A fantastic blending of genres, The Dark Days Club takes a classic Regency set-up, romantic tension, and adds a terrifying fantasy layer, creating something that feels organic and real and wonderful.
The Regency world of this novel is perfect, featuring the real life people that so often showed up in Georgette Heyer’s novels (Lady Jersey, the prince regent, Beau) and all of the dances and morning calls and promenades, making this fantasy novel feel grounded even when the supernatural elements are introduced. It started out a little slow so even though I liked the writing I found myself putting it down and doing other things, but when I got about 25% through it suddenly became impossible to stop reading and I stayed up way too late finishing it. My favorite thing about the novel might have been the way the mystery and choices are teased out, so the main character’s actions never feel like “oh she needs to be stupid right now to move the plot along.”
I loved the characters and I am excited to read the next book in the series. On a superficial note I bought the hardcover because I preferred the cover, the picture featured is for the paperback (I have something against real people on covers) it seemed worth the extra few bucks and I was not disappointed, it is a very pretty book.
I already have this book on my to read list, but I am loving that you feel its the fantasy/Georgette Heyer combination I never knew I desperately wanted.
I got really excited when in the dedication Goodman thanks her mother for giving her her first Heyer novel.