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A Darkness Strange and Lovely Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy Susan Dennard Books

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A Darkness Strange and Lovely Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy Susan Dennard Books

2.5 stars

I am utterly heartbroken for not enjoying this one as much as I did the first book. The plot came to a complete standstill and nothing important actually happens. SIGNIFICANT chunk is spent on reading and discussing mythology, demonology and explaining how and when. I hope you like lessons instead of action, because that's what you get in this book. Eleanor follows the Spirit Hunters to Paris, by getting on a boat where she meets Oliver, a demon with mysterious motivations. He was kind of unpredictable and I was never sure what his real motivations were. I enjoyed him quite a lot. Eleanor remains spunky and sarcastic but still kind of ignorant. Her newly discovered necromancy and magic are creating an inner conflict that came of little bipolar. The transition between her thoughts and feelings didn't feel smooth or honest. Lots of new characters are introduced but none of them seemed important enough for me to care, while the characters we grew to love such as Daniel, Joseph and Jie take backseats and nothing about them really changes or develops. Daniel does not make an appearance till page 200. I wish I was exaggerating.

The romance is still non-existent, which is fine because I like my sexual tension stretched out especially when you have two very strong willed people, but what I didn't like is the angst. Eleanor and Daniel's issues could be solved by a SIMPLE conversation but I guess it wouldn't be YA fiction without teenage angst that takes away from the chemistry and that fun tension they had in the first book. I was really disappointed.

(Mild spoiler, nothing big or revealing to the overall plot:
Large chunk of the book talks of an upcoming ball, Parisian Ball during Victorian era - what could be better? The whole deal lasts maybe two to three pages. What a letdown.)

The villain was less predictable but the final battle scene left much to be desired. It just didn't make me skip pages like a crazed lunatic wanting to know whats next.

This sequel is decent enough, but not what I personally expected. I liked Oliver, the Parisian setting, Eleanor embracing the magic, beautiful, time appropriate writing and control of the sentences (Dennard is magnificent writer) but I wanted more. This book is a resting point for the final battle in book three that left me underwhelmed and kind a bored at times. I read the first one in 6 hours. This one took me about a week because I kept playing Candy Crush during readings.


Tags : Amazon.com: A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy) (9780062083296): Susan Dennard: Books,Susan Dennard,A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy),HarperTeen,0062083295,Horror,Romance - General,Steampunk,Brothers and sisters,Brothers and sisters;Fiction.,Dead,Dead;Fiction.,France - History - 19th century,Horror stories,Horror tales,Magic,Magic;fiction.,Paris (France) - History - 19th century,Zombies,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fantasy & Magic,Fiction,Historical - Europe,Horror & ghost stories, chillers (Children's Teenage),Horror Ghost Stories (Young Adult),YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy Historical,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Horror,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance Paranormal,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Steampunk,Young Adult FictionRomance - Paranormal,Young Adult FictionSteampunk,Zombies,Fantasy & Magic,Historical - Europe,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy Historical,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Horror,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance Paranormal,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Steampunk,Young Adult FictionRomance - Paranormal,Young Adult FictionSteampunk,Fiction,Horror Ghost Stories (Young Adult),YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Horror & ghost stories, chillers (Children's Teenage)

A Darkness Strange and Lovely Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy Susan Dennard Books Reviews

When it comes to a series, there's nothing quite like a second book that's as strong as the first. That, my friends, is precisely what A Darkness Strange and Lovely is. Readers will be reunited with Eleanor Fitt and the Spirit-Hunters, but this time in the beautiful city of Paris! There are hijinks and battles, reveals and new characters. And all these things add up to one potent, addictive read!

Eleanor is, surprisingly, my favorite character in this novel (and yes, even more than Daniel!). Her loyalty, pluck, wits and determination still remain her most admirable qualities, as a series of events calls each one into action. But readers are allowed to witness her internal struggle here, as she fully realizes what it means for her to have the same affinity for magic as her brother. She toes the line between dark and light, between innocence and worldliness. Eleanor's realistic struggle to determine the kind of young lady she will choose to be is definitely essential to this story, and also, very well-done.

As for the Spirit-Hunters, I certainly felt like there wasn't as much of them as I would've liked! Jie still remains the fighter, using physical prowess to fend off les mortes. Joseph is still the leader, determined to find a way to disable les mortes without using necromancy. This leads to some interesting tension between him and Eleanor, of which I wasn't the biggest fan... even though I understood why it existed.

And then, there's Daniel Sheridan. If he initially appeared overbearing and difficult in the first book, that actually happened again in this one! He was pompous and incorrigible when we first meet him again, which made me want to roll my eyes and shake him. There's clearly a method to his actions, as always, but while readers remain unaware, his seemingly new persona will grate on nerves. However, revelations arise and suddenly, it is easy to fall in love with Daniel all over again (as if I ever stopped, even when he annoyed me). He's such a complex character, this one. But underneath the abrasive first impression, he's a sweetheart and he proves it all over again.

If there's any character that rivaled Daniel in the level of annoyance he brought on, it's Oliver. Oliver is still a mystery, even though the story includes him for a lot of the plot. He's got his reasons for his actions, most of which remain in the dark. Clearly, we are meant to be distrustful of him, and I am thoroughly suspicious. But Oliver can also be charming! And he's British! And... well, you'll find out for yourself. It'll be interesting to see what happens with him in the next one.

Story-wise, I'd say that this is much more exciting than the first. There are new inventions, new adventures, new places to visit, new people to meet! Unlike before, Eleanor is sucked into more action, now that she knows about this paranormal side of things. She's also started to recognize and embrace her necromancer abilities, which means that she's also an even bigger target for the bad guys. This means there's a whole lot of action and twistiness, and it's so brilliantly done.

As with the previous book, it was blessedly easy for me to guess who the villain was. Thing is, I didn't really care that I could! I was still surprised by the precise motive and actions the villain employed in the end.

Considering the emotional turmoil I experienced, I was clearly invested. And being invested in this series is a good thing, as Dennard has not yet failed to treat us to growing, real characters, exciting story twists and fun, logical developments. A Darkness Strange and Lovely blew me away, honestly. This series just keeps getting better and better, and I'm eagerly anticipating discovering what happens next for the gang in Egypt during the final book!
2.5 stars

I am utterly heartbroken for not enjoying this one as much as I did the first book. The plot came to a complete standstill and nothing important actually happens. SIGNIFICANT chunk is spent on reading and discussing mythology, demonology and explaining how and when. I hope you like lessons instead of action, because that's what you get in this book. Eleanor follows the Spirit Hunters to Paris, by getting on a boat where she meets Oliver, a demon with mysterious motivations. He was kind of unpredictable and I was never sure what his real motivations were. I enjoyed him quite a lot. Eleanor remains spunky and sarcastic but still kind of ignorant. Her newly discovered necromancy and magic are creating an inner conflict that came of little bipolar. The transition between her thoughts and feelings didn't feel smooth or honest. Lots of new characters are introduced but none of them seemed important enough for me to care, while the characters we grew to love such as Daniel, Joseph and Jie take backseats and nothing about them really changes or develops. Daniel does not make an appearance till page 200. I wish I was exaggerating.

The romance is still non-existent, which is fine because I like my sexual tension stretched out especially when you have two very strong willed people, but what I didn't like is the angst. Eleanor and Daniel's issues could be solved by a SIMPLE conversation but I guess it wouldn't be YA fiction without teenage angst that takes away from the chemistry and that fun tension they had in the first book. I was really disappointed.

(Mild spoiler, nothing big or revealing to the overall plot
Large chunk of the book talks of an upcoming ball, Parisian Ball during Victorian era - what could be better? The whole deal lasts maybe two to three pages. What a letdown.)

The villain was less predictable but the final battle scene left much to be desired. It just didn't make me skip pages like a crazed lunatic wanting to know whats next.

This sequel is decent enough, but not what I personally expected. I liked Oliver, the Parisian setting, Eleanor embracing the magic, beautiful, time appropriate writing and control of the sentences (Dennard is magnificent writer) but I wanted more. This book is a resting point for the final battle in book three that left me underwhelmed and kind a bored at times. I read the first one in 6 hours. This one took me about a week because I kept playing Candy Crush during readings.