4.5 stars
A sequel that's even better than the first! I really liked the watchers, but I absolutely loved this. I loved the atmospheric and immersive writing style. It was dark, suspenseful, and full of tension. I was thoroughly engrossed the whole time. I really liked how it ended; it definitely sets the story up for another book. While I loved the ending, I did want more of a punch from the climax.

STAY IN THE LIGHT IS SPECTACULAR AND IS TRULY AN AMAZING SEQUEL!!

Stay in the Light picks up exactly where we left our characters in The Watchers. Mina has just found out that the Watchers are more prevalent than ever. There are more out in the world than they could have ever imagined. However, upon discovery that the Professor's son is attempting to finish the work that the Professor started, Mina realizes that she is going to have to be brave once more and find the Watchers before they find her.

I cannot truly say how fantastic this follow-up was. I truly found myself flabbergasted at how great this book was. The characters are so rich and I could not get over how enraged I found myself reading this book. I felt so mad because there was nothing that I could do to help these characters and I was desperate to help in some way. I think this just speaks to how exceptional A M Shine's writing is. It is next-level folk horror. Readers are going to love this because not only do we get the characters that we know and love, but there is fresh blood in the mix and the characterization feels both familiar and amazing.

Additionally, the action in this particular had me on the tip of my toes!! This book had me unnerved and paranoid much worse than The Watchers. I don't know exactly how A M Shine did it, but I was truly feeling freaked out reading this. Not to mention the stakes are just as high if not higher in this sequel so don't feel a sophomore slump. The action will pull you in and not let you go until you read the very last page.

PREORDER THIS BOOK and make sure you don't miss out on the next thrilling chapter of the Watchers. Oh and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE A M SHINE - WE NEED ANOTHER BOOK ASAP!!!!

Just last month, I finished The Watchers and I immediately wanted more. Little did I know, my life would soon collide with the sequel, Stay in the Light! I was so glad to get my hands on this and within 48 hours, I had finished the sequel. And what a great follow up it was.

I enjoyed reconnecting with the main character, Mina, and seeing where she ended up. While familiar characters also appeared, Ciara and Madeline, I also got to explore more of Mina’s relationship to her sister, Jennifer, and, best of all, some new characters.

I figured the Kilmartin legacy wasn’t done, and sure enough, Sean Kilmartin quickly appears in the sequel. Like his father from The Watchers, he forms a fascination and obsession with changelings. This is in all thanks to his father’s intriguing bedtime stories.

Alternating between Sean’s archaeological dig and Mina’s story helps keep this one a better pace than the previous novel. And the descriptions of everything were just phenomenal. Shine’s style of writing just really resonates with me and I find it easy to follow.

I can see the next novel being even better. Fingers crossed!

“Nothing good ever came from beneath the earth.”

I’m a HUGE fan of the 1st book - The Watchers. I gave it 5 ⭐️. It was one of the first books to genuinely disturb and scare me, and the twist was mind-blowing.

So when I heard there was a book 2 I had mixed emotions. I was so excited but I was also very nervous… because part of me wished it had been a stand-alone (it was THAT good).

I received an ARC for book 2 from NetGalley & I read the whole thing in one afternoon. Here are my thoughts:

It was decent. It wasn’t amazing. There were a couple scenes in there that were so effective in their scare-factor. Otherwise, it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped.

I’m not sure if it’s because the magic and mystery from the first book had already been solved so the suspense & eagerness to learn more was gone… I just don’t think we needed a continuation of the story.

It seems like it’s been set up for a third book which I’m not thrilled about.

I guess my thoughts are just a little jumbled right now.

Personally, I would have loved to see A.M Shine come out with an entirely new horror book on a different subject. He’s so insanely talented in this genre and I will read ANYTHING he comes out with… but I think I’m done with The Watchers universe at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The second book in this series absolutely did not disappoint! The story was a nail biter all the way through and more pieces of the puzzle that are The Watchers were revealed. And that ending! I hope it won’t be much longer before book three releases - I can’t wait!