What do you think?
Rate this book
Night of the Victorian Dead #1
Welcome to Romero Park
The unwitting attendees of a country ball are all too busy striving to hide secrets and make matches to see what’s going on around them until it’s almost too late!
Among the green and rolling hills of Old England, the fields lie ripe for reaping under a blighted Harvest Moon. While tenants and servants fear the eerie light, Mr. Dorchester invites several families of his acquaintance to his estate—for a visit culminating in a ball to celebrate his ward’s engagement to a most eligible neighbor. Amid all the usual hopes and anticipation such an event inevitably excites:
– The disillusioned host is desperate to seize his last chance for happiness,
– His foreign ward struggles to pass herself off as a Blushing English Rose,
– The governess pines for her employer and seeks to free him from blackmail,
– The reclusive apothecary, working there under false pretenses, hides more than one secret,
– A local beauty raised to marry well is awakening to her true character,
– And a young gentleman is finding great satisfaction in playing the indispensable manservant.
All the while, signs of the dead rising increase until the entire household wakes in the middle of the night to a gut-wrenching scream inside the house.
Where imagination and suspense reign over splatter-gore, and the knowing modern reader can enjoy accompanying unsuspecting characters down the road to the inevitable, while themselves encountering mysteries and unexpected twists along the way.
Among the green and rolling hills of Old England, the fields lie ripe for reaping under a blighted Harvest Moon. While tenants and servants fear the eerie light, Mr. Dorchester invites several families of his acquaintance to his estate—for a visit culminating in a ball to celebrate his ward’s engagement to a most eligible neighbor. Amid all the usual hopes and anticipation such an event inevitably excites:
– The disillusioned host is desperate to seize his last chance for happiness,
– His foreign ward struggles to pass herself off as a Blushing English Rose,
– The governess pines for her employer and seeks to free him from blackmail,
– The reclusive apothecary, working there under false pretenses, hides more than one secret,
– A local beauty raised to marry well is awakening to her true character,
– And a young gentleman is finding great satisfaction in playing the indispensable manservant.
All the while, signs of the dead rising increase until the entire household wakes in the middle of the night to a gut-wrenching scream inside the house.
Where imagination and suspense reign over splatter-gore, and the knowing modern reader can enjoy accompanying unsuspecting characters down the road to the inevitable, while themselves encountering mysteries and unexpected twists along the way.
282 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2014
1 person is currently reading
990 people want to read
About the author
Amber Michelle Cook
9 books27 followersAmber Michelle Cook writes stories of deep, meaningful fun.
Partly raised in Germany, she went to an international school for high-school, majored in linguistics, loves literature and period pieces. She's also a photography/graphic arts artist of color and wonder living in the great Northwest.
In addition to leading improv writing tables, she’s Director of National Novel Editing Month and Facilitator for the People's Ink writing community.
Aside from words and stories, she adores dogs and is fascinated by any and everything aquatic. Especially cephalopods.
Partly raised in Germany, she went to an international school for high-school, majored in linguistics, loves literature and period pieces. She's also a photography/graphic arts artist of color and wonder living in the great Northwest.
In addition to leading improv writing tables, she’s Director of National Novel Editing Month and Facilitator for the People's Ink writing community.
Aside from words and stories, she adores dogs and is fascinated by any and everything aquatic. Especially cephalopods.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 29, 2018
Romero Park is the ancestral home of Edward Dorchester, your classic haughty-yet-troubled gothic noble. It is harvest time, and Dorchester is planning a ball to celebrate the announcement of his engagement. But as the local gentry descend upon the manor, and the servants scramble to get everything in order, a fell moon rises on the proceedings, and a mysterious corruption is slowly working its insidious way through the manor house and grounds.
I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I started this book. Let’s face it, the zombie thing is on the decline, and classic-literature-plus-undead is hard to do right. Fortunately, Cook does a fantastic job with Romero Park, giving us both zombie mayhem and Victorian correctness in one package. The book uses the bones of Jane Eyre, and drapes it in rotting flesh and gnashing teeth. The story moves from person to person, flirting with the Brönte plot we know and love, but veering away into wholly original (and very entertaining) territory.
