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ursdayanaa's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.75
THE ENDING!??!? I NEED MORE I NEED A EXTRA EPILOGUE A NOVELLA I NEED TO SEE THEM MORE DURING THEIR RELATIONSHIP OH LORRDDDDD.
ALSO kinda predict the selburn part but not the part where the deceiver been him for 10yrs. i just assume the deceiver were in him when he being really nice to helen lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Murder
signebrum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This review will contain spoilers!
So I just binged this series during my exam period. If I fail, I know why, whoops
This review is going to contain thoughts on the entire series, including spoilers for all three books, you have been warned.
I love this series! It had the regency romance, that I must admit, I am a sucker to, and also the fantastical elements, I swallow whole every time.
Lady Helen is a wonderful protagonist, who goes from being a polite lady in a men’s world in ddc, to someone trying to accept her role as a reclaimer and trying to gain respect by people thinking of her as lesser, while still wanting the ‘normal’ world in ddp, to standing up for who she is, and what she wants to do in ddd.
Lord Carlston is a wonderful male lead and love interest. He has the ‘dark mysterious past’ (that honestly I’m also a sucker for), which makes people dislike him, but all we ever see from him is actually good traits. His thought for his aides, his disagreement with Mr. Pike and the more backwards men in the world, and his trying to help Helen throughout the series, while accepting her choices.
Sure there’s ups and downs especially in ddp, but tbf, he was under the pressure of almost going mad.
And the Duke of Selburn? Well he (SPOILER ALERT) was a nice villain. Just how we always saw Carlston thinking about Helen’s opinion upon her life, Selburn thinks of his own opinions first, which is shown clearly in the second and third book.
Now, I won’t lie, I spoiled myself about who the Grand Receiver was, even then I was waiting excitedly for the reveal, and what a reveal it was.
Looking back on the books, it’s quite clear, that Selburn seeks to be in control, and he quite constantly doesn’t do as Helen asks him. I know he’s the bad guy and all, but that was definitely a clue to his darker side. He bloody shoot Darby in the ddp for god’s sake!
Speaking of which, we have Darby. How I JUST LOVE WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN! And Darby and Helen gives it everything in that matter! They clearly want to work besides each other whether as terrene and reclaimer or a lady and her maid, while still always asking what the other want. It’s is wonderful and I would love to see more of it!
As for the other side characters? Quinn is. Sweetheart, love him to death and his and Darby’s relationship is so quite. I like how Helen’s aunt steps more into character in the final book, and I love how Helen stands up to Andrew.
I am a tad disappointed about the whole Delia/Lady Margaret situation. I like the idea of the grand deceiver in them, and I did really enjoy Lady Margaret’s betrayal, but I would have loved a supportive female character in the dark days club, who was a friend to Helen without being a servant also, who just… wasn’t a bad guy. Pug could easily have taken upon that role! Or Millicent! That girls is mentioned in all three books, and how I wish we’d gotten to see her and Helen’s friendship!
Then there’s Sprat. I love her, she deserves a series for herself!
And who can forget Mr. Hammond. I would have liked a love story for him also (I know there’s a hint towards Pug and Andrew at the end, but a gay older brother and a gay best friend (or the like) would have been a really cool subplot, just sayin’).
Now let’s talk more plot-things. First, the love triangle.
From reviews I’ve gathered there’s quite mixed opinions on it, but I actually like the way it plays out. It quite plainly shows who Helen actually likes, all while she tries to make herself like the other option. As for the conclusion of it? I would have liked a little more hurt from Helen. A little more shock at the betrayal. A little more anger and emotion!
Which is actually a general thing. We have not one, but two deaths in the span of a short time, and while Delia was technically the grand deceiver, we don’t know that yet. She is Helen’s friend, I want to see her mourn! Fall down in tears, freeze in shock, be angry at everyone the rest of the evening because she cannot control her emotions.
And again with Mrs. Pike. I want to see Helen be scared, ashamed, sad.
And after Selburn’s death, I also would have liked some emotion. Helen cared for him, if not romantically. She would be sad, devastated even, by mainly his betrayal, but also his death.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the love stories in this series!
I won’t lie. I’m a sucker for a longer ending in the final book of the series. Not just tying up loose ends, ur maybe stretching it out a little.
The scenes in that last chapter could easily have been contributed over three whole chapters, where one could see both more grief and confusion after the final battle, a more filling scene with the queen. Have her aunt tell Helen she is to be a senior lady-in-waiting!
And then it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a little more of the main relationship. Having them both worried about their feelings now, and showing it!
That said, I am quite content with the ending. We got our happy couple(s), the bad guy/girl was defeated and everything!
My favorite book of the trilogy was - surprisingly - the second one! I loved Helen’s journey in that book, and it ended exactly as a second book in a trilogy should - chaotically.
I also loved how we got to see more than just the upper class society. The scenes at the bawty house (all the scenes - not just THE scene), Lowry as an antagonist, the lies and betrayal all of them were forced through. I was HOOKED!
Now, this has been a long review, and to end it all, I just wanted to say, that this is the fastest I’ve read a series in a long time. I loved it!
Is it the beast piece of litterateur ever written? Does it have the most amazing characters and heartbreaking stories?
Well, no. But it is fun, and it has a lot of great moments shining through! It is a quick read, and I will not be surprised, if I’m going to reread it at some point in the future.
For now though? I just wanna get out of the book hangover this series have put me in.
This review is going to contain thoughts on the entire series, including spoilers for all three books, you have been warned.
I love this series! It had the regency romance, that I must admit, I am a sucker to, and also the fantastical elements, I swallow whole every time.
Lady Helen is a wonderful protagonist, who goes from being a polite lady in a men’s world in ddc, to someone trying to accept her role as a reclaimer and trying to gain respect by people thinking of her as lesser, while still wanting the ‘normal’ world in ddp, to standing up for who she is, and what she wants to do in ddd.
Lord Carlston is a wonderful male lead and love interest. He has the ‘dark mysterious past’ (that honestly I’m also a sucker for), which makes people dislike him, but all we ever see from him is actually good traits. His thought for his aides, his disagreement with Mr. Pike and the more backwards men in the world, and his trying to help Helen throughout the series, while accepting her choices.
Sure there’s ups and downs especially in ddp, but tbf, he was under the pressure of almost going mad.
And the Duke of Selburn? Well he (SPOILER ALERT) was a nice villain. Just how we always saw Carlston thinking about Helen’s opinion upon her life, Selburn thinks of his own opinions first, which is shown clearly in the second and third book.
Now, I won’t lie, I spoiled myself about who the Grand Receiver was, even then I was waiting excitedly for the reveal, and what a reveal it was.
Looking back on the books, it’s quite clear, that Selburn seeks to be in control, and he quite constantly doesn’t do as Helen asks him. I know he’s the bad guy and all, but that was definitely a clue to his darker side. He bloody shoot Darby in the ddp for god’s sake!
Speaking of which, we have Darby. How I JUST LOVE WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN! And Darby and Helen gives it everything in that matter! They clearly want to work besides each other whether as terrene and reclaimer or a lady and her maid, while still always asking what the other want. It’s is wonderful and I would love to see more of it!
As for the other side characters? Quinn is. Sweetheart, love him to death and his and Darby’s relationship is so quite. I like how Helen’s aunt steps more into character in the final book, and I love how Helen stands up to Andrew.
I am a tad disappointed about the whole Delia/Lady Margaret situation. I like the idea of the grand deceiver in them, and I did really enjoy Lady Margaret’s betrayal, but I would have loved a supportive female character in the dark days club, who was a friend to Helen without being a servant also, who just… wasn’t a bad guy. Pug could easily have taken upon that role! Or Millicent! That girls is mentioned in all three books, and how I wish we’d gotten to see her and Helen’s friendship!
Then there’s Sprat. I love her, she deserves a series for herself!
And who can forget Mr. Hammond. I would have liked a love story for him also (I know there’s a hint towards Pug and Andrew at the end, but a gay older brother and a gay best friend (or the like) would have been a really cool subplot, just sayin’).
Now let’s talk more plot-things. First, the love triangle.
From reviews I’ve gathered there’s quite mixed opinions on it, but I actually like the way it plays out. It quite plainly shows who Helen actually likes, all while she tries to make herself like the other option. As for the conclusion of it? I would have liked a little more hurt from Helen. A little more shock at the betrayal. A little more anger and emotion!
Which is actually a general thing. We have not one, but two deaths in the span of a short time, and while Delia was technically the grand deceiver, we don’t know that yet. She is Helen’s friend, I want to see her mourn! Fall down in tears, freeze in shock, be angry at everyone the rest of the evening because she cannot control her emotions.
And again with Mrs. Pike. I want to see Helen be scared, ashamed, sad.
And after Selburn’s death, I also would have liked some emotion. Helen cared for him, if not romantically. She would be sad, devastated even, by mainly his betrayal, but also his death.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the love stories in this series!
I won’t lie. I’m a sucker for a longer ending in the final book of the series. Not just tying up loose ends, ur maybe stretching it out a little.
The scenes in that last chapter could easily have been contributed over three whole chapters, where one could see both more grief and confusion after the final battle, a more filling scene with the queen. Have her aunt tell Helen she is to be a senior lady-in-waiting!
And then it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a little more of the main relationship. Having them both worried about their feelings now, and showing it!
That said, I am quite content with the ending. We got our happy couple(s), the bad guy/girl was defeated and everything!
My favorite book of the trilogy was - surprisingly - the second one! I loved Helen’s journey in that book, and it ended exactly as a second book in a trilogy should - chaotically.
I also loved how we got to see more than just the upper class society. The scenes at the bawty house (all the scenes - not just THE scene), Lowry as an antagonist, the lies and betrayal all of them were forced through. I was HOOKED!
Now, this has been a long review, and to end it all, I just wanted to say, that this is the fastest I’ve read a series in a long time. I loved it!
Is it the beast piece of litterateur ever written? Does it have the most amazing characters and heartbreaking stories?
Well, no. But it is fun, and it has a lot of great moments shining through! It is a quick read, and I will not be surprised, if I’m going to reread it at some point in the future.
For now though? I just wanna get out of the book hangover this series have put me in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Sexism, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Cursing and Gaslighting
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