A Darkness Strange and Lovely By Susan Dennard

With her brother dead and her mother on the verge of insanity, Eleanor Fitt is utterly alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters - Joseph, Jie and the handsome, enigmatic Daniel - have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor begins to hear the vicious barking of hounds and see images of haunting yellow eyes, she fears the worst - that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are coming for her.

To escape and search out the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver entices Eleanor with necromancy and black magic, yet as long as she can resist his powerful temptation, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over the city...and there's a whole new evil lurking. With the body count rising, Eleanor 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. (Goodreads)

If you are anything like me, after finishing Something Strange and Deadly, your hands would’ve been spasmodically grabbing for A Darkness Strange and Lovely. You just HAD to know what happens! Well, it does not disappoint.

Despite ADS&L starting off a few months after the events of the first book, it’s unbelievable how easy it is to slip back into Eleanor’s head, within the first page your engrossed once again, there in Philadelphia 1876. Dennard’s beautiful writing style continues to be a joy to read and also develops. I feel her writing is stronger now she has one novel out in the world.

After receiving a letter from the Spirit Hunters in Paris and frightened Marcus is coming after her, Eleanor decides to go and meet up with Joseph, Jie and Daniel in France. She meets Oliver on the way and the friendship that develops between the two is just wonderful. I like that there’s no romance between the two and it doesn’t create a second love interest; they just have a great bond. 

The romance in this trilogy just between Daniel and Eleanor is enough strain on the heart without another person added in. Just like in the first novel, every time Daniel and Eleanor are together you end up on the edge of your seat, their chemistry just crackles off the page. The romance doesn’t overwhelm the storyline, however, and allows it to grow slowly and realistically, which makes it even sweeter.

Eleanors character goes through some major character development in this novel. She’s still such an original character, she says and does what she likes, even if it’s the wrong thing to do. Eleanor makes mistakes and it makes her real. Even if you think that Eleanor is doing the wrong thing, you admire her conviction and know that she will learn from it. And all the way through, she remains her quirky, clever, easy-to-love self which keeps you rooting for her…and wishing you could be friends with her so you could quote Shakespeare together.

The introduction of Paris to the novel is beautifully described. You can just tell a great amount of research has gone into it being accurate. I’ve never been to Paris but Dennard makes it feel as if you have, and even better a 1876 version of it! You seem to stroll along the streets with Eleanor.
Dennard also keeps her characters accurate to the time, Eleanor uses saying like 'Shut pan' and dance cards are used at parties which all adds to transporting you to the 1800's. 

The storyline of ADS&L is still filled with the walking dead or ‘les morts!’, but also has a lot more mystery than the first. There are certainly some big surprises, which keep you clutching your book until the last page.

Worrying about second-book-syndrome? Worry no more. You have no fear picking up this brilliant second instalment in Susan Dennard Something Strange and Deadly Series. *throws stars in the air* ADS&L gets ALLL the stars!!

BE WARNED: It makes cause extreme obsession and swoons.

The Blog Tour Schedule! See where it’s headed next and catch up on old blog posts from the tour!

Sunday, June 21st:
Ellen @ YA Bookish News - Gushworthy Scenes with Daniel Sheridan & Eleanor Fitt
Blog link: http://yabookishnews.wordpress.com
 

Monday, June 22nd:
CJ @ Sarcasm and Lemons - Fancast/Playlist
Blog link: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com

Tuesday, June 23rd:

Liran @ Hearts and Crowns - Fancast/Playlist
Blog link: http://heartscrowns.blogspot.ca/
 

Wednesday, June 24th:
Samantha @ And Then Celaena Set The World On Fire. - Playlist
Blog Link: http://aelin-ashryver-queen-of-shadows.tumblr.com
 

Thursday, June 25th:
Zoey @ Uncreatively Zoey - Throwback Thursday
Blog link: uncreativelyzoey.blogspot.com
 

Friday, June 26th:
Christina @ Between Bookends - Fancast
Blog link: http://betweenyabookends.blogspot.ca
 

Saturday, June 27th:
Kim @ Dreaming in Libraries - TBD
Blog link: dreaminginlibraries.blogspot.de/
 

Sunday, June 28th:
Adriyanna @ Adriyanna K. Zimmerman - SS&D review
Blog link: www.akzfineart.com
 

Monday, June 29th:
Laura @ Under a Mound of Books - ADS&L review
Blog link: underamoundofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
 

Tuesday, June 30th:
Kelly @ Audeamus. Let us dare. - S&EA review
Blog link: seekellytse.tumblr.com/

 COMPETITION TIMEEEE!!!

Enter for a chance to win a copy of one book in the Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy if you live in the US or an ebook of Something Strange and Deadly if you don’t live in the US!

The giveaway closes on July 10^th, so QUICK!!

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