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Amelia Temple #1
Beneath Strange Lights
Amelia Temple always knew she was different. Other. But that never stopped her from wanting more—especially her freedom.
The Bureau of Extranormal Investigations, the shadowy government agency that has controlled her since birth, is finally allowing Amelia a pass to explore the small surrounding town where she is housed. It’s 1954, and she quickly makes friends and begins to learn the rules of this strange society. Apparently, race matters. And girls aren’t supposed to date girls. Yet the government looks the other way when it comes to locking kids up from birth and performing experiments on them because they have extra powers—kids like Amelia.
Amelia and her new friends soon discover a conspiracy of so-called scientists running a bizarre experiment that threatens to unleash something terrible on her adopted hometown. As they begin to investigate, it becomes clear they must somehow stop the experiment before people die. But to do so, Amelia is forced to rely on what makes her different and decide just how human she wants to be.
The Bureau of Extranormal Investigations, the shadowy government agency that has controlled her since birth, is finally allowing Amelia a pass to explore the small surrounding town where she is housed. It’s 1954, and she quickly makes friends and begins to learn the rules of this strange society. Apparently, race matters. And girls aren’t supposed to date girls. Yet the government looks the other way when it comes to locking kids up from birth and performing experiments on them because they have extra powers—kids like Amelia.
Amelia and her new friends soon discover a conspiracy of so-called scientists running a bizarre experiment that threatens to unleash something terrible on her adopted hometown. As they begin to investigate, it becomes clear they must somehow stop the experiment before people die. But to do so, Amelia is forced to rely on what makes her different and decide just how human she wants to be.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2023
7 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Valentine
2 books14 followersVivian Valentine is a rad trans lady who loves monsters. When she was a child, she found the Crestwood House Monster Series at her local library and it’s all been downhill from there. Now everything she likes is horrible. When not writing, Vivi enjoys card and board games and plotting out more tabletop RPG campaigns than she will ever have time to run. Vivi lives in Virginia Beach with her amazing wife Frankie and their son, as well as an ever-growing collection of action figures.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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March 20, 2024A very entertaining urban fantasy that should be hoovered up by fans of Jordan L Hawk. 1950s US, with a sinister government organisation dealing with otherworldly (tentacular) incursions, a mysterious young lady with unknown powers being held semi captive, a Sinister Secret Occult Organisation, and all the trimmings. Our Nancy Drew team, battling 1950s America as well as the SSOO and the tentacles, ismade up of a young Black woman, a white lesbian, and a part-Lovecraftian-horror trans girl, which is what I call diversity.
Very good fun, enthusiastically paced and with a highly engaging narrative voice. A bit scruffy round the edges at points but fair enough for a first book; I hope there will be more.
Very good fun, enthusiastically paced and with a highly engaging narrative voice. A bit scruffy round the edges at points but fair enough for a first book; I hope there will be more.
June 12, 2023
Someone described this book as Nancy Drew meets Stranger Things, so I bought a copy. Their description was spot on. Definitely a fun read. Looking forward to reading the second one when it comes out later this year.
October 20, 2024
Three and a half stars.
If you toss Nancy Drew and a watered-down version of Lovecraft into a 1950s Osterizer Super Deluxe, you get Beneath Strange Lights. Vivian Valentine delivers an interesting blend of historical (science) fiction, mystery, and cosmic horror, all set against a vivid mid-century backdrop.
Amelia Temple, our main character, is a great mix of alien charm and relatable human vulnerability. Valentine does a solid job crafting a protagonist who's intriguing, navigating a world just as mysterious to her as she is to it. Amelia’s rebellion against the Bureau of Extranormal Investigations and her journey of self-discovery really drive the story and keep it engaging.
The world-building is well done, striking the right balance between detail and atmosphere without getting bogged down in the weeds. Valentine captures the feel of the '50s while smoothly weaving in supernatural elements. However, the secondary characters don’t have the same depth—while they move the plot forward, they feel more like props than fully realized people.
As for the romance? It felt...superfluous, like an afterthought. The insta-love angle didn’t quite land and took away from what could have been a more focused exploration of Amelia’s other relationships.
The pacing is solid—keeps you on your toes without rushing. Valentine knows how to keep the suspense going, though at times, I found myself wanting a bit more of a slow burn when it came to uncovering the mysteries.
I enjoyed how real-world issues are woven into the plot. Themes like freedom, identity, and the ethics of control are all in there, giving the story some extra depth without being heavy-handed. It’s thought-provoking, but never preachy.
In the end, Beneath Strange Lights is a fun, creative read that stumbles a bit with its secondary characters and romance but more than makes up for it with its unique genre-blending and intriguing themes. It’s worth a read for fans of mystery with a dash of cosmic weirdness, though hardcore Lovecraft fans might be left wanting more tentacles and terror.
