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carrymey's review
4.0
This book had me putting it down so often to cry out "oh my god". I lost count. I don't even know where to begin, but I shall try.
So things get from bad to worse, to super-duper-worse in such a speed that I hardly knew however anything should be resolved upon. It did however, if not all, off course.
The tone was much darker in this books, as is to be expected. I enjoyed the few ball scenes a lot, since I am a sucker for regency romance. It was almost a bit too dark for me. I missed some more lighthearted moments.
Still the story was unputdownable. It drove me almost crazy I can tell you. All that tension. Sigh.
Lady Helen really grew a lot in this book, from unsure and helpless to commanding and authoritative and strong. I really liked that, though (as with Buffy) I hated see her become darker and darker, but maybe that's just me.
The story certainly got more interesting (I really can't say too much!), and the stakes are so much higher than they ever were.
I already feel myself craving for the next book!
So things get from bad to worse, to super-duper-worse in such a speed that I hardly knew however anything should be resolved upon. It did however, if not all, off course.
The tone was much darker in this books, as is to be expected. I enjoyed the few ball scenes a lot, since I am a sucker for regency romance. It was almost a bit too dark for me. I missed some more lighthearted moments.
Still the story was unputdownable. It drove me almost crazy I can tell you. All that tension. Sigh.
Lady Helen really grew a lot in this book, from unsure and helpless to commanding and authoritative and strong. I really liked that, though (as with Buffy) I hated see her become darker and darker, but maybe that's just me.
The story certainly got more interesting (I really can't say too much!), and the stakes are so much higher than they ever were.
I already feel myself craving for the next book!
nyeran's review against another edition
3.0
- "Which way do we run when we see danger; away from it, or towards it?"
- "It depends on what the danger is."
- "No. It depends on what is at stake."
♠ A me la Goodman piace tanto, sia chiaro. Scrive bene, ha storie interessanti, le sue protagoniste sono fantastiche. Ha solo un piccolo difetto. È estremamente prolissa. È come l’Ape Piaggio, da 0 a 65 km/h in 200 pagine.
Poi per carità l’azione è bella, ben scritta, coinvolgente, tutto quello che volete, ma arriva ogni morte di papà. E in quegli intermezzi papali non ci stanno cose che ti tengono incollata alla lettura o te la rendono piacevole, scorrevole e interessante. No, non c’è niente. Per 200 pagine l’unica cosa che sappiamo è che Helen deve recuperare un diario cercando di non farsi scoprire da Lord Carlston che lo cerca a sua volta. A metà libro questo è tutto quello che vediamo, intervallato da accolli infiniti del Duca di Selburn, che risulta pericolosamente inquietante e asfissiante, balli pieni di pettegolezzi e momenti di tensione sessuale tra Helen e Carlston. Fine.
♠ Persino il presunto allenamento di Helen come Deceiver, che a parere mio avrebbe dovuto avere più spazio, non è mai in primo piano. Ci viene detto che Helen si allena ma noi non vediamo mai effettivamente come si svolgono questi allenamenti o in cosa consistano, sappiamo solo che Helen studia e che deve imparare a comportarsi come un uomo per poter adempiere al suo lavoro. Anche in questo caso però c’è solo il commento messo li per far capire che si sta allenando.
♠ Parte della stella in meno è probabilmente dovuta al fatto che questo libro non ha cambiate ne migliorato la mia opinione di Lord Carlston. Al contrario, se nel primo libro la sua presenza mi lasciava completamente indifferente in questo libro, se possibile, è riuscito a scendere in basso. Non ha ancora toccato il fondo ma è sulla buona strada.
Con questo non voglio dire che io non abbia apprezzato il triangolo, se ne sta buono buono nella sua zona e non rovina i giochi, però non riuscendo ad apprezzare particolarmente nessuno dei due cateti rimanevo sempre un po’ interdetta ad ogni dialogo.
Perlomeno anche in questo libro continuo a salvare Helen, senza dubbi, e tutte le donne. Esatto. TUTTE. Anche Lady Margaret. Amo l’amicizia sincera tra di loro, il loro supporto incondizionato, tutto.
Però dai, Lady Helen, Lady Margaret e il fratello sono tutti innamorati di Lord Carlston. Un po’ esagerata come cosa, no!? L’unico gay della storia guarda caso muore dietro all’interesse amoroso.
- "It depends on what the danger is."
- "No. It depends on what is at stake."
♠ A me la Goodman piace tanto, sia chiaro. Scrive bene, ha storie interessanti, le sue protagoniste sono fantastiche. Ha solo un piccolo difetto. È estremamente prolissa. È come l’Ape Piaggio, da 0 a 65 km/h in 200 pagine.
Poi per carità l’azione è bella, ben scritta, coinvolgente, tutto quello che volete, ma arriva ogni morte di papà. E in quegli intermezzi papali non ci stanno cose che ti tengono incollata alla lettura o te la rendono piacevole, scorrevole e interessante. No, non c’è niente. Per 200 pagine l’unica cosa che sappiamo è che Helen deve recuperare un diario cercando di non farsi scoprire da Lord Carlston che lo cerca a sua volta. A metà libro questo è tutto quello che vediamo, intervallato da accolli infiniti del Duca di Selburn, che risulta pericolosamente inquietante e asfissiante, balli pieni di pettegolezzi e momenti di tensione sessuale tra Helen e Carlston. Fine.
