I really enjoyed The Watchers, I found it genuinely scary but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. Similar to how I felt about Bird Box; there didn't need to be a sequel. It was strong as a stand alone and it seems that there will even be a third book. I will be leaving the series alone now, but I will continue to recommend the first book to others because it really was great.

This one was a very good sequel to the Watchers. I reread the Watchers in anticipation for the ARC of Stay in the Light, and it was amazing to see the characters back again in the sequel. The plot itself was also pretty fun to me, it flows nicely, it's not too difficult to read, and it's definitely due for a reread in the future.

I was really excited about reading this as I absolutely loved The Watchers.
Unfortunately, I think I set my expectations too high as sadly I didn't enjoy this book as much.

If you haven't read the Watchers and want to avoid spoilers please don't read this review!

I was pleased it followed the survivors from the watchers but as I read the first book quite a while ago it took me a while to remember who was who, and what happened.

The story is split into 2 narratives, one following Mina from the first book and unfortunately I found these parts of the book a bit of a drag. I loved Mina in the watchers but she didn't have much to do in this sequel, her chapters were a bit repetitive and I was rushing through them to get to Sean's chapters.
The chapters about Sean and Ash, were much more interesting, tense and more reminiscent of what I enjoyed in the first book.
This story alone would have got four stars. Sean and a team of archeaologists investigate a mysterious underground chamber. These parts were claustrophobic and creepy and I really enjoyed them and learning more about Irish myths.

I was hoping for both these storylines to cross over at the end or for there be more of an exciting conclusion but it just fell a bit flat for me.

I did enjoy it but I think I was expecting more.
Thank you for the chance to read this ARC.

4.5⭐️

Omg this was even better than the first one, I absolutely loved it! It was creepy, claustrophobic and anxiety inducing. I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was racing the whole time I was reading it! 😱

I loved the introduction of Sean. Also loved the development of Mina & Madeline’s characters. I cannot WAIT to see where AM Shine takes this story, I really enjoyed this sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me early access.

My thanks to Netgallery, the author and the publisher for this ARC copy to read and review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

It’s impossible to rate Stay In The Light without comparisons to The Watchers. While this is certainly an accomplished novel in its own right, it unfortunately didn’t reach the same heights as its predecessor. Which is truly a shame, because without those lofty expectations, I’m sure I would have left this feeling much more exhilarated.

It may be a case where expanding the world and raising the stakes actually worked against itself. For me at least. After we learned what the f*** was going on in the first book, this one lacked the mystery and magic that kept me so hooked. And if I'm being honest, the first 35% of Stay in the Light failed to grab me. Thankfully the last half of the book ramps up and is much stronger. The ending and epilogue also implies there will be a third book in the series, which makes some of the issues I had here more understandable. As with many 'middle' books, there's a fair amount of treading water that needs to happen in order to build to the big climax in a final(?) instalment.

Final thought - I would have preferred if Mina had a harder time identifying the watchers. When she notices the tell-tale signs immediately, it destroys any tension or mystery that could be built. I want to be more suspicious of everyone she encounters.

To be clear, I did like this book, despite my nitpicking. I’m glad to have read it and I remain a fan of the author. A.M. Shine is an impressive writer and story-teller, and I will certainly continue with this series and his future works. And Hell, if the worst thing I can say about a book is that it wasn't as outstanding as the last, I think that's a pretty glowing review.

Brilliant, creepy and down right scary! What a good sequel and I was absolutely hooked from the start!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Horror involving Irish folklore may well find itself back in the big time with the arrival of Stay in the Light, the direct sequel to The Watchers (2021). Horror DNA interviewed AM Shine back in 2022, when the brilliant The Creeper was released, and he never gave any indication a sequel was in the works, perhaps the recent film version produced by M. Night Shyamalan has had something to do with it.

