Light from the Grave

by Sara Dobie Bauer

I’m what nightmares are made of, but I’m not sure who’s more dangerous: him or me.

In the world of witches, Keller Rex is a legendary monster—a dark sorcerer with a gift for suffering. He has long been the protector of the Zayne coven and their ancestral home in Charleston, South Carolina. When the family matriarch, Vivian Zayne, dies under mysterious circumstances, he is tasked with finding the only person who can open her sealed Book of Shadows: the son no one knew she had.

Dylan Quinn has never bothered to figure out why cats follow him everywhere, but it’s been that way for as long as he can remember. After the unexpected passing of his adoptive mother, he had to make a new home for himself in small-town Ohio. Things have been quiet ever since, but lately, there are strange voices in his dreams and a sense of being watched.

When a striking Southern gent appears in town, Dylan welcomes the distraction. Keller is handsome and charming, but Dylan can tell there’s something else, something eerie about him. And he discovers he's right, as Keller goes from being Dylan’s seducer… to his abductor.

Now back in Charleston, Dylan’s newfound family is shocked when it’s discovered his magical affinity is for death itself. Despite his fears, he’ll need to learn to control his terrifying powers in order to open the Zayne Book of Shadows. He also needs to keep his coven safe, and time is running out. The estate's protective wards expire on Halloween, and power-hungry witches from all over are ready to pounce.

While Dylan’s awakening darkness threatens to overwhelm him, Keller finds himself confronted by feelings he thought long dead. Keller will do anything to protect his young necromancer and open Vivian’s Book of Shadows, but the Zaynes are in for a surprise when Dylan resurrects someone he shouldn’t.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Romance, Urban Fantasy, LGBT, Magic, Witches

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2023

About the author

Bestselling romance author.
Green witch.
Feminist. Pro-choice. Anti-censorship.
Timothee Chalamet freak.
Horror movie aficionado.
Vampire mermaid in a past life.

Sara Dobie Bauer somehow survived her party-hard college years at Ohio University to earn a creative writing degree. She lives with her precious Pit Bull in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film.

Reviews

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Dylan pressed his lips against Keller’s, and Keller let it happen.”

chosen quote represents exactly how i felt about this book bow that it's been a few days since finishing it. it was nice but nothing to write home about. i do realise that this is kinda mean to say, but i was kind of expecting some horror sprinkled in and it wasn't really there.

still had fun elements and very nice visuals.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light from the Grave is a great paranormal book! Keller Rex is a dark sorcerer and a legend among witches, He has been the protector of the Zayne coven in Charleston, South Carolina. But the family matriarch, Vivian Zayne is dead and maybe one member of the coven is the one who killed her, when they discover than the only one who can open their Book of Shadow is the son nobody knew she had he is tasked to find him and bring him to the coven.

Dylan Quinn is grieving his adoptive mother and can’t find a way to move on, he is living a quiet life in a small town with his cats, lately he has start to hear voices in his dreams, when a newcomer comes to his town he is grateful for the distraction but there’s something about him that makes him afraid of him and he is right Keller is definitely something else.

Dylan life is about to change, some secrets are going to be more dangerous than he ever thought, he is shock to found out about his new family and his magical affinity. Now he needs to learn to control his powers to help to protect his newfound family and open the Book of Shadows. But it’s not that easy, he can’t control his magic and he is running out of time and to make things worse other witches are ready to steal their book and power.

This was a very interesting and entertaining book, magic, zombie, bad witches and a new family are part of this story, Dylan is trying to not get overwhelmed with his new powers and Keller is confronted with his feelings for Dylan. I enjoy so much watching them develop feelings for each other and get their HEA, I highly recommended this book!

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got mixed feelings and then those feelings are even more mixed.

This is a tough one. On the surface, for me, you'd think this was the perfect book. This is the sort of book I've been searching for and reading my whole life. Witches, covens, familiars and MAGIC are probably my favorite thing. Add to that a Southern setting set at Halloween and you'd think this was a winner. The cherry on top? It's M/M. Well, like I said, you'd think.

If I look at all the components of this book separately then I can say I enjoyed it. Put together? I don't know, something wasn't right and a lot of it just didn't work for me. A lot of the time I was a little bored and at times annoyed. There was a lot of stuff happening that didn't help move the story when the story needed to be moved. There was a lot that was just 'shake your head, come on, really?' and not because of the paranormal. And full disclosure, the author said she wrote this during a huge grieving time for her. Yes. There was no doubt about that. You could definitely feel the grief. It weighed a lot of the story down and was hard to get out from under.

