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Dawn of the Dreadfuls
(Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #0.5)
by
Journey Back to Regency England - Land of the Undead!
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. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreami ...more
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. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreami ...more
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Paperback, 287 pages
Published
March 1st 2010
by Quirk Books
(first published March 6th 2007)
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Start your review of Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, #0.5)

Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 0.5), Steve Hockensmith, Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (2010) is a parody novel by Steve Hockensmith. It is a prequel to Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, focusing on "the early life and training of Elizabeth Bennet, heroine of the earlier Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as she strove to become a gifted zombie hunter, with some mishaps in her early romantic encounters also in ...more
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (2010) is a parody novel by Steve Hockensmith. It is a prequel to Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, focusing on "the early life and training of Elizabeth Bennet, heroine of the earlier Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as she strove to become a gifted zombie hunter, with some mishaps in her early romantic encounters also in ...more

Okay so I have read them out of order (not that at the time I realised there was an order - and which no doubt I will ruin again if I get round to reading Dreadfully ever after).
Anyway I have had a copy of this book rattling around for a while now and thought I might as well read it.
The story is really a precursor to the Pride And Prejudice with Zombies book which caught everyones attention. However as fun as the story is (and as gruesome) it has nothing - or should I say even less to do with t ...more
Anyway I have had a copy of this book rattling around for a while now and thought I might as well read it.
The story is really a precursor to the Pride And Prejudice with Zombies book which caught everyones attention. However as fun as the story is (and as gruesome) it has nothing - or should I say even less to do with t ...more

Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book of all time, and I absolutely love to read all the retellings about Lizzie and Darcy (sadly, there's no Darcy in this one though *sniff*). While I admit this felt fairly ridiculous at times, I read it fast (considering I was supposed to do Uni work), and I found myself really enjoying this.
So, if you think you wanna read how Lizzie Bennet (and her sisters) became badass zombie fighters, maybe pick this one up.
...more
So, if you think you wanna read how Lizzie Bennet (and her sisters) became badass zombie fighters, maybe pick this one up.
...more

I didn't read zombied and pride and prejudice, but I liked this book.
eve tho the characters were YA cliches, they didn't make me feel bored. feminism inside it was good, but it should have been more argued. I liked the plot's speed, but only if all of the book was as exiting as the last 50 pages! ...more
eve tho the characters were YA cliches, they didn't make me feel bored. feminism inside it was good, but it should have been more argued. I liked the plot's speed, but only if all of the book was as exiting as the last 50 pages! ...more

The fact that Quirk Books is the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls gives a major clue as to what lies ahead. As the prequel to the very successful Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it delves into the circumstances that changed the Bennett girls into lean, mean, zombie fighting machines.
When a recently deceased corpse reanimates into a zombie during its own funeral, it heralds the return of the Unmentionables. It is then that the girls learn that their father fou ...more
When a recently deceased corpse reanimates into a zombie during its own funeral, it heralds the return of the Unmentionables. It is then that the girls learn that their father fou ...more

I know these "mash-up" books are stupid. THey are junk food for the brain. HOwever, I give this one credit for at least ATTEMPTING some originality. See, unlike the other "and zombies" books, this one does not simply insert zombies in the spaces where the source material lacked...uh...zombies. This book simply borrows the characters from Pride and Prejudice and threw them in a zombie-infested world.
It is basically just a Zombie novel set in Victorian England.
Had the Author called the Character ...more
It is basically just a Zombie novel set in Victorian England.
Had the Author called the Character ...more

I could just imagine Jane Austen rolling in her grave when Pride and Prejudice and Zombies hit shelves and remastered the art of the public domain. When Quirk released Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, the prequel to PPZ, Austen was probably so angry over the irreverent use of her work that she may just rise from the dead herself. This would, most likely, lead to sightings of a zombified Jane Austen shuffling through the streets, her arms outstreched, a low moan coming from
...more

See my review on my book blog: http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/1...
...more

Regency romance meets zombie fiction in this mash-up prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading, but it turned out to be strangely entertaining.
...more

In Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, we witnessed one of literature's favorite heroines, Elizabeth Bennet, fall in love while fighting valiantly against the zombie menace that had overtaken England. Now, in this lively prequel, PPZ: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, learn how the hoardes of unmentionables became said menace, and lively Lizzie found herself becoming one the British Isles foremost warrior-maidens.
There are going to be some of you reading this review who are going to be surprised that I decide ...more
There are going to be some of you reading this review who are going to be surprised that I decide ...more

