Tour Post: Strange and Ever After

Today I'm happy to say that I'm taking part in the FFBC Blog Tour for Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard, the third book in the Something Strange and Deadly series. Links to my reviews for the previous books in the series are bellow, along with my review for this little beauty, a giveaway and everything you need to know. 
So enjoy and tell me what you think! 
Are you excited to your latest zombie fix? 


Strange and Ever After

by Susan Dennard

Pages: 400

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: July 22nd 2014

ISBN: 0062083325
Received From:  Edelweiss  

Buy: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Book Depository, Kobo, iTunes

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.

Don't forget to check out my reviews for the first two books in the series by clicking on the covers bellow!

   

Review

Oh my daze! I've only just finished reading Strange and Ever After and my brains a little mushy at the moment. That ending! This book has torn me apart, broken my heart, had me smiling like a kid in a toyshop and swearing like a sailor. Every possible emotion has been felt and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now. I'm going to miss these characters and their breath-taking adventures.

Can I enrol in the Sheridan Institute?

Strange and Ever After picks up exactly were we left our ragtag group of heroes in A Darkness Strange and Lovely. El, Ollie and the spirit-hunter’s are fleeing yet another city because of the Dead but this time they’re missing Jie and they will do anything to get her back and stop Marcus. But as always it’s not that simple, with the Dead at every turn and a new continent to discover the spirit-hunters have to find a way to defeat an ‘man’ that is impossibly strong and always one step ahead. That’s not even mentioning the fact that at the end of the last book Ollie had part of his soul stripped away by electricity and El’s – rather selfish – actions.

Whether your pro inventor or pro demon the way the final – sobs – instalment of the Something Strange and Deadly series twists and turns will have you holding your breath and biting your nails. I don’t want to give too much away but what I will say is that even though El’s love life didn’t get the ending I was so desperately hoping for the ending itself was perfect. Bitter sweet and yet completely satisfying. And I think this is why…

Miss Eleanor Fitt is flawed. She makes mistakes and can be unapologetically selfish at times. However, three books later El has become a character that is independent, strong, honest and real. She’s raw and she’s learnt from her mistakes. Eleanor is a misfit but she’s my favourite misfit and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

As always the story is interesting and every question answered. It’s new setting of Egypt is again captivating and full of wonder. The magic pours from this books pages in bucket loads and the character’s continue to develop, showing you new and deeper levels to our favourite zombie ass-kickers.

If you haven’t yet read this series then I highly recommend it and if you’re waiting for your final Strange fix then you’re in for a heart-wrenching treat.

A satisfying ending to an epic series.

#TEAMSTRANGE

**I received this book as an ARC from Edelweiss to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

I adore this series and this book had me going through the emotional ringer. So here's a little snippet of what I went through reading this book - in gifs of course! 

** MAJOR SPOILERS**

Why can't El see she's being a fool?
Why can't Ollie catch a break?
Why can't I decide if I'm #TeamInventor or #TeamDemon

Jie... in a dress... I can't cope!
Kill Marcus! 

Can you let El have her inventor?
Love you Ollie but it's always been Daniel!

Awww!
Daniel + El forever!!
PS that kiss was HOT

Daniel NO! You can't do this to me!
No! No! No! You can't...

Still 10% left.
Although what's the point... he's gone :'(

Even though you broke my heart you still get one of these.
Susan Dennard you kind of rock and I can't wait to see what you write next!

About Susan 

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 really like 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!

TWITTER || FACEBOOK || WEBSITE

Giveaway

Win (1) hardback copy of Strange and Ever After (US Only)

Win (1) E-book of Strange and Ever After (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

Follow the FFBC Strange And Ever After Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Review: A Darkness Strange and Lovely

A Darkness Strange and Lovely

by Susan Dennard

Pages: 432 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 24th June 2014 (first published July 23rd 2013)

ISBN: 0062083309

Summary 

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath...
With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and see haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.
To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she’ll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there’s a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there’s a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

Check out my review for book 1, Something Strange and Deadly by CLICKING HERE.

Review

Serious spoiler's ahead if you haven't read the first book in the series, Something Strange and Deadly! 

I'm a little dubious when it comes to sequels, as more often than not they don't live up to the first book. However when reading A Darkness Strange and Lovely I found myself thinking "and here I was thinking the last book as good!" Dennard seriously kicked it up a gear with this instalment of the Something Strange and Deadly series and I could not but it down! 

