Book Review: The Dying Light

Posted on  27/05/2021 14:29:43

The Dying Light by Rooke, Emily

My rating: 5 dark stars



'Pain like this needs to be held in gentle hands...'



Dark, powerful, gritty and raw, this book here is not for the faint of heart.
It will grab you and drag you along on a journey of grief and despair, in which the light at the end can only be seen after sinking lower than rock bottom.
It gives you the story of a young man, who'll practically go through hell, for the sake of others.
Brought to his knees over and over again, he'll keep on dusting himself up and trying again, through sheer will power and stubborn determination, alongside a little unexpected help.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Carroway thought he had left the nightmares of his childhood behind and finally found a place to call home. With an old woman and little children. Not his family by blood, but family nonetheless. When the little ones are taken by one of Charlie's old enemies, bearing an old grudge, Charlie is determined to do his damnedest to rescue them.

In a desperate attempt to save his family, Charlie finds himself fighting a battle with an enemy more powerful than he could have ever imagined. Secrets and conspiracies, dangerous magic and horrifying experiments conducted by a government he had been raised to trust... Charlie is faced with all this and more. The biggest challenge of all being perhaps that of accepting his own self.

Brought up to believe that witches are traitors to be hunted down, his own inherited, treacherous and brutal legacy may be the hardest thing to come to terms with.

"The power of the Bloodwitch is a double-edged sword. It's not a bad thing to be afraid of it."

Dark, heartbreaking and yet so inspiring and full of hope, this novel is both remarkably touching and unforgettable. It is a dark, raw and gritty tale that deals with very dark themes like child abuse, rape and torture, all skilfully described for maximum impact.
Beautifully fleshed out characters, villains as despicable as it gets, a gripping edge of the seat plot with twists and turns at every corner as well as feelings that leap from the page and powerful messages embedded in between the lines. Emily Rooke delivers on each and every count.

All in all, Bloodwitch is a heartbreaking, raw tale that somehow manages to bring hope and light into a bleak world full of darkness. It is a bit difficult to read at times, due to the intensity of the feeling, but so absolutely worth it!!

I read it in one sitting and absolutely adored it! And I highly recommend it to all dark fantasy fans out there.

Happy reading everyone
and remember,
'only you have the power to heal the pain in your heart. Don't give up.'

Check out this book and more of Emily Rooke over at http://www.emily-rooke.com/