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Safety is within their reach--but at what cost?

Amelia fled to the Sanctuary, desperate for the cure to the Hydra virus. She finds safety in the walled enclave, and the promise of a luxurious life she thought she'd lost forever. She can have it all--if she's willing to betray the people she loves.

Offered the vengeance he's always longed for, Gabriel faces his own terrible crucible. He can attack the Sanctuary, bring down the elites, and save the cure--but doing so will turn him into the man he swore he'd never become again...

On the brink of war, the survivors must choose--escape with their lives, or stay and fight for the hope of something better, risking everything that matters in the process.

The explosive finale in The Last Sanctuary series, Raging Light is a near-future post-apocalyptic thriller perfect for fans of Hunger Games and Maze Runner.

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2018

403 people are currently reading
275 people want to read

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Kyla Stone

56 books1,707 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,622 reviews10.9k followers
October 5, 2025
Kind of gave up a wee ways back with the writing up of reviews, so I’ll do this one as a whole.

First I read Raven’s story, which even though heartbreaking and wrecked me to the core, it pulled me in and got me reading the rest of the series. She does pop up here and there, which I loved seeing!

But it leaves her story unfinished, did she find the boy wh had saved her a time or two? I wanted/needed that closure. I also just craved more of her.

This had all the action one would seek when it comes to a changed world, death and destruction. Feral infected dogs and rats, gangs trying to run the cities. Innocent lives lost, no one was exempt.

This series kept me invested throughout, from start to finish I was present. Loved the characters, the journey, the dangers they faced, the scavenging.

Profile Image for Linda.
757 reviews18 followers
April 27, 2022
Whew. What an absolute journey this series was. I almost hate to say it, though, but while this concluding book had a stellar 5-star nucleus, it's all wrapped in a barely 3-star coating. I couldn't give it five stars, but I definitely couldn't give it three. Had no choice but to settle in the middle at four, which is still a high rating of course. But lemme elaborate:

The emotional impact alone was next level. Good grief. The tears I gushed. Even despite some of the excess prattling on about love and forgiveness and hope (which I admit got wee bit overdone), I still couldn't help but cry over all the dread and loss the characters experienced, like it was my own personal battle. Drawing such a response out of me, in any book, usually is grounds for a high rating. Having gotten to know the main core of characters so well, it's hard to stomach anything bad happening to them. But as I said in the previous book's review, Kyla may spend good time shaping her characters, but she's not shy about what she does with them. She takes daring chances in whatever direction she sees fit, and boy oh boy, she goes all out in this one. From their fates to their decisions to everything in between. The main characters are given their appropriate times to shine, all of their arcs on the final home stretch. Each of them gets stronger in their respective directions and you don't feel too blindsided.

I LOVED Finn and Willow's tale and didn't realize how much I was rooting for them to be an item until it happened. I'm glad Willow finally came to her senses and that Finn expressed his feelings. And I loved the friendship between her and Raven (but I'm quite disappointed that I'll never know if Raven will find Damien or not). Guess Kyla wanted to leave that to our imagination.

And Silas? Despite him being an ass most of the way in this story (but an entertaining one, at least), I was shocked by his loss. I was hoping he can find his own semblance of peace before getting to wherever he was meant to go. Weird to say but...his loss hit me hard not because he was a main character, but because it was felt through the eyes of those who loved him. Sure, I felt sad when he died, but damn, I felt devastated when it was fully realized by everyone else. Did I mention my gushy tears earlier? Because yeah. Waterworks.

As far as our main trio, Micah, Gabriel, and Amelia? As much as I appreciated Micah's passion through this series, I never really wanted him with Amelia. Yep. I was "Team Gabriel" the entire time. I wanted Gabriel's redemption to mean he gets to win the girl he loved and not have that be a consequence of his poor decisions. I was super bummed about Amelia choosing Micah at first. But then, once Amelia's arc came full circle and she realized WHY she loved Micah, I completely understood her choice. Micah truly was the one person who never denied Amelia her own choices. Heck, he even made sure that Gabriel would be her choice too, back when he told Amelia the violin was from Gabriel. So, seeing as how Amelia was everyone's puppet for so long, I can see why the one person who DIDN'T manipulate, betray, or control her was one worth her love. And so, I became "Team Micah" by the end. I was sad for Gabriel, but in a way, his arc was still satisfying because he still found some semblance of redemption.

