Thank you netgalley and Random House Children’s books for the free eBook!

⭐️1/5

The cover of the book is what caught my attention immediately. I find the artwork very beautiful! The book is also considered enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes.

Unfortunately i had to DNF it. I felt a lot of information was thrown in the beginning before the first chapter even starts. Then, reading the first chapter felt more like a horror book than a fantasy one. I felt as if there wasn’t much world building either. I disliked that the chapters aren’t labeled to whose POV you’re reading..so you won’t know when you’re back to the other character. Sadly the story just felt confusing to me.

In the end this is just my honest opinion. If you want to give it a try, i say go for it!

Disappointed because based on the synopsis and tropes included in this one, I thought I would really enjoy this! Unfortunately it was just a struggle. The worldbuilding and magic system had me so confused, especially in the beginning. I had next to no idea what was going on, and the fact that it takes awhile for our two main characters to meet didn’t help capture my interest. I liked Jules OK but never warmed up to Selene or their relationship. The pacing was slow and I was able to predict most of the twists at times when I actually knew or cared what was going on. Bummed cuz I see a lot of other reviewers lauding this as such a great romantasy! Not for me unfortunately.

This book used the word "bicep" 37 times...and also all of my annotations about Jules call him "Lacroix Boy."

Cruel is the Light is a YA urban romantasy hat deals with the Vatican, something I'm not the most familiar with. I'd also like to admit that urban fantasy typically isn't my preferred setting, but I thought that with the focus of the book being exorcists and demons, it might not feel as "urban." Also, my review might be biased because I've been extremely busy lately, so I just want to throw that out there as a reason why I might not have loved this book.
The book follows two characters: Selene - an exorcist living in Rome - and Jules - a French footsoldier fighting demons on a distant war front. Their paths cross after a series of particularly brutal demon attacks, and suddenly they're forced to work together against the supernatural forces plaguing the Vatican city. I found this book to be very trope-y, so readers who enjoy the only-one-bed trope, the knife-to-throat trope, and the faking dating trope might enjoy this book more than I did. While it was supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers story, I found it to be a bit instalust-y (but I'm also not always a fan of romantasy). I enjoyed the action scenes and the unraveling of the mysteries. However, I also found the plot twists to be fairly predictable (I called one of the main plot twists before I even started reading the book). Also, despite the huge chunks of worldbuilding before the story itself even began, I still felt like I didn't have a great grasp of some parts of the world and the plot.
My other big issue is that I wasn't a huge fan of the main characters and their romance. Selene could have been so interesting, but she changed her mind abruptly on things I wished she'd created more tension on. Jules was fine on his own (I've seen a bunch of characters like him before), but I wasn't a huge fan of how quickly the relationship progressed between him and Selene. I really liked the scenes Caterina and Lucia were in; they seem like a super fun duo. Kian reminded me of Boq (I don't know what that means). Sparrow was my favorite character though I don't know why because he also gave me the ick. The villains and the other characters were fine, but no one really stood out to me so I wasn't super invested in anything beyond the mystery elements.
Cruel is the Light is a YA urban romantasy reminiscent of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series and perfect for readers who don't mind certain tropes.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5

I really loved reading this book and I can not wait for more by this author!! I flew through this book because it was that good. The author did an amazing job keeping the plot interesting without it getting boring or slow. I will be recommending this book to all of the family and friends.

Romantasy Readers—here’s your next obsession.

I am obsessed about this book. From the world building to the complex characters it’s all written with perfection.

A foot solider and a loyal exorcist pair up to figure out something happening in Rome. Demons are popping up more and more and ward coins are being destroyed so finding out what’s happening is on both of their minds.

I love the multiple POVs, and omg SPARROW. I want more of him!!!

Read if you love:
Forced proximity
Forbidden love
Enemies to lovers
TENSION

The cover for this book is what drew me in. Then I read the synopsis and I thought I would really enjoy this.

There was a lot of information at the beginning of the book, including the glossary. I found myself taken out of the story a few times because I would get confused. Especially during some of the action scenes and POV swaps. They happen throughout a chapter and sometimes it would take a minute for me to realized it had switched.

I thought the magic system was interesting but even with what we were told I don't feel like I ever got a good grasp of it. I wish it had been fleshed out some more. Same with the world. I loved the Rome setting but we don't see or hear much of anything outside of there.

