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Sophie's Light
Sophie lives in a most peculiar cottage at the center of the Forgotten Forest, its inside much larger than its outside.
You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier.
She’s afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children.
He’s not terribly fond of quiet children either―unless they’re in his stew.
Sophie’s precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments. She can’t remember where it came from, but it’s her only source of hope holding back the gloom that yearns to devour her soul. Trolls are covetous beasts, and when he spots her shiny bauble and steals it, Sophie faces two terrible options:
Stay and suffer the wrath of a furious troll, or take her chances in a forest of her deepest fears.
You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier.
She’s afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children.
He’s not terribly fond of quiet children either―unless they’re in his stew.
Sophie’s precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments. She can’t remember where it came from, but it’s her only source of hope holding back the gloom that yearns to devour her soul. Trolls are covetous beasts, and when he spots her shiny bauble and steals it, Sophie faces two terrible options:
Stay and suffer the wrath of a furious troll, or take her chances in a forest of her deepest fears.
126 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2018
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
466 books266 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 8, 2018
Wow, this is a deep book!
Sophie's Light by Mathew Cox is not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a fantasy novel with trolls and a little girl, boy was I wrong! This is such a deep moving story! Took me totally by surprise!
Sophie's Light by Mathew Cox is not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a fantasy novel with trolls and a little girl, boy was I wrong! This is such a deep moving story! Took me totally by surprise!
March 14, 2019
Truthfully, I had a hard time getting into this book but I stuck with it and am glad I did. This is not at all what I expected, it’s so much more. There are many layers to this book with a twist that I did not see coming. This is a creative story.
June 24, 2018
This was not what I thought going into the book. I was pleasantly surprised at what this really was. It probably hits home to many people. Its not something I experienced personally but I know a lot of kids did. I experienced other horrible things but not this. Something so terrible happens to us and we just put it away in our minds. Sometimes something so traumatic we dont want to deal with it has even worse consequences to our psyche. I'm trying not to give a lot away. This is what happened to Sophie. She's trying to find her way home or a safe place. She's terrified of the troll and its either dealing with him or the scary dark forest. What will Sophie choose?
October 18, 2020
Wow, I never would have thought about a book like I did this one. Sophie is forced to live in with a troll in his house, in the middle of a dark , dangerous forest. Abused verbally, physically, and emotionally, she lives each day terrified of what is going to happen next. The only thing she has for herself is a glowing stone that talks and sings to her until the troll takes it. But Sophie finally decides she can't stay with the troll any longer and no matter how bad it is, she is going to find her stone and perhaps her way home. I had no idea what everything was or meant but Matthew Cox writes this book and he knows what he was doing. It was enjoyable to read and was excited when I came to the end
May 2, 2018
Reading this, while listening to the soundtrack of Labyrinth was heaven. A friend Jason, told me he had read this book, and that I would like it too, he wasn't wrong. Poor Sophie, a little seven year old girl is "keeping house" for a mean Troll, but it's better than being out side, in the forest, right? and she had company, a crystal, that talks to her. She knows, not to make the troll angry, if she does, heaven help her, so she does as she's told, until one day...
This is full of terror, magic, supernatural creatures, but above all else, it's about hope, strength, and determination. A fairy tale, for those of us , who don't want to grow up, if you like me. you read and loved The Hazel Wood, then this IS your next read..
This is full of terror, magic, supernatural creatures, but above all else, it's about hope, strength, and determination. A fairy tale, for those of us , who don't want to grow up, if you like me. you read and loved The Hazel Wood, then this IS your next read..
April 20, 2018
A sweet and satisfying tale of a girl trapped in a horrible place and kept there by a troll. The only way out is to trust her magic light. Very fun!
February 21, 2021
Wow what a read
I love Mathew Cox books and I started to read Sophie’s light thinking it was a simple fantasy novel boy was I wrong right from the get go you really feel for Sophie and when the ending came I never expected it the ending was a real plot twist but in a good way I loved the ending and finding out what Sophie really went through really broke my heart but luckily through courage and faith in herself Sophie persevered and got the happy ending she deserved
Highly recommended
I love Mathew Cox books and I started to read Sophie’s light thinking it was a simple fantasy novel boy was I wrong right from the get go you really feel for Sophie and when the ending came I never expected it the ending was a real plot twist but in a good way I loved the ending and finding out what Sophie really went through really broke my heart but luckily through courage and faith in herself Sophie persevered and got the happy ending she deserved
Highly recommended
May 1, 2018
beautiful and sorrowful
A book that is hard to review. I really recommend this. It will make you cry. I'm still a bit tearful.