Next up, the romance. I didn't feel it. Like I said though, all my feelings are mixed and then mixed again because while it didn't really work for me, the HEA was sort of sweet. Some of it. I don't have any issue with a romance taking place in the background, especially in a story with so many moving parts, but I just never felt the attraction. Initially, before all the Hocus Pocus, when maybe it was a pick up, hook up, yeah. There was a lot of he's hot, I'm attracted but that was all surface. I think that Keller was getting some protect him/help him sort of feelings but they weren't fleshed out enough. Dylan on the other hand, well, he had so much going on he didn't have a second to be romantic. I get that, I do. It just made it difficult for me to feel the love so to speak.

The conflict was the best part. The wards, the deception, the battle. All that was cool. I loved the manor, one of my most favorite things is to have a cool, spooky home/building as a character. The Zayne's were also really eccentric and the visual of them was great. Mama and the other coven members all were well done and interesting characters. The time running out, we will be at war was exciting. And yes, the twist was well done and I did not see that coming. The twist after that too was pretty cool and I wish I would have taken the hint but am glad I was surprised.

I didn't like the end though. I didn't like what Dylan decided to do. It just didn't fit into what I feel how a witchy story should play out. I was very disappointed by it.

I'm still wavering on my rating. While I read it in one setting the amount of times I thought maybe I wouldn't finish it bugs me. I pushed through and at times it was a PUSH. There was just a lot of extra and not enough focus. Like I said, all the components, separately, were great, they just didn't get put together in a way that completely worked for me.

I think it's definitely a good book to read at this time of the year. It for sure gives you all the spooky, Halloween feelings. It just wasn't a complete winner for me.

[Carra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a few other books by this author and have enjoyed them all, so when I saw this one come up with witches but on the darker side, I was immediately intrigued. The interesting array of characters, particularly once Dylan arrives in Charleston, made for a great ensemble cast surrounding him and Keller.

From Keller’s introduction, it was difficult to see how a dark character such as him could be someone Dylan could be involved with. But a central theme to this story is grief and its transforming power. Not just its ability to devastate you, but also to heal, to give strength, and to let go. Dylan isn’t the only one who has grief to work through, and we get to see how multiple characters handle their own grief, either by coming to terms with it, letting it drive them to find love again, or even to so much despair that it in order to live, it must be erased.

I loved the view of the darker side of magic shown here. It is eventually balanced out, and Dylan’s character is a great example of the internal battle between the light and the dark. He’s always been a ray of light, full of sunshine and smiles—until his magic is finally revealed as the darkest of them all, and the juxtaposition and that resulting internal battle made for a brilliant read.

There are twists and turns, and definite unexpected elements popping up, and characters doing the unexpected. Drama, plotting, betrayal, epic battling…you’ll find it all here in this book. The romance is not at the forefront, instead seeming to develop on the side. It is there though the physical scenes are mostly fade to black. Honestly? That was fine with me, as all the other elements of the story were plenty to keep my attention, especially with such a character-driven plot.

Light from the Grave was a 4.5-star read for me, and if you’re a fan of paranormal M/M romance, I’d definitely recommend adding this one to your library!

[Romance4thebeach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book you need to get you in the mood for Halloween. We’ve got witches, zombies, a black cat named Binx, and just a bunch of hocus pocus.

This book reminds me of everything that is great to love about All Hallows’ Eve. The magic it brings, and I’m not just talking about the paranormal kind, though we certainly see that in abundance here. More so it’s about that perfect blend of joy and fright. You might find yourself laughing aloud at the absurdity of our characters, or the hijinks they encounter, but the turn of the page will present us with a darkness that practically has you reading through your fingers in anticipation of what might come next. Humor, grief, love, fear, this novel has all of the tricks and treats you could ever want in a spooky Halloween read.

Something I love about any book from Sara Dobie Bauer is that there’s always a guaranteed added layer of depth to the plot that you don’t initially see from the synopsis. We set out on Dylan’s journey of discovering that he is a witch, learning how to harness his powers over darkness and death, and preparing for a final battle against those who threaten to destroy his newfound family of witches. Beyond this paranormal odyssey of self-discovery though is a poignant observation of grief following the loss of a loved one. The final moment of waving goodbye to his adoptive mother prior to her unexpectedly tragic death is a memory that brings Dylan to his knees. Blackness surrounds him, shortness of breath, and the panic overwhelms him.

