Dreadfully Ever After by Steven Hockensmith

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After

Author: Steven Hockensmith

Publisher: Quirk Books 2011

Genre: Jane Austen; Zombies

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: April Read-a-Thon; Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, were both New York Times best sellers, with a combined 1.3 million copies in print. Now the PPZ trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.

The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the proper 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 under development in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

Great ending for an awesome zed filled trilogy.  I love the first Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the prequel Dawn of the Dreadfuls.  This was a satisfying conclusion to the story.

Within the first few pages, Mr. Darcy is bitten by a dreadful.  The following story finds Elizabeth trying desperately to save him.  Lady Catherine attempting to thwart her plans while pretending to help (not really a spoiler if you remember the character of Lady Catherine).  Kitty taking a more prominent role in the family since Lydia's marriage to Wickham.  Mary becoming a self-assured woman.  Mr. Bennet trying to keep everyone focused.  And a host of new colorful characters.  Definitely my favorite character of the book had to be Bunny with his pet rabbit Brummell, comedic relief with in the presence of unmentionables.

The book is fast paced yet not too fast.  The writing is less Jane Austen than the other two books, but still retains the essence of her style of writing.  The illustrations are a joy to peruse.  I loved every minute of reading it.  I'm sad to see the series end, but it's a good ending.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

• #1 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• #2 Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• #3 Dreadfully Ever After

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

I'll admit it... I am very resistant to the Jane Austenesque books.  I love Jane Austen and cannot imagine some other author destroying her original works.  I love her descriptions, the character word play, the predictable but still so enjoyable plot twists.  I love everything about Jane Austen.  Along with my addiction to Jane Austen, I love zombies.  Anything about zombies really.  Even those Z-grade horror movies.  I love zombies. And so, a few months ago I finally picked up and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Steve Hockensmith.  Fine, fine, I actually enjoyed it.  I found Hockensmith's blend of zombie inspired text with Austen's own words entertaining.  It didn't destroy Jane Austen... not at all.  In fact, it actually added to my Austen universe.

Last week, while browsing at the library, I ran across the sequel, er.... prequel.  Dawn of the Dreadfuls opens four years before Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  The book details the Bennet sisters' rise to warrior status.  The dialogue and writing style perfectly mirrors Austen.  She could have written this book.  I'm actually kind of disappointed that she didn't.  But that's okay.  I loved it anyway.

Plus both books have fun illustrations of zombies and dismemberment.  Always a bonus.

Now I'm wondering if I should try the other revisions of classics.  Maybe I should tackle Sense and Sensability and Sea Monsters.... Check back with me in a few weeks.