Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
The second novel in the gripping supernatural thriller series from international bestselling author Jodi Taylor.

Betrayed, terrified and alone, Elizabeth Cage has fled her home. With no plan and no friends, she arrives at the picturesque village of Greyston and finds herself involved in an ages-old ceremony that will end in death.

And that might be the least of her problems - the Sorensen Institute would very much like to know her whereabouts. And Michael Jones is still out there, somewhere, she hopes. No matter how far and how fast she can run, trouble will always find Elizabeth Cage.

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2018

406 people are currently reading
746 people want to read

About the author

Jodi Taylor

77Ìýbooks5,154Ìýfollowers
Jodi Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's series, the story of a bunch of disaster prone individuals who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel! She is also the author of the Time Police series - a St Mary's spinoff and gateway into the world of an all-powerful, international organisation who are NOTHING like St Mary's. Except, when they are.

Alongside these, Jodi is known for her gripping supernatural thrillers featuring Elizabeth Cage together with the enchanting Frogmorton Farm series - a fairy story for adults.

Born in Bristol and now living in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and write a novel. Over twenty books later, she still has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,408 (47%)
4 stars
1,082 (36%)
3 stars
407 (13%)
2 stars
56 (1%)
1 star
13 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
Profile Image for Emma.
2,650 reviews1,063 followers
May 15, 2021
Reread May �21
I didn’t like this so much the second time round. I found it disjointed and a bit odd! Still looking forward to the third in series, coming out later this year.

October 2018
From the moment I finished White Silence, I’ve been anticipating its sequel. I’m glad I started on the weekend because there is no way I could have put this down to go to work. And now the wait begins again!
I predict this could easily become a full blown series (hope you’re reading this Jodi), given the way events have spiralled in this book. I had so many questions at the end of White Silence, but now I have so many more. There was hardly one thing in the book that I could have predicted. There were so many ‘what?!�, how?!, let me just reread that.. Jodi, what have you been drinking?! Where did that come from? I’d love to actually list these things, but you need to discover them for yourselves.
Strongly recommended but start with White Silence, then this, Dark Light.
Profile Image for J.A. Ironside.
AuthorÌý57 books351 followers
November 11, 2018
I'm not sure what it is about Jodi Taylor but somehow she always pulls me in. I liked the first book in this series but was a bit unsure of the MC and some of the plot. This second book seems to have shaken out all the kinks and now Elizaveth Cage is riding high into adventure in her quiet, reluctant and unassuming way. I really enjoyed this light paranormal mystery. As I said, I'm not sure what it is about the author but somehow she gets me on board even with characters and plots that wouldn't normally interest me. Her books are an automatic preorder now and get read straight away. I can offer no higher praise than that.
Profile Image for Bradley.
AuthorÌý9 books4,697 followers
December 24, 2021
Surprisingly enough, I think I liked this next Elizabeth Cage book better than the first. Reading auras is fun and all but the rest of the plot was somewhat meh and the baddies were pretty much the same. The one redeeming virtue was that it was written by Jodi Talyor and I've pretty much always loved the pacing and humor in all her books.

Then comes the second book in the series and all of a sudden I love the new direction it takes. Witch stones, old fertility rites, fae magic, and lost swords -- all thrown into the mix of the unscrupulous bastards from the first. And you know what? It worked. This unpresuming housewife who just wanted to be left alone and not use her aura-reading (or reality shifting) abilities really does have a nasty knack at getting into the worst kind of trouble.

Quite amusing and it goes full circle in a very cool way. I love the fae.
Profile Image for Mburrows.
282 reviews8 followers
November 5, 2018
I have to say I love Jodi Taylor and everything she writes.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,413 reviews8 followers
December 16, 2021
Let me start by saying that this is a very difficult review because this book encompasses many changes of pace/focus and can feel rather disjointed. Overall I found it funny, cosy, fantastical but also a little odd as it's peppered with extremes of mundanity and the extraordinary.

This is book two in the series and you do really need to read book one to have a chance of grasping what is going on.

Elizabeth Cage is an ordinary woman who strives for routine and normality in her life. She likes to curl up with a book, wander into town occasionally and attend the local historical society meetings.
But Elizabeth Cage is 'different' and the further she runs away from 'trouble' the more she gets entangled in it!
I love Elizabeth. I find her entirely relatable. The weirdness never pervades her sense of moral duty and good manners. She is great.