When his witchy powers are unleashed upon the death of his birth mother however, he discovers that channeling this memory can also elevate his powers to another level beyond anything his coven has ever seen before. Up until this moment he has constantly tried to hide from the agony, push it aside by putting on a bright and sunny attitude to all around him. Keller helps him realize how he can find strength by embracing that grief. It’s all about finding the balance of not wallowing in grief, but also not ignoring it completely. Dylan also accesses the support of those around him, from Keller to his feline familiars, and even features of nature to ground him in the light when the darkness threatens to overtake him. All of these things help Dylan learn how to move on from the debilitating anxiety of his mother’s death, while also maintaining the honor of her memory.

I think the most important thing to remember before starting this book is that it does have comedic beats to it. Things start off so seriously as Dylan is unexpectedly drawn into this world of witches he had no idea existed, and he is forced to confront not only the forces of evil, but also his own grief and magical abilities. When the funny moments are eventually brought in it’s kind of jarring at first where you wonder, “wait…is it ok to laugh here?” Once you acclimate to the balance of impending doom with Dylan’s sarcastic wit, it makes for an even more enjoyable read. More than anything though, this book is an exploration of grief, including how it must sometimes be embraced in order to find the strength to move on.

See full review on romance4thebeach.wordpress.com

[Taylin Clavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Love Bytes – 5 hearts.
The Zayne Clan needs Dylan alive. Keller is tasked to retrieve him, but his usual methods do not work. Dylan knows there’s something bad about Keller, but bad boys are his kryptonite. Adopted Dylan, though, has no idea of his true heritage, which throws a whole load of confusion and weirdness into the mix.
OMG, what a book. Light from The Grave is everything weird, beautiful, ugly, and wonderful about the world of witchcraft, and I loved it. I found it enchantingly wicked, turned intriguing, absolutely fascinating, and then damn, there’s the big finish too. I couldn’t put it down.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Dylan and Keller. As the author provided an uncorrected proof, I won’t comment on the technicalities. Then again, I was so engrossed in the narrative that I didn’t notice anything amiss. Worldbuilding is based in Ohio and Charleston, giving super imagery of people and places. There’s everything from the lighthearted coffee shop to the spooky stately home that was once the personification of opulence, including a family graveyard and hidden passages. As for the characters, they are as eclectic as the scenery. All the characters are intelligent but vary from handsome to an Anima auntie with a pet spider in her hair.
While the story arc surrounds a spell-tomb called the Book of Shadows, which everyone wants, there is plenty of action involving cat familiars, plants, voodoo, magic, and soooo much more. As Dylan is a necromancer, he is as capable of raising the dead as he is of killing the living. His biggest problems are that time is short, and he has a lot of power to control. When the secrets of his heritage were revealed, I was tempted to utter a few famous lines from a particular wizard movie. I soon restrained my impulsion as this story contains nothing involving a ‘Harry’ - but is more akin to The Addams Family (minus the children) with a helluva dose of witchcraft.
Let’s not forget the slow-burn romance between Dylan and Keller. Both have experienced tragedy. Keller, in particular, had well-constructed barriers meant to keep everyone out, and whose demolition added an extra dept that elevated it to full marks.
I loved the eclectic variation of everyone and everything. The storyline navigated the twisted turns of the cast's individual agendas like a master seaman; it was engaging and sent my emotions on a journey as different as the characters. The blunt, straight-talking was like a breath of fresh air, while the timing of its use was spot on, giving me giggles between the dramas. Also, at one point, I was in tears.
A superbly put-together, gripping novel that I will keep in my favorites.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reviewer who occasionally reads and reviews her friends’ books, this can result in the peculiar scenario of writing about how much I loved a story that evolved from the grief experienced by a person I care for. Though there is a romance through-line to this book, the true themes involve how the two characters develop not as they recover from their grief, but as it continues to be a living element in their lives (as grief often tends to be). Instead of depressing, however, this author’s voice shines through in her unique style of Southern gothic meets Midwest pragmatism, adding levity where necessary but still respecting the characters and their experiences.

