*Review contains spoilers from the previous books in the trilogy.
(Something Strange and Deadly #2)
by Susan Dennard
July 23, 2013
408 pages
Goodreads Summary:
Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners and Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series, this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly delivers a mix of supernatural forces and intense romance, set against the enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.
With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.
To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.
Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners and Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series, this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly delivers a mix of supernatural forces and intense romance, set against the enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.
With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.
To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.
Review
A Darkness Strange and Lovely is an amazing sequel. The intense plotline led to new characters, bigger adventures and some more heated battles with the walking dead. I couldn't get enough of this book.
Ms. Dennard's writing is so lovely to read. It's fluid and descriptive. In fact, she writes the story so smoothly I feel like I'm inside the pages watching everything happen right before my eyes. It's a wonderful feeling. Watching each plot point connect made my heart pump in anticipation. Each book is so well-written it wraps up a main storyline while leaving small questions and clues that lead into the next book.
As told by Elijah in the last few pages of Something Strange and Deadly, Eleanor also possess the potential to practice necromancy. We witness first hand just how powerful her magic is in this second installment. She fights to stay alive and to understand and control the dark ability inside of her. I love how strong she is in keeping to her beliefs. Even in the face of strong disapproval from her Spirit-Hunter friends she doesn't waver. She's as capable as they are.
As opposed to the poor treatment the Spirit-Hunters received in Philadelphia, they're almost royalty in Paris. However I was not impressed with any of them. Seemingly hell bent on suppressing Eleanor (and her power), Joseph, Jie and Daniel didn't bother to consider her feelings and what she's been through and continues to experience to help them. I hope they fully realize her strength and her ability is an asset before it's too late. Especially Daniel because the few alone moments they shared was swoony as hell.
I love the way Ms. Dennard wrote Oliver into the story. He's like a lost soul but returning to his rightful place alongside Eleanor in A Darkness Strange and Lovely. It's so much fun watching him bicker with Eleanor. Their affection for each other is obvious (but not in a love triangle kind of way). I can't wait to see more because I know there's more story to Oliver than meets the eye.
Continuing on my high from A Darkness Strange and Lovely, I'll be diving straight into the final book. I think I'll read Strange and Ever After as slowly as possible to savour every moment left. I almost don't want the story to end. Almost.
I love the way Ms. Dennard wrote Oliver into the story. He's like a lost soul but returning to his rightful place alongside Eleanor in A Darkness Strange and Lovely. It's so much fun watching him bicker with Eleanor. Their affection for each other is obvious (but not in a love triangle kind of way). I can't wait to see more because I know there's more story to Oliver than meets the eye.
Continuing on my high from A Darkness Strange and Lovely, I'll be diving straight into the final book. I think I'll read Strange and Ever After as slowly as possible to savour every moment left. I almost don't want the story to end. Almost.
Gah! Still haven't read my copy. I really should go through my stack. Glad you loved this very much!
ReplyDeletePick it up Joy!! It's such an enjoyable series :D
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