Review:
I hate to admit it but I love YA book covers. Especially when there is a beautiful dress with a foreboding background. Without even reading the summary I thought this book would be about a pampered young woman facing unknown dangers and looking gorgeous while doing it. I was mostly right with one important difference. Eleanor rarely if ever looks gorgeous in these books and when she does look gorgeous bad things generally happen. Eleanor is a brave zombie hunter, a loyal and loving sister and daughter, and a girl suffering from a major crush. I loved the distinct setting for each book, Philadelphia, Paris, and Egypt. The evolution and development of the main characters made sense and the new characters kept the trilogy fresh and interesting. I'm not sure if Dennard intended for the reader to focus on Eleanor's physical changes but I couldn't help but be fascinated by the underlying meanings. Book three brought the story to a close for me but in unexpected ways. I choose not to binge read this series because each definitely stood on their own and I knew I would be able to keep the story and characters straight over time. That said book three would have been more emotionally gripping if I had read them one after the other. I would definitely recommend this series for anyone who enjoys books about fighting zombies, strong friendships, and a straight forward love interest.
A Dawn Most Wicked (Prequel)
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
From Goodreads:
Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.
Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer–and he just might be able to help them.
Something Strange and Deadly (Book 1)
Publisher: Harper Collins Harper Teen, 388 pages
Publication Date: July 24, 2012
From Goodreads:
Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.
A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Book 2)
Publication Date: July 23, 2013
From Goodreads:
1876 Paris. Her brother dead, her mother crazed, narrator Eleanor Fitt heads to Paris for Spirit-Hunters — Joseph, Jie, and Daniel - where the Dead have risen. On the steamer, friendly Oliver entices her sweetness of black magic. Hypnotism makes targets turn against what they stand for. Rich Marquis du Bazillac, LeJeunes, and his sister sponsor Hunters in Society.
Strange and Ever After (Book 3)
Publisher: Harper Collins Harper Teen, 387 pages
From Goodreads:
In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.
He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.
With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.
Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.
Posted By: Sheri
This is one of those book series that I'm still pondering about and maybe I should really just pick this up but I'm not really being excited about reading it just because it doesn't sound very noteworthy.. and thanks for the heads up. I'm definitely keeping in mind to read this series one after the other :) Great review!
ReplyDeleteczai @ the Blacksheep Project
I actually got book three to review but didn't get around to it yet so I'm glad it seemed at least enjoyable! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't read very many zombie books, but I want to read the series mostly because it is so well loved and Susan Dennard is apparently a sweetheart. I am excited for the different settings too!
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