Alive at Sunset

Rituals of the Night #2

by Kayla Krantz

Revenge is an obsession of its own.

Three years after her senior year horrors, Luna Ketz struggles to move on. Starting over in an apartment in Bowling Green with her new roommate hasn’t made things easier. Nothing helps, including weekly check-ins to ensure her assailant, Chance Welfrey, is still in a coma.

When he disappears from the hospital, Luna’s worst fears are realized. Chance remembers everything. The next time she sees him is on her doorstep. He’s found a new way into her life, and this game of cat and mouse will take all of her wits to survive.

*Warning: This book contains content that may be disturbing to some including sexual abuse and graphic violence.*

Genres: Thriller, Paranormal, Fiction

ebook

First published September 16, 2015

About the author

Kayla Krantz is an international bestselling author of dark fantasy, psychological horror, and supernatural thrillers. She is fascinated by the dark and macabre. Stephen King is her all-time inspiration, mixed in with some faint remnants of the works of Edgar Allen Poe. When she began writing, she started in horror, but somehow drifted into thriller and fantasy. She loves the 1988 movie, “Heathers.” Kayla was born and raised in Michigan, but traveled across the country to where she currently resides, in Texas.


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Reviews

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kayla! You do not cease to amaze me!

Such bold a cover.



I confess that I found this part more interesting than Dead by Morning which was the first book in series Rituals of the Night. It held my expectations up and up in the sky and so it stood their, flying. It was an emotional, thrilling and thought provoking ride with the protagonists. Seeing the character rising high whom you abhorred most was something quite unexpected.

Its plot has been immensely engaging.

Luna has survived the scare of the Book 1. She outlived her terror through the high school. Now is the time for her to move on and in comes a new person in her life Amanda.

Things are not working out and Luna has the scare of her worst dreams coming true.

It was thrilling to watch all the characters from the first book back with developed attitude. Some new characters were also introduced which were a delight to see. Everything and everyone was exactly as they should be to make this an exciting book. I couldn't think of the things that should be changed in it. The way it was, was perfect.

She has the chance to throb the life out of him, but she does not.

She keeps him alive.

And that might be the mistake that cost her alles.

It was darker, more intoxicating and more involving than Dead by Morning. The ending is the most exciting part. Never could I have guessed so. The author has presented a complete different point of view that many couldn't digest but the methods she applies in convincing you of the ending is commendable.

In psychological thriller novels I recently had the chance to read, this one takes the cake.



R.E.C.O.M.M.E.D.E.D.

[Andre Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing the drama of Chance and Luna was just as thrilling as it was in the first book. With their "relationship" already developed, we get to see just how crazy Chance truly is as he leaves behind a trail of death that only hurts Luna. I really like the character of Luna and how she is evolving over the course of these two books! The ending brought some closure, but as we know with Chance, that may not last forever. Looking forward to reading the next installment in this series!

[Kimberly Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

She should have killed him when she had the chance...

I was given a copy of Alive at Sunset for an honest review. Kayla Krantz has done yet again, this book lured me into false security only to yank the rug out from underneath me. I found myself asking my significant other if he would come lay down until I fell asleep last night in case a serial killer popped through my window ( he just laughed at me and told me I was a wuss).

The second novel in the series starts off at the beginning of summer vacation from college for Luna and her new best friend Amanda. It has been three years since Chance went into his coma and while Luna has started to piece her life back together she still insists on visiting the hospital he is located in once a week to make sure he is still there. It doesn't take long however before things start to feel wrong and Max begins calling her about dreamworld. Chance has woken up and unlike they thought he remembers everything! He resumes making Luna's life a living hell and attempting to kill anyone who means anything to her.

I truly enjoyed the plot of Alive at Sunset. Unlike most books, television shows, or films where the plot is predictable because they are not going to kill off the important characters Kayla Krantz has no problem offing anyone who comes in Chance's path. I was amazed that pretty quickly two characters I would have considered important to the story were killed off. On the other hand the one I expected to be murdered quickly held out to the end of the book where I began to think maybe just maybe she'd squeak by.

I certainly never thought I'd end up pitying Chance. Chance went from psycho serial killer to pathetic soul that made you kind of wish Luna didn't hate him so much so he could maybe redeem himself. I never saw that ending coming and truly surprised to feel so sad about it.

There seemed to be some confusion at the beginning of the novel. There were what I felt some unexplained problem within the first couple chapters. Firstly, I don't understand how did Chance find her to take back his property and rape her when she no longer lived at home he should have had new clue where to look? Secondly, After having already raped her and killed Lucky he using poisoning her father to lure her to the hospital. The way the story reads it appears that this is done to locate her as he reacts as this is his first time seeing her when we know it is not. The night of his first date with Amanda he seems surprised when Luna opens door to a place he should know she already lives by this point he has been in her bed.

Though there are some confusions to the plot Alive at Sunset was still a win in my book. The book took me down an emotional path I would have thought was impossible for a character I thoroughly disliked. I look forward to finding out what shall come of Luna not that it's not just her.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There was no place in her life for pretty things –if there were, it was only for them to get destroyed.” That's a quote from 'Alive at Sunset' from author Kayla Krantz. Part two in the Rituals of the Night series, this is a frightening tale indeed. The author put me, the reader, into a world of revenge, love and murder. While reading in a darkened room I had to put the book away, as I did not want the characters following me off to dreamland! There are bad things happening here that will send chills down your spine. Really, who doesn't love a great scary story?

[Tenmodo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a captivating read. The story had a lot of twists and turns and the ending was very unexpected!! Idk if I’ll continue into the third book only because if the way that this book ended..


SPOILERR!!




With chance dead idk how the story will progress especially considering the fact that she’s pregnant with his child!!

[K.J. Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is featured on my blog: Writerly Bookish Stuff.

Luna is trying to get her life back together after the terrible events of high school. The memory of Chance's sick obsession with her still hangs over her head, and she visits the hospital every week to ensure that he has not woken up. They say, even if he does wake, he'll have no recollection of his old life. How do they know for sure?

Krantz's books always scare me. I think it's Chance's mindset that gives me the heebie jeebies. He is irratic, hell bent on revenge, and just a psycho. You never know what he is going to do. A killer you can't escape, even in your dreams, is nightmare inducing.

Luna has the right doses of denial, fear, and anger. Her homelife- especially in regards to her parents- felt a little unbelievable, but it made sense to the narrative for Luna to distance herself from her past. Certain aspects felt out of place/ included to progress narrative. Surely Max would not have interrupted the funeral to talk to her? Wouldn't her best friend go to the funeral and not get ready for a date?

There were a few inconsistencies, but yet again, Chance comes across as the invincible serial killer, adamant to get to Luna by any means necessary. He is a character you love to hate.

[Andreea Pryde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one gave me more than just a few chills.
We get to meet Luna once again, yet this time she's a tad older and wiser. Chance is in a coma in the hospital and Luna visits him regularly to check if he woke up. Despite the medical staff reassurance that he won't remember a thing from before, Luna's nerves are stretched, and honestly, who can blame her? Chance is a freaking full fledged psycho.

Another book, another wild ride with vivid characters and suspenseful twists.
You won't see that ending coming. Even with a warning, you still won't, but that's part of Kayla Krantz's style.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna Ketz & Amanda “Mandy” Grey (BFF) are roomates & go to Bowling Green St. U.
Luna also visited patients in the hospital.
She stopped by Chance Welfrey’s room he had been on life support & in a coma for 3 yrs.
Luna (20) hoped he would never recover after what he did to her.
Max Cazmea (longtime friend) called Luna that he ws concerned about DreamWorld.
School was out for the summer.
Luna left Bowling Green & headed for Lima.
David Ketz (father) & Rose Ketz (mother) who had come home early from Taiwan were glad to see her.

Luna found Lucky (Border Collie) the next morning outside on the porch. The dog was dead.
Rose called Luna her dad had a seizure & was in the hospital.
Somehow David had gotten arsenic poisoning into his bloodstream.
Tim Raven the manager at McDonalds interviewed Luna & gave her a job. Sarah works there also.
Rose once again called Luna, her father was dead.
Officer Carl Jore (Bowling Green PD) came to speak with Luna.
Coronary embolism was the cause of his death.
The funeral was held.

Who was Officer Jackson talking to?
Luna called Max (21) but there was no answer. She left several voice mails.
It was time for her to attend his funeral also.

What is Mandy’s future?
What about Luna?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written psychological horror
book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great psychological horror movie, or better yet a mini TV. To be continued. Mich better. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Word Press; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Daniela Zekotic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading the second book of this series. And it didn't let me down, it was as good as I imagined it would be.

The story starts 3 years after the events of the first book. Luna is a college student now, living with Amanda whom she met in her first weeks of lessons. Chance is in a coma in a nearby hospital and Luna visits him every week to make sure he still hasnt woken up.

The plot turns quite quickly, with Chance waking up and remembering everything that happened to him. And all he wants is revenge. I dont want to spoil any deaths, but I was quite surprised by one of them, as I thought a key character would stay alive much longer. But that's why I enjoy this book so much, it is unpredictable and shows how much of a psycho Chance is.

I want to talk about Amanda for a seond. I absolutely hated her. Firstly who would date a guy who has a past of murdering people (Luna pretty much told her the whole story)? Of course there might be a chance of redeeming himself, but Luna warned her so many times. And again we have this situation where someone is quite smitten by Chance and believes him over Luna. Its quite horrifying how such an awful person can play the good guy and make everyone fall in love with him.

I was quite surprised that we got to see the human side of Chance. I didn't know he was possible of feeling sorry and feeling regretful for hurting Luna. I know he is obsessed with her, but usually obsession is a fine line between love and hate. I was afraid Luna might actually give in and fall for Chance, but I'm glad she didn't, it wouldn't have been Luna at all.

I didn't anticipate this ending, and I'm quite shocked that Chance killed himelf. I was actually sad to see him gone. But with Chance you never know if he really is anyway.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kayla Krantz's second installment in the a Rituals of the Night series, proved to be just as compelling as the first book. The first book ends with a note left behind for Luna which leaves the reader with wonder and surprise. We take up Luna's life three years later. Luna Ketz is a successful college student studying to be a doctor. College is only an hour away from Lima, Ohio, where the horrors of her past occurred. She still mourns the death of her best friend Violet's horrible death. Roommate, Amanda desperately tries to engage Luna in fun things, dating, shopping, etc., even though Luna likes her roommate, she simply wants to live her life quietly alone. Every week, Luna is seen visiting the hospital where her tormenter Chance Welfrey is in a deep coma. Luna wants to ensure her mind that as long as the monster is asleep he can't hurt her or kill her loved ones as he has done in her past. Then she receives a chilling call from friend, Max Cazmea, who leaves her with the warning that the horrors may be about to start again. Chance does enter her life again and with a vengeance. He worms his way into the daily and personal events of Luna's life. Every time she thinks she sees a way out, Chance cleverly and evilly blocks her yielding Luna helpless to control her own life.
This installment once again ends with a note. Now this reader must wait until 2017 for the third book in this well written horror and suspense series.

[Jessica Fisette · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is: wow. I didn’t think the story could get more intense than Dead by Morning, the first book in the Rituals of the Night series, but I was wrong. The craziest part is how even the slow moments brought me to so many twists and turns that I hated to stop reading when real life came calling. Alive at Sunset took me much longer to finish than I’d wanted. I would have kept reading to the end in one sitting if given the opportunity.

The plot was strong and engaging, the characters diverse and well-developed, and the ending satisfying. To be honest, I was actually a little sad at how it turned out but only because the author made me feel and understand each character’s motivations until I almost rooted for everyone to just make peace and work things out. I had to remind myself multiple times of Chance Welfrey’s many crimes because it became difficult to see him as the antagonist. But, I guess we all see ourselves as the protagonist in our own story, even if we’re the villain in someone else’s.

Alive at Sunset is slightly darker than Dead by Morning, but that might have been what made it more interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in psychological thrillers and I can’t wait until the third one is published.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alive at Sunset is the second book in the Rituals of the Night YA Paranormal series. Luna has lived through the terror and death of Dead by Morning (Book 1) and has just finished up a semester at her college. Three years have passed since the events that occurred in high school and Luna, while still a loner and overachiever, has a new roommate, Amanda, and is trying to move on.
Her nemesis, Chance, is still in a coma though Luna's friend Max tries to warn her that something is wrong and changes are coming. Luna tries to ignore him, but when things start to go wrong in her life, there can only be one person responsible.
I enjoyed the story. It's a good follow-up to the events of Dead by Morning. Some issues are resolved from the first book and Chance comes across as a much more sympathetic figure (if you can believe it). I found the first part a little slow, but then the action picks up and doesn't stop.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see what's next for Luna. I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncaged Book Reviews:

The author really ramps this one up. This is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, with horror and paranormal elements. And there is graphic violence. You get to see deep inside the head of this serial killer, and feel the fear of Luna and his victims. But the author also has you feeling sympathy for Chance, which I never would have believed I would, but I did. The characters are well flushed out, and the author leaves no stone unturned in taking you on this highly charged emotional sequel.

