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Shakespeare Undead #2
Zombie Island
“A contract of true love to celebrate.”—The Tempest (Act IV, scene i)However, the course of true love never did run smooth . . .When William Shakespeare, vampire, and his Dark Lady, the zombie hunter Kate Dymond, are stranded on a mystical isle with a fairy, a werewolf and a sorcerer, strange things are afoot even before the zombies arrive.Will and Kate have bigger problems than the undead. Though their love is true and forever, Will's forever and Kate's are not the same. What will happen when she begins to age and he stays forever young?But first to the problems at Can the two lovers band together to fight the zombie infestation? Will they be able to thwart the mad plans of a man who plans to release his zombie army on the shores of England and overthrow their beloved Queen Bess?En garde!
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2012
11 people are currently reading
505 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 53 reviews
April 29, 2012
I requested this as I was curious as to how zombies and Shakespeare would blend together in the same story. I have never read those popular books such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as I never enjoyed Pride and Prejudice so I doubted the inclusion of zombies would make it much better. Shakespeare on the other hand is a different story altogether and I figured I could not go wrong. I was right. This was a great read and despite being a sequel, I did not feel I had missed anything from not having read the first but I will definitely be checking the first one out.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is based on my all time favourite Shakespeare play, The Tempest. This came as a nice surprise as I did not realise ‘Zombie Island’ would be based on this play, or indeed any play, I thought it would have been an amalgamation of a few of them. Handeland does make reference to other Shakespeare plays, such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet amongst others and I found it quite fun to recognise quotes and plays referenced within the book.
I think with this book being based on ‘The Tempest’ is why I enjoyed it as much as I did as all the quotations and references and characters already made me feel extremely familiar with the plot, though there are plenty of (characteristic) twists that kept me guessing and fun to read. I will never be able to view Caliban and Ariel in the same way again!
Despite the inclusion of zombies in this book, I never really read them as an integral addition to the story but they do help to move the action on. They are a fun addition but the use of language and various quotations and references to Shakespeare is what really makes this book as good as it. This is a fun, action packed book and a pleasure to read.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by Netgalley.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book is the fact that it is based on my all time favourite Shakespeare play, The Tempest. This came as a nice surprise as I did not realise ‘Zombie Island’ would be based on this play, or indeed any play, I thought it would have been an amalgamation of a few of them. Handeland does make reference to other Shakespeare plays, such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet amongst others and I found it quite fun to recognise quotes and plays referenced within the book.
I think with this book being based on ‘The Tempest’ is why I enjoyed it as much as I did as all the quotations and references and characters already made me feel extremely familiar with the plot, though there are plenty of (characteristic) twists that kept me guessing and fun to read. I will never be able to view Caliban and Ariel in the same way again!
Despite the inclusion of zombies in this book, I never really read them as an integral addition to the story but they do help to move the action on. They are a fun addition but the use of language and various quotations and references to Shakespeare is what really makes this book as good as it. This is a fun, action packed book and a pleasure to read.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by Netgalley.
February 11, 2013
The delightfully trashy sequel to Shakespeare Undead, I think I liked this one even more than the first. Some of the issues I had with the first - like the voices of the characters not being different enough, and the way the quotes from Shakespeare's plays were intermittently placed, were handled a bit better in this one.
Also, I liked the riff on 'The Tempest' and seeing how Handeland handled Ariel and Caliban. Also, it was kind of nice to see Kate's husband develop more as a character, instead of just being the looming, bad husband.
One of my complaints is that it's a bit jumpy. You'll be in a scene, and then it sort of just ends, and then in the next chapter we'll get a paragraph or two about how the scene ended, which was awkward.
The sexy scenes were well-tempered with the zombie scenes - though it was a little annoying for Kate to be without her sword for a good stretch of the story, turning our zombie-hunter into a sort of damsel in distress - but at least it wasn't through the whole story.
Also, the book, as a whole, ended rather abruptly. There are some things left unresolved which need to be address between Will and Kate, and I look forward to a third in the series.
Overall a really fun romp, and just the sort of brain-candy, mind-cleanser I needed.