The contemporary fantasy element to this world is immediately set in the very first pages, starting subtly and growing as Dylan learns more of his dark origin story. This is balanced in the second narrative point of view, in which Keller isn’t an unreliable narrator so much as he keeps things close to his chest in a way that immersed me in the story while also allowing me to be surprised at the appropriate moments. At first, I found Keller bland in contrast to the dynamic secondary characters and against the strength of Dylan’s personality. By the end of this book, I realized that he is simply a fascinating sort of mirror, both dark and light, to Dylan and the others around them.

The murder mystery that acts as this story’s inciting incident first seems merely like a vehicle to move characters in place. At least until Bauer starts dropping amazing plot twists that had me delightfully tangled in the external storyline and how it directly affected the character development that leads to the romance. Keeping these multiple arcs both balanced and hinged upon each other is managed as deftly as the fantasy worldbuilding. Magic in this story exists as a tool, not inherently good or evil, but is also directly influenced by the beliefs the characters have about it. If you were curious, that’s how Bauer effortlessly crafts a necromancer who’s also a ray of sunshine, who also displays acute and chronic grief and anxiety, and like any well-written three-dimensional character, never makes any of those extremes come across as contrived.

Though there are some fairly dark and gory instances in this story, it is not a horror. Even with magic involved, family is family no matter the genre, as are relationship arcs. Dylan and Keller aren’t an easy match, but I appreciated that I had to put in the work for their happily ever after, just as Bauer had to put in the work to bring us this fantastic story despite its origins rooted in sadness.

Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute stunner of a novel

Rating: 5🌈

What a stunner! Sara Dobie Bauer’s recent release, Light from the Grave is such fabulous cornucopia of paranormal elements of powerful magical families, beautifully crafted characters textured with layers of darkness, grief, and death, set into the mossy, old southern landscape of Charleston, South Carolina. Bauer’s plot is a thriller of horrifying beauty.

I was immediately entranced by the characters, the raw emotion that the author keeps pulling out of her scenes and how she can carry those heart wrenching memories over into a new situation that becomes an entirely different experience. One that may have humorous overtones.

Everyone here, each character, from childhood to adulthood, has experienced gut wrenching loss. And that pain, that overwhelming grief continues to haunt them deeply in various ways.

Dylan Quinn’s lost his foster mother and he’s unable to process her loss. It’s not the first or last deep grief he’s had to deal with but it’s the most devastating.

Bauer’s nightmarish descriptions of Dylan’s pain feels so real, the emotional turmoil and endless loop of mourning raw and believable. The power of the memories doesn’t have to be magical to make us feel what it’s putting him through.

More subtle, and deadlier is Keller Rex. Keller too has deeply suffered, and ,in turn , caused unbelievable losses. He’s been sent to bring Dylan to the Zaine ancestral home in Charleston. What type of magical creature he is should be left to the story as it’s so much a part of the powerful narrative.

But it’s the growth and revelations that Kelley’s presence and the death of Vivian Zayne start to bring about in Dylan that’s brings the darkness and magic to this story.

I just wanted to jump in and start reading it again after I finished to see what I’d missed the first time around.

There’s battles, zombies, crazy families, familiars (wish more had been done with the bobcats), and quite a few bittersweet moments. And a fierce young girl, Raven, who needs more page time, as she’s a great character on her own.

Actually, Light from the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer is bursting with darkly detailed and fabulous scenes that make a reader want more than was left on the page. More of the characters in that army, more backgrounds, just more. Because what we did get was so imaginative and marvelous that we naturally needed more. Of everything and everyone.

Yes, this beautifully written and plotted book is a must read. It’s dark fiction and romance, just a reminder. So if grief, dying and death isn’t your thing, this might not be either.

It’s definitely mine.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat gives this 5 Meows with 0 Purr heat index

Hi Y’all! Come in and grab a cold drink while I tell you about this book I just read.

The title is Light From the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer.

The cover is creepy and goes well with the title. Then I read the blurb and it really got my interest because the first line ‘ who’s more dangerous, him or me.’ Then necromancers, witches, turf wars, murder, oh yes!

The story is an urban fantasy and supernatural suspense with a touch of romance and humor. Just enough humor to balance the scariness.

Who’s my favorite main character ? Dylan but Keller too. I love Dylan’s Innocence and playfulness but then the edge of darkness. Keller, I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a hidden softness. ( Was there another character I loved and why). Several. This book is full of intriguing characters. Dylan’s new family of Zanes are all interest. His uncle that dresses and acts from regency era, his aunt that looks like a swamp lady with a spider living in her hair and rats in her clothes and the other that hears voices and is a bit…off. Then there is Keller’s protege, Raven that’s a kick butt killer 19 year old, the seer that’s a bit intimidating and oh yes my favorite is Binx the cat and lets not forget bobcats that follow Dylan around.

