Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Pride and Prej. and Zombies)

As Quirk Classics continues to roll out the mash-up novels (Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters;Android Karenina (Quirk Classic)), they chose to return to the scene of their greatest success in this prequel to the smash success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!. While "Dawn of the Dreadfuls" is a fun ride filled with "bone-crunching zombie violence", ultimately it was an unnecessary return to a story that was already done.

One reason that the Quirk Classics are so accessible is that they take the sensibilities of classic literature and fill them with modern horror/action/adventure. While it sounds like an unlikely recipe for success, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" worked because it turned Jane Austen's beloved classic "Pride and Prejudice" into something that the current generation of teenagers would actually enjoy reading -- and in this day and age, where literate youngsters are at an all-time low, the world could use an incentive to read again.

One reason that the aforementioned titles have worked so well, however, is that they are a mash-up of a sci-fi/horror idea with an already-established classic. "Dawn of the Dreadfuls," being largely an original idea, fails to work as well or to gel as slickly as its predecessors because it has all of the power of a Hollywood reboot: why retread ground already successfully covered? Reading "Dreadfuls" was somewhat like watching the latest Freddy Kreuger movie -- it was enjoyable and ridiculously campy, and left you wondering toward the end why they even bothered in the first place.

While I would heartily recommend this volume to all the fans of the original "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", I'd hardly call this necessary reading. However, there are reasons why direct-to-DVD sequels continue to be created, and the metaphor seems apt in this case. 3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars. (Well, they tried.)

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and let me tell you that it was a fun read! The humor was great and the action was eventful. I loved reading about how Elizabeth Bennet grew into her zombie slaying ways. It was fun to see a sixteen year old Elizabeth Bennet along with all of her sisters learn how to fight zombies with the help of their father and Master Hawksworth.

I liked that the book started right off with some zombie action. I was never once bored while reading this book. Elizabeth has two love interests in this book: Master Hawksworth and Dr. Keckilpenny. These are so different from each other. Master Hawksworth is a young master of the warrior ways. He has perfected every warrior move. The problem? He is too much of a coward to use his expertise to attack and kill zombies. Dr. Keckilpenny, on the other hand, is a thoughtful man who probably spends too much time in his head. He is obsessed with finding a way to reverse the zombies back to their original minds. He could use his doctor skills for helping the wounded people who have been fighting zombies, but he would rather spend his time with the zombies themselves.

Both men prove to be cowards and not worthy of Elizabeth's attention. That is okay with me! They just make Mr. Darcy look that much better...like he needed to look any better.

Some fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice will love this book while others will hate it. I am a fan of Jane Austen, and I personally loved this book. I think people who like zombie books will like it, too. It is definitely a fun read!

Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters don't have a care in the world, other than finding good husbands to marry. While attending a funeral, Elizabeth and her sisters hear an awful howling sound. It is the sound of the undead. They are coming. Mr. Bennet wants his daughters to be prepared to defend themselves, so he hires Master Hawksworth to train his daughters to become vicious slayers.

Dr. Keckilpenny is a bright scientist. He also joins the fight against the undead but his ways are more unorthodox. Dr. Keckilpenny believes he can interact with the undead versus killing them. Elizabeth feels something for both men but who will she choose?

If you are looking for something a bit different to read, then you might try Dawn of the Dreadfuls. This book is the prequel to Price and Prejudice and Zombies. This book is based on events four years prior to PPZ. I have never read PPZ so I have nothing to compare it to in regards to if this book was a good prequel or not. What I can say about this book is that I thought it was an interesting morbid twist to Jane Austen's P&P novel. If you are looking for a romantic, flowerily read then this is not the book for you but if you are looking for a dark, and sometimes gruesome zombie story then you should consider trying Dawn of the Dreadfuls. I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and her sisters training to be zombie slayers. It was fun to watch as they went from meek to full blown slayers, who were not afraid to slice a head or two off. As much as I did like this book, there were a few times when it got a bit dry. Overall, a zombie good time.

First, I haven't read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and didn't realize that this was a prequel to that tale.

However, as one who has been known to enjoy a zombie movie, now and again, this short tale was rather delightful.

The language only flirts with being period, so there's no worry of slogging through any of that. Instead, it's treated as a rather modern telling of a zombie tale, set long ago, unlike the first, which sounded to be more of a tweaking of Pride and Prejudice.

The pictures - black and white, hand-drawn, with lined shading (whatever that's officially called) - is rather nice, and present scenes (although not completely accurate) taken from the book. Thankfully, these are always after the events take place in the book, so the only way these'll spoil the story is if you go looking ahead.

I found it to be a very quick read, once I picked it up, thanks to relatively quick pace and very little extraneous story.

As for the characters, we get to know about a dozen, although only half of that are of any interest, and even that group adds and loses numbers, as the book progresses. (For example, only one of the sisters is really of any interest at the beginning of the book, but by the end two are.)

As for whether I'll pick up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, having read this, I probably won't. This was a fun read, but I suppose I enjoy watching them more ...

So, if you enjoy zombies, and have interest in reading a (short, quick) story about them, pick this up. Otherwise, don't bother.

You know that moment when a comedian is onstage and stops for reaction, then goes on to explain the joke - "You know...because it was stuck to the badger!" - hoping for a few more laughs?

Reading 'Dawn of the Dreadfuls' feels a lot like that.

Taken on its own, there's nothing really wrong with it. It tells the story of the Bennett family, before we first meet them in 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,' at the advent of the second wave of the "strange malady" that brings English corpses back from the grave to munch on the brains of Britons. It also tells the story of how the Bennett girls learned the deadly arts, first from their father, then from a "master," one Geoffrey Hawksworth. It does all this with a similar (though not quite as sharp) sense of wit as the original Quirk Classic take on 'Pride and Prejudice,' blending fighting and action and bloody violence with a tale of English manners and blooming romance.

But here's the thing. The original 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' was fine all by itself. It had just the right mix of zombie gore and the romance of manners to make it ridiculous, no extra explanation needed. While 'Dawn of the Dreadfuls' spins a decent yarn and doesn't detract from the original, it doesn't add much either.

'Dawn of the Dreadfuls' is a decent read, but lacks the sharpness of its predecessor. Like a joke that didn't need explaining, much of it comes off as simply unnecessary.

And not as funny as if they'd just left well enough alone.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is an inventive, irreverent read. For those who love the charm of the regency era but also have a slightly twisted sense of humor.

For those unfamiliar with the premise of this book this is the prequel to the publisher's earlier book, Pride Prejudice and Zombies. Pride Prejudice and Zombies was an original and outrageous take on Jane Austen's original Pride and Prejudice but in an alternate world where the young Bennet girls are young ladies looking not only for marriage but also intent on fighting and killing the dreadful zombies which have invaded England.

In this prequel, the author tells how the Bennet girls discover that their father is actually a Zombie slayer. And their mortification when they realize their heritage is to become part of England's defense as slayers, too! The girls meet some very interesting characters such as a zombie doctor, their master of martial arts as well an old flame of Mrs. Bennet's. I have to admit, these were vastly amusing and fresh characters. (However, I could not help comparing the 'spoofed' characters to the tone and feel of the original characters and felt the reinvented characters such as Elizabeth somewhat wanting.) I did feel the twists and turns the author created were well paced and surprisingly fun.

While not out right horror the images of dead zombies will make you laugh in glee or cringe a little at the mayhem. However, if you are purist and in love with the original Jane Austen books you may feel it a desecration to beloved characters.

Imaginative, irreverent and a little gory, this book is an amusing take on Jane Austen's characters in an 'alternate' universe. I enjoyed it and found it light and fast paced read for those with a quirky, off beat sense of humor. It was a solid book but I wouldn't run out and immediately buy another in this series. This story was fun and a little campy.

The Trouble times have been over for many years and burying people in the old way, heads attached, has again been allowed for some time. But now while attending a funeral Mr. Bennett and his daughters witness the dearly deceased attempt to rise from his coffin for light snack of brains. Having been lax in his duty to raise his daughters as warriors Mr. Bennett starts their training immediately, coming out parties and suitors or not.

One word to describe this book? Awesome! This is a well written novel about a family in troubles times, girls coming of age and learning the ways of the word and fighting zombies with katanas, throwing knives and other weapons. It's such a unique blend it's hard not to be entranced.

The story does not rely on the zombie threat as a crutch either. There are long stretches with nary a zombie in sight as the girls worry about whether or not they'll be invited to the party, their mother tries to woo every eligible male suitor to have an interest in her eldest daughters and the two eldest learn a lesson each about how men are not always what they seem.

But in the midst of this is the ever escalating zombie threat. In true zombie story fashion the zombie at first are few and far between and easy to dispatch but by the end there is a siege of zombie apocalypse proportions.

Despite the domestic stuff it does not pull its punches either during the action with many grizzly zombie "kills" and horrible deaths of characters we've come to know.

I was not sure what I'd think but now I'm looking forward to reading the book this one is a prequel too.

When the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! released, zombie fans all over made the book a surprise hit. With the success, a slew of Classical Literature-meets-monster mash-ups became inevitable.

If you picked up the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graham-Smith more for the Zombies than the Jane Austen aspect, like me; you were probably a little disappointed. While the P&P&Z book by Graham-Smith attempted to remain true to the words usage and tone of Austen's original P&P - to the point of just inserting "zombie" straight into a cut-and-paste of Austen's writing, Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith is more like a reimagining of Austen's world. Literally a "What if everything in Austen's world was the same, except there were zombies?" While the Bennett family turns into this radical zombie-fighting-squad, they still continue worrying about very Austen-esque issues, such as social gatherings, marriage, class and family presentation.

If you're a zombie fan who was a little turned off by the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, give Dawn of the Dreadfuls a try anyway. In my mind, it's much easier to digest and a little more correctly targeted to its intended audience.

Reviewed for [...]

Yes, it's another mash up, a prequel to last year's smash hit Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The dreadfuls fit rather well into the repressive, judgmental setting of Regency England (and into "stuffy" literature similar to what many were required to read in high school English class). The tone is wry, utterly sarcastic, yet intelligent as well. The story pits a young family of girls, whose father makes them pariahs by inviting a ninja master for the Orient to his home to train them, against the trickling return of the undead hordes from long ago and against love, society and preconceived notions. What follows is a classic comedy of errors.
This book is simultaneously a mocking of classic literature, and a glorious example of fine writing, a metaphor for war against the aging and loss of innocence of children, and a call to stand up for what's right and not what's deemed proper by society. Austen's work hasn't been abandoned to a hack looking for easy money with this volume, but has been imprinted upon by an award winning, savvy writer who simply gets it, and deftly reminds readers that literature can be fun and unexpectedly poignant as well.
Highly recommended for libraries, particularly those looking to expand a bare bones horror collection or meet the need of readers who prefer more mainstream tale to the hardcore horror books.
Contains: Gore, poop jokes

I've read my share of serious horror and fun horror, so my expectations were not set terribly high when I picked up and read the prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But Dawn of the Dreadfuls wasn't... dreadful. I really enjoyed it. It's got a quick pace and plenty of the unmentionables make their shambling appearance only to be dispatched, albeit amateurishly at the beginning of the book.

The premise is that we're being introduced to how the Bennet sisters became such wild & crazed killers. But the story goes back even further (I suspect another prequel is in works). This book really is a bunch of fun. But the truth of the matter is, the first book worked so well because it had a great book to play off of (and I really like the original, original Pride & Prejudice), but that's not the case here. While the attempt is made to show how Elizabeth and her sisters became the people of the next book... it just doesn't quite work. Fortunately, everything else about the book is a blast.

If you're looking for serious literature, skip it. I promise you, you'll be unhappy. If you're looking for a rollicking good read, a bit of fun (even if it's at the expense of Jane Austen), and many of the... z-word... types walking about & getting shot or hacked up, then this is a good read and you'll enjoy it.

Did anyone out there ever think that someone (aka: Steve Hockensmith) would dare desecrate the "sacred tomes" of the great Jane Austen by combining her much beloved love stories with annoying flesh eating zombies? I certainly didn't. To be fair and perfectly honest let me say that this is definitely not the genre of literature I'm personally attracted. But, on a lark, or a perverse moment of weakness, I decided to see what this strange marriage of genres had to offer and snatched up a free copy via my the store Vine membership. Sometimes too much free stuff can lead one to aberrant decision making practices.

Well, after an on again, off again journey through 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadful's I discovered my initial assumption was correct, this really isn't my 'cup of tea'. However I have to admit that I found the author quite clever in his tweaking of these well known tales and overall succeeded in bringing to life a whole new genre that I'm sure will find a love struck, zombie loving audience that will relish every word. Well done!