My original beef with the book is that it was largely build-up with little climax. Now that I know the book is the first in a planned trilogy, I can understand the reasons for the pacing. Cook slowly builds up the terror in store, letting us see glimpses of a future calamity, and setting us upon several red herrings. It also lets me appreciate the time the author takes with each of her characters, letting them live and breathe a bit before the undead come knocking.
This book, quite simply, is an enormous amount of fun. You know how the story is supposed to go, and you happily anticipate the chaos of the zombie apocalypse to come. And let’s face it, who hasn’t wanted some version of Blanche Ingram to get eaten by a horde of mindless undead?
If you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (and I will confess that I enjoyed this book more), or like a whiff of rotting flesh with your classic literature, this is an incredibly entertaining read. I’m waiting on tenterhooks to see how the story plays out in the next book!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I started this book. Let’s face it, the zombie thing is on the decline, and classic-literature-plus-undead is hard to do right. Fortunately, Cook does a fantastic job with Romero Park, giving us both zombie mayhem and Victorian correctness in one package. The book uses the bones of Jane Eyre, and drapes it in rotting flesh and gnashing teeth. The story moves from person to person, flirting with the Brönte plot we know and love, but veering away into wholly original (and very entertaining) territory.
My original beef with the book is that it was largely build-up with little climax. Now that I know the book is the first in a planned trilogy, I can understand the reasons for the pacing. Cook slowly builds up the terror in store, letting us see glimpses of a future calamity, and setting us upon several red herrings. It also lets me appreciate the time the author takes with each of her characters, letting them live and breathe a bit before the undead come knocking.
This book, quite simply, is an enormous amount of fun. You know how the story is supposed to go, and you happily anticipate the chaos of the zombie apocalypse to come. And let’s face it, who hasn’t wanted some version of Blanche Ingram to get eaten by a horde of mindless undead?
If you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (and I will confess that I enjoyed this book more), or like a whiff of rotting flesh with your classic literature, this is an incredibly entertaining read. I’m waiting on tenterhooks to see how the story plays out in the next book!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2017
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Gothic, SyFy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Welcome to Romero Park, by author Amber Michelle Cook, is the first installment in what is being called Night of the Victorian Dead series. This story, set in 19th century England, is being marketed as Downton Abbey meets Night of the Living Dead. It is a tale of secrets, romance, and suspense delicately laced with sly humor. The author was inspired by works of literature from Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and in tribute to the delightful terror of first encountering classic undead creatures in Night of the Living Dead.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Gothic, SyFy
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
Welcome to Romero Park, by author Amber Michelle Cook, is the first installment in what is being called Night of the Victorian Dead series. This story, set in 19th century England, is being marketed as Downton Abbey meets Night of the Living Dead. It is a tale of secrets, romance, and suspense delicately laced with sly humor. The author was inspired by works of literature from Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and in tribute to the delightful terror of first encountering classic undead creatures in Night of the Living Dead.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
December 26, 2015
The Dorchester and Helgram families are coming together for a ball at Romero Park. Unfortunately the night will not go smoothly as the undead are roaming the grounds. Told from different viewpoints, the story unfolds slowly, with enough teasers to keep you hooked before things go from bad to worse. In a similar vein as pride and prejudice and zombies, I thought the writer did a good job of portraying Victorian times and the way of life back then. It was also nice to read about zombies in a different era. It was a little slow in places, but if it was a movie i think this would build suspense. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to zombie fans
January 10, 2016
Undead in Victorian times. Interesting! I think this book was good for me. I was not sure what to except from this book but I enjoyed it. It had a little bit of something different for me. There were times it was bit slow but for the most part this book was good. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
October 14, 2014
1.5 stars
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review*
This review will be posted(soon) on my blog at: www.bookbloggerz.weebly.com
When I first saw this book I was so excited. I was expecting some historical fantasy/suspense novel resembling a little to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.
*Sigh* I didn't like this book as much as I hoped I would.
Here's why:
The whole first part of the book(which accounts for 33% of the novel is PURE PUUURRE FLUFF! You can literally just take it out, replace it by a less monotonous five paged resume and the book would still make sense. It was so slow and it wasn't going anywhere. I was confused by the Mrs., Miss, Mr. *inserts name*. Just give your character a name and stick with that name. Don't mix it up. Also, avoid putting two names that are very similar(ex: George and Georgie)It tends to mystify the reader.
