Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon Review | Fame and What It Cost “Her”

“The plan she concocted was not without risk. But the determination burns bright in those emerald eyes”. – Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon

---

When I saw Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon being placed in the same space as Daisy Jone & The Six I was immediately sold. Let me get my eyes on this music industry novel with no prior knowledge, no spoilers, just go in blind and wait for the magic of music to begin.

OK, one thing I did read was the books tagline: “All fame cost her was everything.”

My immediate thought when I began reading: this may be a tragedy for Alora. But then as I read further I found that thought to falter. In this review of Darkening Song, I show how the tagline may not have been written for only her.

This post could contain affiliate links, which means I would receive a small commission at no cost to you should you shop using the links.

Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon Summary

In Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon, we are introduced to two girls on the edge of something HUGE in the music industry. We first meet Alora, a young, talented, and super magnetic singer who suddenly finds herself in the spotlight, worshiped by millions for her “misery pop”.

And then there is Eva, an ambitious record label intern whose determined to make something of herself for once in her life. Both Alora and Eva take a chance on one another and Eva becomes Alora’s manager. From there, fame, success, pressure, and expectations escalate far too quickly for the both of them.

The story moves between their two perspectives, showing both the rise and the aftermath of fame.

Darkening Song Review: A Story That Feels Split Between Two Girls

Going into this, I really thought this was going to be a story about Eva and Alora, and maintaining their female friendship while navigating fame together. But that’s not quite what this book delivers. Instead, it feels like two separate stories unfolding side by side.

Eva’s story lives in the world of business ambition, of constantly wanting more, chasing something just out of reach, and finally grabbing it, only to realize what it cost along the way.

Alora’s story moves somewhere else entirely. With becoming a major icon, there’s pain, healing, and ultimately, hope. And the most important relationship in her life becomes her connection with Venessa, not Eva.

And because of that, the book started to feel a little… scattered.

Not in a chaotic and hard to follow way, but in a way where I kept waiting for the two narratives to fully weave together, and they never quite did.

I found myself asking over and over: what is Eva’s role here? Why give her such a strong voice in this story?

The Meaning Behind “All Fame Cost Her Was Everything”

There are moments where it feels like Eva is meant to show us the side of fame that Alora can’t (or, rather, won’t) ever tell. The behind-the-scenes, the all consuming ambition, the choices (both good and bad) that shape a successful music career.

But emotionally, she feels distant from Alora’s actual transformation.

And by the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling that aside from success and money, Eva lost everything. That part felt intentional. But it also felt disconnected from the emotional resolution of the story as a whole.

Which brings me back to the tagline: “All fame cost her was everything.” And I kept coming back to the same question… who is “her”? Because it could be either of them.

As Alora’s career takes off, the weight of her past and the reality of her present begin to catch up with her.

But the most meaningful shift in Alora’s life doesn’t come from fame or success. It comes later, in rehab, through her relationship with Venessa (the tagline could seriously apply to Venessa as well…).

Now that was the female friendship I was expecting from Eva and Alora. Vanessa and Alora’s relationship ends up shaping the story in such a beautiful way I wasn’t expecting at all.

Final Thoughts on Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon

For Alora, fame costs her everything, but she finds a way out. Her story ends in something hopeful. For Eva, fame also costs her everything, but she’s left standing in the aftermath, without that same sense of peace.

Alora’s story gave me hope. Eva’s left me hollow. I just wish the book had brought those two feelings a little closer together.

If you enjoy books about the music industry and female friendships Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon is worth picking up! Plus, it’s being adapted into a major TV series–I absolutely cannot wait!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Publishers for this ARC!