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Light Up the Dark
For two years Nicky has wandered the dark empty corridors of the overgrown Thorn Hall, unseen and untouched, feeling like a ghost. His only company, the cold man who promised to keep him safe from harm, Lance.
But when Lance dies, Nicky’s assurance of safety disintegrates and his world suddenly becomes a lot more real and a lot more dangerous. Scared to leave the house, Nicky longs for daylight. He employs a gardener to clear the over-grown bushes and vines that have nearly swallowed Thorn Hall whole.
The last thing Nicky expects a little light to do is show him something to fight for.
Eighteen months in a young offenders’ institute has taught Cai two things: he occupies the playful puppy end of the How Dangerous Are You? spectrum, and he has an unfortunate knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Desperate for a job, he takes the first offer he gets. Even though Thorn Hall creeps the hell out of him and he barely knows one end of a pair of garden shears from the other.
Things start to fall apart when Cai is drawn into Nicky’s strange world of sticky notes and secrets. Cai finds he is now a target, blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Desperate not to go back to prison, he digs deep and risks all the good things in life to help Nicky run.
But now Nicky has someone he wants to protect, he knows he can’t run any more.
But when Lance dies, Nicky’s assurance of safety disintegrates and his world suddenly becomes a lot more real and a lot more dangerous. Scared to leave the house, Nicky longs for daylight. He employs a gardener to clear the over-grown bushes and vines that have nearly swallowed Thorn Hall whole.
The last thing Nicky expects a little light to do is show him something to fight for.
Eighteen months in a young offenders’ institute has taught Cai two things: he occupies the playful puppy end of the How Dangerous Are You? spectrum, and he has an unfortunate knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Desperate for a job, he takes the first offer he gets. Even though Thorn Hall creeps the hell out of him and he barely knows one end of a pair of garden shears from the other.
Things start to fall apart when Cai is drawn into Nicky’s strange world of sticky notes and secrets. Cai finds he is now a target, blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Desperate not to go back to prison, he digs deep and risks all the good things in life to help Nicky run.
But now Nicky has someone he wants to protect, he knows he can’t run any more.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2016
About the author
Suki Fleet
32 books658 followersAbout the author:
Suki Fleet is an award winning author, a prolific Reader (though less prolific than they'd like), and a lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.
They write lyrical stories about memorable characters and believe everyone should have a chance at a happy ending.
Their first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Their novel Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.
If you’d like to offer your support and buy Suki Fleet a coffee you can do that here: https://ko-fi.com/sukifleet
If you would like info on upcoming releases and the occasional free story, please sign up to Suki’s newsletter: https://sukifleet.wordpress.com/newsl...
If you’re interested in reading first drafts of Suki’s new stories, or reading stories that are no longer available or cuts that can’t be published on Amazon, and other extras, please consider signing up to Suki’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sukifleet
Suki Fleet is an award winning author, a prolific Reader (though less prolific than they'd like), and a lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.
They write lyrical stories about memorable characters and believe everyone should have a chance at a happy ending.
Their first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Their novel Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.
If you’d like to offer your support and buy Suki Fleet a coffee you can do that here: https://ko-fi.com/sukifleet
If you would like info on upcoming releases and the occasional free story, please sign up to Suki’s newsletter: https://sukifleet.wordpress.com/newsl...
If you’re interested in reading first drafts of Suki’s new stories, or reading stories that are no longer available or cuts that can’t be published on Amazon, and other extras, please consider signing up to Suki’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sukifleet
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January 6, 2022Edit 24th April:
This story has now been re released and is available on Amazon.
Tags for Dark, Thriller/Suspense, Noir, Non-graphic horror, Slow Burn Romance, Bisexual, Genderqueer, HEA
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071V56DSR/...
Amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071V56DS...
This story has now been re released and is available on Amazon.
Tags for Dark, Thriller/Suspense, Noir, Non-graphic horror, Slow Burn Romance, Bisexual, Genderqueer, HEA
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071V56DSR/...
Amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071V56DS...
February 6, 2017
Muy diferente del resto de libros que tiene la autora, aquí la parte de misterio, la atmósfera, ocupa gran parte del libro, la historia de amor queda integrada en una historia mayor. Pero aun siendo distinta, sigue teniendo el sello de la autora, una prosa maravillosa, una atmósfera que envuelve la historia y que en esta ocasión tiene un tono oscuro y gótico con su mansión y todo, unos personajes desarrollados, y aunque quizás la historia es poco creíble el plot no tiene agujeros.
Como ocurre en el resto de sus libros todo lo relacionado con la relación entre los personajes hace que se te encoja el corazón para luego llenarlo de esperanza, la nobleza de Cai y la vulnerabilidad y fuerza de Nicky traspasan las páginas, y las frases con la que la autora nos hace sentir lo que están sintiendo ellos son tan maravillosas como siempre.
La verdad, nunca sé qué decir después de leer un libro de Suki, parece que nunca se les puede hacer justicia, una lástima que no sea más leída en favor de otras historias fáciles y mil veces contadas.
Totalmente recomendable, muy poquitos autores escriben como Suki, los personajes son maravillosos y el misterio te tiene pegada al libro. Solo hay que tener en cuenta una cosa, el componente de misterio de la historia es muy fuerte, incluso más que el romance.
Como ocurre en el resto de sus libros todo lo relacionado con la relación entre los personajes hace que se te encoja el corazón para luego llenarlo de esperanza, la nobleza de Cai y la vulnerabilidad y fuerza de Nicky traspasan las páginas, y las frases con la que la autora nos hace sentir lo que están sintiendo ellos son tan maravillosas como siempre.
La verdad, nunca sé qué decir después de leer un libro de Suki, parece que nunca se les puede hacer justicia, una lástima que no sea más leída en favor de otras historias fáciles y mil veces contadas.
Totalmente recomendable, muy poquitos autores escriben como Suki, los personajes son maravillosos y el misterio te tiene pegada al libro. Solo hay que tener en cuenta una cosa, el componente de misterio de la historia es muy fuerte, incluso más que el romance.
April 25, 2017
I will read anything Suki Fleet writes and this story is a true testament of my dedication. This story pushed my boundaries and took me to places that I tend to steer clear of, or in all honesty, run away from. It was freaky! But I can admit when freaky can be fabulous and this is definitely freaky fabulous. Suki is a true master of intense characters and I found myself drawn to this damaged duo despite all warning bells ringing in my head. This twisted tale was…messed up but in the most intoxicating way. If you know and adore her writing, please understand this is not one of her standard stories but her signature is still all over it. If this happens to be your first experience with her, prepare for a crash & burn course of the greatness of her spellbinding words.
What's to like: If I had to describe this story in one word it would be potent. It was strong and harsh and nearly too much at times. I had to pace myself. I had to take breaks. I had to remind myself it was only a story when the lights when out. More suspenseful than a thriller but regardless, I was tense and anxious as I read. The blurb is a clear-cut description of what you are preparing to embark on.
Nicky is lost…trapped in a prison of terror. He exists but just barely. When his protector dies his panic button is held fast and never releases. He is living a nightmare and can’t decide if he’d rather wake or close his eyes in an endless slumber. When Cal breaches the edges of his complex and dark world, everything changes. Nicky is prickly and sharp-tongued but Cal sees straight through his defenses. He can’t help his urge to protect him but he never knew the extent of the obstacles ahead. And let me tell you, they are frightful and severe.
What's to love: As always, it’s Suki’s characters that grab ahold of my heart…and hold tight. Nicky. Oh my sweet broken boy. The misery…the torment…the suffering is SO much that I thought he would never recover. And this is precisely when Cal stumbles into the picture. The estate is straight out of a gothic horror movie. I don’t watch those but it’s everything I imagined them to be. The estate is slowly dying, if it was possible for a house to die, and Nicky is trapped within the walls. I am entirely convinced Nicky would die without Cal. Then…they become the reason for one another. Cal is the reason Nicky won’t give up and Nicky is the reason Cal won’t give in. It’s slow. It’s excruciating. It’s impressive. The plot is thick, the characters are all very well fleshed out and without a doubt, I felt the British influence. In the end, it boils down to Nicky and Cal…and that’s all that really matters.
Beware of: Patience is a virtue during the first half, I believe it could have used those cursed trimmers a bit. Slow and controlled breathing is necessary during the second half, I could have used one of those envelopes myself! It’s not really a horror but it has its horrific parts.
