Bryan Smith’s KAYLA AND THE DEVIL

Guts and honesty. Those are Bryan Smith’s main writing tools. I see reviews from time to time that wail and remonstrate about sex, profanity, and violence in a book, and if those put you off, by all means avoid this one. Because the sex, profanity, and violence are there, and Smith doesn’t apologize for them.

Nor does Kayla, his protagonist, apologize for who she is. At least in the beginning. She’s an incredibly unique creation, and though she can be abrasive, selfish, and frustrating, she’s also sharply drawn and utterly realistic.

I mentioned guts and honesty earlier, and though I stand by those claims about Smith, I feel I’ve undersold his writing, which is immaculate. As a fellow author, this is the kind of writing that motivates me to do better, to not settle, to push my limits, and to mine the depths of my abilities.

KAYLA AND THE DEVIL is a five-star read. Smith deserves every compliment he gets and is one of the best writers of dark fiction working today. You can check it out here.