But alas, despite all of the aforementioned positive things, I simply couldn't overlook the negatives. Not this time. They were jarring, distracting, and numerous. Some of the issues were so dang obvious that, frankly, I'm surprised even Kyla herself didn't notice them. I don't know if she was in a hurry or right up against a deadline or what, but this final arc of the Last Sanctuary Series was super messy to the nth degree in some areas. While the proper tensions, thrills, stress, and violence were all there to keep me on the edge of my seat, the development to lead me there felt sloppily put together. I couldn't really grasp how the Patriots came together for the attack on the Sanctuary, couldn't visualize the structure of things. It's hard to put in words what I mean, but I essentially just felt quite discombobulated by the battle once it was underway, don't know how things came into fruition. Moments were just...THERE, but I don't really know how they happened. I think spending more time with the fighters so i can know who the hell they are and how they got there might have helped.

Another issue (a minor one, but an issue nevertheless) was the character Quentin. For some strange reason, Kyla starts calling him character "Hogan" several times in the book, sometimes within even the same sentence where it should have REALLY stood out that his name is different. Like in this moment:
Hogan held out his wrist for the scanner. Amelia did the same. "Lieutenant Quentin Forester. President Sloane's security team."
Where did the name Hogan even come from? And how is it that this isn't noticed at ALL? Now at first, I thought it was just his nickname, which would have been fine. But Kyla continually went back to calling him Quentin. He was never introduced as Hogan and never mentioned the name Hogan. It was just randomly his name sometimes. It wasn't a HUGE thing, but my gawd, it was an annoying thing. I dunno what happened there, but I'm super glad it's not a regular occurrence in Kyla's books.

At any rate, this is the longest review for the series, which seems fitting seeing as how it's the last book. Despite my complaints, I still enjoyed this series overall. It didn't top Kyla's Edge of Collapse series, but it was definitely thrilling in its own right just the same. I'm glad to call myself a Kyla Stone fan and I have every confidence I will continue to enjoy what she churns out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Nuclear Dawn series that has my name on it....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mary Clark.
799 reviews8 followers
July 26, 2018
This is the conclusion of what has been a wonderful story that has progressed through a series of five books. This final book is well-written and is quite exceptional in that it contains plenty of facets that brings the story to life. It is certainly a book I would have no hesitation in recommending.

No matter how beautiful it is in the Sanctuary, not everything is as it should be; war is coming and it can’t be stopped. Following Declan Black’s secretly recorded confession, President Sloane promises she will do everything in her power to determine the truth behind the revelations, but what is she really hiding? Theo had wanted the people to see the truth for themselves and to make a stand, to take down the Coalition from within in a bloodless coup; instead there had been no uprising, no protests, no revolt, only anger and helplessness. Amelia is too well guarded; but nothing more than an asset to the President. A way needs to be found to help Amelia, find the cure and to stop an unstoppable war. Micah refuses to give up hope; it is not in him and there has to be a way, they just have to find it. Though dazzling on the outside, inside Amelia is tired, hollowed out by grief, anxiety and stress. The tests had exhausted her physical reserves, but it had all been worth it. Her father had formulated a cure right before he had been arrested and imprisoned for treason; but President Sloane is not willing to distribute the cure to the outside world, wanting her own citizens to have precedence. During her time at the Sanctuary, Amelia has carefully cultivated her every move, word and expression; she wants everyone to see her the way her father did, meek, malleable, controllable. But alone, lost and abandoned, Amelia misses her friends; she should have stolen the vials and left the Sanctuary by now. Even not knowing what to do, Amelia refuses to be helpless and to do nothing; she needs answers and who better to get them from than her father, but what would he tell her? President Sloane had seized an opportunity; using Amelia and the resistance she had used them to set her father up, knowing full well he is the only person alive able to expose her. While Amelia’s father would finally pay for his despicable crimes, his years of abuse and cruelty, all she feels is numbness and a deep despair; yet a part of her still loves him, no matter what. Now Amelia knows who the true enemy is and what she has to do; her father’s gift would help her in her endeavours. Amelia’s mother would do anything to save her daughter, but this time she has sacrificed too much; she has betrayed not only the New Patriots, but her friends too the moment she informs President Sloane of an impending attack on the Sanctuary. Her mother had made her choice; it was the wrong one and Amelia would not make the same mistake, she couldn’t. Her friends were in danger, so it is time to act. Amelia knew what she should do, what she needed to do, the question was how far was she willing to go. Cleo is a tough and fierce leader and she has a plan to infiltrate the Sanctuary; they would either win or lose everything. Inside the Sanctuary, the Patriots were preparing for the real attack, not the false one previously orchestrated. The Sanctuary believes they have beaten off an inferior group of rebels that had come at them with everything they had, but they have no idea what is coming. The Patriots were waiting and hoping and soon they would fight for everything that mattered. But there would be a cost and unbearable loss. A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Rosemary.
3,864 reviews68 followers
July 19, 2018
Raging Light - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Raging Light is book 5 in Kyla Stone's epic sci-fi fantasy series The Last Sanctuary and follows on from Breaking World to conclude the fantastic saga of Amelia Black and her quest to save humanity and her friends by sacrificing herself as a guinea-pig to develop an antidote to the deadly mutating Hydra virus that turns normal people into killer zombies and has made President Sloane and her chosen citizens seal themselves into the Sanctuary dome-world's isolation.

