okay if you liked the atmospheric and demon hunting feel of the infernal devices but with extra-forbidden romance twist 👀 this book!!!

firstly, the descriptions of rome are INSANE like i can’t even picture things and I’m feeling the ancient yet magical vibes??

also THE TROPES?? INSANE?! it’s a bit of fake dating and grumpy/sunshine but also forbidden love and a tiny bit of enemies to lovers, like it’s so hard to explain the relationship that is selene & jules, it’s feels so familiar but also like nothing i’ve read before??? just trust me on this pleaseeee

ALSO THERE’S AN ONE BED *AND* KNIFE TO THROAT SCENE 👀👀

enough said 🫢

As if the cover isn’t stunning enough, this story is just as beautiful. I love some historical realism, fantastical and magical urban fantasy books. I loved the world building, the politics, the dynamic between Jules and Selene (who doesn’t love fake dating?!). This was such a refreshing YA read. I went out and bought a copy on release day to have a shelf trophy because I enjoyed the premise and because, I repeat: the cover is stunning!

Cruel is the Light is a fantastic debut from Sophie Clark. I truly cannot wait to see where this series goes! I love a good kn!fe to throat moment too and this book delievered that in spades. The story had twists and turns around every corner. Once Jules and Selene were thrown together in the story, their dynamic dominated the storyline and propelled the reader into the world of exorcists, demons, and unlikely allies.

Sometimes it felt like the story was a little overwhelming - some of the world building felt a little hard to grasp at times. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and cannot wait to see where the story goes. Because after that ending??? How could I not want to know more???!!!

Bloodletting for power, demon hunters, fake-dating, and an enemies-to-lovers pipeline? Consider me sold! This was a story akin to that of the Shadowhunters universe by Cassandra Clare. A YA fantasy that will take the world by storm, mark my words!

TLDR; Cruel is an easy recommendation from me, especially for fans of the Shadowhunters series, as well as series like the Dark Rise trilogy by C. S. Pacat - I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

My thanks goes to NetGalley, the publisher and Sophie Clark for the DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own ♡

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sophie Clark’s Cruel Is the Light is a spellbinding journey into a world of forbidden love, deadly secrets, and high-stakes battles between good and evil. This epic fantasy weaves a gripping tale of two unlikely allies, Selene Alleva and Jules Lacroix, whose fates intertwine against the backdrop of a brutal war between demons and the Vatican.

Selene is a fiercely driven exorcist burdened by a dark family legacy, and Jules, is an orphan turned battlefield legend. Reading about their vulnerabilities made them irresistibly human. Their uneasy partnership, forged amid escalating demon attacks made for amazing tension and the perfect slow-burn romance!

The story is packed with twists, turns and conspiracies that keep you hooked. Clark’s world-building with the beautiful descriptions of European architecture brought every scene to life, making it impossible to put down.

Cruel Is the Light is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy with a touch of forbidden romance. I can’t wait to see what Sophie Clark has in store next.

Cruel is the Light was an absolutely fabulous read! I'm so sure this will be the next in the bookish community because truly that left me speechless in the best possible ways. I couldn't stop reading and just wanted more--until I reached the end, I didn't even notice how time flew by. The absolute perfect YA romantasy for romantasy lovers and I'm so excited to receive my Waterstones edition! I am just obsessed with Selene, Jules, and the rest of the cast who were just as fun and well-written. Can't wait for the next book!

Tropes:
- Fake Engagement
- Forced Proximity
- Knife to the Throat
- Only one bed
- Forbidden Love


Many thanks to Penguin Random House Australia for sending me ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️

I can see why a lot of people are really loving this one! It has a very unique world and plot. There’s lots of secrets being uncovered and plot twists. Also a reluctant allies to lovers romance with some good banter.

For me though, I found I just could not seem to get into it and connect with the story and the characters 🥲. It was very heavy on the worldbuilding from the beginning so it took a while to understand the characters and what was happening. I just found myself a bit bored throughout at some points. The last 30% I did find super fast paced and easy to fly through though! And the banter between the main characters was really fun to read.

