Cruel Is the Light

By: Sophie Clark

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Ethan Reid, Steve West

An epic new fantasy about a demon hunter and a foot soldier thrown together in a centuries-old war. . . and the forbidden love that could change the course of history.

A bloody war between demons and the Vatican has waged for more than a century, with two elite soldiers now at its center: Selene Alleva, a high-ranking exorcist running from a dark family legacy, and orphan Jules Lacroix, recruited by the Vatican and unrivalled on the battlefield.
When their paths cross over a series of unprecedented demon attacks, the distrust--and unwelcome attraction--they have for each other is immediate. But to get to the bottom of the breaches they strike an uneasy alliance to avoid suspicion. With Jules posing as Selene's estranged fiance, they head to the Vatican in search of answers. But even as Selene questions who her most dangerous enemy is, Jules has begun to suspect that it's him.
Now Jules' very existence challenges every truth Selene thought she knew, and suggests a terrible conspiracy at the heart of the Vatican. Unable to ignore their growing feelings, the two must make an impossible choice between love and duty.

They say love conquers all – but can it win in a war between demons and exorcists? Or will it tear them apart . . .

*Includes a downloadable PDF of additional resources from the printed book

Critic reviews

"Surreal and beautiful." —Kirkus Reviews

Clever plotting, amazing narration

Firstly, the narrators did a wonderful job. I loved them both, but especially the narrator who voiced Jules.
Secondly, I believe the plotting was clever. Some things were predictable, but other things had me audibly gasping. A bit of repetitiveness for some things and the pacing felt slower than it needed to in my opinion, but there’s really not much I’d cut out.
I do think it was weird that we jumped from battlefields to masquerade balls, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Overall, I had a good time with this and do plan on listening to the next book.

So captivating & Intriguing story!

This was great! I’m so glad I picked up the audio for this one as it really helped understand the world building better as you listened to the narrators. They did a wonderful job jumping in between scenes together that it made the story more engaging!

Enjoyed 3/4ths of the book

I liked the political intrigue, the world that was built and the characters. My only thing is that after a third of the way into the book there’s a “plot twist” that changes the course of where the story is going. I’m a little disappointed in the direction Balial’s character was taken. He was so interesting and he could have served more to the main plot. Ifykyk