Also, I liked the riff on 'The Tempest' and seeing how Handeland handled Ariel and Caliban. Also, it was kind of nice to see Kate's husband develop more as a character, instead of just being the looming, bad husband.
One of my complaints is that it's a bit jumpy. You'll be in a scene, and then it sort of just ends, and then in the next chapter we'll get a paragraph or two about how the scene ended, which was awkward.
The sexy scenes were well-tempered with the zombie scenes - though it was a little annoying for Kate to be without her sword for a good stretch of the story, turning our zombie-hunter into a sort of damsel in distress - but at least it wasn't through the whole story.
Also, the book, as a whole, ended rather abruptly. There are some things left unresolved which need to be address between Will and Kate, and I look forward to a third in the series.
Overall a really fun romp, and just the sort of brain-candy, mind-cleanser I needed.
November 17, 2019
I like these books so flipping much. Just a romp! The connection of two things to make something completely different has never been done better. It is even better than the first installment. I have no idea why this isn't more popular. Zombie Island picks up where the first one left off. So she wakes up in a coffin and she's like why am I not in my family's crypt so I can be with the ghoul of my dreams prolific wordsmith extraordinaire necro vampire billy shake. Meanwhile Bill is at the crypt waiti for the drugs to wear off so he can be with a zombie killing lady love. unbeknownst to them her tragically hateful husband Reggie screws the plan up by shipping her body to the colonies. So wake up over dressed in a box on a ship! Then the ship sink! Then shit get weird and it stay weird. Its like a fairy an insane wronged heir. Just top
June 22, 2020
This book wasn't very good, but it was great
September 12, 2018
This book was a lot of fun. Will and Kate's relationship gets more complicated with the addition of a fake death plot, a sorcerer, and a spirit. This book focuses a lot more on a single play than on all of Shakespeare's work, which is different from the first book. I don't think it detracts from the story or improves it; it's just different and keeps the series fresh. I wish there were more than just two in the series.
June 20, 2022
This book was, contrary to my expectations, very fun to read. Once I started I couldn't drop it.
October 11, 2012
When thinking of a literary mash-up, often the thought is of a classic tale (such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) with the inclusion of a sort of monster (like ... say… zombies). In Lori Handeland’s SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD, she offers a fresh and welcomed approach to the mash-up genre. Instead of a classic tale retold, she delivers how that story came to be in a clever and humorous original telling.
Will, our darling playwright, seems to be in a bit of a funk. He is unable to get past his writers block until he is nearly beheaded by Kate (Shakespeare’s very own “Dark Lady”). With head still in tact, she quickly becomes his muse and words flow freely and effortlessly whenever she is near. Kate, although equally enamored, is already married to an uncaring man, currently settling a plantation in the new world. As if her unloving marriage of convenience wasn’t enough, Will is a vampiric necro-mancer, capable of raising an undead army to do his bidding and Kate is a chasseur (A zombie slayer) reared to strike the zombies down… WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAT?????!!!!! Even though the zombies abound, Shakespeare is not responsible. The two must band together to save not only themselves but country and queen too, bringing the lovers closer than ever. But how can they ever be together while she is a married woman? Fake her death of course. The perfect plan for two lovers forbidden to be together… Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it?
ZOMBIE ISLAND picks up where the first tale ends. Except the plan was foiled by the recently widowed husband Reginald and the three eventually end on a deserted island with a sorcerer named Prospero and a fairy named Arial. Where SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD pulled influence from numerous plays and sonnets, ZOMBIE ISLAND tends to follow along the lines of The Tempest, even starting each chapter with a relevant line from the play. The story hops from character to character, sometimes relaying the same scene through different eyes... Including an uncomfortable love scene retold four times over.
You learn of Arial’s captivity and her confusion of human life, Prospero’s magic book and unfortunate childhood, Reginald’s beast within and the beast he has become, Kate’s battle with her own mortality and Shakespeare’s own immortality and the secrets he keeps with it.
What I liked: Zombie fans cannot argue the plausibility of the zombie infection. These walkers are a blend of your traditional Haitian zombie and modern day brain eater. Raised by a necromancer, these decaying corpses do what they are ordered to AND they eat “Brrrr…”
The heroine is a badass: dresses like a boy to sneak out and slice some undead bitches!
