TO UNCOVER OR BE COVERED:
While not my favorite cover on this good earth, it still somehow works. The cover for The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron meshes really well with the overall feel of the book.
SUMMARY: A thrilling tale of spies, intrigue, and heart-racing romance!When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his remote English estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of childlike rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she has grown to care for—a conflict made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a mysterious student, and fears for her own sanity. As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as they know it. With twists and turns and breathtaking romance at every corner, this thrilling adventure will captivate readers.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS:
Katherine Tulman has a raging jerkface of an aunt, who has her greedy eyeballs pinned on a fortuitous opportunity in the form of Katherine's uncle's rather large estate. Our poor girl is forced to do a most dreaded task: spy on her unsuspecting uncle, who is believed to be as cray as they come, and deliver proof of his lack of capability to maintain said estate. Only when Katherine gets there, fully intending to do just that not only for her mean ol' aunt but for her own freedom, she's not so sure she can bring down someone she comes to love so much, or someones. Lots of unexpected someones.
WHERE WE GO:
Ah, to be in a gorgeously English estate, a large property with a Gothic mansion and a whole village to boot. Katherine's uncle has a lot of playroom and abundant space for many many guests but more on that later. It's such a treat to have Katherine wandering through and staying in a potentially haunted home, with many rooms, hidden passages, and locked closets. It's such a fabulous trimming to the plot that ties in well with the story line and its movement. And, boy, every time that wind howled or the closet was left unlocked I had to glance around and make sure I was really alone.
More than that, though, there's this shadow of France looming over everything. All this political intrigue is meshed in with the story, and links with the antagonist's true motives. Cameron really has a lot to work with and to build a solid story arc on.
WHO WE ARE WITH:
This is the fun part, and definitely my favorite aspect of The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron. You know that feeling of home and warmth when you're among a bunch of people who enjoy and like each other, real or not? You want to be part of that familiarity, that happiness, and that's what the cast in this book make you feel. Ready with banter and laughter and suspicion, ready to protect each other against all darkness heading their way. They're truly a family in every sense and even though they're reluctant at first, the initial warmth grows into a blaze when they accept Katherine into their fold, despite or perhaps because of their uncertainty of her loyalty.
THE LITTLE THINGS:
- Lane and Katherine's Hate Turned Love
- A lady's maid who won't shut up... ever
- A funny bunny and sweet little mute child
- Uncle Tully's astounding inventions
- All that room for more...
I had every intention of loathing the ending, though, because MAN, ya'll know how I hate vague endings but then I found the bright light in the tunnel, A Spark Unseen until now. I loved this book, and I'm so stoked for the sequel even as I try not to be pissed at myself for WAITING SO LONG to read this book and missing out. Don't make my mistake, ladies and bros.
Hardcover / 336 pgs / Sept 1st 2012 / Scholastic / Goodreads / $17.99
I received a copy that has since collected dust from Scholastic via Netgalley.
5 comments:
Okay, so I really need to read this one! I bought a copy a while back (most likely because of the cover), though I haven't actually picked it up yet. I love the sound of the setting. English and Gothic are my two favorite words right now. And I so know what you mean about the family-feelings! Characters like that always make my week. I hope you enjoy the sequel just as much as this one! :)
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this. I thought the characters were so much fun, and totally made up for some banality in the actual plotting. Also, I cracked up at "What had happened was." Bahaha.
The characters make this story and so does the oddity of the setting. The plot, as Christina pointed out above, you might not find as fun as I did, but I think you'll like a lot who you get to tag along with throughout the story. That sense of family and community and how lovable each one is I think would really win you over :D
*fist-bumps* That's because we know good books when we see 'em, Christina. It's a gift. ALSO: All my reviews start with a "What Had Happened Was" these days and I laugh half the time myself when I put it down ;D
I've totally made your mistake. Even worse, I got a copy of this signed at LAST BEA and have yet to actually pick it up. *whistles* So glad you enjoyed though! I swear I do intend to read it at some point, it really seems like something I'd enjoyl
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