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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I am not one for zombie stories, but I love the time period this was set in, so I gave it a chance. Quickly the various characters lured me into the story, which kept me reading through some not so un-gruesome sections. The closest parallel I've read to this previously was the Anita Blake series, however I find that there is no comparison. The main character here is likable and relatable, whereas Anita is not. Don't be tricked by the ya label on this book, either. The walking dead sections are just as horrific. I'm really glad I gave this one a chance, and my love for Daniel, Jie, and the Empress will have me reaching for the sequel.
Dennard's debut novel is a fun steampunk romp through the complications of necromancy and romance. This book has corsets, zombies, and grenades. What's not to like? The main character is a little twee at times, a little "Oh, aren't I just so darling and Victorian," by the end of the book, she comes into own. There are plenty of little faults in this book, but the story itself is entertaining and suspenseful with just the right mix of humor and drama, romance and action. A charming, fun little read.
Something Strange and Deadly is the first novel in Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly series. The tale takes place in Philadelphia, PA in the year 1876. I loved this steampunk zombie novel, featuring the feisty, sleuth protagonist Eleanor Fitt. I easily finished this novel in two evenings and look forward to reading more.
We are immediately immersed in the tale as Eleanor waits at the train station for her beloved brother, Elijah to arrive. When he doesn't arrive she heads to the telegram counter for news. The dead alarms begin to ring. This signals that zombies are in the station. Chaos breaks loose as people scramble to escape. Eleanor dives into the telegram booth and hides. When the window shatters and a zombie appears she just about faints. Instead of attacking her, it drops a telegram on her lap. Too frightened to read it she rushes home. Here she reads the message and discovers he won’t be returning. Eleanor begins to believe that the zombies have him. When she sees an article about Spirit Hunters, she sets off to get answers and hopefully some help. The tale that unfolds has moments of suspense, mystery, humor and a smidgeon of romance. The dead are rising from Laurel Hill Cemetery and a necromancer is controlling them. I became completely immersed in the tale as Eleanor tries to stop the dead and save her brother.
Eleanor Fitt is sixteen and lives with her overbearing mother and maid. Her brother Elijah has been away for over two years. The families finances are crumbling and her mother is constantly spending money trying to impress others. I liked Eleanor; she is witty, inquisitive and brave. Her need for answers causes her to be reckless and her free spirit creates tension with her mother. Daniel is an inventor and member of the Spirit Hunters. He is cute, stubborn and quick to temper. He is also protective when it comes to Eleanor. I enjoyed their witty banter and Eleanor’s attraction to him caused me to giggle. While there is a tiny bit of romance, their story is just beginning. Other characters added suspense and mystery.
The world-building while at times predictable kept me entertained. Dennard beautifully captures the era and some of its ridiculous society rules. She does this without overwhelming the reader in details and instead focuses on the characters and plot. The flow of this novel was wonderful. I would have liked more gadgetry but enjoyed the tools the Spirit Hunters used. The characters themselves and mystery kept me turning the pages. Discovering the necromancer and searching for clues was entertaining. The zombies are in the background of this tale, but when they do make appearances the scenes are delightful. While the tale felt complete, Dennard’s ending has hinted at what is to come. While I easily pieced together the clues regarding the necromancer it was fun to discover the reasons.
I recommend Something Strange and Deadly to fans of steampunk, zombies and character driven tales. I loved the mystery and suspense of this novel and the sweet budding romance. I look forward to A Darkness Strange and Lovely the second novel in this series due to publish in 2013.
I want to thank Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
We are immediately immersed in the tale as Eleanor waits at the train station for her beloved brother, Elijah to arrive. When he doesn't arrive she heads to the telegram counter for news. The dead alarms begin to ring. This signals that zombies are in the station. Chaos breaks loose as people scramble to escape. Eleanor dives into the telegram booth and hides. When the window shatters and a zombie appears she just about faints. Instead of attacking her, it drops a telegram on her lap. Too frightened to read it she rushes home. Here she reads the message and discovers he won’t be returning. Eleanor begins to believe that the zombies have him. When she sees an article about Spirit Hunters, she sets off to get answers and hopefully some help. The tale that unfolds has moments of suspense, mystery, humor and a smidgeon of romance. The dead are rising from Laurel Hill Cemetery and a necromancer is controlling them. I became completely immersed in the tale as Eleanor tries to stop the dead and save her brother.
Eleanor Fitt is sixteen and lives with her overbearing mother and maid. Her brother Elijah has been away for over two years. The families finances are crumbling and her mother is constantly spending money trying to impress others. I liked Eleanor; she is witty, inquisitive and brave. Her need for answers causes her to be reckless and her free spirit creates tension with her mother. Daniel is an inventor and member of the Spirit Hunters. He is cute, stubborn and quick to temper. He is also protective when it comes to Eleanor. I enjoyed their witty banter and Eleanor’s attraction to him caused me to giggle. While there is a tiny bit of romance, their story is just beginning. Other characters added suspense and mystery.
The world-building while at times predictable kept me entertained. Dennard beautifully captures the era and some of its ridiculous society rules. She does this without overwhelming the reader in details and instead focuses on the characters and plot. The flow of this novel was wonderful. I would have liked more gadgetry but enjoyed the tools the Spirit Hunters used. The characters themselves and mystery kept me turning the pages. Discovering the necromancer and searching for clues was entertaining. The zombies are in the background of this tale, but when they do make appearances the scenes are delightful. While the tale felt complete, Dennard’s ending has hinted at what is to come. While I easily pieced together the clues regarding the necromancer it was fun to discover the reasons.
