Book Review: The Dark Days Club

Title: The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)
Author: Alison Goodman
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fiction | Paranormal
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Format: Audiobook
Source:  Purchased


London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap (goodreads)?



The Dark Days Club was all sorts of lovely! I honestly cannot imagine waiting another year for the next book!
Plot: The Dark Days Club follows Lady Helen as she prepares herself for presentation. She is of a marriageable age and her aunt and uncle will do whatever they can to distance her from her mother's downfall,  except Lady Helen isn't like the other young debutantes. Enter Lord Carlston who has all the answers she could ever want. 

I am in all sorts of love with The Dark Days Club. It explores a fascinating time in history and weaves in a mystery that you'll demand to know more about. I like my books to take it nice and slow so that we can explore every nook and cranny of the world, because of that, The Dark Days Club was a dream for me. Small mysteries were explored to keep the reader's attention, although admittedly the middle of the book felt longer than it should. The overall plot drew me in and I can't wait to see Lady Helen in action in future installments!

I also wanted to mention that The Dark Days Club is more on the mature side of Young Adult. Goodman addresses sex, masturbation, and there are some pretty gruesome scenes! Keep that in mind as you're perusing the bookshelves for your next read. 

Characters: Immediately I saw similarities between Jo from These Shallow Graves and Helen. Both girls are living in a time period that doesn't particularly like women, and both girls are engaging in activities that many would deem unfit for a proper lady. I adored Helen for her strengths and her fears. She is so well developed that she felt real. Another great aspect of The Dark Days Club  is all of the friendships that Helen strikes up - regardless of social station. 

On the flip side, the romance was everything I wanted and more. Lord Carlston is a mystery of  a man. He returns to town after supposedly murdering his young wife. He is a loner, an enigma, and his chemistry with Helen is hot! Goodman writes the slow burn romance that we've been waiting for because I know this will all pay off.

Worldbuilding: I was thoroughly impressed with Goodman's world. As someone who also loves regency England, I admired the detail and authenticity of this world. It wasn't until I listened to the Author's Notes that I realized how authentic this book really is. Alison Goodman has done her research people. She has this time-period down to the weather. Down to the weather. I just want to shake her hand for a job well done!

Narration: Fiona Hardingham was the perfect choice for this role. She helped me visualize Helen and each character had a distinguishable voice. I don't know if I fully recommend the audiobook because I have no idea how to spell any of the magical terms.

Short N Sweet: The Dark Days Club is evidently a book made from love, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses. 



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