The references to Shakespeare’s original work and to pop culture phenomena’s of our day are brilliant and gave me a good chuckle.
What made me say ”meh”: I am not a fan of bouncing between Elizabethan and modern day English. I felt all too aware of every change, especially, if it happened with in a conversation. There were also a few instances where a word or two was so completely out of character I had to stop reading.
In comparison to the first story, this one felt rushed and the ending felt abrupt. My two theories: either this story was just build up to a third and exciting story or the author was rushing through. I lean to the first option.
Who is this book for: Shakespeare fans will love this story! This is also a good series for people who do not normally read horror or zombie books. It introduces you to the genre while keeping you a safe distance from the super dark and twisted. Lovers of love will also love the hell out of this! It is underneath all the zombie brain eating, vampire blood drinking and sorcerer sorcery-ing, a love story.
Who should wait this one out: Hardcore survivalist and horror lovers as well as the anti-mushy-mushy-sap-sap-crap people. Unless you happen to also be on the above list, you are gonna wanna wait.
Recommended: Yes BUT only on the condition that you read the first book. It has more action and is a vastly more original story. Shakespeare Undead gets you sucked into the characters and Zombie Island lets you know what happened next.
Overall: I give Handeland’s story of love, betrayal, zombies , vampires and magic (oh my!) 3 brains and of course, one grey non beating heart. This would be the equivalent of 3 out of 5 stars with an extra grey non beating heart thrown in there.
(originally posted on ZombieWorldNews.com)
Will, our darling playwright, seems to be in a bit of a funk. He is unable to get past his writers block until he is nearly beheaded by Kate (Shakespeare’s very own “Dark Lady”). With head still in tact, she quickly becomes his muse and words flow freely and effortlessly whenever she is near. Kate, although equally enamored, is already married to an uncaring man, currently settling a plantation in the new world. As if her unloving marriage of convenience wasn’t enough, Will is a vampiric necro-mancer, capable of raising an undead army to do his bidding and Kate is a chasseur (A zombie slayer) reared to strike the zombies down… WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAT?????!!!!! Even though the zombies abound, Shakespeare is not responsible. The two must band together to save not only themselves but country and queen too, bringing the lovers closer than ever. But how can they ever be together while she is a married woman? Fake her death of course. The perfect plan for two lovers forbidden to be together… Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it?
ZOMBIE ISLAND picks up where the first tale ends. Except the plan was foiled by the recently widowed husband Reginald and the three eventually end on a deserted island with a sorcerer named Prospero and a fairy named Arial. Where SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD pulled influence from numerous plays and sonnets, ZOMBIE ISLAND tends to follow along the lines of The Tempest, even starting each chapter with a relevant line from the play. The story hops from character to character, sometimes relaying the same scene through different eyes... Including an uncomfortable love scene retold four times over.
You learn of Arial’s captivity and her confusion of human life, Prospero’s magic book and unfortunate childhood, Reginald’s beast within and the beast he has become, Kate’s battle with her own mortality and Shakespeare’s own immortality and the secrets he keeps with it.
What I liked: Zombie fans cannot argue the plausibility of the zombie infection. These walkers are a blend of your traditional Haitian zombie and modern day brain eater. Raised by a necromancer, these decaying corpses do what they are ordered to AND they eat “Brrrr…”
The heroine is a badass: dresses like a boy to sneak out and slice some undead bitches!
The references to Shakespeare’s original work and to pop culture phenomena’s of our day are brilliant and gave me a good chuckle.
What made me say ”meh”: I am not a fan of bouncing between Elizabethan and modern day English. I felt all too aware of every change, especially, if it happened with in a conversation. There were also a few instances where a word or two was so completely out of character I had to stop reading.
In comparison to the first story, this one felt rushed and the ending felt abrupt. My two theories: either this story was just build up to a third and exciting story or the author was rushing through. I lean to the first option.
Who is this book for: Shakespeare fans will love this story! This is also a good series for people who do not normally read horror or zombie books. It introduces you to the genre while keeping you a safe distance from the super dark and twisted. Lovers of love will also love the hell out of this! It is underneath all the zombie brain eating, vampire blood drinking and sorcerer sorcery-ing, a love story.
