i might be biased because i love a. m. shine, but i loved this book. just good, solid folk horror. if you liked the watchers, this one is worth picking up!

I loved the first book by A.M. Shine I'm still thinking about it 2 years after reading it so I was thrilled when a new part of the series was coming out. I love that they story still follows Mina. I wish it had more of the creatures involved in the book, but overall was still a great sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an advanced copy of Stay in the Light in exchange for an honest review.

I rated this 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

I read The Watchers a couple years ago, and absolutely loved the creepy atmosphere, the slow burn of horror and the somewhat ambiguous ending, which gave me chills. I still think about that book to this day. I was extremely excited to have received an ARC for the sequel, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Stay in the Light picks up a couple years after the events of the first book. Mina has definitely been struggling with everything she learned and escaped from. I loved the multiple POVs throughout - there were a few twists I didn't see coming, and this one was definitely had more of a high-stakes feel to it. I absolutely loved the history and detail about the changelings, which answered a lot of questions we were left with at the end of the first book. The new characters were fantastic as well. Parts of the book involving the new characters had a bit of "The Mummy" feel to it. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I feel certain there will be at least one more installment in this series. If not, the ending is much bleaker than that of the initial book (and the ending to this would work either way - another installment or not). I'm absolutely loving the slow burn of the story and world-building, which has started to pick up the pace with this book, and I feel like the next novel (if there is going to be one) will be even more exciting.

If you loved The Watchers, you are in for a treat with Stay in the Light!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Stay in the Light was an absolutely INSANE continuance of The Watchers. Once you get through the first couple of slower chapters, the action and chills are non-stop. A.M. Shine's writing style is so alluring, I read this entirely in one sitting and didn't want it to end. Can't believe I don't hear more people talking about this series!!

It took me a bit to remember the events of the first book; as a result, the story didn’t catch steam until the second act. But once it found its footing and steam-rolled into the third act, this book was a lot of fun, good horror and worth reading if you enjoyed its predecessor. My only gripe is that it felt very trilogy-focused. But I love what it did for the subtle apocalypse genre.

I was so happy to receive an ARC of this sequel, and it didn't disappoint. While it did start of slow (just like the first novel), once it picked up it was non-stop. I found this one more scary. A.M. Shine is great at world building and making some very eery scenes. I was also happy with how it ended- hoping it means there will be a third installment!

I was so excited to get this ARC! I loved The Watchers, and couldn't wait for the movie. I was so happy a sequel was coming out. I absolutely devoured this book within two days, I think. I loved how it ended and IF there is a third, I will be requesting that one as well. (Not trying to post spoilers). I loved getting to read more into the lore and seeing all of the characters back again (especially the yellow one). I hope this sequel gets turned into a movie as well. I also loved Mina and Madeline's back and forth banter in this one. Once again, thank you to A.M. Shine, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC. If you loved The Watchers and wanted more of Mina and the yellow ones story, this will definitely be for you!

It took me a while to get up to speed because I didn’t remember exactly who was who and this sequel didn’t offer any recaps. There are also new characters and, well, the ones that didn’t make it to the end of The Watchers may not be here, but the consequences of their actions still cast long shadows. Once I remembered the main plot points of the original novel, this one started to make sense. The urgency, the creepiness and the truly horrific terror of the creatures grows almost imperceptibly. Yes, Mina’s life is pretty awful, but nothing bad is really happening. Or is it? The tension grows and grows until I couldn’t bear it. Some chapters underground are really scary - and I don’t scare easily. The first volume was so perfect that I wasn’t sure if a sequel was a good idea, but I think it works well. The polished writing and thought out plot elevates this from a regular horror novel to a truly great book. I can’t say I enjoyed this read, because it made me suffer right along with the characters. Excellent!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Bloomsbury USA | Head of Zeus.

Why you should buy this: If you loved ‘The Watchers’ as much as I did, then you’ll be all over this one. I haven’t managed to watch the movie yet, but I’d also imagine that if you didn’t read book one but watched the movie, then you’ll want to learn more. Shine’s writing is stellar and once again, this world is brought alive through that wonderful writing, and the amazing characters and is highlighted by Mina and Madeline’s odd connection, a connection that should not be, but is, and used perfectly to pull the readers along.

Fine, but unnecessary. I enjoyed the first book way more, and while this had some great moments, I'm not sure we needed a sequel.

Let me start by saying THERE BETTER BE A THIRD BOOK. The absolute chokehold that The Watchers series has on me...I need more.

This book picks up a couple months after The Watchers ends. We join Mina in an isolated coastal cottage, hiding from the changelings that are after her.

A.M. Shine has a gift for folk horror and no-frills chills. The writing is gorgeous and the plot moves along at a nice pace. I don't want to give too much away since this is a sequel but if you're not reading A.M. Shine, you are seriously missing out. My new favorite voice in horror.

This is book 2 to The Watchers!

