This book was slow at the start for me. I also had a hard time getting past what originally seems like a father/daughter relationship. In the end, I enjoyed this and will read the next in the series. ( )

Vampires. Witches. Bewitched objects. A giant arachnid. Lycan. Elves. Reminds me of a Halloween town of sorts right under the noses of human beings. War rages against the dark for the sake of love. When light turns dark and the darkness returns the light you'll find yourself cheering on the dark side. Though I enjoyed the book there were a few quirks. The relationship between Charlotte and Valek is a bit on the incest side. It didn't really bother me because Valek isn't her real father but the relationship is implied. He found Charlotte when she was a baby; he has a photo she drew when she was a child hanging in his office. I mean doubt he raised her with the intent of making Charlotte his future lover but the whole thing is a bit odd. There was an epic war raging and its climatic end never came. The author built up to the scene then completely bypassed it and move straight to the epilogue that was a major let down. Where was the anticipated action? The book also needs a some reediting. ( )

This was a well constructed plot with twists and turns. I enjoyed the pace of the story, and I found the characters mostly likable. ( )

Reviewed by: April
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

A very unique spin on the widely done Young Adult/Paranormal/Vamp genre, Of Lights and Darkness held my attention from beginning to end and never wavered in between.

Shayne Leighton creates a lively and vivid world within the pages of this story, interwoven with dynamic characters and an intriguing story line, I was held captivated on many levels the entire way through. Set in the area of Prague, there is a little known city called the Occult City where vampires, elves, witches and all facets of the paranormal reside – segregated from humans. As an infant, Charlotte is discovered by Valek, a vampire and doctor of the Occult City, abandoned in the dirty streets of Prague. Valek takes Charlotte in – breaking one of the most stringent laws of the city by harboring a human – and nurtures her, raising her with love and fatherly adoration. As Charlotte grows older, she goes out to hunt humans to feed Valek and is a main staple in the city and is well loved. Both find their relationship changing, however, as Charlotte grows into womanhood. Innocence is replaced by deeper feelings and when lives become endangered, there is an added intensity that adds an entirely new dimension to the story.

I truly loved the writing style of Shayne Leighton in Of Light and Darkness. The way in which she brings the characters to life is fairly extraordinary. I found myself very attached to both Valek and Charlotte. Unlike many YA/Vamp/Paranormal stories on the market today, this one is not portrayed as the romantic/glorified version of otherworldly beings. There is a bit more darkness and realism, if you will, packed within this story. Valek is kind and very doting to his Lottie (Charlotte), he has tried to shelter her from seeing his monster side when he feeds and goes into his death sleep. He is a man with morals, compassion and is rather nurturing and unselfish. Charlotte is a very endearing and likable character. She is filled with spunk, bravery, and loyalty. The chemistry between the two main characters is very nearly perfect. I know some may be a bit turned off by the idea of a more intimate relationship forming between a father-type figure and the child/young woman that he raised and nurtured. However the way in which Ms. Leighton approaches and writes this aspect of the story is very well done, as well as adds a uniqueness of plot that I have not previously read in other novels.

In addition to the romance aspect in Of Light and Darkness, there is an excellent element of suspense that kept me engaged throughout. I found myself absorbed not only in the story itself and its many characters, but my emotions were also strongly engaged as I found my heart racing in intensity and worries engulf me throughout. With strong descriptions all throughout, readers will quickly and easily find themselves hooked on Of Light and Darkness, as I was. The ending was the perfect mix of satisfaction, yet openness to make me anxious for the next book in the series.

For lovers of YA and/or Paranormal stories, I highly recommend this one. I anxiously look forward to not only reading the next book in this series, but additional works by this author as well. ( )

**This novel was given to The Book Hookup but did not influence the review**

Celeste’s review: A vampire found a human baby and then raised her as his own because there was something about her that was so pure it spoke to him….that appealed to me straight away….such a different concept! I was fascinated with the idea of a human girl living in a magical world. However, Charlotte, the human girl, is now an adult and has feelings for her vampire, Valek. eek. I tried to get past this, but I just had such a hard time with the concept of a father figure as a romantic interest.

My plan was to try and put the background of their relationship out of my mind and focus on the rest of the story. In this novel, the vampires of the world are the target of a genocide. They are the traditional vampires we are familiar with, but the rest of the society and secondary characters were written so well. The magical elves in power want to wipe every last vampire out and rule the world on their own. At the same time the next heir to power, elf Aiden, wants Charlotte for himself. So now the couple Charlotte and Valek are in even more danger, which is the story that is told here.

Ms. Leighton has a fabulous imagination, I truly loved all the characters in this world, I felt as though I could picture them perfectly. Every time a vampire’s hand was described as a claw, I could just visualize the cold, dead skin. I loved Mr. Trinozka and Edwin, although both creepy, they were both creatively fascinting at the same time.

The fight to save both Charlotte and the vampires was intense and quite a few times I wasn’t sure who was going to be killed and who would survive. It definitely kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would happen. There seemed to be several parts of the story that were unclear, slight inconsistencies, but did not take away from the story and something a great editor would catch. All in all it was an entertaining read and Shayne Leighton definiteley has a fantastic imagination. ( )