I recommend Something Strange and Deadly to fans of steampunk, zombies and character driven tales. I loved the mystery and suspense of this novel and the sweet budding romance. I look forward to A Darkness Strange and Lovely the second novel in this series due to publish in 2013.
I want to thank Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
LOVED THIS.
What a great surprise this novel turned out to be! Y'all know I love historicals, but a historical novel with a zombie twist?? Yeah, I was skeptical to say the least, especially with that terrible blurb. I mean it really may be one of the most terrible and uninforming blurbs I've ever read. So let me attempt to write a better one...
When we meet Eleanor Fitt, of the Philadelphia Fitts, she has just witnessed a zombie attack at the train station where she was supposed to meet her brother, Elijah, who has been missing for some time. These walking dead have been wrecking havoc recently as they have been "animating" at a greater rate than normal. One of these dead approaches her and delivers to her a letter from her brother that leads her to believe his disappearance is somehow related to the necromancer who is believed to be responsible for commanding the dead army.
She returns home shaken and unenthusiastic of her mother's planned seance that will catapult them into society's good graces once again. During the seance, Eleanor's mother invites a spirit into this world she believes to be the soul of her dead husband, but Eleanor has a feeling this spirit is malicious in its intent. She decides to seek out the Spirit Hunters--a specialized group that has been hired by the mayor in order to deal with the walking dead. Thus, Eleanor is thrust into an adventure of zombies, budding romance, danger, and blooming scandal as she--along with the dashing Daniel, the honor-bound Joseph, and the badass Jie--seek to discover who the necromancer is, destroy the evil spirit, and ultimately find and rescue Elijah from the necromancer's clutches.
This story was really everything I love in a good YA novel: a great storyline filled with action, romance, secrets, and misunderstandings; awesome and easy-to-love characters; historical setting filled with operas, gowns, and bothersome corsets; and of course, a handsome and swoon-worthy hero, Daniel.
Need I say more?
What a great surprise this novel turned out to be! Y'all know I love historicals, but a historical novel with a zombie twist?? Yeah, I was skeptical to say the least, especially with that terrible blurb. I mean it really may be one of the most terrible and uninforming blurbs I've ever read. So let me attempt to write a better one...
When we meet Eleanor Fitt, of the Philadelphia Fitts, she has just witnessed a zombie attack at the train station where she was supposed to meet her brother, Elijah, who has been missing for some time. These walking dead have been wrecking havoc recently as they have been "animating" at a greater rate than normal. One of these dead approaches her and delivers to her a letter from her brother that leads her to believe his disappearance is somehow related to the necromancer who is believed to be responsible for commanding the dead army.
She returns home shaken and unenthusiastic of her mother's planned seance that will catapult them into society's good graces once again. During the seance, Eleanor's mother invites a spirit into this world she believes to be the soul of her dead husband, but Eleanor has a feeling this spirit is malicious in its intent. She decides to seek out the Spirit Hunters--a specialized group that has been hired by the mayor in order to deal with the walking dead. Thus, Eleanor is thrust into an adventure of zombies, budding romance, danger, and blooming scandal as she--along with the dashing Daniel, the honor-bound Joseph, and the badass Jie--seek to discover who the necromancer is, destroy the evil spirit, and ultimately find and rescue Elijah from the necromancer's clutches.
This story was really everything I love in a good YA novel: a great storyline filled with action, romance, secrets, and misunderstandings; awesome and easy-to-love characters; historical setting filled with operas, gowns, and bothersome corsets; and of course, a handsome and swoon-worthy hero, Daniel.
Need I say more?
Overall impression:
Something Strange and Deadly is an entertaining and promising start to a series I never would’ve thought I’d like. I can’t wait to dive into the next book.
Read the full review on Book Revels.
Something Strange and Deadly is an entertaining and promising start to a series I never would’ve thought I’d like. I can’t wait to dive into the next book.
Read the full review on Book Revels.
Daniel was by far my favorite character... a lot of the characters are still questionable. The Wilcoxes, some of the Spirit Hunters... I just wanted more concise endings. This book was okay for me, but it didn't blow my socks off. I have some issues with it, but since I already have book 2, I'll keep reading. Daniel and Jie are really the only things going for this book as incentive as of now.
I'm hoping I really enjoy the second book more than the first!
SPOILERS BELOW
Some parts of the book I had issues with:
Eleanor ' s inconsistent behavior. I understand her growth into a more rebellious character, but it seems like she transformed into someone else the second she laid eyes on Daniel.
Abigail Fitt. I loath this woman. I wish a Hungry would attack her.
The seance scene... just... why??
Jeremy and Mary were never really explained... and I don't think we ever saw Jeremy in person?
Lots of plot holes and telling instead of showing.
A lot of story for one book... I think parts could have been left out and the story would have been fine.
I really liked Daniel, and all the parts I really enjoyed come from him... so: streetlight post, parasol, tortured soul, the usual.
I'm hoping I really enjoy the second book more than the first!
SPOILERS BELOW
Some parts of the book I had issues with:
Eleanor ' s inconsistent behavior. I understand her growth into a more rebellious character, but it seems like she transformed into someone else the second she laid eyes on Daniel.
Abigail Fitt. I loath this woman. I wish a Hungry would attack her.
The seance scene... just... why??
Jeremy and Mary were never really explained... and I don't think we ever saw Jeremy in person?
Lots of plot holes and telling instead of showing.
A lot of story for one book... I think parts could have been left out and the story would have been fine.
I really liked Daniel, and all the parts I really enjoyed come from him... so: streetlight post, parasol, tortured soul, the usual.