The second part was a little better but by the time I got there, I was a little bored. Things were starting to get interesting and the story was just about to develop. It still remained very slow and quite uneventful.
The third part was where things were going on but I was just so annoyed and fed up that I speed read it.
In general, I still think that starting a book with a punch remains the best way to grab a reader's interest.I don't recall this book containing any important main characters( there were just so many characters and they all read the same) I wanted at least one strong female persona and that didn't happen. I won't lie. I skipped numerous pages and there was even a French mistake just to top it off.
On to the good parts:
I loved the very rich vocabulary and even though I complained previously about the super duper long character development, it was still quite well written.
Verdict: I believe that this book has potential but needs lots of work.
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review*
This review will be posted(soon) on my blog at: www.bookbloggerz.weebly.com
When I first saw this book I was so excited. I was expecting some historical fantasy/suspense novel resembling a little to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.
*Sigh* I didn't like this book as much as I hoped I would.
Here's why:
The whole first part of the book(which accounts for 33% of the novel is PURE PUUURRE FLUFF! You can literally just take it out, replace it by a less monotonous five paged resume and the book would still make sense. It was so slow and it wasn't going anywhere. I was confused by the Mrs., Miss, Mr. *inserts name*. Just give your character a name and stick with that name. Don't mix it up. Also, avoid putting two names that are very similar(ex: George and Georgie)It tends to mystify the reader.
The second part was a little better but by the time I got there, I was a little bored. Things were starting to get interesting and the story was just about to develop. It still remained very slow and quite uneventful.
The third part was where things were going on but I was just so annoyed and fed up that I speed read it.
In general, I still think that starting a book with a punch remains the best way to grab a reader's interest.I don't recall this book containing any important main characters( there were just so many characters and they all read the same) I wanted at least one strong female persona and that didn't happen. I won't lie. I skipped numerous pages and there was even a French mistake just to top it off.
On to the good parts:
I loved the very rich vocabulary and even though I complained previously about the super duper long character development, it was still quite well written.
Verdict: I believe that this book has potential but needs lots of work.
April 20, 2016
It took me a while to start this book. I know the author, which is always a little awkward, and she and I both knew the Victorian prose style probably wouldn't be to my taste. Finally I started it on a plane flight and found myself racing through it! I am happy to say, we were completely wrong. I am eagerly awaiting book 2! (hint hint)
While the language of the introductory chapters was a bit exaggerated--and almost put me off--I persisted, and suddenly by chapter three I had fallen in love with the characters. This is where Amber Cook's talent really shines. Each one is a real original, and I loved them all. Where another author might have relied on some stereotype of either the zombie genre or the many Victorian knock-offs, instead she built deep, fully realized people who are conflicted both internally and with one another, and whose concerns go far beyond the increasingly alarming circumstances of the nights of the harvest moon.
Once the story gets rolling, the language is nuanced and serves the characters and the story. The author navigates a full cast of characters and weaves them together in ways I found fresh, and the buildup of suspicions and eventually the sharing of information about things different characters have witnessed is handled very deftly.
I especially enjoyed the mysterious nature of the "outbreak." Is it a harvest moon curse? Bandits made savage by poverty and disease? A mysterious illness brought back from travels on the Indian subcontinent? There is evidence for most of these things, and I honestly didn't know what would happen next or what the answer would be. Every time I learned a new thing, it fit with what had come before and shed light on events in a new way.
Awesome, awesome fun. If I were to downgrade by a half star, it would be because I'M NOT HOLDING BOOK 2 RIGHT NOW.
Do stick through misgivings you might have about the opening, and fall in love with this delightful cast of characters!
While the language of the introductory chapters was a bit exaggerated--and almost put me off--I persisted, and suddenly by chapter three I had fallen in love with the characters. This is where Amber Cook's talent really shines. Each one is a real original, and I loved them all. Where another author might have relied on some stereotype of either the zombie genre or the many Victorian knock-offs, instead she built deep, fully realized people who are conflicted both internally and with one another, and whose concerns go far beyond the increasingly alarming circumstances of the nights of the harvest moon.
