Some doors should remain closed.

Some questions should remain unanswered.

When Carla meets Eddie Jacobs, the bestselling author of Sunset Over Dreams, her life is rapidly changed. Drawn from her reclusive existence into the cult of his celebrity, she is ill-prepared for the attention. But there are things about Carla that Eddie doesn’t know. Things that that he really should.

When Eddie goes missing, shortly before the release date of his second novel, doors become opened that Carla would much prefer remained closed.

Who is Carla, really? And why would she not want Eddie found?

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.

On completing Kill Your Darlings, I have now read the majority of A.K. Alliss’ books and had the pleasure of bouncing ideas and working with him on features on my blog, and on my own book. In that time, I feel like I have seen his work evolve and change throughout his books. I have thoroughly enjoyed his Ouroboros Trilogy of Frame, Future’s Orphans and Gravity’s Truth. Kill Your Darlings takes place in the same universe as the Ouroboros Trilogy and even sees the return of a few familiar faces. But this is as far as the similarities go.

One significant difference I felt is the feeling I got from the book. Throughout the Ouroboros Trilogy I always felt there was an underlying sense of hope and optimism, that things might get better for the characters. Kill Your Darlings feels somewhat darker in my opinion-a definite sense of something bad lurking just around the corner.

Alliss has definitely slowed down the tempo of the story this time around, and this really complements the feel of the book. I found that also added to the ever-increasing tension that built throughout the story. Kill Your Darlings keeps twists coming, as the mysteries within are uncovered. Character backstories develop and revelations that come up change the complexion of the narrative, leaving me feeling like it was hard to root-for or despise any given character.

With this offering, it is clear that the author is developing and trying different styles of writing with great effect. The hopelessness and darker vibe makes for an interesting departure from what I have grown accustomed with the Ouroboros trilogy.

My rating: