Author: Steve Hockensmith
Series: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 3
Format: Trade Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books (March 22, 2011)
Price: $12.95
Language: English
Genre: Mash Up
ISBN: 9781594745027
Review Copy: Provided by Quirk Books
Cover and Description:
When we last saw Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy—at the end of the New York Times best seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—they were preparing for a lifetime of wedded bliss. Yet the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the only acceptable course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.Complete with romance, heartbreak, martial arts, cannibalism, and an army of shambling corpses, Dreadfully Ever After brings the story of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to a thrilling conclusion.
Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Borders
My thoughts:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After is the 3rd and concluding book in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (PPZ) series. The first book in the series (the 2nd book chronologically) is a mash up of the original Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and was written by Seth Grahame-Smith. It added the Dreadfuls or zombies, among other things, to the story set in Regency England. Steve Hockensmith has written both the prequel and the sequel in this series.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After is the continuing story of Elizabeth Darcy (nee Bennet) and Fitzwilliam Darcy. As a married woman Elizabeth is no longer allowed to fight zombies. It's just not done in polite society despite the continuing zombie threat. While strolling with Elizabeth, Darcy is bitten by a Dreadful and infected. This is the catalyst for the what follows.
Elizabeth is being directed in her quest to aid Darcy by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's Aunt. Elizabeth has contacted her enemy because she knows that Lady Catherine may be able to help Darcy. Lady Catherine does have a serum to slow the infection. It will give Elizabeth some time to find the rumoured cure before Darcy is completely turned, but only if she follows Lady Catherine's instructions. Elizabeth must go to London to find the cure. Elizabeth is joined there by her father and her sister Kitty who have also been maneuvered to London by Lady Catherine. Mary Bennet, another sister, also makes her way to London.
There are stories within stories in this rousing conclusion to the PPZ series. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After is a fun and quick read with an intricate plot. Regency England and its social mores continue to make a wonderful backdrop to the zombie mayhem. The scenes switch back and forth from Darcy at his Aunt's estate and Elizabeth in London. I liked seeing what was happening with both Darcy and Elizabeth.
Darcy has to deal with both his odd cousin Anne, who is full of surprises, and his physical and mental reactions to the zombie bite. The pacing is slower in these chapters of the book. The London scenes are much more lively in contrast. The London in the story is not quite the London we know from history. It's fascinating to see what has happened to London as the city and its citizens try to cope with the zombie menace. Elizabeth and her family face a number of different threats in London. Elizabeth is not the center of attention throughout the London scenes. Her sisters, Kitty and Mary, get their own entertaining plot lines.
There is plenty of action in the book as well as a great deal of humor and some romance. There are some wonderful new characters introduced. Despite switching back and forth between London and the countryside, I thought the pacing was very good. Mr. Hockensmith does a great job of wrapping up some lose ends from the PPZ series. Surprisingly, I found the story somewhat uplifting in its sentiment at the end.
One minor complaint that has nothing to do with the story itself: the overuse of "r" that put me more in mind of a pirate than a Scot in an attempt to make the dialogue of one of the characters reflect a heavy Scottish brogue: "Afterrr speaking to my son -- forrr that is what young Bunny is to me -- I rrrealized that some explanation is due to you." It does not detract from the overall story.
If you want a fun read with zombies, ninjas, dire circumstances, evil machinations, humor and a bit of romance I would recommend Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After. You don't have to be a Regency England or Austen fan to enjoy the story.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After can be read as a standalone since Mr. Hockensmith gives you enough information to understand this story on its own.
I give Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After 4 Qwills.
0 comments:
Post a Comment