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Los Nefilim #0.2
Without Light or Guide
The fate of mankind has nothing to do with mankind…
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.
For 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.
The second novella in T. Frohock's Los Nefilim series, Without Light or Guide continues Diago's journey through a world he was born into, yet doesn't quite understand.
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.
For 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.
The second novella in T. Frohock's Los Nefilim series, Without Light or Guide continues Diago's journey through a world he was born into, yet doesn't quite understand.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2015
2 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
T. Frohock
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I have a Patreon, where you can find short stories and articles on demonology and angelology.
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T. Frohock has turned a love of history and dark fantasy into tales of deliciously creepy fiction. A real-life cyborg, T has a cochlear implant, meaning she can turn you on or off with the flick of a switch. Make of that what you will. She currently lives in North Carolina, where she has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.
Check out my newsletter for updates and more.
T. Frohock has turned a love of history and dark fantasy into tales of deliciously creepy fiction. A real-life cyborg, T has a cochlear implant, meaning she can turn you on or off with the flick of a switch. Make of that what you will. She currently lives in North Carolina, where she has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 20, 2019
Atmospheric and full of hidden depths--just the kind of urban fantasy that I'm always looking for.
November 2, 2015
Full review on my blog - https://totalinabilitytoconnect.wordp...
Note: ARC provided by author/publisher, but I’ma buy this anyway :)
A couple years ago, I went through a phase where I was trying to broaden my reading horizons (away from my steady diet of exclusively epic fantasy). A friend personally recommended Teresa Frohock’s Miserere to me, while chatting at a book signing. I was intrigued by his description, and his enthusiasm towards the merits of the book sold it to me. Needless to say, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Teresa’s writing rides an interesting line, and one that I was not previously accustomed to – dark fantasy. Hers in particular tends to blend aspects of horror, fantasy, and religious fiction (sorry, T, I had to). She wrote an extremely interesting piece on the topic, which can be read here. I encourage everyone to read the article!
I left Miserere hoping for more similar stories from Teresa, and luckily she’d filled in the space with some brilliant shorts, which I eagerly ate up. I was more than excited when she announced a new serial series, beginning with In Midnight’s Silence this spring. The series intro was gorgeous – it was dark, magical, beautifully written, and very moving at times.
When Without Light or Guide was announced, I began a mental countdown, while eagerly awaiting the release – luckily, Teresa was kind enough to send me a copy early, which I devoured as quickly as I could, while filling her poor inbox with unsolicited feedback. The book continues where In Midnight’s Silence left off – lovers Diago and Miquel, along with Diago’s previously unknown son, shelter with Guillermo, a leader of Los Nefilim. Diago makes the difficult choice to invest his loyalty fully in Los Nefilim, which is a decision questioned by many of the members of the faction, due to choices made in Diago’s past.
Guillermo, however, has faith and trust in Diago, and welcomes him into the fold. He gives Diago his first mission as a member of the faction, which leads to it’s own set of troubles. Much of the book reads almost as a noir crime mystery, intermingled with the personal dramas of not just Diago and Miquel, but also Los Nefilim. Diago is untrusted by his new companions, and there is a growing faction who distrust him to the point of doing anything to prove his lack of allegiance. This is further complicated by one of Los Nefilim’s most loyal members not being what they seem…
This distrust is only further fueled as many things seem to point towards Diago being involved in a series of grisly murders, as many of the mortals he knows in Barcelona begin to turn up dead. Already under heavy scrutiny for being part angel and part daemon, Diago is continually targeted by certain members of the Nefilim as they try to prove/frame him as disloyal and corrupt.
The relationships and personalities found in the previous novel was just as present, and are often the driving force behind the story. Teresa writes fantastic characters, and the interactions and dialogue between them are incredible and moving. Miquel, who at first struggles with his lover having betrayed him and fathered a child, bonds with Rafael throughout the book, their relationship growing ever stronger, largely in the name of Diago. There are some of the most touching family moments I’ve ever read in a book surrounding this trio – an untraditional family to say the least, but one that figures out how to function despite the drama and adversity around them, and one that’s fueled on love. The soft, beautiful chapter snuggled in the middle of this book where the family truly bonds, in a home environment, broke up the otherwise dark and often depressing nature of the book in an incredible way, and I found it to be the perfect chapter at the perfect time – exactly what was needed to bring the reader back to the reality of what’s truly important, not just in life, but in the lives of these characters.
Diago is haunted by many things in this novel – his family problems, his entry into Los Nefilim, the members of Nefilim fighting against him, his own father essentially haunting him, as well as his chromesthesia – a condition he’s suffering from his injuries and events suffered in In Midnight’s Silence. This leaves him in spells of confusion, overwhelmed by his senses, and unable to correctly function and defend himself. However, even while his entire world is seemingly caving in on him, overwhelming him with problems, Diago’s friends and family rally around him.
As with the previous novel, the shorter length leaves little time for elaborate worldbuilding – however, Teresa does a brilliant job of filling in the gaps via dialogue and events conspiring, without ever feeling like any infodumping was occurring. I’ve felt through these two novels that I understood the settings, every house, every street, every dark place. Atmosphere is an area of expertise for Frohock, and she deftly gives dark places a haunted feeling, and home a comforting feeling, with an economy of words.
Without Light or Guide is a wonderful piece of this story, and leaves me craving more of these characters, more of this setting, and more of the moving love between Diago and Miquel.
Note: ARC provided by author/publisher, but I’ma buy this anyway :)
A couple years ago, I went through a phase where I was trying to broaden my reading horizons (away from my steady diet of exclusively epic fantasy). A friend personally recommended Teresa Frohock’s Miserere to me, while chatting at a book signing. I was intrigued by his description, and his enthusiasm towards the merits of the book sold it to me. Needless to say, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Teresa’s writing rides an interesting line, and one that I was not previously accustomed to – dark fantasy. Hers in particular tends to blend aspects of horror, fantasy, and religious fiction (sorry, T, I had to). She wrote an extremely interesting piece on the topic, which can be read here. I encourage everyone to read the article!
I left Miserere hoping for more similar stories from Teresa, and luckily she’d filled in the space with some brilliant shorts, which I eagerly ate up. I was more than excited when she announced a new serial series, beginning with In Midnight’s Silence this spring. The series intro was gorgeous – it was dark, magical, beautifully written, and very moving at times.
When Without Light or Guide was announced, I began a mental countdown, while eagerly awaiting the release – luckily, Teresa was kind enough to send me a copy early, which I devoured as quickly as I could, while filling her poor inbox with unsolicited feedback. The book continues where In Midnight’s Silence left off – lovers Diago and Miquel, along with Diago’s previously unknown son, shelter with Guillermo, a leader of Los Nefilim. Diago makes the difficult choice to invest his loyalty fully in Los Nefilim, which is a decision questioned by many of the members of the faction, due to choices made in Diago’s past.
Guillermo, however, has faith and trust in Diago, and welcomes him into the fold. He gives Diago his first mission as a member of the faction, which leads to it’s own set of troubles. Much of the book reads almost as a noir crime mystery, intermingled with the personal dramas of not just Diago and Miquel, but also Los Nefilim. Diago is untrusted by his new companions, and there is a growing faction who distrust him to the point of doing anything to prove his lack of allegiance. This is further complicated by one of Los Nefilim’s most loyal members not being what they seem…
This distrust is only further fueled as many things seem to point towards Diago being involved in a series of grisly murders, as many of the mortals he knows in Barcelona begin to turn up dead. Already under heavy scrutiny for being part angel and part daemon, Diago is continually targeted by certain members of the Nefilim as they try to prove/frame him as disloyal and corrupt.
The relationships and personalities found in the previous novel was just as present, and are often the driving force behind the story. Teresa writes fantastic characters, and the interactions and dialogue between them are incredible and moving. Miquel, who at first struggles with his lover having betrayed him and fathered a child, bonds with Rafael throughout the book, their relationship growing ever stronger, largely in the name of Diago. There are some of the most touching family moments I’ve ever read in a book surrounding this trio – an untraditional family to say the least, but one that figures out how to function despite the drama and adversity around them, and one that’s fueled on love. The soft, beautiful chapter snuggled in the middle of this book where the family truly bonds, in a home environment, broke up the otherwise dark and often depressing nature of the book in an incredible way, and I found it to be the perfect chapter at the perfect time – exactly what was needed to bring the reader back to the reality of what’s truly important, not just in life, but in the lives of these characters.
Diago is haunted by many things in this novel – his family problems, his entry into Los Nefilim, the members of Nefilim fighting against him, his own father essentially haunting him, as well as his chromesthesia – a condition he’s suffering from his injuries and events suffered in In Midnight’s Silence. This leaves him in spells of confusion, overwhelmed by his senses, and unable to correctly function and defend himself. However, even while his entire world is seemingly caving in on him, overwhelming him with problems, Diago’s friends and family rally around him.
As with the previous novel, the shorter length leaves little time for elaborate worldbuilding – however, Teresa does a brilliant job of filling in the gaps via dialogue and events conspiring, without ever feeling like any infodumping was occurring. I’ve felt through these two novels that I understood the settings, every house, every street, every dark place. Atmosphere is an area of expertise for Frohock, and she deftly gives dark places a haunted feeling, and home a comforting feeling, with an economy of words.
Without Light or Guide is a wonderful piece of this story, and leaves me craving more of these characters, more of this setting, and more of the moving love between Diago and Miquel.
October 31, 2015
With thanks to the publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are so many unique things about this urban fantasy, not the least of which is the setting. Typical urban fantasy takes you to current American city streets, but here we walk alleys and roads and tunnels in Spain, with the Spanish Civil War looming on the horizon. We also have a a main protagonist who is older than usual, and an approach to magic that toys with your senses.
This is the second in the In Midnight's Silence, and it picks up a few weeks after Diago not only learned he had a son, but almost had to sacrifice that son to the daimon who holds Diago's estranged father, at the demands of a horrifying angel. After barely getting out with his own life as well as that of his lover, Miquel, Diago has finally decided to choose a side. As a unique Nefilim that carries both daimon and angel blood, he has opted to stay away from both, living life as a mortal instead, but now he chosen to work with the angels -- not that the angels are that much better than the daimons, and there is civil war afoot with the Nefilim set to serve as the angels' soldiers, while mortals, well, sucks to be you, mortals. Diago must work with Los Nefilim who might not like him so much, and earn their trust -- but only if he too is willing to be truthful.
I mentioned magic, which Frohock seems to love. Better yet, she loves unique forms of magic, with many of her stories basing their magic in music. Los Nefilim is no different, but Without Light or Guide adds a new dimension through Diago's frequent attacks of chromethesia. I am endlessly fascinated by synesthesia -- the confusion of senses wherein one might smell words or taste sounds. Diago's chromesthesia turns sounds into blinding colour. It is a detriment now, but I look forward to it perhaps becoming something more, especially in connection to his son, Rafael's drawings and considerable powers.
The first half of this story moves slowly through a detective novel-like plot as Diago and his grudging companions try to discern the cause of several ghastly murders and determine what the angels and daimons have planned. Diago wrestles with his reality, his relationships -- especially between himself and Miquel, and with his father, whom Diago fears becoming. When he finally finds some solid ground to work with, things fall into place, but of course, that's inevitably when the bad guys attack and love and loyalties are pushed to their limits. But we still have more to go to find out the fate of Diago, his family, Los Nefilim, and everyone else....!
www.BiblioSanctum.com
There are so many unique things about this urban fantasy, not the least of which is the setting. Typical urban fantasy takes you to current American city streets, but here we walk alleys and roads and tunnels in Spain, with the Spanish Civil War looming on the horizon. We also have a a main protagonist who is older than usual, and an approach to magic that toys with your senses.
This is the second in the In Midnight's Silence, and it picks up a few weeks after Diago not only learned he had a son, but almost had to sacrifice that son to the daimon who holds Diago's estranged father, at the demands of a horrifying angel. After barely getting out with his own life as well as that of his lover, Miquel, Diago has finally decided to choose a side. As a unique Nefilim that carries both daimon and angel blood, he has opted to stay away from both, living life as a mortal instead, but now he chosen to work with the angels -- not that the angels are that much better than the daimons, and there is civil war afoot with the Nefilim set to serve as the angels' soldiers, while mortals, well, sucks to be you, mortals. Diago must work with Los Nefilim who might not like him so much, and earn their trust -- but only if he too is willing to be truthful.
I mentioned magic, which Frohock seems to love. Better yet, she loves unique forms of magic, with many of her stories basing their magic in music. Los Nefilim is no different, but Without Light or Guide adds a new dimension through Diago's frequent attacks of chromethesia. I am endlessly fascinated by synesthesia -- the confusion of senses wherein one might smell words or taste sounds. Diago's chromesthesia turns sounds into blinding colour. It is a detriment now, but I look forward to it perhaps becoming something more, especially in connection to his son, Rafael's drawings and considerable powers.
The first half of this story moves slowly through a detective novel-like plot as Diago and his grudging companions try to discern the cause of several ghastly murders and determine what the angels and daimons have planned. Diago wrestles with his reality, his relationships -- especially between himself and Miquel, and with his father, whom Diago fears becoming. When he finally finds some solid ground to work with, things fall into place, but of course, that's inevitably when the bad guys attack and love and loyalties are pushed to their limits. But we still have more to go to find out the fate of Diago, his family, Los Nefilim, and everyone else....!
www.BiblioSanctum.com
November 14, 2015
WITHOUT LIGHT OR GUIDE is a dark urban fantasy story of hope-- not the blind faith that good shall necessarily triumph over evil, but that resistance to evil, however token or futile it may be, will always have intrinsic meaning.
Frohock creates great peril and formidable foes. Against these forces she holds up Diago, part angel, part daimon, and marked by both. He is burdened by betrayal, cruelty and wrongdoings in his past, distrust and discrimination in his present, uncertainty and dangers in his future, and the self-doubt that is his constant companion.
For those moments when he lacks belief in himself, Diago has the faith of his partner, Miquel, his newly-found son, Rafael, and some of the Los Nefilim, a group of angels' marshals he had recently pledged his allegiance to. There is a powerful scene when societal prejudice is shattered by the simplicity of a child's untainted viewpoint.
The magic system in LOS NEFILIM revolves around music. Nefilims derive power from the melodies they sing. Together, they can also create harmonies that weave even greater power. With their songs, they can break evil spells, weaken opponents, transcend time and space, and even affect the material world.
It is a rare book that is able to move me, to penetrate my modern jadedness. Not an entirely desirable occurrence when you are reading this book teary-eyed at a Starbucks. WITHOUT LIGHT OR GUIDE is able to remind me of commitments that remain steadfast in the face of adversities, and while they may not as yet save the day--or the world, for that matter--they may just save moments from absolute despair. When it is difficult to sustain hope that all will be delivered, it is enough to know that small victories can be won, keeping the song playing no matter how softly.
Frohock creates great peril and formidable foes. Against these forces she holds up Diago, part angel, part daimon, and marked by both. He is burdened by betrayal, cruelty and wrongdoings in his past, distrust and discrimination in his present, uncertainty and dangers in his future, and the self-doubt that is his constant companion.
For those moments when he lacks belief in himself, Diago has the faith of his partner, Miquel, his newly-found son, Rafael, and some of the Los Nefilim, a group of angels' marshals he had recently pledged his allegiance to. There is a powerful scene when societal prejudice is shattered by the simplicity of a child's untainted viewpoint.
The magic system in LOS NEFILIM revolves around music. Nefilims derive power from the melodies they sing. Together, they can also create harmonies that weave even greater power. With their songs, they can break evil spells, weaken opponents, transcend time and space, and even affect the material world.
It is a rare book that is able to move me, to penetrate my modern jadedness. Not an entirely desirable occurrence when you are reading this book teary-eyed at a Starbucks. WITHOUT LIGHT OR GUIDE is able to remind me of commitments that remain steadfast in the face of adversities, and while they may not as yet save the day--or the world, for that matter--they may just save moments from absolute despair. When it is difficult to sustain hope that all will be delivered, it is enough to know that small victories can be won, keeping the song playing no matter how softly.
July 24, 2019
I enjoyed this even more than the first book.
The story is, for the most part, more personal, focused mostly on Diago facing his...personal demons (pun intended). A mysterious entity is murdering the mortals he knows and he has to figure it out. All the while he's stuggling with his new position, some of his colleagues' distrust because of his half- angelic half-daimonic nature, and his past. And I'm such a sucker for broken characters, I have no idea why I haven't read this earlier.
I think I figured out what bothers me, too: while I love the characters and the setting, I'm not as much of a fan of the plot. Some twists fell rather predictable, it's a tad rushed...and I still want more. Novella-length is not enough. But this has an easy solution.
Onto the next one!
The story is, for the most part, more personal, focused mostly on Diago facing his...personal demons (pun intended). A mysterious entity is murdering the mortals he knows and he has to figure it out. All the while he's stuggling with his new position, some of his colleagues' distrust because of his half- angelic half-daimonic nature, and his past. And I'm such a sucker for broken characters, I have no idea why I haven't read this earlier.
I think I figured out what bothers me, too: while I love the characters and the setting, I'm not as much of a fan of the plot. Some twists fell rather predictable, it's a tad rushed...and I still want more. Novella-length is not enough. But this has an easy solution.
Onto the next one!
February 21, 2018
I love these tales and wish I had stumbled on them earlier. This is yet another find I have to think Mark Lawrence for.
I can't believe this book only has 30 reviews. C'mon people.
I can't believe this book only has 30 reviews. C'mon people.
February 2, 2020
Rating: 3.5 stars
June 6, 2016
Since it had been a while (over a year... really?) since I read the first installment of Los Nefilim, "In Midnight's Silence," the brief "what has gone before" section at the beginning of the second, "Without Light or Guide," was very welcome.
A good portion of this novella was devoted to setting up the pieces on the Nefilim's bigger chessboard, and investigations to figure out just who those pieces are, and what their intentions might be. Some of the background of the current Nefilim is also filled in: angels and the daimons and the folk who are a bit of both, and the plans for the bomb that the reader knows will play such an important role in human history a few years later. In the foreground are Los Nefilim, specifically Diago and his child Rafael. Both are in high demand by various otherworldly factions.
Parts of the story went slowly for me, I suspect because of its being the middle of a longer story. There's a lot to recommend this part, though. I loved everything that had to do with Diago's family, both genetic and found. There's the family that already loves and accepts him and is merely waiting for him to love and accept himself as part of them. And there's the family trying to disguise self-interest and control over him as love. The magical battle at the end is quite cool--tunnels! chromesthesia!--and both sets things up nicely for the conflicts to come, and strengthens Diago's bonds to his true family.
I'm looking forward to the third Los Nefilim novella, and am already thinking I'll miss Diago and co. once I'm done with the whole series.
A good portion of this novella was devoted to setting up the pieces on the Nefilim's bigger chessboard, and investigations to figure out just who those pieces are, and what their intentions might be. Some of the background of the current Nefilim is also filled in: angels and the daimons and the folk who are a bit of both, and the plans for the bomb that the reader knows will play such an important role in human history a few years later. In the foreground are Los Nefilim, specifically Diago and his child Rafael. Both are in high demand by various otherworldly factions.
Parts of the story went slowly for me, I suspect because of its being the middle of a longer story. There's a lot to recommend this part, though. I loved everything that had to do with Diago's family, both genetic and found. There's the family that already loves and accepts him and is merely waiting for him to love and accept himself as part of them. And there's the family trying to disguise self-interest and control over him as love. The magical battle at the end is quite cool--tunnels! chromesthesia!--and both sets things up nicely for the conflicts to come, and strengthens Diago's bonds to his true family.
I'm looking forward to the third Los Nefilim novella, and am already thinking I'll miss Diago and co. once I'm done with the whole series.
October 23, 2016
I love it.
The story just flows and is intriguing and hits some of my buttons hard. I couldn't sit still during the climax and might have even shouted my despair out loud when Diago got hit with the syringe and also my joy when he was saved (and the way how he's been saved). ♥
I love, love, love the fact that they all sing their magic. That not hitting a note (entirely or just a lower one) might make the spell none existant/fail or a bit duller. I love that one song (spell) can support another. ♥
Even though it's deliberating for Diago - I love the descriptions when he's suffering a chromesthesia attack. Everything just looks so gorgeous (or terrifying) then. Wow. (Yeah, that means Kudos so much for T. Frohock's writing. Wow. Wow. Wow.)
Diago, I love him a lot. The way he is trying and sometimes still failing but not giving up. The way he starts believing that love is real and happening for him. The way he, despite everything that happened, is such a good and loving and caring being. I love him.
I also love all the other characters. They are wonderful and it's a joy to read about them.
Additional bonus points: The things from part one aren't forgotten. Diago's hand still hurts. He has issues going down to the train/sewer. He realizes that love doesn't just come in the romantically way.
I'm so looking foward to the next part.
The story just flows and is intriguing and hits some of my buttons hard. I couldn't sit still during the climax and might have even shouted my despair out loud when Diago got hit with the syringe and also my joy when he was saved (and the way how he's been saved). ♥
I love, love, love the fact that they all sing their magic. That not hitting a note (entirely or just a lower one) might make the spell none existant/fail or a bit duller. I love that one song (spell) can support another. ♥
Even though it's deliberating for Diago - I love the descriptions when he's suffering a chromesthesia attack. Everything just looks so gorgeous (or terrifying) then. Wow. (Yeah, that means Kudos so much for T. Frohock's writing. Wow. Wow. Wow.)
Diago, I love him a lot. The way he is trying and sometimes still failing but not giving up. The way he starts believing that love is real and happening for him. The way he, despite everything that happened, is such a good and loving and caring being. I love him.
I also love all the other characters. They are wonderful and it's a joy to read about them.
Additional bonus points: The things from part one aren't forgotten. Diago's hand still hurts. He has issues going down to the train/sewer. He realizes that love doesn't just come in the romantically way.
I'm so looking foward to the next part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2018
Actual rating: 5.00
October 1, 2020
Without Light or Guide would have been a 5 star read if it weren't for one thing that made me want to rip my hair out, and I'd be completely remiss if I didn't bring it up. At about the 70% mark, one of the minor characters is described as having "slanted eyes." That phrase is such a trigger for me, and I had to re-read that part multiple times to understand that it truly was there in the pages. You might be like, Ryan, why are you so sensitive, but I'm done giving the benefit of the doubt. Whenever an author or anyone, really, uses "slanted eyes" to describe someone who may even be remotely Asian, I cringe and sigh because it's lazy, dumb, and racist, and just a HUGE no-no for me.
With that said, though, fortunately, the rest of the book was so strong that I just have to give it the four stars. Without Light or Guide upped the stakes, and I loved every bit of the action and the turmoil among the characters. We delve deeper into Diago's history as well as his own inner conflicts, and I gobbled up every bit of his angst because it affected his actions and consequently, made him a stronger character than in the last book.
Furthermore, in this installment, we get more details of this lush world - yes! I have been waiting for more worldbuilding, and Frohock did not disappoint. The conflicts between the angels and daimon as well as among Los Nephilim are vivid; they not only answer some critical questions from the previous novella but they also drive the story forward. The magic system has also gotten more substantial. It's complex and fresh, and I can tell that Frohock spent a lot of time finessing the details of it.
In terms of the character dynamics, the relationship of Diago, Miquel, and Rafael is so sweet. In the previous story, we saw Raphael host his own powers, and although we don't get to see him much in action (which is understandable given the circumstances), I have my fingers crossed that we get to see more of him in action later on. Diago and Guillermo's relationship is also one for the books - everyone needs a Guillermo in their lives. Without going into spoilers, I'm eager to learn more about Diago's father and Garcia himself, because even though we don't linger too much on them, they are so intriguing.
With that said, though, fortunately, the rest of the book was so strong that I just have to give it the four stars. Without Light or Guide upped the stakes, and I loved every bit of the action and the turmoil among the characters. We delve deeper into Diago's history as well as his own inner conflicts, and I gobbled up every bit of his angst because it affected his actions and consequently, made him a stronger character than in the last book.
Furthermore, in this installment, we get more details of this lush world - yes! I have been waiting for more worldbuilding, and Frohock did not disappoint. The conflicts between the angels and daimon as well as among Los Nephilim are vivid; they not only answer some critical questions from the previous novella but they also drive the story forward. The magic system has also gotten more substantial. It's complex and fresh, and I can tell that Frohock spent a lot of time finessing the details of it.
In terms of the character dynamics, the relationship of Diago, Miquel, and Rafael is so sweet. In the previous story, we saw Raphael host his own powers, and although we don't get to see him much in action (which is understandable given the circumstances), I have my fingers crossed that we get to see more of him in action later on. Diago and Guillermo's relationship is also one for the books - everyone needs a Guillermo in their lives. Without going into spoilers, I'm eager to learn more about Diago's father and Garcia himself, because even though we don't linger too much on them, they are so intriguing.
December 10, 2015
'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.)
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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.)
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2015
Picking up shortly after In Midnight’s Silence, Diago, a half angel and half diamon must prove his allegiance to the Nefilim, a group of angels that monitor demons. With trouble brewing in both the supernatural realm and the mortal realm with the eve of the Spanish Civil War, Diago finds himself once again in the middle of a lot of trouble. Everyone the Diago knows in Barcelona is being murdered; Diago, his partner Miquel and other Nefilim begin to investigate. The issues that arise affect both the natural and supernatural realm and directly involve Diago and his son, Rafael. Diago must figure out what is going on and how to stop it.
This book involved a lot more danger, intrigue and characterization. The demons were more prolific in this book and the growing threat that not everyone is who they seem. Diago and Miquel’s relationship grew even more for me, especially with the involvement of Rafael. There was some truly touching moments as Rafael had figured out the relationship between the two. The crime scenes and mystery built into this installment definitely amped up the excitement and led to more heart-pounding scenes as Diago tried to outsmart the daimons. I’ll be looking forward to more Nefilim adventures.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This book involved a lot more danger, intrigue and characterization. The demons were more prolific in this book and the growing threat that not everyone is who they seem. Diago and Miquel’s relationship grew even more for me, especially with the involvement of Rafael. There was some truly touching moments as Rafael had figured out the relationship between the two. The crime scenes and mystery built into this installment definitely amped up the excitement and led to more heart-pounding scenes as Diago tried to outsmart the daimons. I’ll be looking forward to more Nefilim adventures.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
November 13, 2015
I never thought I would say this about a horror novel, but, Without Light or Guide is beautifully written, I care about it's characters, and the scenes involving the family actually made me cry. It's a love story, a horror story, a thriller, an urban fantasy; it has it all.
Taking place in Barcelona, as the Spanish Civil War looms ominously, a daemon, Diago, is deeply in love with a member of the Los Nefilim, his lover Miquel. Diago's son, Rafael, recently joined the loving family of the two men after the death of his mother. And the connection between the members of this unique family is so sweet and so beautiful that you almost forget they are plagued by daemons who want to kidnap Rafael for their own purposes.
The horror scenes are dark and grim, as they should be, but, to me, the best parts were with the family. Especially the last scene. So beautiful.
I love how this woman writes. I can see the colors and imagery she has put down in words. I found myself rereading many sentences because I loved how they were written and what they say. She's creative and imaginative and who would have thought a horror writer could make a story so magical.
Cannot wait for the next book of the series.
Taking place in Barcelona, as the Spanish Civil War looms ominously, a daemon, Diago, is deeply in love with a member of the Los Nefilim, his lover Miquel. Diago's son, Rafael, recently joined the loving family of the two men after the death of his mother. And the connection between the members of this unique family is so sweet and so beautiful that you almost forget they are plagued by daemons who want to kidnap Rafael for their own purposes.
The horror scenes are dark and grim, as they should be, but, to me, the best parts were with the family. Especially the last scene. So beautiful.
I love how this woman writes. I can see the colors and imagery she has put down in words. I found myself rereading many sentences because I loved how they were written and what they say. She's creative and imaginative and who would have thought a horror writer could make a story so magical.
Cannot wait for the next book of the series.
January 21, 2016
I love good, character driven dark fantasy and this delivers. The struggle between light and dark in these novellas is riveting. The characters battle their own natures as well as outside forces and this creates a suspenseful, thoughtful narrative. My only whine is that they are novellas instead of novels - they are over too soon! I want to spend more time in this complex, fascinating world with Diago, Miquel and Rafael.
May 27, 2016
I am really enjoying this series. Diago is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters, and I love Barcelona as a setting. This one is a bit quieter than the previous as the plot takes a back seat to the characters and we see Diago develop and let go of some of his burdens.
This isn't to say there isn't a strong plot and events in this one do a nice job of setting up the 3rd novella and I'll be interested in seeing where things go from here.
This isn't to say there isn't a strong plot and events in this one do a nice job of setting up the 3rd novella and I'll be interested in seeing where things go from here.
November 13, 2015
This second novella in the series develops more in the world of angel versus demon against a backdrop of 1930s Spain. I adore the dark fantasy elements--it gets downright creeptastic at times--but I especially love the fond relationship between Diago and his partner, Miquel, and Diago's young son. I can't help but want a happy ending for the family but I'm so very afraid for them.
October 30, 2015
Full review here:
http://overtheeffingrainbow.co.uk/201...
http://overtheeffingrainbow.co.uk/201...
November 14, 2016
Loved it. Will write a full review once I've read the omnibus edition of all three novellas.
January 3, 2020
By this point, I’m no stranger to Frohock’s writing, and I know fairly well in advance that I’m extremely likely to enjoy what she does. And given that the previous novella in this series, In Midnight’s Silence, tripped all the right triggers with me, I was very eager to get my hands on the sequel and continue with Diago’s story.
Without Light or Guide doesn’t disappoint. Picking up very shortly after where the previous novella left off, Diago’s loyalty to some of the Nefilim is still uncertain, to the point that even though those closest to him believe that he won’t betray them, Diago himself is unsure. His heritage is against him, his history is against him, the fact that he feels unwelcome makes him pull away further, and really, I feel for the guy, because that’s a lousy situation to be in. And when people who used to associate with him start turning up dead, he appears even more suspicious in the eyes of those who already weren’t inclined to think the best of him. And Diago’s father, Alvaro, beckons to Diago for purposes unknown…
As terrible as it is for Diago to be stuck in the middle in a completely different way than he was last time, it was also interesting to see how he copes with it all. The people most important to him believe him him, as I mentioned, which provides a point of stability when doubt plagues him, but we get to see some of the internal struggle as he battles with the push and pull of various expectations. And it’s not so much that he feels temptation to side with daimons as much as it is that he feels the urge to fall back on old habits and run from the things that are causing him problems in the first place, even if that means leaving good things behind. Maybe it’s a little bit of me forcing my own issues on a character, but I see in him a man who wants very much to reconcile so many parts of his life and keeps getting shot down.
It was the major scene with his father that really got to me, in that regard. Diago wants, in a way, to put some things behind him and help Alvaro despite their awkward history, and then when Alvaro betrays him once again… It was the kind of thing that hit very close to home with me, because I’ve experienced that pain of reaching out to someone again and again and being disappointed every time, to the point where you have to eventually turn your back on family and see them for the flawed individuals they are. You owe them no loyalty when they repeatedly betray you.
I mention this for a reason beyond just the personal: one of the marks of a good author is their ability to make you feel. Even if you haven’t been in a similar position to Diago’s, you can’t help but have your heart ache just a little bit during that scene, and with the following emotional rise as Frohock dips a toe just a little bit into the cheesy side of things and has the power of love save the day. Evocative prose bring it all to fantastic life on the page, and you feel every up and down as the story flows along and Diago’s journey continues.
I love this series. Frohock’s storytelling shines as she tells a story of redemption and love and faith, all wrapped together with angels and demons and music and vivid history. It’s a series with a low level of investment and such a high payoff that if you enjoy any of those things, or just enjoy dark fantasy in general, then you’d be foolish to overlook it. Without Light or Guide is a brilliant follow-up to In Midnight’s Silence, hands down, and I’m already eagerly anticipating visiting all the characters again in the next installment.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
Without Light or Guide doesn’t disappoint. Picking up very shortly after where the previous novella left off, Diago’s loyalty to some of the Nefilim is still uncertain, to the point that even though those closest to him believe that he won’t betray them, Diago himself is unsure. His heritage is against him, his history is against him, the fact that he feels unwelcome makes him pull away further, and really, I feel for the guy, because that’s a lousy situation to be in. And when people who used to associate with him start turning up dead, he appears even more suspicious in the eyes of those who already weren’t inclined to think the best of him. And Diago’s father, Alvaro, beckons to Diago for purposes unknown…
As terrible as it is for Diago to be stuck in the middle in a completely different way than he was last time, it was also interesting to see how he copes with it all. The people most important to him believe him him, as I mentioned, which provides a point of stability when doubt plagues him, but we get to see some of the internal struggle as he battles with the push and pull of various expectations. And it’s not so much that he feels temptation to side with daimons as much as it is that he feels the urge to fall back on old habits and run from the things that are causing him problems in the first place, even if that means leaving good things behind. Maybe it’s a little bit of me forcing my own issues on a character, but I see in him a man who wants very much to reconcile so many parts of his life and keeps getting shot down.
It was the major scene with his father that really got to me, in that regard. Diago wants, in a way, to put some things behind him and help Alvaro despite their awkward history, and then when Alvaro betrays him once again… It was the kind of thing that hit very close to home with me, because I’ve experienced that pain of reaching out to someone again and again and being disappointed every time, to the point where you have to eventually turn your back on family and see them for the flawed individuals they are. You owe them no loyalty when they repeatedly betray you.
I mention this for a reason beyond just the personal: one of the marks of a good author is their ability to make you feel. Even if you haven’t been in a similar position to Diago’s, you can’t help but have your heart ache just a little bit during that scene, and with the following emotional rise as Frohock dips a toe just a little bit into the cheesy side of things and has the power of love save the day. Evocative prose bring it all to fantastic life on the page, and you feel every up and down as the story flows along and Diago’s journey continues.
I love this series. Frohock’s storytelling shines as she tells a story of redemption and love and faith, all wrapped together with angels and demons and music and vivid history. It’s a series with a low level of investment and such a high payoff that if you enjoy any of those things, or just enjoy dark fantasy in general, then you’d be foolish to overlook it. Without Light or Guide is a brilliant follow-up to In Midnight’s Silence, hands down, and I’m already eagerly anticipating visiting all the characters again in the next installment.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
April 23, 2023
“Love isn’t dark, Papa. Love kills the dark. That’s what Mama always said. Love drives the dark away.”
“Three times he walked, and the time he touched each window and door. Three times: once for the son, once for the father, and once to drive away the ghosts.”
“I wonder if he was a bad man, who followed his heart, or if he was a good man, who just made bad choices.”
Pledging his allegiance to the Los Neflim was easy, being accepted by the angels was something else entirely. You don’t trust a Diamon, especially one in their past who went into the dark. Humans are being murdered by something supernatural. But when the dead spoke, “She Hunts,” he knew it was he that was being hunted.
This one is better than the first one because murder always makes a story more interesting, or I think it does. I’m giving this 4.5 stars, especially for that ending. I’m enjoying pretty much everything so far. And not much I can say pass that.
“Three times he walked, and the time he touched each window and door. Three times: once for the son, once for the father, and once to drive away the ghosts.”
“I wonder if he was a bad man, who followed his heart, or if he was a good man, who just made bad choices.”
Pledging his allegiance to the Los Neflim was easy, being accepted by the angels was something else entirely. You don’t trust a Diamon, especially one in their past who went into the dark. Humans are being murdered by something supernatural. But when the dead spoke, “She Hunts,” he knew it was he that was being hunted.
This one is better than the first one because murder always makes a story more interesting, or I think it does. I’m giving this 4.5 stars, especially for that ending. I’m enjoying pretty much everything so far. And not much I can say pass that.
February 26, 2020
Another good historical-horror-fantasy (phew) novella, with strong characters with rich inner lives. The dialogue can feel a tiny bit 21st century sometimes (which, eh, they're angelic and demonic progeny, so I can forgive it), and I'm still hankering for a longer version of these stories (thankfully one of those now exists with #4 in the series!). But I'm very happy to have discovered Frohock's writing. On to #3!
October 17, 2015
I treasure ARCs. Those advance review copies which can be procured by attracting attention through virtuously diligent blogging, or perhaps just by whining in the right ear like a plaintive five year old with sufficient tenacity to crumble all resistance. I leave you to guess which approach has secured me two ARCs in as many weeks.
Without Light or Guide is part two of Theresa Frohock's new series "Los Nefilim" where angels and daimons do battle in the mortal realm against the backdrop of the looming Spanish civil war and with the greater horror of the Second World War casting an even darker shadow over the plot.
These are short books, purposely so. Ms Frohock describes them as novellas and at 128 pages each, so far, they are easily digested reads. The impression is not so much of a sequence of books rather than a series of episodes. The parallel that sprang into my mind was "The Sopranos" though I must confess to never having seen an episode. Los Nefilim are most definitely a "family" of secrecy, power and influence - though in a more virtuous service than the Tony Soprano - and each story is a self- contained bead on a longer and as yet indeterminate story thread.
In this second outing we get more insight into the workings of Los Nefilim and the minor factions and inner strife that besets any organisation of more than two people. Diago is set loose on his first mission for Los Nefilim, some three weeks after the events described in "In Midnight's Silence" when he is still not fully recovered from his injuries. In particular he is afflicted by chromesthesia, a disorientating dizzying condition where sounds appear as colours. The detail appealed to the physicist in me having used pitch and colour as similes for each other through years of high school teaching.
Miquel and Rafael are the ones keeping the home fires burning in this episode, forging a tight knit family unit, while Diago struggles to prove his value and his loyalty in his new sworn allegiance. But there are those amongst his new friends who do not trust him and, to be honest, I am not sure how far he should trust them.
Lurking outside Los Nefilim are the panoply of angels, not a homogenous host in the service of a single purpose, but a group that seems to be tottering on the brink of a schism such as has split many faiths and churches over the years. And daimons and angels alike have an interest in the unique unmatched duality that is Diago, born of daimon and angel. To some he is an opportunity for power, to others an aberration beyond trust or comprehension. It is these twin perspectives on Frohock's intriguing hero which drive the story forward.
As with In Midnight's Silence, this is a lean spare story which indulges in little overt world building or exposition. What we learn of the world we learn through the character's words and actions and these hint at a deeper plot, a darker but important conspiracy which ebbs and flows beneath the present urgent crises. I am sure there are things of great importance which I have been told as a reader and yet whose long term significance I have missed - but then I am sure it has escaped the central characters as well.
In this episode we see more of Guillermo leader of the Nefilim and others of his kind like Inspector Garcia Los Nefilim's grumpy plant within the local police force and Suero Guillermo's trusted driver. We begin to see how the Nefilim operate and interact with the world walking alongside mortals, sometimes spying on them, sometimes steering them yet all the while as invisible as the Rowling's wizards are to the muggles of Harry Potter's world. One might wonder at why Spain is such a nexus for these powerful agents. When angels from other countries put in an appearance I found myself asking if there were Nefilim in those countries too and did they owe the same allegiance to Guillermo that Diago did.
In "Without Light or Guide" Frohock continues to carve out a unique path for herself through the hinterland of horror with an digression towards fantasy. There are angels, daimons and vampires, there is magic of a different type woven with music, notes turned into weapons (I can only weakly guess that they are sharps rather than flats, though my ear is too dull to tell the difference). I am not as widely read as I would like - though one might ask (with a glace at most people's tottering TBR piles) who amongst us is. However, within my limited experience I struggle to find a comparator, a benchmark to set Frohock's work against and say - "It is like this but with a bit of that."
And that has to be a good thing, we need works that defy categorisation for how else would we define new categories.
Without Light or Guide is part two of Theresa Frohock's new series "Los Nefilim" where angels and daimons do battle in the mortal realm against the backdrop of the looming Spanish civil war and with the greater horror of the Second World War casting an even darker shadow over the plot.
These are short books, purposely so. Ms Frohock describes them as novellas and at 128 pages each, so far, they are easily digested reads. The impression is not so much of a sequence of books rather than a series of episodes. The parallel that sprang into my mind was "The Sopranos" though I must confess to never having seen an episode. Los Nefilim are most definitely a "family" of secrecy, power and influence - though in a more virtuous service than the Tony Soprano - and each story is a self- contained bead on a longer and as yet indeterminate story thread.
In this second outing we get more insight into the workings of Los Nefilim and the minor factions and inner strife that besets any organisation of more than two people. Diago is set loose on his first mission for Los Nefilim, some three weeks after the events described in "In Midnight's Silence" when he is still not fully recovered from his injuries. In particular he is afflicted by chromesthesia, a disorientating dizzying condition where sounds appear as colours. The detail appealed to the physicist in me having used pitch and colour as similes for each other through years of high school teaching.
Miquel and Rafael are the ones keeping the home fires burning in this episode, forging a tight knit family unit, while Diago struggles to prove his value and his loyalty in his new sworn allegiance. But there are those amongst his new friends who do not trust him and, to be honest, I am not sure how far he should trust them.
Lurking outside Los Nefilim are the panoply of angels, not a homogenous host in the service of a single purpose, but a group that seems to be tottering on the brink of a schism such as has split many faiths and churches over the years. And daimons and angels alike have an interest in the unique unmatched duality that is Diago, born of daimon and angel. To some he is an opportunity for power, to others an aberration beyond trust or comprehension. It is these twin perspectives on Frohock's intriguing hero which drive the story forward.
As with In Midnight's Silence, this is a lean spare story which indulges in little overt world building or exposition. What we learn of the world we learn through the character's words and actions and these hint at a deeper plot, a darker but important conspiracy which ebbs and flows beneath the present urgent crises. I am sure there are things of great importance which I have been told as a reader and yet whose long term significance I have missed - but then I am sure it has escaped the central characters as well.
In this episode we see more of Guillermo leader of the Nefilim and others of his kind like Inspector Garcia Los Nefilim's grumpy plant within the local police force and Suero Guillermo's trusted driver. We begin to see how the Nefilim operate and interact with the world walking alongside mortals, sometimes spying on them, sometimes steering them yet all the while as invisible as the Rowling's wizards are to the muggles of Harry Potter's world. One might wonder at why Spain is such a nexus for these powerful agents. When angels from other countries put in an appearance I found myself asking if there were Nefilim in those countries too and did they owe the same allegiance to Guillermo that Diago did.
In "Without Light or Guide" Frohock continues to carve out a unique path for herself through the hinterland of horror with an digression towards fantasy. There are angels, daimons and vampires, there is magic of a different type woven with music, notes turned into weapons (I can only weakly guess that they are sharps rather than flats, though my ear is too dull to tell the difference). I am not as widely read as I would like - though one might ask (with a glace at most people's tottering TBR piles) who amongst us is. However, within my limited experience I struggle to find a comparator, a benchmark to set Frohock's work against and say - "It is like this but with a bit of that."
And that has to be a good thing, we need works that defy categorisation for how else would we define new categories.
January 27, 2016
Without Light or Guide is the second in Teresa Frohock’s “Los Nefilim” series of novella. Set in the Spain of the nineteen-thirties, it follows some members of Los Nefilim – the children of Angels – as they struggle with defining themselves, whilst working for or against schemes pushed by their angelic overlords and daemonic opponents.
Frohock’s Spain remains as vividly detailed as ever. The sense of a society on the brink of change remains, and is even exacerbated. There’s a feeling of hidden conflicts, quite aside from the supernatural concerns at the centre of the narrative – anarchist bombings and police brutality exist side by side, and the city at the centre of the story teeters between the expectations of the two. This also serves as a nice corollary for the tensions between angelic and daemonic entities. Here too, there is a feeling of an approaching storm, as individuals look to either keep their heads down, or position themselves for any coming conflict. A cold war looks to be gradually warming up, and the environment reflects that, the sense of imminent catastrophe, dread, and a sort of febrile vitality, very well indeed.
Alongside the thematic similarities, Frohock does some excellent environmental description – the sewers packed with a sort of squamous ooze were particularly vile. I couldn’t get away from them fast enough! There’s also the urban bustle of the city, and the gradual shifts in atmosphere – all precisely crafted, and environmentally and emotionally effective. I was pulled into the terrifying and extraordinary world of pre-revolutionary Spain, and didn’t come out until the last page.
The characters, of course, stay on the page. Several of them are familiar from the previous novella in the sequence. The central relationship, between Diago and his partner, remains an absolute delight. T
There’s a rawness here, a reaching for emotional truths which immeasurably strengthens the core of the story. Diago and his lover are both men struggling with what others think of them, and they of themselves and each other – but Diago’s emotional growth, and acquisition of the strength to commit, are key tenets of the narrative, and the author makes them seem believable and honest.
Diago’s family is a core part of the narrative; alongside his relationship with his lover, he’s also exploring feelings for his long estranged father, and newly discovered child. The latter, especially, plucks at the heartstrings and adds a degree of weight to the prose; Frohock approaches the parent-child relationship with care, and it comes off the page as plausible, as well as terrible and beautiful, providing an intangible emotional heft to the text. The relationship with his father is seen as rather more fraught, and here the sense of alienation and estrangement is captured masterfully, if brutally, in the text.
The villains…well, as usual, they’re rather scary. There’s a slowly building horror throughout, which is counterbalanced by some rather more graphic moments laced through the text, before the climax. The antagonists feel alarmingly alien when appropriate, and a few are disturbingly human. They’re all thoroughly interesting to read, even when being truly terrible.
As ever, I’m trying to avoid spoilers, so I won’t get into the plot too much. Suffice to say that Diago is on the move again, being gradually drawn into the intrigues of the Nefilim. There’s a slow burn buildup at the start of the text, but it flows wonderfully as the tension ratchets up in the prose. The stakes are, as ever, rather high, and there’s a sense of characters living with the consequences of their decisions. It’s a creepily compulsive journey for Diago, and the reader is taken along for the ride, by turns disgusted, terrified and thrilled. There’s more of the Nefilim here than before, and Frohock’s prose packs a punch.
Is it worth reading? If you’re new to the series, I’d start with the first in the sequence. But if you’re looking for more of pre-war Spain, of a world where angels and demons fight a gradually escalating war amongst our shadows, and where family and love are nothing – and everything – then yes, this is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel.
Frohock’s Spain remains as vividly detailed as ever. The sense of a society on the brink of change remains, and is even exacerbated. There’s a feeling of hidden conflicts, quite aside from the supernatural concerns at the centre of the narrative – anarchist bombings and police brutality exist side by side, and the city at the centre of the story teeters between the expectations of the two. This also serves as a nice corollary for the tensions between angelic and daemonic entities. Here too, there is a feeling of an approaching storm, as individuals look to either keep their heads down, or position themselves for any coming conflict. A cold war looks to be gradually warming up, and the environment reflects that, the sense of imminent catastrophe, dread, and a sort of febrile vitality, very well indeed.
Alongside the thematic similarities, Frohock does some excellent environmental description – the sewers packed with a sort of squamous ooze were particularly vile. I couldn’t get away from them fast enough! There’s also the urban bustle of the city, and the gradual shifts in atmosphere – all precisely crafted, and environmentally and emotionally effective. I was pulled into the terrifying and extraordinary world of pre-revolutionary Spain, and didn’t come out until the last page.
The characters, of course, stay on the page. Several of them are familiar from the previous novella in the sequence. The central relationship, between Diago and his partner, remains an absolute delight. T
There’s a rawness here, a reaching for emotional truths which immeasurably strengthens the core of the story. Diago and his lover are both men struggling with what others think of them, and they of themselves and each other – but Diago’s emotional growth, and acquisition of the strength to commit, are key tenets of the narrative, and the author makes them seem believable and honest.
Diago’s family is a core part of the narrative; alongside his relationship with his lover, he’s also exploring feelings for his long estranged father, and newly discovered child. The latter, especially, plucks at the heartstrings and adds a degree of weight to the prose; Frohock approaches the parent-child relationship with care, and it comes off the page as plausible, as well as terrible and beautiful, providing an intangible emotional heft to the text. The relationship with his father is seen as rather more fraught, and here the sense of alienation and estrangement is captured masterfully, if brutally, in the text.
The villains…well, as usual, they’re rather scary. There’s a slowly building horror throughout, which is counterbalanced by some rather more graphic moments laced through the text, before the climax. The antagonists feel alarmingly alien when appropriate, and a few are disturbingly human. They’re all thoroughly interesting to read, even when being truly terrible.
As ever, I’m trying to avoid spoilers, so I won’t get into the plot too much. Suffice to say that Diago is on the move again, being gradually drawn into the intrigues of the Nefilim. There’s a slow burn buildup at the start of the text, but it flows wonderfully as the tension ratchets up in the prose. The stakes are, as ever, rather high, and there’s a sense of characters living with the consequences of their decisions. It’s a creepily compulsive journey for Diago, and the reader is taken along for the ride, by turns disgusted, terrified and thrilled. There’s more of the Nefilim here than before, and Frohock’s prose packs a punch.
Is it worth reading? If you’re new to the series, I’d start with the first in the sequence. But if you’re looking for more of pre-war Spain, of a world where angels and demons fight a gradually escalating war amongst our shadows, and where family and love are nothing – and everything – then yes, this is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel.
April 4, 2016
This review was first published on Around the World in 80 Books!
See my review of In Midnight’s Silence (Los Nefilm #1)here.
Without Light or Guide begins a few weeks after the events of In Midnight’s Silence. Diago is concerned about the welfare of his son, and how he sees his relationship with Miquel, and further, is concerned that he is a target of a smear campaign within the Nefilm that accuses him of siding with the daimons (since he’s half-daimon). (Thankfully, this, and other pertinent information was summed up in the Author’s note at the beginning of the novella, for which I am grateful!)
Diago puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to prove his loyalty to the Nefilm, his love to Miquel, his dedication to raising his son Rafael, and it sometimes feels a bit much. Give yourself a break, man. You’re doing the best you can! The pressure he puts on himself is the nature of his character, in addition to loyalty; as is kindness for Miquel, trust from Guillermo, and unconditional love from Rafael.
All of these characters possess strong qualities, which influence their decisions in unexpected ways. I was almost waiting for Miquel to break up with Diago. But Miquel is such a loyal companion that readers can’t trust Diago’s paranoia and anxiety during much of the story with his thoughts getting in the way. As Frohock described via twitter this weekend, their relationship is unbreakable.
At each step of the plot, I feel like there’s so much that is going on. So many twists and turns were packed into this novella! Prieto and Muloch still play a role; Alvaro, Diego’s father is a temptation for Diago; the other diamon who is trying to hunt both Diago and Rafael, Lamashtu, and also Garcia, from Los Nefilm, is a suspicious character, one who is seen conversing with a German-speaking angel. There are so many characters in Diago’s orbit, it’s hard to trust anyone. It’s a constant battle in Diago’s mind about what the repercussions of such trust and loyalty. Since the events of this novella take place before WWII, I wonder how much readers will see of the war in the third novella, the build up of something big is coming!
The last book in the series, The Second Death (a phrase eluded to in this novella), was published March 29, 2016. My next read!
See my review of In Midnight’s Silence (Los Nefilm #1)here.
Without Light or Guide begins a few weeks after the events of In Midnight’s Silence. Diago is concerned about the welfare of his son, and how he sees his relationship with Miquel, and further, is concerned that he is a target of a smear campaign within the Nefilm that accuses him of siding with the daimons (since he’s half-daimon). (Thankfully, this, and other pertinent information was summed up in the Author’s note at the beginning of the novella, for which I am grateful!)
Diago puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to prove his loyalty to the Nefilm, his love to Miquel, his dedication to raising his son Rafael, and it sometimes feels a bit much. Give yourself a break, man. You’re doing the best you can! The pressure he puts on himself is the nature of his character, in addition to loyalty; as is kindness for Miquel, trust from Guillermo, and unconditional love from Rafael.
All of these characters possess strong qualities, which influence their decisions in unexpected ways. I was almost waiting for Miquel to break up with Diago. But Miquel is such a loyal companion that readers can’t trust Diago’s paranoia and anxiety during much of the story with his thoughts getting in the way. As Frohock described via twitter this weekend, their relationship is unbreakable.
At each step of the plot, I feel like there’s so much that is going on. So many twists and turns were packed into this novella! Prieto and Muloch still play a role; Alvaro, Diego’s father is a temptation for Diago; the other diamon who is trying to hunt both Diago and Rafael, Lamashtu, and also Garcia, from Los Nefilm, is a suspicious character, one who is seen conversing with a German-speaking angel. There are so many characters in Diago’s orbit, it’s hard to trust anyone. It’s a constant battle in Diago’s mind about what the repercussions of such trust and loyalty. Since the events of this novella take place before WWII, I wonder how much readers will see of the war in the third novella, the build up of something big is coming!
The last book in the series, The Second Death (a phrase eluded to in this novella), was published March 29, 2016. My next read!
December 2, 2015
No matter how well each book stands on its own, I have a *thing* about reading a series in order, so when the chance to read this second book in the Los Nefilim series, I asked for a copy of the first book, In Midnight's Silence. So you know that as usual, I am going to recommend that you start with In Midnight's Silence too--both e-books are only .99 cents right now on Amazon, they are quick read novellas, and both are interesting and enjoyable stories--so well worth it. But, just in case you don't take my advice, the author provides a brief recap or refresher of the events and people in the first book which is super helpful since the world of the Los Nefilim world is complicated. I think if you are going to have a series of novellas with lots of characters and world-building, recaps like this are a brilliant idea. Thumbs up to the author for such a smart idea!
Without Light or Guide picks up shortly after Midnight's Silence leaves off. Diago and Miquel are back in Seville with (spoiler if you haven't read the first book) his newly-found son Rafael, recovering from the grave wounds he received from his battle with Moloch. Diago has chosen to pledge his allegiance to Guillermo and Los Nefilim, in part so that Rafael will be protected but finds him self doubted by many--who think he will choose the daimon side like his father. Guillermo has a dangerous assignment for Diago as the battle between the angels and daimons escalates, putting the mortal world and Los Nefilim even more at risk.
Whew! It is hard to explain these books and have it make sense and do justice to the dark and detailed world that T. Frohock has created--the historical aspects of the 1930's Spain setting, the fantasy realm of angels, daimons, Los Nefilim, and the songs that give them their power. You also have love--familial with Rafael and the enduring romantic love between Diago and Miquel, loyalty and betrayal, and the crisscrossing lines of good and evil. Although different from most of my usual reading, I found myself caring about the characters, wrapped up in the story, and looking forward to seeing what comes in the next installment.
You can see my review and a recipe inspired by the book on my Kahakai blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A Review copY of "Without Light or Guide" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Without Light or Guide picks up shortly after Midnight's Silence leaves off. Diago and Miquel are back in Seville with (spoiler if you haven't read the first book) his newly-found son Rafael, recovering from the grave wounds he received from his battle with Moloch. Diago has chosen to pledge his allegiance to Guillermo and Los Nefilim, in part so that Rafael will be protected but finds him self doubted by many--who think he will choose the daimon side like his father. Guillermo has a dangerous assignment for Diago as the battle between the angels and daimons escalates, putting the mortal world and Los Nefilim even more at risk.
Whew! It is hard to explain these books and have it make sense and do justice to the dark and detailed world that T. Frohock has created--the historical aspects of the 1930's Spain setting, the fantasy realm of angels, daimons, Los Nefilim, and the songs that give them their power. You also have love--familial with Rafael and the enduring romantic love between Diago and Miquel, loyalty and betrayal, and the crisscrossing lines of good and evil. Although different from most of my usual reading, I found myself caring about the characters, wrapped up in the story, and looking forward to seeing what comes in the next installment.
You can see my review and a recipe inspired by the book on my Kahakai blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A Review copY of "Without Light or Guide" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 20, 2017
Without Light or Guide picks up soon after the events of In Midnight’s Silence, after Diago has rescued his son from Moloch, ruler of the daimons, who wishes to use young Rafael for his own empowerment. Diago and his husband Miquel begin to put their lives in order with the addition of Rafael, while trying to get to the bottom of the conflict between the angels, daimons, and angel-born Nefilim to whom they are both sworn.
Part 1930’s noir, part urban fantasy, Without Light or Guide explores human pain in all its facets, and the many forms that healing can take. Diago has doubted himself for so long after the events of his first life that even though he looks for mercy for others in their reincarnations, he reserves none for himself. This time, he has to deal with the suspicion and even open hostility of other Nefilim while attempting to solve a series of murders—and the victims have direct connections to him. As the clues point towards a greater game being played than just conflict between angels and daimons, Diago must learn to trust himself again in order to face the next attack from Moloch, who has only been weakened, not defeated.
Diago’s humanity, and indeed that of all the Nefilim the reader encounters, is what drives this story. Frohock draws a definitive line between the mortals and immortals, then skillfully blurs it, allowing the reader to fall into it headfirst only to be brought up short with the delightfully horrific realization that, no, these are not humans; though they may make attempts to spare humans when it’s convenient, the lives of mortals are not a priority. Frohock’s use of music as magic is a perfect example: music is both commonplace and transcendent as a human endeavor, and yet when the Nefilim use it, it becomes something more altogether—something that can kill or heal at will, and beguile mortals to turn them into pawns in a greater game.
Readers of urban fantasy and magical realism will enjoy the way Frohock blends myth, reality, and her own blend of magic to create a unique fantasy world. For those who like a historical, alt-universe this series firmly places the story within its real-world setting, all the while hinting at a much more sinister world history than we were taught in school. Any reader of fantasy drawn to character-driven stories, will surely find much to love in Without Light or Guide and its co-volumes.
I write book reviews and essays at I Am Booking.
November 6, 2015
This is the second of a connected trilogy of novellas about Los Nefilim. The first was "In Midnight's Silence," which I rated as five stars. This middle novella keeps up the high level of writing, with prose that ranges from the ethereal to the dark language of horror. The characters gain added complexity, and the worldbuilding grows in size. It's a world that includes enigmatic angels, chthonic daimons, clannish Nefilim, and easily-controlled mortals. The lines between good and evil are as murky as the sewers in which some of the gritty action occurs. As a replacement, we get a more clearly delineated line between loyalty and disloyalty, which becomes a primary theme of the story. The plot moves slowly at first to enable an aura of teasing mystery to develop, but never becomes tedious. It dances around from scenes of family warmth to eerie supernatural coldness, and our protagonist, Diago Alvarez, finds himself drowning with love in both types of settings. And there are moments of light humor and heavy wisdom to balance the tension. Though the story is adequately self-contained, I recommend not only buying this novella, but the first one as well, in order to get the appropriate background story, and thus enable you to move forward without a sign of confusion.
January 15, 2016
Really enjoying this world. There's a warmth to it but at the same time enough going on to keep the tension high. Still, not a lot of twists and turns although I'm curious to see how a couple pieces play out. Mostly I like this series for the atmosphere, the warm relationships between the characters (again, not a lot of twists and turns there), and because it's just a really well-done monster series.
December 1, 2015
A satisfying follow up to "In Midnight's Silence", this book delves even deeper into the already intriguing characters and the simmering conflict between supernatural forces. It's only flaw, as a novella, was that it ended too soon. Can't wait for the next installment in the Los Nefilim saga!
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