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Shakespeare Undead #1
Shakespeare Undead
Something wicked this way comes . . . and it keeps coming and coming and coming. . . .
William Shakespeare was one of history's greatest writers, a master of words with a body of work that is truly impressive . . . some may say a little too impressive for a single man to accomplish in one lifetime. Perhaps, as many have speculated, he had assistance. Or perhaps the explanation is more . . . unusual.
Who was William Shakespeare?
Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?
Why are the undead stalking the alleyways of London?
And can they be stopped?
Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.
So brace yourself for a wild ride through twisted streets and shadowed graveyards of Elizabethan London, where you'll discover how the Bard got his Bite.
291 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2010
22 people are currently reading
2748 people want to read
About the author
Lori Handeland
122 books1,347 followersLori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
April 14, 2011
3 1/2
I think I need to add a shelf: Books that I'm embarassed to admit I liked. And this - this would be one of them. LOL
There's nothing really original or awe-inspiring here. It's essentially 'Shakespeare in Love' (as it uses a lot of the same conceits from that movie) with zombies and vampires. (Also, there's a bit more "romance" than I was expecting, but it was pretty tame as far as smut goes.)
But the writing was fun and engaging, the story, while predictable, was fun and entertaining.
My main complaint is that the transition from first-person for Kate's chapters and third-person for Will's chapters weren't distinct enough in their voices. (Seems to be the theme for the week.)
And, yes, there's a lot of silliness. Love at first sight being the least of them. But I don't think you can pick up a book called 'Shakespeare Undead' and not expect silliness, so I took it in stride.
For what it is, it's well done, and I liked it. So there! :P
ETA: There was one other thing that bothered me about the dialogue. There were times when the characters would be talking and quoting Shakespearean lines but, in the book, it's just their dialogue. This is part of the conceit and similar to 'Shakespeare in Love', as I said. The problem is that when they're not doing lines from one of the plays or sonnets they talk "normally" and almost modernly. Especially Kate. So it's a little jarring to have her, as herself, spouting out Juliet's lines, and then slipping back into her normal mode of speech since she's meant to be talking and not quoting.
I think I need to add a shelf: Books that I'm embarassed to admit I liked. And this - this would be one of them. LOL
There's nothing really original or awe-inspiring here. It's essentially 'Shakespeare in Love' (as it uses a lot of the same conceits from that movie) with zombies and vampires. (Also, there's a bit more "romance" than I was expecting, but it was pretty tame as far as smut goes.)
But the writing was fun and engaging, the story, while predictable, was fun and entertaining.
My main complaint is that the transition from first-person for Kate's chapters and third-person for Will's chapters weren't distinct enough in their voices. (Seems to be the theme for the week.)
And, yes, there's a lot of silliness. Love at first sight being the least of them. But I don't think you can pick up a book called 'Shakespeare Undead' and not expect silliness, so I took it in stride.
For what it is, it's well done, and I liked it. So there! :P
ETA: There was one other thing that bothered me about the dialogue. There were times when the characters would be talking and quoting Shakespearean lines but, in the book, it's just their dialogue. This is part of the conceit and similar to 'Shakespeare in Love', as I said. The problem is that when they're not doing lines from one of the plays or sonnets they talk "normally" and almost modernly. Especially Kate. So it's a little jarring to have her, as herself, spouting out Juliet's lines, and then slipping back into her normal mode of speech since she's meant to be talking and not quoting.
January 24, 2011
I was ready to enjoy some light, fluffy, Shakespeare-is-a-vampire-and-the-Dark-Lady-is-a-crossdressing-zombie-hunter fun.
Then I got to page 33.
"Perhaps there was something amiss within him because Will's stomach had always turned as much at the thought of murder as it did at the idea of sodomy."
Murder and sodomy. Really. "So why did the sight of this boy's eyes and cheek, his chin and lips, make Will's loins go heavy and his hands fair itch to touch him?"
Because the boy is a girl, of course.
Page 43 has vampire Will still dithering: "Will had kissed a man before, but never like this. The single time he'd tried, in need of something to make the endless nights less endless, he'd been unmoved. He was a woman's man, even though he was no longer truly a man."
Leaving the mediocre writing aside, this is basically worse than the worst of the Victor/Victoria plot, with none of the gay musical acts or Julie-Andrews-in-a-tux charm to offset the INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE heaven-forfend-the-hero-have-anything-but-100%-straight-Kinsey-1-sexuality-especially-Shakespeare-whoa-bisexuality-is-scary-historical-record-and-queer-readings-of-his-actual-writings-be-damned frenzy of the author.
Oh, and? Other than the vampire/zombie stuff? Shakespeare In Love did it better. And you copied it. Badly.
Know what, Lori Handeland? FUCK YOU.
Then I got to page 33.
"Perhaps there was something amiss within him because Will's stomach had always turned as much at the thought of murder as it did at the idea of sodomy."
Murder and sodomy. Really. "So why did the sight of this boy's eyes and cheek, his chin and lips, make Will's loins go heavy and his hands fair itch to touch him?"
Because the boy is a girl, of course.
Page 43 has vampire Will still dithering: "Will had kissed a man before, but never like this. The single time he'd tried, in need of something to make the endless nights less endless, he'd been unmoved. He was a woman's man, even though he was no longer truly a man."
Leaving the mediocre writing aside, this is basically worse than the worst of the Victor/Victoria plot, with none of the gay musical acts or Julie-Andrews-in-a-tux charm to offset the INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE heaven-forfend-the-hero-have-anything-but-100%-straight-Kinsey-1-sexuality-especially-Shakespeare-whoa-bisexuality-is-scary-historical-record-and-queer-readings-of-his-actual-writings-be-damned frenzy of the author.
Oh, and? Other than the vampire/zombie stuff? Shakespeare In Love did it better. And you copied it. Badly.
