A Light Amongst Shadows

Written by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

Narrated by Kale Williams

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 rumors about William's sexuality and opium reliance are prime gossip material amongst the third years . . . rumors 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781541406940

Kelley York

Kelley is a central California girl through and through. She resides in Sacramento with her wife, daughter, a German Shepherd, a handful of cats and rats. In addition to writing, she has her A.S. in Anthropology, and is a graphic designer with a specialty in book cover design. She spends her spare time playing video games and tabletop games like the nerd she is. Her specialty is LGBT+ fiction, usually with a dark twist.

Reviews for A Light Amongst Shadows

[Dawn Bradley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm rounding this up from 3.5. This one starts off slow and took me a bit to get into it. I had to put it down for a bit. Once I came back to it, I eventually started to get pulled into the mystery. I am glad that I read it. The audiobook added more to the story with great narration from Kale Williams.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion.

[brittaniethekid · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the perfect October read! It was actually quite suspenseful and hair-raising which is something I don't find near as much as I expect I should in the horror/paranormal genre. That on top of a charming romance and even more charming lead character, it's a recommended read.

This is told from the POV of James who is shipped off by his parents to an all-boys religious finishing school after he suffers from abuse from his uncle that his parents refuse to believe and, in retaliation or a sort-of mental break, he sets fire to his family home with all inside. The school is one for "wayward boys" as they used to say so they're stricter than what might be considered normal with curfews and punishments. However, when James' roommate and now-best friend starts to act strangely and coming back from the headmaster's office with more injuries from "punishment" than is decent, then suddenly disappears altogether, James feels it's his duty to get to the bottom of it, with no help from the rule-following (out of fear) peers and staff.

The ghosts here are very vividly described with a well thought-out plot and, while the climax gets maybe a bit over-the-top, it's a very scary but fun read with equal parts romance, drama, and thrills.

[charlotte_kinzie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was wonderful. The authors took on quite a challenge! Not only is it a period piece...but it covers a lot of difficult issues. But it's done with finesse and sensitivity. I loved the two main characters and while I was happy with their blossoming relationship, I was also a bit heartbroken by the circumstances in their lives! A beautiful story!