The story starts with Dylan in small town Ohio with the owner of the coffee house he works for and his coworker also both fun characters. Then moved to the mansion in South Carolina. The mansion itself is cool with a magical chef you never see and more fun twists.

There are significant plot twists and turns? If so, what were they? There are twist’s everywhere. The story is gripping and you want to keep reading to see what’s next, plus who could be the murderer and why? And what’s going to happen on Halloween?

I loved the ending. It was HEA and really tied lose ends.

If you like supernatural suspense, witches, necromancer, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, age gap, urban fantasy, slow burn and cats you will love this.

[Harrison Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a fun read and intriguing paranormal story with a great plot and memorable characters. It was a slightly darker tale than I expected but Bauer did a wonderful job setting up the story, and I found myself compelled to keep turning the pages to find out what happened.

One detail I especially liked about the book was the character work. Dylan and Keller were both interesting, with tragic backstories that informed their personalities. But it was in the secondary characters that the book truly shone. All of the secondary characters got a chance to shine in the story, and each was intriguing and entertaining, especially with the different witches in the Zayne clan with their attendant abilities, such as Isador, Zelig, Mama, Serafine, and Raven. Even Earl, Isador's pet spider, got some fun moments in the spotlight. And I appreciated the fact that Bauer didn't shy away from the fact that the characters were not nice people a good deal of the time, especially under the rule of Vivian, the family matriarch.

There were some nice twists in the plot in the end, some of which I saw coming while others I didn't. The last stand of the Zayne clan at the end was quite entertaining and suspenseful, if a bit predictable at points, with Dylan the star of the show with his abilities as a necromancer.

One item held me back from ranking the story five stars. I couldn't quite completely buy the relationship between Dylan and Keller, especially after their introduction, but even so I found the book compelling and a lot of fun to read. So, overall, I'd probably rank it between 4 and 4.5 stars. There's a fun plot here and some of the best characterizations of secondary characters I've read in some time. Perfect book for the season.

[JenCW · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

This book was my first by the author, and I really enjoyed it. Once I got a few chapters in, I really didn't want to set it down. While in some ways I would have loved some more information outside of the coven involved here, there was plenty of world-building. So much so that I hope the author writes another book in this world.

I felt for Dylan. He had a lot thrown at him in a short time. I can't imagine learning about his biological family the way he does, as well as the powers lurking inside of him. He was a wonderful character whom most people loved; he had a fantastic, found family at his job. I'm glad Dylan didn't just give in to Keller when he first showed up in town. I liked how Dylan stood up for himself, and his protective instincts were spot on. I was glad that he kept an open mind but also was cautious with all the danger around him.

It was hard to tell at the beginning if Keller was someone I was going to warm up to and approve of for Dylan, but he did more than I expected to make Dylan happy in the end. Their connection was good for them both, and I liked how it developed. Both Keller and Dylan have past pain that the other understood. I can't imagine having to deal with the haunting memories they both have, but I'm glad they had each other in the end.

The coven Keller belongs to is definitely a mess in more ways than one; however, they are definitely an interesting bunch, and you never knew what you were going to get. The author did a great job of making it look like anyone could have been the reason they were all in the situation they were in. The action was well paced, and there were plenty of surprises within to keep me on my toes.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement.*

[E Varady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Character driven PNR light on the R

This was a good, slightly darker read. The story unfolds in two main locations (Ohio and South Carolina) as our MC discovers his birth family and their dark powers. The MC is struggling with grief and probably depression, though I am not a therapist and its never specifically stated so I could be wrong. His grief is pretty consuming and I like how its not instantly resolved with the advent of the LI.

The romance is a bit of an afterthought. Intimacy is off page/behind closed doors and the lead in on the romance wasn't convincing for me. I think it should have been a slower burn, but with one book to tell the tale there isn't much slower it can go. Admittedly, I'd have preferred a series where the romance grows in books 2 and/or 3 but I do feel like we got a nice resolution in this book so its not as if we are left hanging.

The plot itself was initially interesting but the book moved more into character driven stuff relatively quickly. Again would have appreciated more books to draw out the characters and deepen the plot and world building as the latter two felt a bit shallow. In the context of having one book, though, and only one book, it meets expectations.

