I waited so long for this book and the GORGEOUS cover! I enjoyed this read but it took me a while to get into. I found the writing to be a little confusing and strange - the world building needed just an extra layer or a few more adjustments - I almost felt as if this book was like reading anime written into a novel and you’re thrown into action immediately. I enjoy action scenes in books but I had to reread the first chapter to figure out what was happening. I loved the setting and the premise - it was so unique - and I really loved the characters. There could have been some more rounding out of the plot overall but .. this was a fun read and I enjoyed it! Looking forward to the next one by Sophie Clark!

If I could give this 10 stars, I would!

Where. Even. Do. I. Start. You have demons, you have demon hunters, an army of Vatican exorcists, a centuries old war, and a Deathless God! Like, say less!

This book was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! The banter between characters was off the charts, and I felt like I was highlighting every other page because I wanted to remember it all.

I fell in love with these characters, their flaws, their strengths, and their journeys, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here!

The plot is PLOTTING throughout the entirety of this book as well! There is a labyrinth of secrets to uncover, and I was on my toes through the whole story! The cast of side characters had me rooting for them as well! Hoping we get to explore even more of them in the next book!

Just please do yourself a favor and add this book to your tbr! It was such a unique, magical, *intense*, plot-filled story, and I WILL be picking it up again for future rereads!!

Swoon.

Five stars all around. This was the fantasy we need. High fantasy but easy world building. Chainsaw man x demon slayer x anastasia x rome but such an original story telling that I was immediately sucked in from CHAPTER ONE. 6% into the book I already knew this was going to be my personality trait. The characters grew on me every turned page, the banter, the plot, the twists and betrayals. Also don’t get attached because death upon death.

Nuns as exorcists, demons being hunted. Soldiers being labeled as deserters and a corrupt justice system with lies breaking it down day by day. This story was so gripping and I literally could not put it down.

“Cruel Is the Light” marks an impressive debut for Sophie Clark. I was captivated by the Roman setting, gothic atmosphere, dark fantasy elements, and the swoon-worthy romance. Clark excels at creating well-rounded characters, and I was particularly drawn to Selene Alleva, who has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists. As someone who reads a lot of YA fantasy and can usually predict plot twists, I was genuinely caught off guard by Clark’s surprises—something I truly admire in a writer. I’m certain this book will be a standout on Bookstagram this summer!
Thank you to NetGallery and Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The world is gritty and mysterious. it hooked me from the first few pages! I also was intrigued because it was a debut novel. I loved the concept and the characters dearly. The world building and lore did need more but the foundation was interesting and left me wanting to learn more. Jules and Selena's push-and-pull banter had me kicking my feet the entire time. The action was imitated and gripping. The twist and turns had shooketh!

Review 5.7/10🗡️ I wanted to love this so bad, it started off strong with a great concept but the execution of it was not as grand as I was hoping.

Picture an alternate version of Rome where demons have come to cause havoc so god had to come down and help fight them off. Then god is impaled and kept locked in the Vatican neither dead nor alive so the generations of demon hunters can use gods power to keep fighting demons.

Before you even start the book there is quite a few pages of pre story reading about the Vatican hierarchy and cast of characters. It was a bit overwhelming, but also even more intriguing to me. The atmosphere at the start of the book was very gothic and dark. The book opens with some fight scenes as we are introduced to the two MCs that share the books POV. There was A LOT going on with the world building and characters, but I really liked what was being set up and this is a first time author so I didn’t mind it was a bit messy.

I knew this book was a romance fantasy so I was ready for that to make or break the story, and for me it’s just completely disintegrated once the two MCs met up. The atmosphere from the start of the book basically fizzled out and the MCs went from edgy/mysterious to kind of witty/ cliché badass vibe. But they weren’t actually that witty and the jokey flirting felt so out of place from the tone of the book at the start. I was wincing anytime there was spicy thoughts/banter because it came across as like ogling in a juvenile flirt way. The romance also stalled the plot quite a bit, there were large chunks where nothing was really going on. I didn’t get any chemistry between the MCs so it was reading flat and taking up all the page time.

The book also had minimal diversity so overall it just didn’t work out for me. The concept was really neat but the book just needed more work in a lot of places.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book!

I will be totally honest: even after reading and loving this story, there is a lot about this world that I don't completely understand. How does the demon hierarchy work? What is the relationship of this Roman Empire to the rest of this world? For a Catholic city, they seem very unstressed about the two main characters living together before they're married.