A book that is hard to review. I really recommend this. It will make you cry. I'm still a bit tearful.
May 25, 2020
A brilliant story portrayed in fairy tale form. It's a quick read but I suggest reading it again for it's true meaning.
June 20, 2018
This book was one book that I just couldn't put down . I actually read it in one sitting this morning . The author really takes us on an emotional journey in this book . Let me introduce you to Sophie a sweet young girl who is living with a troll. She is basically his slave, the troll hates her and really just wants to bake her in a pie . But she has a secret a light that helps her Until the day her light goes missing and she goes after it fighting the bogey and the goblins to find her way home
The characters are so well written and so complex . You really want to just keep Sophie in a nice soft bubble and help her get out of the Troll's way . You do feel like she can make it out and on her own as you read . You see her in a way that will make your heart swell and have tears in your eyes . The troll is the epitome of evil . You really want to stab him over and over . You can't help but hate him .
This book had me tearing up from the very first page . The things this author puts this young girl through is so horrible . I just about had to put the book down and walk away for a few mins . I knew there had to be more to the story then just a young girl and a troll and man I was right . The author takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride . The twist at the end was unbelievable . I am not going to tell you but you will cry tears of joy at the end of the book and everything will make sense . I must admit this book is addictive and I had it read in a morning. If you want to add a great suspenseful book add this one to your summer reading list
The characters are so well written and so complex . You really want to just keep Sophie in a nice soft bubble and help her get out of the Troll's way . You do feel like she can make it out and on her own as you read . You see her in a way that will make your heart swell and have tears in your eyes . The troll is the epitome of evil . You really want to stab him over and over . You can't help but hate him .
This book had me tearing up from the very first page . The things this author puts this young girl through is so horrible . I just about had to put the book down and walk away for a few mins . I knew there had to be more to the story then just a young girl and a troll and man I was right . The author takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride . The twist at the end was unbelievable . I am not going to tell you but you will cry tears of joy at the end of the book and everything will make sense . I must admit this book is addictive and I had it read in a morning. If you want to add a great suspenseful book add this one to your summer reading list
May 13, 2018
Sophie's Light is a novella about a young girl who is stuck in a troll's house. She is subjected to torture and is basically the troll's maid. The world she's stuck in is filled with magic and darkness. The only thing she has on her side is a little stone that lights up and speaks to her.
This light is comforting. It's her only friend and the thing that keeps her sane in a world of pain and hardship.
What she doesn't know is that she has to fight to find freedom and the light is her guide.
I know I've said this before, but I love Cox's writing style for young children. His little girl characters have an innocence to them that also makes them strong. Sophie is probably the most innocent of his characters and a little girl who makes my heartache, but she still finds her own strength.
What makes this story even more unique is the symbolism. I love symbolism and symbolism done right really makes you think. Every time you read a book with symbolism, you learn something new and see it in a new light.
This is the case for Sophie's Light.
I was able to figure out what was going on fairly early in the story, but that didn't make the story any less enjoyable. It tugged at the heartstrings and I loved every word of it.
Final Rating: 4/5
This light is comforting. It's her only friend and the thing that keeps her sane in a world of pain and hardship.
What she doesn't know is that she has to fight to find freedom and the light is her guide.
I know I've said this before, but I love Cox's writing style for young children. His little girl characters have an innocence to them that also makes them strong. Sophie is probably the most innocent of his characters and a little girl who makes my heartache, but she still finds her own strength.
What makes this story even more unique is the symbolism. I love symbolism and symbolism done right really makes you think. Every time you read a book with symbolism, you learn something new and see it in a new light.
This is the case for Sophie's Light.
I was able to figure out what was going on fairly early in the story, but that didn't make the story any less enjoyable. It tugged at the heartstrings and I loved every word of it.
Final Rating: 4/5
June 23, 2018
This was an incredible book. Matthew S. Cox really did an amazing job describing the scenes and wrote such an original book. I hate that I'm such a curious person who is always trying to figure things out. I figured it out at about 30% and I recommend you just read and enjoy. Try not to think too much about what is going on and just enjoy the story. It will make the end that much more enjoyable. Even if you figure it out, it's still an incredible story.
June 23, 2018
Overall rating: 5 (KU copy)
I am in utter awe! Sophie and the horrid troll and the mean goblins and the terrifying forest....I felt it all! Brilliant writing! I truly did not see the outcome of this tale coming! Hit me like a deer in headlights. This is a book that everyone should experience and believe me when I say, the ending will make you go back and read it over again with your eyes awakened!
I am in utter awe! Sophie and the horrid troll and the mean goblins and the terrifying forest....I felt it all! Brilliant writing! I truly did not see the outcome of this tale coming! Hit me like a deer in headlights. This is a book that everyone should experience and believe me when I say, the ending will make you go back and read it over again with your eyes awakened!
June 27, 2018
Sophie's Light by Matthew Cox is an amazing book about courage, fighting your fears and the power of imagination. This book should be read for the ending alone however the journey makes it so worth while. Children have the amazing ability to survive daunting odds and that's what makes the ending so sublime.
July 2, 2018
This book was not at all what I expected it to be, but it was a fantastic read! I loved the way this book was written. The entire time I was reading this book I was trying to understand how this little girl got so lost and ended up living with w Troll. Reading this book was such a wonderful experience. There is so much symbolism in this book that I did not fully understand until the end of the book when the author explains everything. After I read what was what it made me want to go back and read this book all over again. This one is a must-read. Another book that I had to finish and lost sleep in order to do so. I just had to see what happened to Sophie.
March 31, 2019
I was surprised by the ending I didn’t think I would like it but I thought I’d read it,it turned out better than I thought it would it got dark and suspenseful. It shows that you can come a bad life and still change it I couldn’t put it down tell the end and you will love this book
I recieved this book from this author for free for an honest review
I recieved this book from this author for free for an honest review
April 13, 2018
A Short but Satisfying Story
I was totally surprised by the ending, which is a good thing so I will not spoil it for you! All I will say is its a great HEA, which is a requirement for my reading, I don't read to end up depressed.
Just read it for yourself, you'll be happy you did!
I was totally surprised by the ending, which is a good thing so I will not spoil it for you! All I will say is its a great HEA, which is a requirement for my reading, I don't read to end up depressed.
Just read it for yourself, you'll be happy you did!
June 24, 2018
this was a very interesting read! she is in a cabin with a troll. there are so many different type of creatures out there in the forest that want to hurt her. she has a special light that guides her.
June 21, 2018
A beautiful haunting story full of sorrow, courage and strength. I enjoyed the story that was full of symbolism and reminded me of Where the Wild Thing Are and the power of imagination.
June 24, 2018
About that was so hard to put down. I really enjoyed the fantasy in this book. The twist at the end was very well written. I liked the meaning of how everything unfolded.
June 25, 2018
I loved this book. It reads as a sad fantasy tale for poor Sophie and then BOOM, you get the surprise and awesome twist ending. The characters are so vividly described, you can see them in your mind while reading this book.
March 17, 2019
WOW. The synopsis does not prepare you for the power of this book. It's amazingly written and you become so immersed that returning to the real world is a shock. Absolute MUST READ.
June 22, 2018
I absolutely love this story. Sophie is lost and finally has the courage to get away from the scary things and find her way home. I loved the explanations at the end of the book.
January 21, 2019
great read. Did not realize was inside her head, about 3/4 book. How brave she was to come back
to real world, even knowing that their are monsters.
to real world, even knowing that their are monsters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2018
Cox weaves the tropes of ballads and fairy tales with a fine focus on individual character to create a darkly fantastical tale that adapts to its readers’ perceptions and life experience.
For the last two years, Sophie has lived with a troll in the centre of the Forgotten Forest. Forced to clean never piles of crockery, endlessly sweep the floors, cook the troll his stew, and bring him his beer, she lives in constant terror of his wrath; but the goblins and monsters that lurk at the edge of the clearing scare her more, and she vaguely remembers fleeing from worse horrors still before she found sanctuary with the troll. Her only comfort is her Light, a magical stone that spreads a cheerful light and sometimes whispers happy thoughts. When the troll steals her Light she must choose: remain with the troll, or take her treasure back and flee into the darkness.
Cox writes in a style that is simple without being simplistic, and crafts both threats and challenges that echo the experiences and concerns of children, making this book accessible for middle-grade readers who like a scary fairy tale.
However, unlike the monsters and magic of fairy tales, Cox uses symbolism unique to Sophie’s situation. In addition to making events feel uncertain and immediate rather than familiar or distant, this creates a series of clues about the underlying significance and meaning of various scenes. As such, the tale functions on more than one level, offering more mature readers the opportunity to deduce and theorise without reducing accessibility for those seeking a creepy story.
While this use of metaphor makes it hard to discuss the plot without spoiling the effect, the book displays the same deft seeding of details that reveal the truth in hindsight which Cox displays in his adult fiction. Therefore, while readers might not predict the conclusion of Sophie’s quest, they are unlikely to feel cheated by it.
Sophie herself is a well-crafted protagonist, both a solid embodiment of “seven-year-old girl” and a nuanced character in her own right. Both the challenges she faces and her responses to them are those of a child but are internally consistent, allowing those readers too distant from childhood to share her perspective to still sympathise with rather than despair at her choices.
The supporting cast share this balance of recognisable stock character and individual tweaks, allowing them to both embody the vast, incomprehensible force that children can feel looming in the dark while also making each encounter distinct and threaded with a mix of horror and humour.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella immensely. I recommend it to readers of all ages seeking a gripping fantasy quest.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
For the last two years, Sophie has lived with a troll in the centre of the Forgotten Forest. Forced to clean never piles of crockery, endlessly sweep the floors, cook the troll his stew, and bring him his beer, she lives in constant terror of his wrath; but the goblins and monsters that lurk at the edge of the clearing scare her more, and she vaguely remembers fleeing from worse horrors still before she found sanctuary with the troll. Her only comfort is her Light, a magical stone that spreads a cheerful light and sometimes whispers happy thoughts. When the troll steals her Light she must choose: remain with the troll, or take her treasure back and flee into the darkness.
Cox writes in a style that is simple without being simplistic, and crafts both threats and challenges that echo the experiences and concerns of children, making this book accessible for middle-grade readers who like a scary fairy tale.
However, unlike the monsters and magic of fairy tales, Cox uses symbolism unique to Sophie’s situation. In addition to making events feel uncertain and immediate rather than familiar or distant, this creates a series of clues about the underlying significance and meaning of various scenes. As such, the tale functions on more than one level, offering more mature readers the opportunity to deduce and theorise without reducing accessibility for those seeking a creepy story.
While this use of metaphor makes it hard to discuss the plot without spoiling the effect, the book displays the same deft seeding of details that reveal the truth in hindsight which Cox displays in his adult fiction. Therefore, while readers might not predict the conclusion of Sophie’s quest, they are unlikely to feel cheated by it.
Sophie herself is a well-crafted protagonist, both a solid embodiment of “seven-year-old girl” and a nuanced character in her own right. Both the challenges she faces and her responses to them are those of a child but are internally consistent, allowing those readers too distant from childhood to share her perspective to still sympathise with rather than despair at her choices.
The supporting cast share this balance of recognisable stock character and individual tweaks, allowing them to both embody the vast, incomprehensible force that children can feel looming in the dark while also making each encounter distinct and threaded with a mix of horror and humour.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella immensely. I recommend it to readers of all ages seeking a gripping fantasy quest.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
June 20, 2018
Scary yet wonderful story.
Difficult for me to express my perspective on this with no spoilers. Worse starting to discuss child psychology. In the simplest terms I have come to... A child's view of the world is always amazing. How this girl faces her journey fills me with hope. May we all have that courage when needed.
Difficult for me to express my perspective on this with no spoilers. Worse starting to discuss child psychology. In the simplest terms I have come to... A child's view of the world is always amazing. How this girl faces her journey fills me with hope. May we all have that courage when needed.
December 9, 2018
I a few months ago but wanted to wait and let my son listen as well. He is the perfect target for YA being 12. We both loved the story. For me some parts were a little predictable but told very well. My son loved every twist and turn and was caught off guard in several places. I highly recommend this book and all of Matt Cox's books. He is a great up and coming writer!
June 8, 2026
OMG what a beautiful story. I started to read thinking it would be a simple fairy tale but instead found a beautiful story filled with quiet strength, a brave girl who faced her fears and hope, so much hope!! This book is deep and at the same time, light and easy to read. Matthew always finds new ways to surprise me with his books!!!
December 13, 2023
I’m trying to figure out what to say about this that doesn’t ruin it for other readers.
It’s got fairytale themes, is harrowing at times to read, and might break your heart in a good way. I feel like talking about any of the details spoils it, so I guess I won’t.
It’s got fairytale themes, is harrowing at times to read, and might break your heart in a good way. I feel like talking about any of the details spoils it, so I guess I won’t.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews