REVIEW: Dreadfully Ever After by: Steve Hockensmith
I have to say I’m impressed with Steve Hockensmith. While Dawn of the Dreadfuls was a fun read and a great sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I didn’t think it would have the staying power to turn the series into a trilogy. I’m glad I was wrong.
So the story opens with the ‘beloved’ Elizabeth and her now husband Darcy going for a stroll and being attacked by a group of zombies, I mean unmentionables, and a fight ensues. As per the norm in this Victorian world Elizabeth is able to defeat her would be attackers, however there is a twist in Darcy having been not quite as fortunate. While he is not dead he has become infected and Elizabeth in a moment of weakness does not kill her husband. There is word that in London there is a cure for this rash of unmentionable outbreaks and there might just be a way to save the man that she has come to love.
The novel is split chapterwise between following Elizabeth’s adventures into London where she desperately seeks the antidote to the disease that is spreading through her husband as well as his time at home where he must strive to not succomb to the cannibalistic urges that are ever pulling him towards tasting that most of delicious of meats – human flesh.
While the story carries through with a great ending (and of course PLENTY of side character adventures including some from Marry and Kitty Bennett that really make the book a worthwhile read) the middle of the novel did see to drag a little. Going back to ‘side characters’ for a moment it almost makes it feel that there were more sub-plots going on then a focus on the main plot itself.
There was humor and absolutely fun moments but it felt that for awhile not much was being accomplished. I have to say though that of the three novels this one has had the best character developemnt and (aside from the slow area in the center) best plot arcs.
I kind of wish this wasn’t the end of the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies trilogy however I fear if it went on I would have wished it was the end. I really do enjoy how Steve changed the concept of the book on who was the main focus. As he became less constrained by the original literature that this is based off he really was more able to successfully add his own voice to the narrative and truly shined at bringing us closure to what has been a fun rewriting of classic literature.
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