The reality is that none of this matters: the book is an incredibly romance and adventure novel. In some ways, it reminded me of my childhood favourite: His Dark Material. The worlds have a similar fear of rigid church hierarchy and a female main character who begins to question her place in it. Plus, the lush European landscapes - it would be worth becoming a demon fighter to get to hang out in this version of Nice. The main characters in this book also had incredible chemistry (they smoulder!), but what I loved even more was how kind they were to each other. Both of these characters have been through incredible trauma, but by loving each other, they also begin to forgive themselves.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend to anyone who enjoyed His Dark Materials, Divine Rivals or the Shadowhunters series.

Cruel is the Light was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. While I really did enjoy this book, I have a couple of small issues with it.

My first issue is the writing style. It just felt off to me and sometimes I didn’t know which characters were talking, so I had to reread dialogue a couple times to try and make it make sense. Eventually I got used to it, but I wish things had been written a bit more clearly. I also feel like we didn’t get enough info about the world building and how things work. Hopefully this gets expanded on in book two!

Now for things I liked. I really enjoyed the romance. I really loved their banter and their interactions with each other, I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers and this delivered.

Despite a few issues with this novel I am really excited for book two. I think if you don’t think too hard about the world building you can really enjoy this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

3.5, rounded up

I liked Selene and Jules as characters and I liked them together. I feel like you got to see them both grow throughout the story as this progressed. Reverse grumpy x sunshine and one bed are always fun. Thought this was going to be more enemies to lovers (my favorite) but was probably closer to reluctant allies to lovers.

I would have liked to have seen more world building and a better explanation of how the magic worked. I felt kind of lost at times. I am also fully acknowledging as pedantic but the word bicep was used too many times imo. Once I noticed I couldn't stop lol.

2.75 ★

main thoughts:
honestly I'm not even sure what to think about this book, I finished this book and pretty much just feel confused and also am wondering what I even read😭 I feel like I first I was mostly enjoying this book besides some of the dialogue and stuff but then I got like 70% in and just didn’t care what was happening anymore and the lack of world building was confusing me🫣 like either I'm dumb or I barely comprehended what I was reading at the end because I wanted to be done with this book so bad.

I sound like a hater but I was really enjoying it at first the premise was nice and I liked the demon aspect but the execution was a bit weak and I really felt like nothing happened.

characters:
selene: I liked her I think, she was strong willed and has power I would like to learn more about

jules: I didn't hate him some of the stuff he said was funny and I like his personality other then that i don't feel much about him

romance:
another thing I'm not sure about, I see the potential but then again they also feel quite random to me😭 I feel like I needed to see more chemistry or something but I did like some scenes between them, they definitely need more development though.

extra:
Honestly if I had more patience with this book, especially at the end there would have been a chance that I liked it more, but right now I just don’t really care. I wouldn’t refuse to read it just because of my review because maybe I’m the only one confused and I should have paid better attention, but maybe you guys will like it more than I did.

thank you netgalley for providing me with a e-arc of this book in exchange for a honest review!!

3.75

Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I had a blast reading this upper-YA fantasy! The combo of demons, exorcists, and a fake dating twist had me hooked from the start. The action-packed opening scene threw me right into the action.

I adored the banter and chemistry between the characters. While I did get a bit lost in some scenes, I appreciated the demon guide at the beginning of the ARC, which helped clarify the magic system and demon lore.

Despite a few minor hiccups, I'm super excited to dive into book 2! Sophie Clark's writing is addictive, and I'm loving the witty banter and sizzling chemistry between the characters.

4.25 🌟

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt like it was a beautiful world with a cool magic system. The writing was vivd and helped bring this unique dystopian Roman Catholic world of demons and exorcists to life - which I had so much fun reading. The two main characters were Jules and Selene and the book centered around the two of them mainly. We didn't get very many other characters in this book, not ones that had a large role. Jules and Selene did not disappoint though and gave us a lot of yummy banter. It was a beautiful love story and I love how they really had so much trust in each other and that the arc of the story didn't depend on mistrust or miscommunication.

Jules is also a absolute new favey MMC, not only did he constantly bring a smile to my face with his positivity and his constant flirting, but he had such vulnerability and was so in touch with his feelings, which was SUCH a breath of fresh air. Also that cover art has me near drooling, so that definitely helped. :)

I did feel like there was some inconsistencies with the magic and the role of demons within their world. I did feel like some exceptions were made for the story to evolve and continue, but it didn't take away from the story for me. I also think this is definitely closer to NA than YA, in the best possibly way. I will definitely be reading Book 2.

From the glossary, I was hooked! It throws you right into a world where demons are wreaking havoc, and only exorcists stand between humanity and chaos. The action starts immediately and doesn’t let up, with fight scenes so vivid and intense they had me on the edge of my seat. Add in a centuries-old war, forbidden romance, and a fake engagement, and you’ve got a story that’s impossible to put down.