This book is for: The tolerant reader looking for a twisted mystery that will shine in the end. There’s not much more I can say without spoiling, so…beware!
*4 stars*
Book UNfunk
What's to like: If I had to describe this story in one word it would be potent. It was strong and harsh and nearly too much at times. I had to pace myself. I had to take breaks. I had to remind myself it was only a story when the lights when out. More suspenseful than a thriller but regardless, I was tense and anxious as I read. The blurb is a clear-cut description of what you are preparing to embark on.
Nicky is lost…trapped in a prison of terror. He exists but just barely. When his protector dies his panic button is held fast and never releases. He is living a nightmare and can’t decide if he’d rather wake or close his eyes in an endless slumber. When Cal breaches the edges of his complex and dark world, everything changes. Nicky is prickly and sharp-tongued but Cal sees straight through his defenses. He can’t help his urge to protect him but he never knew the extent of the obstacles ahead. And let me tell you, they are frightful and severe.
What's to love: As always, it’s Suki’s characters that grab ahold of my heart…and hold tight. Nicky. Oh my sweet broken boy. The misery…the torment…the suffering is SO much that I thought he would never recover. And this is precisely when Cal stumbles into the picture. The estate is straight out of a gothic horror movie. I don’t watch those but it’s everything I imagined them to be. The estate is slowly dying, if it was possible for a house to die, and Nicky is trapped within the walls. I am entirely convinced Nicky would die without Cal. Then…they become the reason for one another. Cal is the reason Nicky won’t give up and Nicky is the reason Cal won’t give in. It’s slow. It’s excruciating. It’s impressive. The plot is thick, the characters are all very well fleshed out and without a doubt, I felt the British influence. In the end, it boils down to Nicky and Cal…and that’s all that really matters.
Beware of: Patience is a virtue during the first half, I believe it could have used those cursed trimmers a bit. Slow and controlled breathing is necessary during the second half, I could have used one of those envelopes myself! It’s not really a horror but it has its horrific parts.
This book is for: The tolerant reader looking for a twisted mystery that will shine in the end. There’s not much more I can say without spoiling, so…beware!
*4 stars*
Book UNfunk
February 7, 2017
Just wonderful, dark, romantic, suspenseful, ghastly and positive with Gothic and fairy tale overtones.
Somewhat belatedly, full review is here
Somewhat belatedly, full review is here
Want to read
May 16, 2018Kindle freebie today, 5/16/18
May 31, 2018
Light and darkness, innocence and guilt, trust and betrayal. Suki Fleet's wonderful novel Light Up the Dark is made up of strongly opposing clashes.
Scared, distrustful, cat-like Nicky roams around the dank and dark rooms of Thorn Hall hiding away from people and from the devastating trauma that changes his life in the novel's prologue. Once he suddenly decides, against all his instincts, to restore Thorn Hall to light by getting rid of the wild overgrown garden surrounding it, he employs the honest and innocent Cai as the manor's gardener. Cai has no skills for gardening but a raw will to survive life's hardships and to take care of his young niece Soph. He also has an excruciating way of ignoring Nicky's snarky post-it notes and remarks and thus he begins to scratch away slowly at his mysterious employer's defensive barriers.
What could turn out to be in lesser hands a predictable m/m novel is transformed by Suki Fleet's talent into a modern retelling of Gothic literature based on a very strong - and surprising - plot and populated by a set of wonderfully portrayed characters.
The villains are what you want to see in such a dark novel - twisted, merciless, rotten to the core and the tropes from Gothic literature re-employed in LUTD are all perfectly balanced to conjure up the menacing and suffocating atmosphere of the book.
Thorn Hall is full of secret rooms and dark corridors in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier's Manderley or Henry James' Bly manor. Its basement room is so charged with horror and madness that it reminded me of the momentous boiler room in Stephen King's The Shining and the intertextual references could be endless - the mad woman in the attic, the bodies of water as thresholds to a nightmarish netherworld...
Amidst all this mystery and terror, Nicky and Cai grow closer steadily and naturally, like they're made to fit with each other from the beginning. Their coming together, though, is never easy or simplistic. When their first raw interactions get translated into two beautifully aching intimate scenes, these are so powerful, sensual and yet tender that I was really left quite speechless.
Another thing I really loved in the novel is Suki's portrayal of fluid sexualities, especially in Loz but also in Cai, and I think it's really important to have more and more characters in fiction who don't fit heteronormative standards and go against the grain of society's accepted rules.
Suki's writing style is, as usual with all her books, rich and seductive, often constructed on elliptical phrases where what's not said is as important or even more important than what is put black on white on the page.
Since discovering her novels a couple of months ago, I've grown to deeply love her stories and writing and Light Up the Dark can be nothing else but highly recommended.
Scared, distrustful, cat-like Nicky roams around the dank and dark rooms of Thorn Hall hiding away from people and from the devastating trauma that changes his life in the novel's prologue. Once he suddenly decides, against all his instincts, to restore Thorn Hall to light by getting rid of the wild overgrown garden surrounding it, he employs the honest and innocent Cai as the manor's gardener. Cai has no skills for gardening but a raw will to survive life's hardships and to take care of his young niece Soph. He also has an excruciating way of ignoring Nicky's snarky post-it notes and remarks and thus he begins to scratch away slowly at his mysterious employer's defensive barriers.
What could turn out to be in lesser hands a predictable m/m novel is transformed by Suki Fleet's talent into a modern retelling of Gothic literature based on a very strong - and surprising - plot and populated by a set of wonderfully portrayed characters.
The villains are what you want to see in such a dark novel - twisted, merciless, rotten to the core and the tropes from Gothic literature re-employed in LUTD are all perfectly balanced to conjure up the menacing and suffocating atmosphere of the book.
Thorn Hall is full of secret rooms and dark corridors in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier's Manderley or Henry James' Bly manor. Its basement room is so charged with horror and madness that it reminded me of the momentous boiler room in Stephen King's The Shining and the intertextual references could be endless - the mad woman in the attic, the bodies of water as thresholds to a nightmarish netherworld...
Amidst all this mystery and terror, Nicky and Cai grow closer steadily and naturally, like they're made to fit with each other from the beginning. Their coming together, though, is never easy or simplistic. When their first raw interactions get translated into two beautifully aching intimate scenes, these are so powerful, sensual and yet tender that I was really left quite speechless.
Another thing I really loved in the novel is Suki's portrayal of fluid sexualities, especially in Loz but also in Cai, and I think it's really important to have more and more characters in fiction who don't fit heteronormative standards and go against the grain of society's accepted rules.
Suki's writing style is, as usual with all her books, rich and seductive, often constructed on elliptical phrases where what's not said is as important or even more important than what is put black on white on the page.
Since discovering her novels a couple of months ago, I've grown to deeply love her stories and writing and Light Up the Dark can be nothing else but highly recommended.
February 8, 2017
Full review is up at the blog
http://wp.me/p6pXMr-bO
Another stunning novel from Suki Fleet.
Gorgeously written with Gothic overtones: the pacing is relentless sustained by a tight plot and beautifully upheld by complex character development across multiple point of views.
The language is achingly beautiful, the story gorgeous and romantic; and once again Fleet explores complex themes - isolation and mental health to mention but two - in a delicate way and brings about a satisfying conclusion without relying on the facile denouements so overused in many of this genre novels
Full review, and lets face it gushings of eternal love, on the blog around publication date.
This is highly recommended and I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader Copy
http://wp.me/p6pXMr-bO
Another stunning novel from Suki Fleet.
Gorgeously written with Gothic overtones: the pacing is relentless sustained by a tight plot and beautifully upheld by complex character development across multiple point of views.
The language is achingly beautiful, the story gorgeous and romantic; and once again Fleet explores complex themes - isolation and mental health to mention but two - in a delicate way and brings about a satisfying conclusion without relying on the facile denouements so overused in many of this genre novels
Full review, and lets face it gushings of eternal love, on the blog around publication date.
This is highly recommended and I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader Copy
Want to read
November 16, 2017Freebie + Suki Fleet.
Per*fucking*fection!
Per*fucking*fection!
January 4, 2018
Suki Fleet gifts us with another of her much beautiful books of hers. This time she dives into a combination of romance and a gothic mystery.
I've come to find, specially in this book, that Suki has a distinct literary style when it comes to the description of her characters and the heavy atmospheric backgrounds that add to the story's depth. Though this book has a different tone compared to the melancholic hopefulsness Foxes or This is not a love story provides, it doesn't fail to serve the story with its suspenseful and romantic theme.