I don't want to say too much more but if the notes below pique your interest then start reading this series asap!

1. Start this series at the beginning (White Silence) or you will be lost
2. The pacing is just like a foxtrot; slow, slow, quick, quick, slow
3. There are multiple storylines (this can be a bit bamboozling)
4. It's weird
5. There are more than a few magical elements
6. Despite the magic & mayhem, it does feel bizarrely homely to me. This is down to Elizabeth and her relationships really. There is a lot of gentle banter/humour which I enjoyed
7. There is tea and sandwiches (adding to homeliness mentioned above)
8. You will need to depart the realms of reality
9. There is a bottle of wine that never empties! This was my favourite thing 😂
Profile Image for Veronique.
1,328 reviews219 followers
October 7, 2020
3.75*

What a puzzling book! Taylor is a firm favourite, and I have enjoyed pretty much everything she has written. This second title featuring Elizabeth Cage sounded like the perfect supernatural thriller, and it was. Several parts of the narrative were totally tense, horrific, and so much fun. However the rest felt very thin on the plot front. It’s as if the author threw several ideas together, but somehow the result didn’t feel like a ‘whole� to me. Still worth reading, of course ;O)
Profile Image for Charlie.
857 reviews154 followers
August 19, 2022
This story was spectacular! I loved it significantly more than the first one and I didn't even think that was possible.

The audio narration for this was excellent. I'm always weary when there's a different narrator partway through a series but I was really pleasantly surprised this time.
Profile Image for Wing Kee.
2,091 reviews35 followers
June 4, 2019
Still pretty bonkers but I am starting to enjoy the ride.

World: The world building is still pretty patchwork and bonkers. There is everything but the kitchen sink here and I’m starting to just let myself be swept away with the world building chaos. This time around with the small village of Greyston it’s a fun little story location that reminded me of the film “Hot Fuzz� which is a good thing. The new supernatural pieces with the lore and history of demons was kinda interesting and again for some reason it all is a patchwork but the world for some reason is starting to make sense.

Story: The story is a bit tighter than the last book and there is more of a sense of urgency and tension in this book which I felt was lacking in the first. The story is still very bonkers and patchwork with Cage’s powers somewhat vague and also the story somewhat vague about Sorensen and the pieces but it’s good. The story of Greyston is really good, reminded me of “Hot Fuzz� and that’s a really fun thing. I liked the new supernatural pieces and storyline of the new visitor that lives with Cage and the demon stuff is out of left field but the story itself is quite emotional and well done. The continuation of the weird different realities is also interesting to me. It’s still all over the place but I am starting to just enjoy the madness that is this book.

Characters: Cage is still very poorly defined in terms of her power. However, her personal voice and character as a whole is wonderful and engrossing. I love the characters of this book and much like Taylor’s other books, the banter is wonderful and the emotions and charm really comes through. There is a forward momentum and depth here that I felt was lacking in the first book.

A quirky weird book that’s fun.

Onward to the next book!
Profile Image for Alison.
3,558 reviews138 followers
October 28, 2018
This series defies description. It's labelled paranormal but that always makes me think of vampires and shifters - so far there are none of them. What we do have is Elizabeth Cage, a woman with a supernatural ability to read people's auras, although she refers to them more prosaically as people's colours. After her husband died in a car accident she was held in a secure mental institute where her husband's former boss, Dr Sorenson, tried to get her to use her talents for his own political ends. Rescued by a fellow inmate Michael Jones, who turned out to be a James Bond-esque spy and all round bad-ass, she thought she had found the quiet peaceful life she craved, until Jones' betrayal forced her to flee her home.

What happens next is a charming, scary, thrilling mixture of childhood fairytales come to life, mysterious otherworld creatures, daring rescues, creepy rituals and a village which reminded me very much of a super scary children's TV series I watched when I was a child. All these threads are effortlessly woven together with Jodi Taylor's customary humour, sarcasm and gentle romance. Each and every one of her characters is fully realised and finely nuanced. I loved all of them, old and new, good and bad.

Can't wait for the next one.
Profile Image for John Warner.
904 reviews43 followers
May 28, 2021
In the inaugural novel in this series, , we learned that the protagonist Elizabeth Cage has also been able to see auras or color emanations ebbing and flowing around people. From these auras, she can discern the person's character, what they know, and their truthfulness. After her experiences in the previous novel, dispondent and unsure who to trust, she flees her home and finds haven in the bucolic Greyston located off of the beaten path. However, soon she learns that the town is run by a matriarchial trio known as the Three Sisters, who maintains their power through an annual blood ritual involving a male who stumbled on their community the previous year. She also learns that she has been chosen to replace one of the Three Sisters and become impregnated by the next male to be killed the next year. Like the Eagles, Hotel California, she finds that she can not leave.

As a fan of Jodi Taylor's St. Mary's Chronicles, I'm glad that this series is similarly enjoyable. Although I believe that the other series' protagonist, "Max", is a more self-assured character, Elizabeth Cage is growing in this series. She is continuing to discover other paranormal abilities as the series continue. There is a romance similar to one in the first series. Additionally, Elizabeth Cage seems to find trouble as frequently as Max. Jodi Taylor even plays homage to her previous series by describing Elzabeth Cage's adventures as "one damn thing after another", which is the title of the first novel in the St. Mary's Chronicles. These series won't be classics in the future, but they are enjoyable quick reads.
Profile Image for Babydoclaz.
445 reviews9 followers
September 29, 2021
Great add to the series. You learn more about Elizabeth and there are interesting adventures. Looking forward to the next one
Profile Image for Deanna.
997 reviews66 followers
March 26, 2025
4.5 stars

Jodi Taylor is a witch who casts spells that can get me to turn pages in any kind of book, even many that I wouldn’t otherwise touch.

I don’t enjoy the horror parts of this series, but I would call it soft horror (but then, I don’t otherwise read horror stories, so that assessment is suspect), and it’s never enough to make me stop reading or hate the book.

I would pick one of the other two of her running series if I had books I read in all of them, but I’m bought into this series and have to know what happens next.
Profile Image for Patricia.
81 reviews28 followers
January 8, 2019
The first book was much better.
Too much fantasy and mythical creatures and not enough people in this one.
I listened to the audiobook and wish hey had stayed with the narrator of the first book.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,017 reviews21 followers
March 5, 2021
I am really enjoying this series. This second book wasn't quite so dark and scary as the first. There were still some intense moments. I love the characters (from the first book and new to this second book, as well. Particularly Iblis!). Fun reading!
Profile Image for Nicole.
105 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2018
Jodi’s Best Book Yet!

Dark Light is the sequel to White Silence. A supernatural thriller it tells the story of Elizabeth Cage and her ability to read auras. Having escaped the Sorenson Institute with the aid of Michael Jones, Elizabeth starts the second book in the run from Michael who has betrayed her and left her in danger.

She ends up in the small village of Grayston, famous for its ancient standing stones. But Elizabeth is far from safe...The villagers require sacrifice to appease an ancient magic and they want need Elizabeth to complete the renewal ceremony.

I had no idea at the end of book one where book two would lead, but it certainly wasn’t here. Dark light is gripping and with many twists and turns. At times it read like a book from the Dresden Files series, with ancient races and magic from ancient times. I honestly think this Jodi’s best book yet.
Profile Image for Jennifer Rayment.
1,396 reviews71 followers
March 21, 2019
Absolute perfection, though I was a tad confused at times about what was going on, but that could be just me. Jodi Taylor is one of my all time favourite authors and I will pick up anything she writes. Ok, I listen to all of them on audible, don't judge, I have a busy life these days. Plus the narrators are so good I just want to listen to them instead. This series is unlike anything out there, truly imaginative and you never know what's going to happen next. The characters are richly drawn and the dialogues is outrageously funny at times, and so beautiful and sad at others. I am shit at reviewing her stuff because it truly is beyond words, and she deserves better than what I can say. Life is so much better with Jodi Taylor . Man another one I read where I forgot to bookmark my favourite quotes. IT was just that good I didn't want to stop and take notes.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
2,041 reviews87 followers
September 12, 2021
Absolutely fucking brilliant! I adore this novel. I adore this series so much, I bought this ebook! And I adore the author, Jodi Taylor. I might even love this series a little bit more than the Chronicles of St. Mary’s...! Also the characters are perfectly written, and keep bringing me back for more.
Please read this novel soon. But make sure you read the first novel in the series first, called White Silence!

5 huge stars, and recommended to all my friends and strangers alike.
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä�-

I adored this novel in 2019. After re listening to the audiobook, I’m just in as much adoration now, as I was back then.

The audiobook version of this novel was narrated by Judi Teal, who I adored.

This novel continues to receive 5 stars by me, and is recommended to everyone and anyone out there. And yes, that means you�!
Profile Image for Catherine Weaver.
AuthorÌý6 books16 followers
November 5, 2018
I liked this even better than White Silence. Elizabeth starts to come into her own, and she gets a couple more friends, both of whom are engaging and fun. The story was satisfyingly spooky, but there were also many laugh out loud moments. Loved it and can’t wait for the next one.
141 reviews
January 16, 2019
Yep I struggled with this one.
Should have read the blurb. Sometimes going in blind is not all it is cracked up to be.
Profile Image for Maria.
1,025 reviews10 followers
August 25, 2021
I liked this one better than the first one. It's now very clear to me that "anything can happen" is the thing about this series. It really isn't what I'm used to reading/listening to, but I kind of like it.
Sometimes frustrating, but more often clean fun.

Most of all I like the banter and relationship between Cage and Jones. I'm totally shipping them.
Aaaand I'm already going crazy about this "will they/won't they" dynamics. How long will this yo-yo go back and forth? How many books? *sigh*

But now I feel invested in these people. I'm sort of sad that only 3 books are available because I suspect the ending is far off into the future. While a a lot of things happen the pace on certain levels is rather glacial. (And I'm impatient.)

I will continue straight on to book 3.
Profile Image for Karsyn .
2,345 reviews43 followers
November 26, 2019
Argh, this book. I thought I'd rate this a 4 star, cuz it was just all over the place, all these random things that seemed to have nothing to do with each other. But then, finally it was all brought together. It was good, not the best Jodi Taylor ever, but really good. The characters are so memorable and the story is insane. It's really trippy. I enjoyed it. 4.5 stars rounded up cuz it's Jodi Freakin Taylor.
Profile Image for Holly Bier.
129 reviews3 followers
July 24, 2022
I am a huge fan of Jodi Taylor. Her Chronicles of St. Mary’s and Time Police series each make me laugh out loud. I’m not enjoying her Elizabeth Cage series quite as much. I did like the first book in the series � White Silence � partly because of the writing, partly because I enjoy paranormal stories, partly because her anti-hero is so damn funny, and partly because of her excellent selection of Audible narrator, Zara Ramm. Book two in the series � Dark Light � is not narrated by Zara Ramm, and the book suffers for it. Julie Teal is a very good narrator, but her voice makes Elizabeth Cage sound much older than her actual age (somewhere in her late 20’s I believe), and I couldn’t get past that.

Also, this story felt a little more random than the first. The storyline continues, but it’s more like “here’s a new idea,� and “here’s another new idea,� and “let’s throw this idea in too!� The reader has no idea who/what Elizabeth Cage is (she doesn’t either), which is always an intriguing plot line for me, but in this case it makes the book feel even more disjointed. But hell, I love Jodi Taylor madly, so I’m looking forward to the third book where hopefully she wraps it up with a tidy, satisfying big fat bow.
Profile Image for Niki Vervaeke.
643 reviews40 followers
May 13, 2024
deel 2 in de light reading tijd
spannend, origineel en beter dan deel 1
ontspannen, linken met sprookjes en fabels en het bovennatuurlijke, tegelijk humor en de nodige spanning, nice reading
Profile Image for Sarah Talmage.
38 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2018
I'm writing this review at twenty minutes past midnight and I have to be up in less than 7 hours, which should tell you how utterly unputdownable this book is!
Profile Image for beentsy.
434 reviews9 followers
June 12, 2019
I wasn't sure where this one was going but all linked up and became clearer by end. I don't know why I worried.
Profile Image for Sonja Lawrance.
152 reviews2 followers
September 21, 2020
I love Jodi Taylor, and I love this series, almost as much as St Mary’s! I really hope there’s another one, and soon.
Profile Image for Emily O'Leary.
269 reviews
February 11, 2023
Jodi is my hero. This book was WILD.

Whilst not quite as "dare not stick my foot out of bed" scary and creepy, it was still scary in a different way. This is a spoiler free zone though so you'll have to read it to see!

It was also possibly the wildest book I've read of hers yet, in terms of the events and literally ANYTHING can pop right out of there.

And as always, it was just so much fun! Characters were impeccable as always. The humour was excellent. Their interactions were perfection. Truly her characters are just so real to me, and I loved the new additions a lot.

I listened to the audiobook of this one � narrator is brilliant! Always a big plus for me!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.