As Amelia recovers after the gruelling tests to complete the experiment successfully, she must face her father Declan's betrayal of creating and dispersing the Hydra means his execution as a traitor is now imminent.
Meanwhile in separate point-of-view narratives, we learn of the New Patriot's mission to invade and take over control of the Sanctuary, to rescue Amelia and ensure all people receive either a vaccine before infection, or the antidote, so it will be eradicated for good. Only Leader Cleo, twin brother Theo, Amelia's boyfriend Micah and her brother Silas and their troops' double-pronged attack, preceded by Amelia's recording of President Sloane admitting it was she who sought power by killing off enemies and dissidents with the Hydra's release and refusal to save any outside the Sanctuary, no matter who, plus Willow, Finn, Benjie and Raven's alliance with the villagers of the Settlement and the resulting firepower of the Patriot forces, saves the day.

An epic out-of-this-world fantasy tale of warfare, wonder and willingness to carry on the fight for truth and justice by the talented Kyla Stone is a shoo-in for your fantasy sci-fi bookshelf. Get your copy today and tell all your fantasy apocalyptic storybook fan friends to get theirs too!
Profile Image for Kaye.
7,177 reviews69 followers
July 16, 2018
KICKIN' IT UP!!!
Ok guys, here we go. Kyla kicks it up a few degrees. Man, talk about exciting and explosive! Whew baby, this bad boy rocks. You have so much happening at once. You better grab a hold and hang on, you're in for a thrilling ride. When things come to a head, which side will you be on? If you choose wrong, put your head between your legs and kiss your sweet patootie bye-bye. Yep, can't get any plainer than that. The characters are just as realistic and complex as they put their lives on the line. There are traitors in their mist. All the lies, deception, war against their own, family against family. The broad range of personalities are a showcase all its own. You watch as each are faced with such high odds they can't possibly win. The scenes are so realistic and believable. Twists and turns abound with such explosive encounters and life ending results. All the action, drama, fear, danger, policitcal intrique and enough suspense that keeps you immersed until the last word. Following as their world seems to be crumbling around them as they take a stand. Bullets fly as things come to a heart stopping climax. This is one series you don't want to miss. Kyla brings every emotion, move and adrenaline pumping scenario into play with enough force to bring the house down. Phenomenal job Kyla, thanks for sharing this remarkable read with us.
Profile Image for Tricia.
22 reviews
May 25, 2019
Emotional roller coaster

It's been a while since I read a series that kept me intrigued till the very end. All the characters are very well written. Their struggle to survive in a corrupt world and fight evil without becoming evil. Making strangers family and home wherever they are together! I'm still crying over Silas or as I liked to call him Sil-ass! I hated him at first, then I liked him and then when I fell in love with him, bam! *won't ruin it for others*. His sister Amelia started out a little rich girl with no back bone. I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes at her "I need approval from others" attitude. After fighting for survival, she not only fights for herself but others weaker! Willow is just a bad ass from day one that does what she must to protect her only surviving family member. The author brought people together that hated each other before the virus, made them tolerate each other to survive, then made them love each other to live. Thank you Kyla Stone
Profile Image for EcoBookWorm.
42 reviews
August 29, 2020
All good things come to an end ...

I’m truly sad to see the end of this series. My first time reading a Kyla Stone novel series - and throughout I’ve been pleasantly satisfied with her writing.

The series comes to an end, sad but inevitably true. The characters all find their conclusions - some good and some bad. We some characters find their purpose and their love, while others perish - some loved and some not so much.

