Chasing Darkness (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 2) by Julie Cassar

There are plenty of books written about the fight between good and evil. Pick up any book that involves angels or nephilim and you will likely be reading about a war with humans caught in the middle. Cassar has put a somewhat different spin on it which I truly appreciate. Lucifer is, so far, staying out of things but how much longer will that last?

This book opens where the last one left off. One of the things that stands out for me is the tact and care with which she handles intimate events. Cassar nailed that down with her final Ruby Blue book, Forever Kansas. She is proof you can show intimacy without being explicit. Adult readers will understand what is happening. I have so much respect for an author who understands you don't need to bludgeon readers with sexually explicit scenes. I'm a Cassar fan for life.

Cassar has exceeded herself with this book. The pull to continue reading is so much stronger than I felt from Stealing Light. She honed her craft with her Ruby Blue series. This book proves she is only becoming a stronger writer. And dare I say it - showing all the signs of becoming a bard, those storytellers of olde who captivated their audiences with voice alone.

In all the books I've reviewed, I've only given that title to one author. He had to work hard for it, as does Cassar. As with him, I see the time coming when I must bow down and give her her due - the mantle of Bard. You're not quite there yet, Julie. But I see it coming.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase: buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride." Well, buckle up. It won't be a bumpy ride, but there is no slowing down in this book. I hear authors all the time saying that you can't catch every error. Guess what folks? It's a load of malarky. This book is perfectly edited. Yes, you heard me. Perfectly edited. No mistakes. Easy to do? No. But a proper collaboration between author, beta readers, and an excellent editor prove this can be done. So, many kudos to everyone who made this possible.

Was it an un-put-downable book? Very nearly. I fell asleep reading it. I woke up to find my phone had fallen to the bed and ended up under my shoulder. Um, not a good thing. iPhones are NOT cheap.

For all of the above reasons, I'm very happy to say I'm giving this book 5 stars. Way to go Julie.

Stealing Light (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 1) by Julie Cassar

The title doesn't say anything about what lies between the covers. What we get is a more mature story from the author of the Ruby Blue series. Cassar deftly weaves together a tale of tragedy, guardian angels, a forbidden love, a fallen angel, and the undecided darkness. Quite the cast of characters she's bringing us.

CeeCee has had a rough go of things ever since her parents died in a car accident. Since then, her older brother has raised her. Something happens that enables CeeCee to see more of the world around her than she ever thought was possible. What she now sees has always been there - and now she knows how dangerous some of it can be.

What Cassar has brought that is new to the reader is the Light within each of us. Most of us have heard someone described as "shining bright as a beacon," or having an "inner light" that makes everything seem less dreary or drab, or maybe brightens up someone else's day. CeeCee's Light is brighter than anything the angels have ever seen. That very brightness makes her look oh so tasty to some dangerous folk.

This is her first foray into the New Adult genre and I would have to say it's every bit as compelling as her first series. I wasn't drawn in by anything but her name on the cover. Not the title, the cover art, not the blurb. Her world building is solid. The characters are believable. The ending knocks it out of the park. A truism given in the form of a riddle ultimately makes the book.

There were a few errors, not many, but they made for a little hiccup in reading. I was offered the book free for an honest review. However, knowing that Amazon has a habit of removing reviews that aren't verified purchases, I went ahead and bought the first two books in the series. I'm happy I did. Stealing Light kept me up a bit later than I should have been a couple times. Eh, who needs sleep anyway?

I'm giving this book 4 stars. It wasn't "un-put-downable," but it was close. Pick up your copy at your favorite bookseller.