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A review by katykelly
The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
4.0
Regency Buffy!
Such a unique mixing of genres, but it worked. I heard good reports of this, and fancied giving it a try, it has a cover I would usually associate with a teen romance I wouldn't touch, but the synopsis hooked me.
Orphaned Lady Helen is setting out on her debut season in Regency English society, with her aunt and uncle hopefully of finding her a suitable husband. She is less than keen on this, but a dutiful and grateful niece. Quite unexpectedly however, she learns of her own latent demon-slaying powers...
Wait - what?! Not quite what you'd expect, though in an era where Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is gaining in popularity (not one for me, I'm afraid), this could do extremely well, and should.
The Regency detail is appealing, with Beau Brummell and Prinny featuring, society well-characterised and a very formal, exclusive (and excluding) place. Helen is great - both Regency but also out-of-time kick-ass heroine-in-waiting. While we get plenty of ballroom and bedroom/dressing room scenes, we eventually (it takes a while to build up to it) see some otherworldly creatures and (rather silly) demonic terms introduced. It really is as if Buffy time-travelled back to the 1800s.
I was completely drawn in, despite the silliness of the vocabulary (my own personal feeling here), there was a lot of action (the rather lovely, I thought, Lord Carlston acting as shadowy and dangerous mentor to Helen, showing her the hidden dangers all around her.
We see the underside of London, some amazing scenes of privilege, and a plot that is set to flow into further episodes is set up. There is backstory involving Helen's mother, more than one love interest (one of whom I struggled to understand as a dogged suitor), a rather unusual future sidekick, and lots of demonic creatures.
The tone is about right, Helen's voice doesn't get too serious or too lordly. Carlston is a great mysterious-yet-sexy-as-hell dangerous tempter, and I would definitely want to see what happens next to them all.
One for ages 14 and above. It's made me want to revisit the Buffy series now too!
Such a unique mixing of genres, but it worked. I heard good reports of this, and fancied giving it a try, it has a cover I would usually associate with a teen romance I wouldn't touch, but the synopsis hooked me.
Orphaned Lady Helen is setting out on her debut season in Regency English society, with her aunt and uncle hopefully of finding her a suitable husband. She is less than keen on this, but a dutiful and grateful niece. Quite unexpectedly however, she learns of her own latent demon-slaying powers...
Wait - what?! Not quite what you'd expect, though in an era where Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is gaining in popularity (not one for me, I'm afraid), this could do extremely well, and should.
The Regency detail is appealing, with Beau Brummell and Prinny featuring, society well-characterised and a very formal, exclusive (and excluding) place. Helen is great - both Regency but also out-of-time kick-ass heroine-in-waiting. While we get plenty of ballroom and bedroom/dressing room scenes, we eventually (it takes a while to build up to it) see some otherworldly creatures and (rather silly) demonic terms introduced. It really is as if Buffy time-travelled back to the 1800s.
I was completely drawn in, despite the silliness of the vocabulary (my own personal feeling here), there was a lot of action (the rather lovely, I thought, Lord Carlston acting as shadowy and dangerous mentor to Helen, showing her the hidden dangers all around her.
We see the underside of London, some amazing scenes of privilege, and a plot that is set to flow into further episodes is set up. There is backstory involving Helen's mother, more than one love interest (one of whom I struggled to understand as a dogged suitor), a rather unusual future sidekick, and lots of demonic creatures.
The tone is about right, Helen's voice doesn't get too serious or too lordly. Carlston is a great mysterious-yet-sexy-as-hell dangerous tempter, and I would definitely want to see what happens next to them all.
One for ages 14 and above. It's made me want to revisit the Buffy series now too!