OBS BOOK REVIEWS: DAWN OF THE DREADFULS BY STEVE HOCKENSMITH

From the back cover:
Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls – a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As our story opens the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. The idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands – until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry.

Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth – and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up we watch Elizabeth Benet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. Along the way two men vie for her affections: Master Hawksworth is the powerful warrior who trains her to kill , while the thoughtful Dr. Kickilpenny seeks to conquer the walking dead using science instead of strength. Will either man win the prize of Elizabeth’s heart? Or will their hearts be feasted upon by hoards of marauding zombies? Complete with romance, action, comedy, and an army of shambling corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave – and just might inspire her to crawl out of it!

Unlike Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, there was no prior novel into which Mr Hockensmith could insert scenes. The words in this book are 100% his own. And wonderful words they are. I was hooked from the beginning!

I loved this story. I found several parts to be quite funny and often laughed out loud. Imagine a decorated military commander being carted in a wheelbarrow by four men whom he calls “Limbs” due to his lack of arms and legs. They perform all actions he requires including holding the hand of a former love. Scandalous!

I loved the contradiction of the modesty of the era and the will to survive by any means necessary.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good monster slaying romance novel!

Reviewed by OBS Staffer Angie.