The darkness in the book stems from the MCs mental health and also the nature of some of the characters' magic. The former, given the character driven nature of the book, held more sway IMO than the latter.

Please check CWs but the ones I noticed: depression, grief, mentions of attempted suicide and/or suicide ideation, animal deaths (on page twice, I believe; SPOILER **the cat is resurrected and the rats the MC kills in defense of himself**).

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many things that I want to say about this book. I’m having trouble finding a place to start, bear with me… Firstly, I admit that I was a bit afraid to read this. I knew that the author wrote it while going through some very strong emotions. I knew that would be reflected in the story and I was right. I also knew that this author always writes her stories with grit and drama and a bit of darkness so I gathered my wine, chocolate and Kleenex and hung on tight for the ride.
Wow! I devoured this story and will be pulling it apart in my head for some time. Such beautiful darkness and such colorful characters! I found myself giving them appropriate accents and witchy cackles while reading and even made myself laugh when I caught myself doing it. They all had distinct, frightening and sometimes creepy attributes and somehow Ms. Dobie Bauer found a way to make them delightful while they were being their broken, horrible selves.
This wasn’t just a romance or even a dark romance. No, this was a dark, paranormal thriller romance. With magic and witches and zombies and familiars and drama and suspense, good and evil. So, so many things.
I encourage you all to grab this book up along with whatever you use as comfort, be it tea or wine or chocolate, some tissues and make yourself some time because you’re not going to want to put this down until you’ve finished it and if you’re like me, you are going to need some time to process. Worth. It.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIGHT FROM THE GRAVE is a standalone paranormal with an element of romance. I say element as, for me, it wasn't the main part of the story. That was the realisation of Dylan's new powers and what he had to do with them. Dylan goes from small-town, Ohio to Charleston. From his home where he has friends, to a new place with family - who are odd, to say the least. He has to master his powers before he can open the family grimoire, renew the wards, and save them all. No pressure!

Keller is the loaded weapon of the coven, and you learn more about his abilities as the story progresses. He has an apprentice, Raven, who doesn't like Dylan to start with, for reasons that are both clear and understandable. As for the other characters, well, I would say those in Charleston are morally grey at best.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, and I was never 100% sure of most of the characters! It is very fast-paced, but the descriptions are clear and concise. As for the romance side of things - I just never felt it between Keller and Dylan. Yes, the fascination, the attraction, but not love.

And the ending? That seemed a little out of place somehow. Logically, it makes sense because of who Dylan was/is and the home he had. Emotionally, it just didn't feel right to me.

This is a great read that held my attention and I definitely recommend it.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 3, 2023

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

If witches and voodoo and rivalries and magic float your boat then consider this your next MM read!

As per the blurb, Keller is basically a foot soldier for the Zayne clan, and when its hated matriarch dies mysteriously, he and the rest of the family are surprised to hear about a long lost son they never knew about. They need this unknown person to unlock the Zayne book of shadows to renew the wards protecting their source of power before the end of the month, or all their enemies will converge together to take over.

Keller thinks this will be an easy zap and grab, but when he encounters Dylan, the young man is inherently protected by outside forces as well as an unpracticed innate skill. These two clash immediately but can’t deny the other’s unique appeal, both dangerous and alluring for different reasons.

As Dylan learns more about his family and his latent necromantic powers the less he wants to know. However, he’s a dangerous uncontrolled powerhouse, and Keller wars with himself, his own personal motives not aligning with Dylan slowly chipping away at his ice cold heart.

I really liked the premise. I liked how magic was portrayed and used in this. I liked the rivalries and the different players and witchy politics. However, there was just a slight disconnect for me regarding the romance. Keller was intriguing and dark and his redemption was oh so easy and neat. Dylan was a ray of sunshine but often, his reactions and actions were just a tad too extreme. This is me being nit picky, and I don’t expect other readers to feel the same.

Overall, not a favorite of this author’s, but I will say Bauer continues to entertain with being varied in her tropes and her genres which I wholly appreciate. I look forward to her next creation!