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is the prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In short it was not as good as P&P and Zombies, possibly because it wasn't the classic Jane Austen tale. P&P and Zombies follows the Jane Austen beloved tale fairly close and then Zombies are thrown in to make the story different, new, and entertaining. Dawn of the Dreadfuls has only the Bennett family characters in common.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls takes place when the girls are young; only Jane of the five sisters is actually "out" in society. All the characters personalities are there, and that is entertaining and comforting, but the story is different obviously. Jane becomes a bodyguard for a hideous Mr. Lumpley who is a replacement for George Wickam and his seedy ways. Both Jane and Elizabeth are courted by men other than Bingley and Darcy which is what Pride and Prejudice fans love so much. It was difficult to see them interested in others. Ehh.. I was not a fan. Go read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and skip Dawn of the Dreadfuls.

On the one hand there is Jane Austen, often imitated, but rarely matched. On the other hand, there is the zombie novel, modern and with a formula. Mixing the two, I'm afraid, isn't easy. This is a long way of saying that, even if you didn't care for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, take a look at this book.

Freed from the constraints of Austen's plot and Austen's prose, Hockensmith writes a far better novel than its bestselling sequel. The plot of the novel begins when a zombie suddenly appears at a funeral in the Bennet's village of Meryton. Mr. Bennett, a former zombie hunter and ninja, takes his daughters in hand to teach them the deadly arts.

Mix in a lecherous squire, a ragtag army unit, a zombie-investigating doctor, and the hint of a former romance of Mrs. Bennett's and you get the stuff of great situations.

With an original plot and words all his own, and a great sense of the period, Hockensmith has given us a fine original work, not a pastiche.

There is mayhem, bravery, and a climax at a Netherfield ball. Even the cavalry comes to the rescue at the end.

it's great fun!

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" was made fun and original by incorporating the work of Jane Austen into a book about zombies. It was how Hockensmith turned Austen into a zombie story that made it so good. Without Jane Austen's story, this book feels like just a chance to make some money. Here is a prequel that lacks the fun of the original story. Anyone who had read "Pride and Prejudice" and liked zombie stories would love the original story. But in this book there is no feel for Jane Austen as the book contains the characters without her story or language.

That isn't to say that this book is dreadful. It just lacks the uniqueness of the original. Perhaps no prequel or sequel could have the uniqueness of the original so perhaps I'm being unfair but it seems without Austen to give him a plot, Hockensmith just doesn't know where to go. Anyway, this book just feels rather slight (and yes, I'll admit, fun in a way) but it feels far short of that first book and really unnecessary. Too bad Austen didn't write a prequel to "Pride and Prejudice" or Hockensmith might have been able to pull this off.

Having not read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", I was not sure what to expect from this book. I took a deep breath and dived in ... and found it to be a wonder book. I was immediate sucked into the world of the Bennett family and the strange things happening around them. The characters were compelling and the story was, while very strange, far more entertaining that I had expected. Having read some "satire" like books in the past, I was prepared for a dreadful rehash of the story with some snarky commentary and supposedly "witty" observations made against heavily stereotyped characters. That is not the case here. Within just the first few pages, I experienced so may laugh-out-loud moments that my husband finally asked me what on Earth I was reading. After reading him a couple of passages, he was laughing too. We finally setting on me reading the book out-loud for us to enjoy at the same time. I foresee the first book being purchased in the near future and another couple of weeks of read aloud sessions as we enjoy that one together. What a great way to enjoy some couple time!

The library had Dawn of the Dreadfuls available so I picked it up first. This book is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (It takes place 4 years before) and it is written in a more modern fashion.

Author Steve Hockensmith shows us how the Bennet sisters learn to be lethal zombie slayers.

Beginning with a corpse awakening during his funeral, the zombie action never lets up.

Mr Bennet attempts to teach his daughters, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Lydia and Kitty the ways of the ninja. He soon brings in the help of his Master Mr. Hawksworth (although Mr Hawksworth is hiding a secret)

With the girls trying to defeat the zombie horde through strength, Elizabeth meets Dr Keckilpenny who believes, through study, he can find the answer.

Which man will win Elizabeth's heart: Hawksworth or Keckilpenny? Or will a zombie eat her heart?

This book is a terrific read. It has action, romance and a lot of humor. I particularly enjoyed the head-cleaving in the cemetery scene. "Come join us for a picnic!"

Ah, classic.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls introduces us to the Bennett family from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Only this time they are battling dreadfuls and learning the ways of the warrior.

I admit it: I read this book based entirely on the hype that the first one received. I haven't read the first book, so I am completely new to the entire horror/classic genre that the first book has spawned.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. The writing was clever and irreverent. The characters were fleshed (ha ha) out enough that you don't need to have read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen to understand and appreciate them, but they are all the more lively if you have. The author takes these well known characters and makes them his own without losing the personality from the original book.

I can't say that if you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombie that you will like this one - I haven't read it. But I can say that if this genre appeals to you, this book is well worth the read. Light, fun and funny with lots of zombie mayhem.

I had heard a little bit about the book this is a prequel to, so I thought I would give it a try. I thought it would be campy, but also maybe fun, and while I was right on both counts, it was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! This book simultaneously elevates both the work of Jane Austen, but also the entire zombie genre.

What I really loved was the subtlety - which is really an accomplishment when zombies are involved. Relationships established in Austen's work are played upon in very nuanced ways, bringing into the story the reader's own knowledge and understanding of what is and has gone on, but also is try to the original intent. The characters are not transformed into something else, but rather are enhanced.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some campy ridiculous moments in this book, but all is forgiven when the zombies are referred to as "the unmentionables" or "the dreadfuls".

Well done! I think the next zombification should be of Sex and the City!

We already know Elizibeth & Jane aren't going to hook up with any of the guys they meet in this book, so Hockensmith made their departures interesting enough.

It wraps up any questions you might have about why it's okey for women to fight like men in 19th century England in P&P&Z, though for new readers I recommend reading the prequil first, & it shows how the girls personalities formed from traditional maidens to hardened warriors. It leaves one thing open though; In P&P&Z & training in China, the girls kept refurring to Master Li, but here they train under Hawksworth in the family greenhouse. Perhaps there will be a sequel to the prequel? One that tells us about Darcy while the girls are off training in China? I hope so, because I would like to read more.