Once the story gets rolling, the language is nuanced and serves the characters and the story. The author navigates a full cast of characters and weaves them together in ways I found fresh, and the buildup of suspicions and eventually the sharing of information about things different characters have witnessed is handled very deftly.
I especially enjoyed the mysterious nature of the "outbreak." Is it a harvest moon curse? Bandits made savage by poverty and disease? A mysterious illness brought back from travels on the Indian subcontinent? There is evidence for most of these things, and I honestly didn't know what would happen next or what the answer would be. Every time I learned a new thing, it fit with what had come before and shed light on events in a new way.
Awesome, awesome fun. If I were to downgrade by a half star, it would be because I'M NOT HOLDING BOOK 2 RIGHT NOW.
Do stick through misgivings you might have about the opening, and fall in love with this delightful cast of characters!
October 16, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This novel ends at the setting of the first of the three days of the Harvest Moon. However, the first book in a series needs to be able to stand on its own. Look at Harry Potter, Inkheart, and Magyk, to name a few. In every one of these, the villain is vanquished and wrongs are set right, even if the reader knows it will only be for a little while. I am sorry to say that Welcome to Romero Park does not succeed in this.
The author spends 3/4 of the book making the reader trudge through dull and relatively uninteresting backstories and fluff, leaving them in the head of so many characters that it is impossible to feel any sort of attachment to any of them. We get bits and pieces of cliched backstories, but the characters are unoriginal and bland, and there is nothing that gives us a true connection. Her narrators are spread so thin that the story feels clunky and disjointed. It is often very hard to figure out any sort of timeline in the first part of the novel, but in the later sections it is much easier to see that everything is happening simultaneously.
The biggest grievance in this book, however, is the author's assumption that her readers have never encountered a book before and therefore must have everything spoonfed to them. All throughout the book, things are told to the reader instead of shown to them, which is the biggest sin an author can make. If things are shown, it is only for a very brief moment and then the entirety of the next scene deals with a character explaining in detail what happened in the previous scene. This is especially prominent when the reader first arrives at the Helgram house, Highland Hall, in chapter 6 of part one. It extends to the prolonged judgment of Mrs. Helgram as well. I think the use of telling was most prominent when
Another thing that goes along with the "show, not tell" is the author's absolute delight in hitting her reader over the head with foreshadowing. It is all so painfully obvious () what is going to happen all throughout the novel, particularly . the author so loves writing her bad boys and wants you to know EXACTLY what they are up to.
Be forewarned that the language used will really begin to grate by chapter four. She is trying so hard to sound Austenian, but takes it too far. It also shows that, while the author's love for archaic language comes out hard, she completely avoids the British "u" in words like color/colour. It's a very small thing, but it stands out glaringly over the course of the novel, particularly when compared to the author's enthusiasm over everything else.
I was really excited for this novel and was disappointed. There is so much fluff in the first two parts of this novel that it could've easily been cut down by 2/3 and nobody would've been the wiser. Stuff really didn't start happening until I'd hit 82% in the Kindle edition! I understand it's meant to sound Austenian, but Austen had a purpose for everything she wrote. Nothing was fluff. I spent an entire course studying Austen and her writing style, and while the author tries, it falls short for a few reasons:
1. There just is not enough character development for the reader to care about anyone, and the characters are all cookie cutter lifted from other novels (Mr. Dorchester, for example, , and Mrs. Helgram is , and Miss Helgram reminds me of ).
2. The author puts so many things in your face while keeping minor things infuriatingly vague ()
3. THERE IS SO MUCH FLUFF.
Had I not read Jane Austen's novels first, and if I hadn't studied them and other Gothic novels nearly to death during my time as an English undergraduate and graduate student, I might have felt okay with giving this book 3.5 or even 4 stars. As it stands, though, I've thoroughly studied (and thoroughly enjoyed!) Austen's work and the work of the Brontë sisters over the past six years (I'm due to graduate with my English MA in May 2018), that I cannot ignore what is going on here.
I feel like there is potential for this book, but as it stands now, I feel like the only reason I would read the others in the series would be to see if the author can possibly wrap this up in a satisfying way. The end of book one was not satisfying, and the "preview" of book two at the end actually turned me away from attempting the next one.
