Shades of Darkness

Trials of Fear, Book 2

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: Adam Gold

Six years ago, an unforeseen incident turned Rory Gallagher’s life upside down. Now, he lives in darkness, fearing the sun, fearing light altogether. Rory has developed Heliophobia. As a creature of the night, Rory has learned to adapt to his unusual lifestyle. He draws comfort from shadows and safety from the nighttime hour.

Unfortunately, his mind is the darkest place of all, and the one place he can’t seem to escape.

Finding help isn’t easy, but when Rory registers with a local, 24-hour counseling center, the man he meets surprises him in more ways than one. Young psychology student, Adrian Anderson, is Rory’s complete opposite. How will this smart, preppy, do-gooder ever get through to the man with a chip on his shoulder who has learned to hate the world?

It doesn’t take long for Rory to discover they have something horrific in common. Despite rules and regulations, this sad detail helps them form a bond neither of them expected. Could Adrian be the shining light Rory needs to dispel the darkness for good?

©2018 Nicky James (P)2020 Nicky James

Unique, emotional, and romantic

Adrian and Rory's struggles ripped my heart out in this audio. I felt their fear, pain, and humiliation so vividly in this story that sometimes I felt like screaming from the sheer agony of it all. Adam Gold transported me into these characters' lives, and his expressive narration gripped me by the heart as I was listening to all the ups and downs of their journey.

In terms of the actual story, it was difficult for me to listen all the way through without raging at the cruelty of humanity. The bullying Adrian dealt with made me feel sick to my stomach, and every time something good happened to him all I could do was wait to see how his roommates would spoil it. I was expecting the main conflict in this story to deal with Rory's heliophobia, but Adrian's own issues felt much more troubling and weighty at times. Part of me doesn't understand why Adrian never stood up for himself--the fact that he lived with these people for four entire years sent chills down my spine when I found out. I know his parents weren't exactly helpful when he needed a sounding board, but the thought of such a pure, gentle spirit getting crushed by bullies for so long filled me with equal parts rage and sadness. I think my own intense emotions are what made me so disappointed that the bullies didn't get the harsh punishment they deserved by the end of this story. I understand that's just the harsh reality of life, but every cell in my body was itching to make those guys pay for what they did to Adrian.

Rory's part of the story was no less heartbreaking to uncover, but seeing him seek help for his issues and confide the whole truth in Adrian softened the jagged harshness of what happened to him. Don't get me wrong--when he finally confessed the graphic details that led to his phobia, I wanted to throw up. The one bright spot from the very start of this story was Krew. I was suspicious of his dramatics at first, but he quickly elevated himself from "okay sidekick" to "best BFF ever". His unwavering support of Rory and easy acceptance of Adrian made me smile, and I'm seriously hoping we see more of him in future books.

Those who are expecting Rory to be "cured" of his phobia will probably be disappointed by the epilogue, but I actually really appreciated the realism. Mental health isn't binary, and phobias can't be turned on and off with the flip of a switch. At the end of the epilogue, I could see leaps and bounds of progress from Rory's side, and his and Adrian's future looks brighter than ever.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

Loved it!

4.5

I just loved this one. Deals with bullying and the fear of the sun. Adrian was adorable and sweet, and Rory just breaks my heart with how hard he falls for him as the perpetual loner.

Even in darkness, one can find love and happiness!

It had been a while since I read Rory and Adrian's story. I loved the way Adam Gold brought those character's to life for me. I enjoy my time reading and imaging how these men sound. So when I know a book I love is on audio and being read, especially by narrator's such as Adam Gold, I rush to get them.

Adam brought their world to me. I fell in love with both Rory and Adrian all over again. I also felt the pain again with Rory, his frustration over his limitations. I got angered over the treatment of Adrian and the awful things that had been done to him.

Krew, how I missed his sassy, in your face, and the most caring friend to have. I was thrilled with how Adam brought his character alive.

I absolutely enjoyed going back to their story and Adam did an amazing job bringing their story alive.

love this story

I read it when it first came out and I loved getting to hearing Adam bring them to life. He did a great job on the voices to keep them all different and interesting.

Really Good

This was an excellent story but at times was really hard. Rory's experiences with bullying was heartbreaking and I just wanted to fold him in a protective hug. And having Aiden, whose own experiences gave him such empathy, come along to draw him out made my heart happy. Adam Gold is a fantastic narrator and he really brings these characters to life.