I'm hoping Quirk will make a zombie story out of Gone with the Wind; Scarlet is a prime candidate for Elizibeth's American counterpart.

If you enjoy this, read Sence & Sensibility & Seamonsters.

This book is a prequel to Quirk's remade classic, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and recommended it to the students in my class who read Austen's original. I like the idea of taking classic works and adding a humorous or entertaining element, and I can definitely see how these works appeal to students (and adults).

I was not as impressed with Dreadfuls, however. I think the biggest problem stems from not having a classic work to base this novel on. Aside from the inherent difficulties in creating a prequel - and thus answering any questions brought up from the original novel - the style and language in this work just was not on par with Zombies. It was an entertaining read, and I could see my students enjoying it, but I was not impressed. Sadly, I was glad when this novel was over, and I hope that, unlike the zombies themselves, no one chooses to resurrect this series.

The first indication that the dreadfuls had returned was when Mr. Ford rudely tried to walk out of his own funeral. This is where teenaged Elizabeth Bennet sees her first unmentionable. (The zed word is not said in polite society.) Mr. Bennet was involved in the previous zombie war, but gave up the deadly arts when the menace appeared to have been vanquished. Now that the dreadfuls have returned, he seizes the chance to redeem his honor and train his daughters in the deadly arts. Elizabeth may not be the most talented or accomplished pupil, but she is definitely the most energetic and voracious. Between the initial zombie war and the recent outbreak, there had been a long time of people being buried in the normal way: with their heads attached. Now, all of these long buried dead have clawed their way out of graves all over Hertfordshire. Can the horde be stopped by the Bennet family and a hundred new, barely trained soldiers or will all hope be lost?

Hockensmith took great characters and put them in an entirely different situation while still preserving their essential being. The origins of the Bennet sisters fit very well with the image of them in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Jane's kindheartedness and compassion endures through her harsh training. Elizabeth is disillusioned and alienated by two different men, leading to her hard outer shell. The new characters introduced were wonderful. They are very flawed characters with dimensions, but most of them still managed to be likeable. The two that evoked the most feeling in me were Dr. Keckilpenny and Lord Lumpley. The doctor was quirky, cute, and absent minded. His extreme focus on finding scientific solution to the zombie problem was interesting. Lord Lumpley, on the other hand, was disgusting, lascivious, and made me feel dirty just reading about him. I liked that the point of view was in the third person and focused on different characters throughout the novel. It gave a peek into the inner workings of characters that wouldn't normally be showcased.

I was very interested in the way society was portrayed in the novel. When the Bennet girls first start to train, they are seen as social pariahs. This has to do with the tradition role of women in society and racism. Of course when the sisters were saving people that ostracized, the girls were popular and welcome. The attitude of the government when it didn't let people know the full extent of the zombie outbreak to keep people calm is reminiscent of many modern zombie novels. I've never seen this before in a book set in a different time period. These two aspects gave the story a bit of realism that made it easier to suspend disbelief and made me more engrossed with the story.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls was awesome. I loved this book. It was a great, fast read that moved fluidly. I think Steve Hockensmith had a slight advantage over Seth Grahame-Smith in that he didn't have to fit his writing into an existing text and try to blend the two together. This all new story was a much faster read than its predecessor, but just as enjoyable. The big zombie fight at the end really had me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to whatever Steven Hockensmith will do in the future.

This is the first time I've gotten a chance to read a Steve Hockensmith novel. Let me start out by saying that I'm unfamiliar with the book that follows chronologically after Dawn of the Dreadfuls.

I liked the book, but felt like parts of it were lacking depth. The whole story just seemed too conveniently placed for my taste. The characters are very flat and I never truly liked any of them. The father/daughter relationships seemed strained. Some of the plot was easily predictable and what couldn't be predicted seemed thrown in for easy plot twists. I won't go into detail so to refrain from spoilers, but I will say my reservation's are due to the way one character's development falls completely apart toward the end of the novel.

That being said, I love Zombies (movies, books etc.) and I'm still willing to give the first book (sequel) a try.

As a fan of both zombies and Jane Austin, I had high hopes for this novel, and I wasn't disappointed. It's not a literary masterpiece, but it's a very fun and well-played spoof. Despite the gruesome topic, I found myself giggling all the way through. The author captured the Austin spirit by wryly approaching social conventions and the walking dead with equal distress, annoyance, or horror. A very playful and satisfying treatment of the Bennett clan.

My only quibble was that Lumpley's nefarious exploits were a little too explicitly detailed. While the explanations would have been rather veiled & obtuse in any other context, given the style here, there really wasn't enough left to the imagination, which kind of busted up my willing suspension of disbelief.

Very fun romp altogether, and I liked that the ending was a little grimmer than I expected!

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I had high expectations for this book and was really looking forward to reading due to my surprise admiration of P&P&Z...I wasn't disappointed. For those of you who are looking for a literary masterpiece, this isn't it. However, Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a fun, easy Summer read. Hockensmith intertwines the sense of adventure and tone of Jane Austen, while throwing in a dose of undead for good measure. For all of you Austen fans, your favorite characters are there in addition to a few new faces. The book moves at a swift pace keeping you entertained with its wit and lots of undead action. I can't forget to mention the amazing illustrations throughout the book. They really do enhance the story. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good zombie read!

There is no doubt in my mind that Steve Hockensmith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Quirk Classics: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) is well written. It is well written and perfect for the time of Jane Austen's England while retaining a certain irreverence needed for this re-imagining of the P&P story.

That said, it was a slow read for me. I had a friend read it as well to get her opinion. I didn't tell her if I liked it. Just for her to read it.

She said the same thing: Characters were pitch perfect. Setting as well. Loved the addition of the dreadfuls. Mr Bennett as sensei was great. Bennett sisters as zombie-slayers was also great.

BUT it was a slow read.

So we took one star off the rating for the slow read to give a 4-star rating.

