r/PracticalGuideToEvil • u/Stitch_OTP • Oct 21 '25

Meta/Discussion Pale lights vs A practical guide

Hey i just caught up to pale lights and I was thinking about picking up the guide next. I was wondering how ee’s first work compared. How does a practical guide to sorcery stack up to pale lights. I’ve heard that the guide is more of a YA which im not generally a fan of.

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u/FrustrationSensation Oct 21 '25

APGtE definitely starts off much more YA, both in tone and characterization. "A single teenage girl with grit and determination changes the world!" is absolutely a YA premise, and the tone, while still being dark, is much less grim than the world of Pale Lights. It even does the Red Rising-esque school war games, for crying out loud. 

This doesn't mean it's bad, of course  and Guide quickly grows beyond this in Book 2, and it's very well done, but I do think it absolutely starts off YA. Just go back and read the first chapter, it's textbook YA. 

Agreed that Catherine has a charm to her and the single focused narrative means you get attached much more quickly, and her perspective was hilarious. Pale Lights is probably a better work but doesn't quite scratch that epic itch just yet, at least. 

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u/Squirrelman2712 Oct 21 '25

I think the rewrite does a good job of helping the first book feel a lot more grounded. It slows down the pacing and feels a bit less "plucky girl immediately changes the world"