Strange & Ever After

                Hello happy readers.  Today I am excited to post this review and have finished a trilogy that I have been wanting to for a while and it is great to be able to share my thoughts on the series as a whole now.  This book is Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard.  I reviewed the first two books the last month or so, Something Strange and Deadly and A DarknessStrange and Lovely if you want to catch up.  As this is the final book there will be spoilers for the first two books, and I'll also touch on the novella A Dawn Most Wicked that falls after book one spoiler wise but takes us back to before the series starts.  So here goes.

Rating: 4 Stars

                When we left off our gang things were anything but happy.  Jie has been taken by Marcus and things are rocky between Eleanor and Daniel and Joseph given her secrets and use of magic they find unnerving. Though Joseph has come around much more than Daniel.  Oh and Oliver isn't very happy with her either given the whole killing a part of his soul thing.  Yep I can see how that would make one a bit upset.  Still they are off to find Marcus to save Jie and the world and keep him from getting his hands on the kind of power someone like him has no business with.  They travel to new places as the adventure doesn't stop.

                Like the other books the finale kept with the fast pace that I came to expect.  The story was constantly moving along right from the start Eleanor is hit with a blow.  As if she hasn't been through the ringer and taken to town.  She is in a state of shock for sure and Allison has decided she is going to tag along despite her protests.  She isn't sure of her place with anyone and is an emotional mess.  I felt for her.  I thought she made a ton of stupid decisions like more secrets but in the moment given what she was going through I could understand her hesitation.  When the world literally seems against you it's hard to trust.  Still through it all I do really enjoy how she comes to be more determined and reliant on who she is.  She is determined to be herself and not let anyone make her feel bad for it, even the boy she loves. 

                The story dove deeper into the mythology of it all and we got to travel the world.  We learned about Egyptian legends and gods.  We moved all over and even got to fly in the airship which I thought was fun I don't think I've read anything about travel like that in the past.  So many questions were answered as we moved forward and everything was wrapped up in the end.  Still where there is an evil necromancer there is going to be dead rising.  Strange and Ever After kept all the things I was intrigued by going and brought in new ideas as well.  We saw more growth with the characters we came to know and love.  I even cried at one point and I was surprised as the feels just snuck up on me out of nowhere.

                I really enjoyed the series as a whole and think it all worked out very well.  I could see things from the first book coming into play in a nice story arch and it was wonderful.  Well thought out and interesting.  I would recommend this series to anyone who was interested in a good story with fast plot and magical elements. 

                Now a quick note on the novella.  I read it after completing the series and I think that is the best time to do so.  It could be read after book one in the time line and might even adjust your views on Daniel given his past (the novella is about how him and how he, Joseph, and Jie became a team) but I think it was the perfect fit for after.  A nice look to see how they got started after seeing how things end up.  A look back.  Not necessary by any means but definitely worth the read.  That's all I have for you today. 

                Until next time…

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…

Something Strange & Deadly

                Hello everyone!  I’m back, sorry for missing my Monday review but it wasn’t completely typed at that point and I spent my day running around dealing with doctors and insurance and such for my accident last Friday.  It could have been much worse, I’m still waiting to hear about my vehicle but it’s looking like a total loss but my chiropractor has adjusted my neck and shoulder so that is back to normal, the bruising in my wrist has gone down and I’m getting better at functioning with my broken finger.  Yes I broke my first bone ever and let me tell you it might be a minor thing to some but I have a very low pain tolerance and it hurts.  Hence typing is a tad bit more difficult now but I’m working through it just having to remember not to hit it.  Anywho I’d like to share with you the review I didn’t have finished Monday, Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard.  This is the first book in the series by the same name and it is complete.  I am currently reading the final book in the series with Perpetual YA Bookworms Goodreads Group as we decided to do the whole series this month as we prepared for Truthwitch! 

Rating:  4 Stars

                This story is about the walking dead.  Seriously the dead are rising in Philadelphia back when young ladies wore gowns and proper confining attire and required a chaperone and ones brightest hope was to catch the eye of a ma well off.  Eleanor has a lot to worry about.  Her family has fallen on hard times so her mother is determined to marry her off to a rich man to save the family but with the dead rising and her brother missing Eleanor has other priorities.  When a letter from her brother is delivered, from the dead no less, she knows she must help him.  Luckily her city has hired the Spirit Hunters to protect the city and the exhibit from the dead.  As she spends more time with the hunters she learns more about them and how the world really works in the trenches aside from tea parties and the like.  Things on all fronts become more dire and everything is put at risk.

                Something Strange and Deadly was a fast paced action book.  There was constantly something happening and things going on.  It was a roller coaster ride.  Now it may be centered around the walking dead but it focuses on other aspects as well with the dead being here and there.  There are two types of dead, the slow moving type that are controlled by a necromancer and the fast and vicious hungry ones who are not.  Yes we have necromancy.  I was very interested when I learned this because…umm hello it sounds super interesting.  I was thinking walking dead like zombies which is more what the Hungry are the ones outside of the necromancers power but the others are just animated corpses under someone’s dark control.    Still this book while there is lots of action it has a lot to do with the story unraveling and mysteries being unearthed while we get to know our characters.

                Our MC Eleanor is a bit of a modern girl in the past.  She is out of time as it were in that she doesn’t understand many of the rules society live by and she is out of place with her thoughts and actions.  She slides back and forth sometimes with her attitude with what is acceptable and what is proper and that was just who she is.  She tries to do the right thing by her family and be a proper lady but that is what she normally has issues with snapping back when she realizes her misstep.  Then we have the Spirit Hunters, and the lead is Joseph.  Oh I do love Joseph he is so sweet and proper the perfect gentlemen even in difficult times.  Then Jie, the girl who shows Eleanor there is more to life than dresses and that how others see you can be turned against them.  She is just so fun and quirky I love her oh and she’s pretty kick ass!  Then there is Daniel or rogue inventor.  He’s a bit rough around the edges but I like him he’s such a fun character and I love the way he challenges Eleanor.  Her dynamic with all of the hunters is entertaining and a clear difference from her interactions with the proper meetings with the Wilcox siblings or other members of their society.  The play between the two was nice, seeing her interact with both and how each interaction added to her forming her own views.

                The plot of the story was fast moving and while some items were predictable others were a complete twist.  I really enjoyed the story and pacing overall and was excited to move onto the next story.  I was invested in the characters and that is what matters most when fighting dead. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, what did you think of this book/series?  What did you think of the characters, the romance, the walking dead and the steampunk like world?  Also don’t forget only 8 days left in the giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Rose Society all details here.  That's it for today!

                Until next time…