I wished the series explained things a bit more personally, especially how Amelia is the only living person to survive the Hydra virus - surely she wasn’t the only person in the entire world and if so how? This is the only issue I’m am throughly perplexed about, other than that I did enjoy all the content with the novel.

Overall, if you are a post apocalyptic buff like me - this is the series to read and the author to follow. I’ve only recently stumbled across her but I enjoy her writing style and how she makes her characters seem real. Kyla Stone thank you for existing and bringing this amazing series to us.
Profile Image for Francesco.
1,130 reviews41 followers
December 23, 2023
Vote: 3,50
Class: L-A3 (FP)

(final book out of five)

I read the omnibus edition (The Last Sanctuary Omnibus #1-5: The Complete Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series) and it starts really well with this opening book the opens the way to... the end of the world maybe!
The story and the setting is well written and the characters are quite good.
It was sometimes just a bit too much on the young side of the young-adult genre and it didn't go very far in describing the world descending into chaos (I was expecting more).
That said it's a good series but not a great one.
I enjoyed reading it at first but slowly my interest dimmed.
Profile Image for Kathy Tangorra.
55 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2018
OMG What a wonderful book I actually cried! You fall in love With Amelia, Gabriel, Raven, and Willow as well as all the other characters. When an unnatural virus is released into the population and people are dying in the world is divided between the outcast and delete raven, and willow as well as all the other characters. When an unnatural virus is released into the population and people are dying in the world is divided between the outcasts and elite.

One is given a vaccination the others are denied. Work comes as it always does to try to bring the two into one. The good guys are dying as well as the bad but the storyline makes you cry or at least I did. Which tells you what a wonderful Author Kyla is!

I highly recommend you read her books there are absolutely wonderful!
Profile Image for Kathi.
88 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2023
By far the weakest of the series. And I love a good post-war part of a book, but it just... too much Amelia, not enough Willow or Raven, or even Silas or Celeste, Cleo and Fiona.

I dont particularly like Amelia, shes an okay character, but I think the sheer amount of times stuff happens and then it doesnt work out and someone has to rescue her is just not my thing. She isnt weak and I do love why she choose who she chose in the end, but the focus on her could have been spent on more interesting characters or just less words overall.

But I liked this series. The enemies were great, even though Cerberus ending was unsatisfying.
I hope Raven finds Damien though, I am more invested in that than anything else.
Profile Image for Jenny Bravo.
401 reviews13 followers
July 16, 2018
Where can I begin?

This entire series was phenomenal. It dragged me in from book 1 and has never let me go. Every time a new book came out, I dropped every other book to read it. Raging Light was no exception.
Character growth, determination, and hope are everything. (Though I bawled my eyes out during some of the final chapters. 😭😭😭😭 No spoilers.)
Raging Light is completely action packed due to being right in the middle of the war between the Sanctuary and the New Patriots. I can't even say that the series ended perfectly, because it didn't, by far. But it ended with HOPE. So beautifully done! Highly recommend this entire series to everyone I know. 😍
Profile Image for Smiling_dragon.
92 reviews5 followers
October 24, 2019
Mediocre

Kyla’s balance of detailed characters and intense action are still present, but overall I felt like I was reading an alternate version of the Hunger Games.

The highlights for me were how Cerberus and Cleo were both good and bad. They were simply good or bad but crossed into the gray line between them. It really demonstrated how choices in life are not always crystal clear. Also, Gabriel choosing not to kill Cerberus seemed very fitting.

Silas death was pretty much a guarantee and Micah ending up with Amelia worked very well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anastasia Beaverhausen.
313 reviews4 followers
January 31, 2021
Excellent post apocalyptic/post pandemic series

Once again, our author takes us into a well constructed world of characters seeking to survive and rebuild after a pandemic has changed their world forever. This is a very good series with a highly developed world build so skillfully that the reader can “see” the cities and locations in which the story takes place. Cheer for the good guys and boo for the evil perpetrators all the way through the entire eventful series....I recommend the read.
Profile Image for B. Fleetwood.
Author 5 books23 followers
August 9, 2018
The author does not disappoint in this final book of The Sanctuary Series. Her characters are not only gritty but multi-faceted. The action is fast and furious and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Underpinning the entire narrative is a real sense of hope despite the fear and darkness surrounding the protagonists. A story filled with violence and betrayal, it is also about how good can overcome evil. I loved it and give the whole series a big fat five stars! Well done Kyla Stone.
824 reviews7 followers
August 23, 2020
Very entertaining

The series is an unusual apocalyptic storyline and entertaining. It is an exciting tale and turn holds surprises. Each of the main characters have to reach within to retain their humanity and strength.