Mina is still living on the run after she escaped the watchers. She suffers from PTSD and rarely leaves her home. She is committed to determining how to beat the Watchers and spends most of her time on the internet. It isn't until an archeological dig uncover secrets that should long stay bured that the story really takes off. Can Mina save humankind?#Bloomsbury #headofzeus #stayinthelight #thewatchers #amshine

The Watchers I gave 4.5 stars to, but unfortunately Stay in the Light would have 3.5 for me. There were some scenes in it that were even more chilling than in the first novel, and I truly enjoyed learning more about the history of the watchers through Sean's lens. Unfortunately, it seemed to drag on a bit at parts and there were a few specific chapters I would have changed quite a bit or cut entirely.

I don't want to include all the notes I have written because it would contain partial spoilers, so I'll leave it with this: while it was weaker than the first, it stuck the landing at the end and made me excited for book three.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this early!

I’m a huge fan of everything A.M. Shine has written, but I’m especially invested in The Watchers series. It’s such an involving world, somewhere I just want to spend time in. Be it through reading it or watching the movie that came out this year.
The author is one of those who make you feel like they write beautifully with such ease. His vast vocabulary had me tattered to the dictionary, learning lots of new words. His prose doesn’t feel pedantic in any way.

Spoilers start here.

I think there’s something so alluring about centralizing the work on ferries, in a similar way that other horror works have used angels. Often times the more Catholic leaning fiction will cite the passage in the Bible when an angel says “do not fear” because their presence can be scary. In a similar fashion, what we’ve learned to think as wonderful beings, A. M. Shine flips upside down as the most terrifying presence lurking from the darkness: the ferries. I’m a huge fan of the way he is bringing these stories into a new genre of fresh gothic stories.

Another aspect of this work that I absolutely adore, is that the monsters are not just foes, but they can be friends too. There’s something just so fresh about this perspective, that not many authors I have read, explore.

I’ll be adding this book to my all time favorites and certainly rereading it too. Looking forward to the next stories he has in store for us, hopefully Mina’s and Madeline’s will continue too.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

To say I was excited to be approved for this is putting it lightly. I was ecstatic, especially with the recent release of the movie version of the first novel,The Watchers. This follows the events of the first book, which I highly recommend reading first, or again, if you are like me and forget a lot of details nearly a year after reading. The author did me a favor, though, by subtly detailing what exactly occurred in the past so I wasn't lost or confused.

This was a completely different atmosphere and setting than the first, so don't jump in expecting it to be. We follow Mina with her paranoia and trauma into this one, as well as a few of her friends you may remember. While this was an entirely different read from what we were given previously, this was still scary in its own right, with an ominous feeling throughout that is hard to shake off. Starting off slow in order to build up suspense while reconnecting with Mina, the reader is pulled into her world as well as her mind. We are given more history into these creatures, and while in some scenarios, it kind of destroys the overall terrifying effect they give, this somehow made it stronger and more horrifying. Once things really get going, this takes off, leaving you on the edge of your seat and turning on all your lights, afraid of what may be lurking in the dark. Descriptive, scary, and emotion-packed, this was a brilliant read that left me praying for yet another one to come. Four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA, for this ARC.

This book follows Mina after the events of the first book. Traumatized and paranoid, Mina hides from the Watchers, her only allies being Ciara and Madeleine. This book had a much different feel than the first. There is no eerie feeling of doom the woodland setting provided. I didn’t find myself holding tightly to my kindle as I hold my breath waiting for the watchers. Instead this book read more like an urban fantasy sprinkled in with some horror. Don’t get me wrong this is still a good read and I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first book. This book makes way for a great third book in the series which hopefully we won’t have to wait to long for.

Stay In The Light by A.M Shine is the sequel to The Watchers. It took a couple chapters but then I was completely hooked! I did not enjoy how the book ended on a cliffhanger. I need MORE, I need to find out how it all ends. I am left with more questions but this just means I am eagerly waiting for the next book of this series…..


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellent sequel to the first novel. Absolutely addictive and terrifying page turner and I'm already looking for more from this awesome author!

So I binged The Watchers in one day, before my friend and I saw the movie, because I’m forever a book first girlie. The movie was fine, but the ending of the book messed me up for DAYS after!

So when I found out a sequel was coming, obviously I had to check it out!

The beginning was a little slow for me, but once things really got moving, I couldn’t put it down! Shine’s writing is so genuinely beautiful, which isn’t something I’ve said about a lot of horror, but I just want to curl up and live in his words. Not so much his world though, because I’m not sure I’ve been this creeped out by a horror villain in a long time.

Monsters that can imitate anyone are apparently my biggest phobia, and the reason It Follows still scares me after all this time.

No spoilers, but there are two specific moments in this book that actually gave me chills, and that doesn’t include the ending that broke me almost as bad as it did in The Watchers!

I SO enjoyed this follow up to The Watchers. Thrilling story and killer ending. More please! Highly recommend and will be purchasing for libraries.