BOOK REVIEW: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith

When Fitzwilliam Darcy is bitten by a zombie - or a dreadful, as they're known as in the book - his wife, Elizabeth, fears that he will succumb to the strange plague. Fortunately, Darcy's aunt - and Elizabeth's nemesis - Lady Catherine de Bourgh knows of a cure. But there's a catch: it's made in small amounts for only "those of special interest to the Crown" and is located in a heavily guarded hospital. The only chance Elizabeth has to save her husband is to go to London and attempt to obtain it.

I haven't read Pride and Prejudice (or anything by Jane Austen), or the first two novels in this trilogy: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or the prequel Dawn of the Dreadfuls. But you don't have to read any of these before Dreadfully Ever After to understand and enjoy it. I liked this novel so much that I'm sure I'll be reading the first two soon. Perhaps even Pride and Prejudice, but I don't think I'll find it nearly as entertaining without zombies.

The plot of Dreadfully Ever After has everything: action, romance, comedy, gore, duels, pranks, zombies, ninjas and more. There is rarely a dull moment. There's always a dreadful to slay, or a ninja to fight, or something comical happening...with the exception of a few chapters focusing on Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.

As I already shared, I haven't read Pride and Prejudice, so I'm not familiar with any of the characters. But in this novel, I found the main characters Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy to be pretty dull. Elizabeth didn't do anything but worry about Darcy, and Darcy only wondered why Elizabeth wasn't by his side. Luckily the other characters - especially Elizabeth's sisters Kitty and Mary - were funny and interesting.

Dreadfully Ever After is a fun read and I highly recommend it for zombie lovers. It is available now from Quirk Books, who have also published several other mash-up novels including Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Android Karenina and more.

Rating: 4/5