I liked the build of the romance side of the plot, though i figured out most of the mystery by the 30% mark, i was interested on reading how all was going to be unfolded and i didn't expect some of the twists and didn't quite understand others but i was left with many plotholes regarding the mystery around the house and what happened to Nicky during the years he was cloistered in the mansion. Thus the reason i'm not giving the story 4 stars, also a thing that nagged at me was aside that, i think the story was great but the mystery itself needed to be thought through.
Nevertheless, a good read for Suki fans :)
I've come to find, specially in this book, that Suki has a distinct literary style when it comes to the description of her characters and the heavy atmospheric backgrounds that add to the story's depth. Though this book has a different tone compared to the melancholic hopefulsness Foxes or This is not a love story provides, it doesn't fail to serve the story with its suspenseful and romantic theme.
I liked the build of the romance side of the plot, though i figured out most of the mystery by the 30% mark, i was interested on reading how all was going to be unfolded and i didn't expect some of the twists and didn't quite understand others but i was left with many plotholes regarding the mystery around the house and what happened to Nicky during the years he was cloistered in the mansion. Thus the reason i'm not giving the story 4 stars, also a thing that nagged at me was aside that, i think the story was great but the mystery itself needed to be thought through.
Nevertheless, a good read for Suki fans :)
February 6, 2017
Stunning, dark and haunting!
Light Up the Dark is murder mystery with lgbt+ characters set in old 'haunted' house in traditions of gothic literature. I loved the book. It was shocking, devastating and full of hope and love. (My kind of book to be honest)
I fell in love with the characters. I found it often that a book with prominent m/m romance has little to no awesome well-rounded female characters.( please note I say 'often', not 'always'). The cast of this book is diverse and well-drafted, thank you, Suki Fleet. We have sweet brave 14 year old Sophie, non-binary clever fox Loz, kind loyal puppy Cai and snarky Nicky, a survivor and a fighter. Not to mention awesome secondary characters, and disgusting villains. Let's not talk about villains or I'll go into 30 min rant.
The mystery part was strong as well. I guessed some things, I was shocked by others. It was really good. (I'm not big on mystery novels because I can't handle the suspense and tension, but Suki Fleet's book was both gripping and well-balanced so I didn't feel too overwhelmed.)
Romances were very sweet. Soph&Loz and Cai&Nicky <3
Light Up the Dark is my second favorite Suki Fleet book and I definitely would recommend to pick it up. However, the author took the book down from Amazon for quote 'personal reasons'. I feel weird about reading/recommending the book now. Hope everything is sorted out soon and it's available again.
Light Up the Dark is murder mystery with lgbt+ characters set in old 'haunted' house in traditions of gothic literature. I loved the book. It was shocking, devastating and full of hope and love. (My kind of book to be honest)
I fell in love with the characters. I found it often that a book with prominent m/m romance has little to no awesome well-rounded female characters.( please note I say 'often', not 'always'). The cast of this book is diverse and well-drafted, thank you, Suki Fleet. We have sweet brave 14 year old Sophie, non-binary clever fox Loz, kind loyal puppy Cai and snarky Nicky, a survivor and a fighter. Not to mention awesome secondary characters, and disgusting villains. Let's not talk about villains or I'll go into 30 min rant.
The mystery part was strong as well. I guessed some things, I was shocked by others. It was really good. (I'm not big on mystery novels because I can't handle the suspense and tension, but Suki Fleet's book was both gripping and well-balanced so I didn't feel too overwhelmed.)
Romances were very sweet. Soph&Loz and Cai&Nicky <3
Light Up the Dark is my second favorite Suki Fleet book and I definitely would recommend to pick it up. However, the author took the book down from Amazon for quote 'personal reasons'. I feel weird about reading/recommending the book now. Hope everything is sorted out soon and it's available again.
August 22, 2024
✰ 2.5 stars ✰
“You confuse the hell out of me, you know.”
“Thought you’d have figured out by now that I’m kind of messed up.”
Dropping his head back down and sending a warm rush of breath tingling down Nicky’s spine, Cai murmured, “Thought you’d have figured out by now that I don’t care what you think you are. I like you too much.”
Perhaps one of the most disappointing reads I've read of Suki Fleet's; and that's a real shame, since their writing has always been quite easy to satisfy my palette. 🙎🏻♀️ The idea for Light Up the Dark was good - it just failed to be executed in a more impactful manner that would allow for me to feel anything for the characters. It felt like it had the potential to be continued further, but the ending was so underwhelming and underdeveloped that I'm not sure if it will be continued. It's hard being so critical considering how much of their previous works I've been such a fan of, but this didn't quite evoke the same emotions that their characters usually generate from me. 😢
“His brain was whispering that would be a bad, bad idea, Nicky dearest. His heart was… fuck, since when did he have a heart?
“You don’t know me,” he said.
Cai held his gaze. “I know enough.”
Yes, the characters are traumatized in their own way; there is this palpable unrest prevalent throughout that emanates forth whenever Nicky and Cai interact - the gloomy Gothic vibe that speaks of sinister happenings in the background... But, it didn't feel fleshed out enough; like it was merely threads of the plot dangling without any real cohesiveness to it. Nicky being a shut-in was an interesting touch, along with the creepiness that led to his captivity and reclusiveness. 😥 'Perhaps there were some things a body never got used to missing. Just as a heart would always ache for the love it lost.' He had been a club pole dancer who got caught in an unfortunate situation and who now has to live his life sheltered in an equally creepy manor would pique anyone's interest, including newly hired gardener for Thorn Hall. The attraction is instant, but it takes time for Nicky to slowly breach his own rules about interacting and allowing others into his life and heart. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, Cai thought, his heart blown wide open. How can you think you’re not worth it?”
The defensive shield that he has purposefully built around himself to not let him get close - that the thorns of the manor and the garden pale in comparison to his own brutal scars. And yet as Cai saves him numerous times, it's that gentle tender rhythm they build up to, till it becomes impossible to reject - an impulsive heated move where they both jump into the saddle, clinging to the desperation of finally wanting another. 'The world suddenly filled with more light than darkness.' 🩶🤍 They push and they pull, refusing to admit that it means anything, till the danger starts to elevate to the point that it simply can't be ignored. They've both felt their fair share of pain - Nicky more than Cai - but Cai is unrelentless in proving to Nicky that he wants to help and care for him. To no longer doubt his intentions and believe that they are pure and true, a complete contrast to the anguish and pain Nicky has had to endure for so long - a source of unwavering comfort and warmth in his bleak and cold life - his words were lights in the dark.' 🥺
And as much as I did not have that many issues with their relationship, I was not quite on board with the mystery of this story; it was not handled well enough to be believable. Yes, it is a bit gruesome and tormentingly twisted, one that if it had gone into more detail to show just how chillingly eerie it is - I may have been able to feel a bit more; but, I didn't. The ending was rushed and anti-climatic, without any real feeling of satisfaction. 🙂↔️🙂↔️ I was - not happy and quite frankly, a bit disappointed in the writing. Suki F.'s writing always has this gentle cadence to it that also describes her characters - broken, but still beautiful with all their tragic pasts. Here - it was choppy and a bit...wishy-washy. Like, it was trying to be cryptic, but it read evasive-but in an annoying manner that left me unsettled at which direction it was intending to go in. Maybe it was intentional to be true to how much of Nicky's own past is so unnerving and unsure, but it was bothersome for me. 😒
“His ghosts were not ghosts. They were here in this house with him. They were monsters in the dark that Nicky had to face. But he would let the light in and make the darkness blaze.”
I also don't know how I felt about the secondary characters either, which when their povs were introduced, I felt slightly off-kilter - as in, it wasn't quite expected. It's not that I minded that it went in a different direction than the usual norm, it's just that it disrupted the flow of the story. I could have handled it if it was continued in only dual perspectives, so that maybe it could have made more sense. It's not that I didn't like the other two characters - Soph and Loz - it just didn't make as much of an impact as it should have. 😮💨 'But in a world full of dangerous things, trust was perhaps the most dangerous thing of all.' I was not able to empathize or care enough for the whole gory and dark circumstances in which the two of them were caught up in - it just fell flat. We did not get enough backstory into Nicky's haunted past and whatever was provided was shifty and shady and murky to the point that it was hard to put a finger on - well, quite anything. Again, I do strongly feel that perhaps a sequel was intended, hence, so much of it feeling deprived of any closure. 🙍🏻♀️
Suffice to say, it wasn't the best of reads, which upset me of how much the blurb did intrigue me and how much untapped potential existed in developing the mystery in a more enticing way that could have left me a happier reader. I cared for Nicky and Cai - the intimate way they cared for each other - I enjoyed it -'Cai, who’d snuck up on him and stolen his heart.' Sadly, the romantic aspect was not enough to override how much of the rest was so weakly tuned that I could not appreciate it as much as I could have. 😔💔
“You confuse the hell out of me, you know.”