Full review at UncagedBooks.com

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alive at Sunset my third read from author Kayla Krantz & the second book in the Rituals of the Night series. Well-written with intricately developed characters and a creepy story-line with intricate twists & surprises as the tension & suspense ratchets up throughout the book’s length. 378 pages but reads even longer with the attention to detail written into the story. There’s a book 3 to look forward to! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Kim Lewandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was overall good. But I did feel the waffling by the Luna to be a hindrance to the storyline. It was like she did not learn from her actions in her first encounter and basically repeated them in the second. I would have liked to see her be more pro active.

Katrina did a great job keeping characters in line with their established attitudes fleshed out. Ot was easy to tell who was speaking.

[NanaShauna Joesten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic thriller that really takes you on a Roller Coaster ride. This series is absolutely epic. Luna has been through hell and it continues to rain down on her. This is a real page turner. This Author really knows how to bring a read that I couldn't put down. The Narrator as well does a fantastic job. This one I feel should be more than 5 stars. I definitely recommend.
Shauna Joesten

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from author in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this 2 book a lot and found it moved so much faster and I had a very hard time putting it down. I just had to find out what happened. I found that I felt bad for Chance as all he wanted was for Luna to love him. He didn't know exactly how to show that he loved her and I think she could have given him a chance.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good read. I could not put it down, I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. It moves along at a great pace, neither too fast nor too slow, making it a comfortable read, the characters will grab you and you want to know more about them. The story will keep you interested from the very first page until you finish the last. This is a must read.

[Deana Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't think it was as well written as the first, but still kept my attention.
i hate that there was so much unresolved tension between them. i almost felt as crazy as amanda, like who cares if he's a nutcase serial killer. lol! good stuff though. :)

[Micky Neilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Note: this review ignores typos in the book* Alive at Sunset was a great follow up to Dead by Morning. The characters felt more vibrant and fully realized, and the pacing was fast. If you enjoyed Alive at Sunset, I definitely recommend continuing the series. Looking forward to more!

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible:This was a very good book!It was full of surprises and chaos. Katrina Medina was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alive at Sunset

Wow. Luna has already gone through some tragic events and the hits keep coming for her even years after. This series is amazing so far and I can only hope I get to listen to the next in the series soon.

[J.F. Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual genre, but carried on reading as I wanted to find out what happens. Not disappointed, a little older and still having problems. No spoilers, but thoroughly enjoyable, now onto the next.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Time to pray...The devil is coming for you.."
Alive at Sunset, is a mesmerizing book which catches hold of the reader's imagination and just hangs on. It is the second book in the Rituals of the Night Trilogy and, although entry into the story would be more quickly facilitated by having read book one, it is not essential: everything one needs to know from the past is here.
Blond and beautiful, but evil, Chance has been in a coma for three years, his killing spree having finally been stopped. But Luna visits every week, a!ways afraid that one day he will wake up again, despite the reassurances from Max that, even if he does, he will retain no memory of the past. But he does wake up, and remember and the killing starts again.

The book moves quickly and characterisation is good, although main female lead, Luna, does come over as far more self centred, whiney and rather dim. than the author probably intended. It was very difficult to empathize with her given that she seemed to show no sympathy for anyone other than herself (unless they were dead!), ignores offers of and requests for help and (though this could be one enormous edifying error) fails to even realize that an horrendous crime has been perpetrated against her. Yes, rather dim or just plain stupid.
But the story is vibrantly written and the concept both disturbing and tension filled. Narration by Katrina Medina is also fast paced, well modulated if a little dreary to the ear, this latter mostly being because of the slight slurring or distortion of some words almost squashed in the staccato fire if the sentences. Less speed and greater clarity would have been preferable but, mostly, it was an okay reading. There is little or no differentiationt between protagonists voices.Sent

The story has a very youthful feel to it but, because of some fairly graphic violent scenes, it is not a book that I would recommend to younger deaders. It holds a bizarre world for the reader to explore and it is not a pretty one: a touch of horror as well as murder and other crimes against the person. It is an emotional volcano. My deepest thanks to the rights holder, who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy of Alive at Sunset, via Audiobook Boom. There are definitely improvements which could be made with better editing but it is a powerful book. I had not, myself, read anything by the author, Kayla Kranz, before this story but I have been intrigued enough to now return to read book one of this trilogy (again on audio) and will follow with book three, as yet in print for only, I believe.
Recommended to those who enjoy action crime with violence and a touch of horror and don't mind disliking the main protagonist.

