The Dark Days Pact
A Lady Helen Novel, Book 2
Hardcover | Paperback | Audiobook
by Alison Goodman
Viking Books | Penguin Teen
Release date: January 31, 2017

The Dark Days Club, last year’s debut of the Lady Helen novels, topped my list of favorite books for the year and earned a spot on our Winter Reads list. Set in 1812 England, the book introduced readers to Lady Helen Wrexhall, an 18-year-old ward of her aunt and uncle whose late mother was deemed a traitor. Helen has little interest in finding a suitable husband, as is expected of her; instead, she’d rather explore her family history and help her best friend, who’s suffered through an indecent experience. But soon, she discovers that she has incredibly rare powers, which leads her to the Dark Days Club, which has others like her who dedicate their lives to hunting demons known as Deceivers.

The holiday season is upon us. It’s time for giving and receiving, and what better way to get into the spirit than with gifting some good books. And this year, there’s plenty of selections to choose from for fans of properties like Star Wars, Star Trek, Labyrinth, and the movies of Guillermo del Toro, as well as titles by authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Roger Zelazny, and Greg Cox.

Check out here below our Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2016 for Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for our favorite holiday gift picks for this year for the reader in your life.

The Dark Days Club
A Lady Helen Novel, Book 1
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
by Alison Goodman
Viking Books | Penguin Teen
Release date: January 26, 2016

The year 1812 is famous for the war that saw the United States of America against the United Kingdom in what was essentially an extension of the American Revolutionary War, as well as for the continuation of the Napoleonic Wars, a segment of which pitted the UK against France. So, the British were very busy fighting their known foes at the time. But, what about those enemies who lurk amongst them in plain sight? In The Dark Days Club, the streets of Regency-era London are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.

In this first Lady Helen novel, set in 1812, 18-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall lives in London with her aunt and uncle. Now that she’s of age, her family is putting their efforts into finding a suitable husband for the young woman, who suddenly finds herself questioning that kind of life that’s been arranged for her. It turns out she’d rather just keep house for her older brother, which would give her a little more freedom, and spend time investigating what really happened to her mother, who died labeled a traitor; to her best friend, who recently ran off with a man she wasn’t married to; and to one of the maids in her home, who’s suddenly gone missing.

The cold is upon us, making it a perfect time to stay in with a few good books, and thankfully there’s plenty to choose from this Winter.

I’ve teamed up with my speed-reading gal pal Olympus Athens and the master of books himself Waerloga69 to bring you a list of cool new science fiction and fantasy books coming this Winter. There’s some new Star Wars and Star Trek selections, along with upcoming releases from China Miéville, Brandon Sanderson, Stan Lee, and many more.

See below for our picks in Winter 2016 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books To Read.