Susan Dennard
July 24, 2012
There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
(Me, just gushing) May I just say how much I want this book?! First of all, you know how mad I am about Victorian culture by now, yes? The cover is positively gorgeous and authentic and promises that this story is going to give as good as it promises. And a handsome inventor? Gah. When can I have this?
(Gushing translated into some semblance of English) This book appears to have a perfect balance of symmetry between plot and characterization. The cover is aesthetically appealing and the author's plot twists intriguing, as well as the tantalizing promise of a deserving love interest. I look forward to having a chance to read this in the near future.
Diana Peterfreund
June 12, 2012
Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.
But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.
I am always a bit leery of retellings involving my favorite classic authors (don't even get me started discussing everything that could go wrong with A Breath of Eyre). I also haven't read Diana Peterfreund's killer unicorn novels as of yet, but the plot does sound promising. You don't see many authors incorporating Luddites into their stories, do you?
My only issue: couldn't they have kept the same names? I'm not too keen on Kai. Makes me think of a tall, brawny version of Mowgli for some reason. :(
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. For more information on participating, please check out the host blog.
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