♠ Persino il presunto allenamento di Helen come Deceiver, che a parere mio avrebbe dovuto avere più spazio, non è mai in primo piano. Ci viene detto che Helen si allena ma noi non vediamo mai effettivamente come si svolgono questi allenamenti o in cosa consistano, sappiamo solo che Helen studia e che deve imparare a comportarsi come un uomo per poter adempiere al suo lavoro. Anche in questo caso però c’è solo il commento messo li per far capire che si sta allenando.
♠ Parte della stella in meno è probabilmente dovuta al fatto che questo libro non ha cambiate ne migliorato la mia opinione di Lord Carlston. Al contrario, se nel primo libro la sua presenza mi lasciava completamente indifferente in questo libro, se possibile, è riuscito a scendere in basso. Non ha ancora toccato il fondo ma è sulla buona strada.
Con questo non voglio dire che io non abbia apprezzato il triangolo, se ne sta buono buono nella sua zona e non rovina i giochi, però non riuscendo ad apprezzare particolarmente nessuno dei due cateti rimanevo sempre un po’ interdetta ad ogni dialogo.
Perlomeno anche in questo libro continuo a salvare Helen, senza dubbi, e tutte le donne. Esatto. TUTTE. Anche Lady Margaret. Amo l’amicizia sincera tra di loro, il loro supporto incondizionato, tutto.
Però dai, Lady Helen, Lady Margaret e il fratello sono tutti innamorati di Lord Carlston. Un po’ esagerata come cosa, no!? L’unico gay della storia guarda caso muore dietro all’interesse amoroso.
accidentalspaceexplorer's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really wish Helen would kick the Duke out a window, & I'm really tired of hearing how everyone thinks Helen is inept because she's a woman. But the plot is very dramatic & gripping, & I'm having fun with that.
steph01924's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, so much to process! Even better than the first! Check out my full report over at Forever Young Adult.
Update: Re-reading for the second time Nov 2018 in anticipation of the third book and I'm already excited to dive back in! Can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I first read it. Still just as good as the first time!
Update: Re-reading for the second time Nov 2018 in anticipation of the third book and I'm already excited to dive back in! Can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I first read it. Still just as good as the first time!
amoureux_des_livres's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jennagarcia's review against another edition
Dnf’d at 33%. I tried but it was so boring. Also if ppl just communicated properly there would have been very little plot.
jadeandherbunny's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I'm biased AF because it's my childhood
Don't binge this series since there are many reminders from the last book's content and it can become annoying real quick.
Don't binge this series since there are many reminders from the last book's content and it can become annoying real quick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Classism
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
4.0
Any book that keeps me up until 3:30 a.m. to finish it gets an automatic four stars no matter what other nitpicks I might have. It’s kind of a requirement. (This one was so much better than the first!)
thebookishunicorn's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this sequel to "The Dark Days Club"! Goodman's mastery at combining real life events, details about life in 1812 England, and fantasy is impeccable. Really excited to see how this story ends in Novemeber, I am left with many questions that need answering!
michalice's review
4.0
Going into The Dark Days Pact I knew what to expect, but I still initially struggled to read this book. I love everything about the training, the fighting, and the hunts for a mysterious journal, but it took me a long time to get there. The historical aspect is something I knew I would struggle with, the language, the propriety, these are things that don't interest me, but I knew I had to get past these to get to the good bits, because the good bits are so worth the struggle.
The Dark Days Pact picks up after the disastrous coming out ball, and Lady Helen is whisked away to Brighton to 'recover' with her friends, but also learn more about the Dark Days Club and train her hardest. Everything they can do to help Lady Helen get stronger and be able to blend in with the club is done, even cutting her hair and dressing her as a man, much to her shock.
The Dark Days Pact occasionally took me a while to get through, as well as zooming through the fights. I liked getting to see inside the club and how it really works, seeing how much the members have to sacrifice in order to join. We get a better idea of what the deceivers do and how they feed, as well as seeing how far they will go to get what they want. The Dark Days Pact brings a lot of twists and turns with it, as we follow Lady Helen in her journey. A lot of information told is new, and towards the end there was a BIG shock that I did not expect, but it also opens up some amazing possibilities in the next book.
I have really enjoyed seeing Lady Helen grow throughout these books, and I am excited to see what comes next for her, as well as see her kick some butt.
Final Verdict
Although The Dark Days Pact was slow going at first, I did enjoy this one a lot more than the previous book, and the way this ends has me wanting to read the next book now.
The Dark Days Pact picks up after the disastrous coming out ball, and Lady Helen is whisked away to Brighton to 'recover' with her friends, but also learn more about the Dark Days Club and train her hardest. Everything they can do to help Lady Helen get stronger and be able to blend in with the club is done, even cutting her hair and dressing her as a man, much to her shock.
The Dark Days Pact occasionally took me a while to get through, as well as zooming through the fights. I liked getting to see inside the club and how it really works, seeing how much the members have to sacrifice in order to join. We get a better idea of what the deceivers do and how they feed, as well as seeing how far they will go to get what they want. The Dark Days Pact brings a lot of twists and turns with it, as we follow Lady Helen in her journey. A lot of information told is new, and towards the end there was a BIG shock that I did not expect, but it also opens up some amazing possibilities in the next book.
I have really enjoyed seeing Lady Helen grow throughout these books, and I am excited to see what comes next for her, as well as see her kick some butt.
Final Verdict
Although The Dark Days Pact was slow going at first, I did enjoy this one a lot more than the previous book, and the way this ends has me wanting to read the next book now.