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The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2)

by Alison Goodman (Goodreads Author)

4.25 · Rating Details · 241 Ratings · 91 Reviews

June 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers. However, the long-term effects of Carlston’s Reclaimer work have taken hold, ...more

Hardcover, 496 pages

Published January 31st 2017 by Viking Books for Young Readers

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Feb 01, 2017 Cookie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, favourite-series, feeeeeeels, that-fucking-ending, arcs, holy-woah, 2017-publication, not-so-american, you-should-read-this-tbh, historical, royalty, feat-supernatural-creatures, maaaagic, angels-demons, favourite-sequels

EVERYTHING HURTS AND I NEED BOOK 3. also you can read my review HERE, as in, on a blog. if that kinda thing is your thing. (or you can scroll down too, if that's more of your thing than clicking to another blog thing. anyway.)

I don't know when I will be over this book because a few sentences ruined me and also Lord Carlston. MY HEART!

It's been a few weeks since the thing at Helen's birthday ball. She's now with Mr. Hammond and his sister, Lady Margaret, in Brighton, where she's learning to becom ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Cait • A Page with a View rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, ya-fantasy, 2017-arcs

3.5 stars. I think your enthusiasm level for this sequel will be directly tied to how much you liked Carlston in the first book. I just wasn't his biggest fan and kept waiting for Selburn to show up here (while also weirdly hoping he turns out to be the Grand Deceiver? It works).

If you don't remember the first book very well, this one sums up a lot of the basics when Helen explains the world to Delia:
"The Compact is our agreement with the Deceivers. It allows the creatures to feed upon human en
3.5 stars. I think your enthusiasm level for this sequel will be directly tied to how much you liked Carlston in the first book. I just wasn't his biggest fan and kept waiting for Selburn to show up here (while also weirdly hoping he turns out to be the Grand Deceiver? It works).

If you don't remember the first book very well, this one sums up a lot of the basics when Helen explains the world to Delia:
"The Compact is our agreement with the Deceivers. It allows the creatures to feed upon human energy by skimming a tiny amount from many people. It is not their preferred way of feeding, of course; they would much rather glut upon the energy of one person at a time... glutting, you see, almost always kills the victim, and the influx of their life force allows the creatures to build the energy whips they use as weapons."
"Oh my," Delia breathed. "Stolen bodies, energy whips, feeding upon human energy. It is all so... gothic."

"Part of the Compact requires them to maintain their anonymity. There are too many of them to destroy, and so we must live alongside them. We cannot, however, have their existence known... the panic would rip apart society."

The Dark Days Club isn't convinced that Carlston is loyal or stable after absorbing so much of the energy that would cause him to go mad, so Helen must serve them instead of serving Carlston. And if she informs him of her assignment she'll have committed high treason. A good part of the story is her trying to retrieve Benchley's journal, usually dressed as a guy. She still has super speed & strength, the ability to heal, and better senses because she's a direct inheritor of her powers.

A few parts of this series are just a bit weird to me sometimes, but I do like it overall! And it really does have one of the best historical settings I've found. I'm not sure if Alison Goodman time traveled or just really knows her stuff, but all of the details are incredible. So I do like most of the characters and where the plot is heading... but a lot of my attention got lost in the first half. The second half really picked up and had an exciting finish, though!

I'd recommend this series if you liked The Infernal Devices, These Vicious Masks, or any other historical stories with demon hunting!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC! The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon release. ...more

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Dec 22, 2016 Stacee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2016

After reading and loving The Dark Days Club, I knew I would be devouring the sequel as soon as I could. And when I saw The Dark Days Pact available, I legit screamed and downloaded it.

Lady Helen is still just as awesome as she was before. She's stronger this time around and I really enjoyed seeing her work out the new facets of her powers. The rest of the gang is all here and they're definitely in for some changes.

There are a lot of twists and revelations in this book and I was on the edge of my ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Alyssa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-releases

***Review to come***

Pre-read squees:

EDIT (June 11th): title time! The Dark Days Pact -- cool! Want want want WANT! =)

Well. Now that I've read The Dark Days Club, I can safely say that I WILL DEFINITELY BE READING THIS SEQUEL. Holy guacamole, I need this book. While The Dark Days Club does NOT end with a cliffhanger, it definitely leaves me wanting more!

