A Dawn Most Wicked (Something Strange and Deadly #0.5) by Susan Dennard - Ashley's Review

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Title: A Dawn Most Wicked
Author: Susan Dennard
Year Published: 2013

My Something Strange and Deadly Review

Synopsis: Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend – the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran – also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.

Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer – and he just might be able to help them…

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Review: I loved Daniel in Something Strange and Deadly, and was so stoked to find out that there was going to be a novella about his past. I mean, it's about the girl before Eleanor, but still, it's all about Daniel! I especially liked that it's written as a flashback - we start and end in Eleanor's hospital room at the end of the events of Something Strange and Deadly. I thought it was really neat how the two stories and the two girls are tied together. 

I also really enjoyed seeing how the Spirit Hunters become a group. I mean, we know that they all meet at the same time, but we don't know much about how or why they end up together. And even though this is Daniel's story, we still get a glimpse into Jie's and Joseph's past. It just adds so much more to those characters, and I love when we learn back stories for minor characters. 

The story itself is also really intriguing. A haunted Mississippi steam boat? I had so many questions going into it about why it was haunted and how it came to be that way, and how in the world Joseph would help Cassidy and Daniel (although I already had a pretty good idea about that last one). Plus, why did Daniel leave the ship anyway? All of these questions and more are answered! I don't want to ruin it for you, so you should definitely just go read it yourself. I read this all in one sitting and didn't want to put it down until I reached the end. It's pretty fast paced and attention grabbing.

I would totally recommend this to anyone who has read Something Strange and Deadly and is anxiously awaiting A Darkness Strange and Lovely. And if you haven't read Something Strange and Deadly you should go do that ASAP! Especially if you like books about zombies and steampunk and romance and just really like a good book. You won't be disappointed. A 5/5 for this novella! I can't wait for the next book to come out in July!

--Ashley