Kill Your Darling: An Immortal Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Mariana Costa

Some immortals live to fulfill their purpose. He'd rather live for himself.

Alyosha Mikhailov, avatar of Evil and continent-wide villain for roughly seven thousand years, is frankly over it. With his quiet manners and sensitive heart, the prophecy that keeps reincarnating him into the role of Big Bad feels less like fate and more like a cosmic joke. So he decides to do the unthinkable and ask for help from the only other immortal he knows―the avatar of Good. Otherwise known as Alyosha's closest thing to a coworker and friend.

Casimir Alekhin is thriving. As the ever-popular avatar of Good, he's perfectly pleased with the world and would happily clock another seven thousand years on his theoretical timecard. Sure, he has to stab Alyosha every few decades, but isn't that basically a mild inconvenience when you're talking about immortality? If only Alyosha would stop taking it so personally.

But as Alyosha digs for a way to shatter the prophecy once and for all, Casimir begins to worry that his friend isn't confused―he's serious. And the closer Alyosha gets to freedom, the more Casimir is forced to face a truth he's avoided for millennia: forever only matters if you have someone to spend it with.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, LGBT, M M Romance, Queer

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 12, 2027

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two men, representatives of the gods of Good and Evil, are trapped in an endless cycle of violence against one another. Specifically, once every lifetime Alyosha must plan a catastrophe, and Casimir will murder Alyosha in response. It’s the triumph of good over evil, of course. They’ve been doing this for about seven thousand years now, and Alyosha is tired. He hates being evil. He wants a final death to end the cycle. Casimir, on the other hand, has a good time murdering Alyosha. He doesn’t want their time together to end. It’s fine though. They’ll sort it out for sure when they become roommates.

Kill Your Darling is an upbeat, though notably violent, fantasy romcom. It’s a dual perspective, non-chronological story set over multiple lifetimes. This angsty, darkly humorous romance is slow-burn and closed door. Suggested for readers who enjoyed Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis or Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Edelweiss+ for providing me with an eARC.

[Kelysium · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mariana has turned into one of those insta-read authors. The way that characters develop and grow alongside one another. The lyrical prose Mariana weaves. The overarching themes of each story. It is thoroughly brilliant and this story is no different.

Can’t wait to get my hand on a physical copy to add it to my collection of treasured books.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried when I read it. I love Alyosha and Casimir so much

[✨]

i'm picking up a trace of aziracrow's nachos so i'll bite