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Feb 02, 2017 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, 2017

The Dark Days Pact is set in Brighton 1812 where Lady Helen will be spending the summer with Lord Carlston so she can continue her training to be a Reclaimer. Part of her training is learning to disguise herself as a man convincingly since woman are restricted to the places they can go among other things. Lady Helen is put in an interesting predicament when the Dark Days Club give her an assignment to find Benchley's journal and not to tell Lord Carlston who may be slipping into madness.

That's The Dark Days Pact is set in Brighton 1812 where Lady Helen will be spending the summer with Lord Carlston so she can continue her training to be a Reclaimer. Part of her training is learning to disguise herself as a man convincingly since woman are restricted to the places they can go among other things. Lady Helen is put in an interesting predicament when the Dark Days Club give her an assignment to find Benchley's journal and not to tell Lord Carlston who may be slipping into madness.

That's as deep into the plot that I'm willing to go (because spoilers). Delia is back! And so is the Duke of Selburn. A lot of the secondary characters are back. The historical accuracy is still phenomenal. Except this time with the story set in Brighton, we're getting something a little different than Lady Helen in gowns at balls doing the Regency London thing. Besides the fact that she is dressed as a man a good amount of time allowing her to go around town freely, get a beer at the bar, or say...enter a brothel. There are also fun scenes going into detail about bathing machines and dipping with Martha Gunn, the most famous dipper in Brighton (yes, in real life). The people, places, and moments in history that show up in the book were once again my favorite part.

The romance becomes a much bigger focus in the second book. I liked how it stayed somewhat in the background in The Dark Days Club. It was slow-burning, but now that it has sort of gotten there...it's taken over the plot a bit more. I don't exactly care who Lady Helen "likes" because there is a much bigger situation among us. She doesn't have time to kiss him or the other guy for that matter. Not to mention, I just don't care much for romance.

Also, Lord Carlston is a larger character in this book than he was in the first. I enjoyed how mysterious he was, but now that we know him...he's not my favorite. It was definitely personal preference that made me enjoy this one less than the first. I still liked the story. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would've hoped. If you don't mind Carlston as a character or a bit of romance to spice up a novel, you won't have these issues.

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction with a paranormal twist and don't mind romance, this would be a great series for you to try out. ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Giselle (Book Nerd Canada) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-physical, from-publishers, own, requested-for-review, 2017, 4-star, genre-historical, genre-fantasy, genre-paranormal, age-young-adult

Well that was an epic ending. I need book three? Ahhh my mind is full of questions and fears and what ifs!!!!

Full review TK

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Nov 03, 2016 Cindy ✩☽ Savage Queen ♔ marked it as to-read

Well I was in denial for a while, but now with the cover officially up on Goodreads I can safely say I'll be opting for the ePub

photo 7e1ee7b02beee22c0cb59ac8bd9f6932_zpsh6iy4uji.gif

But I totally respect people who still plan on buying the physical copy, not everyone is a picky/judgmental about covers and consistency as me lol

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Yup it really seems like they're going with the plans for a cover change. Which means they failed me, Vikings books why did you fail me?

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I'm just over here praying that the VikingBooks doesn't go through with their de ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 Keertana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads, kick-ass-heroines, swoooon, rainy-day-re-reads, 2017-favorites

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I think The Dark Days Pact might be my favorite of all Alison Goodman's novels to date. This sequel picks up promptly where The Dark Days Club left off with Lady Helen in Bath for the summer, having been cast aside by her aunt and uncle. Now that Helen has discovered that she is a Reclaimer, she is under the tutelage of Lord Carleston as he trains her to join the Dark Days Club. But nothing is quite as it seems... Lord Carleston is prone to illness, a strange Lord Pike is stirri Rating: 4.5 Stars

I think The Dark Days Pact might be my favorite of all Alison Goodman's novels to date. This sequel picks up promptly where The Dark Days Club left off with Lady Helen in Bath for the summer, having been cast aside by her aunt and uncle. Now that Helen has discovered that she is a Reclaimer, she is under the tutelage of Lord Carleston as he trains her to join the Dark Days Club. But nothing is quite as it seems... Lord Carleston is prone to illness, a strange Lord Pike is stirring trouble, Helen is confident she's seen a Deceiver in town, and the Duke of Selburn has followed Helen to Bath to renew his offer of marriage. Add to the mix Helen's best friend, Delia, who escapes being sent to an asylum to join Helen and Helen's new vows as a Reclaimer, which compel her to follow the King's orders--even if that means listening to Lord Pike--and The Dark Days Pact is a hell of a ride.

What I love most about this book is the fact that Helen is caught between her upbringing as a noble woman and her duties as a Reclaimer, which demand her to dress and behave as a man on more than one occasion. As the only female Reclaimer in the Dark Days Club, Helen is an anomaly and watching her navigate the constructs placed upon her gender, while keeping to her vows as a Reclaimer, was a wonderful journey. Goodman excels at capturing the intricacies of gender--the fact that the men of the Dark Days Club see Helen as a noble woman despite her strength and contributions to the society--and I loved watching Helen re-define the boundaries to fit her.

Of course, in Victorian England, there is constantly a push-and-pull of societal expectations and the heart, and this comes to light particularly in the romance. The Duke of Selburn can give Helen a good name--something her reputation rather needs--but Carleston understands that she needs freedom and trusts her to follow her instincts instead of constantly protecting her. It's not a love triangle, because it is clear who Helen favors of the two men, but the war between love and duty is one that becomes even more clear in this novel. We see that not only Helen but Hammond, his sister, Helen's maid Darby, and even Lord Carleston are all battling this same war.

I particularly loved getting to know more about Lord Carleston, who is too much of an enigma in The Dark Days Club. We finally unravel the many secrets of his past and, what's best for me is that we see Lord Carleston out of his element. Enemies from his past, such as Lord Pike, plant doubts in the mind of Lady Helen and as Carleston's "illness" gets worse, he acts rashly and out of turn. Carleston isn't entirely in control of his actions and to see him go from a confident leader to a weak figurehead, of sorts, is a twist--one that is as difficult for him as it is for the secondary characters and Helen, especially. I loved seeing the changing relationship dynamics that this brought, though.

And, of course, the plot just continues to thicken. Though we get many answers in this sequel, there are just as many questions remaining and Goodman wastes no time in elaborating upon her world-building. We meet so many more members of the Dark Days Club, understand the bond between Reclaimer and Terrene better, and even have our assumptions about Deceivers put to the test. This is such an intriguing world and though variations of this idea may have been done before--namely in The Infernal Devices--Goodman still manages to make her world wholly unique. I couldn't anticipate the grand majority of plot twists in this novel and the ending threw a knife in my gut; my emotions are a complete mess and I desperately need the sequel to know everything is going to be okay. Goodman doesn't hesitate to do away with characters we're starting to love--or already do!--so I can feel in my gut that the grand finale to this trilogy is going to be an emotional roller coaster for sure.

For fans of The Dark Days Club, this sequel doesn't disappoint in the least. It's a wonderful blend of gender roles, romance, action, paranormal, and plot twists. Helen's difficulty in mastering her Reclaimer skills and fitting into the society of the Dark Days Club--so different from the life of a noble women--is utterly realistic and I love, love, love this strong-willed, determined heroine. The secondary characters--a wonderful blend of genders, sexual identities, and class hierarchies--all make this a historical fantasy novel rooted in diversity and I am eager for more of Goodman's work. I, personally, love the Victorian Era and can never become tired of being thrown back into Jane Austen-esque novels with paranormal twists, so this is among my favorite series. But, even if you aren't as obsessed with Victorian England as much as I am, give this series a shot--it's absolutely worth it and you'll discover a new go-to author as a result. ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Asma Iceybooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, books-you-have-to-read-right-now, favorites

This was so so sooooo much better than the first one (which was also incredible) and while I'll probably never get around to properly reviewing this, EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT RIGHT NOW. OR START THE SERIES IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

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Feb 01, 2017 Sophie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-releases, own-read, 5-stars, arcs-read, to-review, read-in-2017

Fantastic! I need book 3 asap! Review to come.

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Oct 20, 2016 Glory rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Блин, это было круто!
Подробности как-нибудь накатаю, а пока столько эмоций, что боюсь наспойлерить xD
Но если вам чего-то не хватило в первой части, здесь автор наверстала с лихвой.

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Nov 21, 2016 Lisa rated it it was amazing

The mix of a historical setting with the scandalous magic of Deceivers was once again masterfully combined. I'm hooked for more!!

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Oct 13, 2016 Allison rated it it was amazing

SOMEHOW BETTER THAN THE FIRST BOOK. I love Helen so so much and I just want to hold her to my bosom and CARLSTON IS EVEN MORE CARLSTON. 2 CARLSTON 2 FURIOUS. ETC. This is still such a slowburn romance-wise but......phewwwwwwwwwwwwww the wheels finally start rolling more and oh man. I LOVE HAMMOND AND DARBY AND QUINN AND DELIA. Everyone is amazing. Someone hold me.