If you have not heard about the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you must be from another planet. The break-out best seller of 2009 (and soon to be major motion picture staring Natalie Portman) took the publishing industry quite unawares making its co-author Seth Grahame-Smith a hot property, oodles of publicity for its publisher Quirk Books and mega moola for all involved. Who'da thought combining Jane Austen's genteel Regency-era novel and bone-crunching zombie mayhem would create the literary mash-up genre and spawn a plethora of knock-offs using Austen novels and other classic authors in an attempt to cash in on the craze. I will admit the original novel was fresh and funny but the publicity it received was way out of proportion to its merits. Now its prequel DAWN OF THE DREADFULS has risen from its grave placing the story four years before we first met Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy and the maraudring horde of unmentionables invading Meryton, Hertfordshire. Well -- of course we need to know how the plague began and why the Bennet sisters are trained ninja warriors battling the sorry stricken. *Ahem*

While attending the funeral of a neighbor, Mr. Oscar Bennet, his wife and five young daughters witness the corpse return from the dead and attempt to attack the congregation. The unmentionables have returned after being vanquished for several years and Mr. Bennet a former ninja zombie slayer must train his daughters in the deadly arts to defend themselves and exterminate the scourge of sorry stricken who are among them again. He immediately sets about training his daughters who resist at first and flounder about with weapons and mild battle cries: ""Haaiieee!" said Jane. "Hiiyaaa!" said Mary. "Hooyaah!" said Kitty. "La!" said Lydia." Shortly after a Master ninja warrior arrives to take over and all the girls are smitten with the young and handsome Jeffery Hawksworth. Lizzy has the most potential, but gradually they all learn and begin hunting in the neighborhood for the zed word (young ladies do not say zombies in polite society), meet others who have come to Meryton to engage the enemy, are ostracized by the community because young ladies do not kill unmentionables, kiss a deer, have romantic feelings for some of the young gentleman, and fight an epic battle. Along the way we are dished out a hefty dose of campy comedy, discover how dreadfuls sprout from the grave and witness enough rotten flesh, goo, gore and killing to appease any thirteen year old boy who hates to read. La!

The plot is "stoopid" but it is meant to be. This is a zombie book with Jane Austen characters in it, not a Jane Austen novel with zombies mashed into it as we previously experienced in P&P&Z. (no defense implied) On the upside, Hockensmith does get many of Austen's character traits correct: Mrs. Bennet wines, wails and waves her lace hankie, Jane Bennet is beautiful and biddable, Mary is blossoming into an inspid moralizer, Kitty coughs and follows Lydia's lead, and Lydia is the most precocious eleven year old going on twenty five that you could ever wish to meet. Our heroine in the making Elizabeth is spirited, intelligent and as fierce with her tongue as she is with her weapons. We do get more back story on why Mr. Bennet takes action and converts his daughters from genteel young ladies into ninja warriors. His character is the most altered from Austen's original negligent father who lives in his library in order to tolerate his harpy wife and that was a challenge for me, among other things.

The new characters add animation (in the cartoonish sense) to the narrative and are all caricatures atypical in a wacky Monte Python skit: Lord Lumpley the lascivious aristocrat who lusts after beautiful Jane Bennet, the mutton chopped Capt Cannon who has survived multiple amputations from battling unmentionables and must be transported about in a wheelbarrow assisted by his aids who act as his limbs, Dr. Bertram Keckilpenny the eccentric doctor/Sherlock Holmes who wants to study zombies so he can cure the "unmentionable plague", the handsome ninja Master Jeffrey Hawksworth who teaches the Bennet girls the deadly arts and falls for his best student Elizabeth, dashing Lieutenant Tindall who ignites Lydia and Kitty's passions for officers in red uniforms and many more. (unfortunately no lumberjacks) The downside, it is all pretty predictable fare. However, I will commend Hockensmith on his skilled wordsmanship and cleverly crafted prose. He has captured the flavor of Austen's novel with Regency-era words and phrases that are not too dense and intimidating for his target audience who complained that P&P&Z had too much Austen in it, and he has certainly squelched their objections to not having enough zombie action. I found that reading this novel made my head hurt after an accident so I listened to an audiobook recording read by Katherine Kellgren which made it much more palatable -- except for the girls shrieking warrior cries which blew off my mob cap, startled my cats and interrupted my knitting. If movie producers like P&P&Z, they will love the easily adapted plot of DOTD into animated movie.

Did I like it you ask? Well, sort of. As previously highlighted the author is an accomplished writer who gave it his all. Some of the inside P&P humor made me chortle. If you love zombie grossness, than I recommend it highly. If you love Jane Austen, "I am afraid that the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety."

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Everyone knows that it is in bad form to leave in the middle of a funeral; it is even more distasteful when it is your funeral. However, Dreadful Mr. Ford no longer cares about the rules of Polite Society so he tries to walk out in his funeral. Thus teenager Elizabeth Bennet sees her first you know what; as saying that profane word is unacceptable.

Her father Mr. Bennet fought in the zombie war, but retired after the Dreadfuls were defeated. With their return, he trains his daughters in the use of the deadly arts. Jane is the most compassionate yet compliant while Elizabeth is the most excited, but alas not the best pupil as she prefers a direct application of force. As the new outbreak turns pandemic since the recently departed kept their heads, the Bennet brood and a hundred or so inexperienced rookies prepare for combat although Elizabeth is a bit distracted by several males including her warrior instructor, a scientist and an aristocrat. However, Elizabeth hardens her heart into that of a fighter although she and her sisters become outcasts as fighting is a man's responsibility.

The latest over the top of Big Ben Jane Austen starring in another novel is an amusing zombie historical fantasy. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Mr. Ford decides to leave his funeral and never slows down as heads are sliced in the zombie war. Readers will enjoy the teenage escapades of Jane (and her siblings) as she learns to fight zombies and living males in Steve Hockensmith's zany prequel (see Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; the writer has also starred in Ben H. Winters' Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters).

Harriet Klausner

I must preface this review by saying that I was on board with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies back when all we had to go on was that gorgeous cover. After all, what could be better than this now most famous of mash-ups? Elizabeth the ultimate slayer, and Darcy her haughty equal in all things kick-ass-ish.As it turned out, the shock of reading the Bennet sisters vanquishing the Undead shaolin style was too much for me. I didn't even finish the book and I felt like a total failure. Then Dawn of the Dreadfuls fell into my lap and it changed my perception of the series completely.