“Thought you’d have figured out by now that I’m kind of messed up.”
Dropping his head back down and sending a warm rush of breath tingling down Nicky’s spine, Cai murmured, “Thought you’d have figured out by now that I don’t care what you think you are. I like you too much.”
Perhaps one of the most disappointing reads I've read of Suki Fleet's; and that's a real shame, since their writing has always been quite easy to satisfy my palette. 🙎🏻♀️ The idea for Light Up the Dark was good - it just failed to be executed in a more impactful manner that would allow for me to feel anything for the characters. It felt like it had the potential to be continued further, but the ending was so underwhelming and underdeveloped that I'm not sure if it will be continued. It's hard being so critical considering how much of their previous works I've been such a fan of, but this didn't quite evoke the same emotions that their characters usually generate from me. 😢
“His brain was whispering that would be a bad, bad idea, Nicky dearest. His heart was… fuck, since when did he have a heart?
“You don’t know me,” he said.
Cai held his gaze. “I know enough.”
Yes, the characters are traumatized in their own way; there is this palpable unrest prevalent throughout that emanates forth whenever Nicky and Cai interact - the gloomy Gothic vibe that speaks of sinister happenings in the background... But, it didn't feel fleshed out enough; like it was merely threads of the plot dangling without any real cohesiveness to it. Nicky being a shut-in was an interesting touch, along with the creepiness that led to his captivity and reclusiveness. 😥 'Perhaps there were some things a body never got used to missing. Just as a heart would always ache for the love it lost.' He had been a club pole dancer who got caught in an unfortunate situation and who now has to live his life sheltered in an equally creepy manor would pique anyone's interest, including newly hired gardener for Thorn Hall. The attraction is instant, but it takes time for Nicky to slowly breach his own rules about interacting and allowing others into his life and heart. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, Cai thought, his heart blown wide open. How can you think you’re not worth it?”
The defensive shield that he has purposefully built around himself to not let him get close - that the thorns of the manor and the garden pale in comparison to his own brutal scars. And yet as Cai saves him numerous times, it's that gentle tender rhythm they build up to, till it becomes impossible to reject - an impulsive heated move where they both jump into the saddle, clinging to the desperation of finally wanting another. 'The world suddenly filled with more light than darkness.' 🩶🤍 They push and they pull, refusing to admit that it means anything, till the danger starts to elevate to the point that it simply can't be ignored. They've both felt their fair share of pain - Nicky more than Cai - but Cai is unrelentless in proving to Nicky that he wants to help and care for him. To no longer doubt his intentions and believe that they are pure and true, a complete contrast to the anguish and pain Nicky has had to endure for so long - a source of unwavering comfort and warmth in his bleak and cold life - his words were lights in the dark.' 🥺
And as much as I did not have that many issues with their relationship, I was not quite on board with the mystery of this story; it was not handled well enough to be believable. Yes, it is a bit gruesome and tormentingly twisted, one that if it had gone into more detail to show just how chillingly eerie it is - I may have been able to feel a bit more; but, I didn't. The ending was rushed and anti-climatic, without any real feeling of satisfaction. 🙂↔️🙂↔️ I was - not happy and quite frankly, a bit disappointed in the writing. Suki F.'s writing always has this gentle cadence to it that also describes her characters - broken, but still beautiful with all their tragic pasts. Here - it was choppy and a bit...wishy-washy. Like, it was trying to be cryptic, but it read evasive-but in an annoying manner that left me unsettled at which direction it was intending to go in. Maybe it was intentional to be true to how much of Nicky's own past is so unnerving and unsure, but it was bothersome for me. 😒
“His ghosts were not ghosts. They were here in this house with him. They were monsters in the dark that Nicky had to face. But he would let the light in and make the darkness blaze.”
I also don't know how I felt about the secondary characters either, which when their povs were introduced, I felt slightly off-kilter - as in, it wasn't quite expected. It's not that I minded that it went in a different direction than the usual norm, it's just that it disrupted the flow of the story. I could have handled it if it was continued in only dual perspectives, so that maybe it could have made more sense. It's not that I didn't like the other two characters - Soph and Loz - it just didn't make as much of an impact as it should have. 😮💨 'But in a world full of dangerous things, trust was perhaps the most dangerous thing of all.' I was not able to empathize or care enough for the whole gory and dark circumstances in which the two of them were caught up in - it just fell flat. We did not get enough backstory into Nicky's haunted past and whatever was provided was shifty and shady and murky to the point that it was hard to put a finger on - well, quite anything. Again, I do strongly feel that perhaps a sequel was intended, hence, so much of it feeling deprived of any closure. 🙍🏻♀️
Suffice to say, it wasn't the best of reads, which upset me of how much the blurb did intrigue me and how much untapped potential existed in developing the mystery in a more enticing way that could have left me a happier reader. I cared for Nicky and Cai - the intimate way they cared for each other - I enjoyed it -'Cai, who’d snuck up on him and stolen his heart.' Sadly, the romantic aspect was not enough to override how much of the rest was so weakly tuned that I could not appreciate it as much as I could have. 😔💔
May 30, 2017
Incredibly beautiful. RTC!
Read
January 2, 2017Wow, this took an unexpectedly dark turn. I thought it was heading toward magical realism but, no. Kinda freaked me out. This author can definitely write horror!
As always, Suki Fleet demonstrates her fine penmanship. Lovely descriptions and setting is creepy and fascinating.
Cai is a solid character, who is protective and sweet. Nicki is a bit more of a handful. He's had a very bad hand dealt him and because of his situation he's developed an attitude that is hard to like. Consistent with what he's been through, though.
So... if you like dark books with a splash of horror and a splash of romance and some awesome(scary) mystery, you can give this one a go.
As always, Suki Fleet demonstrates her fine penmanship. Lovely descriptions and setting is creepy and fascinating.
Cai is a solid character, who is protective and sweet. Nicki is a bit more of a handful. He's had a very bad hand dealt him and because of his situation he's developed an attitude that is hard to like. Consistent with what he's been through, though.
So... if you like dark books with a splash of horror and a splash of romance and some awesome(scary) mystery, you can give this one a go.
May 6, 2022
4.5
This was my first Suki Fleet! If this is her usual writing style, she is definitely a keeper.
Such pretty words.
Stylistically, I’m pretty sure Light up the Dark was the best-written book I’ve read since… um, March 3, 2022 🙈 Some might call the writing a bit over-embellished, but I LOVED it; the pretty words stroked my eyes and my brain just right. Huh. That came out weird.
Anyway. The setting was perfect, both the execution and the pacing. Atmospheric and eerie, in a way that sneaks up on you very, very slowly, until you realize you’re completely creeped out. [It is my opinion that this slow build-up, however beautiful, may cause/worsen feelings of anxiety in susceptible readers, so be careful.]
Nicky was perfect. Cai was… Cai. A little dull, perhaps, but I liked him all right — what’s more important I liked him for Nicky. Believable and unrushed relationship development + emotionally-charged sex scenes = ❤️
Why round down, then? Well, aside from the fact that I finished this yesterday and had some time to ruminate over my rating, as opposed to doing it impulsively like I usually do, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the mystery resolution here.
All in all, this was a great read, and I highly recommend it to all fans of mystery/thriller, gothic, and character-driven stories with a side of romance.
This was my first Suki Fleet! If this is her usual writing style, she is definitely a keeper.
Such pretty words.
Stylistically, I’m pretty sure Light up the Dark was the best-written book I’ve read since… um, March 3, 2022 🙈 Some might call the writing a bit over-embellished, but I LOVED it; the pretty words stroked my eyes and my brain just right. Huh. That came out weird.
Anyway. The setting was perfect, both the execution and the pacing. Atmospheric and eerie, in a way that sneaks up on you very, very slowly, until you realize you’re completely creeped out. [It is my opinion that this slow build-up, however beautiful, may cause/worsen feelings of anxiety in susceptible readers, so be careful.]