[Theresa Derwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Southern Gothic, Witches, Darkness and MM Romance

I love Bauer's work, having read her work previously, so when this popped up as a recommendation of course I gave it a go.
Blending delicious Southern Gothic, morally grey characters, a barista who is sunshine and light and collects cats, and a family that would give The Addams' Family a run for their money, Light from The Grave sees Zayne magic family matriarch Vivian dying and leaving her Book of Shadows to a son no one knew existed.
Dylan is the bright, sunshiny son hidden in a Midwestern town and dark weapon/witch Keller has been sent to fetch him.
The deadline is Halloween as the wards on the Charleston home will need renewing, but Dylan has no idea he's a witch.
He's naturally attracted to bad boys but even Keller is a bit much.
A lot happens in the book, including Keller's attraction toward Dylan and Dylan discovering his newfound powers.
There's magic battles, fights, kooky relatives, zombies, a cat named Binx and a lot of laughter.
I absolutely adored this book and the romance is strong, the whole thing reading like a mixture of Beautiful Creatures meets Anne Rice.
A stunning book, and I hope we get more.

[Sarah Thornburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara Dobie Bauer has written a beautiful novel about found family, friends that are in human and cat form, love, and most of all, grief. Dylan made small-town Ohio his home after his adoptive mother died and found a new family there. Even though the owner of the bakery insists on smudging Dylan, and he has no idea why cats follow him around all the time, he's still content with his little one-bedroom apartment and a steady job.
But Keller Rex, a handsome and distinguished southern gentleman, comes in and shakes Dylan's reality, and suddenly, he doesn't know who - or what - he is. Dylan is forced to confront this new reality when an 'incident' occurs at his job, and Keller whisks him away to Charleston, where he finds out that magic, Witches, and Necromancers exist.
Both Dylan and Keller have baggage that needs to be unpacked before both of them can admit their feelings toward each other. However, the biggest one is letting go of previous losses and trying not to let grief overtake them. When Keller and Dylan learn that love is a powerful thing and can overcome most obstacles, they learn to live with their grief because, to them, it means they loved and were loved in return.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Many stories featuring dark magic practitioners make them one-note villains, so I enjoyed that Light From the Grave has a spectrum of black magic users—from the darkness of space evil variety to Dylan’s dangerous but (mostly) under control darkness. Black magic in this world is inherently evil; yet, having black magic doesn’t determine one’s soul and how it manifests is a function of the practitioner’s choices. This is seen clearly in Keller and Dylan and in the dysfunctional Zayne coven. While they are mostly dark magic users, they aren’t evil; they’re generally just self-absorbed assholes—the kind of rude, dismissive relatives you hate inviting to family gatherings, except they’re able to use magic to cause hurt and establish the pecking order instead of just words.

Read Jovan’s review in its entirety here.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dylan, living a good life in middle America. His crippling grief a secret from those around him. What he doesn’t know is that he has much worse secret that is about to be revealed.

Keller, most assuredly an evil man, coming for Dylan. Ready to exploit the young man’s secrets for his own gain.

I liked the depiction of the different witches amazing powers. The author did a good job of making Dylan’s birth family totally unlikeable. I’ve always felt that the ability of an author to create nasty, evil characters and still make me want to read the story is an art form.

The book had good action that kept the story moving forward and just enough entanglement between Dylan and Keller to keep the romantic in me engaged. Dylan’s interactions with one of his ancestors was unexpected and heartwarming.

Binx, the Bobcats, and Earl were such great additions to the story.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Ζωή Παππά · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Light from the grave" is the perfect witchy book for spooky season.

The leader of the coven dies under mysterious circumstances and leaves unexpected instructions in her will. Keller embarks on a mission to bring the only person that can save them from rival covens that want their territory and power for themselves.

I don't want to give away more about the plot because the book surprised me more than once and it was a fantastic experience.

I can say that the atmosphere was fantastic and it was full of action, magic and twists.

I loved the cast of characters and the relationships between them. Especially the two main characters were very intriguing and every interaction between them was gold.

And the ending was very satisfying.

I had the best time reading this book and I would highly recommend it.

[Joyffree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do hope we get more - loved this cast

I do hope we get more - loved this cast

Devoured this in one sitting

A wonderful cast that stole my heart

Storyline that was packed with plenty of action and holy crispy crackers moments

Not to mention the sweetest steamy romance

We had Dylan the brightest light in any room
That quirky friend who brought nothing but happiness
Then we had his polar opposite Keller
He was the biggest baddest thing in the room
or was he?