If you toss Nancy Drew and a watered-down version of Lovecraft into a 1950s Osterizer Super Deluxe, you get Beneath Strange Lights. Vivian Valentine delivers an interesting blend of historical (science) fiction, mystery, and cosmic horror, all set against a vivid mid-century backdrop.
Amelia Temple, our main character, is a great mix of alien charm and relatable human vulnerability. Valentine does a solid job crafting a protagonist who's intriguing, navigating a world just as mysterious to her as she is to it. Amelia’s rebellion against the Bureau of Extranormal Investigations and her journey of self-discovery really drive the story and keep it engaging.
The world-building is well done, striking the right balance between detail and atmosphere without getting bogged down in the weeds. Valentine captures the feel of the '50s while smoothly weaving in supernatural elements. However, the secondary characters don’t have the same depth—while they move the plot forward, they feel more like props than fully realized people.
As for the romance? It felt...superfluous, like an afterthought. The insta-love angle didn’t quite land and took away from what could have been a more focused exploration of Amelia’s other relationships.
The pacing is solid—keeps you on your toes without rushing. Valentine knows how to keep the suspense going, though at times, I found myself wanting a bit more of a slow burn when it came to uncovering the mysteries.
I enjoyed how real-world issues are woven into the plot. Themes like freedom, identity, and the ethics of control are all in there, giving the story some extra depth without being heavy-handed. It’s thought-provoking, but never preachy.
In the end, Beneath Strange Lights is a fun, creative read that stumbles a bit with its secondary characters and romance but more than makes up for it with its unique genre-blending and intriguing themes. It’s worth a read for fans of mystery with a dash of cosmic weirdness, though hardcore Lovecraft fans might be left wanting more tentacles and terror.
December 29, 2024
Preface: I purchased the solo editing work of Vivian Valentine and was kindly warned in advance that the later publishing went through an editor and modifications. I don't honestly know how drastic the changes affect the story, but I want to add this disclaimer just in case.
That said, I'm not big on sci-fi normally, but I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment of Amelia Temple's story. There are aspects of her life that we are left in the dark over, but it makes sense because she is also unclear on some details as well. She is an extremely loveable character who you will find yourself connecting with in a way that makes you feel defensive of her (even though she is strong on her own and really doesn't need anyone's help), compassionate toward her struggles, great and small, and elated for her victories, both personally and in her tight-knit group of companions. Her intelligence is only one facet of what makes her a well-developed character, but it's also empowering and one of the many things that makes her so easy to admire. You can feel the author's love put into her as the story progresses, and that is something I know I personally don't see as vividly in other works. Sci-Fi or not, I am definitely invested enough to keep an eye out for what's coming next in Amelia's story!
That said, I'm not big on sci-fi normally, but I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment of Amelia Temple's story. There are aspects of her life that we are left in the dark over, but it makes sense because she is also unclear on some details as well. She is an extremely loveable character who you will find yourself connecting with in a way that makes you feel defensive of her (even though she is strong on her own and really doesn't need anyone's help), compassionate toward her struggles, great and small, and elated for her victories, both personally and in her tight-knit group of companions. Her intelligence is only one facet of what makes her a well-developed character, but it's also empowering and one of the many things that makes her so easy to admire. You can feel the author's love put into her as the story progresses, and that is something I know I personally don't see as vividly in other works. Sci-Fi or not, I am definitely invested enough to keep an eye out for what's coming next in Amelia's story!
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April 25, 2024A fun page-turnery mystery with a trans female alien as the MC, who has been raised by the Bureau of Extranormal Investigations, and now (1950s era) subsists on their poor caretaking, having meager meals meted out and being given very little love or social interaction.
The setup may be my favorite thing about this book, as our MC is coming into her blossoming powers and understanding of her identity. As an alien—or whatever she is (we don't quite know)—she's treated with fear, disdain, distrust, you name it. As a trans person, she's treated with fear, disdain... You get the idea. It works great.
Beyond that, it's a basic YA mystery with your standard mix of sweet allies, bad guys, and some misled players who get caught in the machinations of evil doers. While it's fantasy, it was really hard to get behind the fact that at least two of the teenagers were smart enough to understand parallel universes and dimensions beyond the given three, and that one of them was actually called upon by the evildoers to do their evil doing—and without any explanation why. Not even that they were science prodigies.
Still quite enjoyable and I may get around to reading the second in the series.
The setup may be my favorite thing about this book, as our MC is coming into her blossoming powers and understanding of her identity. As an alien—or whatever she is (we don't quite know)—she's treated with fear, disdain, distrust, you name it. As a trans person, she's treated with fear, disdain... You get the idea. It works great.
