Title: The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)
Author: Alison Goodman
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 496
Source: ARC provided by Penguin Random House Canada
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Overall: 3.5 STARS

SUMMARY

New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman's eagerly awaited new project -- a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!

London, April 1812. On the eve of 18-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall's presentation to the Queen, one of her family's housemaids disappears--and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap? 

MY THOUGHTS
The only concerns in Lady Helen Wrexhall's life should be her presentation to the queen, dancing at balls in exquisite silk gowns, and securing a husband. As a wealthy heiress and niece of a viscount, Helen has always belonged in the upper echelons of society, though many still believe her mother died a traitor. But when Helen meets the mysterious Lord Carlston and one of her family's housemaids disappears, she learns a terrible truth: demons exist and masquerade as humans.

A young lady like Helen should be quick to end any association with Lord Carlston. After three years away on the Continent to avoid a terrible scandal, he's only just recently returned to London and still carries a dark reputation. Carlston believes Lady Helen is a Reclaimer, a rare individual who can see demons and vanquish them. While it may explain why Helen has felt stronger lately and that her senses have sharpened, it doesn't mean she trusts Carlston's words. But despite her reservations, Helen's curiosity and search for answers about her mother pulls her into the shadows of a London she's never known... 

I don't know why it took me so long to read Alison Goodman's The Dark Days Club, but the release of its sequel gave me the push I needed to finally start the series! It took me nearly two weeks to read The Dark Days Club, which is unusually slow for me, but I think most of that time was just trying to get through the first half of the book. The pacing was a little too slow for me. Lady Helen is so wary to believe Carlston, and it takes awhile before she actually has her first encounter with a demon. 

And then Helen needed to learn about the different types of demons and the role of the Dark Days Club in stopping them, so it got a little tedious. I mean, it's necessary information for world-building purposes and to help our own understanding, but simultaneously, I really just wanted to jump into the exciting fighting demons part. It's a lot for Helen to take in, learning about alchemy, Reclaimers and Terrenes, and the part she's fated to play in defeating the Grand Deceiver.

The second half was much more thrilling though! I found myself getting really invested in the storyline, absolutely addicted and turning the pages eagerly. The ending was tense and left me so glad I could jump right into the sequel, The Dark Days Pact, afterwards. And I absolutely loved all the historical details! Even without the author's note at the end of the book, you can tell Alison Goodman has meticulously researched everything Regency era. The Dark Days Club delivers a solid introduction to the Lady Helen series that's sure to entice historical and paranormal readers alike.