Stay In The Light By A.M. Shine

Stay in the Light by A.M. Shine, a book review by Jim McLeod

A.M. Shine first exploded onto my radar with his second novel of sheer Irish-based terror, The Creeper. I was so impressed by the story’s originality and the bone-chilling imagery that I had to check out his debut novel, The Watchers, which has recently been turned into a Hollywood movie.

The Watchers is a disturbing and claustrophobic horror novel that uses Irish myth and folklore as the basis for the narrative.

It is a highly effective debut novel that perfectly showcases the talents of an excellent and gifted writer. I was over the moon when I discovered there would be a sequel and possibly a third entry (more about that later) in this series of books.

Stay in the Light by A.M. is a direct sequel to The Watchers; fresh from escaping the mysterious “cabin” in the woods and her terrifying ordeal with the mysterious Watchers, Mina finds her life in ruins.

Physically, mentally, and emotionally battered and bruised by the events in the first novel, Mina retreats to a secluded cottage on the west coast of Ireland. However, any sense of relief and hope that she has found by becoming all but a hermit is short-lived as she once again encounters the dark and sinister forces that haunted her past. Where she always follows the rules, I mean, who wouldn’t? We all know that rules are the most important when dealing with Celtic creatures. Mina once again finds herself in a battle for her life as The Watchers come crashing back into her fragile, peaceful world.

Stay in the Light fundamentally differs from The Watchers’s narrative style. Shifting from being a claustrophobic horror thriller to a more psychological horror was a clever move by Shine. I’m not a huge fan of sequels, and I firmly believe that most horror franchises never need more than two sequels. And more importantly, they should never be a rehash of what came before. They should build and expand on the previous instalments. So, by shifting the narrative tone from a claustrophobic siege mentality horror novel to a more introspective psychological horror, the novel’s first act was a much-welcomed change of pace.

Shine persuasively uses the first act to deliver a heartbreaking look at Mina’s descent into near madness.

Did the events of The Watchers really happen, or was it all a figment of Mina’s warped psyche? Of course, we, the readers, know all too well what the truth is. However, seeing a novel tackle the events and fallout of someone being caught up in a horror story was refreshing. It is something you rarely see in a horror story—witnessing the consequences of a character and their struggles to cope with life after such traumatic events was a welcome addition to the narrative.

With the arrival of Sean, a mysterious archaeologist with an unhealthy obsession with the Watchers, the narrative style takes a quantum shift in style. Shifting to a more standard horror novel style. The dual narrative threads of Mina and Sean’s stories merge seamlessly to provide an utterly gripping tale. Yes, Sean’s story sometimes needs a slight info dump problem. Still, overall, you can overlook this as the revelations offered here are brillaint and add a believable sense of mythology to the story. I hope you paid attention to The Watchers, as Sean is the son of one of the key characters in the previous novel.

One of Stay in the Light’s many strengths is Shine’s handling of the Watchers.

It would have been easy to portray them as purely evil creatures, but Shine takes a different approach. He delves into the old stories of Celtic lore and presents the Watchers as ambiguous in their motivations and desires. This ambiguity adds a layer of intrigue and curiosity to the story, making it even more compelling.

Stay in the Light is a testament to Shine’s growth as a writer. His writing style has evolved with each of his three novels, and it’s particularly evident in this book. His ability to build tension through vivid descriptions has reached a masterful level. Filled with the same ‘Oh my God’ moments that made The Creeper such a compelling horror novel. You’ll need to put the book down so you can caress your jaw after yet another jaw-dropping passage.

Stay in the Light by A.M. Shine is a gripping and masterfully written sequel that delves deeper into the world of Celtic lore, delivering a magnificently terrifying reading experience.

From critically acclaimed Irish horror writer A.M. Shine, the sequel to The Watchers, now adapted into a major motion picture produced by M. Night Shyamalan.

YOU MAY HAVE ESCAPED… BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE FREE.

After her terrifying experience at the hands of the Watchers, Mina has escaped to a cottage on the west coast of Ireland. She obsessively researches her former captors, desperate to find any way to prolong the safety of humankind.

When Mina encounters a stranger near her home, she fears the worst – for she knows the figure is not what it seems. Soon, people she has encountered start to disappear.

Mina knows the Watchers’ power is growing. She flees for her life, but when she reports her fears she finds her sanity questioned. Can she convince people that the Watchers are real, and ready to strike – or will she suffer the fate she has dreaded since she first encountered those malevolent beings?

A chilling modern twist on the Gothic horror novel, perfect for fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, T. Kingfisher and classic horror.

Purchase a copy here