Beautiful, evocative writing, such as I’ve come to expect from Sally Coulthard. As well as detailing pockets of life that use twilight, she’s also made her information easily accessible and rememberable. I’ve learned more than I thought I would, got new tips on how to look after my local wildlife, learned phrases from older languages, and got other books to add to my TBR list. Also, this book contains one of the best sentences I’ve ever read: “More on twilight singing penises later.”

This book is one of those rare reads that makes you feel like the world has quietly expanded while you were turning pages.

Sally Coulthard takes dusk and reveals just how rich, strange, magical, and fleeting it is. She presents it for what it is: this beautiful space hovering between day and night.

It's fascinating. It effortlessly blends natural history, science, folklore, culture, and storytelling into something that feels informative and enchanting. One minute you’re learning about animal behaviour at dusk, the next you’re drifting through mythology and human rituals tied to twilight. It never feels dry or academic, like you're being talked down to.

Coulthard’s writing is warm and quietly poetic without ever tipping into overindulgence. She paints vivid pictures. There’s a real sense of wonder running through the entire book that reminds you how much of the natural world we move through without fully noticing and forces you to really think about what you're missing, like the sounds and the subtle transitions.

I loved how the book reframes twilight not just as a time of day, but as an ecological and cultural space. On the surface it’s about nature but also about human emotions: our fears, superstitions, creativity, rhythms, and deep-rooted connection to light and darkness. It’s soothing and unexpectedly magical.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

The Secret World of Twilight by Sally Coulthard is one of those books that makes you slow down and notice the world a bit more. It's all about that in-between time - not quite day, not quite night - when everything feels softer and a little mysterious. This would be a perfect gift for loved one.