I would like to appeal the the author to consider the continuation with a followup on Gabriel as he searches for survivors with the vaccine and cure for the hydra virus. I think it might be quite interesting.
Profile Image for Emily Goodman.
1,070 reviews39 followers
February 8, 2022
Raging Light is the final book of The Last Sanctuary series. At this point, we are finding resolution between the survivors and the choices they've made thus far. Although this series seemed to drag in places, I have really enjoyed seeing the character arcs of Gabriel, Silas, Willow. All were very strong determined personalities with different weights and challenges on their shoulders. I loved seeing these characters grow throughout the series.
Profile Image for Allison  T MacKay.
36 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2022
I loved this series as much as all of the ones Ms.Stone's books that I've read so far.

These are the sorts of stories are those I never want to end, in fact, sometimes I've never finished a book because of that! Crazy? Yes! This one made me teary toward the end so maybe that's part of why?
I'll definitely be reading more of Ms. Kyla's work. I'd read the collapse series before this and is why I read it, but both are so relevant to these times, and timeless too.
Profile Image for Julie Powell.
Author 72 books324 followers
October 26, 2023
I have the box set of this series and book five was a great conclusion to a fantastic story.

I liked the way the chapters switched to different points of view to give further depth to the tale. There were multiple characters, each fitting into the plot - some good, some awful and some heroes. The main characters were well-developed and I enjoyed the sense of place.

A story with plenty of action, thoughts and feelings alongside brilliant storytelling.

Highly recommended.
22 reviews
January 21, 2019
Fantastic!!

This series is fantastic...Great story line with wonderful characters! I could not stop reading. Each character was described in detail, with emotions and deep feelings. I hated that some of the characters were killed off but it just made it all the more real! The author did a great job all the way on this series!
161 reviews
April 21, 2023
A great series!

Kyla Stone has done it again. You come to know and love (mostly) all the characters. You feel what they feel and become part of their story. I love authors who have that special talent of grabbing hold and not letting go until the very end. Ms. Stone is one of those authors and you won't go wrong reading any of her books.
16 reviews
March 12, 2025
Book 5 scary good

One can see so many parallels to today's world. There is death and disappointment, but there is always hope. For the people in this world , the struggle was real and deadly. the characters stayed true to themselves. They were so believable and so real. Very good book and series.
614 reviews2 followers
July 16, 2018
This is the last book in a Great Series that I hope the Author decides to follow along with some of the characters he built. You will be cheering for your favorites and cursing others but will definitely want to read!
Profile Image for Sandra Noyallis.
8 reviews
November 19, 2018
The Last Sanctuary Book

I have read almost all of Kyla Stones books, and have enjoyed each and everyone of them. I hope she continues to write many more wonderful books in the future.
Profile Image for Sharon Hughson.
Author 31 books63 followers
November 30, 2018
Not enough Raven for me. And the ending was predictable.

I wonder what happens next. Also, Gabriel just walked away too easily. There were a ton of characters in this that I cared about but none of them got full character journeys - not even Amelia whose story it most especially seems to be.
Profile Image for Sue Stinnett.
1,374 reviews3 followers
July 10, 2020
Outstanding

This was a powerful series! I often questioned myself if I would have been strong enough to survive as they did. I also cried many a tear while reading as well. It certainly made me appreciate all the comfort we enjoy.
6 reviews
April 25, 2023
Love

I can't say I didn't like any part of this story. There is so much to learn here. I will recommend reading this to the readers. You won't regret it, but be prepared for the ending.
1 review
December 26, 2024
Educational, Vivid, Heart-warming

Kyla Stone, a witty and talented writer shares her keen imagination entangled in facts and "what ifs " as she unwinds possibilities, passion and a complex story that digs deep into your soul.
Profile Image for Christine Kelly.
36 reviews2 followers
October 5, 2025
loved this series!

The series of the last sanctuary was fantastic! I was in suspense the whole time it couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what would happen. Can’t wait to see what else this author writes.
Profile Image for Sterling Walker.
Author 8 books40 followers
October 9, 2018
Probably my least favorite of the series. Stone writes well but could have wrapped it up much faster IMO.
Profile Image for Vicky Quenault.
282 reviews5 followers
January 27, 2019
A fantastic conclusion to an enjoyable series.
This book tied up many loose ends well. There are definitely some tear jerking moments.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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