Who should wait this one out: Hardcore survivalist and horror lovers as well as the anti-mushy-mushy-sap-sap-crap people. Unless you happen to also be on the above list, you are gonna wanna wait.
Recommended: Yes BUT only on the condition that you read the first book. It has more action and is a vastly more original story. Shakespeare Undead gets you sucked into the characters and Zombie Island lets you know what happened next.
Overall: I give Handeland’s story of love, betrayal, zombies , vampires and magic (oh my!) 3 brains and of course, one grey non beating heart. This would be the equivalent of 3 out of 5 stars with an extra grey non beating heart thrown in there.
(originally posted on ZombieWorldNews.com)
October 4, 2014
Reviewed by Robin
Book won in a contest
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Where to begin…I found out that this is the second book in a series after the fact. Which may not be that bad at times, but I think for those that are thinking of getting this book you just may want to pick up the first in the series as this picks right up where the second left off. I have to admit I went outside of the box for this one as it is only the second book on Zombies that I have read I still have a hard time grasping the fascination with them.
However, I did find that the story was interesting in its own right. With the interest in the Royal Family right now it was rather funny that two of the main characters where named Will and Kate. What a coincidence don’t you think? Ms. Handeland used quotes from many of Shakespeare’s works within her story. It was very different but likeable if you are a fan of Shakespeare. She headed each chapter with quotes from the ‘Tempest’ which then each chapter seemed to follow somewhat that quote. I kind of liked that.
The story as a whole kind of had that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ vibe so it was fun to see an ‘undead’ twist on the whole thing. At times it was hard to follow because of the changing from night to day and back again or the changing from the periods of time. They didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked making it hard to follow, especially when it was within a conversation.
Will is a vampire and Kate the vampire slayer. Kate is in an abusive marriage, but her saving grace so to speak is Will whom she is his mistress. Trying to save Kate, Will helps an evil wizard make Zombies…are you still with me? Oh, this all takes place on an island far, far, away… The wizard had enlisted a sprite named Ariel, who has now fallen in love with Reginald who has been changed into a lycan named Caliban. I am confused also.
I feel that maybe this book was a little rushed. What could have been left open for a third and I am not saying it isn’t but, things where hurried towards the end. The focus seemed to be more about Shakespeare’s writings than about the Zombies themselves. I didn’t love this book but neither did I hate it either. I think if you are a fan of Shakespeare’s you will enjoy it. But as mentioned earlier I think I would get the first book and read it before this one.
Book won in a contest
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Where to begin…I found out that this is the second book in a series after the fact. Which may not be that bad at times, but I think for those that are thinking of getting this book you just may want to pick up the first in the series as this picks right up where the second left off. I have to admit I went outside of the box for this one as it is only the second book on Zombies that I have read I still have a hard time grasping the fascination with them.
However, I did find that the story was interesting in its own right. With the interest in the Royal Family right now it was rather funny that two of the main characters where named Will and Kate. What a coincidence don’t you think? Ms. Handeland used quotes from many of Shakespeare’s works within her story. It was very different but likeable if you are a fan of Shakespeare. She headed each chapter with quotes from the ‘Tempest’ which then each chapter seemed to follow somewhat that quote. I kind of liked that.
The story as a whole kind of had that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ vibe so it was fun to see an ‘undead’ twist on the whole thing. At times it was hard to follow because of the changing from night to day and back again or the changing from the periods of time. They didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked making it hard to follow, especially when it was within a conversation.
Will is a vampire and Kate the vampire slayer. Kate is in an abusive marriage, but her saving grace so to speak is Will whom she is his mistress. Trying to save Kate, Will helps an evil wizard make Zombies…are you still with me? Oh, this all takes place on an island far, far, away… The wizard had enlisted a sprite named Ariel, who has now fallen in love with Reginald who has been changed into a lycan named Caliban. I am confused also.
