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Strange and Ever Afterby Susan Dennard
YA Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
July 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen
Summary
In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.
He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.
With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.
Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.
I’ve always been a huge fan of gothic literature. From Mrs. Radcliffe to the Bronte sisters to the more recent Mary Stewart, gothic novels have always filled a few of my favorite genre needs all at once.
But here, let’s break down what I think are essential components of a fabulous gothic tale:
First: A naïve but sleuthing heroine. Okay, the naivety isn’t critical, but the need for truth most definitely is. We wouldn’t have a story if Catherine didn’t decide to explore Northanger Abbey, if Jane didn’t poke around Mr. Rochester’s past, or if Eleanor Fitt didn’t decide to find her missing brother.
Second: Dark shadowy settings—particularly ruins! It’s all those turrets and gravestones that doth a good gothic make. Some say the ruins represent the degradation of mankind or the deterioration of man’s sanity (think Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher), but I love the dark settings for vibe and feeling alone! There’s a reason I chose the creeptastic Parisian underground and an Egyptian necropolis for my series. ;)
Third: Mystery, mystery, mystery! Who is making all the trouble around Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre? What really happened to Annabel in The Ivy Tree? And what’s going on with those weirdoes in the Lynburn family (from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan)? I adore mysteries, and I grew up on a steady diet of Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, and Colombo. Clearly there’s a reason that every book in the Something Strange & Deadly series has some kind of mystery in it.
Fourth: Romance! Kissing! LOVE! I adore romance almost as much as I adore mysteries, and fortunately for me, gothic novels have a bit of both. Jane gets the swoony Mr. Rochester, Nicola in The Moon-spinners gets the even swoonier Mark, and Eleanor Fitt… Well, I won’t spoil that romance for you. J
Last, but certainly not least, we need an air of magic or something not quite real. In Jane Eyre or The Hound of the Baskervilles, the ghostly happenings turn out to be routed in reality. In Unspoken or Something Strange & Deadly, the magic is most definitely real—and it’s most definitely creepy (i.e. avoid at all costs). Then of course there are plenty of gothics where the reader isn’t quite sure what’s real and what isn’t (think The Haunting of Hill House).
So there you have it! Those are the elements I most love in my gothic literature. What about you?
But here, let’s break down what I think are essential components of a fabulous gothic tale:
First: A naïve but sleuthing heroine. Okay, the naivety isn’t critical, but the need for truth most definitely is. We wouldn’t have a story if Catherine didn’t decide to explore Northanger Abbey, if Jane didn’t poke around Mr. Rochester’s past, or if Eleanor Fitt didn’t decide to find her missing brother.
Second: Dark shadowy settings—particularly ruins! It’s all those turrets and gravestones that doth a good gothic make. Some say the ruins represent the degradation of mankind or the deterioration of man’s sanity (think Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher), but I love the dark settings for vibe and feeling alone! There’s a reason I chose the creeptastic Parisian underground and an Egyptian necropolis for my series. ;)
Third: Mystery, mystery, mystery! Who is making all the trouble around Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre? What really happened to Annabel in The Ivy Tree? And what’s going on with those weirdoes in the Lynburn family (from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan)? I adore mysteries, and I grew up on a steady diet of Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, and Colombo. Clearly there’s a reason that every book in the Something Strange & Deadly series has some kind of mystery in it.
Fourth: Romance! Kissing! LOVE! I adore romance almost as much as I adore mysteries, and fortunately for me, gothic novels have a bit of both. Jane gets the swoony Mr. Rochester, Nicola in The Moon-spinners gets the even swoonier Mark, and Eleanor Fitt… Well, I won’t spoil that romance for you. J
Last, but certainly not least, we need an air of magic or something not quite real. In Jane Eyre or The Hound of the Baskervilles, the ghostly happenings turn out to be routed in reality. In Unspoken or Something Strange & Deadly, the magic is most definitely real—and it’s most definitely creepy (i.e. avoid at all costs). Then of course there are plenty of gothics where the reader isn’t quite sure what’s real and what isn’t (think The Haunting of Hill House).
So there you have it! Those are the elements I most love in my gothic literature. What about you?
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I am a writer, reader, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. I used to be a marine biologist, but now I write novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (I reallylike swoon-worthy rogues).
I live in the Midwest with my husband and two dogs (Asimov and Princess Leia), and you can learn more about my crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on my blog or twitter.
My debut, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY is now available from HarperTeen along with the prequel, A DAWN MOST WICKED, and the sequel A DARKNESS STRANGE & LOVELY.
Look for STRANGE & EVER AFTER in summer 2014 and TRUTHWITCH in fall 2015!
Note: I am on Goodreads to READ. So, if you want to discuss books and the joys of literature, add me as a friend!
Win (1) hardback copy of Strange and Ever After (US Only)
Win (1) E-book of Strange and Ever After (INT)
My first instinct would be to go underground. I know of several houses in the area of my hometown that are built this way, one of which was a bomb shelter.
ReplyDeleteThose are all my favorite elements too! Perfect! LOVE the Lyburn Legacy. Kate Morton's books are another fantastic example, especially The Distant Hours. Crumbling castles, hidden secrets, ghostly mysteries, romance.... you hit it on the head! Can't wait for my preorder of Strange and Ever After to arrive next week :)
ReplyDeleteI really think I need to start this series. What am I waiting for?! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!!
ReplyDeleteI guess you never know when homes like that might become handy.
ReplyDeleteLol! I haven't read this one either, so I hope we both love it!
ReplyDelete