This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 If I'm being totally honest, it was Arclight's gorgeous, colourful and eye catching cover that convinced me to pick it up. I had no idea what so ever what it was about. I was sold on the cover alone. But then I started reading and became just as hooked on the book's insides as its outsides. 
 Arclight starts on a high note. Alarms are going off, codes are being given and people are seemingly running for their lives. We don't who they are, what they're running from and where exactly we are in time and space. Normally this kind of beginning can feel jarring and choppy but it was just the beginning this book needed. It gives the story an incredibly high intensity level right from the get go, and it never lets up. If you liked stories that get your heart pounding and move at a consistantly fast pace, you're going to love Arclight. 
 Once you're into the story and are able to get more oriented, you realize you're reading something totally unique. This isn't a dystopia, it isn't science fiction. I saw someone describe it as Stephen King for teens and I think that's about as accurate description as we're going to get. It's haunting and at times, more than a little creepy. The people of the Arclight are surrounded by these creatures called The Fade. They're creatures of shadows, who have slowly, over many generations, taken over the world. They bleed black and can assimilate your body into their 'hive'. Creepy stuff. I really enjoyed reading about a creature I had never heard of before as it added an element of surprise. How could I predict what they would do next if I knew nothing about them? 
 The only fault I have with Arclight is that sometimes I was a little lost. This was because the world building, was at times, lacking. Everything is just SO new and different that it would be impossible to flesh it all out in one book. Josin L McQuein does a pretty good job but I still would have liked more. Sometimes it felt like the world and the characters within it were just rushing by and it was easy to get lost in the shuffle. Overall I was still able to enjoy the story but if you asked me to explain how the world got this way or exactly what the Fade are...well let's just say I'm not the best person to ask. 
 Recommendation: Arclight is a high intensity read that actually accomplished the challenge of being "nothing like you've ever read before." It's great for those who want to get lost in a high action, high impact read. Not so great for those who love really fleshed out speculative fiction.