Cruel is the Light is probably unlike anything I’ve read before - an accurate comp I can give is if Supernatural existed in Rome within the Vatican in charge of hunting demons and saving humanity. Throw in a hot soldier who’s deemed a traitor with a mysterious back story and I present an absolute BANGER

I really enjoyed this! There was action from chapter one and the chemistry between Jules and Selena was unmatched. The plot twists were actually incredible and the world-building was relatively easy to follow!

Kind of sad because I really thought I would love this. It had many great things that made for a gripping and unique YA fantasy book. A brutal war across Europe between humans and demons, an interesting magic system from the exorcists to the weaponry to the different types of demons, and lots of political intrigue. It is the execution that fell flat for me.

I really liked Jules' character. Selene was okay. She was known as the Butcher of Rome. Supposedly feared and one of the best exorcists but we hardly saw why. Jules was so fun to read though! He was charming and brave and I loved his POV. Their relationship developed great at the start. I liked the whole fake engagement and the reverse grumpy sunshine dynamic but tbh throughout the book they had no real stand out moments for me. I didn't really feel much chemistry or build up between them at all (except when they were on the train). Jules had more chemistry with Sparrow lbr

Unfortunately it did not pull me in like I hoped it would. First sign was that it took me so long to read, I found myself not really wanting to pick it up. Something about the writing made it hard for me to follow along but idk if that was just me. It just felt a little all over the place and some chapters ended so abruptly. Could be because I had an arc copy idk.

But I really think with some tweaking this could have been great and a real stand out book. I loved the side characters, the banter, the twists, the demons we got at the start of the book (wish there was more), and isn't that just the most perfect cover! This book definitely had the foundation to be really great, but I honestly just didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping I would.

I AM OBSESSED.

This book was everything my brain wanted. Badass FMC Selene with exorcist’s magical powers. Cheeky, hot Jules who wants answers about who he truly is. Demons versus the power of the Vatican.

I truly haven’t read anything like it and I really enjoyed it! All the side characters were just as full of personality as the main ones and there were so many plot reveals I didn’t see coming😍

Tropes/themes:
😈 enemies to lovers
🖤 religion vs demons
😈 forced proximity
🖤 love and power

This was such an enjoyable read!
Jules was my favourite character. He gave the book so much life (secretly hoping for a guy to put up with my short tempered personality too lol)
I love how everyone interacted with each other. The side characters were also likeable.

Witty banters
High stakes
Magic
Demons
Grumpy x Sunshine
Insta-attraction

However, I wouldn’t say this was an enemies to lovers, more like forced “marriage”/relationship or distrust to lovers?
Overall, great debut book from the author. I enjoyed a lot

Cruel is the Light was an interesting read. The characters were definitely a highlight, with their complexity keeping me engaged throughout. Our main characters Jules and Selene definitely ticked the box for witty banter and tension. The side characters were also intriguing and I hope we see more of them in the coming sequels. However, the plot left me a bit confused at times. The pacing felt uneven, and while the story held my attention while reading, I found myself reflecting on several unanswered questions after finishing. Despite these loose ends, I was intrigued enough to stay invested in the story, though I’m left with more questions than answers.

3.5⭐️ thank you netgalley this arc read!! gonna be honest, this took me a while to understand all of this and I'm still kind of confused😅😅 the vibes was definitely there and I was excited to read this, like come on LOOK AT THIS COVER!!! chefs kiss. And the description?? sign me up, but I felt a bit let down. This wasn't really enemies to lovers. Barely enemies even. like acquaintance to lovers😅 if there was ever a book 2 (which i 100% feel like there is, given how it ended), sign me up. I'm still giving hopes for this series!! and if an audiobook ever comes out, I might give this a reread👀👀 (I know, me doing rereads???? who is she???) and maybe I can give a better review. There's just too much information going on, and half of it didn't get in my head🫢

*Spoiler free review*
This was incredible! I read it over the past month and with each page that turned I was drawn further and further into the invigorating story. It was definitely a 'sizzling romantasy' and there is nothing anyone can say that will convince me otherwise.
I would highly recommend to fans of enemies to lovers, demons, magic and all things independent female lead. Selene is sitting high as one of my favourite characters of recent reads.

I'm ready for round two and will be reading again to really appreciate the punch this novel can pack.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4.25/5

While difficult to follow at times, Cruel is the Light was a great read with unique worldbuilding and plot twists that had me gasping in surprise. The pieces all fit together so well without being obvious. Jules and Selene had wonderful chemistry, with their forbidden love story being one of the best romances I've read in a while. However, the writing style was confusing, leaving the plot difficult to follow at times. Some scenes didn't have the emotional impact they were probably meant to have as it took me a moment to figure out what was going on. Overall, Cruel is the Light was an enjoyable read and I'm highly anticipating the sequel.

"Cruel is the Light" is an enchanting read that immerses you in a beautifully crafted world teeming with deception and intrigue. Clark has done a remarkable job of building a narrative that captivates the reader from the very first page.

The dynamic between Jules and Selene is a particular highlight, filled with sharp wit and masterful banter that truly elevates the story. The dual perspective adds depth, allowing us to fully understand the complexities of both characters and the evolution of their relationship. While I would characterise their journey more as reluctant allies evolving into lovers rather than the traditional enemies-to-lovers trope, I find that this twist enhances the narrative, providing a refreshing change of pace that keeps things engaging.

Though some plot points may be somewhat predictable, and the magic system intertwining with religious elements can be a bit dense, readers with a Catholic background will likely find it relatable. In fact, the resolution feels almost cathartic—a satisfying payoff for our investment in the characters and their struggles.

I eagerly await the next instalment and, selfishly, hope it remains a duology to spare us the lengthy wait for a conclusion. Overall, this book is a thrilling ride, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for this highly anticipated ARC!

First off, I am absolutely FERAL over this cover. I would buy this book despite my rating just to display it.

What I loved:
- The whole concept ATE: Rome, exorcists, demons, enemies-to-lovers, blood magic, masquerade, knife to throat
- The fountain scene had me giddy
- Fast paced, read it all in a sitting

What I didn't like:
- Insufficient and honestly lacklustre world building and character development; I did not know what was going on half the time and had to re-read a couple of chapters but that still didn't make things clearer (especially the finale fight scene, that was confusing af)
- Side characters were basically NPCs; so many introduced but barely given any scrap of a personality and were AWOL majority of the book; they popped back up again near the end
- Not so much enemies-to-lovers, moreso an allies-to-lovers situation where both folded pretty quickly, there wasn't much tension as they were chummy with one another basically during their first official proper conversation
- Dual 3rd person POV but it wasn't clear at all which POV it was until a few sentences in
- The FMC is supposedly a fearsome exorcist but this was not portrayed in the story - more of a told and not shown situation, but even then her actions aren't congruent with this reputation

I think in general, it had the bare bones for an exceptional romantasy story however what we got just scratched the surface. RomantasyLite if you will.

Would probably read again at some point in time because I am interested to see how the sequel plays out. Maybe it'll be a better reading experience next time around.

Overall rating: 3/5

I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers so I had high expectations for this one. It’s a thrilling mix of Shadowhunters and Warrior Nun, full of action. But, the writing and word choices could’ve been a bit better. The world-building, magic system and character development felt a bit rushed. And don’t even get me started on the plot. It often relied on dialogue to make sense, and I found myself understanding the story better from the synopsis than from the actual book. So as I got halfway through this book, I just couldn’t care less about the plot. Nothing exciting was happening. So, overall, it had a great start, but it just needed a bit more.
2.75

Adventurous
Challenging
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5 STARS

Magic, demon hunters, Vatican setting and forbidden love all sounded so interesting and fun but I was a little underwhelmed by the end of the book.


I still had a really great time reading Cruel is the light and would recommend people to give it ago but it the main thing I struggled most with was the lack of care I had for any of the characters. Maybe I’ve just read so may books with the same characters over and over but that’s on me.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⭐️5 🌶1 🩵3
This book is absolute fire 🔥

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ final book review 2024

This is the next romantasy to kick off 2025. I have no doubt that all my true romantasy girlies will love this one.

'𝐀 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥. 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐃𝐢𝐨, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧.'

It gave me mystery, intrigue, lust, flirting, care, compassion, fierceness, danger, fear, and romance.

This was written so poetically and beautifully that it captivated me from every fantasy and romance angle, and I couldn't look away.

I now get to both end 2024 and start 2025 with this hangover ---> yes, I went and got a full custom 3D nail set to match the cover while I pout.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞—𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐲. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝.

ೃ⁀➷ This book was giving the vibes of Constantine x Anastasia (the movies).
But make Constantine a female, and she is a part-demon exorcist who works for the Vatican, and Anastasia is a high-class demon.

ೃ⁀➷ The setting is 1920s-1940s Europe but an alternative history that has demons, angels, old trains, phone booths, magical swords and guns, and dark magic that can be used by exorcists through blood letting and rune carving. The world was cast in deep cultural and political history tied with Rome and the Vatican. The whole setting honestly made me feel like everything in this world was dangerously beautiful - just like historical european art.

ೃ⁀➷ The Vatican is a religious run system, but it also runs its own militia of higher class people like exorcists and artificers who fight against demons.

ೃ⁀➷ The female lead, Selene Alleva, is one of the highest class exorcists and a captain of the Vatican. She is fiercely loyal to their undying god and a tragically skilled fighter. Selene has to navigate her loyalties while also discovering the truth about everything she knows.

ೃ⁀➷ The male lead, Jules Lacroix, is an orphaned French man who is a foot soldier on the front line fighting the war against demons. He has since desserted in an attempt to find out who he really is and why the high-class demons keep treating him as something different. Jules is very talented at escaping death... and has the most tormented yet caring and beautiful soul. Plus, he's hot.

‘𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏. 𝑻𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍. 𝑺𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔.’ ~ 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒙

ೃ⁀➷ The romance was organic, statying with banter and whitt, then to flirting and sarcasm with a dash or lust and love. I really enjoyed their constant sarcastic use of cute pet names 🥹😭✋️

‘𝑫𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈?’ 𝑯𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒆, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆. ‘𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇? 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒖.’ 𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒚. 𝑯𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆.

ೃ⁀➷ This book gave me the comfort of familiarity and known things while also being completely new, inventive, and refreshing. Beautifully written.

If you love ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Divine Rivals, and The Cruel Prince... then this true romantasy is for you.

𝐇𝐞 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

𔓘 Romantasy debut
𔓘 Humans vs demons war
𔓘 Roman vatican militia
𔓘 Fake engagement
𔓘 Enemies to lovers
𔓘 Star-crossed lovers
𔓘 Romance with a little spice
𔓘 Exorcist & foot soldier romance
𔓘 Intricate world
𔓘 Dark magic
𔓘 Alternative history circa 1920s
𔓘 Symbolism and sacrifices
𔓘 Constantin meets Anastasia vibes

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧, 𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Thank you, Penguin Australia, for my proof copy 💙🩵✨️

This was an action packed light vs dark, enemies to lovers YA fantasy. I loved the concept of demon hunters trained by the Vatican but also felt the beginning of the book throws you straight into the deep end without a prior exploration of the world, the magic system and the levels and different types of demons. At times I felt it a little hard to keep up with everything but it did seem to get easier as the book went on. Overall, it's an excellent story with loveable characters and delicious banter. The concept is unique and the story incredibly intriguing. I'm looking forward to seeing what will come next.