Nicky was perfect. Cai was… Cai. A little dull, perhaps, but I liked him all right — what’s more important I liked him for Nicky. Believable and unrushed relationship development + emotionally-charged sex scenes = ❤️
Why round down, then? Well, aside from the fact that I finished this yesterday and had some time to ruminate over my rating, as opposed to doing it impulsively like I usually do, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the mystery resolution here.
All in all, this was a great read, and I highly recommend it to all fans of mystery/thriller, gothic, and character-driven stories with a side of romance.
February 6, 2017
This did not work for me at all. An improbable and unrealistic story that felt like it was never going to end.
This is a darker story with a gothic vibe to it. I really enjoyed the beginning as Cai tries to figure out what's going on in the creepy house where he's gotten a job as a gardener. The atmosphere was set really well and I could easily picture this run down house filled with secrets. I liked Cai and his niece and her friend. They were well done and interesting characters.
As the story went on though I felt the plot twists were kind of wild and unbelievable. I guess in a gothic that's what you're looking for but it was just too unbelievable for me. (the cops were the worst) My biggest issue with the story though was Nicky's character. I just didn't like him. I also didn't understand how he could be so helpless and unable to function at the age of 29. Yes, he had been through hell two years prior but what about the other 27 years of his life? I think maybe it would have worked better for me if he had been in his late teens/early twenties. Since I never warmed up to Nicky at all, I had a hard time buying into the love story. I couldn't see what Cai saw in him and the insta-love didn't make sense to me.
Overall this was just an average read for me. I liked the gothic mystery part but did not care for the romance aspect. I thought the atmosphere part was really well done and in that way this story might be too dark for some readers. There is a fair amount of non-graphic violence in this.
This is a darker story with a gothic vibe to it. I really enjoyed the beginning as Cai tries to figure out what's going on in the creepy house where he's gotten a job as a gardener. The atmosphere was set really well and I could easily picture this run down house filled with secrets. I liked Cai and his niece and her friend. They were well done and interesting characters.
As the story went on though I felt the plot twists were kind of wild and unbelievable. I guess in a gothic that's what you're looking for but it was just too unbelievable for me. (the cops were the worst) My biggest issue with the story though was Nicky's character. I just didn't like him. I also didn't understand how he could be so helpless and unable to function at the age of 29. Yes, he had been through hell two years prior but what about the other 27 years of his life? I think maybe it would have worked better for me if he had been in his late teens/early twenties. Since I never warmed up to Nicky at all, I had a hard time buying into the love story. I couldn't see what Cai saw in him and the insta-love didn't make sense to me.
Overall this was just an average read for me. I liked the gothic mystery part but did not care for the romance aspect. I thought the atmosphere part was really well done and in that way this story might be too dark for some readers. There is a fair amount of non-graphic violence in this.
December 4, 2017
4.5
Review Update
Review also on my Blog.
Light up the dark is the first novel I’ve read by Suki and if her other books are anything like this, it won’t be my last.
Light up the dark was beautifully haunting, mysterious and diverse. I was hooked from page one.
This book had an eerie gothic feel that captivated me . The setting was written so creepy and I found myself getting shivers reading some paragraphs. Honestly parts of this novel were scarier than some “horrors” I’ve watched. Normally I run from books like this. This time however I was glued to the pages; stuck on the edge of my seat because I need to know what happened.
The characters stole my heart. At 20 years old I feel like I went grey with worry for them throughout the book. Cai, Nicky, Loz and Soph. They were just so sweet, genuine and innocent. Even Nicky who went through hell and back had an innocence to him that made me – the person with no maternal instincts- want to wrap him in a blanket just to keep him safe. Keep them all safe. My heart was in my throat.
At the beginning and for most of the book I couldn’t make heads or tails of the plot. However as the book went on I got the answers I wanted and everything started to click together. Though near the end I didn’t even want answers just the characters to drive off into the sunset were they stayed safe and happy for all eternity.
I went into this book expecting Cai & Nicky’s relationship from the blurb but what I didn’t expect was to also love the cutest relationship between Soph & Loz. Soph who is Cai’s 14 year old niece- it’s never stated but I’m sure she’s pansexual- and Loz who are non- binary. Anytime Loz got chapters they made the book. They’re funny and sweet and they love Soph so much.
Overall this book was wonderful. It captured my attention from the beginning and didn’t release me until the last page. The plot was brilliant, the villains bastards and the characters amazing. I defiantly recommend this novel and you should go add it to your TBR right now. I promise you won’t regret it.
Love this book. Review to come tomorrow :)
Review Update
Review also on my Blog.
Light up the dark is the first novel I’ve read by Suki and if her other books are anything like this, it won’t be my last.
Light up the dark was beautifully haunting, mysterious and diverse. I was hooked from page one.
This book had an eerie gothic feel that captivated me . The setting was written so creepy and I found myself getting shivers reading some paragraphs. Honestly parts of this novel were scarier than some “horrors” I’ve watched. Normally I run from books like this. This time however I was glued to the pages; stuck on the edge of my seat because I need to know what happened.
The characters stole my heart. At 20 years old I feel like I went grey with worry for them throughout the book. Cai, Nicky, Loz and Soph. They were just so sweet, genuine and innocent. Even Nicky who went through hell and back had an innocence to him that made me – the person with no maternal instincts- want to wrap him in a blanket just to keep him safe. Keep them all safe. My heart was in my throat.
At the beginning and for most of the book I couldn’t make heads or tails of the plot. However as the book went on I got the answers I wanted and everything started to click together. Though near the end I didn’t even want answers just the characters to drive off into the sunset were they stayed safe and happy for all eternity.
I went into this book expecting Cai & Nicky’s relationship from the blurb but what I didn’t expect was to also love the cutest relationship between Soph & Loz. Soph who is Cai’s 14 year old niece- it’s never stated but I’m sure she’s pansexual- and Loz who are non- binary. Anytime Loz got chapters they made the book. They’re funny and sweet and they love Soph so much.
Overall this book was wonderful. It captured my attention from the beginning and didn’t release me until the last page. The plot was brilliant, the villains bastards and the characters amazing. I defiantly recommend this novel and you should go add it to your TBR right now. I promise you won’t regret it.
Love this book. Review to come tomorrow :)
January 3, 2017
I think the author said that this book was less angsty than others - I have to disagree. Without spoiling the story, suffice to say that there was drama and twists with everybody. Even so, the story dragged in parts. Cai was a good, solid, just decent man while Nicky was a prickly, wounded, coming-back-to-life man - together, they were powerful. I would have loved to see more of them, I desperately wanted an involved epilogue.
January 6, 2017
*Review of an advanced copy*
I'm speechless.
I've been rendered speechless many, many times throughout the book. It's brilliant (sure, Barbs, what's new? ).
Thecharacters, so complex and deep; the genius (GENIUS!) plot, the evolution of the relationship(s)- Everything is managed in such a way that you just have to take it slow to get to enjoy it for as long as you can.
There are some moment's when you seriously have no idea what the hell is going on (and you can't imagine where the whole thing is driving you)- and it's done in the best of ways. The whole reading experience is such a wild ride. If my to-read list wasn't so fucked up, I'd just re-read this book from now til the end of this year-at the very least.
Suki Fleet, ladies, gentlemen and everything else. This woman COMPLETELY. OWNS. ME.
P.S.: I know what she said about Nicky- and with all due respect to him (because he is indeed a badass and as precious as they come- and so is Cai btw), I still refuse to put him in the same shelf as Danny. Let's just agree that they are both infinitely precious for their own reasons and we can all be happy.
I'm speechless.
I've been rendered speechless many, many times throughout the book. It's brilliant (sure, Barbs, what's new? ).
Thecharacters, so complex and deep; the genius (GENIUS!) plot, the evolution of the relationship(s)- Everything is managed in such a way that you just have to take it slow to get to enjoy it for as long as you can.
There are some moment's when you seriously have no idea what the hell is going on (and you can't imagine where the whole thing is driving you)- and it's done in the best of ways. The whole reading experience is such a wild ride. If my to-read list wasn't so fucked up, I'd just re-read this book from now til the end of this year-at the very least.
Suki Fleet, ladies, gentlemen and everything else. This woman COMPLETELY. OWNS. ME.
