by A. E. Moorat
EOS, January 2010
From the publisher: There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.
London, 1838. Queen Victoria is crowned; she receives the orb, the scepter, and an arsenal of bloodstained weaponry. If Britain is about to become the greatest power of the age, there’s the small matter of the undead to take care of first. Demons stalk the crown, and political ambitions have unleashed ravening hordes of zombies even within the nobility itself.
But rather than dreams of demon hunting, Queen Victoria’s thoughts are occupied by Prince Albert. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere? With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, zombies, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch, and quite possibly the best demon hunter the world has ever seen.
PVN Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter begins at the house of Lord Quimby who watches dejectedly while his manservant chows down on is favorite dog. Turns out one of Lord Quimby 's more grotesque hobbies is the creation of zombies who must be kept locked up lest their unappetizing eating habits appear for all to see. And that's not to mention the danger to the fresh flesh and blood of innocent bystanders. On the night of Queen Victoria' ascension to the throne, when dark forces are about, Quimby's zombies escape their prison and begin feasting on a gathering of the lord's favorite prostitutes. What a mess, literally! It's left to Perkins, Quimby's manservant, to take charge of the cleanup once all are safely and permanently dead. In the course of events Perkins has himself become a zombie which works out rather well for master and servant. except for the dog eating scene of course.
Meanwhile at the palace Princess Victoria is told of her uncle's death and that she is now the new monarch. The transition from King William IV to the young Queen Victoria signals to the demon forces that it is time for war. They plan to usurp the throne and take over the British empire. Fortunately Victoria has help at hand in the form of a fighting force led by the unstoppable, Royal Protektor Maggie Brown. These are specially trained warriors with exceptional weaponry to use against a frightening foe. Eventually Victoria herself becomes a member of this elite squad.
There is quite a bit of messy savagery, but amidst the gore lies a tender love story between Victoria and Prince Albert. It is the true affection of these two good and decent people that becomes the best weapon of defense against the demon onslaught.
The plot and the characters are equally entertaining. This is the type of book that keeps a permanent smile on your face - as long as you have a strong stomach. Fortunately, I do.
[Dear FTC, the ARC of this book was sent to me by Library Journal]
7 comments:
I can't decide if this is something I want to read or not lol. I love historical fiction, and a book about Queen Victoria would be high up on my list, but then the mixing it with demons/demon hunting.... turns me off slightly. The supernatural is totally my cup of tea but I'm really not into the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies/Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters books, so I'm not sure if I'll pick this up.... It is interesting to see that this is unique in that it is not using Austen's characters- that alone might be the reason I give this a try. Thanks for the review!
Kathleen
I also love historical fiction. Sharon Kay Penman is one of my favorites.
Queen Victoria Demon Slayer is more of a spoof. Although there is enough historical happenings to give the right atmosphere everything else belongs in the zany stuff category. The book entertains in a crazy humorous way.
IMHO This isn't your kind of book.
But to find out more for yourself go to the publisher site
http://tinyurl.com/y9zg7h5
and click on the look inside button. Then you can read a few pages.
Thanks so much for writing!
Your review makes me feel a lot better about this novel sitting on my desk Patricia! Now it sounds like a fun read.
Kathleen - I have Sense, Sensibility and Sea Monsters sitting on my desk...I'm not an Austen fan myself, but I'm curious to see what it's about. However, that's not saying I'm itching to pick it up either. *grin*
Hi Jackie
Good to hear from you!
If you do read the book I'll be interested in what you think of it.
Sounds like a fun read! What's funny is that we were talking just last week about how we would like a book featuring either Queen Elizabeth I or Queen Victoria fighting vampires. Demons are good too! *L*
I will have this on the front porch when I get home tomorrow afternoon. I ordered it due to the many positive reviews I read and now I have your seal of approval. YAY!
Hi Alexia
Turns out Queen Victoria is a natural when it comes to fighting demons :)
Hi Vickie
You know, I haven't actually read any other reviews. I must be in good company. Let me know your opinion of the book.
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