I was bogged down with too many books to read yet needing to read the book desperately, I downloaded the audio version and I am so glad I did. With the luxury of having the book to peruse while I listened to the narrator do all the work for me, I was able to let go and completely immerse myself in the story. The author, free from the constraints of working within the über classic P&P, is able to give us our beloved characters as they begin their training in the Dark Arts. The dialog is more accesible and the story much more zombie-centric. I loved seeing Elizabeth struggle to get her first Zombie (ahem, pardon me), Unmentionable kill. Mr. Bennet fend off Mrs. Bennet's advances for a male heir while returning to his study of the Dark Arts. We get the Austen-like characters who are not as they seem, the hero isn't always the hero and neither is the the villain. As for the character of Master Hawksworth, all I can say is YUM (and some ICK too for good measure)!

As soon as I finished Dreadfuls I dove into Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and it was like I never broke my stride. I am a big proponent of audio books, but only when they have a good narrator as this series does. Try either format, but I highly recommend you start this series with Dawn of the Dreadfuls!

Jane Austen plus zombies? What a dream come true for a girl like me. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls had me scared and laughing all at once. This is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. This is the one and only time I have read book 2 in a series before book 1. But I was lucky this was a prequel. I absolutely love this concept. We get to see how the Bennet family handles the zombie apocalypse. And they do it all with class, a little clumsiness and a lot of laughs. What exactly happened to the production for this movie? This would look and feel amazing on the big screen.

This book immediately jumps into the action. The Bennet family is at a funeral that turns into a "reawakening". The Bennet daughters soon find out that their father is quite the warrior and expects them to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, given the society, the girls battle with being outcasts or fighting the coming zombie apocalypse. I love the whole setting of this book. I got the chance to listen to the audiobook version to this and the narrator Katherine Kellgren did such an amazing job. She captured the spirit of the characters beautifully. The snooty ones, the pompous ones, the very eccentric and everything in between.

The range of characters in this book is incredible. They will stick with you long after you are done reading it. Both for good and bad reasons. My favorite was the lead Elizabeth. She is the middle Bennet daughter and she may be scared but she takes zombie killing seriously. I can't wait to go back and read her story from book 1. And it will most likely be on audiobook as well. Kellgren has quickly become a favorite. Her take on Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Keckilpenny were just a couple of many highlights. Mrs. Bennet has to be the most wretched woman in history. Goodness, I would gladly take on zombies before I have a conversation with that woman. I imagined Mr. Keckilpenny to be a younger David Tennant. He really did remind me of the Doctor. He was a fast talker, very lively and eccentric, and a little nerdy. I was attracted to him instantly.

I love that this book has many characters and subplots, but they blend together beautifully. I did love the little love triangle between Elizabeth, Mr. Keckilpenny, and Mr. Hawksworth. But it won't go how you want it to. So I like the unpredictability, but was a little disappointed especially given the very end. I don't even want to talk about it.

I love that zombies weren't the only villains in this book. To be honest, the zombies were good guys compared to the character I am referring to. Mr. Lumpley. Dear Lord, Mr. Lompley! He was a super gross, creepy rich man. You know Quagmire from Family Guy? You know, he will literally do the most disturbing and obscene things for sex? Well, that is Mr. Lumpley and his sights are Jane, the oldest Bennet daughter. I really wanted to slap her throughout this book. I know she isn't stupid, but her mother coddled her to the point that she was overly trusting. There was one scene where she had to be in Lumpley's house and it was clear Mr. Lumpley had plans. You knew what was going to happen. I was truly screaming at my stereo, "No no no no no!" I was frightened out of my mind for her. All because of damn Mr. Lumpley. Seriously, thank God for zombies!

I love that Mr. Bennet is trying to toughen up his daughters. That is what this book is really about. Following their journey from being high society ladies who go to balls to be courted by rich men, to seeing them become warriors against zombies was a very fun ride. There are scenes in this book where seeing them shed their ladyness almost had me in tears. Like one of the Bennet girls taking five minutes to sit down on the ground "properly". Just imagining that drove me nuts. I honestly didn't think any of them had any hope except for Elizabeth.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls was a great read. It is impossible to be bored by this book. It does have a few questionable moments and characters specifically with Mr. Bennet. He does things that I wasn't sure if he was the good or bad guy. But the book is still loads fun without being silly. Hockensmith did a great job with this book. I love the Victorian era with zombies as much as I love the Victorian era with a steampunk twist. Again, these are ideas I don't understand why Hollywood isn't persuing. Ridiculous if you ask me. I can't wait for more, I am hooked

I've read the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which was a hilarious mash up on the Jane Austen tome. This prequel takes place when The Bennett girls have not been trained in the Deadly Arts and the Unmentionables are supposed to be obliterated. As in the original story, the theme of women who are in need of a good marriage comes up, as well as, the issue of class struggles. The vocabulary in this book seems a bit more modern than the original book, but I doubt a casual reader would notice. Still I liked the story and may reread P& P& Z , so I can refresh myself.

I agree with other reviewers here that while this book is not on par with "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," it is still a rollicking good read! This book is a much easier read than "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" which may make it more accessible to readers not quite ready to wade into the Victorian prose of "P and P and Z."

Is it naïve to hope that readers might be so delighted by this book that they move on to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies from which they are inspired to read Jane Austen's original and from there become lovers of the classics? Probably. Regardless of all of that, this is a fun read - a great way to pass a long flight or a lazy summer afternoon.

Had I not watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice so many times with my wife as to know the story backwards and forwards, Pride Prejudice and Zombies would have been unreadable (boring to me as a chick book, with zombies added for flavor). But this prequel is a much better read. I am delighting in learning about the young Miss Bennets and the relationship between the parents Bennet. I'm glad I read the other first, since I am more intimately aquainted with the people and locations than I became watching the movie version. And I am glad the author was able to revisit this family and write an original tale that is most enjoyable.