P.S.: I know what she said about Nicky- and with all due respect to him (because he is indeed a badass and as precious as they come- and so is Cai btw), I still refuse to put him in the same shelf as Danny. Let's just agree that they are both infinitely precious for their own reasons and we can all be happy.
March 1, 2017
This book is intense, creepy, and throughout I had my misgivings about what I’d find on the end of this journey.
Before I started it, I should have read the other reviews classifying this as horror. Because it is. It really is. Not the monsters are monsters kind, but the humans are monsters kind. I didn’t, and then I started reading it and I was wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into. So, before you proceed - if your question is whether I’d recommend it? My reaction is mixed. On the one hand it’s Suki Fleet, and her writing is poetic as always, and you’re reminded (or introduced) of the fact that she’s a good story teller. Her characters always go through hell and fire before they get their happy ending. Which is awesome because you’re rooting for them every step of the way, since she can make you care. A lot. You get emotionally invested in the outcome. You get attached to the characters. You face the truth of how messed up this world is.
This is trademark her by now.
But, the plotline of this book is quite different from her other stories. This book is not for the faint of heart, and contains material which can be nightmare inducing as it reminds us about the creeps out there in the world. This is horror, and the reader going in should consider the genre and whether this is something they’re willing to handle.
Fleet’s books are heavy on a good day. The angst which can make you feel as though you’re drowning in all the self-doubt and feelings that have trouble being expressed. The characters that break your heart. The circumstances you can’t take them away from. Their surrounding environment which pisses you off. This was all that, plus a creepy as hell mansion carrying so many secrets within its walls it’s not even funny.
Because I believe that the slow but sure revelations of this book are what make it stand on its own, I won’t actually delve into the plot itself. What I will give you is what I thought of these characters, though incomplete because the characters that show up are crucial to the progression and slow unravelling of the mystery surrounding Thorn Hall itself, and what I felt when I was reading this book.
Both Nicky and Cai haven’t been dealt the best hand in life. While Cai was unlucky, I can’t even begin to describe Nicky's. He’s gone through so much, and it’s his will to live which I am frankly in awe by. Human resilience in the face of unspeakable terror. When Cai enters his life, it’s like he can breathe again.
Plagued by ghosts, and the mansion he can’t seem to leave, Cai’s presence brings Nicky out of his shell.
Cai’s sister, Sophie, and Loz relieve some of the tension that this book inspires. And the discussion on who Loz is to Sophie between Sophie and Cai was one of this book's highlights.
This the first time I’ve seen Fleet use multiple points of view within her books, and it was a really good choice here because it wouldn’t have worked otherwise. It would have made everyone an unreliable character, and made me wonder whether what was going on was even real. Or whether it was an elaborate scheme to mess with the narrator. And the reader. I mean, sure, due to the genre I had my misgivings about any character whose point of view I couldn't read, but this relieved some of my suspicion at least.
Throughout I had this sense of foreboding. I knew something bad was going on, that much is clear as day from the first page. But, we’re only given pieces to this puzzle one at a time. Given enough pieces you can guess at what the puzzle ultimately is about.
Here you’re given enough pieces to know that there’s a tree, a house and a person. Although you have a clear picture of the tree, you don’t know whether the house even has any windows, you don’t know what the person looks like and you know there are some pieces missing from the box you can never get your hands on.
The revelations sure but steady. However, it’s as though the answers to my initial questions just generated more questions and we’re left hanging in the end. Although it ends on a happy note, I am left wondering what the overall picture was and what I ended up missing. The conspiracy aspect of it all, a nice touch, but one that ended up opening another can of worms.
There isn’t a lot I can add, because it would either give away the plot or be a reiteration of what I’ve said. It comes down to this. This book is well-written, emotional, intense, dark and full of suspense. It’s about two people finding and falling for one another when not only outside forces, but their own hesitancies stand in their way. I’d recommend it because overall this was a great read, but this book is not for everyone and you should decide for yourself whether you can handle over 300 pages of tension, suspicion and confusion.
Received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review via ABC.
Book no longer on sale.
Reviewed by Kudrat from Alpha Book Club
Before I started it, I should have read the other reviews classifying this as horror. Because it is. It really is. Not the monsters are monsters kind, but the humans are monsters kind. I didn’t, and then I started reading it and I was wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into. So, before you proceed - if your question is whether I’d recommend it? My reaction is mixed. On the one hand it’s Suki Fleet, and her writing is poetic as always, and you’re reminded (or introduced) of the fact that she’s a good story teller. Her characters always go through hell and fire before they get their happy ending. Which is awesome because you’re rooting for them every step of the way, since she can make you care. A lot. You get emotionally invested in the outcome. You get attached to the characters. You face the truth of how messed up this world is.
This is trademark her by now.
Those meditation books had talked about centring yourself, but every time he tried the more he became certain there was nothing at the centre of him, nothing solid, nothing to hold on to. He was empty right the way through. All he could imagine was wind blowing through him as though he were a ghost.
But, the plotline of this book is quite different from her other stories. This book is not for the faint of heart, and contains material which can be nightmare inducing as it reminds us about the creeps out there in the world. This is horror, and the reader going in should consider the genre and whether this is something they’re willing to handle.
Fleet’s books are heavy on a good day. The angst which can make you feel as though you’re drowning in all the self-doubt and feelings that have trouble being expressed. The characters that break your heart. The circumstances you can’t take them away from. Their surrounding environment which pisses you off. This was all that, plus a creepy as hell mansion carrying so many secrets within its walls it’s not even funny.
In a world full of dangerous things, trust was perhaps the most dangerous thing of all.
Because I believe that the slow but sure revelations of this book are what make it stand on its own, I won’t actually delve into the plot itself. What I will give you is what I thought of these characters, though incomplete because the characters that show up are crucial to the progression and slow unravelling of the mystery surrounding Thorn Hall itself, and what I felt when I was reading this book.
Both Nicky and Cai haven’t been dealt the best hand in life. While Cai was unlucky, I can’t even begin to describe Nicky's. He’s gone through so much, and it’s his will to live which I am frankly in awe by. Human resilience in the face of unspeakable terror. When Cai enters his life, it’s like he can breathe again.
Fear hurt more than knives, more than broken bones. Fear was what was going to destroy him
Plagued by ghosts, and the mansion he can’t seem to leave, Cai’s presence brings Nicky out of his shell.
Cai’s sister, Sophie, and Loz relieve some of the tension that this book inspires. And the discussion on who Loz is to Sophie between Sophie and Cai was one of this book's highlights.
This the first time I’ve seen Fleet use multiple points of view within her books, and it was a really good choice here because it wouldn’t have worked otherwise. It would have made everyone an unreliable character, and made me wonder whether what was going on was even real. Or whether it was an elaborate scheme to mess with the narrator. And the reader. I mean, sure, due to the genre I had my misgivings about any character whose point of view I couldn't read, but this relieved some of my suspicion at least.
Throughout I had this sense of foreboding. I knew something bad was going on, that much is clear as day from the first page. But, we’re only given pieces to this puzzle one at a time. Given enough pieces you can guess at what the puzzle ultimately is about.
Here you’re given enough pieces to know that there’s a tree, a house and a person. Although you have a clear picture of the tree, you don’t know whether the house even has any windows, you don’t know what the person looks like and you know there are some pieces missing from the box you can never get your hands on.
The revelations sure but steady. However, it’s as though the answers to my initial questions just generated more questions and we’re left hanging in the end. Although it ends on a happy note, I am left wondering what the overall picture was and what I ended up missing. The conspiracy aspect of it all, a nice touch, but one that ended up opening another can of worms.
There isn’t a lot I can add, because it would either give away the plot or be a reiteration of what I’ve said. It comes down to this. This book is well-written, emotional, intense, dark and full of suspense. It’s about two people finding and falling for one another when not only outside forces, but their own hesitancies stand in their way. I’d recommend it because overall this was a great read, but this book is not for everyone and you should decide for yourself whether you can handle over 300 pages of tension, suspicion and confusion.
Received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review via ABC.
Book no longer on sale.
Reviewed by Kudrat from Alpha Book Club
January 14, 2018
Review Coming
October 14, 2022
Wooh eeh! That was edge of your seat, keep one hand over your eyes, enthralling.
Psycho thriller, gothic horror with a decent romance added to the mix.
Generations of Dukes. Your worst nightmare personified.
A young man destroyed, kidnapped and abused, kept by a madman, also his savior, for years. Huh? Oh yes, it's a mind fuck.