I did enjoy Jules and their romance but I never warmed up to Selene. But they did have some beautiful moments. Overall I did enjoy this just not as much as I was hoping. I found myself putting it down a lot to go do something else. I think this is part of series and I will continue to read. I think this was a good debut novel and would recommend!

Rating 3.5, rounding up

I don't think I'm the first or last to say that this is a gorgeous cover. I believe some of the best moments in this book revolves around Jule's (our poor orphaned foot soldier who has a keen ability to kill demons) and Selene's (a decreased daughter but one woman demon killing machine as an exorcist) descriptions. From the scars on Jule's bodies to the gloves the two of them share, these moments where the book slowed down a bit were some of my favorite. Even some of the description that the author provides around this version of the Vatican and some of the contents inside, were truly beautiful.

However, I did feel like some of those moments got lost just in the pacing of this story. It does come with a glossary which is both needed and somehow still left me lost. I was confused for the first 25% of this story until some of the paces came together. However, we are introduced to so many characters, only for some to quickly die off or for others to make a sudden appearance chapters later. Don't get me wrong I love me a good cast of side characters, but besides them being friends/acquaintances with the main characters - none of them felt like flushed out characters that could stand on their own. For this reason, I was lost in the who's who.

This story is also very predictable. From reading the synopsis, you have a pretty good idea as to what you're getting into - and after the first 10% there were no "ah ha" moments.

If you like your fantasies that play with religion in different in unique ways, a romance subplot but with moments that bring you joy, and epic/well choreographed fight scenes - I think you'd enjoy this.

Thank you to the author, Random House Children’s, NetGalley for this e-ARC.

When I describe this book to people, I say it’s a YA fantasy take on the DaVinci code.
Sophie gives us such a unique story with Selene and Jules struggling to fight for their current society of dystopian Rome. With demons able to get through the Roman wards, the exorcist are the only ones to protect the world. These two “unlikely” characters need to come together for the good of humanity, but the secrets that they unfold can destroy everything they ever knew.
I enjoyed reading and getting lost in this story. The setting and plot was so strong, but I struggled slightly with the accessory information. A lot of the story revolved around a couple of characters and themes, but not sure how much I needed to know from the glossary to still get the story.

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did. A war, demons, and a hidden history? Sign me up.

Instead I got childish banter, a plot that didn't know where it wanted to go, and a terrible, bitter ending that I couldn't even muster the will to care about.

There was so much I wanted to enjoy about this, especially the demons and the whole history. Instead, while a WAR IS RAGING, they act as if they have all the time in the world to frolick around. What use is a map if they barely travel?

The plot wasn't plotting. I didn't care for this or the massive info dump in the beginning.

Not something I'd recommend. Or want to slog through near 500 pages again.

I felt uncomfortable reading this book. I really tried to like it and give it a fair chance but it was too much for me especially with the concept that “God became a man” or “took man form”. I kept going even after that just to give it a fair chance but I couldn’t get into it. It sucks because this cover is so pretty and I really wanted to like it.

Thank you to the author, Random House Children’s, NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Selene is a high ranking exorcist of demons while Jules is a wanted army deserter. One night, their paths crossed and Selene saw a connection between Jules and a powerful demon. Jules has no idea why and who he really is before he was left as a baby. In exchange for information, Jules agreed to pretend to be Selene’s fiance back to Vatican at the same time, Selene is trying to figure out the connection between Jules and the demon…

The world building in this is very interesting! I honestly thought this would be a young adult romance and don’t get me wrong there is romance on it but it was mainly political and I love it! This was great and I enjoyed this very much! 👏🏻 The only reason I’m giving this 4⭐️ is that there is some parts that got a little too long and confusing for me but overall highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for this ARC! ❤️

Spicy rating: 🌶️/5

Thanks to NetGalley & Knopf Books for Young Readers for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 30% of the way through.

Nothing about this book made a lick of sense. The plot, characters, and weak worldbuilding are so chaotic and poorly developed that it feels like you're navigating a maze without an end.

It cracked me up how we got an introduction of her LONG LOST FIANCE that she hasn't seen in years...but he has no personality other than to create a stupid bit of drama. Literally could have just removed him entirely and it wouldn't change the """"story""".

The dialogue was just a battle of wits between the love interests and it felt kind of cringe considering a ton of people died and more will die soon. It's like quipping in the middle of a battle...so weird.

It's a shame too, considering how pretty the cover is! Honestly, the worldbuilding had a LOT of potential but it's just bogged down by the "romance"...I wish this book focused more on the worldbuilding/fantasy and less on the two hooking up. It would have been an exceptional fantasy book if it wasn't for the push for romantasy....

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy!

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 is a lush, escapist tale set in a stunning Roman backdrop amidst a warring Vatican and demons. It's rich in historical vibes with religious intrigue and strong (yet gentle) bantering characters. I so desperately wanted to love it, but it ultimately fell a bit short of my expectations.

I was immersed in action from the start, dropped into battle alongside demon-hunter Selene. We follow her journey through the war as she crosses paths with Jules, an efficient soldier. Together they head to the Vatican to uncover a conspiracy.

The writing was beautiful yet simultaneously bizarre and incomplete, if that's even possible. I enjoyed it, yet I couldn't fully conceptualize elements of the scene, and thoughts quickly jumped around at times, leading to confusion and difficulty following the scene logistics. I'm a reader that usually effortlessly imagines the scenes, easily picturing characters and settings, but I struggled to do that with this story.

The writing style also negatively impacts the romance subplot - where I should have felt something, I was left unconcerned for the characters and their relationship and well-being. It had a bit of an insta-attraction element going on as well, which doesn't feel as genuine or realistic and therefore loses me a little. We end up being told how much they care about each other, but we dont really feel it as it develops. It's just suddenly there.

I enjoyed the dual POV approach, but it switches so frequently, even mid-chapter. It's overdone and disorienting.

I loved the idea of this book, and the world itself, but I'm left disappointed and wishing we, as readers, had been given just a bit more. So many elements are there, just not well executed.

I'm struggling to settle on a rating, so I'm awarding 4 stars for now, but that's subject to change.

Thank you to netgalley for my e-arc copy of Cruel is the Light!

This book was a highly anticipated read for me, from the cover (😗🤌🏻) to the synopsis, I thought I would eat this book up.

First, let me express how excited I was about the concept. Demons, demon hunters, and magic thrown into a novel was something that immediately hooked me. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed with the pacing, writing style, and overall lack of explanations.

I usually don’t mind an underdeveloped world and being immediately thrown into the story. However, with the writing style being so choppy and the plot line being rushed, I kept getting taken out of the story because of how confused I would get. I found myself having to reread bits to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, and most of the time… I wasn’t.

The magic system had an interesting take in this world of demons and demon hunters (exorcists). But, included with the world building, I feel like the magic wasn’t fleshed out enough, and left me confused about how it actually worked.

I was sad that this book wasn’t necessarily enemies to lovers as was advertised, but more reluctant allies to lovers. I wish there was more tension between the two, I think especially since I’m over the whole “insta attraction” trope. There were cute moments between the two which I loved, especially the banter. I did feel like any arguments Jules and Selene had, however, felt a little forced and out of place.

I also didn’t necessarily hate the characters, I just feel like the characters traits weren’t fully fleshed out. Selene, a badass exorcist, seemed a bit too emotional and erratic at points. And I just feel like Jules was a little bit all over the place.

Overall, with tweaks like fleshing out the world, magic system, and characters more would improve this book. The dialogue could also be reworked to create more tension or romance between the characters. I decided Im giving it 3 stars for the overall concept, but again, the writing and pacing needs a lot more work. The bones are there, so I just hope the final copy is smoother and more connected than my arc copy!

4.25 stars!
This was such an engrossing read! I did take longer to finish this, but only due to being busy.

My favourite aspect of the book was definitely its characters. I adored Selene and Jules, along with their allies! Focusing on the two main characters, I found that their voices were well-written, as I was immediately able to tell their perspectives apart without the book explicitly stating a POV change. I also loved the writing style in general!

The scenes between Selene and Jules were (almost) always fun, what with their contrasting personalities. Amazing bickering and I found their developing relationship a treat to read about! I was glad that they always tried to work things out together and stayed considerate of each other's feelings. For example, even when they might say things to hurt each other, it was resolved quickly, which I liked. Maybe it's also because the characters are more mature and have been through a lot (this book feels like upper YA/NA crossover), but this was quite refreshing to me.

The plot kept me hooked, though I would sometimes get a little confused by a certain term or detail and have to go back (this is likely my own fault because I spread my reading out over a few weeks). But other than that, I was captivated and found this to be a great fantasy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much hype around it but ultimately fell flat when it came to worldbuilding. It was severely underdeveloped and the magic system was difficult to immerse myself in. I was confused for most of the story. The magic system was also not fully fleshed out, and there were too many elements that made it hard to follow the story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNFed at chapter 9. I couldn’t find myself to continue. I thought the concept was really interesting, but nothing really caught my attention. It was a little slow getting into it, and I don’t think it would be a good use of my time to keep reading. I loved the cover though and I hope other people enjoy this better than me.

