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Radiance #1
The Necromancer's Light
He’ll die without touch.
As a necromancer, Shae loses a little more of himself every time he uses his magic. Always cold, always touch-starved, the only thing that helps is human contact. But that’s hard to come by when those same dark powers scare everyone away from him. Nobody likes a necromancer.
Especially a paladin of the Radiant Order.
Arthur’s still bitter and broken after his last lover stabbed him in the back, and the last thing he needs is another brush with evil. When he agrees to escort the wandering necromancer north, he’s just doing a public service.
But he never expected Shae to be so clingy. Or distractingly attractive.
Shae has never felt an aura as warm and safe as Arthur’s. He craves the man’s touch—and more. But everyone he’s ever known has left him, and it’s just a matter of time before Arthur leaves him too.
Assuming the soul-stealing monsters don’t kill them first.
The Necromancer’s Light is a gay fantasy romance, with magic, hurt/comfort, and bed sharing for Reasons. First in a series but can be read alone. 56,000 words, HEA guaranteed.
As a necromancer, Shae loses a little more of himself every time he uses his magic. Always cold, always touch-starved, the only thing that helps is human contact. But that’s hard to come by when those same dark powers scare everyone away from him. Nobody likes a necromancer.
Especially a paladin of the Radiant Order.
Arthur’s still bitter and broken after his last lover stabbed him in the back, and the last thing he needs is another brush with evil. When he agrees to escort the wandering necromancer north, he’s just doing a public service.
But he never expected Shae to be so clingy. Or distractingly attractive.
Shae has never felt an aura as warm and safe as Arthur’s. He craves the man’s touch—and more. But everyone he’s ever known has left him, and it’s just a matter of time before Arthur leaves him too.
Assuming the soul-stealing monsters don’t kill them first.
The Necromancer’s Light is a gay fantasy romance, with magic, hurt/comfort, and bed sharing for Reasons. First in a series but can be read alone. 56,000 words, HEA guaranteed.
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First published July 30, 2021
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About the author
Tavia Lark
29 books795 followersTavia Lark writes m/m fantasy romance and erotica. Her favorite romance tropes include hurt/comfort, sharing a bed, and enemies to lovers. She writes from a sunny little apartment with the constant "help" of her fluffy cat. He just really likes typing, okay.
Join Tavia's mailing list for announcements about new books (plus a free story!):
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Join Tavia's mailing list for announcements about new books (plus a free story!):
https://tavialark.com/list
And check out Tavia's Patreon for bonus stories, behind the scenes content, and weekly chapters from new WIP novels:
https://www.patreon.com/tavialark
Plus, there's a Facebook group!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tavia...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 662 reviews
September 1, 2024
Shae, a cold necromancer with a heart encased in ice and Arthur a warm, bright paladin there to melt it away. I was living for their grumpy x sunshine vibe and that’s just the start. The writing fits the fantasy world we’re dropped in, which is all I could ask for, and the world building is decent to the point where everything makes sense. Arthur’s backstory was brought up just enough times to create some hurt/comfort moments and to solidify it’s part in the plot, I did wish Shae’s was brought up more though. Back to the hurt/comfort which was amazing, I needed those soft moments. This book was a great read with two characters crafted like night and day. I'm definitely going to see what the other books of this trilogy have to offer!!! (4.5)
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December 31, 2023
MM Romance
Needy Necromancer
2 Stars ⭐️
🎵Narrated by: Kai Rubio🎵 💀 I listened to a bunch of his samples and liked his voice but once I started listening to this his manner of speaking drove me nuts. He had the longest pauses and while I could have dealt with them by speeding up the book, it was the sound of his saliva smacking against his lips and his loud swallowing that made me decide to read it instead. Yuck.
However, reading this didn’t quite work out for me either because it was written in 3rd person present tense which read so incredibly weird that it kept taking me out of the story. The tense didn’t bother me when listening to it but reading it was another story and I kept falling asleep. 💤 Despite all that drama, I initially really liked the story or else I wouldn’t have gone through so much hell. I loved how Shae was this touch starved, needy, prickly necromancer all his life and Arthur made him feel a warmth he never knew existed and just melted into him. This created some of the best hurt/comfort scenes but I felt the romance aspect was rushed and after 80% this book got so ridiculously cheesy that I started to skim because I just didn’t feel their connection and it was too much. I thought about DNFing this constantly but I wanted to see Shae conquer his demon which was the main storyline in this book and well…let’s just say, I wasn’t impressed. 🙄🙄 This was my first read by this author and I can’t say I’m going to be trying anything else by them anytime soon.
Needy Necromancer
2 Stars ⭐️
🎵Narrated by: Kai Rubio🎵 💀 I listened to a bunch of his samples and liked his voice but once I started listening to this his manner of speaking drove me nuts. He had the longest pauses and while I could have dealt with them by speeding up the book, it was the sound of his saliva smacking against his lips and his loud swallowing that made me decide to read it instead. Yuck.
However, reading this didn’t quite work out for me either because it was written in 3rd person present tense which read so incredibly weird that it kept taking me out of the story. The tense didn’t bother me when listening to it but reading it was another story and I kept falling asleep. 💤 Despite all that drama, I initially really liked the story or else I wouldn’t have gone through so much hell. I loved how Shae was this touch starved, needy, prickly necromancer all his life and Arthur made him feel a warmth he never knew existed and just melted into him. This created some of the best hurt/comfort scenes but I felt the romance aspect was rushed and after 80% this book got so ridiculously cheesy that I started to skim because I just didn’t feel their connection and it was too much. I thought about DNFing this constantly but I wanted to see Shae conquer his demon which was the main storyline in this book and well…let’s just say, I wasn’t impressed. 🙄🙄 This was my first read by this author and I can’t say I’m going to be trying anything else by them anytime soon.
