The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen Trilogy, #1)

by Alison Goodman

The first book in the dark and compelling Lady Helen trilogy, set during the Regency period, will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. London during the Season is a whirl of balls, dinners and promenades – and, for a select few, the relentless battle against demons.

Jane Austen's high society and Cassandra Clare's supernatural underworld collide in the first book in the Lady Helen trilogy, perfect for fans of historical fiction and fantasy.

London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her curtsey to Queen Charlotte and step into polite Regency Society. Unbeknownst to Helen, that step will also take her from the glittering ballroom of Almack's and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of demonic creatures, missing housemaids and deadly power.

Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of dubious reputation and infuriating manners. He believes Helen is destined to protect humanity, but all he can offer is danger, savagery and the possibility of madness. Not the kind of destiny suitable for a young lady in her first London Season. This delightfully dangerous adventure of self-discovery and difficult choices has all the unnerving dark magic of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and the swashbuckling action of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Reviewed by Kait ✨ on

4 of 5 stars

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Loved this — it’s carefully and deeply researched, absorbing, action-packed, historically rich, and a cartload of sexual tension. This is a perfect blend of fantasy and Regency romance; the paranormal elements were really well-done and didn’t overpower the historical aspects of the book. Helen was totally awesome and a very kick-ass character (while being historically accurate and very sensible!). There are some Austen vibes — Helen’s headstrong nature being one of them, but also, there’s a letter and a dance! ❤️ There were definitely some frustrations with the novel for me (notably some lack of secondary character development), but they are small quibbles, and this book is undoubtedly worth your time if you are a fan of paranormal fantasy (although I’m usually not!), Regency romance, or especially if you like both.

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  • Started reading
  • 23 July, 2017: Finished reading
  • 23 July, 2017: Reviewed