Depuis que j'avais vu passé des ARC sur tiktok, j'étais clairement intriguée par ce livre et j'ai eu l'opportunité de le recevoir également en ARC numérique!

Nous allons plonger dans un univers où le Vatican mène une guerre contre les démons en utilisant des exorcistes. Nous allons suivre Selena Alleva, une de leurs plus puissantes exorcistes qui va devoir s'allier avec Jules Lacroix, un soldat qui a un beau palmarès mais qui cache un secret... Mais à force de mener leur enquête ils vont découvrir des secrets qui risque de tout bouleverser...

Comme je le disais, j'ai été attiré par les ARC sur tiktok mais après j'ai été obsédée par cette couverture!! J'ai beaucoup aimé ce premier tome qui nous introduit un univers qui est certes simple mais très efficace! J'ai lu ce livre très rapidement étant donné que le rythme est assez addictif même si parfois certains éléments de l'intrigues sont un peu long ou inutiles. J'ai beaucoup apprécié les personnages qui sont attachants et j'ai hâte de savoir ce qu'il va advenir d'eux dans le prochain car vu cette fin l'attente va être longue jusqu'en 2026!

En bref, un très bon premier tome!

3.25 stars! I think "Cruel is the Light" is perfect for readers who like strong female characters, an urban fantasy setting, and a sprinkle of spice. While I don't love this book's main character, I still think the story does a good job of setting things up for the next book in the series.

This story follows Selene, a demon-hunting prodigy, as she tries to protect Rome from the return of a powerful demon. Her mission seems straightforward—until she runs into Jules. He's a common foot soldier who deserted the war effort, and he also shares a mysterious connection to the powerful demon. Selene and Jules agree to a fake engagement while they investigate Jules' past. Of course, things rarely go according to plan...

Usually, this is the part of my review where I start gushing about the romance. Fantasy romance is my favorite genre, and I have a weakness for books with the enemies-to-lovers and the fake-dating tropes. Unfortunately, I feel that the romance falls flat in this book. While Selene and Jules ogle each other's physical features, they rarely comment about what they like in each other beyond that. I think it's possible to find someone attractive and build an emotional connection later, but that doesn't happen here. I think Selene and Jules' relationship needed a stronger base for some of their decisions to be believable, especially at the end of the book.

That said, I like the forbidden aspect of their relationship. Selene is a high-ranking exorcist, and Jules is a common foot soldier who deserted the front lines. If anyone sees through their fake engagement and recognizes Jules, he'll be killed. The stakes for a forbidden romance don't get much higher than that!

I also like how this book's magic, religious, and political systems are intertwined. I've never read a fantasy book that involves the Vatican. I think it's clever to write a book about Vatican exorcists fighting actual demons. Plus, this book comes with a demon hierarchy index. The index (as well as a list of the side characters and the Vatican political structure) is included at the start of the book. This makes it easy to keep everything straight. I can tell the author put a lot of time and thought into the world-building!

While I didn't love Selene or her romance with Jules, I still believe there's a lot to like about this book. I think "Cruel is the Light" is perfect for readers who enjoy romantasy stories with unique magic systems and mild spice. Overall, I'm rating it 3.25 stars!

I received an eARC of the book courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Cruel is the Light is a new YA fantasy about a high-ranking exorcist and a foot-soldier who cross paths in the midst of a centuries-old war between the Vatican and demons. With the battle against demons, Vatican politics, and mysteries abound, Selene and Jules must navigate these challenges while fighting that spark between them.

Overall, I enjoyed some parts more than others. I really liked the MMC, Jules—his banter and charm won me over. I found myself rooting for him above any other character in the story. The FMC, Selene, was fun, but she was also a bit arrogant and cold at first, so it took me longer to warm up to her. The chemistry was there, but I would have liked to see a stronger build-up between them. Outside of the MCs, I did enjoy the side characters and varied personalities.

The writing was confusing at times and felt somewhat distracting. The world itself was intruiging and there was plenty of action to keep the story moving forward. I always love taking a deep dive into the politics and power systems in fantasy books—the magic at play in this book was interesting. I am curious to see what happens next. I really want to see Jules get all the happy moments.

—Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.—