Light at the End of the Tunnel – Tarot: Nine of Swords

As its title suggests, Light at the End of the Tunnel is a dark journey for its protagonist Nau Glavo. Nau is a young black woman trying to find her way in life during the depressing London of the 1950’s. Alone and vulnerable, she attempts to join a gang of local boys by becoming the leader, Guy’s, girlfriend. The boys find another use for her and she becomes embroiled in a crime that leaves her hiding out with Chris, another member of the gang. This leads to a clash of friendship and a sexual awakening for Nau. There is some light BDSM, and the sex is not happy. The story is very dark as is fitting for the Tarot card: Nine of Swords. The Light is only seen right at the end, and it was hard earned.

Emy Naso is a talented writer whose prose reads like poetry. He captures the mood of the setting and characters well, forcing the reader into the dark depths of the story to places they may not wish to go. Although I felt no particular sympathy for the characters, they were engaging and did capture my pity. Naso’s use of metaphor is evident in the title and the ending, bringing the story full circle. He follows the meaning of the Nine of Swords very well, which Tarot readers will appreciate. I recommend this book to all who like Dark Romance and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Reviewed by: Jaynie