Also, I cried? It's just such a TENSE book. The whole thing is tense. The ending is AMAZING. Book three will be even better.

Hats off ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-historical, fantasy-mg-ya, mg-ya, 2017

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The Dark Days Pact just didn't grip me as much as the first book in the series. It took me ages to get into the book and the last few chapters were pretty much the only parts that completely held my attention.

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Dec 30, 2016 Erin Arkin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: can-t-fricken-wait, paranormal, historical, preordered

I kinda knew the ending was going to hurt. I love this series so much...apologies if it is rambling and just a warning, if you haven't read book one, don't read this review!

I had been waiting to get my hands on The Dark Days Pact since I finished The Dark Days Club. This series is a great mix of historical and paranormal and I love everything about it. Of course, there is a bit of romance, angst, and quite a bit of danger for these characters.

If you recall, The Dark Days Club left off with Lady ...more

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Feb 21, 2016 Amy marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2017-releases

I need this book like air

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Feb 01, 2017 Gillian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hardcopies-i-own, wonderful-worldbulding, favorites, bookish-boyfriends, feelsy-feels, supernatural-shenanigans, what-the-hell-genre-is-this-even, romance-to-root-for, sleeping-with-the-lights-on, writing-so-beautiful-you-could-cry, historical, slam-bang-ending, need-to-review, ship-a-dee-do-da, 2017, romance, squad-goals, 2017-january

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

(view spoiler)

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Oct 01, 2016 Michelle Yang marked it as future-tbr-pile · review of another edition

UPDATE: COVERRR!
description

I love Alison Goodman, but seriously it's kinda bothersome that her covers never match!! With Eon and Eona the spines matched but idk the covers themselves were completely different from each other to me and now the same is gonna happen with this series too!

But don't get me wrong! I still like this one though!!! I just kinda wish it matched with the first one! XD

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Honestly, I need this book like....today. Pretty please......

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Nov 02, 2016 NerdyBirdie marked it as to-read

Shelves: tbr-2017-releases

Update November 2nd, 2016: OMG PLEASE RELEASE THIS BOOK IN THE OLD COVERS PLEASE! I really don’t like this one! :(

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Jan 15, 2017 Emily rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-fiction, arc, regency-era, sci-fi-fantasy

Hm ... while this is still as compulsively readable as the first Lady Helen novel, I didn't like it quite as much. A lot of that has to do with the main plot, which has the members of the Dark Days Club dealing with problems that they somehow all have to keep secret from one another. I found it confusing after awhile, and somewhat stressful to read. I think I also personally reacted to the more misogynistic undertones present in the sequel, like (view spoiler) Hm ... while this is still as compulsively readable as the first Lady Helen novel, I didn't like it quite as much. A lot of that has to do with the main plot, which has the members of the Dark Days Club dealing with problems that they somehow all have to keep secret from one another. I found it confusing after awhile, and somewhat stressful to read. I think I also personally reacted to the more misogynistic undertones present in the sequel, like (view spoiler). Regency England is, of course, a highly misogynistic society, but the book feels less violent - however true this may or may not be - when the Duke of Selburn is insisting on the need to protect women's fragile sensibilities, versus Lowry (view spoiler). I am also not Lord Carlston's biggest fan. If you're here for him, you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.

I did like that this was set in Brighton, since it allows Alison Goodman to yet again display her encyclopedic knowledge of the period. The descriptions are a little more clumsy (Helen is frequently pausing to admire specific structures as they pass them), but the inclusion of elements like the bathing machines is so fun that it doesn't matter. The mechanics of dipping in the ocean had me reading with my mouth open for several pages.

Helen spends much of this book masquerading as a man so that she can learn to fight as a Reclaimer. I have to admit that I prefer Lady Helen as herself. The descriptions of Darby dressing Helen in men's clothing are fabulous, of course, but I think this development pulls the book more firmly into the paranormal. Alison Goodman does great work convincing us of the reality of her regency world, which is why I loved the first book so much, but for some reason Helen masquerading as a man without any of her Dark Days Club compatriots so much as raising an eyebrow makes this less believable. Apparently demon plots are realistic, buckskin trousers are not. Who knew?