These two were so different
Polar opposites if there ever were two
Who fit - Perfectly

This had mystery vibes
Lots of snark (Dylan mostly)
Ghosts and witches
A few meanies and some nosy spiders
Cats, lots of cute cuddly cats
and family, and romance

This is one of those that was just fun and that I will read again and again

[Shymsal · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 dark necromancer witchy goodness that I devoured in one night. I really enjoyed this! I like the necromancer-ball-of-sunshine concept and I've enjoyed everything I've read/seen that includes this idea. (Not that I can easily remember what all of them are!) Dylan is definitely the light from the grave that the entire group needed. And, while death is (mostly) final and can be dark, it is a necessary part of the turn of life's wheel. It doesn't need to be evil, though it can be painful as hell. I liked that Dylan's family were off-putting and that didn't change though his perception of them did. If there are more books in this world, I look forward to reading them!

Full disclosure, I got an arc of this directly from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighter than it looks but still a bit dark!

I have enjoyed other books by this author but thought this looked too much like outright horror for my tastes until a friend started sending me funny snippets and I was like… wait a minute.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s some dark magic and violence/gore, but it’s more action than horror, and the MC might be a Necromancer but he’s also a sunshiny gay barista with an affinity for cats who is beloved by everyone in his small town.

Don’t go in expecting spice… there’s affection but any actual bedroom scenes are fade-to-black… but I didn’t mind. I was engrossed by the story and was trying to figure out how it would all turn out okay. It was fantastic!

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the southern atmosphere of this one and thought it mixed perfectly with the paranormal elements. Dylan and Keller had an immediate attraction to each other and I found both of them incredibly interesting characters both alone and together. The plot for this one kept me guessing with its twists and turns and I really enjoyed the ticking time clock for getting things sorted with the Book of Shadows. With Dylan having to learn what powers he possesses and how to properly use them, it was a bit like those thrillers where the master spy is out to save the world before time runs out. Here, however, it's like the spy doesn't even know he is one and certainly doesn't initially possess the skills he's going to need. I'd love another book about Keller.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. I loved the creepiness combined with well written locations and characters I could easily visualize. Dylan was a mix of sunshine and nightmares, and Keller was someone to fear, driven by things hidden in his past. The majority of the cast were magical and morally dark grey witches, with bits of goodness appearing at times. Some were flat out evil.
Despite the darkness of the storyline and the moments of horror that made me shiver, there were also touches of humor and an often surprisingly sweet love story. I found this the perfect book to devour on Friday the 13'th. I couldn't stop reading, which is a compliment to the very talented author.

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets and shadows and magic…oh my. This is an easy story to be drawn into: the paranormal landscape is full of witches and wonders and more than a bit of peril and the main characters are vivid, interesting personalities with plenty of layers (and secrets…those too). Dylan has to deal with grief for an adoptive parent, complex powers, a fraught legacy, and feelings for Keller, who has to contend with feelings as well, on top of all the baggage that comes with being a dark sorcerer whose status is close to legend in his community. An engrossing read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a total whim and by the time I got to it, I had no recollection of what it was about. That is to say, I went into this with no preconceptions or expectations. In the end, I was very pleasantly surprised. The characters are interesting (and a little wild), the plot engaging, and the conflict had enough tension to pull me through. My only complaints, really, are that a specific parental reveal felt.. rushed and a little convenient/anti-climactic, and that I'd have loved a more closure-like epilogue than we got. Neither of those was enough to detract from my overall immense enjoyment, though.

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was power in his pain

Dylan was a ray of sunshine that attracted every cat in his vicinity and Keller was the dark cloud to his sunshine sent to bring him home. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion, watching Dylan deal with the magic laced curveball life threw him was by turns heartbreaking and hilarious. I stayed up all night reading because I just had to see how it turned out and unexpected was the name of the game in all the best ways. A really fantastic read that is most definitely keeper-shelf material.

[Yvonne M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story. I absolutely loved everything about this book. The scary parts added to the adventure. I loved how Sara was able to show how perfect these two men were for each other and had them work together to stop Dylan’s biological mother from taking control of the world and harming everyone. The Bobcats were a great touch to, it showed a different way of showing love. Once again I really can’t wait to read more of Sara’s stories. I would definitely recommend reading this book, especially near Halloween.

[Brooke Coney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That is the only way I can start. I have loved Sara’s writing for a long time and I always look forward to her publishing new works. There is something truly special about this book. Every feeling that a character felt was so wonderfully written I felt as though I was feeling their pain, anger, loneliness, confusion, and power right along with them. Keller’s ability to be Dylan’s calm in the storm was beautiful to watch progress. The ending had me biting my nails until the final conclusion. Definitely a must read!