2/5 stars.
This novel ends at the setting of the first of the three days of the Harvest Moon. However, the first book in a series needs to be able to stand on its own. Look at Harry Potter, Inkheart, and Magyk, to name a few. In every one of these, the villain is vanquished and wrongs are set right, even if the reader knows it will only be for a little while. I am sorry to say that Welcome to Romero Park does not succeed in this.
The author spends 3/4 of the book making the reader trudge through dull and relatively uninteresting backstories and fluff, leaving them in the head of so many characters that it is impossible to feel any sort of attachment to any of them. We get bits and pieces of cliched backstories, but the characters are unoriginal and bland, and there is nothing that gives us a true connection. Her narrators are spread so thin that the story feels clunky and disjointed. It is often very hard to figure out any sort of timeline in the first part of the novel, but in the later sections it is much easier to see that everything is happening simultaneously.
The biggest grievance in this book, however, is the author's assumption that her readers have never encountered a book before and therefore must have everything spoonfed to them. All throughout the book, things are told to the reader instead of shown to them, which is the biggest sin an author can make. If things are shown, it is only for a very brief moment and then the entirety of the next scene deals with a character explaining in detail what happened in the previous scene. This is especially prominent when the reader first arrives at the Helgram house, Highland Hall, in chapter 6 of part one. It extends to the prolonged judgment of Mrs. Helgram as well. I think the use of telling was most prominent when
Another thing that goes along with the "show, not tell" is the author's absolute delight in hitting her reader over the head with foreshadowing. It is all so painfully obvious () what is going to happen all throughout the novel, particularly . the author so loves writing her bad boys and wants you to know EXACTLY what they are up to.
Be forewarned that the language used will really begin to grate by chapter four. She is trying so hard to sound Austenian, but takes it too far. It also shows that, while the author's love for archaic language comes out hard, she completely avoids the British "u" in words like color/colour. It's a very small thing, but it stands out glaringly over the course of the novel, particularly when compared to the author's enthusiasm over everything else.
I was really excited for this novel and was disappointed. There is so much fluff in the first two parts of this novel that it could've easily been cut down by 2/3 and nobody would've been the wiser. Stuff really didn't start happening until I'd hit 82% in the Kindle edition! I understand it's meant to sound Austenian, but Austen had a purpose for everything she wrote. Nothing was fluff. I spent an entire course studying Austen and her writing style, and while the author tries, it falls short for a few reasons:
1. There just is not enough character development for the reader to care about anyone, and the characters are all cookie cutter lifted from other novels (Mr. Dorchester, for example, , and Mrs. Helgram is , and Miss Helgram reminds me of ).
2. The author puts so many things in your face while keeping minor things infuriatingly vague ()
3. THERE IS SO MUCH FLUFF.
Had I not read Jane Austen's novels first, and if I hadn't studied them and other Gothic novels nearly to death during my time as an English undergraduate and graduate student, I might have felt okay with giving this book 3.5 or even 4 stars. As it stands, though, I've thoroughly studied (and thoroughly enjoyed!) Austen's work and the work of the Brontë sisters over the past six years (I'm due to graduate with my English MA in May 2018), that I cannot ignore what is going on here.
I feel like there is potential for this book, but as it stands now, I feel like the only reason I would read the others in the series would be to see if the author can possibly wrap this up in a satisfying way. The end of book one was not satisfying, and the "preview" of book two at the end actually turned me away from attempting the next one.
2/5 stars.
November 26, 2017
Welcome to Romero Park, as one might expect with a series entitled ‘Night of the Victorian Dead’, is very Victorian. So don’t go into it expecting a horror novel set in the Victorian times but light on the Victorian vocabulary and sentence structure. This book is heavy on both.
Ordinarily, novels heavy on romance aren’t the sort of thing that I go for. But I enjoy historical fiction and I enjoy zombies. So, naturally, when approached to review it I couldn’t say no!
‘Welcome to Romero Park’ is the first in a trilogy and, in almost Stephen King fashion (if King wrote Victorian) the author has a slow burn approach so that the reader gets the feel that we aren’t just reading the interesting parts of a story, we are reading about the lives of various different people from various walks of life.