Other thoughts:

(view spoiler)

Anyway, I really like the Lady Helen series and am consistently impressed with Goodman's writing, the overall arc of the books so far, and just how much fun they are to read. I am very excited to go to Bath in the next book! ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Vikki VanSickle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, women-s-interest, ya-crossover, fantasy, mystery, historical-fantasy, historical, we-need-diverse-books

Alison Goodman's world building is so richly detailed I feel like I'm bingeing a very expensive period piece on Netflix when I'm reading her books. She blends real-life Regency era facts and figures with demon-hunting and demon lore so seamlessly that there are times I forget that energy whips, skimming, and demons were not actually a part of this era. This sequel to DARK DAYS CLUB moves quickly, deepens the relationships between characters, and turns up the heat on Lady Helen and Lord Carlston' ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, contains-paranormal-activities, fist-pump-worthy-heroine-hero, swoonworthy, reviewed-for-fya

Wow, so much to process! Even better than the first! Review to come.

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Jan 02, 2017 Hafsah Faizal rated it it was amazing

Review coming soon!

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Jan 08, 2017 Kelly Gardiner rated it it was amazing

Just as exciting as the first in the series - perhaps even more so, now we know more of the Dark Days Club and the stakes are ever higher.

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Feb 02, 2017 Bruce Gargoyle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reviews, ya, adult-fiction, review-copy, mental-health, paranormal, creepy, social-issues, old-folks, fantasy, mystery, annoying-characters, in-a-series, murder, monsters, australian-author, unusual-afflictions, extraordinary-powers, historical-fiction, death-and-dying, body-parts, gender-issues, friendship, romance, sinister-games, hefty, siblings, personal-vices, violence, abuse, hard-decisions, big-house, secrets, diary, scaling-mount-tbr, lgqbt-issues, harpercollins-aus, unusual-occuptions, magic, demons, prophecies, orphans, regrets, secret-agents-and-spies, curses

I received a copy of this title from HarperCollins Australia for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Lady Helen, Carlston and their assorted hangers-on are ensconced in Brighton to begin Helen's Reclaimer training. After being sworn in to the Dark Days Club, Helen is given a mission that causes chaos and distrust in her closest allies.

Society takes a back seat in this second offering as Helen's Reclaimer training begins in earnest. Almost immediately though, spanners are thrown in the works as the Duke o I received a copy of this title from HarperCollins Australia for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Lady Helen, Carlston and their assorted hangers-on are ensconced in Brighton to begin Helen's Reclaimer training. After being sworn in to the Dark Days Club, Helen is given a mission that causes chaos and distrust in her closest allies.

Society takes a back seat in this second offering as Helen's Reclaimer training begins in earnest. Almost immediately though, spanners are thrown in the works as the Duke of Selburn appears in Brighton on a not-very-subtle reconnaissance mission on behalf of Helen's older brother, while the man in charge of the Reclaimers, Mr Pike, turns up unexpectedly and changes the course of Helen's loyalties irrevocably. We also see a return of Delia, Helen's much-maligned friend, and Pug, who provides equal parts wingwoman and comic relief.

The tone of this book is one of underlying disquiet as events seem to conspire against Helen and her band of Reclaimer friends at every turn. Helen is forced to make decisions on the fly, the consequences of which could end up endangering people she loves, no matter which course she chooses. Essentially, this book is Helen's coming-of-age in the Reclaimer world. No longer is she a young lady to be protected and promenaded; Helen must now take her place as an active Reclaimer or risk her own life and the lives of those she loves. The events of the story do a great deal to advance the world-building and "rules" surrounding the bond between Deceivers and Reclaimers and as such, there is a lot of new information for readers to absorb and join the dots around.

Action is portioned out throughout the story, with subterfuge, underhanded deals and espionage more the order of the day, although the final few chapters certainly make up for any lack of chase, escape and derring-do that might be lacking in the earlier parts of the story. There are some important reveals in this story that will absolutely change Helen's role in the Dark Days Club as well as her role in life generally. Other parts of the story will make your skin crawl and the "ick" factor is certainly in play where particular characters of ill-repute are concerned. For the romance fans, you can cut the sexual tension between Carlston and Lady Helen with a knife (and between another pairing that you might not expect!) but for readers shipping that particular couple, it should be noted that the course of true love never runs smooth, particularly where demon-slaying is involved.

