Saturday, October 19, 2013

Shelf Candy Saturday #89: A Darkness Strange and Lovely, by Susan Dennard




Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!



This weekly feature
showcases beautiful book covers,
and provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.



Here's my choice for this week!



A Darkness Strange and Lovely
(Something Strange and Deadly #2)
Hardcover, 416 pages
Harper Teen
July 23, 2013
Historical Fiction, Steampunk,
Supernatural Fiction,
Young Adult Fiction






Why do I love this cover?

When I first saw this book, I was totally captivated by that incredibly gorgeous dress!  It's got to be one of the most beautiful creations I've ever seen!  The combination of colors is just perfect, and I love the way each fold is meticulously detailed.  The bodice is perfect, too, being made of some black, velvety material, although I do think that the bust area is much too revealing,

Everything else about this dress is just right!  I love the glittery gold belt, and the matching black mesh fingerless gloves.  

In short, I don't know where I would wear such a dress (with a more modest bodice), but I sure wish I owned it!!  Indeed, what woman wouldn't want to?

The background is perfect, as well.  It appears to be one of those large, round windows common to New York City office buildings from the 1930's or 40's.  These windows also remind me of movies like "The Maltese Falcon", which is typical of the 'film noir' genre.

Although I do own this book, as well as the first one in this series, I might end up not reading either one.  I was so mesmerized by the covers that I didn't notice there were zombies in the plot....and I DETEST zombies!!  However, I just had to feature this particular cover today, simply because of that dream of a dress!

This luscious cover is a combination of images brought  together by designer Cara Petrus.  The photograph is by Monica Stevenson,  while the background image is from the stock photo website, Getty Images.  This is a truly inspired combination, too! 





Cara Petrus: Online Links




Monica Stevenson Online Links





What do you think of my choice?
Leave me a comment
and let me know!
   






6 comments:

  1. Hahahaha. Great minds think alike...

    http://lratrandom.blogspot.com/2013/10/shelf-candy-saturday-50-kelsey-sutton.html?m=1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, there!

      OMG!! I've just visited your blog, and you're featuring this cover, too!! Although you do feature other covers in your post as well, this one is definitely included. So yes, great minds DO think alike! Lol.

      Thanks so much for participating!! : )

      Delete
  2. It is a great cover. Surpassing that it adorns a book that involves zombies. It is amazing how such disparate themes and genres are crossing these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Brian!

      I fell in love with this cover, bought the book, and then of course, wanted the first one in the series. I got this one at Barnes & Noble one Sunday, and then ordered the first one, "Something Strange and Deadly", from Amazon. Then, a day or so later, I actually sat down with this one and read the synopsis on the front jacket flap.....OH, NO!!! ZOMBIES!!!! What a bad surprise..... As you know, I love to read paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I love my vamps (the romantic kind, NOT the Dracula kind), shapeshifters, and werewolves. (Also the romantic kind.) BUT. I draw the line at zombies!!!! I HATE them!! So I felt like such a twit when I realized that I had actually bought ZOMBIE books..... ARGH!!

      Well, I guess I might as well read them....and if the going gets too unpleasant and gruesome, I can always give them away in a giveaway! I know I'll get lots of responses!

      I agree with you -- such a GORGEOUS cover on a book dealing with zombies. The irony is just precious!!

      Thanks for the great comment!! It really got me going! Lol. : )

      Delete
  3. I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I have the second waiting patiently on my shelf. The covers are absolutely stunning! I'm so sorry you detest zombies and may not read these. It is certainly understandable. I'm quite a fan of zombie books, but I find most of them (including this series) to be more about the living than the dead. This author certainly provided a unique and exciting take on a theme that is currently all the rage. Thanks so much for showcasing this pretty cover! :)
    ~Michele

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Michele!

      Well, maybe I'll give this series a chance. However, zombies really give me the creeps! Although I do like paranormal romance and urban fantasy, I am not a fan of the horror genre, and to me, zombies are definitely part of that genre. I have indeed read books containing zombies in the plot, but they weren't the creepy kind. For example, in the Demon Trappers series, the zombies are simply reanimated corpses made to work as servants. You end up feeling sorry for them! And in the Until I Die Books, the zombies are known as "revenants"; they are actually heroic, for they save people who are about to die. As for "real" zombies ("The Night of the Living Dead" type), they make me shudder, and I find them totally disgusting, as well.

      You're very welcome for the share! Thanks for such a wonderful comment!! : )

      Delete

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