A. M. Manay, author of intelligent paranormal fantasy, just released She Lights Up the Dark, the follow-up to her smash hit, She Dies at the End.

I was fortunate enough to snag an ARC and I absolutely loved it!  Here’s my review.

I loved this book!  I have to say that from the beginning.  I’m not generally a reader of vampires and werewolves, but this book sucked me in from the opening sentence: “Her gift stalked her, even in the ground.”

November Snow, the clairvoyant ‘she’ of She Dies at the End, Book 1 of the November Snow series, was saved at the last minute by vampire Ilyn, who changed her.  But now that she’s clawed her way out of the grave, she’s been rendered invisible to those closest to her by the evil Luka.  She’s on her own to figure out this new immortal life.  And she has to try to stop Luka and his plans for destruction.

In this book, supernatural creatures live mostly unnoticed among humans.  The battle of good versus evil is intense, and ordinary people have no idea that imminent disaster is upon them unless someone acts quickly and decisively.

Author A. M. Manay has woven an imaginative, captivating tale that is fast-paced, thrilling, and at times heart-breaking.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.  She Lights Up the Dark is highly recommended.

I suppose I had certain expectations about reading a vampire/werewolf paranormal fantasy, but A.M. Manay weaves such rich characters that you feel what it’s like to be them, to be in their skin.

This is a letter written from the perspective of fairy warrior Pine to Matt, his late husband.  Pine is one of the primary characters in A.M. Manay’s November Snow Series.  The letter provides hints about the plot of the second book in the paranormal tale, She Lights Up the Dark, which was released yesterday, April 19, 2016.  To learn more about the characters mentioned here, you can also read the first book in the series, She Dies at the End, or the short story collection She Sees in Her Sleep.

 

Dear Matt,

It’s funny.  I thought I’d be sad spending this much time in your RV.  I’ve barely set foot in it since you died, but I couldn’t make myself get rid of it, either.  Just kept maintaining the engine out of habit, but it was too painful to drive it anywhere.  But it’s been nice, actually.  I feel like you would approve of our mission and our makeshift little family.

I think you would approve of Hector, too.  My parents, though, I wonder what they would say if they knew . . .  They were okay with the human husband eventually, but a werewolf boyfriend?  That’ll be hard for them to swallow.  If I ever actually get to first base, that is.  It’s cool.  I’m three hundred years old.  I can wait him out.

And God, has he been through a lot.  He refuses to talk about it around Zinnia.  I think he’s afraid he’ll upset her, but, of course, she can already feel his pain.  But sometimes if he and I go off to do something just the two of us, I can get him to open up a little.  It helps if I talk about my own history, all the wars and the miscarriages with my ex-wife and all.  Willow’s betrayal.  These letters I write to you.  I guess it makes him feel like not such a weirdo for having feelings.

Zinnia and Carlos seem to be doing okay, considering.  He gives her something to focus on, which is good, what with our mission going so poorly, and her missing November so much.  He’s starting to smile some, have fewer nightmares.  It’s going to be a long road, though.

I can’t stop cursing myself for letting Willow get away.  If I had been a little faster with the mace, she wouldn’t still be around causing so much trouble.  I thought she was my friend.  My best friend, other than you.  I try to tell myself that Luka would have just found some other way to screw us all over even if I had taken care of Willow.  But still, it hurts to think of November . . .

It’s my turn at the wheel, so that’s enough for now.  Love you, Matthew.  Always.

 

Author Links for A.M. Manay

She Dies at the End: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0112S00KI

She Sees in Her Sleep: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019EG1NWE

She Lights Up the Dark: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BQGGBMW

Website: www.ammanay.net

Fan email list: November’s News

Facebook: facebook.com/ammanaywrites

Twitter: @ammanay

Instagram: instagram.com/a.m.manay

Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/ammanay