I feel that maybe this book was a little rushed. What could have been left open for a third and I am not saying it isn’t but, things where hurried towards the end. The focus seemed to be more about Shakespeare’s writings than about the Zombies themselves. I didn’t love this book but neither did I hate it either. I think if you are a fan of Shakespeare’s you will enjoy it. But as mentioned earlier I think I would get the first book and read it before this one.
September 27, 2016
Upon browsing through the battered selection of a Half Price Books store, I came across a little cart advertising "Last Chance" books––books which, apparently, Half Price practically couldn't give away. These books were being sold for a measly fifty cents: a last-ditch effort to make a profit before these poor, unloved books ended up in the dumpster out back. Intrigued, I flipped through the admittedly pathetic offerings for a while before finally coming across "Zombie Island," by Lori Handeland. The cover had the look of an old classics novel, but featured a raft on the ocean covered with rotting zombies, a remarkably clean woman (considering the corpses bleeding upon her lap), and a bearded man with a sword.
Basically, it's about vampire Shakespeare fighting zombies on an uncharted island.
I bought it as a joke, but the joke is on me; I actually liked it.
Katherine, the lady-love of the famous William Shakespeare, wakes up in a coffin one morning to find that her "Romeo and Juliet" style plan of faking her own death has gone amiss. She is on a boat to the New World, and Shakespeare has to track her down and rescue her. Along the way, a storm sweeps the ship into an uncharted island, killing everyone except Katherine. On the island is a necromancer eager to raise an army of zombies with the help of an enslaved fairy/sprite, who wants Katherine to free her from her bond to the aforementioned necromancer. William Shakespeare forges his way through the ocean to find her and, eventually, to kill zombies.
And then things get weird.
As it turns out, "Zombie Island" is a romance novel. The action is inexplicably put on hold for about three chapters of graphic smut from multiple character-perspectives (including that of a wolf-man), followed by a few more chapters of those same characters discussing and reflecting upon said smut. (I finally just closed the book and decided I had to be done with it––then opened it again later because dang it, what about the zombies?)
Pros: The books is actually well written, clever, and occasionally humorous.
Cons: I was not expecting the smut, and I think the book would have been better without it.
Final Thoughts: This book is 262 pages of "omg wtf." I'm glad I gave it a chance!
Basically, it's about vampire Shakespeare fighting zombies on an uncharted island.
I bought it as a joke, but the joke is on me; I actually liked it.
Katherine, the lady-love of the famous William Shakespeare, wakes up in a coffin one morning to find that her "Romeo and Juliet" style plan of faking her own death has gone amiss. She is on a boat to the New World, and Shakespeare has to track her down and rescue her. Along the way, a storm sweeps the ship into an uncharted island, killing everyone except Katherine. On the island is a necromancer eager to raise an army of zombies with the help of an enslaved fairy/sprite, who wants Katherine to free her from her bond to the aforementioned necromancer. William Shakespeare forges his way through the ocean to find her and, eventually, to kill zombies.
And then things get weird.
As it turns out, "Zombie Island" is a romance novel. The action is inexplicably put on hold for about three chapters of graphic smut from multiple character-perspectives (including that of a wolf-man), followed by a few more chapters of those same characters discussing and reflecting upon said smut. (I finally just closed the book and decided I had to be done with it––then opened it again later because dang it, what about the zombies?)
Pros: The books is actually well written, clever, and occasionally humorous.
Cons: I was not expecting the smut, and I think the book would have been better without it.
Final Thoughts: This book is 262 pages of "omg wtf." I'm glad I gave it a chance!
April 19, 2018
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
The course of true love never did run smooth…
Having defeated the zombie horde that had invaded London, vampire and playwright William Shakespeare is on to his next plot. Wishing to rid his true love, Katherine Dymond, of her overbearing husband, the two concoct a plan where she will fake her own death via a potion he acquires. Once she is “dead” all he need to is wait, break in to the crypt where she is to be entombed and the two can live happily ever after.
True love, however, has other plans for the two. Knowing his wife is being cuckolded by a lowly playwright, Katherine’s husband instead takes her body with him when he leaves for America. When their ship is wrecked and all hands believed lost, William immediately goes after them only to find himself wrecked on the same mysterious island.
It is an island that is on no known map and is ruled by a mad wizard. Zombies run rampant and there is more afoot than simply survival.
