London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her debut at the court of Queen Charlotte and officially step into polite Regency society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know that step will take her from the opulent drawing rooms of Mayfair and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of missing housemaids and demonic conspiracies.
Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of ruined reputation and brusque manners. He believes Helen has a destiny beyond the ballroom; a sacred and secret duty. Helen is not so sure, especially when she discovers that nothing around her is quite as it seems, including the enigmatic Lord Carlston.
Against a backdrop of whispered secrets in St James’s Palace, soirees with Lord Byron and morning calls from Beau Brummell, Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club is a delightfully dangerous adventure of self-discovery and dark choices that must be made… whatever the consequences.
+++ Image and blurb from HarperCollins Publishers Australia +++
4.5 Regent Reclaimer Stars
Absolutely loved this read for the care and consideration to the historical setting – Alison Goodman clearly knows her way around Regency London. I am not just talking about making sure nothing seems out of place, she has managed to weave her world into the historical regency details – smells, sounds, taste, societal expectations, class issues, real historical figures and events, true murders, common crimes and rising conflict over the impending industrialisation.
Beyond my love of the historical accuracies, the story was solid and compelling (even if it took a while to get going it allowed for extensive world building). The plot gained momentum once the dark days club and truths were revealed to Helen. The author did not shy away from death or sex (weird soul-sucking tentacle sex… yeah, you know you want to read it now). The ending was the perfect completion of the first arc of discovery and the perfect segue into the second book.
Another draw was the characters, Lady Helen comes into superhuman powers yet she is not trained and often cannot accept the world the Dark Days Club introduces her to. Her courage waivers, her fears are discussed, she is not a sudden warrior but a rational and observant woman who is afraid of her new dangerous self. Additionally, Lord Carlston was a fascinating character, not warm and inviting, he is a man haunted by his past and future decisions, and therefore a serious person. Yet his demeanour cracks with wit, wry amusement and (occasionally) happy relief – not the brooding Byronic hero but a man of many facets.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book out on 19th December 2016!
Australian edition by HarperCollins AU
Alison Goodman also has a wonderful website where she has listed reference books, materials, photos of her Regency balls and how Lady Helen’s world was meticulously created.
The Novel Nomad 