Strange and Ever After

May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-This final installment concludes the gothic zombie tale set in 19th-century Paris. Eleanor Fitt and the three eclectic Demon Hunters were able to stop the rising tide of "les Morts," the reanimated dead who were overwhelming the city, by killing a demon named Madame Marineaus. However, their nemesis Marcus escaped in the process and kidnapped one of their own. Strange and Ever After chronicles the Demon Hunters' disaster-riddled pursuit of Marcus from Paris to Egypt. He always seems one step ahead of them as they all try to be the first to uncover the secret behind The Black Pullet, a legendary bird said to hold the secrets to immense power, endless wealth, and immortality. While some of the skirmishes with zombies do seem redundant, the hunt for the mystical bird and the rich Egyptian backdrop inject enough thrills to make this an exciting, quick read. The author adds dimension to and deepens the characterization of several of the protagonists while exploring the nature of the soul and the human capacity for change. Some readers may be disappointed by the unexpected twist in the romantic subplot, but overall, fans of the series will enjoy it immensely.-Sunnie Lovelace, Wallingford Public Library, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
Eleanor Fitt, the Spirit-Hunters, her demon and her newly arrived frenemy from Philadelphia take to the skies in an airship in pursuit of the evil necromancer Marcus.They head first to Marseille, where they hope to learn the secret location of the fabled, wealth-and-immortality-granting monster known as the Black Pullet and to rescue their friend Jie, under a compulsion spell and in the clutches of Marcus. From there, they speed on to Egypt in hopes of beating Marcus to the Black Pullet and putting an end to him once and for all. Readers of the series will not be surprised to find that the doughty heroes are beset by the Dead at nearly every turn; the Egyptian setting, at the height of the 19th-century invasion of Western archaeologists, makes especially fertile ground. (All those mummies!) Less satisfying is Eleanor's constant struggle between the allure of her magic and the disapproval of everyone around her, including inventor love interest Daniel and, remarkably, her own demon, Oliver. Dissolute Oliver has easily become the most intriguing character in the series, with unplumbed depths, a deliciously snarky sense of humor and a singular sense of morality. Almost despite herself (it gets quite complicated there toward the end), Dennard wraps it all up with a satisfyingly apocalyptic conclusion.An emotionally honest, well-earned denouement brings this lively historical zombie trilogy to an honorable end. (Paranormal historical fiction. 12 & up)

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July 1, 2014
As the Spirit-Hunters travel to Egypt to stop their nemesis Marcus from raising a malignant creature from the dead, Eleanor struggles to balance her loyalty to the Spirit-Hunters with her attraction to black magic. This magic, channeled by (mostly) trustworthy demon Oliver, proves a double-edged sword in the final battle. Eleanor's poor choices and arrogance can be aggravating but contribute to an action-packed conclusion.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)