Selene and Jules were great MCs and I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite POV. Selene is a total badass—gritty, no-nonsense, and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if it ruffles a few feathers (or leaves a few people bruised). Then there’s Jules, who is my everything. He’s a soldier with this rare blend of strength and empathy, and despite everything he’s been through, he hasn’t lost his kindness. Oh, and he’s completely smitten with Selene—who doesn’t love a “he falls first” moment? Together, they’re the perfect reverse grumpy/sunshine pair, and their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet. There’s one scene in particular that I still can’t stop thinking about because it was so funny and just… perfect. Their slow-burn romance is chef’s kiss. There’s enemies-to-lovers tension, fake engagement shenanigans, and all this simmering chemistry that keeps building. You can feel their connection growing even as they try to fight it, which just makes it so much more satisfying. By the time things finally start to heat up, you’re fully invested, and let me tell you, it’s worth the wait.

The side characters deserve a standing ovation too. Sparrow is def the standout, an absolute scene-stealer. He’s charming, caring, and so magnetic that I couldn’t help but love him. Jules’s best friend Kian brought a ton of humor and heart, and then there are Caterina and Lucia, the gun-toting nuns who are equal parts hilarious and terrifying. This cast isn’t just there to fill space—they make the world feel alive and layered.

Speaking of the world, the world-building is next-level. It’s so detailed and immersive that I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing the danger, the magic, and the heartbreak alongside them. And even though there’s a lot of history and lore, it never felt overwhelming or like an info dump. Everything is woven into the story so seamlessly that it just flows.

Overall, this book has it all—action, romance, magic, demons, and enough twists to keep you guessing the entire time. The writing is gorgeous, the pacing is spot-on, and the characters will absolutely steal your heart. If you love fantasy with unforgettable characters and a romance that makes you feel everything, this book is a must-read. I can’t stop thinking about it, and honestly, I don’t want to.

It’s the way that I read this entire story in less than twenty-four hours because it was so good that I couldn’t put it down, and when I did, it was stuck in my mind and I needed to read more!

I haven’t been this excited about a YA book in ages, and I’m very glad to say that the anticipation for Cruel is the Light is well-deserved. Clark is not afraid to stretch the barriers between YA and Adult storytelling, and in my opinion, for a story dealing with advanced concepts, that’s very much needed to pull the premise of the story off well. There are a lot of mature aspects to religion, demons, angels, and their parts that they play within government and societal warfare. Clark was not only able to make these parts so vital and interesting to the story, but also successfully be the central point that all characters’ internal conflict revolves around.

The plot twists were actually quite surprising! And another thing to note about them is that they made sense. I could read between the lines the careful planning Clark took as I went to double-check if the signs were there all along—And they were!

However, the world-building and magic system were a little unclear to me. If I hadn’t gone to research about the setting and history this is based off of, I would have been even more lost. I kept hoping I’d be able to explore more about both of these aspects! Because I was confused throughout the book, the immersion as I read began to crack. Nevertheless, it never shattered. Clark, with her ever-brilliant storytelling approach, continued to move in a fast-paced adventure that kept me on track.

From chapter one, the action begins, and I was hooked from beginning to end. I found myself obsessing over Selene and Jules’ forbidden romance. Their dynamic hasn’t been something I’ve read before (which I shall keep a secret for those who haven’t read it yet, but for those that have, know the parallels I’m talking about!), and it had me guessing how they’d end up together. Their love was beautiful, fiery, and best of all, sweet. I look forward to more of the same, if not, a deeper dive into their passionate relationship in the future volumes (if continued).

Cruel is the Light is an excellent kickoff to the new year and a timeless new favorite debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). This review is based off of an uncorrected proof.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc! I don’t know why I continue to try with this genre. This genre is like a situationship, and I hate it 😍Anyways, this was yet another disappointing romantasy, shocker

The writing and prose? Juvenile
The plot? Fucking none
The romance? Relying on tropes
All other aspects? Underdeveloped!!!

And the romance vs fantasy balance? Nah fam!!!The fire nation is the romance, and it has attacked. Unfortunately, when we needed the avatar most, he vanished.

Anyways, I quit. I’ll see you all in the next one, which I’m sure I’ll probably hate as well. -2 tropes

Talk about a page turner! I could not put this book down. The story follows Selene, an exorcist vowed to protect Rome from the demons trying to make their way into the city. She ends up meeting a demon killing soldier named Jules. She can’t put her finger on it but there’s something about him and she won’t stop until she uncovers who he really is. If you love forbidden romance, slow burn and enemies to lovers then this is for you!