Review to follow

[Trudie Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the best first chapter I have ever read. It is intriguing and hooks you in, making you want to read more. This is book 2 in the series. I haven’t read book 1, but the author does a fabulous job of not making you feel lost. You slowly find out things that have happened in book 1. She doesn’t assume you have prior knowledge, but also doesn’t start off with a long and boring summary. It keeps you captivated, but doesn’t make you feel like you have to read book 1 first, thought it does make you want to. And then go on to book 3. Or maybe go on to book 3 first, then back to book 1. This author is very clever and seems to care about her readers; that alone makes me want to read more. But there are many more reasons to do so. She also stirs your emotions. She makes you feel things for her characters. Though I must admit, I did keep wanting something very bad to happen to Amada. I won’t say if it does or not as I don’t believe in spoilers. You will just have to read it and find out for yourself.

[Jeffrey De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in the series. This one is even better than the first. Luna is bit older and wiser. She’s in college, pre-med, living with her friend Amanda.

Luna’s torturer Chance is in a coma and she checks up on him every once and a while just to make sure she’s safe. But then he wakes up and starts dating her roommate to have access to her and continue torturing her and those around her, including a poor old dog!

Like the first book, the reader tends to have a sympathetic view toward Chance, who is undeniably the villain, but still, the author portrays him in a sympathetic light that you actually want to fell sorry for the guy, in a sick twisted way. This is a psychological thriller like no other and I can’t wait to move onto book three.

[Michelle Bartlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free audio version of this book in exchange for a review. I have to say that there is so much wrong with this book. First off I want to preface this by saying that I am not a writer and will never be one-I do know that it is hard to write a book then get it published and then get an audiobook made of it so I applaud the accomplishment. Maybe this book would be okay for a teen or early adult but my lord it is full of issues. A couple of words were mispronounced but that is not my biggest problem with this one. I don't want to give anything away but how many of you would put up with murder after murder of your close friends or relatives before you decided to do something else-how many people would allow a murder to date their roommate or sleep in the same house with the murder and tormentor? The main character was either dumb or too scared to think of anything else. I feel like it was problem after problem that the main character put up with-like the walking dead or something. It was very irritating and frustrating to keep listening. I told myself time and time again "I can't, I just can't keep listening" but I am not a quitter and I thought I owed it to the author to continue bc I received a free copy. If you decide to read or listen to this just be warned that it will likely frustrating. The narration was not great--personally I did not like the voice but again I applaud the effort. I have the third book yet to listen to but I feel like I need to give myself some time to recover before I tackle it.

[Angela Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came into this series at book two as I downloaded it when it was on a free offer. I don’t think this mattered a lot as the events alluded to only helped to build the tension. You know that bad stuff happened in book one, but you don’t know exactly what. As with all good horror, there are a fair few moments where you marvel at the bad decisions and the naiveté of psychopath Chance’s victims. I screamed a few times at Luna and her dippy roommate Amanda. Chance is a chilling baddie. We get to see into his deranged mind and he almost seems sad and human when he explains his motives for subjecting Luna to his special brand of murder and mayhem.

[Kavita Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now the psycho levels rise.. Chance is back.. and Luna has nowhere to go.. So many funerals..phew.. People and cops are really clueless in this town !! I felt Max's character was wasted, he hardly put up a fight.. I still feel a little weird to read about the ruthless kills, but I guess it's a part of the allure.. Did I just feel bad for Chance at the end ?? Maybe, which confused me.. I really hope Luna is able to come out of all this emotional unharmed.. I don't want her to become cra-cra..

4-psycho stars !!

[Fiona Tarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a Thriller

This book had plenty of suspense. Well written to provoke a reader response, but my first instinct was to slap Luna (the main character). I found her situation unbelievable. I kept saying to myself; why doesn't she do this, or do that, but I then realised that so many people experience similar violence in their lives and suffer as Luna did.

Dark, emotive and compelling. I had a love, hate relationship with the story, mainly because I just couldn't relate to the fragility and vulnerability.