something strange and deadly by susan dennard

For one, Eleanor herself has intrinsically changed. Yet, despite that, I was sadly disappointed by this. From the introduction of Ollie, the demon who served Eleanor's brother and will soon come to serve her, to the battle Eleanor must face between embracing necromancy to save herself or choosing the safer path of her Spirit Hunter friends, every plot device is meaningful and furthers both the overarching story arc and Eleanor's own personal growth. Dennard skillfully introduces Eleanor into the world of necromancy and drops just enough hints about the evil Marcus to keep us guessing and aching for the eventual conclusion that is to come. Furthermore, it is clear that this trilogy has been thoughtfully pored over and planned. Once again, she manages to seamlessly transport her reader into her chosen time period, this time re-creating Paris as it once was with its societal mores. What makes Dennard such a strong writer is her excellent command of language and plot.

ADSaL is an excellent sequel - there is no doubt about that - but it is sadly not the sequel I wanted. Thus, color me surprised to find myself underwhelmed and unimpressed by the end of this book. Not only were the initial reviews stellar, but I had loved Dennard's debut and couldn't imagine not feeling the same rush of emotions for this novel. If I'd had to pick one book this year I was wholly confident of loving, it would have been this one. I think it's safe to say that I've finally learned not to count my chickens before they've hatched. In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking.

But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her. Even the Spirit-Hunters-Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel-have fled to Paris.

With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners and Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series, this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly delivers a mix of supernatural forces and intense romance, set against the enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.

Something strange and deadly by susan dennard