3.5 stars
As one review stated you have to read this as a tongue in cheek farcical take-off of Pride and Prejudice. I was smiling at the nonsensical action all the way through. This is not my usual fare in reading although I have read hundreds of Jane Austen Fan Fiction books and P&P is my favorite variation. But it is almost unthought-of for me to read of fantasy creatures in connection with these romances. Books about Vampires, Werewolves, Sea Creatures, and Zombies belong on other book shelves ...more
As one review stated you have to read this as a tongue in cheek farcical take-off of Pride and Prejudice. I was smiling at the nonsensical action all the way through. This is not my usual fare in reading although I have read hundreds of Jane Austen Fan Fiction books and P&P is my favorite variation. But it is almost unthought-of for me to read of fantasy creatures in connection with these romances. Books about Vampires, Werewolves, Sea Creatures, and Zombies belong on other book shelves ...more

"Half the soldiers whirled away to do as he asked, desperate for any excuse to put distance between themselves and the unmentionable about to sprout like some ghastly flower. The other half simply stared with their mouths agape." (p. 175)
The hamlet of Meryton has been in a state of peace for years since The Troubles. It seems an ordinary day for an ordinary funeral where most of the town is in attendance. Suddenly, the dearly departed is no longer at rest and sits upright during his own funeral. ...more
The hamlet of Meryton has been in a state of peace for years since The Troubles. It seems an ordinary day for an ordinary funeral where most of the town is in attendance. Suddenly, the dearly departed is no longer at rest and sits upright during his own funeral. ...more

Ok, surprisingly, this was pretty good. I didn't know how I was going to feel reading a prequel of P&P without the angst of Darcy and Lizzy but I found that with a good enough premise, an already existing solid novel and the character development that even Ms. Austen would appreciate, I could get over not seeing Darcy.
This book begins with Lizzy about to "come out" to the ton and the Bennett's are all assembled for a funeral for one of their neighbors. It starts off with Mr. Bennett's POV and I ...more
This book begins with Lizzy about to "come out" to the ton and the Bennett's are all assembled for a funeral for one of their neighbors. It starts off with Mr. Bennett's POV and I ...more

Okay guys this is my first Giveaway on my blog and it is being offered through Quirk Books!
I read and enjoyed both "Pride and Prejudice" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (PPZ). So when I heard that a prequel to PPZ was being released I was excited. I mean, finally, we get to learn all about how Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters got their awesome fighting skills. I got a copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls through Quirk Books. I actually enjoyed this book more than PPZ; Hockensmith has created some ...more
I read and enjoyed both "Pride and Prejudice" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (PPZ). So when I heard that a prequel to PPZ was being released I was excited. I mean, finally, we get to learn all about how Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters got their awesome fighting skills. I got a copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls through Quirk Books. I actually enjoyed this book more than PPZ; Hockensmith has created some ...more

DAWN OF THE DREADFULS is the prequel to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES and takes place when Elizabeth is sixteen. After a zombie arises during its funeral, all the Bennett children learn, that their father fought zombies during the previous zombie infestation. Now, the Bennett children must learn quickly and take up arms against the enemy. To aid the girls in this endeavor a ninja master, Master Hawksworth, is sent and the fun begins.
As a rabid Jane Austen fan, I enjoy reading most anything ...more
As a rabid Jane Austen fan, I enjoy reading most anything ...more

Feb 01, 2015
K.
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
2015,
paranormal,
audience-adult,
humour,
setting-uk,
horror,
mashups,
austen-inspired,
weeded,
alternate-history
2.5 stars of meh-ness. While this is an occasionally entertaining prequel, approximately 80% of it feels incredibly out of character. Honestly, I would have been far more interested in reading about the ORIGINAL rising of the dreadfuls and Mr Bennet going to China to learn how to fight them than I was reading about the reappearance of the dreadfuls four years prior to P&P&Z.
There were occasional entertaining moments, yes, and I enjoyed it more than Dreadfully Ever After. But for the most part, ...more
There were occasional entertaining moments, yes, and I enjoyed it more than Dreadfully Ever After. But for the most part, ...more

This is a gem of hilarity. Listened to it on tape at work and burst out laughing far more often than seemed proper. Mrs. Bennet's frivolity and all the humor at her expense was my guilty favorite thing, beside the random "dreadfuls" that kept popping up in the middle of everyone's polite conversations. Really fantastic, and the narrator I listened to (Katherine Kellgren) gave a highly amusing performance. Loved this!
...more

I hadn't heard of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies until I picked up its prequel: Dawn of the Dreadfuls.
Don't dismiss it by its juvenile and badly designed cover, or judge me for saying that it was the first book I read off my #BigBadWolf haul, because I have zero shame or regrets.
It's kind of unexpectedly superb? In a way that you find dry humour, a lot of darkness and sadness, and way less sap than you'd get in Austen's immensely dull book. I found myself giggling through parts of it the way He ...more
Don't dismiss it by its juvenile and badly designed cover, or judge me for saying that it was the first book I read off my #BigBadWolf haul, because I have zero shame or regrets.
It's kind of unexpectedly superb? In a way that you find dry humour, a lot of darkness and sadness, and way less sap than you'd get in Austen's immensely dull book. I found myself giggling through parts of it the way He ...more

Unread shelf project 2020: book 58.
Okay, so this book has little to do with the actual Pride & Prejudice aside from the main characters (the Bennet family) and the setting. HOWEVER, Hockensmith did an absolutely smashing job with carrying over all of the personalities of the various Bennet family members. Mrs. Bennet was by far my favorite just because of how ridiculous she is.
I’m not a very emotive reader — in that I rarely externally emote anything while reading. But this book made me laugh ou ...more
Okay, so this book has little to do with the actual Pride & Prejudice aside from the main characters (the Bennet family) and the setting. HOWEVER, Hockensmith did an absolutely smashing job with carrying over all of the personalities of the various Bennet family members. Mrs. Bennet was by far my favorite just because of how ridiculous she is.
I’m not a very emotive reader — in that I rarely externally emote anything while reading. But this book made me laugh ou ...more

More zombies than Austen this time around
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-cru ...more
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-cru ...more

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith was the prequel to the bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It takes place prior to the parody, and follows the Bennet Sisters as they begin their warrior training to become master zombie hunters. In this story we see Elizabeth's wit take form, and Jane become more hardened, and we see Mary, Lydia, and Kitty... be the exact same... We also see people not understanding what the apocalypse is, or if it is really coming, therefore making the girls'
...more

Never did I think I'd enjoy a zombie version of a beloved Jane Austen novel, but...such is life. :)
...more

Originally posted on Small Review
3.5 stars
What kind of reader are you?
Look, I think this is pretty obvious, but if you're the type of fan who believes the original Pride and Prejudice is a sacred text that should never be tampered with, then this really isn't the book for you. If you don't like zombie books where the zombies are of the hoarding, mindless brain-eater variety, then you probably won't like Dawn of the Dreadfuls.
If, however, those sorts of zombie stories appeal to you and you don't ...more
3.5 stars
What kind of reader are you?
Look, I think this is pretty obvious, but if you're the type of fan who believes the original Pride and Prejudice is a sacred text that should never be tampered with, then this really isn't the book for you. If you don't like zombie books where the zombies are of the hoarding, mindless brain-eater variety, then you probably won't like Dawn of the Dreadfuls.
If, however, those sorts of zombie stories appeal to you and you don't ...more

Continuing on the trend of -nothing-is-sacred-copyright-expired re-mangling of the classics; this book is the prequel to Pride and Prejudice and zombies, introducing you to the tale of how zombies first came to Longborn. It's not exactly the start of the zombie troubles, as people have been off fighting long before this, but it is the Bennett girls' introduction to the undead and to their ku fung training or whatever the hell that was meant to be. There's the usual zombie beheadings, seige and f
...more
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Anyone interested in talking about this? | 1 | 1 | May 30, 2020 12:12PM | |
Play Book Tag: Dawn of the Dreadfuls: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Steve Hockensmith - 3 stars | 2 | 16 | Jun 27, 2019 05:53PM | |
Book Trailers - C...: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls | 9 | 13 | Sep 08, 2014 11:08AM | |
Expectations | 11 | 33 | Oct 28, 2013 06:28AM |
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“Walking out in the middle of a funeral would be, of course, bad form. So attempting to walk out on one's own was beyond the pale.”
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“A battle cry" Mr. Bennet said "is a warrior's calling card. Only it does not say 'Good afternoon. I have come for tea and crumpets.' It says 'Death has come for you! Flee or be killed where you stand!”
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