I was greeted with this post on Facebook today, from a fan called MELISSA who is nearing the end of my Archibald Lox series:

"Darren...why do you like tormenting your readers? I'm reading volume three of Archibald Lox and I was thrilled that [REDACTED] was helping Inez and Archie (who I adore dearly) escape, but no. It reminded me of the chapter in Killers of the Dawn where Mr Crepsley was 'rescued' from the stakes. You're a cruel man Mr Shan... I just thought I'd let you know."

Heh heh!! So many of you STILL haven't recovered from Killers Of The Dawn, and I must admit, I'm delighted to be tugging at those heartstrings again with the Archie books!!

Overall, the Archibald Lox series is nowhere near as traumatising (or bloody) as my other major series, a conscious decision on my part to tone down the gore and heartache for once. But let's be honest, isnt the PAIN a big part of the reason why you all love my books?!? I never ladle it in needlessly or gratuitously -- I'm certainly not a misery merchant -- but if an author is being in any way realistic, the loss of key characters is to be expected if you send your main cast off on a perilous quest. I write books that have danger at their core, and for them to work to their maximum effectiveness, that danger must be REAL. And so, alas, must the pain.

On the flip side, when one of your most loved characters DOES make it alive to the end of one of my books, you can truly celebrate, the way you can't with the work of many authors, because you know they've genuinely defied the odds and are truly lucky to still be breathing!!! So, y'know, I take (and take!) with one hand, but I do give back generously with the other, even if it doesn't feel that way when you're reading Killers Of The Dawn or certain parts of Archibald Lox: The Exiled King...