Until Her Darkness Goes

by Rana Kelly

This book is out of print and currently unavailable.

358 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2015

Reviews

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has earned its stripes and undoubtedly a five star rating.

Becoming a writer is not up to chance, sometimes it’s not even up to you. Being a writer is something you can’t undo, no matter what, just can’t be undone. When asked about what made them write, be this way, or how to become one, if the writers were honest they’d tell you, warn you even, not to be one. To be something else, to do almost anything else. Something other than this, this thing that consumes you for all the best reasons. Writers, they feel too much, see too much and get so little in return, and I am not even talking about money here. But if writers are really honest, they’d tell those doomed aspirants that it’s not really a matter of choice.

However, if you are lucky, there comes a time when all this suffering, all the pain you’ve caused around you, the utter chaos of it, all seems worth it. All the blood, sweat, and tears, all that you have sacrificed become but a small price to pay for such validation.

This happened when I read this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author is as raw as she’s unapologetically talented. There often comes a time when being a writer is definitely worth it.

In this day and age, there is a certain quiet furor among the readers for change, for new things, newer honest style of writing. There are lots of desultory offerings out there, so there are lots of complains and rightfully so, that there is a dearth of originality. Yet there is inaction too, very little is being done to redress this issue, almost everyone falling victim to commercialism, regardless of their intentions. Few willing to do something about it, willing to go against the tropes that are plaguing the literary world, therefore our own world is affected by that cold complicity in return. What we read is what we give back.

There’s no doubt women authors are the marginalized group of literary world, few are independent yes but the most work in the alcoves assigned to them. Only few women writers can write more than what's expected of them, fewer even who wants to. Therefore, it was a pleasure to discover Rana Kelly transcended all that and became just an author, genderless, ageless, timeless, human, writer. A Writer.

A lucid storytelling is all you can hope for. Until Her Darkness Goes. The writing flows like water here and glows like a glowworm. You know what they say about an effortless reading, it definitely takes a lot of effort into making it so effortless. Kelly tells a story here, sometimes writers cannot do that they can't help it, sometimes they get tangled in their own web of purple flowery mess.

What I love here is how the split narrative literary device is executed and so aptly. Plus, the two voices are distinct. Something very hard to do and maintain. It is flawless here. I mean, Nick sounds like Nick, a Brit, well Scottish and Rachael sounds like a woman. What you don’t doubt is the love between them. A poisonous love that you can’t help but help them drink. By reading the book, you bring that cup to their lips and making them drink in the poison. But it is worth it.

Until Her Darkness Goes. I was fortunate to witness the birth of this book. All the stages reminded me that I was reading a book that’s very fleshed out and still the final product managed to amaze me. If I were to describe this novel, I’d say the essence of Rock n Roll is dollop into this one, a feel of your favorite song this is.

Music is so important to writing, no other book enlivens that fact than the blood dark ink of this Darkness. You know how in the middle of a song you think of a certain novel and how in the middle of a book you love, you think of that song; this right here, this gem of a novel, that is as alive as a busker’s song, is that book.

All this, for a song.

Find it.

[Abdullah Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't read novels dealing with "music". But I'll try to write a bit about this novel according to my little knowledge.

This novel is based upon a story of a music band which soars from being a common band to a world-class band. And then, the unexpected situations arise, leading to the downfall of band. After it comes the revival of the band and it again escalates to the top. The role of singer "Nicky McCallum" and producer "Rachael Sullivan" is prominent throughout the story.

The most significant thing was the way the author entangled different characters in the story and created the emotional tension between them. It was a very realistic story portraying the aspects like hard work, success, revival, perseverance and above all love.
Love for someone. And, love for something as enriching as music.

[Trevor L Wooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was thoroughly engrossed in this work. From the first sentence to the last, I was completely invested in what happened to Rachael and Nicky. It was like I knew them. They were close friends and I felt their losses. I was overjoyed at their successes. I couldn’t side with one or the other when they disagreed or argued. They were my friends and I loved them both. I could understand them both completely. I was equally engrossed in their other relationships and their world.

This is a testament to the skill with which, author, Rana Kelly presents these characters and their world. She is obviously a voice that deserves a much, much wider audience. Maya Angelou once said that “easy reading is damned hard writing”. And, if that is truly the case, Rana Kelly definitely puts in the labor to make her pages easily digestible. The dialogue is realistic, the settings are fully fleshed out and every character seems to be standing right in the room with the reader. Likewise, the business jargon doesn’t sound like someone just did research and wants to drop the proper terms onto the page. It reads as though real professionals are discussing their work under normal circumstances. I can’t say enough about the talent of this author.

Until Her Darkness Goes was presented to me as a “Rock Novel”. But I have always felt that such labels are often limiting. I know that they can be necessary for marketing or even to ensure sales in certain genres. However, this book is a prime example of a work that presents characters that are fully relatable to anyone who appreciates strong characterization. They just happen to work within a specific industry. I personally have an interest in the music industry, but even if you don’t, you will find a lot to love about this book. I cannot recommend it enough. I loved every page.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using her underground rock-and-roll journo background Kelly performs a fresh exposé on an old, worn theme, sex, drugs and rock and roll. Not since J. A. Landry’s Fool Star has a rock novel toured so intimately with a band, and simultaneously had the bad juju and foibles of what happens backstage disclosed.
Until Her Darkness Goes takes us on a worldwide tour from the street pub scene of London to the towering skyscrapers of New York’s glitz and introduces us to a new Brit band, Murder of Crows and their star performer, Nick McCallum. Dazzled by the promise of the bright lights of America, Rachel Sullivan, pedigreed American record producer, lets us into the harsh world of rock and roll music, the rise to fame and the crash of reality, and how life on the road ain’t all what it’s cracked up to be.
Strong out-of-the-gate start for this debut novelist marks her as one to watch.