October 3, 2021
This book had a lot of really good aspects but also a lot "meh" aspects~
The world created by Tavia Lark: 4 stars
It had all my favourite elements of a fantasy mm; magic, unique quality, medieval-like time period (but with acceptance of mm relationships)
LOVES
* the concept of different magic types (with necromancy, MC Shae's type of magic, being ostracized for its dark elements)
* knighthood "Radiance Order" that follows a magical Goddess. The world building was a lot at times but also felt like I was left with a lot of questions? Nonetheless, the concepts made me want to keep reading.
* Shae's dark magic made him super cold and Arthur's magic from the Radiance order made him full of light/warm .. aka CUDDLES
The romance: 2 stars
I liked both characters and they had sweet moments but the romance felt very shallow. I didn't feel like we fully got to know them and their romance went 0-100. I wish there had more details to explain their past and build on their romance.
Overall: 2.75-3 stars
All in all it was an okay read but it had potential to be an amazing one. I will be reading book 2 so I hope the next book is longer + the author answers all the plot holes left in this book
The world created by Tavia Lark: 4 stars
It had all my favourite elements of a fantasy mm; magic, unique quality, medieval-like time period (but with acceptance of mm relationships)
LOVES
* the concept of different magic types (with necromancy, MC Shae's type of magic, being ostracized for its dark elements)
* knighthood "Radiance Order" that follows a magical Goddess. The world building was a lot at times but also felt like I was left with a lot of questions? Nonetheless, the concepts made me want to keep reading.
* Shae's dark magic made him super cold and Arthur's magic from the Radiance order made him full of light/warm .. aka CUDDLES
The romance: 2 stars
I liked both characters and they had sweet moments but the romance felt very shallow. I didn't feel like we fully got to know them and their romance went 0-100. I wish there had more details to explain their past and build on their romance.
Overall: 2.75-3 stars
All in all it was an okay read but it had potential to be an amazing one. I will be reading book 2 so I hope the next book is longer + the author answers all the plot holes left in this book
June 23, 2022
Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded down)
I loved so much about this book! Arthur and Shae were both fantastic characters with interesting backstories that made their dynamic very enjoyable. I'm not a huge fantasy fan but I enjoyed the different types of magic and how the contrasts between Shae's dark magic and Arthur's light magic were shown. Some of the worldbuilding flew over my head with too many made up names for places and things, but it was manageable. The made up profanity also seemed cheesy to me, but I think that's purely a me-problem.
I loved the overall plot of the story and how the author gave both Arthur and Shae complex character arcs throughout, incorporating their histories, emotions and magic. The hurt-comfort was fantastic and I adored Shae's need for comfort which had an emotional and magical rationale behind it.
Some reviews have commented on disliking the plotline at 70% but I enjoyed it and thought it fit the story and characters very well. Since Arthur and Shae get together at 50% and all other conflict between them has basically been resolved at that point, I felt the story was dragging a bit and I welcomed the new conflict. .
Now for the negatives (aka why I'm not giving this 5 stars). This story had all the components that should have made it a 5 star read for me but unfortunately, I struggled to emotionally connect with either Shae or Arthur due to the rushed pace. This book is pretty short for a fantasy and as a result, everything feels rushed.
Shae and Arthur's progression from strangers to friends was great, but their sudden jump to lovers was too fast. Plotlines that I wished had been stretched out longer were wrapped up way too fast for me to properly connect with them and made some of the plotlines feel unrealistic. In particular, . I really wish the book had been longer and that these plotlines had been given more time to breathe, which would have allowed the character's emotions to shine through more and provided a bigger emotional impact.
Another thing that prevented me from thoroughly immersing myself in the story were weird narrative decisions that might be minor but their weirdness caught me off guard. For example, . So given how Necromancers aren't uncommon (according to the book), why aren't there tons of resurrected people around? I get that it's taboo, but I don't buy that humanity in this world have these powers available to them and that they aren't being commonly used. Never mind people wanting to resurrect their loved ones, but what about government/military/religious leaders? It would be a lot more efficient if you could keep a good leader in charge for eternity by simply resurrecting them once they die. This resurrection thing had massive implications and I didn't like how it was just a throw-away concept in order to bring back that minor character.
Speaking of resurrection, I was also confused by Like the other resurrection situation, this felt messy, unrealistic and just thrown in without adequate thought.
Lastly, I hated the cheesy and kind of inappropriate ending to the story. Once the big climax is done, Shae and Arthur took up residence in Cheese-Ville with constantly sappy gazes and love declarations that made me roll my eyes.
Then there was the ring thing. Oh, boy. This one was nearly as bad as the situation with Shae's parents. So throughout the book, Shae wears earrings and rings that hold certain charms. The problem is that everybody sees this jewelry and can tell he's a Necromancer, which is why he's bullied and shunned by everybody. SO WHY DOESN'T HE STOP WEARING JEWELRY THAT'S CLEARLY VISIBLE?! There are tons of ways he could wear charmed jewelry hidden beneath his clothes in a way that still alerted him to different charms but would hide them from view.
But let's pretend the rings are mandatory. So through nearly the entire book, Shae hates being a Necromancer for multiple reasons and his rings represent the powers that he hates. The trauma, pain and loneliness he experiences due to his Necromancy are basically represented by his rings. So having Arthur decide . Again - I felt the author introduced a concept that she had come up with on a whim and never considered how the concept would actually fit into the story she created.
So overall, this book had very good components, I loved the characters and their arcs, but I feel the storytelling was a little amateur and I wish the author put more thought and development into some of their ideas. But based on this author's talent, I'm excited to see what else she produces.
I loved so much about this book! Arthur and Shae were both fantastic characters with interesting backstories that made their dynamic very enjoyable. I'm not a huge fantasy fan but I enjoyed the different types of magic and how the contrasts between Shae's dark magic and Arthur's light magic were shown. Some of the worldbuilding flew over my head with too many made up names for places and things, but it was manageable. The made up profanity also seemed cheesy to me, but I think that's purely a me-problem.
I loved the overall plot of the story and how the author gave both Arthur and Shae complex character arcs throughout, incorporating their histories, emotions and magic. The hurt-comfort was fantastic and I adored Shae's need for comfort which had an emotional and magical rationale behind it.
Some reviews have commented on disliking the plotline at 70% but I enjoyed it and thought it fit the story and characters very well. Since Arthur and Shae get together at 50% and all other conflict between them has basically been resolved at that point, I felt the story was dragging a bit and I welcomed the new conflict. .
Now for the negatives (aka why I'm not giving this 5 stars). This story had all the components that should have made it a 5 star read for me but unfortunately, I struggled to emotionally connect with either Shae or Arthur due to the rushed pace. This book is pretty short for a fantasy and as a result, everything feels rushed.
Shae and Arthur's progression from strangers to friends was great, but their sudden jump to lovers was too fast. Plotlines that I wished had been stretched out longer were wrapped up way too fast for me to properly connect with them and made some of the plotlines feel unrealistic. In particular, . I really wish the book had been longer and that these plotlines had been given more time to breathe, which would have allowed the character's emotions to shine through more and provided a bigger emotional impact.
Another thing that prevented me from thoroughly immersing myself in the story were weird narrative decisions that might be minor but their weirdness caught me off guard. For example, . So given how Necromancers aren't uncommon (according to the book), why aren't there tons of resurrected people around? I get that it's taboo, but I don't buy that humanity in this world have these powers available to them and that they aren't being commonly used. Never mind people wanting to resurrect their loved ones, but what about government/military/religious leaders? It would be a lot more efficient if you could keep a good leader in charge for eternity by simply resurrecting them once they die. This resurrection thing had massive implications and I didn't like how it was just a throw-away concept in order to bring back that minor character.
Speaking of resurrection, I was also confused by Like the other resurrection situation, this felt messy, unrealistic and just thrown in without adequate thought.
Lastly, I hated the cheesy and kind of inappropriate ending to the story. Once the big climax is done, Shae and Arthur took up residence in Cheese-Ville with constantly sappy gazes and love declarations that made me roll my eyes.
Then there was the ring thing. Oh, boy. This one was nearly as bad as the situation with Shae's parents. So throughout the book, Shae wears earrings and rings that hold certain charms. The problem is that everybody sees this jewelry and can tell he's a Necromancer, which is why he's bullied and shunned by everybody. SO WHY DOESN'T HE STOP WEARING JEWELRY THAT'S CLEARLY VISIBLE?! There are tons of ways he could wear charmed jewelry hidden beneath his clothes in a way that still alerted him to different charms but would hide them from view.
But let's pretend the rings are mandatory. So through nearly the entire book, Shae hates being a Necromancer for multiple reasons and his rings represent the powers that he hates. The trauma, pain and loneliness he experiences due to his Necromancy are basically represented by his rings. So having Arthur decide . Again - I felt the author introduced a concept that she had come up with on a whim and never considered how the concept would actually fit into the story she created.
So overall, this book had very good components, I loved the characters and their arcs, but I feel the storytelling was a little amateur and I wish the author put more thought and development into some of their ideas. But based on this author's talent, I'm excited to see what else she produces.
September 1, 2023
“Light guide you”.
Primer libro de la trilogía Radiance escrita por Tavia Lark. Conocí a esta autora gracias a otra de sus sagas más actuales Perilous Courts, y como me gustaba como escribe y las historia que crea, decidí darle una oportunidad a esta.
Esta novela fue escrita antes de Perilous y se nota porque aquí vemos a una autora mucho más “verde” en cuanto a su escritura-argumento se refiere. La historia ha estado bien, los personajes entrañables, aunque se nota que le falta desarrollo en general.
¿Lo recomiendo? Sí. La autora tiene potencial y para pasar el rato estás bastante bien.
PD: La portada es fea y si no fuese porque ya he leído a la autora me lo pensaba.
Primer libro de la trilogía Radiance escrita por Tavia Lark. Conocí a esta autora gracias a otra de sus sagas más actuales Perilous Courts, y como me gustaba como escribe y las historia que crea, decidí darle una oportunidad a esta.
Esta novela fue escrita antes de Perilous y se nota porque aquí vemos a una autora mucho más “verde” en cuanto a su escritura-argumento se refiere. La historia ha estado bien, los personajes entrañables, aunque se nota que le falta desarrollo en general.
¿Lo recomiendo? Sí. La autora tiene potencial y para pasar el rato estás bastante bien.
PD: La portada es fea y si no fuese porque ya he leído a la autora me lo pensaba.
December 1, 2023
3.0 Stars
October 30, 2023
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
Loved the pairing of the disliked, seemingly evil MC with the beloved, although hurt, hero.
This is probably one of my favorite of Tavia Lark.
It feels a little shorter than what it had the potential of being.
These characters were amazing, and it could have been built on for more depth.
Still, an awesome read, even the second time around.
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- Necromancer vs Paladin
- Hurt/comfort
- Touch-starved MC
- Strict top/bottom
- Brief frotting (like 2 seconds)
“When I’m near you,” Shae whispers, “I feel alive.”
Loved the pairing of the disliked, seemingly evil MC with the beloved, although hurt, hero.
This is probably one of my favorite of Tavia Lark.
It feels a little shorter than what it had the potential of being.
These characters were amazing, and it could have been built on for more depth.
Still, an awesome read, even the second time around.
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- Necromancer vs Paladin
- Hurt/comfort
- Touch-starved MC
- Strict top/bottom
- Brief frotting (like 2 seconds)
April 25, 2022
3 stars
middle of the road read, not something i loved but not something i despised haha.
the narrator was pretty good, but i had to speed up the listening speed since he did such long pauses after every sentence.
overall good read but not one of my favorites... debating on reading book two...
middle of the road read, not something i loved but not something i despised haha.
the narrator was pretty good, but i had to speed up the listening speed since he did such long pauses after every sentence.
overall good read but not one of my favorites... debating on reading book two...
August 29, 2024
Tavia Lark does a great job of writing an easy and fluffy fantasy romance story that still actually manage to have reasonable depth in world building given how short this was.
I’m always a bit of a sucker for a story with a golden goofball Paladin character like Arthur (thanks Alistair from Dragon Age for imprinting that one on me) and paired with the black cat energy that Shae brings this was a fun time. Honestly I expected that this would be more of a hit for me (a touch starved Necromancer and a Paladin in temporary exile sounds like such good potential!). However, I suspect that it will ultimately be a bit forgettable to me in the long run.
I am curious to continue exploring this world but given one of the MCs in book two used and betrayed Arthur pretty atrociously prior to the storyline in this book (this isn’t a spoiler and is openly discussed early in the book), and according to other reviews the book doesn’t seem to really address how shitty what he did was, it’s kind of turned me off it, although I’m wondering if I can just skip to book three and hope for the best 😂.
At least these covers are an improvement on the Perilous Court Covers, thank god for small mercies.
I’m always a bit of a sucker for a story with a golden goofball Paladin character like Arthur (thanks Alistair from Dragon Age for imprinting that one on me) and paired with the black cat energy that Shae brings this was a fun time. Honestly I expected that this would be more of a hit for me (a touch starved Necromancer and a Paladin in temporary exile sounds like such good potential!). However, I suspect that it will ultimately be a bit forgettable to me in the long run.
I am curious to continue exploring this world but given one of the MCs in book two used and betrayed Arthur pretty atrociously prior to the storyline in this book (this isn’t a spoiler and is openly discussed early in the book), and according to other reviews the book doesn’t seem to really address how shitty what he did was, it’s kind of turned me off it, although I’m wondering if I can just skip to book three and hope for the best 😂.
At least these covers are an improvement on the Perilous Court Covers, thank god for small mercies.
October 27, 2023
5 stars
Review to come…..
Wow. Just wow. This was a “Stuff Your Kindle” download and I had no idea what to expect but friends, this book was incredible. Shae is a prickly, touch-starved necromancer who needs human contact in order to experience any kind of relief from his powers, unfortunately everyone SUCKS and gives him a wide berth. Enter Arthur, a paladin whom he hires to escort him on a perilous journey. Arthur is dealing with a betrayal from his former lover which has pretty much ruined his career. As Arthur and Shae face off against adversaries and fall in love (duh) they both realize that what they have is worth fighting for 🥰
If you’re into road trip, hurt/comfort and bodyguard romances then this is the fantasy romance for you. I would even categorize this as grump/sunshine. I wasn’t kidding when I said that Shae was prickly but HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE OK while Arthur is literally sunshine lol There is so much cuddling in this, I was giggling and kicking my heels 😂 I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Shae and Arthur’s song(s)
Fire on Fire-Sam Smith
Supercollide (Shae’s POV)- Banners
Review to come…..
Wow. Just wow. This was a “Stuff Your Kindle” download and I had no idea what to expect but friends, this book was incredible. Shae is a prickly, touch-starved necromancer who needs human contact in order to experience any kind of relief from his powers, unfortunately everyone SUCKS and gives him a wide berth. Enter Arthur, a paladin whom he hires to escort him on a perilous journey. Arthur is dealing with a betrayal from his former lover which has pretty much ruined his career. As Arthur and Shae face off against adversaries and fall in love (duh) they both realize that what they have is worth fighting for 🥰
If you’re into road trip, hurt/comfort and bodyguard romances then this is the fantasy romance for you. I would even categorize this as grump/sunshine. I wasn’t kidding when I said that Shae was prickly but HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE OK while Arthur is literally sunshine lol There is so much cuddling in this, I was giggling and kicking my heels 😂 I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Shae and Arthur’s song(s)
Fire on Fire-Sam Smith
Supercollide (Shae’s POV)- Banners
July 8, 2022
wow that was actually better than i expected 😳. i was hoping for big things and i got enormous things from this book and i couldn't be gladder.
not many of the other characters ended up not on my shit list but Karis definitely ended up on my fascinated list. I'm looking forward for whenever the author decides to write his book (😭😏just putting it out there).
not many of the other characters ended up not on my shit list but Karis definitely ended up on my fascinated list. I'm looking forward for whenever the author decides to write his book (😭😏just putting it out there).
August 16, 2022
I will start by saying this was a 5-star read for me. This review has zero reflection on the book and 100% reflects on the narration. If you want to read this book, read it with your eyes, not your ears.
This was my first time listening to Kai Rubio. And it will also be my last.
For some reason, Rubio is constantly pausing… in the middle of scenes, in the middle of paragraphs, in the middle of sentences. Sometimes for as long as 3 or 4 seconds. I swear one time I could hear Rubio take a drink during on of those pauses. It was super distracting, and you can’t really speed it up to account for them, because the rest of his narration is done at a normal speed.
The voices were really inconsistent. Sometimes Shae had this rasp voice, sometimes he sounded like Rubio. Arthur sometimes sounded like a Captain America type voice, other time he sounded very gruff. Sometimes I wasn’t sure who was speaking because of how often the voices changed.
Now, I will note that most recurring characters had inconsistent voices, not just Arthur and Shae, they were just the most noticeable, being the MCs after all.
Georgia’s voice was an interesting choice. She ended up sounding like a villainess in a shōjo anime… I kept waiting for the noblewoman’s laugh to come in. Though, by her last appearance, the cartoonish qualifies of her voice seemed a little more subdued.
Bernard was another cartoony one. He sounded like every person ever when they do an impersonation of a snobbish trust fund baby, hanging out at the yacht club… or like the baby from Family Guy.
I am going to assume that when Rubio picked the voice for Karis, he didn’t realize Karis would be the Mc in the next book. Otherwise, I can’t under what would make him decide on some baby Dracula x Inigo Montoya x Greek accent. It was dreadful, and if I hadn’t already decided I wasn’t going to torture my ears any further with Kai Rubio’s narrating, this would have put the nail in the coffin on whether I wanted to continue listening to this series.
This was my first time listening to Kai Rubio. And it will also be my last.
For some reason, Rubio is constantly pausing… in the middle of scenes, in the middle of paragraphs, in the middle of sentences. Sometimes for as long as 3 or 4 seconds. I swear one time I could hear Rubio take a drink during on of those pauses. It was super distracting, and you can’t really speed it up to account for them, because the rest of his narration is done at a normal speed.
The voices were really inconsistent. Sometimes Shae had this rasp voice, sometimes he sounded like Rubio. Arthur sometimes sounded like a Captain America type voice, other time he sounded very gruff. Sometimes I wasn’t sure who was speaking because of how often the voices changed.
Now, I will note that most recurring characters had inconsistent voices, not just Arthur and Shae, they were just the most noticeable, being the MCs after all.
Georgia’s voice was an interesting choice. She ended up sounding like a villainess in a shōjo anime… I kept waiting for the noblewoman’s laugh to come in. Though, by her last appearance, the cartoonish qualifies of her voice seemed a little more subdued.
Bernard was another cartoony one. He sounded like every person ever when they do an impersonation of a snobbish trust fund baby, hanging out at the yacht club… or like the baby from Family Guy.
I am going to assume that when Rubio picked the voice for Karis, he didn’t realize Karis would be the Mc in the next book. Otherwise, I can’t under what would make him decide on some baby Dracula x Inigo Montoya x Greek accent. It was dreadful, and if I hadn’t already decided I wasn’t going to torture my ears any further with Kai Rubio’s narrating, this would have put the nail in the coffin on whether I wanted to continue listening to this series.
July 4, 2022
“What kind of idiot would kiss a necromancer?”
“In my defense,” Arthur says, “you’re a very attractive necromancer.”
“Definitely an idiot,” Shae says.
This book came out of nowhere for me. I saw a review for it on my goodreads feed, read the synopsis and knew it had to be my next read.
It was such a good read. Not only was the romance everything I wanted, but the world and plot was just as interesting.
Shae is a necromancer. Every time he uses his magic he loses a bit of himself. The only way to combat this coldness and regain himself, is human contact. The only problem with this is that necromancers are not exactly looked upon in a good light (pun intended).
Enter Arthur, the Paladin who's agreed to escort Shae. He's the brightest light Shae has ever met, he's practically a human fireplace.
Romance ensues.
June 26, 2022
I thought this was a delight!
Always down for some queer fantasy, and the world-building here was really interesting. Some bits reminded me of T. Kingfisher's World of the White Rat, which is definitely a good thing. Interesting plot, and compelling characters with a lovely connection. Things move quite quickly between them, but for some reason it didn't feel rushed to me. Curious about the next book, as it features one of the villains from this one...
Always down for some queer fantasy, and the world-building here was really interesting. Some bits reminded me of T. Kingfisher's World of the White Rat, which is definitely a good thing. Interesting plot, and compelling characters with a lovely connection. Things move quite quickly between them, but for some reason it didn't feel rushed to me. Curious about the next book, as it features one of the villains from this one...
January 14, 2024
Reread 2024: ditto on past reviews
Reread 2022: So cozy and cuddly with a side of murder. Love. The narration on this one is rough though, highly recommend messing around with the speed to help account for the pacing issues.
4.5!! Loved this paladin & necromancer romance. On the road, lots of cuddling, what else could you want?
Reread 2022: So cozy and cuddly with a side of murder. Love. The narration on this one is rough though, highly recommend messing around with the speed to help account for the pacing issues.
4.5!! Loved this paladin & necromancer romance. On the road, lots of cuddling, what else could you want?
April 4, 2024
~ MM PNR Romance
~ Quest-Adventure
~ Prickly MMC
~ Spicy
This was a quick low angst read, perfect for me after a string of dark read. I’d give this a 3.5 because although I enjoyed the story, there were parts that I skimmed a bit. I do love book where people go traipsing through the forest for a quest 😂
Arthur and Shae are really cute together. Shae being the grumpy Necromancer that hires Arthur, the shining Paladin, to protect him on his quest to vanquish a demon.