Hands down one of the creepiest and scariest elements? Thorn Hall. The study. Gives new meaning to death is all around. The souls of the innocent and demented. Whispers in the dark. The basement. Youza the basement. Put a lock on the damn door! I pictured it in my mind over and over and I got a serious case of the heebeejeebees.
Nothing like a good gothic to get the blood flowing. 😈
Like I would give it away. Read it and see, if you dare. 🙀
Psycho thriller, gothic horror with a decent romance added to the mix.
Generations of Dukes. Your worst nightmare personified.
A young man destroyed, kidnapped and abused, kept by a madman, also his savior, for years. Huh? Oh yes, it's a mind fuck.
Hands down one of the creepiest and scariest elements? Thorn Hall. The study. Gives new meaning to death is all around. The souls of the innocent and demented. Whispers in the dark. The basement. Youza the basement. Put a lock on the damn door! I pictured it in my mind over and over and I got a serious case of the heebeejeebees.
Nothing like a good gothic to get the blood flowing. 😈
Like I would give it away. Read it and see, if you dare. 🙀
June 16, 2018
Any one of the plot elements here had the potential to go over the top without careful writing—drug-using former stripper! Ex-juvie struggling to stay on the straight and narrow for the sake of the child they have legal guardianship of! Unsolved murder mystery! A house full of Secrets(TM)! Underground vigilante group!—and mixed all together in the most hackneyed way possible, none of it made any believable god damned sense. I don't enjoy "bastard" characters, so I wasn't sympathetic towards Nicky. (If you've got enough self-awareness to understand you're being a dick, guess what, you can change your behaviors! This seems particularly desirable if you don't want to come off as being verbally and emotionally abusive to someone you claim to "love", or, abandoning the second person, if the author wants me to buy into the romance as a positive, improving force in the characters' lives.) As in the previous Suki Fleet story I tried, though, Nicky is more of an anime character transplanted in the real world, androgynous figure and flowing red locks and all, so his behavior makes sense... in another genre.
There's a writing rule floating around that the more fantastical the plot, the more the author has to ground the details in some kind of coherent fashion because the reader is only going to be able to suspend so much belief. This book is not an exception. I could have handled the tragic pasts of the characters, I could have swallowed the serial killer bit with some convincing; I absolutely started losing my shit with the detective subplots, which came out of a Nancy Drew book or a second-rate BBC crime drama for how little it resembled reality. The ending was indescribable nonsense. As my internet friends can attest, I've been screeching "GHOST NETWORK" all morning. A total mess of a reading experience. Given that this is the second story I've struck out on with this author, I'm going to leave them for people who do enjoy their stuff.
There's a writing rule floating around that the more fantastical the plot, the more the author has to ground the details in some kind of coherent fashion because the reader is only going to be able to suspend so much belief. This book is not an exception. I could have handled the tragic pasts of the characters, I could have swallowed the serial killer bit with some convincing; I absolutely started losing my shit with the detective subplots, which came out of a Nancy Drew book or a second-rate BBC crime drama for how little it resembled reality. The ending was indescribable nonsense. As my internet friends can attest, I've been screeching "GHOST NETWORK" all morning. A total mess of a reading experience. Given that this is the second story I've struck out on with this author, I'm going to leave them for people who do enjoy their stuff.
February 7, 2017
5+ Stars for my best Suki Fleet read thus far!
This is not my first Suki Fleet book, but it was by far the best one! I’ve noticed that Fleet writes very poetically. Her writing is absolutely beautiful and her characters are phenomenally developed, but I’ve always had a hard time connecting to the story and staying engaged enough to finish a novel by her. I do not feel the same way about this book. Light Up the Dark was an outstanding story and I loved every single page.
By page two, of course, my heart was crushed. Fleet has a way of doing that. I connected with Nicky immediately. He was this beautiful, kind, passionate person who’d been dealt one too many bad hands and had all but given up.
Nicky was broken into pieces even before he went through the single most terrifying event in his life and had to fight for every breath. He became this withdrawn and silent shell of a person. Thorn Hall, despite all of its windows and poorly secured entrances, had become his prison.
Cai had his own fair share of confidence issues. There were several times in the book where Nicky observed Cai and described him as being confident, but I don’t think that’s entirely true.
Cai had come straight from a Youth Offenders Institute, what I’m assuming is similar to a Juvenile Detention center. He was making every effort to stay out of trouble and was very wary of his new, mysterious employer, but also desperate to make some money and keep him and his sister, Soph, off of the streets. He knew that his job at Thorn Hall was all that was standing between Soph and the streets. Despite his attempts to talk to Nicky or at least help him out in any way he could (even beyond his gardening gig), Nicky kept his distance. Their interactions were… strained, at first.
It took Nicky a long time to come around to Cai. He was like a frightened, stray cat afraid of his own shadow. Cai was something unknown. Nicky had lived in that house by himself for quite some time, and he had been there with only one person to interact with for a while before that. Nicky had lost his ability to communicate and interact with other people.
It took them a lot of time and a lot of obstacle dodging to get there, but eventually Nicky started opening up to Cai. They had a familiar routine going for a while and they could lean on each other and depend on each other when they had nowhere else to go.
Once Cai got through to Nicky and got him to open up, these two were absolutely beautiful together. Cai was the strength and confidence Nicky needed and Nicky was the grace and beauty that Cai needed.
And can we please just give a round of applause for freaking fantastically written support characters? Soph, Cai’s sister, and her love-interest Loz, were absolutely fantastic both together and as standalone characters.
I really loved that this book switched POV so much. Not only did we get to see Nicky and Cai’s POV, but Soph and Loz had their chapters as well. Not very many books give you an outside POV on the MC’s and it’s extremely difficult to write effectively, but Fleet pulled it off. I loved the characters in this book!
Plot wise, Fleet’s books aren’t always realistic. There are almost times when I’m pushed out of the story while I’m reading because it’s a little too much of a stretch, but I didn’t find that happening so much with this book. There were a few moments that had me squinting at my kindle, but for the most part, Light Up the Dark stayed pretty realistic, which I absolutely loved!
This is a pretty dark book, though. The real connection between the MC’s doesn’t come until close to the end of the book and there are a lot of both mental and physical hurdles they have to get over to get there. There were a few things that hit me in the face plot-wise and more than one book’s fair share of heart-wrenchingly sad moments, but I would still definitely recommend this book. The payout was so worth it!
I loved this novel. I loved Nicky and I loved Cai. Light Up the Dark changed my opinion on Suki Fleet as an author ten-fold. Whether you’re already a Suki Fleet fan or you’re on the fence about picking up another book after a DNF or low-star read from her, I would strongly recommend picking this book up. It was by far my favorite Fleet read and an amazing 5+ star novel.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
This is not my first Suki Fleet book, but it was by far the best one! I’ve noticed that Fleet writes very poetically. Her writing is absolutely beautiful and her characters are phenomenally developed, but I’ve always had a hard time connecting to the story and staying engaged enough to finish a novel by her. I do not feel the same way about this book. Light Up the Dark was an outstanding story and I loved every single page.
By page two, of course, my heart was crushed. Fleet has a way of doing that. I connected with Nicky immediately. He was this beautiful, kind, passionate person who’d been dealt one too many bad hands and had all but given up.
He had nothing left to sell but his body. Onstage or off.
Nicky was broken into pieces even before he went through the single most terrifying event in his life and had to fight for every breath. He became this withdrawn and silent shell of a person. Thorn Hall, despite all of its windows and poorly secured entrances, had become his prison.
Cai had his own fair share of confidence issues. There were several times in the book where Nicky observed Cai and described him as being confident, but I don’t think that’s entirely true.
The advert had wanted the grounds cleared quickly. By a professional. Not a professional waste of space.
Cai had come straight from a Youth Offenders Institute, what I’m assuming is similar to a Juvenile Detention center. He was making every effort to stay out of trouble and was very wary of his new, mysterious employer, but also desperate to make some money and keep him and his sister, Soph, off of the streets. He knew that his job at Thorn Hall was all that was standing between Soph and the streets. Despite his attempts to talk to Nicky or at least help him out in any way he could (even beyond his gardening gig), Nicky kept his distance. Their interactions were… strained, at first.
It was as if he were part of a weird game of hide and seek—except he’d been found before he even knew he was part of the game, and who he was seeking was someone he’d never seen, and whose existence was only apparent because of these bizarre notes.