[Trevor L Wooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was thoroughly engrossed in this work. From the first sentence to the last, I was completely invested in what happened to Rachael and Nicky. It was like I knew them. They were close friends and I felt their losses. I was overjoyed at their successes. I couldn’t side with one or the other when they disagreed or argued. They were my friends and I loved them both. I could understand them both completely. I was equally engrossed in their other relationships and their world.

This is a testament to the skill with which, author, Rana Kelly presents these characters and their world. She is obviously a voice that deserves a much, much wider audience. Maya Angelou once said that “easy reading is damned hard writing”. And, if that is truly the case, Rana Kelly definitely puts in the labor to make her pages easily digestible. The dialogue is realistic, the settings are fully fleshed out and every character seems to be standing right in the room with the reader. Likewise, the business jargon doesn’t sound like someone just did research and wants to drop the proper terms onto the page. It reads as though real professionals are discussing their work under normal circumstances. I can’t say enough about the talent of this author.

Until Her Darkness Goes was presented to me as a “Rock Novel”. But I have always felt that such labels are often limiting. I know that they can be necessary for marketing or even to ensure sales in certain genres. However, this book is a prime example of a work that presents characters that are fully relatable to anyone who appreciates strong characterization. They just happen to work within a specific industry. I personally have an interest in the music industry, but even if you don’t, you will find a lot to love about this book. I cannot recommend it enough. I loved every page.

[BookNerdsBrainDump · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Take: I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!

(Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I will be the first to admit that Darkness is not my usual jam. It wouldn’t have been my first pick when perusing the shelves, probably not even my second or third.

See, I think that most romance books are ridiculous bordering on abusive towards women. For decades, it’s been the rich or powerful or both and totally gorgeous guy rescuing the poor maiden from her ordinary life of ordinariness. The poor innocent naive girl has no idea what life or passion really means, so thank goodness this perfect specimen can teach her! And if she’s not initially receptive, then his gorgeous powerfulness will wear her down eventually!

Give me a break. And let me just add that the current trend of clumsy/awkward women who seriously have NO idea, none whatsoever, that they are impossibly beautiful, is not an acceptable substitute for giving them an actual personality.

So when Ms. Kelly offered to send me her book, and told me a bit about her main character Rachel (professional, smart, bipolar, a little self-destructive), and Rachel’s love interest, Nicky (singer, junkie, major family issues), I found myself more than a little intrigued, and agreed to take it for a spin.

I’m glad I did.

Rachel is a music executive who’s on the verge of losing it all due to both a declining music industry and her own tendencies toward the extreme. One night, she wanders into a bar on impulse (which is, really, the way she does most things) and hears a band whose sound could resurrect her career, and make Murder of Crows world-famous. The lead singer is Nicky McCallum, who’s a major talent, a relative hottie, and battling more demons than Jerry Falwell in the 80’s.

Darkness is an earnest, heartfelt exploration of what happens when two people have major sharp jagged edges that COULD line up perfectly, but only maybe. And a bit of turning and twisting and trying to force it will leave them both bloody and raw. It’s a peek behind the curtain of mental illness, in which not only are emotions heightened by the disease, but every reaction and thought has to be examined in light of it. Is this a “normal” feeling? Is my “disease” making me over-react? Where is the line between genuine grief and heartache vs. “me just being bipolar again”?

It’s exhausting to even contemplate.

This is not to say that Darkness is perfect. Ms. Kelly is a first-time author, and as such, she tends to fall into a few traps. For one thing, there’s a tendency to tell more than show with regards to Rachel’s mental state; that is, there’s a lot of her saying she’s bipolar, and other people referring to her disorder, but not much of her really behaving THAT far outside the lines. For much of the book, she’s dealing with some pretty heavy no-joke for-real trauma, and to be honest, her reactions don’t seem that far outside the pale.

Also, while Rachel and Nicky are interesting and complex, some of the other characters are less fleshed out, more a single personality trait than a real person.

Despite its flaws, however, Darkness eventually pulled me in and kept me in. The first half was a little slow, but once I read the part where (just kidding, no spoilers here), I couldn’t put it down. This book was dark, and sad, and sexy, and messy, and just so human. It’s a romance for people who think romance is stupid.

It’ll be interesting to see what this author does in the future. Maybe she could write some excellent horror….

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a blistering guitar solo. Because I'm totally craving one right now.)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using her underground rock-and-roll journo background Kelly performs a fresh exposé on an old, worn theme, sex, drugs and rock and roll. Not since J. A. Landry’s Fool Star has a rock novel toured so intimately with a band, and simultaneously had the bad juju and foibles of what happens backstage disclosed.
Until Her Darkness Goes takes us on a worldwide tour from the street pub scene of London to the towering skyscrapers of New York’s glitz and introduces us to a new Brit band, Murder of Crows and their star performer, Nick McCallum. Dazzled by the promise of the bright lights of America, Rachel Sullivan, pedigreed American record producer, lets us into the harsh world of rock and roll music, the rise to fame and the crash of reality, and how life on the road ain’t all what it’s cracked up to be.
Strong out-of-the-gate start for this debut novelist marks her as one to watch.

[Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
Miscategorized as a contemporary romance. Needs a good editor. Typos, missed words and sentence fragments galore.