The Light They Left

Kate Taliaferro reviews the second book in Sister Allison Regina Gliot's In Aeternum series for teen readers.

The Light They Left (In Aeternum, Book 2)

By Sister Allison Regina Gliot, FSP

Published by Pauline Books & Media

I didn’t realize how attached I was to Elizabeth and Christopher until I saw the opportunity to review The Light They Left by Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, FSP, and my fingers flew across my keyboard requesting it. The second installment in the In Aeternum trilogy, The Light They Left continues the story of Elizabeth (human) and Christopher (vampire) as they discover together Christopher’s origin story and seek to understand the changes that have continued developing in him since the end of The Curse He Chose, which I reviewed earlier at CatholicMom.com.  

This review contains spoilers for The Curse He Chose.  

We last left Christopher and Elizabeth relatively safe, though on watch for the Enchantress to come back for revenge after her defeat. The Shadow glides in and out of their lives, keeping them on edge and wondering what plans could be developing in the dark places. All the while, Christopher has been working as the groundskeeper of Elizabeth’s parish and receiving catechesis as well as spiritual direction from Father Stephen.   

A series of events and new memories for Christopher lead the group to a German forest and ancient monastery where Christopher hopes, though fearfully, to discover who he was before he was a vampire. He is of two minds in this quest, because it also means discovering what, and who, he chose to reject by becoming a vampire. Elizabeth continues faithfully by his side, trying her best to be a strong friend and confidant. Throughout the story, the two have to grapple with their own inner assumptions about themselves and the other person while learning how to communicate truthfully with one another. Their romance is slow and sweet and continues to be centered on Christ as they grow through the story. 

Not to give anything away, but this book ends with a twist I did not see coming and neither did my 13-year-old daughter, which made us both gleefully excited for the final book, The Dawn We Seek. Speaking of my daughter, this is a good moment to discuss appropriate age levels for this book. The publication material I received from Pauline Books and Media recommends 14+ for this book. This is consistent with the first book in the series. While The Curse He Chose had quite a bit of vampire-style violence, that particular element was much reduced in The Light They Left. There is mention of the violence experienced in the first book, but not relived in any substantial manner. There is a final showdown of sorts which brings violence into play.  

Exploring Themes of Identity and Purpose

The Light They Left continues exploring the themes of identity and the purpose of life. Sister Allison isn’t afraid to follow these kinds of questions into the darker places of our souls and gives the reader the opportunity to sit with one character as they make an attempt at suicide. This is handled in a tasteful manner, with all the seriousness and gravity such a moment deserves. Hope and help are immediately offered to the character in question.   

Before handing this book to my daughter, after catching her reading the first few pages before I had started, I checked in with her about these two areas: the violence and the attempted suicide. I knew she would be all right with the violence as she was not bothered in the first book. However, I don’t want to downplay the fact that violence of any kind is still a serious thing and shouldn't be taken lightly. I wanted her to know ahead of time that suicide attempt was an element of this story, and if she felt uncomfortable, uncertain, or just wanted to talk through it, I was there and ready to work through it together. We had a good conversation after she finished, and I was so glad to have had this opportunity to share her thoughts on the subject and why it is such a serious thing. 

I tore through The Light They Left, I’ll be honest. Maybe, as it is a vampire book, the phrase, “I devoured it” would be appropriate here. My daughter did the same. Sister Allison writes in a way that is fast-paced without leaving me breathless. The way she chose to weave Christopher’s memories with reality was exciting but also put me a little off kilter. Her style encouraged me to slow down and to read with care, not just blast through details to find out what happens next.

As with The Curse He Chose, The Light They Left includes a “Fact or Fiction” section at the end that explores questions about some of the vampire legends and Catholic beliefs that are present. It is also worth noting that this book includes some historical Catholic beliefs which are no longer consistent with our present-day faith. This provides another opportunity for discussion with your teens about how doctrine develops and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Church. 

If you haven’t read The Curse He Chose, go read that before you tackle this. If you are going to be heading to Pauline Books and Media for it, just go ahead and put The Light They Left into your cart as well. You’ll appreciate not having to wait for mail to arrive so you can start it right away. 

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Copyright 2026 Kate Taliaferro
Images: (top) detail from cover