I think I would have liked this if I was younger, or if I had less experience in reading brilliant fantasy and enemies-to-lovers books. Unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. It still gets 3 stars because I finished it, it just wasn't anything special.

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading early.

I have this thing or religious characters with faults / regret / misguided fate. Call it what you will, it all stemmed from watching The Last Temptation of Christ. Anyway, something about religion + romance / marriage of convenience + demons in quasi fantasy Rome had me request it,.

There is a lot of originality in this book and a lot of fun the author had with the 'religious' aspect. I enjoyed the thought of 'Jesus coming down and annihilating demons', getting impaled on a spike and hanging out in the main hub of this R0me that hires demon hunters. I liked these demon hunters had gifts that attuned their weapons to take out demons. I liked the difference in rank between the male and female character - the female was a daughter of a man who was killed for treason ; the male is a soldier who is thrown to the front lines to take out demons (or to hold back the thousands) since they can't risk sending those demon hunters to the lines (since there isn't that many). I enjoyed seeing how to the two of them met. I liked the characters that made up the world - Shadow, Elijah (the one the male lead impersonates), and her seconds in command.

The problem with the story was? well, the heaviness of the romance - how much it focused on them.

I felt that the female character and the male character were underdeveloped and since the focus of the story became him pretending to be Elijah, all the other characters and situations became not as important (including the crux of the story). I mean, yes, there is the story about who is the male lead really (why does he have these demonic powers), and when the focus of the story was on that mystery the story did really well. But when it when it returned to them it felt like it died. Her insta attraction for him was way, way too quick - as soon as she started having him impersonate her fiance / friend she was finding him hot. There wasn't any focus or insight on politics or character building that would come in handy when the fourth act (and when our villains appeared with their motives) began.

I know this is going to have another book, and maybe that will give more political insight / dial down the romance, but I think I kind of slapped myself in the face with a dead fish with this one. I don't do THAT well with romantasy since most of the time plot is secondary or less than, the romance of will they / won't they is front and center. Why think differently.

I was lowkey obsessed with Cruel is The Light the moment I saw that gorgeous cover. Then I read the blurb, and boom, I was SOLD. ✨

Not gonna lie, the beginning was kinda confusing. There’s a glossary at the start, but like, who actually memorizes all that right away? So when the book kicks off and the FMC starts name-dropping a bunch of characters and demon ranks, I was completely lost. But soon enough, I was catching up.

Now, let’s talk about my fave part: the romance. The main characters don’t even meet until like 20% into the book, but once they do? Oh, the banter, the tension, the whole “is this fake or is it real?” vibe (because they’re fake-engaged) just hit so good. I was LIVING for every second of it.

Watching them fall for each other was everything because they’re total opposites: Selene is cold and reserved, while Jules is all charm, playfulness, and the softest soul ever. And yet somehow they just fit perfectly together.🥹❤️‍🩹

I did kinda guess a few plot twists, but honestly? The way they were executed still got me. And don’t even get me started on the battle scenes that was so freaking epic!

So yeah, I’m still obsessed, but now I’m also completely in love with Jules. 💞💞💞

Thank you so much to Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers for this E-ARC.

I really wanted to love this novel. From its pretty cover to the description, I was excited before I read the first line. However, the story did not live up to its full potential. I'm not saying that it is bad, but the premise had so much promise that I'm left wanting more, and I don't necessarily mean the sequel. The world-building, or establishing of the alternate history was a bit fuzzy. We got some world-hopping, or at least, Euro-hopping as we bounced into a few cities but no real attention to the history, the root of the war or break with the reality that we know. I can appreciate wanting to plunge into action rather than dry explanations at the start of the book but at some point, especially when the main characters are researching in the Vatican libraries, I would hope for a tad more detail about the world. Characters and names are thrown into the story only do be immediately killed off or never really utilized (i.e. why do we need Anastasia...was there a bingo card square requiring a Romanoff reference?). The other storyline, the "romance", never quite felt romantic for me. Yes, there is attraction, and the flirtation of Jules teasing and needling Selene but that attraction suddenly turning into a can't live without them and would sacrifice myself for him or her kind of love didn't get the development that I think it needed. On the positive side, this did step away from the usual vampire-werewolf tropes that have gotten so much replay. I had a bit of an "Underworld" flashback with the character name "Selene" and even thought the cover art felt like I saw flashes of Kate Beckinsale in skintight leathers from the movie that made me apprehensive, but the story, happily, took a different path. Selene was actually an interesting character and perhaps the continuation of this story will establish a more organic bond between her and Jules and clear up details of the world and magics.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Children's - Knopf Books for Young Readers) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.