Wednesday, November 21, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: DEARLY, DEPARTED by LIA HABEL


DEARLY, DEPARTED
LIA HABEL

Publisher: Del Rey (2011)
Pages/Format: Kindle, 482 pages
Acquired: Purchased from Amazon

MARISSA'S RATING:   4 UNDEAD STARS!

Goodreads Description:
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.


MARISSA'S REVIEW:
In a time and world where society fell apart, humankind rebuilt itself to an age where innocence was something to be admired and lifestyles hadn't been corrupted.  But of course.....this can only last for so long! This time mankind has evolved to include a virus that reanimates the dead.

Bram Griswold - undead/zombie guy.  Very quickly, I found myself forgetting what he was and seeing the guy that Nora Dearly was falling for.  His personal struggles with his unliving status are evident throughout and when we get to read into his personal diary, it's hard not to want to reach out and hug him!

Nora Dearly is our fierce, independent gal - daughter of the awesome Dr Victor Dearly. She is also somewhat of a social outcast at her prestigious school and joins her scholarship best friend Pamela Roe being taunted by the likes of Vespertine Mink...socialite.  

After being kidnapped and taken to an undead army compound, she finds out that her father isnt who or where he is supposed to be.  She meets Bram and over a short period of time they connect and form a semi-trusting bond....which becomes stronger as time goes on.

Nora is stubborn, independent and continually surprises herself and others around her.  She shrugs off societies need to have innocent pure girls unable to think for themselves.

The story has a fantastic blend of old school history with modern technology living.  Throw in the action, adventure, espionage and deceit of an eclectic cast and you have Dearly, Departed....Lia Habel's zombiefied steampunk series!

ENJOY!
MARISSA     

2 comments:

  1. I don't like zombies but I want to make an exception for this one. I wish they'd drop the price this black Friday!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really enjoyed this book-Pammie was so kickbutt at the end!

    ReplyDelete

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