Not sure why the characters where so simplistic, corny and, unbelievable, or why the writing in this book so was simplified when compared to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I guess the publishers want to reach a younger audience, or couldn't get the original authors to sign up for a prequel so they found this hack of a writer. Long story short this book is such a let down that if it wasn't for the names you never could have guessed this book was related to PPZ. All of the characters are just a shell of what they were in PPZ, and somehow the author managed to make every character "cringeingly" (yes I just made up a word to describe this book) annoying (Kitty being the worst of all). Besides being badly written it is also extremely slow really the first two-thirds of the book will have you begging for hoards of zombie action that never come...just the occasional zombie here and there and too much uncreative not funny commentary. It's really a shame, this series had so much potential...literally one of the worst zombie books I've ever read

First things first: I hate Pride and Prejudice. Austen fans, stay at bay, it is just simply the most boring drivel I've ever picked upon: a bunch of middle class girls harping constantly about being perfectly fine all the bloody time. Nonsense. I appreciate what that novel did to literature, but I cannot abide it. Then PPZ came out. I fell in love. It was flawless. One of my very favorite books, and I've read it a dozen times at least. When the prequel came out, I snatched it up immediately. And on the first read through, I thought it was just delightful, until I thought about what Seth Grahame-Smith wrote about the Bennets' past. This didn't exactly follow what he had laid down as fact. Smith made it clear all the girls trained very young and in the Orient (I believe Lydia would slay her first dreadful at 7) , while in this this not only has them training much older, but in the wrong place, not to mention that the zombies weren't even around when they were at that age. The only reason I mention this is because it distracted me while reading it. I don't think it detracts unduly, but it did make me scratch my head. The story itself, though, was great. It was fun, it was very close to the original's style and humor, and I have read it several times. I wish it had been the original background or different characters, but in the end, it wasn't very detrimental.

I must admit, after my thorough enjoyment of PP&Z I had rather high hopes. Perhaps a bit too high, because while I did like Dawn of the Dreadfuls, it lacked the charm that its precursor had. Without Jane Austen's words to play with, the story becomes a fun romp through a Regency-era England with zombies lurking around every corner and in every pond- but I was not delighted, merely mildly entertained.

The book could have stood alone easily enough, had the names of the main characters been changed. I think I should have liked it better that way... it seemed to me as if Miss Austen's characters were not acting true to themselves.

The meme of introducing zombies and other horror creatures into classic novel is a fun idea. The idea of inserting them into a Jane Austin novel is even funnier. This prequel novel is able to enter Jane Austins novel while not having to follow a specific plot. The result is an enjoyable light novel that suffers from sillines at times. Characters like the Doctor in this novel can hardly be taken seriously which makes the idea fall at times. The novel would be funnier if it took itself more seriously since the comic tension would take full advantage of zombies meeting the England of the day. You just don't feel like you are reading a Jane Austin novel - no serious insights, just a funny idea not quite pulled off.

So as a Jane Austin just with zombies, the novel fails. Regardless I enjoyed it anyway as soon as I put behind the idea that this was a serious attempt at replicating the mood and literary style of a Jane Austin novel.

The rethinking of Austen's Pride & Prejudice to include zombies was a masterwork: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!. This book is a wholly original prequel, unfettered by the constraints of Austen's narrative.

I enjoy zombie-based horror/suspense fiction, and this book does a good job of creating a believable narrative with robust character development. It is unique to read about battling them in a time before automatic weapons, computers, and other high-tech gadgetry, and creates a palpable air of suspense.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a prequel to last year's hit Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and takes place four years before. In this book, zombies (aka "unmentionables" or "dreadfuls") took over the world before any of the Bennet children were born during a time called "The Troubles". They now have risen again and it's up to Mr. Bennet to train his daughters to be the protectors of the community even though it would make the community shun the girls for unladylike behavior, much to the dismay of Mrs. Bennet.

I never read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but am an avid Jane Austen fan and when I won Dawn of the Dreadfuls from [...], I couldn't wait to read it. I think the author did a great job of capturing the characters and putting a Jane Austen flavor to this book. I felt it was very believable...or as close to being believable as you can get when zombies are involved anyway. It was satisfyingly gory and I would probably compare it to "Shaun of the Dead" or "Fido" but only not quite as funny. I was also surprised that I found the romantic triangles with Lizzie and Jane to be as intriguing as they were. I obviously know who each end up with, yet was pulling for different suitors. Being such a Darcy fan that I am, it really struck me as odd a few times. I ran out and bought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and can't wait to read what is next for the Bennets.

I'm not a huge fan of Jane Austen, and yet I couldn't put this book down! It's the best I've read in a long time, and I will definitely be buying the following books in the series. The author writes at a pace that never ceases to entertain, and with such wit that you'll be laughing out loud several times during the book. I would suspect that even people that aren't fond of zombies would enjoy this book simply because it is that well written. Wonderful job, Steve Hockensmith!

I tried really hard to read this, and please take this review with a grain of salt as obviously I did not finish it, I tried very hard to get through the first chapter! I just could not get passed Mr Bennett. It's fairly easy to get most of the other characters, but when Mr. Bennett takes "charge" of the situation in the church I was just so distracted. As we all know the real Mr. Bennett would never have been the first one to deal with the problem, he would have never gone off and slain a zombie, not with others around who might have done! It just seemed so unlike him, as with Lydia leaving and his just sitting in his office not worrying about it. He would have probably sat back in the church and left when he first could, all the while with Mrs. Bennett yapping in his ear about how this would effect the neighborhood and the family involved and about how eventually the zombie's would make their way to Netherfield and eat all the eligible bachelor and the girls would never marry, or would come to their house and her husband would then be forced to fight them and die. Instead he goes off to kill the zombie and even worse, pulls lizzie along with him! I just could not get passed it and had to stop reading it. This is my honest review, take it as you like it.

Perhaps is you are a huge ZOMBIE fan or a huge Austen fan this will disappoint. However, for me it was the best of both worlds and a lot of fun to read.

The Bennet girls are courageous as any monster fighters you could hope for; the gore is manageably low and the pretensions at being literature makes for an all around fun read.

So, here's the deal,
Unless that just sounds terrible to you I recommend this for a poolside summer read!

A fun read especially if you remember the classic. This book takes the Bennet family and places them under a zombie attack. It's much better than it sounds. The send up of the Victorian language and sensibilities. The author does a good job of staying true to character and era. A great light read for a Winter afternoon.

Going into this book my expectations were low. Part of a continuing series of gimmick novels, riding on the success of the original P&P&Z mashup, this novel met those low expectations and did little more. There are more zombies than in the first book but the writing is not as good and the story is featherweight. If you loved the first book you will probably enjoy this one as well, but expect diminishing returns.

Steve Hockensmith has done it again. He inserts just the right amount of humor in grizzly situations to lighten the mood.

I have been following Hockensmith's work going back to his tenure as editor of X-Files magazine. He continues to write in a style that flows smoothly through well-organized plots.

