I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very well written and the world was amazing. I loved all the twists and turns the book took. It kept me on my toes, that’s for sure. I will be reading more by this author for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 9/14/2023. Some books, you just have to roll with them. You have to relax your brain and flow through on the vibes. This book is 100% that way. You step into a world that's already fully built, led by a character who has little to no interest in easing your transition into it, and you get a dead body within 10 minutes of reading. That's a nutshell, of course, and there is more depth to it all but it is a vibe read. There is some sort of magical realism going on - at least when it comes to the main character Asher Gale, once an artistic prodigy, now a cynical smartass with Special Eyes and a proclivity to seeing things that he shouldn't which send his brain into experience-seeking sociopath or twitching color-saturation. If you are fluent in art and color and technique, you might be able to catch some things an average dabbler like me miss, though. The author clearly has the world and its logistics and rules in his head but, since the book is in first person and Asher is... difficult, we the reader don't get as much help as we might like. In the end, I just told my higher logic brain to be quiet and coasted on the lush descriptions, witty banter, and a plot that moved in starts and stops.

Asher, btw, is the sort of trainwreck that you either love or hate. He's rather John Constantinian if you get my drift. An asshole but strangely charming, smart but a complete idiot, determined to push everyone away but cannot possibly unclench from those he loves. His sister is a bloody martyr and I love her. His possible love interest is pretty charming if possibly insane to be going with him. The creepy paint store owner is super annoying (I can't remember her name but I remember her making me eye-roll exceedingly hard).

Overall, it was a very interesting read and I would like to see what he does in the next books. However, it fell apart when I thought too deeply or searched too hard for a coherency. So strap in, get a drink, and ride the color highway to a weird AF world with potential.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book for an honest review.

Murder mystery meets urban fantasy.
I definitely judge a book by its cover, ajd this book had me intrigued!

Asher is a likeable character and the premise of this story really allows the character to shine with his speciality. I liked the ideas the author brought to the story. I'm not sure if I would continue to read the series, as it isn't to my personal preference to read anything longer than a trilogy. But I would recommend to readers who enjoy an mystery and happy to invest in a long series.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Thank you to the publisher and NeGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I unfortunately had to DNF this book at 46% after realizing I am not the intended audience for it.

This book is about a former painter who is able to see a higher spectrum of colors, only visible to people who have this gift and a whole secret community is built around people with this gift. Asher Gale the main character finds himself investigating a dark and deadly mystery.

I think this is a great magical thriller/suspense novel - it just isn't the genre I prefer to read. I thought it would have more fantasy elements but it leans more paranormal/thriller.

The plot and mystery really hooked me and I would love to find out how it all resolves in the end, however the writing style is not for me. I found a the some details confusing to keep track of. The thriller.paranormal aspect will really appeal to those who enjoy scary or spooky stories/movies/video games because the events have an undertone of tension.

This book is also set in a small, seaside town so it will appeal to those who enjoy unlikely protagonists, spooky thrillers and unique urban fantasy.

I do not feel like I understood a whole lot of what was going on in this novel. I appreciate that it was different and there was a glossary with terms and a map. But I had a difficult time following the main character and definitely didn't care for the main character. I hope the next few novels ties things up.

I'm in my mystery and fantasy era, and picking up this book was a nice addition to my list. I was really intrigued with the premise of the book, but more than that, it kept me intrigued until the end. The magic system, twists, and pacing were all great. I enjoyed learning who Asher is and what made him so unique, and the author did a great job getting me to like him. Even the writing style, which at times I was a little slow to fully grasp, made me feel like I was in this town and with these characters. I wish there was more imagery to it, which sounds strange for a book with good descriptions, but I was having a hard time imagining "higher colors." I will be picking up the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this book!

The Book of Light by Kevin Hincker
⭐⭐💫
#netgalley published 9/14/23
#selfpublished
#mystery #fantasy

I tried, I really did. I just could not continue. I loved the sound of the story. It's different. It's new. But nope. Not for me. It might still be for you. I had recently read a book about scents and was fascinated by it. So I thought a book about colors would be just as great. Sorry. This book was not for me. I know I said that already but...

The writing in the beginning seemed choppy to me. Sometimes when picking up a book by a new author, I need to get used to the cadence of their writing. I never managed to get used to it. For me, most of the sentences remained choppy and awkward.

I was hoping for spectacular descriptions of visuals by specific color names. But not as much as I had expected. Descriptions happened but not fluidly as I had hoped. I am a crafter into jewelry. A sewist. I know colors by pretty specific names. It just didn't really happen. And the way the MC could see "higher" colors just didn't work for me. The descriptions of these higher colors didn't make sense in my head. I kept trying. But I just could not keep going any more.

I'm sorry. This was a DNF for me.

#theghostwiththeknifeatherthroat
#thebookoflight #kevinhincker
#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #bookreview

i loved the author's writing in this and i am hopeful he will write more hopefully successful works in the future. i loved the blend of genres

So I ended up listening to this on audible-I didn't know it was previously released. While I did enjoy the originality and dry sense of humor to this the AI voice narration is a HUGE distractor from the story. This series is funny, original and I will continue reading it but I will be reading it and not listening to it.
I'm planning a post with sprayed edged to the physical copy (I'm crafting it) and a colorful vodka based cocktail (Asher would want it that way) LOL
Are there any physical copies that you can send me? Like a hardcover? I can only find paperback
Thank you for letting me have this ARC

What just happened? 😅

This book has such a complex and very interesting magic system (for lack of better words). It jumps right into it and I was a little confused at first, but it wasn’t hard to follow.

A unique story. I enjoyed this one, but I’m still not sure if I will move on to the second in the series.

I enjoyed this read, it was a little slow to start but once it did I was INVESTED! I enjoyed the urban fantasy feel and the tense nature that was Asher Gale. And can. We discuss the ending?! The last 20% of the book I couldn’t stop turning pages!


Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Ghost with a Knife at Her Throat is a title that led me to expect a gothic, but instead it is a twisty and witty thriller, cleverly written, with a novel fantasy-tinged premise and an unlikely hero. It reminded me a little bit of The Tainted Cup -one of my favorite books of 2024. Another murder mystery where the main character's atypical abilities. Read this book to find out about Skysill Beach and its secrets. This one is best going in fairly blind. I enjoyed the story, the prose, the characters enough that I will auto-buy book 2.

Name of Book: The Ghost with the Knife at Her Throat
Author: Kevin Hincker
Series: History of Light Book #1
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Independently Published by the Author
Pub Date was: September 23, 2023
My Rating: 2.6 rounded up
Pages: 304

Story is based in Skysill Beach a small beach artist colony in Southern California.
(Living in Southern California Laguna Beach of course came to my mind. Once know has a large hippie community now very much a tourist attraction with small unique shops no big chain stores, many small beach lodging and a few big luxury Hotels.)

Asher Gale is able to see beyond the normal colors. This talent pulls him into a murder mystery following a ghost instead of drinking at his favorite bar.
Asher wants to solve the murder of a wealthy art dealer’s daughter so uses ultraviolet colors.

True this isn’t my normal Psychological Thriller or Cozy Mystery (Yes I love both I realize that Psychological and Cozy typically aren’t in the same sentence or genre.)

This story is Book #1 in the five book series “The History of Light”
It was an okay read. Yes there are four more in this series all release and Book #5 has a Pub Date of May 15, 2024
• Book # 2 [book: The Question in the Dancer’s Kiss] – Book of Sound
• Book #3 [book: The Shadow Waiting on the Throne] – Book of Scent
• Book #4 [book: The Sacrifice the Dead will Make] – Book of Taste
• Book #5 [book: The Curse at the End of the World] Book of Touch

About the Author- Kevin Hincker! His bio states that he writes speculative fiction for curious readers!

Want to thank NetGalley and Independent Publisher Kevin Hincker for this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date was – September 23, 2023.

I think this was a great book if you enjoy the writing style. I tried to love it, as one friend recommended this to me, but I really struggled to get into this and it took me over 10 days to complete.

The narrator is sassy, the premise is intriguing, and it is a very colorful prose that is used. But it unfortunately it was not for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This book was fantastic! I loved how sassy the main character was throughout the entire book and was pleasantly surprised to find that this was book 1 in a series. Murder mystery Fantasy. What’s not to like? The unique magical elements through the book led me on a roller coaster of beautiful world-building and plot twists I did not see coming.

This book was a unique masterpiece that must’ve taken the mind of a genius. This story is one that will not only confuse me but one which I will treasure forever, simply because of the different aspects. I have never read anything like it and I am so grateful I was able to experience the rollercoaster of emotions, information, and development. I’m not going to lie, there was so much information that I needed to comprehend with every page that it tired me out easily. However, even then I still found myself coming back every time not even a few hours later. This book had me constantly on my toes and always thinking. Even now letting it all sink in for a few days I still find myself thinking back to the intricate details and plot of this novel. The Ghost with a knife at her throat by Kevin Hlncker is a true masterpiece.

The Ghost with a Knife at Her Throat is the first volume in a 5 book UF/paranormal/mystery series by Kevin Hincker. Released 14th Aug 2023, it's 274 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU. The fifth and final book is due out 15th May 2024.

This is an extremely trippy book with some interesting world building (some gifted artists are able to see outside the visible light spectrum, and some can use pigments which tap into subliminal compulsions). The MC is a former prodigy who gave up painting because it caused him seizures and fugue states varying from manic behavior to near catatonia.

There are graphic descriptions of violence, suicide, mental illness, and multiple detailed passages about seizures that are so specific, I can only imagine the author has done some impressive research into epilepsy or migraine/cluster headache and neurological disorders.

It's well written but quite choppy; very much in the vein of Terry Gilliam. It's not derivative at all, but fans of China Miéville and Jeff VanderMeer will find this narrative resonates on a similar frequency. There are overarching plotlines, and the plot doesn't resolve in this volume. In fact the 5 book series deals with one sense per book (sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch).

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of "New Weird" and surrealist UF. Since it's included in KU, definitely worth a look just on a whim. It's emphatically not easy reading though. It's a self-published indie title, and readers should expect some roughness and a few minor typos.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I loved Asher and his sister Amelia. This defiantly was not welcoming in the beginning, I had to reread the first two pages three times to figure out what was going on. The writing got better at points but then it was super confusing. I would give the originality a solid 5 stars. It was a good novel that mixes all the genres I LOVE. Adding the glossary helped at points but did not make it easier. I did read the preview for the second one and seemed to have improved and easier to follow. I could defiantly see this being ablenti be picked up as a script for a show.