The book sports an interesting array of characters from the ever attentative, and ever likeable manservant of the Dorchesters (Georgie Bottlesworth) to the mysterious apothecary William Poole. There are a couple of characters that I just know I’m going hate as the series goes on as well.
The only slight negatives I have are some of the strange ways of spelling certain words. Only a couple, but they are done consistently so I can tell it was intentional. The other is the fact that the first book is very light on anything concerning Zombies. What parts there are (and there are several) are incredibly well done and very vivid. Imagery is something the author is gifted with. There are, however, not as much instances of ghoulish goings on for my liking. But, I suppose, that is to make the reader want to dive into book 2.
Ordinarily, novels heavy on romance aren’t the sort of thing that I go for. But I enjoy historical fiction and I enjoy zombies. So, naturally, when approached to review it I couldn’t say no!
‘Welcome to Romero Park’ is the first in a trilogy and, in almost Stephen King fashion (if King wrote Victorian) the author has a slow burn approach so that the reader gets the feel that we aren’t just reading the interesting parts of a story, we are reading about the lives of various different people from various walks of life.
The book sports an interesting array of characters from the ever attentative, and ever likeable manservant of the Dorchesters (Georgie Bottlesworth) to the mysterious apothecary William Poole. There are a couple of characters that I just know I’m going hate as the series goes on as well.
The only slight negatives I have are some of the strange ways of spelling certain words. Only a couple, but they are done consistently so I can tell it was intentional. The other is the fact that the first book is very light on anything concerning Zombies. What parts there are (and there are several) are incredibly well done and very vivid. Imagery is something the author is gifted with. There are, however, not as much instances of ghoulish goings on for my liking. But, I suppose, that is to make the reader want to dive into book 2.
April 22, 2018
When I got the review request for this novel, the first thing I thought was "Oh no. I hate zombies!" It's not that I have anything against zombies (I'm sure some of them are very decent) but ever since my sister used to chase me around the room in a Hallowe'en mask pretending to be a zombie, I have been really scared of them.
I'm pleased I agreed to review this book, however. It is a really interesting mix between historical fiction and zombie novels, with some spine-chillingly yet amusing encounters with the living dead.
I didn't realise, when I started reading, there was a connection between the book's characters and those in "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte so I was slightly confused at first. After the initial confusion, however, I began to appreciate how well the parallel works. The author looks at the Jane Eyre story through the eyes of other characters, for example the ward, which is an ingenious look at the secondary characters in the classic book.
It is also greatly amusing to see how the much-loved characters deal with the unknown threat of zombies, in their perfectly English way. How they remain so prim and proper beats me, but it works!
Because there were a few different groups of characters in different spaces, the author jumped from one group to another which added to the suspense. At the start of the novel, however, this was slightly confusing as I was just getting used to the characters.
The book would be a great read for someone who is looking for a humourous zombie novel with a bit of a twist.
I'm pleased I agreed to review this book, however. It is a really interesting mix between historical fiction and zombie novels, with some spine-chillingly yet amusing encounters with the living dead.
I didn't realise, when I started reading, there was a connection between the book's characters and those in "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte so I was slightly confused at first. After the initial confusion, however, I began to appreciate how well the parallel works. The author looks at the Jane Eyre story through the eyes of other characters, for example the ward, which is an ingenious look at the secondary characters in the classic book.
It is also greatly amusing to see how the much-loved characters deal with the unknown threat of zombies, in their perfectly English way. How they remain so prim and proper beats me, but it works!
Because there were a few different groups of characters in different spaces, the author jumped from one group to another which added to the suspense. At the start of the novel, however, this was slightly confusing as I was just getting used to the characters.
The book would be a great read for someone who is looking for a humourous zombie novel with a bit of a twist.
September 2, 2018
I wanted so bad to love this story, Pride & Prejudice meets Zombies, sign me up! Ultimately though it just wasn't for me. I'm okay with a slow burn, I don't mind waiting awhile to get to the payoff, but I never really felt like I got there by the end, unfortunately. To be honest the real build up didn't even seem to come into play until the second half of the book and it just never quite delivers on the action I was highly anticipating.
