Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Steve Hockensmith

Series or Stand Alone: Prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Release Date: March 2010

Publisher: Quirck Books

Pages: 320

Author Site: http://www.stevehockensmith.com/

My Rating: 4.25/5

Source: Recieved from FSB Associates

Synopsis [from goodreads.com]:

With more than one million copies in print, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the surprise publishing phenomenon of 2009. A best seller on three continents, PPZ has been translated into 21 languages and optioned to become a major motion picture.

In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early-nineteenth-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naïve young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, Dawn of the Dreadfuls invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!

Review:

A couple of things to mention before we begin:

1. I always feel I must re-iterate this fact until I actually read an original Jane Austen book... I have not read anything by Jane Austen as of this moment, so my review may be a bit skewed. Not necessarily based on literary facts, my review is based on how I felt about the book...which is actually how I write ALL of my reviews...so I don't really know the point of this point...
   
   
2. I have not read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (PPZ) yet, so again I have nothing to base this prequel on...
   
   
3. I have read Sense and Sensbility and Sea Monsters (read my review here) and found reading it was quite a struggle for me. However, when I was done with the book I must say I kind of enjoyed the story =)

With those tidbits in mind, I pretty much had no idea what to expect with DAWN OF THE DREADFULS. The thing that surprised me the most about the book was how much I actually ended up enjoying it. The author's writing didn't turn me off at all, which was the case with SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS. There were plenty of giggles and jokes weaved into the book that were actually pretty entertaining. But I wasn't just amused with the story, I was pulled in by the characters. Elizabeth Bennet and her entire family are characters not to forget. And the characters introduced in the novel were unique, peculiar at times, but well put together overall.

I still got a sense of the Regency era despite the quirkiness of the zombie additions. I can't compare the authors writing style to that of Jane Austen's (refer to point 1 above). But I do know I had no problem following the story nor did I find myself frustrated to the point of throwing the book across the room, which are both extremely important in the reading process =)

So a basic rundown of the story is the plague of the "dreadfuls" has returned after being vanquished some time ago. Mr. Bennet, an old warrior of the first battle with the unmentionables, must come to terms with the fact that he stopped following the warrior way and he quickly decides to make up for it. He's determined to bring all of his daughters up to speed to be ready to fight beside him against the zombies. Mrs. Bennet, along with the rest of society, want nothing more for the girls to attend balls, marry off to eligible men, and stay with the essence of Englishwomanhood.

The sisters have a torn opinion, the two youngest put up the strongest fight against Mr. Bennet but soon enough he has all of them under his tutelage. All teenagers, they have never before come into contact with said zombies, but they have read on the Troubles and the fight against the dreadfuls. They also haven't had to practice ninja moves with animal names in the title while swinging katanas around in front of handsome characters that come to help the Bennets with the fight. The Bennet girls should never forget to be ladylike despite their weapons in hand...

The hilarity of the novel comes in the mixture of crazy zombie-killing scenes, the unique personalities of the characters (the sister's especially), and the overall ridiculous feel of the novel that makes you appreciate the author's skill. I think this has a lot to offer with brain eating, romantic twists, a strong female character packed into a relatively small novel =) Without having read PPZ, I still think DAWN OF THE DREADFULS will be my favorite out of the current three Quirck releases!

Now... a couple things I want to share with you before you go. (There are chances to win some goodies so I do hope you're paying attention)

1. I will most likely be reading PPZ along with the original Pride and Prejudice so I can have a better base of judgement. (Don't ask me when though)
   
   
2. To learn more about DAWN OF THE DREADFULS visit it's book page here: http://www.quirkclassics.com/index.php?q=dawnofthedreadfuls
   
   
3. You have a chance to win one of 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs.
   
   Each Prize Pack, with a retail value of more than $100, will include:
   
   -An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
   -Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
   -A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
   -An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster
   -A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal
   -A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards
   
   
4. To enter for one of the Prize Packs you must visit here and mention where you read your DAWN OF THE DREADFULS review (which is here at mis(h)takes I hope)
   
   
5. Thanks for sticking with me and good luck if you enter. Tell me what you think of the book if you read it.