I am a massive fan of Irish horror and am happy to share some of my favourite tips once you have sped through AM Shine’s three novels. Neil Sharpson’s gripping Knock Knock, Open Wide is totally unmissable and if you are after a novella then be sure to check out NP Cunniffe’s The Weejee Man. I wish there were more supernatural tales on the market exploring the Emerald Isle’s rich history; there are certainly plenty of authors up to the task. John Connolly and Kealan Patrick Burke would rank high on my list, but this great pair primarily set their books in the USA rather than the land of their birth. Peadar Ó Guilín and Deirdre Sullivan are further top picks, the former author of the stunning YA duology The Call (2016-18), which majestically blends fantasy with Irish folklore and history and the latter the recent Wise Creatures, the haunting story of a damaged child medium.

It is tricky to review Stay in the Light without heading straight into spoiler territory, but name sure you read The Watchers first, as it is a direct sequel with most of the characters returning from the original book. In the opening novel a young woman (Nina) becomes trapped in a remote cabin in the west of Ireland and is unable to escape as there are creatures in the forest who watch their every move. With a few other unfortunates (and a very cool parrot) Nina battles to survive and escape in a very clever spin on the ‘trapped in the woods’ trope, which beautifully taps into Irish folklore and mythology.

Stay in the Light picks up what happens to those who make it back to civilisation, damaged, paranoid, and deeply aware that they are being watched, tracked, and hunted. Mina returns as the main character (thankfully, with parrot again in tow) and one of the novel’s main weaknesses is that very little beyond Mina hiding (and getting continually drunk) actually happened in this narrative. It could also have done with more action sequences, when they happened they were brilliant, such as the scene in the isolated police station which played out like a supernatural version of John Carpenter’s Escape From Precinct 13.

I loved the manner in which the watchers were presented, they could be anywhere, with Mina being able to spot obvious tells, which might also be her own paranoia. However, I also felt that we could have seen more of them as they appeared very sparingly. This was a very atmospheric book, which developed the ideas of Irish mythology explored in the original novel to something more fully formed. It had me dredging up books I read decades ago which featured similar characters, with Bridget Wood’s Wolfking quartet springing to mind.

The connections to The Watchers were skilfully and naturally embedded in Stay in the Light, in particular with Sean Kilmartin, the amateur archaeologist and son of a key character from the original. I am a real sucker for underground horror and this is where this sequel really picks up a head of steam. Dreaming of following in the footsteps of his successful father, he follows clues which leads to an archaeological dig which he hopes will provide answers to many of the big unanswered questions about Ireland’s history and its connection to folklore. A weasel of a man, Kilmartin and a team of students start digging and find underground tunnels which are thousands of years old. These underground sequences were outstanding and if anything the novel needed more of them and they were a real highlight of the novel.

Was Stay in the Light written because of the film version of The Watchers? I’m not sure what the answer is, but it did also feel like the middle part of a trilogy. The ending was terrific and could be seen as either ‘the end’ or setting the scene for a huge all-out war in a potential third part. I’m not sure whether AM Shine wants to write an ‘end of the world’ horror novel, but if he does I will be happy to read it.

“Stay in the Light” A.M Shine

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary: Mina thinks she has escaped the Watchers gaze as she lives in a coastal village in Ireland. However, she discovers someone plans to dig up a site which may contain more of those creatures, and her little safe haven no longer feels secure.

Thoughts:

I received this ARC from Netgalley, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a sequel to the novel, “The Watchers”, so you may feel lost if you don’t read that first. I enjoyed this book a lot, and read it during any free time I had.

I really enjoyed the first book, and was surprised by a sequel, as I felt the first book could have been a solid book on its own. Nevertheless, this book had me on edge at some parts, and thinking how unlucky Mina was. There is a new character, but I don’t want to give anything away, and we do catch up with old characters from the first book.

How this book ends could lead to a third one, which I would love to read, just to see how the author manages it. I do feel the book was a bit slow at first but I still found it interesting and was curious how everything was going to come together.

