Author: Lia Habel
Pages: 470
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Bookurious, for review (Thank you!)
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge
Synopsis: Love can never die.
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money.
For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
Buy the Book (The Book Depository/Amazon
)
Pages: 470
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Bookurious, for review (Thank you!)
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge
Synopsis: Love can never die.
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money.
For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
Buy the Book (The Book Depository/Amazon
)Lia Habel, you're a genius. Seriously, I can not get over how awesome Dearly Departed is. It's this fusion of dystopia, history, paranormal and it totally works! When you read the premise you're probably thinking the idea is crazy, but you're also wondering if she can pull it off. I thought she did!
First, I want to say I think zombies are disgusting. Walking corpses, slowly rotting. It's unappealing to me, so while I'm sure they're all pretty good people I would not go near one. Ever. Miss Lia Habel challenged that. For the first time ever, I fell for a zombie. I'm still grossed out, but I love Bram and the crew. They didn't ask to be undead and they're clever, kind, and just the kind of people I admire.
You know those zombie books where the zombies have taken over and the humans are barely surviving? That was not Dearly Departed. The concept was so original that it deserves a genre of its own. The plot always felt like something I've never seen before was happening. It was action packed, and full of questions. Best of all it ends in a way that is satisfying. No cliffhangers or anything like that though there is indication that there is more to come.
The characters were all relatable and though some may appear weak in the beginning, they all had hidden strengths. I had a huge grin on my face after reading some scenes. The best part is that there are multiple perspectives. I've noticed either people hate that or love it. I love it; it shows much more character development and the story is often more complex and intricate when that happens. I loved being in other character's minds and seeing their part of the story and the action. It really made me relate to them all.
This review is kind of all over the place and I apologize for that. It's just that Dearly Departed is such a complicated, healthy sized book with a lot happening. I'm sure there's at least one character or storyline that will interest someone. There is sweet, taking it slow romance, (finally!!!) military level action, and great, lovable characters. The writing is pretty awesome too- it always left me hungry for more and I found the book very readable.
If you're looking for a book that has it all, look no further than Dearly Departed. I love this book and this is one of those series I'll be most excited to read of more in 2012. Definitely 5 stars,
*****
Posts
SQUEEEE I LOVED DD! IT was so, so good and just completely blew me away! I'm so happy to see that you loved it as well <3
ReplyDeleteAnd Bram! Oh, Bram. I never thought I'd fall for a zombie either but he is so sweet. Everything about this book just screamed creativity to me and I am dying (hahaha) for the next one!
Brenna from Esther's Ever After