James Spencer is hardly the typical troubled youth who ends up at Whisperwood School for Boys. Instead of hating the strict schedules and tight oversight by staff, James blossoms, quickly making friends, indulging in his love of writing, and contemplating the merits of sneaking love poems to the elusive and aloof William Esher.The rumours about William’s sexuality and opium reliance are prime … reliance are prime gossip material amongst the third years…rumours that only further pique James’ curiosity to uncover what William is really like beneath all that emotional armor. And, when the normally collected William stumbles in one night, shaken and ranting of ghosts, James is the only one who believes him.
James himself has heard the nails dragging down his bedroom door and the sobs echoing in the halls at night. He knows others have, too, even if no one will admit it. The staff refuses to entertain such ridiculous tales, and punishment awaits anyone who brings it up.
Their fervent denial and the disappearance of students only furthers James’ determination to find out what secrets Whisperwood is hiding…especially if it prevents William and himself from becoming the next victims.
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A Light Amongst Shadows was such a refreshing read. It’s both historical and paranormal, so that alone sets it apart from many books in the genre.
The primary mc, James, has a very strong voice, and he’s so determined to find out what’s happened to his missing roommate at his boarding school and stand up to corrupt authority that you can’t help but love him. His love interest, William, is so clever and fragile that he easily pulls on your heartstrings.
Both characters have their own demons to face. James is sent to the boarding school by his family, and he doesn’t really know where he stands with them. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there’s definitely a story to this. And William is hooked on laudanum, something his mother gave him as a child to help him cope with anxiety.
The book is first and foremost a paranormal mystery. That’s what drives the plot. But at the same time, you very much feel the romance between James and Williams. It’s a historical period, so they can’t openly be in a relationship, but they don’t let the law stop them from finding love, even if it involves some sneaking around.
There’s a follow up book to this, A hymn in the darkness, and I love it even more. In that story, William is the mc and it’s interesting to get a more intimate look into his head and heart.
This has become one of my favorite series. First-rate storytelling, wonderful characters I love and want to hug (or punch in the face, depending on the character), creepy atmosphere…
But what needs mentioning most is Whisperwood. In the best tradition of gothic literature, the creepy house (or in this case, school) is a character of its own, breathing, living, and interacting with the characters as they move through its walls.
This book is the smashing beginning to the historical paranormal “Dark is the Night” series. Great characters, moving conflict. Scary AF, because I listened to the audiobook in the middle of the night. (BTW, Kale Williams thrills in the narration.) This highly romantic historical about a mysterious disappearance at a boys school is tense, dreamy, and satisfying. Loved it.
I love a good ghost story. And a ghost story with a beautiful romance attached? Um, yes please! This book had it all; suspense, classic romance, twists and turns, and a mystery that kept me guessing until the end. A truly remarkable book that deserves a world of attention.
I don’t know why I keep reading books about ghosts because I am TERRIFIED of them, but there you go. And this one was seriously creepy. Like seriously. I couldn’t read it at night.
And it was sad. I cried buckets for Oscar. But I loved the end and how everyone came together, and James and William are just adorable. James has a unique way of viewing the world that makes him immensely likeable (even when he’s being a brat) and gives a lens of sunshine through which the story is told, which prevented this novel from going into dark, maudlin places. Because even though it is dark and maudlin at times, and both James and William have difficult pasts, through James’s eyes we’re ultimately told a story about hope and friendship.
Such a unique and completely captivating tale that I absolutely adored!
It’s creepy and scary, but hopeful and sweetly romantic. I was so hooked on this story I didn’t want to put it down- I needed to find out the secrets and what was coming next. But then I’d find myself setting it aside, because as much as I wanted to know what was coming, I didn’t want it to end. James and William, and the mystery that was Whisperwood, had me under their spell.
The world building and the character development in this story were outstanding. James and William totally stole my heart and I wanted to be right there beside them as everything unraveled and came to a head. They are so different but so in sync and so caring with each other, I loved them!
The secondary characters added a lot to this story and really helped bring it to life.
The mystery and secrecy surrounding Whisperwood was so intriguing and made for such an interesting read. It’s eerie and disturbing, and there’s this overlying feeling of always being watched. It’s heartbreaking at times, but like the title suggest, there is a light amongst the shadows.
I really loved this book, it’s so different from anything I’ve read before.
And I’m so happy that it looks like we’ll be getting more stories with James and William- I don’t want their story to be over.
This was a really nice book with plenty of page-turning action, a sweet romance, and a satisfying ending that tied up the loose ends while leaving space for possible sequels. Although some of the content is controversial this was well handled without too much grisly detail. My only niggle was a few Americanisms which jerked me out of the story but that wasn’t enough to spoil the ‘ride’. I hope to read more from this series in future.
This was such a pleasant surprise read for me. I adored both the guys in this, and the ghosty happenings were just spooky enough.
Engaging young men with complex issues being dealt with in a very restrictive time. Male rape, homosexuality, child beating and abuse – add on ghosts. An interesting read!
Amazing!!
This is at once a super sweet story of young love, and at the same time a very gripping ghost story! Full of mystery and hidden pain, with an unknown danger seeming to lurk around every suitably dark corner of the haunted, forbidding school where our young protagonists find themselves.
The setting of the book is left a little vague, an English boarding school, presumably somewhere in the 19th century and clues are strewn about with care and a joy for to reader to pick up on: carriages abound, there’s talk of laudanum and opium dens, corsets for men that have luckily gone out of fashion, snippets of “contemporary” poetry by Elizabeth Barret-Browning, mentions of Harrow and Eton…
James and William are both wonderful characters, but James especially is my favourite. He is so dogged in his pursuit of William, so optimistic and unapologetically himself, even after everything he’s gone through. I loved the back and forth between the two boys, even more so when they use poetry to flirt with each other. Brilliantly done! A true joy to read!
I loved that the authors stayed true to the spirit of the times. Prejudices and lack of knowledge/understanding regarding certain issues abound, making life and love for these boys so much harder. The characters don’t take on “surprisingly modern” attitudes as a quick fix.
I can’t explain better than that without giving away too much.
The language they use, the words they don’t speak… it all adds to the atmosphere.
There is a constant tension running throughout the book and the reader can never be at ease… We are left to wonder what is happening, the same as James and William. Is there really something that goes bump into the night? Who can they trust? Who is the villain in this story?
The secondary characters are (mostly) wonderful and they’re very well-rounded and interesting in their own right. I can’t wait to return to this world and see what else might lie in store.
I loved this book! Can’t say enough good things about it!