Zombie Island picks up almost immediately where Shakespeare Undead leaves off. However, while Shakespeare Undead was a wholly original story with only brief mentions of Shakespeare’s plays, Zombie Island is the opposite. It is based heavily on the play The Tempest, even featuring quotes from the play at the beginning of each chapter.
There were numerous issues I had with Zombie Island, but I believe the most profound one came because of the dialogue. At times it felt clunky and awkward. Also, while the addition of actual Shakespearean quotes as dialogue was nice, because the characters didn’t speak like that constantly it only served to pull one out of the story.
I must admit, dear reader, that I didn’t enjoy Zombie Island as much as I enjoyed Shakespeare Undead. There seemed to be something missing and it just did not hold my attention as well as the first one. Sadly, I can’t recommend this one for every reader.
The course of true love never did run smooth…
Having defeated the zombie horde that had invaded London, vampire and playwright William Shakespeare is on to his next plot. Wishing to rid his true love, Katherine Dymond, of her overbearing husband, the two concoct a plan where she will fake her own death via a potion he acquires. Once she is “dead” all he need to is wait, break in to the crypt where she is to be entombed and the two can live happily ever after.
True love, however, has other plans for the two. Knowing his wife is being cuckolded by a lowly playwright, Katherine’s husband instead takes her body with him when he leaves for America. When their ship is wrecked and all hands believed lost, William immediately goes after them only to find himself wrecked on the same mysterious island.
It is an island that is on no known map and is ruled by a mad wizard. Zombies run rampant and there is more afoot than simply survival.
Zombie Island picks up almost immediately where Shakespeare Undead leaves off. However, while Shakespeare Undead was a wholly original story with only brief mentions of Shakespeare’s plays, Zombie Island is the opposite. It is based heavily on the play The Tempest, even featuring quotes from the play at the beginning of each chapter.
There were numerous issues I had with Zombie Island, but I believe the most profound one came because of the dialogue. At times it felt clunky and awkward. Also, while the addition of actual Shakespearean quotes as dialogue was nice, because the characters didn’t speak like that constantly it only served to pull one out of the story.
I must admit, dear reader, that I didn’t enjoy Zombie Island as much as I enjoyed Shakespeare Undead. There seemed to be something missing and it just did not hold my attention as well as the first one. Sadly, I can’t recommend this one for every reader.
May 18, 2012
As I said with the first book, Shakespeare Undead, you really need a sense of humor about Shakespeare to read this one. Staunch Shakespearians need not read. For everyone else who doesn't mind their English poet imagined anew, then you might take a look at this book as well.
It leaves off right after the first book. Will's Dymond becomes a castaway because of a willful sprite wanting Kate to get rid of the zombies on her isle. There is an evil and insane sorcerer who is hell bent on getting his crown back who keeps raising the dead. Will is then thrust out into the ocean to find his lady love. They are also trapped on the isle with kate's "former" husband although they don't know it. This allows the married couple to truly part ways and grow in compassion when they wouldn't have otherwise. How is this done when they don't know he is on the isle? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. I would have to say, however, that was my favorite part of the book.
The same mix of language exists in this book as it did in the former book. So be prepared to read poet, old English and modern together. It really isn't that disconcerting. The author does put those movies we know today in Will's mind again (I still didn't like it) but it is much less and so much more tolerable to me. The conclusion to this book is complete, but seemed rushed. It was if you are preparing for a final battle and then *woosh* it was taken away with a simple explanation. Oddly enough, that didn't bother me that much.
I give this zombie tale 3 stars. It is a good zombie book for those who don't like gore that much (there is very little) and want a light read. These 2 books will probably be either a hit or a miss with most folks.
It leaves off right after the first book. Will's Dymond becomes a castaway because of a willful sprite wanting Kate to get rid of the zombies on her isle. There is an evil and insane sorcerer who is hell bent on getting his crown back who keeps raising the dead. Will is then thrust out into the ocean to find his lady love. They are also trapped on the isle with kate's "former" husband although they don't know it. This allows the married couple to truly part ways and grow in compassion when they wouldn't have otherwise. How is this done when they don't know he is on the isle? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. I would have to say, however, that was my favorite part of the book.