Beyond that, it's a basic YA mystery with your standard mix of sweet allies, bad guys, and some misled players who get caught in the machinations of evil doers. While it's fantasy, it was really hard to get behind the fact that at least two of the teenagers were smart enough to understand parallel universes and dimensions beyond the given three, and that one of them was actually called upon by the evildoers to do their evil doing—and without any explanation why. Not even that they were science prodigies.
Still quite enjoyable and I may get around to reading the second in the series.
April 1, 2024
Do you enjoy stories in any of these genres?
Eldritch horrors from dimensions man was not meant to explore
Young women being smarter, braver and more resourceful than men give them credit
Outsiders finding their people
Love stories, especially gay and transgender people finding love
Orphans learning who they really are
Time travel
This book has all these and more. It's an intriguing read as we learn more about Amelia and her full nature. Writing the scene where Amelia meets herself must have been tricky, but it makes the point beautifully that she is the same person and she knows that. That's a confusing sentence, I know. Read the book. All will become clear.
I'm looking forward to more adventures with Amelia, Luci and Gloria.
Eldritch horrors from dimensions man was not meant to explore
Young women being smarter, braver and more resourceful than men give them credit
Outsiders finding their people
Love stories, especially gay and transgender people finding love
Orphans learning who they really are
Time travel
This book has all these and more. It's an intriguing read as we learn more about Amelia and her full nature. Writing the scene where Amelia meets herself must have been tricky, but it makes the point beautifully that she is the same person and she knows that. That's a confusing sentence, I know. Read the book. All will become clear.
I'm looking forward to more adventures with Amelia, Luci and Gloria.
January 1, 2025
Nancy Drew was never this wild. Beneath Strange Lights is told from the perspective of Amelia Temple, who is under the watch of an organization which portrays itself as governmental and which tries to contain strange happenings. When some locals start messing around with mysteries beyond them, Amelia gets permission to investigate with her girlfriend Luci and her friend, Gloria. This first book is a great intro to the series.
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September 26, 2025Easy read and great concept. Queer and eldritch, with shades of Nancy Drew and Stranger Things. I'm a bit so-so on the romance (mostly because it was so fast), and I was less engaged in the middle of the book—but it definitely grabbed my attention again in the last 1/3. Curious to read the next one.
January 16, 2024
I was absolutely HOOKED throughout this entire book! Vivian creates a wonderful world with complex characters, an absolutely wonderful plot line and beautiful visuals that ignite the imagination. I cannot wait for the second book!!!
April 22, 2024
This book is like Nancy Drew meets the X-files. Set in the 1950s, the story follow Amelia Temple and her journey of discovering who she is and and what her powers can do. A story of found family and secret societies, we follow Amelia as she discovers what might lie beyond our own dimension.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars. This was fun and I'm looking forward to Book 2. I was hoping for more detail about past events in Amelia's life but I'm assuming those will be revealed in future installments. I thought all the side characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed the cult mystery.
October 27, 2023
Really fun read. Looking forward to book two!!
July 1, 2024
This was super fun!
March 29, 2025
Super fun! I'm glad book two is out already so I can jump back into this world soon
December 7, 2024
A trans alien romance/mystery set in the 50s that feels strangely wholesome.
March 5, 2025
this was quite good! i really like the way that Amelia's powers are introduced and work. some parts which she is very experienced with, some parts she's just starting to explore of her own will, and some parts she's only just realized she can do. There's an underlying bizarre logic to them that's very fun. this book also somehow avoided most of my "i hate it here" triggers for YA-ish work, like a cat burglar slipping through a laser grid. like it definitely should have set me off and fallen into the "Calvin is an evil snob that hates YA" pile, but it does not. I'll probably read the sequel eventually
February 18, 2024
An engaging read in the "make Lovecraft toss in his grave" subgenre of cosmic horror historical with a loveable heroine. The romance is quite insta-love, and the secondary characters lack depth, apart maybe from Agent Walsh, but it was fun and and queer, timey-wimey and suitingly eldritch.
August 8, 2025
I liked this pretty well. It's fairly short, the writing is direct and engaging, the mysteries are compelling. I think the most interesting part is finding out about Amelia herself. The story is narrated in her voice, but she only reveals herself gradually, and there are many parts of her nature that she herself is unaware of. I liked the other characters too, but it felt like their relationships developed too quickly. It seemed like they'd barely exchanged a dozen sentences before they were best friends for life. That part was still sweet though.
July 20, 2023
Please do yourself a favor and meet Amelia Temple, you won't regret it.
February 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this read. It felt like the start of a journey with the character so I really hope we get more!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews