Book Review: Secrets Clad in Light by Kyra Gregory

Secrets Clad in Light by Kyra Gregory is a novel that is hard to categorize for me. The initial blurb for the book says that it takes place in 1888 London, but as you read the story it could be happening in the future, and alternate world, or anyplace that can include poverty, abuse, and a sewer system. Henry is a man that risks everything to save the life of a younger man that seems to have attempted suicide by slitting his own throat. Henry is trouble by the choice, not knowing if he is condemning the other to a miserable existence, but does everything he can to save the life. Slowly, details about the pair, and the mysterious woman that helps them. The book offers emotional struggles, some mystery, and a slow reveal of information.

Secrets Clad in Light was a book that left me with mixed feelings. The reveal of information was slow, which was both good and bad. I liked the feel that while the book was written to have taken place in historic London, there was a feel that this could happen anywhere, anytime. Oppression and abuse can be present where ever people live. Henry is the main character, and the one we know most, and least, about. We know that he was some sort of employee or servant, that he loves Seth, and that he wants to help and protect others. The younger man he saved, Seth, suffered some abuse and has a long road of recovery ahead of him. There is a mysterious woman that aids them, and the majority of the story is about her effect on Henry and the discovery about her past. The emotional struggles Henry faces, worrying about everyone else's well being, and how they feel about him, is a common thread through the book.

Secrets Clad in Light is a unique book that could speak to many readers. I picked it up a few times before I read it through to the end. The story is vague enough in some details that I wondered a few times if I missed something in the world building, but it is also detailed enough on Henry's emotions and thought process that it could really capture some readers. Readers that like to be immersed in the setting might want to skip this book, but readers that are more interested in the moment rather that the setting would enjoy the book.