Just a cute short read, nice palate cleanser 😂
~ Quest-Adventure
~ Prickly MMC
~ Spicy
This was a quick low angst read, perfect for me after a string of dark read. I’d give this a 3.5 because although I enjoyed the story, there were parts that I skimmed a bit. I do love book where people go traipsing through the forest for a quest 😂
Arthur and Shae are really cute together. Shae being the grumpy Necromancer that hires Arthur, the shining Paladin, to protect him on his quest to vanquish a demon.
Just a cute short read, nice palate cleanser 😂
September 26, 2024
"The Necromancer's Light" was precisely my jam. I loved everything about this little gem of a fantasy book, and then some.
GAH, I'm so glad I gave Tavia Lark a chance! I feel like I hit jackpot with her: I have so many more books of hers to devour now.
I absolutely adored the premise of this story, and the world-building was absolutely majestic: simple, but rich and interesting, so easy to follow and understand and picture.
I also completely adored the story Tavia Lark manages to weave: I managed to devour this book so quickly it actually gave me whiplash. The plot is packed with all the usual romance tropes that I'm a goner for, plus a few new ones I didn't know I desperately needed: tons of hurt/comfort, sunshine X grumpy, touch starved MC X human furnace MC, and close proximity and huddling for warmth (both because of plot reasons!) at its absolute finest.
I also adored all the characters: the leads were utterly fantastic, both of them flawed but lovable. Arthur was literally golden retriever energy incarnate: he was so deliciously nice, and funny and charming and protective. His surprisingly possessive side was a very, very nice bonus.
And Shae was my favourite. Prickly, damaged, in desperate need of care and affection: characters like him are my weakness. I'm so happy he managed to get the HEA he absolutely deserves. Their romance was one of my favourite things in this story: ridiculously sweet, with a smidge of steam, and respectful and, just, plain lovely. I adored them.
I'm a both curious and terrified of starting the next book: I hope it's as good as this one.
GAH, I'm so glad I gave Tavia Lark a chance! I feel like I hit jackpot with her: I have so many more books of hers to devour now.
I absolutely adored the premise of this story, and the world-building was absolutely majestic: simple, but rich and interesting, so easy to follow and understand and picture.
I also completely adored the story Tavia Lark manages to weave: I managed to devour this book so quickly it actually gave me whiplash. The plot is packed with all the usual romance tropes that I'm a goner for, plus a few new ones I didn't know I desperately needed: tons of hurt/comfort, sunshine X grumpy, touch starved MC X human furnace MC, and close proximity and huddling for warmth (both because of plot reasons!) at its absolute finest.
I also adored all the characters: the leads were utterly fantastic, both of them flawed but lovable. Arthur was literally golden retriever energy incarnate: he was so deliciously nice, and funny and charming and protective. His surprisingly possessive side was a very, very nice bonus.
And Shae was my favourite. Prickly, damaged, in desperate need of care and affection: characters like him are my weakness. I'm so happy he managed to get the HEA he absolutely deserves. Their romance was one of my favourite things in this story: ridiculously sweet, with a smidge of steam, and respectful and, just, plain lovely. I adored them.
I'm a both curious and terrified of starting the next book: I hope it's as good as this one.
January 27, 2023
January 25, 2023 re-read: I loved this book the first time I read it, and found myself appreciating it even more the second time around. Tavia Lark is just so good at making you immediately feel for the characters and believe in the relationship they’re forging with each other. Shae’s powers are creative, and the worldbuilding is detailed, especially for such a short book. While I would have loved for this to be longer, it’s well-paced as is, and I didn’t feel like anything was missing. Radiance is one of my favorite series and I’m glad to have revisited it!
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Necromancer who needs human proximity and touch to survive hires a paladin to escort him on a journey. This was a bit too short, but I loved the worldbuilding, the magic, and the chemistry between the MCs.
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Necromancer who needs human proximity and touch to survive hires a paladin to escort him on a journey. This was a bit too short, but I loved the worldbuilding, the magic, and the chemistry between the MCs.
August 2, 2025
Tropes: hurt/comfort, bodyguard/client
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: past death of parents, violence, gore, death, injuries, black magic
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: there are references to Arthur's ex Ronan, but Arthur is very much over him. Shae I've never been with anyone, because people are too afraid of him as a necromancer.
3.75 stars
Shae is 22, he has been a necromancer since he was 12 years old and his parents were killed by bandits. He turned to necromancy to try to bring his parents back to life, but they didn't want to come back that way. When he made a deal with the demon Izen to learn necromancy, it came at costs to him. He's considered a pariah to society, no one wants to be around him or even sell food and items to him. He feels a coldness always that he can't get rid of, and he needs human contact to feel warm, but the humans don't want to be near him unless he's paying them for their time. Shae trapped the demon in an array of magic, and it's degrading. He needs to banish the demon and it will make him no longer a necromancer. If the demon is killed before he can banish him, Shae will be stuck as a necromancer forever.
Shae hires Arthur, 25-year-old Paladin in service of a religious Army to be his bodyguard / companion for the journey to Izen. Arthur is on a one-year exile from his team because his lover Ronan betrayed him and stole a prized religious artifact. It's nearing the end of his year, and he's hoping they will reinstate him at the end of it. He has to go through a trial then. Arthur feels unusually protective of Shae, fond of the prickly vulnerable man, seeing good in him. As they spend more time together, their attraction to each other grows and their fondness of the other person's character grows. But Shae doesn't have a lot of time, and he's worried that Arthur might not pick him if it comes to a choice between him and his vocation as a paladin.
This was a sweet story. The two mmcs were both good people and had been through things and deserved happiness. They were sweet together, they were a good match. The world building was nice. It was kind of insta love though, the feelings happened very fast even though the physical stuff burned a little slower. It could have benefited from a little bit more depth to why they fell for each other. The first time they had sex felt a little too casual too, I think they could have been more epic if the author had pushed things a bit! They were sweet but not deep together as a couple.
Some notable moments:
"He wakes the next morning, even warmer and more comfortable than when he fell asleep, and knows immediately that something has gone terribly wrong. When he fell asleep, he was next to Arthur. Now, he is very much on top of Arthur. Cheek and hand pressed against his broad chest, one of his legs actually hooked over one of Arthur’s. His heartbeat picks up, and he can’t help flinching away."
"He’s already gone, Shae realizes. Even if he stays for a couple days, even if he stays for a month, he can’t compete with Arthur’s precious order. He can’t handle staying and watching as Arthur draws further and further away. “Fine,” he says coldly. “Good luck with that.” He steps away to start untying Sparrow."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: past death of parents, violence, gore, death, injuries, black magic
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: there are references to Arthur's ex Ronan, but Arthur is very much over him. Shae I've never been with anyone, because people are too afraid of him as a necromancer.
3.75 stars
Shae is 22, he has been a necromancer since he was 12 years old and his parents were killed by bandits. He turned to necromancy to try to bring his parents back to life, but they didn't want to come back that way. When he made a deal with the demon Izen to learn necromancy, it came at costs to him. He's considered a pariah to society, no one wants to be around him or even sell food and items to him. He feels a coldness always that he can't get rid of, and he needs human contact to feel warm, but the humans don't want to be near him unless he's paying them for their time. Shae trapped the demon in an array of magic, and it's degrading. He needs to banish the demon and it will make him no longer a necromancer. If the demon is killed before he can banish him, Shae will be stuck as a necromancer forever.
Shae hires Arthur, 25-year-old Paladin in service of a religious Army to be his bodyguard / companion for the journey to Izen. Arthur is on a one-year exile from his team because his lover Ronan betrayed him and stole a prized religious artifact. It's nearing the end of his year, and he's hoping they will reinstate him at the end of it. He has to go through a trial then. Arthur feels unusually protective of Shae, fond of the prickly vulnerable man, seeing good in him. As they spend more time together, their attraction to each other grows and their fondness of the other person's character grows. But Shae doesn't have a lot of time, and he's worried that Arthur might not pick him if it comes to a choice between him and his vocation as a paladin.
This was a sweet story. The two mmcs were both good people and had been through things and deserved happiness. They were sweet together, they were a good match. The world building was nice. It was kind of insta love though, the feelings happened very fast even though the physical stuff burned a little slower. It could have benefited from a little bit more depth to why they fell for each other. The first time they had sex felt a little too casual too, I think they could have been more epic if the author had pushed things a bit! They were sweet but not deep together as a couple.
Some notable moments:
"He wakes the next morning, even warmer and more comfortable than when he fell asleep, and knows immediately that something has gone terribly wrong. When he fell asleep, he was next to Arthur. Now, he is very much on top of Arthur. Cheek and hand pressed against his broad chest, one of his legs actually hooked over one of Arthur’s. His heartbeat picks up, and he can’t help flinching away."
"He’s already gone, Shae realizes. Even if he stays for a couple days, even if he stays for a month, he can’t compete with Arthur’s precious order. He can’t handle staying and watching as Arthur draws further and further away. “Fine,” he says coldly. “Good luck with that.” He steps away to start untying Sparrow."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 13, 2024Very sweet, magical and wholesome!
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☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
January 4, 2022
3.5 stars
Stumbled into this one in "Amazon's Top picks for you" list; I liked the cover and the blurb so I decided to give it a try. For most of the story, I really liked it! While the world-build is rather thin but I had no problem following the context - it has paladins and necromancer and demons and magics. Fun times!
I liked both Shae and Arthur... well, until Arthur decided to do something VERY STUPID (at around 2/3 of the book) and then I was annoyed (which influenced my reading experience). Shae is sweet - yes, he's a necromancer, he deals with the dead, he makes deals with demons - but it starts as grief (Shae wants to revive his parents who were killed by bandits) and now he wants to banish the demon. The final battle is a little bit anticlimactic though.
Arthur starts the journey to be a little suspicious of Shae (just like everyone) but then as they start the journey, Arthur sees Shae a bit differently. UNTIL THAT MOMENT (). The thing that annoyed me with this, is that . So what's the use of the ? It feels unnecessary!
I like the writing though, so I will check out the next book in this series.
Stumbled into this one in "Amazon's Top picks for you" list; I liked the cover and the blurb so I decided to give it a try. For most of the story, I really liked it! While the world-build is rather thin but I had no problem following the context - it has paladins and necromancer and demons and magics. Fun times!
I liked both Shae and Arthur... well, until Arthur decided to do something VERY STUPID (at around 2/3 of the book) and then I was annoyed (which influenced my reading experience). Shae is sweet - yes, he's a necromancer, he deals with the dead, he makes deals with demons - but it starts as grief (Shae wants to revive his parents who were killed by bandits) and now he wants to banish the demon. The final battle is a little bit anticlimactic though.
Arthur starts the journey to be a little suspicious of Shae (just like everyone) but then as they start the journey, Arthur sees Shae a bit differently. UNTIL THAT MOMENT (). The thing that annoyed me with this, is that . So what's the use of the ? It feels unnecessary!
I like the writing though, so I will check out the next book in this series.
May 15, 2024
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was so excited. An MM romance between a jilted paladin and a touch-starved necromancer? Yes, please.
Sadly, I wasn't the biggest fan of the execution. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and their relationship moved way too quickly for me...
Sadly, I wasn't the biggest fan of the execution. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and their relationship moved way too quickly for me...
January 5, 2025
Wow, that was fantastic!
I’d never even heard of this author or book until a friend recommended it to me. It sounded intriguing (especially the touch-starved part… love me some hurt/comfort), so I picked it up.
It kept me entertained from start to finish, and the glimpse of the next book has me anxious for its release next week! I will admit that the third-person POV in present tense threw me a bit at first, but the editing was great and the characters vivid, so eventually I barely noticed.
I’ve already recommended this to some friends I know will love it. This is definitely an author I’ll be reading more of!
I’d never even heard of this author or book until a friend recommended it to me. It sounded intriguing (especially the touch-starved part… love me some hurt/comfort), so I picked it up.
It kept me entertained from start to finish, and the glimpse of the next book has me anxious for its release next week! I will admit that the third-person POV in present tense threw me a bit at first, but the editing was great and the characters vivid, so eventually I barely noticed.
I’ve already recommended this to some friends I know will love it. This is definitely an author I’ll be reading more of!
March 7, 2022
This book had an interesting world it was set in, and we got to see and hear snippets about it that made me want to see more of it.
The characters and story aren't terribly deep, but it was still an enjoyable read. It is technically a touch-or-die situation for Shae, but I guess the urgency of that situation didn't make it through to me, which was a bit of a bummer.
I liked Georgia a lot.
Overall, this was cute, entertaining, and sweet.
The characters and story aren't terribly deep, but it was still an enjoyable read. It is technically a touch-or-die situation for Shae, but I guess the urgency of that situation didn't make it through to me, which was a bit of a bummer.
I liked Georgia a lot.
Overall, this was cute, entertaining, and sweet.
dnf
May 4, 2025DNF at pg 111.
The romance just doesn’t work for me. It feels so shallow and unbelievable.
The romance just doesn’t work for me. It feels so shallow and unbelievable.
January 1, 2026
My last 2025 read and yes, it is MM romance. A good summary of this year's mental state.
But really, this is a great book. In The Necromancer's Light, Shae, a dark necromancer goes on a journey with Arthur, a light magic paladin. As one can imagine, they fall in love. This book feels like a relative of Ariana Nash's work (which is perhaps one of the best compliments I can give).
There was a lot that was very wholesome here. In particular, I loved how Shae's constant cold was described and how we slowly see other sides of him. I loved how they respect the dead and I loved how Arthur was such a ray of sunshine in all aspects. I think people will always find something to criticize in books like this (the world building, the speed in which they fall in love, etc) but I didn't pick this book up for the plot, I picked it up because I am sad and need something to remind me that life is worth it. So this book, as I see it, does its job perfectly.
Overall, I've started the second one already and I do see myself continuing this series. If you're interested in some light fantasy with a lot of romance, this is a very nice read.
What I'm Taking With Me
- I am so happy that I got back into the flow of reading in that one Shabbat
- Necromancy sounds so cool
- I genuinely felt this urge to curl up somewhere cozy when reading Shae's parts, wow
But really, this is a great book. In The Necromancer's Light, Shae, a dark necromancer goes on a journey with Arthur, a light magic paladin. As one can imagine, they fall in love. This book feels like a relative of Ariana Nash's work (which is perhaps one of the best compliments I can give).
There was a lot that was very wholesome here. In particular, I loved how Shae's constant cold was described and how we slowly see other sides of him. I loved how they respect the dead and I loved how Arthur was such a ray of sunshine in all aspects. I think people will always find something to criticize in books like this (the world building, the speed in which they fall in love, etc) but I didn't pick this book up for the plot, I picked it up because I am sad and need something to remind me that life is worth it. So this book, as I see it, does its job perfectly.
Overall, I've started the second one already and I do see myself continuing this series. If you're interested in some light fantasy with a lot of romance, this is a very nice read.
What I'm Taking With Me
- I am so happy that I got back into the flow of reading in that one Shabbat
- Necromancy sounds so cool
- I genuinely felt this urge to curl up somewhere cozy when reading Shae's parts, wow
November 29, 2023
Yelp it's interesting but something is missing
October 24, 2022
So many bones of a GREAT read, but it was just okay. I still enjoyed reading it though! I wish the other books were about these two.
February 9, 2024
2024 re-read:
Still fantastic: characters, worldbuilding, descriptions. The cover's wrong, the necromancer has black hair, but that's not the author's fault. The overall plot of this trilogy is fantastic fantasy. I usually hate gods stories, but I love this one because it's intensely character-driven.
2021 review:
This is a fantastic opposites-attract romance, and has one of the best-done separations I've ever read. The world is great without ever being tedious. I am impressed. Book 2 comes out in December.
CW: self-harm for blood magic; many deaths.
Still fantastic: characters, worldbuilding, descriptions. The cover's wrong, the necromancer has black hair, but that's not the author's fault. The overall plot of this trilogy is fantastic fantasy. I usually hate gods stories, but I love this one because it's intensely character-driven.
2021 review:
This is a fantastic opposites-attract romance, and has one of the best-done separations I've ever read. The world is great without ever being tedious. I am impressed. Book 2 comes out in December.
CW: self-harm for blood magic; many deaths.
September 17, 2021
I really liked this one. I had never heard of the author but I'm still on my kick of reading paranormal stuff off of Kindle Unlimited so I randomly picked this because I liked the cover. It ended up being a super interesting story about a necromancer and a paladin who set out to capture a demon and send it back to Hell.
I can't wait until the next one comes out to see where this story heads.
I can't wait until the next one comes out to see where this story heads.
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