Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After (Quirk Classics): 3 (Pride and Prej. and Zombies) - Softcover

Steve Hockensmith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1594745021 ISBN 13: 9781594745027

Publisher: Quirk Books, 2011

Synopsis

The story opens with 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 raging 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 hears rumours 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.

About this title

Review:

This hair-raising and heart-pounding 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...ZombieZone News, March, 2011...Rising from the grave (yet again) is the next installment in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies franchise, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After, by Steve Hockensmith. Due out in March 2011, this sequel to the bestselling Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith literary mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009) will be the third and final book in the PPZ trilogy. Also written by Steve Hockensmith, it follows his 2010 prequel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls released this last Spring....Austenprose, March, 2011...So the third novel in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies trilogy is at hand! We are mere months away from seeing what Steve Hockensmith has brought us for the stunning conclusion in this epic body of work. Yes on March 22nd, 2011 we will see what the author of Dawn of the Dreadfuls has written for us this time around!...Buyzombie, March, 2011...Are you zombied to death yet? Because March of this year we can look forward to the release of the third instalment in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series. 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After' with a reportedly zombied-up Mr. Darcy on the front cover.... it sounds like a bargain (particularly if Hockensmith can keep up the effort from Dawn of the Dreadfuls). The title is a nice little wordplay, and manages to give nothing away about the story itself (will it really be dreadfully? Somehow I think not.) which is refreshing. --thebennettsisters, March, 2011--This book is the third in the Pride, Prejudice and Zombies (PPZ) trilogy. The others being Pride, Prejudice and Zombies (obviously) by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith and the prequel Dawn Of The Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith.Our story begins four years after the end of PPZ with Darcy And Elizabeth encountering some marital troubles. She is not happy that it is frowned upon for a Gentleman's wife to be anything but a Lady...ie: not a skull crushing, zombie killing warrior. Most unseemly. Also she is not to sure she wants to face the same fate of her sister and risk her life by going through childbirth. It's whilst the couple debate the subject one day that they become distracted and Darcy finds himself being nibbled upon by a Dreadful. (Zombie.)Elizabeth, after first dispatching said Dreadful's skull against the nearest tree, knows that the right thing to do is to lop off her loved one's head and then preferably burn his body - just to be sure you understand. Unable to do this she helps him home and then joins forces with the enemy... Hearing of the development of a possible cure to the Dreadful disease Elizabeth risks not only her own life, dignity and freedom but that of her family too as they head to London in search of what might not even exist. I haven't read the other two books in the series, though I have wanted to get my hands on Pride, Prejudice and Zombies for some time. However, this book is really easy to read as a stand alone novel - the background of what's happened in the other two books is filled in though not in a way that would irritate you if you had read the other two. You also don't need to be fully 'up' on Pride & Prejudice. I'm not in the slightest and it didn't affect my enjoyment of this book whatsoever. And enjoy it I did! -- - -- --Zombie Times, September, 2011

If you were worried that the Darcys would get bored living at the delightful Pemberton after their marriage then 'Dreadfully Ever After', the sequel to Pride And Prejudice And Zombies will put your mind at rest. Naturally as a lady, Mrs Elizabeth Darcy is unable to carry a weapon, this does not prevent her from improvising when the need arises. Nevertheless, she is a little constrained by society s requirements and is always pleased to get in a little fight, before or after breakfast. Boredom is the least of her worries, though perhaps complacency and carelessness means that after a successful foray into the park involving some zombie lopping, Darcy is bitten on return by a random undead child. The worst is expected, widowhood and stigma looms. Elizabeth may have to decapitate her own darling Darcy to prevent him rising again. This is serious enough for the dreaded lady Catherine de Bourgh to offer assistance at a price. The chance of a cure sends Elisabeth to London and possible disgrace. We are in uncharted territory for Miss Jane Austen never ventured too far into the turbulent outsides world. With apologies to Miss Austen this really is a great story. High art it s not but a rollicking good read that might have been a penny dreadful in its day. Using the traits of the Austen characters, Steve Hockensmith has taken them on a journey of discovery to perhaps find their true selves under the crinolines. I was gratified to see Mr. Bennett, an inoffensive but rather milk-coloured man in the original, coming out of his shell away from his whinging wife. His adventures in the original 'Pride And Prejudice' were off the page. We also get the other Bennett girls in on the action, romantic and otherwise with some expanded narrative for them. My only criticism and I m not sure it is the only one is how quickly it all got tied up at the end. A few pages from the end I was having the sinking feeling that we were headed for a cliff-hanging ending with a sequel. It was wrapped up very fast but in a very tidy way. The logic hung together to the end and, bizarre as this episode of the Bennetts' life story was, I was glad to have read it. I still maintain that you should read the originals that the pastiches are attached to as you will get a whole lot more out of these. Yeah for English Literature courses and it s just great that we can enjoy the send-up, too.... -- -- --SF Crow's Nest, April, 2011

Dreadfully Ever After is a gripping read, and keeps your attention right to the final and darkly humorous page. If you re opposed to zombies running amok across Jane Austin s world then seek solace elsewhere. But if you like your zombie served with a romantic flair then this is the book for you. --Starburst, Sci-Fi magazine ..........Zombies are all over the book but are never really a big focus, their inclusion is always well done though and create some fantastic scenes. The book also gives some insight into why the zombies crave the flesh of the living, and even why they crave cauliflowers! Hockensmith has written another great zombie book that has enough new ideas and such wonderful crazy characters that it is another essential read and a great end to the most curious of trilogies! --therottingzombie, May, 2013

About the Author:

Steve Hockensmith is an award-winning short story writer, novelist and reporter.His short fiction appears regularly in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, as well as anthologies such as Sherlock Holmes in America and Death Do Us Part.

About this edition

• Publisher: Quirk Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1594745021
• ISBN 13: 9781594745027
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320