This book starts 3 months after the last one concludes. It starts in Philadelphia with Eleanor (El), handless, penniless and in all honesty, friendless. Her mother is in a mental hospital and the only friends she does have are half way across the world in Paris. Oh and to make things all the more complicated Marcus is still out there and he's not even close to finished with her. The plot follows El as she makes her was across the Atlantic to Paris, although aboard the ship she finds herself confronted with something she never expected. Oliver. AKA her brother's Demon best friend. El has to come to terms with her new powers and again there is a strong emphasis on right and wrong and being able to figure out who you are when your world seems to be spiralling. 

El's character in this was quite a bit different from the first book. She's stronger and more self-reliant that she ever has been before. She's got this power within her she doesn't know how to use and she's a little unwilling to adapt at times. Stubborn doesn't even begin to cover it! 

I am happy to announce that this story was less predictable! And being as that was the only major flaw in Something Strange and Deadly I'd say we're off to a good start. I'll admit that when reading I thought I knew where the story was going, however I was surprised as the plot unfolded. I think that the biggest difference between the writing styles on book 1 and this instalment is that Dennard was able to drop clues without giving the game away. Also, I don't know what happened between writing these two books but she also picked up the magical skill of misdirection - which again, only added to the suspense within the story. 

The only downside I had with this book was there wasn't enough Daniel! It wasn't until about half way through that he finally turns up. I love him as a character and I think that his connection with El and the people they are when they're around each other is really special. I hope that we get to see a lot more of these two as a duo in the final book in the series - Strange and Ever After. 

Overall though A Darkness Strange and Lovely is a well-written and exciting sequel that doesn't in any way, shape or form let the reader down. It's still packed full of zombies and magic but with the Parisian setting it makes the story all the more endearing. There were some serious questions left unanswered at the end of this book and I'm about to delve into the final book in the series. 

Wish me luck! 

Review: Something Strange and Deadly

Something Strange and Deadly

by Susan Dennard

Pages: 416 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 25th June 2013 (originally published 24th July 2012)

ISBN: 0062083279

Summary 

Here'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 the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Review

I love a good zombie! I mean who doesn't now days? And Something Strange and Deadly is well written, fast paced and full to the brim with mind-controlled walking dead. It has vivid, exciting characters and an intriguing story line that will keep you turning the page. Not to mention that is has a rather adorable, snarky, spirit-hunting hottie that will put a smile on your YA loving faces! 

Something Strange and Deadly is the story of Eleanor Fitt and her life as it gets flipped upside down. It's full of plots and schemes, beheadings and courting, science and voodoo. It's her story as she tries to find her brother and the 'unsavoury' character's she finds herself dealing with along the way. All of which happens the same time the dead start to rise from their graves and tales of a necromancer start to spread. There's a strong emphasis on right and wrong and the dangerous lengths some people will go to to get revenge. 

It's a book that is not afraid to get its hands dirty. There was no shying away from the grizzly descriptions of the undead and the writing painted the perfect picture of a zombie-infested city. Definitely no sugar coating going on with this book and I found that it made it all the more captivating.

The character's range from purposefully annoying, stubborn to the point of endearing, to just damn sexy. Every person had their own identity, which can be tricky as there were actually quite a few important characters within this book. Eleanor was a joy to read, she was determined and feisty - a rarity for the period setting. I found that her flaws made her real and the way she constantly adapted and grew as a character throughout the story was really interesting. 

Then there was the Spirit-Hunter's who were a mismatch group that actually kind of reminded me a little of my favourite ghost-fighting-bad-asses from a little book called Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Which is NOT a bad thing in any way, shape or form. I have a serious crush on Daniel! 

There was really only one major issue I had with this book, which was that I found it - at times - a little predictable. You see, one of the main focuses within the story is the necromancer character and figuring out how to stop him and who he his. However, I have to say, even though I wasn't 100% sure until about half way through I had guesses who the necromancer was by the end of the second chapter. That's not to say that it ruins the story, I just felt that the clues could have done with being a tad subtler and I would have liked it to have kept me guessing a little more. 

Overall though this is a great book! No question about that and I highly recommend this one. I'm really excited to start book 2 in the series, A Darkness Strange and Lovely.