Again, a huge thanks to Netgalley, I was so excited to be accepted for an ARC. This title is scheduled for 22nd of October 2024, and I will be grabbing it.

What a solid continuation.

Stay In The Light is the perfect follow up to The Watchers.
Mina, Ciara and Madeline may be out of the coop but they aren’t out of the woods yet. The Watchers are still lurking in the cities and towns Mina runs to, and no matter how she disguises herself they can see her.
Meanwhile Sean Kilmartin has stumbled on to the archaeological find of the century, but who knows what is still lurking under the earth.

A. M. Shine is a master of combining folklore, history and paranormal horror together. I was a huge fan of The Watchers and The Creeper, and Stay In The Light is just as thrilling. The plot has a really good balance, with a partial focus on Mina’s story (the poor girl cannot get a break) which although a little slow in some areas, really builds a huge amount of suspense with some really chilling moments. The other focus for the story is the new character of Sean Kilmartin, carrying on his father’s work with the find of a large tomb-like cavern that may just prove the existence of changelings…this story was fast paced, packed with folklore and history, and had some incredibly creepy scenes. I was really drawn to this story in particular, it was so well written I could picture every moment, and it paved the way for a brilliant third instalment.
The mix of the two stories really lets the reader see every single angle and answers some questions from the first book. The change of pacing and cliffhanger moments where the story shifts perspective keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole book. I was really captivated from start to finish.

I can’t wait to see this take the horror world by storm and am already looking forward to a third book!

I have read both A.M Shine's books, The Watchers and The Creeper and I was a big fan of both. I love horror books but in particular I love how they're Irish horror books. Having grown up hearing stories on Irish folklore I loved The Watchers and Stay in the Light, I wish more horror books were set in Ireland around folklore as it is so old and beautiful and interesting. I wondered if a sequel to The Watchers could hold up but it did and I loved it, this book was a perfect continuation. The writing is lovely and keeps you hooked as you don't even realise you're turning the pages, I had to pace myself from reading it all in one night.

thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for allowing me to read “stay in the light” early

Overall I gave the book 4.5 stars.

What a sequel to the first book 👏🏻 absolutely loving the fact that there’s more to mina, ciara & Madeline’s story, the love I have for Madeline is insane and this book only made my love for her grow more!

Following on from the first book I was scared because how can you top a masterpiece? But the introduction to Sean & Ash was the perfect way to do it! I was so indulged in the story I didn’t want it to end.

I’m very excited to see where else this story continues and I need a physical copy of this book ASAP!!

I was very excited by this sequel to The Watchers and it did not disappoint! We once again join Mina, Madeleine and the others and I won’t say anything else as I don’t want to give anything away! The writing is beautiful and flows, and it’s a real page turner. Fingers crossed there’ll be a third book!

Follow ups to successful horror books rarely pan out however Shine has done it again with this one. Every bit as spooky and gripping as book one. Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC of Stay in the Light by EM Shine. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have read it and give feedback.

So far, this is the only sequel ARC I have requested. When my request was approved I began reading straight away!

This book met all of my expectations. It was a great sequel, a great horror, and another great look into Irish mythology. It’s a different vibe to The Watchers, but it doesn’t try to be the same. Characters have a lot of trauma from their experience in the coop and the forest, and part of this book is about how they’re coping (or not coping). The rest… well, I think that should be a surprise.

The characters were great. The majority of this book follows Mina as well as a well-developed new character. We also have snippets from side characters that enhance the story, and the Watchers were even creepier than they were before.

My one gripe is (and it’s not a big deal) is the way the new character describes women. This isn’t a romance, I don’t need to know his gaze is lingering on the curve of her body. There was a similar problem in another book of Shine’s, and I 100% could have done without it.

All in all, I’m very glad I enjoyed this book. The Watcher and Stay in the Light were both wonderful reads, to the point where I’m going to buy physical copies of them. It seems to set up a sequel, so I’ll eagerly await that. Shine’s 2022 book The Creeper could have been great, but was ruined by one of the worst endings I’ve ever experienced. I’ll give this book a solid 4/5.