In Dawn of the Dreadfuls (DoD), he reaches back four years from the beginning of the Seth Grahame-Smith original (PP & Z) to concoct a beginning of the mayhem. The story which he weaves stays within the bounds of acceptable "Zombieism" while providing a plausible link to Jane Austen's England. (Speaking of "plausible", the original PP & Z was on the Washington Post top l0 list for about 6 months - under their Non Fiction heading!!!).

The black line drawings in the book are well-done and seem appropriate for the period.

I recommend this book for those who are willing to let go of the weightiness of Austen and are curious about how the prequel connects into PP & Z. DoD is a light read which will move faster than the original.

Doesn't take place in China.

Throughout Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Elizabeth and the Bennet sisters constantly refer to having been taught the "deadly arts" by a Master Liu, *in China*, now that has been changed to a Master Hawksworth, in England. I was expecting a showdown between English girls and Chinese peasants, or Shaolin monks fighting against, perhaps, zombified Japanese ninjas and the like. Seth-Graham Smith referred to many comparisons between Chinese and Japanese martial arts - I wanted to see this with the Bennet girls in China! Despite that, the book's intro made for histerical amusement, classic.

In all, I was disappointed. This book deviates from Seth-Graham Smith's vision.

I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, since it was shockingly funny and wonderfully unexpected. This one didn't quite come up to par, though, I'm sorry to say. I wanted to like it, but I never had a real connection to the story. I didn't think that the author was quite true to the characters, and there was a lot less action. I wonder if it would have been better if the story took place back when the wars first started, and Lady Catherine De Bourgh and Mr. Bennet were young warriors. In any case, the book did make me want to read the original again. By the way, the ending was very disturbing, which I'm sure the author intended. I will be thinking about the box and it's contents for some time, and having an occasional shiver all the while.

When I saw the title, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", I just had a pure sense of delight well up inside me. Finally, a book that made sense and enchantment out of the originally boring and 'socially dramatic' story and movie that I'd seen many shallow, preppy girls wallow in and try to drown me into. Finally, a rendition for a girl like me that loves zombies, violence, and more important things than who's shocking who at what dance hall in merry old England.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not bashing the author or anyone else who took part of the original story, it's just not my cup of tea. Because I drink chocolate milk. So tea wouldn't work for me at all.

Besides my personal taste, I love Dawn of the Dreadfuls because while it keeps plenty of fancy and romance about it, it also blends in weapons, violence, excitement and monsters. It's a perfect combination for a girl who wants to secure her femininity, but not be a dour old bitch. The story flows along perfectly and is a pleasure to read once you get use to the style. All the ninja things in this book took me by surprise, but it doesn't overdo it to the point where it drowns out the English theme. Sad to say, but once you mix one social popular theme in, they all worm up. I'm surprised (and forever gladdened) there aren't pirates and LOL Cats in this.

It's a prequel like no other of Jane Austen's classic with enough original language and story to be fairly true to the original (except the zombies, of course). P&P&Z is over the top in places, even given the zombie addition. It's a fun (if somewhat uneven in places) read.

If I could give this book less than a single star I would.

Those of you looking for the book with the shockingly not unique title beginning "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. . . " this version printed in 2010 seems to be a rip off of the 2009 version by Seth Grahame-Smith. The Grahame-Smith book contains the original Jane Austen text with battles interspersed (or so I've been told) - this one is just pop fiction.

Once I started reading this I was so appalled that my book club had chosen it, and offended at the lack of similarity to the original, that I have not even tried to objectively judge this book as simply a work of fiction. Then again, but titling the book as he did, the author tried to cash in on the classic's name recognition (and name recognition of the 2009 spin-off), so I think perhaps he opted-in to being judged by a much harsher standard.

In his slight, slight defense, the author did try to mix things up by altering the motivations and weaknesses of what I presume were supposed to be the Darcy and Wickham characters, and tries to make their choices and characters into a study of human tendencies, weaknesses, and redemption. This creativity is admirable, but I found myself bored by the Wickham story line after his first encounter with Lizzy.

Another tip of the hat to this author is I was haunted by the way he chose to end things. In part, how stunned I was can probably be attributed to how much it deviated from the original. There was nice foreshadowing to support what happens to the Darcy-character, so props for that.

I got this book as a gift for my daughter, who loves Jane Austen AND zombies, so I knew I probably couldn't go wrong with this book. I can't personally comment on the particulars, writing style, etc, but I will say that my college aged daughter is an avid reader and that she really loved this book. So, if you know a literary type who gets a kick out of zombies, I'm pretty sure they'd enjoy this!

I was hesitant to read a zombie story--but I found that this one is loads of fun to read! The author's style mimicked the classic story

and the characters of Austen's novel. Chapter 26 is hysterically funny!!! (I have not read the original P & P Zombies and wonder if the

author of it is as adept.) I highly recommend it for light summer reading!

I received the first two chapters for free as a promotion. I really enjoyed how quickly the action started and love the modern horror twist on the classics. I look forward to having the opportunity in the future to read the entire book.

I have to say this is the best book that I have ever read. My 2 favorite things combined period pieces and zombies! Great action and great story. I highly recommend that you read this book if you are a zombie fan.

i was more enraptured with this book than with the last..the actual jane austen novel with his zombies thrown in...he has a really nice writing style and it shows...it was like i was reading jane austen herself. keep these books coming....

this was alot better than pride and prejudice and zombies...i thought it would lead up to pride and prejudice and zombies but i was once again wrong... this could of been a different book if he just changed the names around. but on the good side, it was a acutally fun book to read...

unlike his others

If the writer had been able to pull this off it would have been a lot better. Being a zombie fan myself, i love the idea and was very excited about the general concept but it just didn't make the sale for me.

I LOVE Pride and Prejudice, and I love zombies so one would think that this would be a slam dunk... nope. What made Pride and Prejudice and Zombies work was that it was so clever and fresh, but now it's been done and this prequel just seems ridiculous. I had a hard time reading this and would not recommend it to Austin fans OR zombie fans. Skip it and try something fresh like The Zen of Zombie (Scott Kenemore)or Alive Inside (LV Dunn).

Charming. - Honestly, I had real doubts, but those were soon shattered by the well-paced story. What it lacks in diction (a bit more modern than the original Jane Austin), it makes up for in subtle humor. I couldn't recommend it more.

Skip this one. They lost me with the samurai training... this book is just too unrealistic (and I know we're talking about zombies but come on). Zombie fans will not enjoy it and I am pretty sure that fans of Pride and Prejudice will hate it.