Besides the lacking action I had wanted, I also found it hard to connect with any of the characters as they all seemed so similar to me and there were so many of them they all kind of blobbed together. It was written well, and there was a lot of potential and a few enjoyable scenes, but in the end I was left wanting and not in a good way.
* I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review *
Besides the lacking action I had wanted, I also found it hard to connect with any of the characters as they all seemed so similar to me and there were so many of them they all kind of blobbed together. It was written well, and there was a lot of potential and a few enjoyable scenes, but in the end I was left wanting and not in a good way.
* I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review *
October 8, 2019
This is definitely a slow-burning story, the first volume obviously setting up for more action (and zombies!) in the future. In true Victorian gothic fashion, most of the characters are concealing Great Secrets, some of which have been revealed to the reader, and some only hinted at. One hopes volume 2 will be quick in coming!
I would have given five stars if not for a number of errors in the text, mostly involving word confusion (reign vs. rein, who's vs. whose, etc.). The errors I spotted can be seen in my highlights.
I would have given five stars if not for a number of errors in the text, mostly involving word confusion (reign vs. rein, who's vs. whose, etc.). The errors I spotted can be seen in my highlights.
October 30, 2017
As the guest are arriving for a ball, the tenants and servants are in a superstitious state due to the moon. Strange things happen to those who've died in Night of the Victorian Dead by Amber Michelle Cook but will everyone realize what's going on before something terrible befalls them?
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
To celebrate the official announcement of his ward, Sophie's, engagement, Mr. Dorchester invites guests to his home, Romero Park. With romantic entanglements and desires, as well as a mind toward elevating familial status through prudent marriages, the gentlemen and ladies of the Dorchester's acquaintance have various goals for the ball Mr. Dorchester's hosting. As each of the guests are set to arrive on the Harvest Moon, leaving the servants and tenants of Romero Park uneasy from the stories they believe of spirits negatively affecting them. As each party seems to have fallen victim to some trouble before arriving, suspicions are aroused by the superstitious and generally inquisitive among them, but in finding rational explanations for the odd occurances the creepy, haunting reality behind what's going on isn't realized.
This first book spends most, if not all, of its time concerned with lengthy (and somewhat unnecessary) exposition, bringing all the characters together and setting up action for the rest of the series, with very little actual progression; now that the pieces are in place on the board and odd things have started happening right at the end of this installment, there's some interest in seeing how events would progress and characters fare in the end as the concept of the undead in Victorian England is intriguing. Having read much British literature I found the communication issues between characters familiar but became rather frustrated by the attempt made to emulate the writing style of British literature as the commitment wasn't consistent enough to be of use (inconsistent American/British spelling for words, Mr shouldn't have the period after it like it does in American English, etc.).
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
To celebrate the official announcement of his ward, Sophie's, engagement, Mr. Dorchester invites guests to his home, Romero Park. With romantic entanglements and desires, as well as a mind toward elevating familial status through prudent marriages, the gentlemen and ladies of the Dorchester's acquaintance have various goals for the ball Mr. Dorchester's hosting. As each of the guests are set to arrive on the Harvest Moon, leaving the servants and tenants of Romero Park uneasy from the stories they believe of spirits negatively affecting them. As each party seems to have fallen victim to some trouble before arriving, suspicions are aroused by the superstitious and generally inquisitive among them, but in finding rational explanations for the odd occurances the creepy, haunting reality behind what's going on isn't realized.
This first book spends most, if not all, of its time concerned with lengthy (and somewhat unnecessary) exposition, bringing all the characters together and setting up action for the rest of the series, with very little actual progression; now that the pieces are in place on the board and odd things have started happening right at the end of this installment, there's some interest in seeing how events would progress and characters fare in the end as the concept of the undead in Victorian England is intriguing. Having read much British literature I found the communication issues between characters familiar but became rather frustrated by the attempt made to emulate the writing style of British literature as the commitment wasn't consistent enough to be of use (inconsistent American/British spelling for words, Mr shouldn't have the period after it like it does in American English, etc.).
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2019
I liked the premise of this book, but not the execution. The beginning of the story is rather boring. It's filled with way too much background information. Honestly, the only exciting action occurs right at the end of the book. It also ends at an awkward point.
Want to read
October 23, 201415.10 - Be Polite
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews