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A review by readingoverbreathing
The Dark Days Deceit by Alison Goodman
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I should probably stop picking up sequels to books I read 3 years ago, but there's just something about leaving a series unfinished, especially after I'm already multiple books in, that I just can't reconcile with. In this case, while I didn't remember much about the previous Lady Helen books, I knew this would be a fun paranormal regency romance, and that and my unfinished series phobia were enough to encourage me to request it from the library.
I honestly had no idea that this would be set in Bath, which was such a fun surprise and honestly might have saved it a star. Goodman clearly did her research into 19th-century life in the city, and I got so much enjoyment seeing the characters traipse through the same streets I do in my day-to-day.
Elsewhere, however, I will admit that I sometimes had a hard time paying attention or even following a lot of the action. Any scene where Helen and Carlston were training or fighting just went straight over my head — I found it difficult to visualize any magical action. I had also lost almost all of my knowledge of the fantastical elements and end-goals at play here, which really didn't help.
One thing I do really like about this series is how pragmatic and logical Helen is, a rarity in a YA heroine, but in this book, sometimes, somehow, it was just too much. Helen seemed to pick apart every single interaction and agonize over every decision to the point where it was just exhausting. I know she had a lot going on and some very tough choices to make, but there were a lot of cases where I simply did not need the full play-by-play.
I will say that I think Goodman strikes an excellent balance between historical fact, historical glamour, and the paranormal world that drives her plot. She doesn't skimp (for the most part) on the restraints of the period, but really intertwines them with Helen's mission and the world of the Reclaimers. While I do find this admirable, especially for a YA series, at the same time, I really think I could have used a little more glamor and sexiness to better engage my attention here.
For a book with so much going for it and going on, this was a tad boring and a rather disappointing conclusion as far as thirds in a trilogy go. It felt good to start off 2024 by finishing a series, but as far as first reads of the year go, this was a bit of a let-down.
I honestly had no idea that this would be set in Bath, which was such a fun surprise and honestly might have saved it a star. Goodman clearly did her research into 19th-century life in the city, and I got so much enjoyment seeing the characters traipse through the same streets I do in my day-to-day.
Elsewhere, however, I will admit that I sometimes had a hard time paying attention or even following a lot of the action. Any scene where Helen and Carlston were training or fighting just went straight over my head — I found it difficult to visualize any magical action. I had also lost almost all of my knowledge of the fantastical elements and end-goals at play here, which really didn't help.
One thing I do really like about this series is how pragmatic and logical Helen is, a rarity in a YA heroine, but in this book, sometimes, somehow, it was just too much. Helen seemed to pick apart every single interaction and agonize over every decision to the point where it was just exhausting. I know she had a lot going on and some very tough choices to make, but there were a lot of cases where I simply did not need the full play-by-play.
I will say that I think Goodman strikes an excellent balance between historical fact, historical glamour, and the paranormal world that drives her plot. She doesn't skimp (for the most part) on the restraints of the period, but really intertwines them with Helen's mission and the world of the Reclaimers. While I do find this admirable, especially for a YA series, at the same time, I really think I could have used a little more glamor and sexiness to better engage my attention here.
For a book with so much going for it and going on, this was a tad boring and a rather disappointing conclusion as far as thirds in a trilogy go. It felt good to start off 2024 by finishing a series, but as far as first reads of the year go, this was a bit of a let-down.