Know what, Lori Handeland? FUCK YOU.
September 4, 2024
*seufz * Ich habe selten so ein schlechtes Buch gelesen. Eigentlich klang die Beschreibung ganz witzig: Shakespeare ist eigentlich ein Vampir, der in London mit Hilfe einer Jägerin Zombies bekämpft. Aber die Umsetzung war einfach so grottig.
Die Jägerin Kate begegnet dem jahrtausendealten Vampir (er hatte schon was mit Cleopatra) genau einmal und schon ist er so verliebt wie noch nie... in seinem jahrtausendelangen Leben.
Ich hasse dieses Trope.
Außerdem schweift er ständig mit seinen Gedanken ab und hat dann nebenbei die Ideen zu Star Wars und The sixth sense.
Es war so fürchterlich!
Auch der Erzählstil an sich war ziemlich seicht und flach. Daher gibt es auch nicht mehr als 1 ⭐.
Die Jägerin Kate begegnet dem jahrtausendealten Vampir (er hatte schon was mit Cleopatra) genau einmal und schon ist er so verliebt wie noch nie... in seinem jahrtausendelangen Leben.
Ich hasse dieses Trope.
Außerdem schweift er ständig mit seinen Gedanken ab und hat dann nebenbei die Ideen zu Star Wars und The sixth sense.
Es war so fürchterlich!
Auch der Erzählstil an sich war ziemlich seicht und flach. Daher gibt es auch nicht mehr als 1 ⭐.
July 23, 2023
7/22/23
Demoted it from 2 stars to 1 after the book club meeting because that really drove home how much I did not enjoy it.
7/15/23
I read this over a decade ago, and I remember liking it well enough at the time, but I think maybe I was just really on my Shakespeare bullshit because OOF. The only reason I finished was because this was our book club pick for the month and mama didn't raise a quitter.
The concept is cool, but the execution is...lacking. The homophobia* and fatphobia made me cringe. The middle was an absolute slog, but it picked up for like the last 20% when all the supernatural elements really went off the rails.
*William Shakespeare would absolutely fuck a dude. The audacity.
Demoted it from 2 stars to 1 after the book club meeting because that really drove home how much I did not enjoy it.
7/15/23
I read this over a decade ago, and I remember liking it well enough at the time, but I think maybe I was just really on my Shakespeare bullshit because OOF. The only reason I finished was because this was our book club pick for the month and mama didn't raise a quitter.
The concept is cool, but the execution is...lacking. The homophobia* and fatphobia made me cringe. The middle was an absolute slog, but it picked up for like the last 20% when all the supernatural elements really went off the rails.
*William Shakespeare would absolutely fuck a dude. The audacity.
July 26, 2010
I really wish GoodReads allowed for half-stars, because while I did enjoy this book, there were certain aspects that prevented me from giving it four stars.
A brief summary: Shakespeare Undead is about a necromancer vampire who goes by the name Will Shakespeare and has, among other things, penned a good percentage of the world's great literature over his considerably long life. He abstains from drinking from humans and raising zombies, though he has done both in the past. Teamed up with Kate, a zombie-slaying machine, Will works at chopping the undead down to size all the while attempting to identify the necromancer responsible for the zombie invasion. He and Kate are also infatuated with each other, though she is married and he is, well, a vampire.
There were many things to enjoy in Shakespeare Undead. The writing is above par, and while I didn't care for the shifting POVs, it didn't distract me from the story as much as I thought it might. I also really enjoyed Ms. Handeland's characterization of Shakespeare. He is drawn as a brilliant, though aloof character, often fantasizing about various plot ideas that come to him at the most inconvenient moment. The audience is supposed to infer that Shakespeare ultimately pens The Wizard of Oz, The Sixth Sense, Star Wars, and perhaps one or two other works of consideration. This was cute the first time the reference was made, but by the time Shakespeare started envisioning Princess Leia telling a wise old sage that he was her "only hope," the joke had run its course.
Ms. Handeland also did a good job of creating sizzling chemistry between Will and Kate. I truly enjoyed the back-and-forth of their relationship.
I mentioned the shifting POVs, and while they didn't distract me, they didn't seem necessary by the end. Kate's first person narration didn't reveal anything that Will's third person did not. Likewise, if there was any mention as to what Will used as a blood substitution, as he didn't feed from humans, it wasn't made obvious. Yes, vamplore is ever-changing and subject to the author's personal mythology, but when the cornerstones of vamplore are dismissed, we need some explanation as to where the vampires who abstain from blood of any kind get what they need in order to survive. Like I said, this might have been touched upon in the book, but if it was, it was done so in such a way it was easy for the casual reader to overlook it.
I also caught myself thinking of Shakespeare in Love more than I should have. Obviously with any fictionalization of Shakespeare's life, we're going to see some references to his literary works, but from the stolen balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, to the R&J lark/nightingale back and forth as dawn approached, to Kate masquerading as a boy both to hunt zombies and to act on stage, to the Silvia speech from Two Gentleman of Verona, it seemed Ms. Handeland's best knowledge of Shakespeare came from the movie and not history books. I would have liked some hint at other Shakespearan insight than just from the film. Constantly reciting from Shakespeare's plays was also a little jarring when Ms. Handeland returned to normal dialogue. It was likely meant to be an intentional anachronism, but the shift was very obvious.
I will say I thought the last few lines of dialogue were brilliant, and I love where she left this story off.
Overall, this was a very entertaining read, one I gobbled up in less than 36 hours. It kept me interested, made me laugh, and while I did find fault with it upon reflecting, the plot spoke to the Shakespeare enthusiast in me, as well as the lover of a good paranormal romance.
A brief summary: Shakespeare Undead is about a necromancer vampire who goes by the name Will Shakespeare and has, among other things, penned a good percentage of the world's great literature over his considerably long life. He abstains from drinking from humans and raising zombies, though he has done both in the past. Teamed up with Kate, a zombie-slaying machine, Will works at chopping the undead down to size all the while attempting to identify the necromancer responsible for the zombie invasion. He and Kate are also infatuated with each other, though she is married and he is, well, a vampire.
There were many things to enjoy in Shakespeare Undead. The writing is above par, and while I didn't care for the shifting POVs, it didn't distract me from the story as much as I thought it might. I also really enjoyed Ms. Handeland's characterization of Shakespeare. He is drawn as a brilliant, though aloof character, often fantasizing about various plot ideas that come to him at the most inconvenient moment. The audience is supposed to infer that Shakespeare ultimately pens The Wizard of Oz, The Sixth Sense, Star Wars, and perhaps one or two other works of consideration. This was cute the first time the reference was made, but by the time Shakespeare started envisioning Princess Leia telling a wise old sage that he was her "only hope," the joke had run its course.
Ms. Handeland also did a good job of creating sizzling chemistry between Will and Kate. I truly enjoyed the back-and-forth of their relationship.
I mentioned the shifting POVs, and while they didn't distract me, they didn't seem necessary by the end. Kate's first person narration didn't reveal anything that Will's third person did not. Likewise, if there was any mention as to what Will used as a blood substitution, as he didn't feed from humans, it wasn't made obvious. Yes, vamplore is ever-changing and subject to the author's personal mythology, but when the cornerstones of vamplore are dismissed, we need some explanation as to where the vampires who abstain from blood of any kind get what they need in order to survive. Like I said, this might have been touched upon in the book, but if it was, it was done so in such a way it was easy for the casual reader to overlook it.
I also caught myself thinking of Shakespeare in Love more than I should have. Obviously with any fictionalization of Shakespeare's life, we're going to see some references to his literary works, but from the stolen balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, to the R&J lark/nightingale back and forth as dawn approached, to Kate masquerading as a boy both to hunt zombies and to act on stage, to the Silvia speech from Two Gentleman of Verona, it seemed Ms. Handeland's best knowledge of Shakespeare came from the movie and not history books. I would have liked some hint at other Shakespearan insight than just from the film. Constantly reciting from Shakespeare's plays was also a little jarring when Ms. Handeland returned to normal dialogue. It was likely meant to be an intentional anachronism, but the shift was very obvious.
I will say I thought the last few lines of dialogue were brilliant, and I love where she left this story off.
Overall, this was a very entertaining read, one I gobbled up in less than 36 hours. It kept me interested, made me laugh, and while I did find fault with it upon reflecting, the plot spoke to the Shakespeare enthusiast in me, as well as the lover of a good paranormal romance.
November 23, 2014
keresem a szavakat.
olyan ez a könyv, mint valami arany széphistória, csak vámpírokkal. nem mintha tudnám, az milyen, de a borító alapján valami hasonló lehet.
Shakespeare a szőke vámpírherceg zombik holt tetemén vágtatva át megmenti élete nagy szerelmét, a vámpír- és zombiölő rapíros harcoslányt, akinek ráadásul még egy gonosz férje is van, aki nem szereti a kis melleket. mindeközben természetesen shakespeare-i szonetteket szavalgatnak, időnként az orgazmusuk is ebben csúcsosodik ki.
borzasztóan gagyi a történet, a stílus, a szereplők. az egyetlen értékelhető momentum a vége (végre vége), amikoris megjelent Erzsébet királynő, és szolgálatába fogadta a vámpírt. elképzelhető, hogy a történet innentől jobb lesz, de ha a stílus marad, akkor úgyis mindegy.
olyan ez a könyv, mint valami arany széphistória, csak vámpírokkal. nem mintha tudnám, az milyen, de a borító alapján valami hasonló lehet.
Shakespeare a szőke vámpírherceg zombik holt tetemén vágtatva át megmenti élete nagy szerelmét, a vámpír- és zombiölő rapíros harcoslányt, akinek ráadásul még egy gonosz férje is van, aki nem szereti a kis melleket. mindeközben természetesen shakespeare-i szonetteket szavalgatnak, időnként az orgazmusuk is ebben csúcsosodik ki.
borzasztóan gagyi a történet, a stílus, a szereplők. az egyetlen értékelhető momentum a vége (végre vége), amikoris megjelent Erzsébet királynő, és szolgálatába fogadta a vámpírt. elképzelhető, hogy a történet innentől jobb lesz, de ha a stílus marad, akkor úgyis mindegy.
September 8, 2015
Cute, fun, and refreshingly literate, with plenty of au courant pop-culture references.
Yes, William Shakespeare is a vampire (how do you think he had time to write all those plays and sonnets?) and yes, he does fight zombies. Get over it, and enjoy all the references to the Bard’s various works, including, most admirably, the sonnets. Find out who the Dark Lady really was. ;)
Is it silly? Yes. But is it a great way to spend an evening? Hell, yes.
Yes, William Shakespeare is a vampire (how do you think he had time to write all those plays and sonnets?) and yes, he does fight zombies. Get over it, and enjoy all the references to the Bard’s various works, including, most admirably, the sonnets. Find out who the Dark Lady really was. ;)
Is it silly? Yes. But is it a great way to spend an evening? Hell, yes.
October 4, 2025
Quirky! What a fun little romp down the rabbit hole, asking and extrapolating on the question, How could one man have all these ideas in his head and so prolifically write them down in one lifetime, on his own?
April 21, 2011
What a delightful book! I adore Lori's characterization of the "absentminded professorish" Shakespeare. That he could write such wonderful plays and sonnets (with a little help from his "friends") is just icing on the cake when he can fight like a swashbuckler and take out those nasty zombies, as well as being sexy to boot. He deserves a love of his life that can not only keep up with him but best him on occasion. Lori gives him the perfect complement in a heroine. I truly was sorry to see this story end - I read it in one sitting - and cannot wait to read the second in the series when it is published. I hope it picks up just where the first one ends and is much, much longer.
February 3, 2017
This was just as I expected it would be: a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the characterization of Shakespeare, as well as his bouts of inspiration. Though those did start to get a bit silly when he started thinking up the plots to 20th century movies. But it was all in good fun. The plot borrows heavily from Shakespeare in Love, but I think that may be part of the joke. It was rather like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies in that way: the supernatural inserted into a preexisting bit of fiction. But not so closely adapted. The author has fun with both Shakespeare's works, history, and the undead. Good times.
March 22, 2015
This was an alternate history with vampires and zombies, set in Elizabethan London and starring Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, among a few other notables of the time. Handeland usually writes paranormal romance and much of this book reads like one of those, with the two somewhat star crossed lovers (Will Shakespeare and his Dark Lady) finding each other as they battle zombies and act out plays. The book is full of quotations from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, often spoken by the characters. It was an amusing read.
June 19, 2012
The name and premise and such would have one expect something ranging anywhere from silly to ridiculous to cheesy, but this book managed to balance all those things without letting it overwhelm the overall effect. It was also suprisingly clever in parts with some hilarious pop culture references plus it provides yet another, however wild, theory on the much questioned Shakespeare authorship. Very fast and entertaining light read. Recommended.
October 17, 2011
This book was good. Not really good. Or omg go out and buy it right now.
I wish they had these kind of twists on the classics when I had to read alot of them in high school. It sure would have made reading more enjoyable and maybe I would have read them all on time. HA!!
I wish they had these kind of twists on the classics when I had to read alot of them in high school. It sure would have made reading more enjoyable and maybe I would have read them all on time. HA!!
August 22, 2019
A quick read, quite funny and entertaining. Highly inspired by « Shakespeare in Love » with vampires and zombies as bonus. It is original, yet the action is rather slow and I had to read more than 200 pages to finally have a worthy combat with Zombies...before that, we have a non-stop flirting (and more) between William and Kate....and the impression that the story isn’t really moving forward. Too bad, because I really liked the concept of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2019
I had a good time with this one. It reminded me of Abraham Lincolm, Vampire Slayer. A little history, a little humor, enough Shakespearean dialogue and references to satisfy my literary nerdness, and enough action to keep my turning the page.
August 23, 2019
I love Shakespeare and am always up for an undead twist, but this just felt like vampire fetish. The action was good and linking "Will Shakespeare" to other famous works was interesting, but it could have done without the rest. To be fair, I hate romance that is basically soft core porn and feel it ruins an otherwise decent book.
May 5, 2019
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I love this stupid book. Understand that. This book was god awful and I loved every damn second of it. This is the Shakespeare book I wish I’d written.
Take the Tudor period, now throw in some zombies. Take William Shakespeare, now make him a vampire and necromancer running around London trying to destroy all the zombies so he can have a quiet evening to write plays. Take basically all the old favourites of his work and slip them into the writing as casual jokes. This book is a work of pure genius and you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think it’s going straight on my shelf to be read again when I need a bit of a pick me up.
Lori Handeland takes Shakespeare as an ageless vampire with a rather uncomfortable past and a somewhat uncertain future and she throws before him a sense of duty to protect the city of London while he struggles on with his play writing and his celebrity among the housewives surrounding the Theatre. Then, while out hunting, he stumbles upon a young woman who slays a zombie and vanishes into the night and that’s it. he’s obsessed. So obviously he follows her back to her house and so begins the makings of a Romeo and Juliet style (literally) relationship as the pair battle secrets, family drama, and zombies.
I was fully ready to roll my eyes at this book and donate it as soon as I was done but I was so very wrong. There’s a knowing wit to every element and I honestly don’t think you have to be THAT up on your Shakespeare knowledge to enjoy the majority of the references or tropes. I also liked the every day life elements that were thrown in, this isn’t an overly romanticised book, it’s parody, and I stormed though it with a chuckle and a wry smile.
I think perhaps more could have been made of Shakespeare’s indifference to gender in love. While his lover is female, she often dresses as a boy and characters do see them together and assume he is gay. I can see this for what it is, both the humour of the dramatic irony and the links to several of his plays in which characters face similar issues. However by making the young male lover actually a girl in disguise it could be seen to take away from what we might think of as Shakespeare bisexuality (which for us bi-folk tends to happen quite a bit.)
This aside I fell in love with this oddity from around page ten so I’m delighted to see that there is a second book and you bet I’ll be reading it the moment I can afford to be buying things that aren’t Yule/Christmas gifts!
P.S. A fantastic parody of all the Shakespeare tropes you can think of. Ridiculous, witty, a fun story line and dramatic irony that just keeps giving. Don’t turn your nose up at this one because it is a gem of a book.
I love this stupid book. Understand that. This book was god awful and I loved every damn second of it. This is the Shakespeare book I wish I’d written.
Take the Tudor period, now throw in some zombies. Take William Shakespeare, now make him a vampire and necromancer running around London trying to destroy all the zombies so he can have a quiet evening to write plays. Take basically all the old favourites of his work and slip them into the writing as casual jokes. This book is a work of pure genius and you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think it’s going straight on my shelf to be read again when I need a bit of a pick me up.
Lori Handeland takes Shakespeare as an ageless vampire with a rather uncomfortable past and a somewhat uncertain future and she throws before him a sense of duty to protect the city of London while he struggles on with his play writing and his celebrity among the housewives surrounding the Theatre. Then, while out hunting, he stumbles upon a young woman who slays a zombie and vanishes into the night and that’s it. he’s obsessed. So obviously he follows her back to her house and so begins the makings of a Romeo and Juliet style (literally) relationship as the pair battle secrets, family drama, and zombies.
I was fully ready to roll my eyes at this book and donate it as soon as I was done but I was so very wrong. There’s a knowing wit to every element and I honestly don’t think you have to be THAT up on your Shakespeare knowledge to enjoy the majority of the references or tropes. I also liked the every day life elements that were thrown in, this isn’t an overly romanticised book, it’s parody, and I stormed though it with a chuckle and a wry smile.
I think perhaps more could have been made of Shakespeare’s indifference to gender in love. While his lover is female, she often dresses as a boy and characters do see them together and assume he is gay. I can see this for what it is, both the humour of the dramatic irony and the links to several of his plays in which characters face similar issues. However by making the young male lover actually a girl in disguise it could be seen to take away from what we might think of as Shakespeare bisexuality (which for us bi-folk tends to happen quite a bit.)
This aside I fell in love with this oddity from around page ten so I’m delighted to see that there is a second book and you bet I’ll be reading it the moment I can afford to be buying things that aren’t Yule/Christmas gifts!
P.S. A fantastic parody of all the Shakespeare tropes you can think of. Ridiculous, witty, a fun story line and dramatic irony that just keeps giving. Don’t turn your nose up at this one because it is a gem of a book.
August 5, 2010
I have to say, when I picked this up, I expected another literary mash-up, combining one or many of Shakespeare's works with an abudance of supernatural creatures: Romeo and Juliet and Banshees or Henry V and His Army of Sea Creatures. I was pleasantly surprised to see this isn't a mash-up (the way I define them; others may have their own opinion). Instead, the author takes the legends and controversies which have built up around the bard over the years--How did a man from such a low and uneducated background write such marvelous and profuse works of literature? Did Christopher Marlowe write some or all of Shakespeare's works? Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets who inspired such passionate words? Why did his wife and children live separate from him, they in Stratford, he in London?--and combines them into a new twist on his personal history. Told in both first person, from his Dark Lady's perspective, and third person, from Will's perspective, the story shuttles back and forth between the two in a lucid and readable manner, presenting a realistic--in the sense that all stories have at least two sides to them--telling of the tale. Throw in a few pop culture references (sounds weird, but trust me, it works), some zombies, ghosts and necromancers, wrap it up in an illicit romance, and you have a lively romp through the back alleys and manor houses of 16th century London. Speaking of those pop culture references, it begs the question (actually questions): How does inspiration work? Can it come too early to be used and therefore must wait around until the time is right and strike again? What if Shakespeare had written Star Wars light years (ha!) ahead of its time? What about The Wizard of Oz or The Sixth Sense? Who knows. But I digress. (I'm also referencing a concept thought up by Terry Pratchett, who probably well knows the joys and frustrations which accompany random meteor strikes of creative inspiration.) And again, I digress. However, I think I have made my point, if I ever had one...wow, this is one ditzy review I'm writing. Lori Handeland has managed to create a new and unique entry into the overloaded para-/super-/preternatural field of fiction. If she has the time or gets hit with another bombardment of inspiration, I think Shakespeare Undead could easily become the first of a series.
June 10, 2010
We are all familiar with William Shakespeare or you have at least heard of him. Though, do you really know the man behind the image? Like, where did William get his ideas and what type of company did he keep in his presence?
William Shakespeare did not become famous on his own. No, he had some help. First, Will was a vampire and hung out with zombies. Well, this is not exactly true about the zombies. William could be seen with zombies but this is only because he is trying to find out who is raising the dead.
Second Will became enthralled with the beautiful and lovely Katherine Dymond. Katherine was known as the “Dark Lady of the Sonnets” Katherine also is a zombie hunter. Yep….you guessed it…Katherine made some heads roll for William.
Mash ups of classic novels or story are becoming quite popular. Author, Lori Handeland is taking her turn with her latest novel, Shakespeare Undead. I have to say that I have read a few mash up novels now and this is the first one that I really liked. Mrs. Handeland brought a fun and new twist to an old, classic story about the famous William Shakespeare. This book was dark in all the right ways. I knew Shakespeare was portrayed as a vampire in this book but I did not expect the twist about him also having another ability. Don’t want to give anything away. This other ability make Shakespeare unique and stand out from all the other vampires currently out in the reading world.
My only issue I had with this book was that it was told through first person. Usually, I don’t have a problem with this but I did ad first with this book. It started with a grown Will but then the story would flash back to when it seemed Will was a little boy. It took my till about a third of the way into the book to get everything straight. Once I did, I was able to sit back and enjoy. Shakespeare Undead will have you come alive for more!
William Shakespeare did not become famous on his own. No, he had some help. First, Will was a vampire and hung out with zombies. Well, this is not exactly true about the zombies. William could be seen with zombies but this is only because he is trying to find out who is raising the dead.
Second Will became enthralled with the beautiful and lovely Katherine Dymond. Katherine was known as the “Dark Lady of the Sonnets” Katherine also is a zombie hunter. Yep….you guessed it…Katherine made some heads roll for William.
Mash ups of classic novels or story are becoming quite popular. Author, Lori Handeland is taking her turn with her latest novel, Shakespeare Undead. I have to say that I have read a few mash up novels now and this is the first one that I really liked. Mrs. Handeland brought a fun and new twist to an old, classic story about the famous William Shakespeare. This book was dark in all the right ways. I knew Shakespeare was portrayed as a vampire in this book but I did not expect the twist about him also having another ability. Don’t want to give anything away. This other ability make Shakespeare unique and stand out from all the other vampires currently out in the reading world.
My only issue I had with this book was that it was told through first person. Usually, I don’t have a problem with this but I did ad first with this book. It started with a grown Will but then the story would flash back to when it seemed Will was a little boy. It took my till about a third of the way into the book to get everything straight. Once I did, I was able to sit back and enjoy. Shakespeare Undead will have you come alive for more!
April 18, 2018
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of history's greatest writers. For years his work has been studied by scholars, yet for as much that is known about him there is just as much that is unknown. Just who was the mysterious Dark Lady mentioned in his sonnets? Where did inspiration for the myriad of characters he created come from?
Perhaps, as many have speculated, Shakespeare had help with his writings. Or perhaps, the answer is a bit more... unusual.
Shakespeare Undead is a tale loosely (and I mean loosely) based on a point in William Shakespeare's life. The story is centered around the time he writes "Two Gentlemen of Verona" as that particular play is referenced during the narrative. Plague is constantly a worry of the denizens of London, but William himself isn't particularly worried. This is because William is a vampire and has been for a very, very long time.
Shakespeare Undead is rife with tips of the hat and tongue in cheek nods to many of Shakespeare's works. There are also brief mentions of other's works such as 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Star Wars', which might seem strange but oddly enough fit with the narrative.
Historical purists are going to want to stay far, FAR away from this one. Like I said before, while it is based on a real person and a real point in time, it is more fantasy than anything else. Vampires, zombies, and ghosts abound.
If, however, you are looking for an amusing, horror based romp, you might enjoy Shakespeare Undead. It left me chuckling numerous times and caused more than one eye roll at the humor. I recommend it.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of history's greatest writers. For years his work has been studied by scholars, yet for as much that is known about him there is just as much that is unknown. Just who was the mysterious Dark Lady mentioned in his sonnets? Where did inspiration for the myriad of characters he created come from?
Perhaps, as many have speculated, Shakespeare had help with his writings. Or perhaps, the answer is a bit more... unusual.
Shakespeare Undead is a tale loosely (and I mean loosely) based on a point in William Shakespeare's life. The story is centered around the time he writes "Two Gentlemen of Verona" as that particular play is referenced during the narrative. Plague is constantly a worry of the denizens of London, but William himself isn't particularly worried. This is because William is a vampire and has been for a very, very long time.
Shakespeare Undead is rife with tips of the hat and tongue in cheek nods to many of Shakespeare's works. There are also brief mentions of other's works such as 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Star Wars', which might seem strange but oddly enough fit with the narrative.
Historical purists are going to want to stay far, FAR away from this one. Like I said before, while it is based on a real person and a real point in time, it is more fantasy than anything else. Vampires, zombies, and ghosts abound.
If, however, you are looking for an amusing, horror based romp, you might enjoy Shakespeare Undead. It left me chuckling numerous times and caused more than one eye roll at the humor. I recommend it.
January 15, 2018
„Shakespeare Undead – Der Untoten Zähmung“ von Lori Handeland ist ein Einzelband, ein Roman.
Leider war dieses Buch nichts für mich. Ich habe es mir damals gekauft, weil mich das Cover angezogen hat. Und da es ein Mängelexemplar war, konnte ich bei dem Preis erst recht nicht widerstehen. Allerdings bin ich auch froh, dass ich nicht mehr Geld für dieses Buch ausgegeben habe.
Die Sprache und Wortwahl war für mich schwierig zu lesen. Ich persönlich bin absolut kein Fan von Reimen. Es ist nicht meine Welt. Das Buch ist natürlich nicht nur in Reimen geschrieben, aber da es eine Geschichte über William Shakespeare als Vampir geht, kommen diese häufig vor.
Das Thema „Vampire“ und „Zombies“ ist ja eigentlich ein sehr altes, bekanntes Thema. Ich finde sogar, dass es mittlerweile sehr abgegriffen ist. Und trotzdem hat mich interessiert, wie ein William Shakespeare als Vampir auf Zombie-Jagd geht.
Der Schreibstil von Lori Handeland war in Ordnung und mit der Aufmachung des gesamten Buches hat Sie sich auch sehr viel Mühe gegeben. Die Kapitel sind sehr schön gestaltet und vor allem das Cover gefällt mir sehr gut.
Die Protagonisten sind hier William Shakespeare und Katherine Dymond. Beide haben ihre Geheimnisse, welche der andere von ihnen nicht wissen soll. Klar ist, dass beide herausfinden, was mit dem jeweils anderen nicht stimmt. Also alles sehr vorhersehbar, was leider auch die Spannung raus nimmt.
Fazit:
Es war o. k. zu lesen, doch das war es dann auch. Man muss es denke ich wirklich mögen. Also, wer ein Fan von William Shakespeare ist und wissen mag, wie er sich so als Vampir macht … zugreifen!
Mehr Buchrezensionen von mir, findet Ihr auf http://www.seitenglanz.com.
Leider war dieses Buch nichts für mich. Ich habe es mir damals gekauft, weil mich das Cover angezogen hat. Und da es ein Mängelexemplar war, konnte ich bei dem Preis erst recht nicht widerstehen. Allerdings bin ich auch froh, dass ich nicht mehr Geld für dieses Buch ausgegeben habe.
Die Sprache und Wortwahl war für mich schwierig zu lesen. Ich persönlich bin absolut kein Fan von Reimen. Es ist nicht meine Welt. Das Buch ist natürlich nicht nur in Reimen geschrieben, aber da es eine Geschichte über William Shakespeare als Vampir geht, kommen diese häufig vor.
Das Thema „Vampire“ und „Zombies“ ist ja eigentlich ein sehr altes, bekanntes Thema. Ich finde sogar, dass es mittlerweile sehr abgegriffen ist. Und trotzdem hat mich interessiert, wie ein William Shakespeare als Vampir auf Zombie-Jagd geht.
Der Schreibstil von Lori Handeland war in Ordnung und mit der Aufmachung des gesamten Buches hat Sie sich auch sehr viel Mühe gegeben. Die Kapitel sind sehr schön gestaltet und vor allem das Cover gefällt mir sehr gut.
Die Protagonisten sind hier William Shakespeare und Katherine Dymond. Beide haben ihre Geheimnisse, welche der andere von ihnen nicht wissen soll. Klar ist, dass beide herausfinden, was mit dem jeweils anderen nicht stimmt. Also alles sehr vorhersehbar, was leider auch die Spannung raus nimmt.
Fazit:
Es war o. k. zu lesen, doch das war es dann auch. Man muss es denke ich wirklich mögen. Also, wer ein Fan von William Shakespeare ist und wissen mag, wie er sich so als Vampir macht … zugreifen!
Mehr Buchrezensionen von mir, findet Ihr auf http://www.seitenglanz.com.
April 19, 2012
This book takes Shakespeare and makes light of him and his works. So, staunch Shakespearians beware. You must have a sense of humor for this book. The story was a mixture of Shakespeare in Love and paranormal elements. Will is a vampire who has the ability to raise the dead. Kate is someone who was taught to kill zombies from her nanny. Their love story does follow the movie closely and in fact I could see many of the movie elements I recognized in my head. Actually, that sort of made it fun for me.
The parts I didn't care for in the book was the mixture of language. Will would speak in his poetic form but would often suddenly switch to "normal" speech. There was also a back and forth POV between Will and Kate and sometimes it was jarring as you would forget who was speaking for a minute. I had to reread some chapters over because of this. My last complaint is the mixture of contemporary film within his play ideas. It just didn't make sense to me, but I did see where the author was going with those segments. However, I feel it would have been best to have stuck with the plays he wrote at this time.
I give this book 3 stars. Despite my complaints I still found it entertaining. If nothing else, it did make me want to see Shakespeare in Love again. At least this one has a better ending!
The parts I didn't care for in the book was the mixture of language. Will would speak in his poetic form but would often suddenly switch to "normal" speech. There was also a back and forth POV between Will and Kate and sometimes it was jarring as you would forget who was speaking for a minute. I had to reread some chapters over because of this. My last complaint is the mixture of contemporary film within his play ideas. It just didn't make sense to me, but I did see where the author was going with those segments. However, I feel it would have been best to have stuck with the plays he wrote at this time.
I give this book 3 stars. Despite my complaints I still found it entertaining. If nothing else, it did make me want to see Shakespeare in Love again. At least this one has a better ending!
October 13, 2015
I am really not quite sure what to make of this. Shakespeare is a vampire and he goes zombie hunting with a, well, zombie hunter. Except that plot seems to be in the background, while the vast majority of the book is a vampire/human take on Shakespeare in Love. This was rather disappointing, as I thought the the vampire and zombie spin on my favorite playwright would be a particularly interesting read. I wasn't really prepared for the book to be a primarily romantic one. Some romance? Ok. But when every single chapter, and nearly every single page, is dealing with Will and Kate's insatiable desire for one another...well, it gets about as old as Shakespeare himself. I know that some people weren't fond of how it switched from first person to third person when discussing Kate's and Will's points of view, but I actually really enjoyed that and didn't find it in the least bit confusing. One of my favorite things was reading how different plays would work their way into the plot as Will would come up with different ideas. The addition of modern stories was a bit much, however, especially when Star Wars came into the picture right at the heart of the climax. I did rather like the abrupt ending as it has persuaded me to read the second book. I just hope the author has toned the sexual tension enough to actually make use of a zombie storyline.
August 31, 2011
I have to admit this book was fun. Taking the idea of Shakespear and making him a vampire, who would have thought. This book was racy at times, almost steamy romance novel racy, but still enjoyable. I love how the author explained how Shakespeare could have written so many plays and who his mysterious love could have been. And as with so many stories add some zombies and its that much better.
Though a vampire the author kept him the regal playwright I would expect him to be with a steadfast control of the monster he once was and could so easily be again.
She even tried to bring him to modern day with my favorite quote from the book:
"Help us, Will Shakespeare; you're our only hope."
Will's head tilted as the words seemed to swirl all around him. What a great line for a play...
Dizzy as he was with blood loss, his mind wandered to a galaxy far, far away. Battles in flying machines. An old warior. A young one who needed training. A girl. No. A princess. Perhaps a mystical force-
"Will! Now is not the time to drift away to the stories in your head."
Could it be? Is this why Star Wars is so totally awesome? The truth revealed...
Though a vampire the author kept him the regal playwright I would expect him to be with a steadfast control of the monster he once was and could so easily be again.
She even tried to bring him to modern day with my favorite quote from the book:
"Help us, Will Shakespeare; you're our only hope."
Will's head tilted as the words seemed to swirl all around him. What a great line for a play...
Dizzy as he was with blood loss, his mind wandered to a galaxy far, far away. Battles in flying machines. An old warior. A young one who needed training. A girl. No. A princess. Perhaps a mystical force-
"Will! Now is not the time to drift away to the stories in your head."
Could it be? Is this why Star Wars is so totally awesome? The truth revealed...
October 5, 2011
This is a fun, fast-paced book that will delight anyone with a sense of humor, knowledge of the works of Shakespeare, and a willingness to suspend preconceived notions of what is historically true vs. what might be or could be. Short chapters told from the heroine's first person viewpoint and Will Shakespeare's third person viewpoint keep the reader turning pages. As a viewpoint purist, I found the mix of first and third a little off-putting, but the author is consistent and clear in her changes, and I quickly overcame my reluctance.
The words of Shakespeare are cleverly intertwined with the plot, making me smile at each reference and how the situation in the plot reflected the reference. Reminiscent of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, the heroine is Will's inspiration for overcoming writer's block. The portrayal of the way writers find words is also a delight to view since so many writers experience the same difficuty as Will does when trying to explain what he is doing to those who don't write. My only complaint is with the ending. Knowing what I know about ROMEO AND JULIET, I'm more worried than satisfied.
The words of Shakespeare are cleverly intertwined with the plot, making me smile at each reference and how the situation in the plot reflected the reference. Reminiscent of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, the heroine is Will's inspiration for overcoming writer's block. The portrayal of the way writers find words is also a delight to view since so many writers experience the same difficuty as Will does when trying to explain what he is doing to those who don't write. My only complaint is with the ending. Knowing what I know about ROMEO AND JULIET, I'm more worried than satisfied.
February 21, 2011
This book was...interesting. It was kind of like it had split-personality syndrome. There were two books in there, and I don't feel the author did a great job of putting the two together.
On the one hand was the love story between Will and Kate. It was great. She showed how Will based all of his sonnets and feamle leads on his love for Kate, which was cool too see him actively creating the famous story. One of my favorite things was that Will was a forgetful person, and was constantly coming up for ideas for stories that he forgot. It showed him coming up with the idea for The Wizard of Oz, The Sixth Sense, and several other famous modern stories, which was funny for me. I loved catching on to the obscure references.
Then, on the other side, there is this story involving vampires, zombies, ghosts, and zombie hunters. That story wasn't very well plotted out in my opinion, and in the end those parts of the story really took away from the cute and funny love story. I think the book could have been done without the paranormal stuff.
On the one hand was the love story between Will and Kate. It was great. She showed how Will based all of his sonnets and feamle leads on his love for Kate, which was cool too see him actively creating the famous story. One of my favorite things was that Will was a forgetful person, and was constantly coming up for ideas for stories that he forgot. It showed him coming up with the idea for The Wizard of Oz, The Sixth Sense, and several other famous modern stories, which was funny for me. I loved catching on to the obscure references.
Then, on the other side, there is this story involving vampires, zombies, ghosts, and zombie hunters. That story wasn't very well plotted out in my opinion, and in the end those parts of the story really took away from the cute and funny love story. I think the book could have been done without the paranormal stuff.
September 14, 2013
2.5. It's not that I disliked this book. On the contrary, I got a kick out of it, however, it lacked ambience, historical details and character development for me to completely be absorbed by the story. Despite the near 300 pages, it felt rushed. Mayhap because it lacked substance? I was not expecting the love story which dominated and was a little more than disappointed that there weren't more historical references to give it some "bite". The last 40 pages did manage to delight with action, political intrigue and an appearance by Queen Elizabeth herself. She always liked a good play. If the rest of the book were in that vain, it would have been more good drama and less parody. William Shakespeare as the vampire, zombie killing fiend who could barely contain his lust for a female zombie hunter might have been more than I bargained for. I don't know what I was expecting.
For what it was worth, and it only cost me $2, the book was an enjoyable, campy read.
"Off with their heads"!
For what it was worth, and it only cost me $2, the book was an enjoyable, campy read.
"Off with their heads"!
August 4, 2011
I got a metaphor:
You know those gas-station quality pastries that are like 80% processed grain/sugar product and about 20% preservatives? You ever been like, damn, I want a doughnut, and you bought some? And then you ate one and though you knew very well that this was quite far from a well-made quality doughnut, it was nevertheless delicious? And somehow in an embarrassingly short while the whole box is gone? And it was awful but SO GOOD?
That's what this book is like. With Shakespeare flavored sprinkles, and special bonus super-awkward sex scenes (metaphorically I think that's either frosting or cream filling...ew what is wrong with me!)
I got a list:
WORDS THAT MAKE ME NEITHER HOT NOR BOTHERED NOR INVESTED IN VAMPIRE SEX
-pulse (unless there are lasers)
-suckle
and especially, -lave
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I want a sequel. More crack, please!
You know those gas-station quality pastries that are like 80% processed grain/sugar product and about 20% preservatives? You ever been like, damn, I want a doughnut, and you bought some? And then you ate one and though you knew very well that this was quite far from a well-made quality doughnut, it was nevertheless delicious? And somehow in an embarrassingly short while the whole box is gone? And it was awful but SO GOOD?
That's what this book is like. With Shakespeare flavored sprinkles, and special bonus super-awkward sex scenes (metaphorically I think that's either frosting or cream filling...ew what is wrong with me!)
I got a list:
WORDS THAT MAKE ME NEITHER HOT NOR BOTHERED NOR INVESTED IN VAMPIRE SEX
-pulse (unless there are lasers)
-suckle
and especially, -lave
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I want a sequel. More crack, please!
January 31, 2014
I was intrigued by the title and blurb, so I checked this out at my local library.
It turned out to be a romance novel disguised as a comedy of horrors. Shakespeare is made out to be this hunk of undead flesh who can summon other undead, meaning a necromancer. Except that he's more than that. Enter a hunter who is all woman under those clothes. Not only she's female, but she's married and to a tyrant.
And because it's a romance novel, neither party can keep their hands off each other. It's not all raging hormones, though. There's the matter of all the undead frolicking through London, plays to write, a husband to cuckold, and one liners from modern novels and movies. Yeah, exactly. Shakespeare is the undead, remember?
I liked the concept. The only problem I had was Shakespeare turning out into a gorgeous guy when my image of him is the opposite. I lived with it and still enjoyed it.
It turned out to be a romance novel disguised as a comedy of horrors. Shakespeare is made out to be this hunk of undead flesh who can summon other undead, meaning a necromancer. Except that he's more than that. Enter a hunter who is all woman under those clothes. Not only she's female, but she's married and to a tyrant.
And because it's a romance novel, neither party can keep their hands off each other. It's not all raging hormones, though. There's the matter of all the undead frolicking through London, plays to write, a husband to cuckold, and one liners from modern novels and movies. Yeah, exactly. Shakespeare is the undead, remember?
I liked the concept. The only problem I had was Shakespeare turning out into a gorgeous guy when my image of him is the opposite. I lived with it and still enjoyed it.
October 15, 2016
Will Shakespeare is a vampire who gets inspiration for his plays from the ghosts that talk to him. His history plays he knows because he was there. He's also a necromancer who hunts and kills zombies. And, at times, this book gets rather silly. But it's a lot of fun and quite witty in parts.
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