Double Review Friday- A Darkness Strange and Lovely

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard  
♦publisher:  Harper Teen
♦hardcover, 418 pages

♦Release date: July 23, 2013
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: from publisher for honest review

♦rating:♥♥♥♥♥

Review: The darkness of necromancy and the raising of the dead continue, with a deeper level of mystery, betrayal and magic.

 A Darkness Strange and Lovely picks up where Something Strange and Deadly left off, building on and creating an even richer and deeper storyline. Not often do I find the second book better than the first but in this case, A Darkness Strange and Lovely surpasses the first book in the series.  Creating a more engaging  character line to Eleanor, Daniel and the rest of the spirit hunters.

With her Mother in asylum and the necromancer’s hellhounds unleashed after her, Eleanor does the only thing she can do to protect herself, aboard a ship to Paris to seek the spirit hunter’s help.  Embarking her on a new journey of friends and adventure, discovering a new magic that dwells within her, giving her a new confidence and power that she always knew she wanted. However, learning how to control that power and who to trust with that knowledge, is the greatest lesson Eleanor will have to learn.

 Bringing you to 1870’s Paris, where a different world of elegance and richness awaits. A land of love and serene settings set the stage for beautiful hotels and fancy ballrooms, all causing the Spirit Hunters to socialize at a higher caliber. Throwing the Spirit Hunters almost immediately into a celebrity position, causing Eleanor to  battle with her emotions for Daniel, as throngs of girls hurdle themselves  towards the new and dapper Spirit Hunters.

 New characters are introduced such as Madame Marineaux, the Marquis, and a strange boy named Ollie, who he himself holds the greatest secret of all, creating multiple levels to necromancy and the walking dead.

 The romance between Eleanor and Daniel once again is strained and distant, leaving you wondering if the emotions that you felt from them in the first book have no basis and will not be built upon.  However, as the book builds so does the small stubborn nuances of their relationship, making their relationship all the more realistic and identifiable, for all love is not easy, refreshing and simple. Their love is realistic in which it is complicated, heartbreaking, confusing and often times only felt in one direction. 

A new independence is discovered in Eleanor’s character, causing her to make questionable choices that forsake her, causing her to be less identifiable.  In spite of her choices, I appreciate Eleanor’s character all the more because the choices are not typical or predictable.

Once again, A Darkness Strange and Lovely is a book with many characters being introduced. However, each one has their place in the storyline. In this second installment, there is an abundance of the dead being raised, black magic and steam punk type inventions. Leading you to a place where a strong character has to discover who they really are and ultimately being comfortable with their choices even if it means everyone will turn their back, allowing them to gain self-awareness and independence. A characteristic I really enjoy seeing in a well written book. 

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