Without Light or Guide Tour: Review

Without Light or Guide (Los Nefilim: Part 2)
Author: T. Frohock
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Print Length: 128 pages
Description:

Always holding themselves aloft from the affairs of mortals, Los Nefilim have thrived for eons. But with the Spanish Civil War looming, their fragile independence is shaken by the machinations of angels and daimons… and a half breed caught in between. Although Diago Alvarez has pledged his loyalty to Los Nefilim, there are many who don’t trust his daimonic blood. And with the re-emergence of his father—a Nefil who sold his soul to a daimon—the fear is Diago will soon follow the same path. Yet even as Diago tries to prove his allegiance, events conspire that only fuel the other Nefilim’s suspicions—including the fact that every mortal Diago has known in Barcelona is being brutally murdered.

Without Light or Guide is the second novella in the Los Nefilim series. It continues to follow Diago Alvarez, who is half angel and half daimon, but has chosen to side with Los Nefilim. He's still not trusted among the other Nefilim, who believe that his daimonic side will take over and he will become evil. To make matters worse, Diago's father - a Nefil who sold his soul to a daimon - makes a reappearance. As Diago attempts to prove his loyalty to the other Nefilim - all of the mortals that he has ever known in Barcelona are being brutally murdered. He has to find out who is behind the murders - before the other Nefilim banish him.

This was an interesting novella that packs a lot of action and information into a mere 128 pages. It's the second installment in a series and I would highly recommend reading the first book before this one, as a lot of the story references things discussed beforehand. Diago continues to be a solid main character but doesn't really grow much during the book. I loved reading about his heritage - of being half daimon and half Nefilim - along with learning as much as I could about both the Nefilim and the daimons. It was in depth and fascinating - I think the backstory of each and their histories give the book a depth that wouldn't be there otherwise. The author uses a lot of detailed descriptions and vivid imagery throughout the book, so everything was easy to visualize in my mind. I have to admit that it felt a bit over the top most of the time - too many adjectives and imagery - and it distracted me from the story, which affected my overall reading experience in a negative way. The plot was original but I wasn't able to focus very well on what was happening or any of the other subplots due to the over-the-top imagery that seemed to overwhelm everything else in the book. Overall, I think this has great potential, but the author needs to tweak the writing style a bit to make it a bit more balanced. (Again, that's my personal opinion and other readers will surely disagree with me.)

T. Frohock has turned her love of dark fantasy and horror into tales of deliciously creepy fiction. She currently lives in North Carolina where she has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying. Check out more of her works and news at www.tfrohock.com.

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