The Dread Penny Society - (Proper Romance Victorian) by Sarah M Eden (Hardcover)

This book is may be my favorite short story collection I’ve ever read. I love the nod to history, in composing “penny dreadfuls,” similar to what would have been written as serials during Victorian England and printed for the poorer classes. It’s quite fun to experience some forms of literature in ways they would have so long ago (though I am quite lucky to have the benefit of the entire story at one time). It’s also a strong nod to Sarah M. Eden’s talent, that she can write each dreadful as if from a different “voice,” and staying so accurate to the historical serials. These “Penny Dreadfuls” come from Sarah M. Eden’s popular series, The Dread Penny Society, where in each book, two “Penny Dreadfuls” are written from the perspective of characters in the book. They are so well done and a really fun twist on those novels. This book contains many of those stories, as well as three original stories never before published. I genuinely love all of them—and this coming from someone who is not typically a big fan of paranormal. It’s difficult to pinpoint a single favorite story in this collection. There are so many fun ones! But some I especially love include The Lady and the Highwayman, Higglebottom’s School for the Dead, The Queen and the Knave, Posie & Pru, and On a Sea of Glass. This is the perfect spooky read for this time of year. I think we will read some of these spooky tales with my children, to get us in the mood for Halloween. **Thanks to the publisher for the copy. I have provided this honest review of my own volition.

Such a lovely collection of all of the 'Penny Dreadful' stories from Sarah Eden's Dread Penny Society series, all gathered together into one beautifully bound collection -- with extras! All of these short stories are utterly enjoyable. Even with length constraints, Eden (under the names of various characters from the series) creates satisfying story arcs with interesting plot lines and likeable main characters and despicable villains. I've read a bit in the original penny dreadful genre, and Eden very nicely pays homage to the original genre while also making the tales accessible to the everyday current reader. It's clear Eden knows the Victorian penny dreadful genre well. I also loved how well Eden gave each of the respective 'authors' their own voices. Each story truly reads as if written by the character and is a testament to how well Eden understands her characters! The stories original to this collection are some of my favorites! The Governess and the Fugitive by 'Mr. King' was so delightfully written. I loved the inclusion of the faerie realm and its inhabitants; it gave the story a pleasantly spooky and supernatural feel. As an avid reader of all of Eden's work, I enjoyed reading each tale straight through while reflecting on how the tales originally meshed with the overall story arc of each book in the Dread Penny Society series. I'd definitely recommend reading this collection after completing the 5 core books in the series, as I feel it adds quite a lot to the enjoyment of the stories. The greater understanding of each of the characters serving as the "author" and a knowledge of how the plots of the stories (Mr. King's in particular) mirror the lives of the characters in the series makes the stories much richer to read! I received an eARC copy courtesy of the publisher (and then bought myself a hard copy, because I needed it, clearly!). All opinions are my own.