Once again, this is a hugely entertaining story with meticulous attention to detail for the time period and innovative fantasy elements from a strong voice in Australian YA fiction. If you are a fan of either historical fiction or fantasy, you really are missing out if you haven't added Lady Helen's adventures to your nightstand reading pile. ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Zara rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, own, young-adult, paranormal, review, regency

The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman is the exciting second instalment in the Lady Helen series, a continuing story of the journey the protagonist, Lady Helen Wrexhall, must take as a gifted Reclaimer-in-training in the growing complicated world of supernatural, demonic Deceivers and the hard, political entanglements of the Dark Days Club.

While it would be beneficial to read the novel’s predecessor, The Dark Days Club, by the same author, first, to experience a richer reading knowledge of the se ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Zena rated it really liked it

More reviews available on the blog: https://wordsandwarpaintblog.wordpres...

Can a sequel be as good as the the first installment? Yes, yes it can. I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first. It was just as exciting, witty and suspenseful as the first while still managing to cover different themes and introduce new characters. I liked that Goodman was able to create a sequel that both incorporated everything I loved in the first novel without making me feel like I was reading the sam More reviews available on the blog: https://wordsandwarpaintblog.wordpres...

Can a sequel be as good as the the first installment? Yes, yes it can. I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first. It was just as exciting, witty and suspenseful as the first while still managing to cover different themes and introduce new characters. I liked that Goodman was able to create a sequel that both incorporated everything I loved in the first novel without making me feel like I was reading the same thing over again. She was able to further develop the original characters and at the same time introduce new ones that were just as compelling.

Pike was a character I loved to hate! He was manipulative, insensitive and selfish and yet he played a vital role in the overall story. The only character I'm still not a fan of is Lady Margarette. I wasn't too fond of her in the first novel and the second book didn't do much to change my mind. Every character in this novel had some sort of change and development in comparison to the first novel and that's something I really appreciate. I don't like reading series with the same dull characters that don't change or progress between installments.

A theme I really enjoyed in this book was the cross dressing. Goodman has clearly done a lot of research into early 1800's fashion for both men and women. The first book gave a lot of detail on the complexity of women's dresses at the time and the second novel was able to provide a detailed insight into men's attire, which is surprisingly pretty interesting. But don't fear, long chapters were not dedicating to describing how people dressed. Goodman weaves the information seamlessly throughout the novel. You're getting a history lesson without even realising it.

A lot of loose ends were tied up neatly, with a few cliffhangers included to keep you wanting more. The story line was believable (within the context of the world Goodman has created) and the progression of the novel was well paced. One thing I am not a fan of in any book is love triangles. I don't like them at all. I sometimes feel like including a love triangle can really take away from a novel because the story becomes more about "who will she choose" and less about the over arching themes. The love triangle within this novel was done well. I think the reason it was done well is because Goodman doesn't give you a bunch of chapters detailing how conflicted Helen is and how can she possibly choose between them blah blah blah blah.......The relationships are not driven by love and affection, they are driven more by personal revenge and social norms. It makes the interactions more interesting and the personal conflict more intriguing.

This was a great read and I'm really looking forward to the third novel!

...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Leah (Jane Speare) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: next-in-current-series, to-buy-finished-copy, 2017

Took me a little while to get through the first half, it was kind of slower, but then things picked up and I raced through the rest. Can't wait for the third (and last?) book. I love this time period, she researched it so well and it feels authentic!

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Feb 01, 2017 Lauren James rated it it was amazing

It's only January and I've already found one of my favourite books of 2017.

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Nov 18, 2016 Billie rated it it was amazing

I loved the first Lady Helen novel and expected to enjoy this one, but did not expect this to be even better. Of course, I'm a sucker for a good romance novel, and, at heart, this is a romance novel, albeit one with monsters. I loved watching Lady Helen come into her own and stand up for herself and those she cares about. I could go into more detail, but I'm honestly still kind of in swoony space. If you like Regency-set romance, girls fighting monsters, political machinations or just a good sto ...more

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About Alison Goodman

Alison is the author of EON and EONA, a New York Times Bestselling fantasy duology. Her latest novel --The Dark Days Club-- is Book 1 in a new trilogy, and will be published in the USA and UK in January 2016, and December 2015 in Australia. It has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly as "a delicious collision of Regency romance and dark fantasy". Alison calls it "Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy in E ...more

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Lady Helen (3 books)

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Lusus Naturae: A Lord Carlston Story (Lady Helen, #1.5)

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