. The world building was fantastic without being over whelming and the magic system was so well thought out.

I loved having a FMC who just didn't give a hoot and wasn't easily impressed and wasn't just some damsel who needed constant saving.

Easily my favourite read of 2024 and definitely going to be big next year!

The cover of this book captured my eye right away, and the story followed suit!

In a world similar to ours, but where demons exists, Selene is one of the best exorcists, if not the best. On a mission in France, she encounters Jules, a soldier who left the army. There is something weird going on, and Jules seems to be involved, even if he doesn't know how yet. Selene can't let him escape as it seems the demon archduke she's hunting wants something to do with Jules. So the two travel together back to the Vatican, with Jules assuming the identity of Selene's ex fiancé who had left Rome years prior, when he was just a kid. The two of them find themselves in a mystery that goes back centuries of gods and demons, while also learning to trust each other. But when the truth about Jules comes to light, Selene needs to make a decision on what she's willing to fight for.

I got so obsessed with the story and now I can't wait to read the following book! I loved how strong Selene is and how she's willing to fight to protect the people she loves and her city, even if it means taking difficult decisions. Jules, on the other hand, feels completely lost. After his battalion was defeated and a demon told him something that couldn't possibly be true, he embarks on a journey to reveal his past. At the beginning the relationship between him and Selene is difficult, they don't trust each other and I wouldn't have been surprised if they stabbed each other in the back, but the more time they spend together, the more they realise their feelings.

I really enjoyed this, the world, the characters, the drama, this has it all! There’s something really unique about this world, which I suppose could be considered and alternative history, what could have happened at the Vatican if demons were involved.

The characters had me hooked almost immediately, we follow a multiple POV story mainly from the perspective of Selene and Jules, and exorcist and a soldier trying to figure out why a Demon Duke is appearing and before he can destroy Rome.

I think this probably tips more into new adult/adult rather than YA for me, so expect more graphic descriptions and actions. There is so much more going on in the world and I hope we can explore it further, mainly because I want more Sparrow!

Oh I'm so disappointed!

I saw a lot of my favourite accounts raving about this one so thought i'd request it on netgalley not expecting to get accepted to read it. It was advertised as enemies to lovers which I am a sucker for but this definitely wasn't that. They are more reluctant allies/ friends to lovers than enemies and the romance scenes were boring and I didn't really care about it. A fantasy story has to have a swoonworthy romance for me or I will lose interest fast.

The thing I will give this book credit for is the magic system. It is really unique and exciting. It added a lot to the story which I think gave it an extra +1 star rating from.

But the world was confusing and gives me mixed feelings as the author has tried to mix the real world with magic and I felt like It was hard to get used to. I think I would have liked a more fantasy world with realistic elements.

3/5 stars from me unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own and honest.

I was really excited for this ARC as the enemies to lovers trope is my favourite but unfortunately I DNF'd at 40%.

At the beginning, you are thrown straight into action, which I felt set the tone for the rest of the book. However, the pace slowed down, making some chapters feel really drawn out and lacked the excitement I expected.

I really enjoyed Selene's badass energy and Jules' arrogance and cheekiness, but as I didn't see them as enemies, the 'enemies to lovers' aspect fell flat. They missed the tension/chemistry that usually makes relationships so engaging, so it made it difficult to invest in their journey together.

I found the world building to be okay as it's set in the world as we know it, but it wasn't clear when it was set, whether it was past, present or future.

The magic system was confusing, I don't think it was explained clearly enough for it to make sense.

Although I liked the dual POV, it didn't indicate when the POV would switch, so I would spend time re-reading parts once I've worked out who it switched to, to understand their perspective more.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC and giving me an opportunity to share my honest opinion.

I came into this book with super high expectations, and to say that I was disappointed is a little bit of an understatement.

Straight from the get go we are thrown into the story, which I usually love. Except from the fact that when the action finished, the world building just seemed quite confusing to me. I spent most of the story confused about the world and magic system. So much so that I couldn’t actually disappear into the book like I usually would as I was over thinking about it all 😅 I felt like there needed to be more information on the different types of magic they used. I also felt like the action was lacking in some ways too.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to read this arc is because it was sold to me as an enemies to lovers story. However, it wasn’t so much enemies to lovers at all. It was more forced allies x friends x lovers. I found that there was next to no chemistry between them either. The only scene which did stick out to me as some sort of chemistry was when they were in the train. But unfortunately that was short lived. I would have loved more tension and less pining between the both of them.

I do wish that the switching of POVs was a bit more clearer (perhaps at the start of the chapters) there were points where I was wondering whose POV I was reading. I also found that the pacing felt off at some points. Some action felt quite rushed, yet parts when not much was happening felt very slow.

Overall, I finished this book feeling a little bit let down. There were some great ideas in this book, and the descriptions are lovely. But the world building really put me off. As did the main characters chemistry. I think that if there was less of a focus on tropes, it would have made for an amazing read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ੈ✩‧₊˚

𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Ok, I read this book gradually over a week or so and I think I took way too long to read it so I do feel harsh rating it only three stars, but this may be a rating that improves at a later date. On paper, this book was right up my street but at the time of picking this book up, I really don’t think I was in the mood and I wasn’t vibing with it, and the longer I took to read it the harder it was to pick it up.

My mood totally affects my enjoyment of a book! So I’m accepting that right now this is a me problem and not a book problem.

I will say though that this one kicks off and goes straight in to the action, which I did love, the author didn’t hang around there that’s for sure, and I was initially gripped on the storyline. However, it took a few chapters for me realise that I was switching between two POV’s, so I got hella confused at first!

I really enjoyed the plot; but struggled with the world building. That’s more due to the fact that this was set in Rome, with Vatican City being the backdrop and I just really struggled with a lot of the names and pronunciations, hence why it took me a while to get through it and I couldn’t completely immerse myself in to the story or truly connect with it. I will say though that the writing was stunning and I did enjoy the authors writing style a lot. For a debut, it was pretty damn good!!

This book will definitely be one I return to with the help of an audiobook, I often find that audiobooks greatly increase my reading experience for books I struggle with, and I have no doubt that that will be the case for this one.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
• forced proximity
• fake dating/engagement
• reverse grumpy x sunshine
• action / fighting scenes
• romantic tension
• enemies to lovers
• knife to throat

thank you so much to sophie, netgalley, and the publishers for an e-copy!

cruel is the light is a debut romantasy read that follows Selene Alleva, a powerful exorcist, and Jules Lacroix, a foot soldier.
for over a century, a war between demons and humans has been raging across europe. as Selene and Jules cross paths, it seems that there is a secret that could change everything and forces them to question everything and everyone.

this book was honestly everything i needed and more. it was perfectly paced and i loved the world building from beginning to end and how it was all given in nice increments, instead of simply getting info dumped. i may be bias as i am from Rome, but i loved the Rome setting and how Sophie created her world around it. the magic system was so interesting and i couldn't help but tab every time we got to learn about it more simply because i loved it that much!! i mean as soon as we start, we are thrust into this world and are instantly given a taste of what to expect with the action, and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Sophie has such an amazing writing style that allowed me to truly immerse myself and picture each fighting sequence as a movie. (this would be a perfect anime js).

now onto my wife and hubby...
Selene is the perfect FMC and someone i'd follow anywhere. my girl is known as the Butcher of Rome, and is seen as someone to be feared but she is so much more than that. she is a determined, caring, and loyal person. though she may not seem that caring on the outside as she is not one to really show compassion or empathy, i think it's simply because she feels too much. she is carrying such a heavy burden and her need to save everyone.

Jules is so AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
my man is funny, my man is witty, and my man is such a sweetheart i want to curl up and cry. he has honestly been through so much and i just want him to be so happy. he is so protective of everyone, and just wants to do the right thing like i might just cry again. he is the book bf of the year because he may be soft and cuddly (imo) but he can also kill you in 0.2 seconds so.... win win?

also an honourable mention goes to my other man Sparrow. i will fight tooth and nail to have 5 seconds with him. he is literally what hope would be if it was a person. he such a fun character and i cannot wait to see more.

the romance had me on the FLOOR!!! the banter, the bickering, the TENSION. it was everything i wanted and more. i just loved Selene and Jules's dynamic more than anything and i miss them so much already. i need book 2 like yesterday (yes i know book 1 isn't out yet but still).

what to expect:
- YA romantasy
- dual pov in third person
- demons vs humans
- political intrigue
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- fake engagement
- knife to throat
- only one bed
- forbidden love
- tension and banter for days

read if you like:
- uncanny counter (kdrama)
- supernatural (tv show)
- the cruel prince (book)
- fourth wing (book)

3.75 Stars!

Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark is an engaging debut that balances a compelling romantic dynamic with a fascinating, though occasionally dense, fantasy world.

The reverse grumpy x sunshine trope is a standout here. Selene, the stoic Vatican exorcist, and Jules, the cheeky orphan soldier, share sparkling dialogue and an undeniable tension that had me rooting for them throughout. Their fake engagement is a delightful subplot, made even more charming by their playful use of French and Italian endearments. Their banter is easily the highlight of the book!

Rome provides a rich and immersive setting, grounding the story in a mix of historical and fantastical elements. While the first quarter felt combat-heavy, it served as a solid foundation for twists, secrets, and moments of introspection later in the story. The side characters, especially Sparrow, bring depth and vibrancy to the narrative.

That said, there are moments where the world-building and formatting stumble. The terminology can be overwhelming, and occasional dialogue confusion or repeated sentences pulled me out of the story. However, these issues didn’t overshadow the book’s strong characters and compelling romance.

A must-read for fans of gods, demons, and slow-burn romantic tension. I’m excited to see what Sophie Clark writes next!