Stay in the Light is a decent follow-up to The Watchers. The story picks up right where the first book left off, with Mina having become a paranoid wreck while living in hiding. In alternate chapters we follow Sean, the son of Professor Kilmartin, who is determined to finish his father’s work.

It’s Sean’s storyline that stole the show for me. He’s convinced that proof of the changelings existence lies in an underground cavern and the explorations of this space are delightfully creepy. By comparison, I found Mina’s chapters a bit boring (until the end of the novel when things do eventually pick up!). I almost wish that this story had only been about Sean and his team.

I still love the eerie descriptions of the changelings themselves, but the start of this book was just a bit too slow for me.

"Stay in the Light" is a brilliant follow-up to "The Watchers", continuing the story of Mina and her friends as they run from the changelings that now exist in our world.

I was nervous about this sequel, wondering how on earth it could stand up to the first book.

I shouldn't have worried!

It's fast paced, a bit more action packed, but still builds a world rich in fascinating characters, deep folklore, and creepy Irish settings.

AM Shine has written some cracking books in recent years, "Stay in the Light" is the sequel to "The Watchers" (turned into a film). It's brilliant. It already has a cinematic feel (why would you not take a chance that this one could be optioned too) and it is full of atmosphere. It takes up the story after "The Watchers" has finished and we follow Mina in her new life. It goes beyond the Coop and expands on what the Watchers are, Changelings. Jam-packed with Irish folklore with a horror twist, we also have a very dark Indiana Jones style thread. Wouldn't it be nice if this was a trilogy?

Shine by name, Shine by nature…

When I read The Watchers a couple of years ago, I was completely hooked: there was something about Shine’s writing that scratched all of my folk horror itches. This happened again with The Creeper and I knew that I’d found a new favourite in the genre!

With Stay in the Light, A.M. Shine continues the story that was started in The Watchers and manages to add another rich and terrifying layer to the mythos - extra emphasis on terrifying.

Shine has the ability to make your skin crawl with ease: there are moments here that were full of dread as you witness some pretty heart-stopping revelations, one of which involved a voice being ‘tried out’ and I think some of the accompanying imagery will haunt me.

As previously mentioned, where The Watchers started the world building, this really amplifies it and takes it to another level. It was nice to have more settings and perspectives to explore and I honestly struggled to put the book down for long. The mix of likeable and unlikeable characters made this a very exciting read.

There's a real sense of foreboding and tension as long-forgotten secrets fight to be rediscovered.

Ok sorry to spam the world with book reviews - but they are GOOD books I'm reviewing! Stay in the Light is a sequel to The Watchers (which incidentally is a movie out at the time of writing this review, one I will only be watching once the kids are all tucked up in bed and I am feeling particularly brave). I confess I haven't actually read the OG book, but first things first, Stay in the Light is still good and totally follawable if you find yourself in the same shoes (I will be hunting down The Watchers to read at some point).

This book is absolutely drenched in atmosphere - in fact, its a master class in horror. I feel that Shine is channelling "The Passage" vibes with this series (except producing a much tighter, better paced overall story). There are all the right elements for a good torturous spook - slow burn uneasiness, the occasional visceral threat, scares without melodrama. It's great!

It's quite a strange storyline, almost quaint, set in isolated Irish locales which fits the mood perfectly. It gives a sense of plausibility to whats happening, even as the story ramps up and starts spreading beyond the torment of poor Mina. Something that is done quite well is Shine crafts different sorts of horror scenes to keep the story fresh - its not just our MCs running from situation to situation from the monster-of-the-week.

Maybe one tiny beef - not only is this book a sequel but very apparently going to have a sequel. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall it really could have done with a bit more juice to the plot to make it feel less like an instalment in a larger story - I mean I will still be picking up (begging Netgalley hopefully) for the next one and eagerly reading it...