A Darkness Strange & Lovely

                Hello everyone!  So first order of business today is to announce the winner of the giveaway. That was super fun thank you all for participating and making it a success!  Congrats: Megan S.,you won the Signed Copy of The Rose Society by Marie Lu!

                Now on to the days review.  The other week I reviewed the first in a trilogy I was finally reading and finishing this year, Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard, here.  Today I have my thoughts and feels on the sequel, A Darkness Strange and Lovely.  The review will contain spoilers for the previous book as it takes up in the aftermath of where we left off with Eleanor and the Hunters so be warned. 

Rating:  4 Stars

                When we left Eleanor in book one things were hell.  Nicest way to put it, she had lost her brother, whose body was taken over by an evil necromancer, her friends rushed out of town being called murders despite all they did to help, her society standing, her families money, and her HAND!  Seriously her hand.  Plus she is haunted by the dead and spirits and heartbroken the boy she thought loved her but clearly advised he did not before leaving her.  Yeah I was totally loving Daniel until the end there, then he took a bit of a dive in my book and had some redeeming to do to win me back.  Back to Eleanor still home, most things sold to pay for her mother's stay in the hospital, she had lost her mind when Eleanor tried to explain things.  A bit much to take for sure.  Eleanor is getting used to her missing hand and her life but then one day everything changes.  She feels someone watching her, someone after her, and she knows she must run.  She must go to the only people who can help her, her Spirit Hunters in Paris. 

                Book two we get to experience a whole new world and a whole new way of life.  Where in Philadelphia the Hunters were treated badly and sneered at despite the help they provided in Paris they are treated to the best of everything and everyone loves them.  Such a vast change it was nice to see Joseph back in his element.  It was interesting to see Daniel in a more proper setting, acting a gentlemen when it was his rough and tumble attitude we loved in the first one as it called to something inside of Eleanor.  While the fame does have its pros and cons it was nice to see them being appreciated given what they went through.  The reunion is a bit rocky given some new changes in her after meeting Oliver on the trip over.  He claims to have known her brother and be on her side but his motives seem to be in question as he temps her into the darker side of her new found gift of necromancy. 

                My favorite part of this story was watching Eleanor grow.  She was on her own for the first time in a sense and she was making her own choices about her life.  She made mistakes and got herself into some trouble and disappointed some people with said choices but she made them herself.  She grew and really took charge.  I liked that aspect.  Even as we watch her start to be tempted into something that could be very dark, she takes in others opinions but she makes her own choices and many times they are thought out.  I also love when she and Daniel meet up again and her independence and new found attitude on life holds firm. 

                Along with the characters I enjoyed from book one and the new additions of Oliver and a few more we are uncovering more of the plot.  It thickens as it were.  There is a much larger mystery at hand for them to put the pieces together and try to solve while protecting the people.  There were some aspects I saw coming but others I was rather surprised by which thrilled me.  The world they are in of magic and a bit of steampunk with Daniel and his creations was just entrancing.  I was constantly left questioning the motives of others as the story progressed never sure who was friend or foe. 

                Overall, I really enjoyed the A Darkness Strange and Lovely as a sequel and I was eager to finish the series off with the ending.  Some things were brought to light/wrapped up in some way but there were still many other things are left to be accomplished.  As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and feels below in the comments! 

                Until next time…