It took Nicky a long time to come around to Cai. He was like a frightened, stray cat afraid of his own shadow. Cai was something unknown. Nicky had lived in that house by himself for quite some time, and he had been there with only one person to interact with for a while before that. Nicky had lost his ability to communicate and interact with other people.
It was as though no one had ever done anything nice for Nicky before and he was trying hard to work out how to behave.
It took them a lot of time and a lot of obstacle dodging to get there, but eventually Nicky started opening up to Cai. They had a familiar routine going for a while and they could lean on each other and depend on each other when they had nowhere else to go.
”Nah. You never hated me. And that day you stood in the garden, shielding me from the sun. That’s when I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That you were made entirely of marshmallow. You just had an extra crispy shell I had to break through.”
Once Cai got through to Nicky and got him to open up, these two were absolutely beautiful together. Cai was the strength and confidence Nicky needed and Nicky was the grace and beauty that Cai needed.
And can we please just give a round of applause for freaking fantastically written support characters? Soph, Cai’s sister, and her love-interest Loz, were absolutely fantastic both together and as standalone characters.
I really loved that this book switched POV so much. Not only did we get to see Nicky and Cai’s POV, but Soph and Loz had their chapters as well. Not very many books give you an outside POV on the MC’s and it’s extremely difficult to write effectively, but Fleet pulled it off. I loved the characters in this book!
Plot wise, Fleet’s books aren’t always realistic. There are almost times when I’m pushed out of the story while I’m reading because it’s a little too much of a stretch, but I didn’t find that happening so much with this book. There were a few moments that had me squinting at my kindle, but for the most part, Light Up the Dark stayed pretty realistic, which I absolutely loved!
This is a pretty dark book, though. The real connection between the MC’s doesn’t come until close to the end of the book and there are a lot of both mental and physical hurdles they have to get over to get there. There were a few things that hit me in the face plot-wise and more than one book’s fair share of heart-wrenchingly sad moments, but I would still definitely recommend this book. The payout was so worth it!
I loved this novel. I loved Nicky and I loved Cai. Light Up the Dark changed my opinion on Suki Fleet as an author ten-fold. Whether you’re already a Suki Fleet fan or you’re on the fence about picking up another book after a DNF or low-star read from her, I would strongly recommend picking this book up. It was by far my favorite Fleet read and an amazing 5+ star novel.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
November 22, 2017
4.5 Stars
Woah!!! Suki is a new to me author that grabbed my attention at page one and kept me thoroughly entertained until the last page.
Light Up The Dark is a dark, haunting tale of romance and mystery that bordered on the edge of horror. It had me holding my breath and reaching for my blanket on more than occasion. While the story explores some dark and complex themes, it is tempered with gorgeous writing and a beautiful romance.
Those who know me, know I adore authors that color outside of the lines and this author certainly delivered a well written and unique story with just the right amouth of romance, mystery and thrills. And the cast of characters were as unique and diverse as the story itself.
While I can't call this perfect. I was so intriqued enough, I immediately went clicking through Suki's backlist!
Woah!!! Suki is a new to me author that grabbed my attention at page one and kept me thoroughly entertained until the last page.
Light Up The Dark is a dark, haunting tale of romance and mystery that bordered on the edge of horror. It had me holding my breath and reaching for my blanket on more than occasion. While the story explores some dark and complex themes, it is tempered with gorgeous writing and a beautiful romance.
Those who know me, know I adore authors that color outside of the lines and this author certainly delivered a well written and unique story with just the right amouth of romance, mystery and thrills. And the cast of characters were as unique and diverse as the story itself.
While I can't call this perfect. I was so intriqued enough, I immediately went clicking through Suki's backlist!
May 13, 2021
Even on a reread, this deliciously suspenseful, dark, creepy, atmospheric mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and with my heart in my throat. I reveled in the palpable tension created by the menacing, sinister, oppressiveness of Thorn Hall in general and the cellar in particular.
Even in the midst of such a chilling story, this is signature Suki Fleet combining dark with light and creating gentle, compelling, soulful characters who captured my heart.
4.35 spooky stars
Note to self: Even though I’ve read it twice, this one is still worth reading again 😘
Even in the midst of such a chilling story, this is signature Suki Fleet combining dark with light and creating gentle, compelling, soulful characters who captured my heart.
4.35 spooky stars
Note to self: Even though I’ve read it twice, this one is still worth reading again 😘
March 11, 2019
I find this is totally different to what Suki Fleet writes but it was beautiful, like all of Suki's books. From the characters to the writing style, it was simply beautiful and I could only put it down for a few hours, enough to get some study done and then I was picking this up again. The descriptions of Thorn Hall and its sorroundings were so perfect that I could picture the scene and I have to admit I was a little bit scared. It was also really nice to read about a character who was non-binary and the use of gender neutral pronouns, it was the first time I read that.
Suki Fleet is definitely one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read more from them.
PS: That cover? Gorgeous. I need it on my bookshelf.
Want to read
December 14, 2016If the writer says 'Nicky is up there with Danny' - Foxes - that is a huge call and I have to read it.
September 5, 2017
SO I finished this book and I am not sure really what the story was.
I got the love story between the 2 MCs but I didn't get the mystery, I am not sure of the point of it. The story seemed endless. I think it could have been a good concept but wasn't particularly well executed.
A couple of times I thought, really, how did that happen.
Shame because the premise was good.
I got the love story between the 2 MCs but I didn't get the mystery, I am not sure of the point of it. The story seemed endless. I think it could have been a good concept but wasn't particularly well executed.
A couple of times I thought, really, how did that happen.
Shame because the premise was good.
January 9, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
I have read just about everything Suki Fleet has published and at this point all it takes is a glance at her name to have me opening her newest offering. Light up the Dark has a little different style from what I have come to expect from this author as the mystery here takes central focus. Fleet’s writing always draws me in and I find myself embracing her prose as I read.
Nicky is one of the most reluctant heroes I have had the pleasure of encountering as his character is so hidden away and so scared of everything. While he has good reason, it was almost like he wished Fleet would have created any other character but himself as even the act of existing on the page was a monumental effort. But Nicky, with his androgynous looks and his long red braid, was a fragile character truly in need of saving.
That’s not to say that Nicky is magically saved at all. The book starts with Nicky’s attack, but then focuses on what is truly going on with him and the house he is currently residing in. Cai comes into his world, along with a niece and a friend (whose story line didn’t completely work for me or even feel finished at the end), and for the first time in a long time, Nicky feels that he might just be able to exist for a little longer. The mystery is strong in the book and although there are dark themes, it’s not graphic, but the tension remains pulled tight. I’ve said before that I genuinely get Fleet’s writing, so perhaps it was because of this that the broader aspects were never a mystery to me. I caught on right away what was going on and then just rode it out while the characters figured it all out, which did make the book feel slow in some places. But, the finer points of the story could have used a little more tuning and explanation for me as not all of the details pulled together in the end.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
I have read just about everything Suki Fleet has published and at this point all it takes is a glance at her name to have me opening her newest offering. Light up the Dark has a little different style from what I have come to expect from this author as the mystery here takes central focus. Fleet’s writing always draws me in and I find myself embracing her prose as I read.
Nicky is one of the most reluctant heroes I have had the pleasure of encountering as his character is so hidden away and so scared of everything. While he has good reason, it was almost like he wished Fleet would have created any other character but himself as even the act of existing on the page was a monumental effort. But Nicky, with his androgynous looks and his long red braid, was a fragile character truly in need of saving.
That’s not to say that Nicky is magically saved at all. The book starts with Nicky’s attack, but then focuses on what is truly going on with him and the house he is currently residing in. Cai comes into his world, along with a niece and a friend (whose story line didn’t completely work for me or even feel finished at the end), and for the first time in a long time, Nicky feels that he might just be able to exist for a little longer. The mystery is strong in the book and although there are dark themes, it’s not graphic, but the tension remains pulled tight. I’ve said before that I genuinely get Fleet’s writing, so perhaps it was because of this that the broader aspects were never a mystery to me. I caught on right away what was going on and then just rode it out while the characters figured it all out, which did make the book feel slow in some places. But, the finer points of the story could have used a little more tuning and explanation for me as not all of the details pulled together in the end.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
January 14, 2017
Not my favorite Suki Fleet. I think it's one that would be better after a reread. There is a lot going on outside of the romantic relationship of the two MC's that is really the main focus of the story. If your reading the story for the romantic aspect like I was then it might be hard to shift your primary focus to solving the mystery of what is going on in the house.
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