The same mix of language exists in this book as it did in the former book. So be prepared to read poet, old English and modern together. It really isn't that disconcerting. The author does put those movies we know today in Will's mind again (I still didn't like it) but it is much less and so much more tolerable to me. The conclusion to this book is complete, but seemed rushed. It was if you are preparing for a final battle and then *woosh* it was taken away with a simple explanation. Oddly enough, that didn't bother me that much.
I give this zombie tale 3 stars. It is a good zombie book for those who don't like gore that much (there is very little) and want a light read. These 2 books will probably be either a hit or a miss with most folks.
April 10, 2012
A delightful, subtly humourous, alternate historical, paranormal romance, “Zombie Island” is author Lori Handeland’s sequel to “Shakespeare Undead,” which introduced us to the concept of-William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet extraordinare, as a centuries-old zombie; and his “Dark Lady,” the true love of his vastly extended life, one Katherine Dymond, married lady and domestic abuse victim, Will’s mistress, newly “undead” or presumably so. That is to say, Will has arranged that “Katherine,” loving wife of a not-so-devoted husband, shall appear to die-in order for he to be able to “resurrect” her and install her as his true love, in London, under a different nomenclature. Will and Kate believe they have eradicated the zombie threat posed against London and Queen Elizabeth I, but to their surprise, that’s not quite accurate. Now the duo must do battle once again, while simultaneously keeping Kate’s true condition a secret from her spouse.
This is certainly not the Shakespeare we have been taught to expect, but it is an enjoyable and adventurous one. Ms. Handeland’s lovely prose entices and soothes the reader at the same time it escalates suspense and showers us with background details (such as Will’s pondering on creating a new tragic play based on his experiences, which of course we will know as “Romeo and Juliet.”)
This is certainly not the Shakespeare we have been taught to expect, but it is an enjoyable and adventurous one. Ms. Handeland’s lovely prose entices and soothes the reader at the same time it escalates suspense and showers us with background details (such as Will’s pondering on creating a new tragic play based on his experiences, which of course we will know as “Romeo and Juliet.”)
June 24, 2014
+ Zombies.
+ I don't know much about Shakespeare's work (except from some of the obvious things), but this is an interesting way to have some characters introduced I might never have heard of (and do some additional Wikipedia-reading on those, mayhap).
+ Humor. It's funny. Could've been funnier, but funny nonetheless.
+/- Sometimes I couldn't make sense of whether it was night or day. It seemed to switch kind of randomly. Then again, magic. I'll just use that as an explanation.
+/- While being funny, sometimes the book drags. It took me from reading a couple of chapters where I wanted to keep reading on to chapters that I thought were just "meh" at best.
Don't want to give this a full-on minus, because it is an entertaining book. Also, the rating would've been 3.5 if half stars were allowed.
+ I don't know much about Shakespeare's work (except from some of the obvious things), but this is an interesting way to have some characters introduced I might never have heard of (and do some additional Wikipedia-reading on those, mayhap).
+ Humor. It's funny. Could've been funnier, but funny nonetheless.
+/- Sometimes I couldn't make sense of whether it was night or day. It seemed to switch kind of randomly. Then again, magic. I'll just use that as an explanation.
+/- While being funny, sometimes the book drags. It took me from reading a couple of chapters where I wanted to keep reading on to chapters that I thought were just "meh" at best.
Don't want to give this a full-on minus, because it is an entertaining book. Also, the rating would've been 3.5 if half stars were allowed.
August 14, 2012
William Shakeaspeare is a zombie battling necromancer vampire...the premise alone is priceless. Silly but cute mash up sequel. Handleland light hearted take on a Shakespeare's classic can be over the top ridiculous, but at its best it sparkles with wit and humor. The ending is a total set up for the next adventure. Fun very quick read.
October 2, 2012
This was entertaining, the author gets a bit too much into the sex scenes and I felt often that she intended that to be. I also felt the references to nonshakespeare works were cute but a bit overdone.
That said, I did go out and find the first book and I'm currently 75% done with that. These are quick reads.
That said, I did go out and find the first book and I'm currently 75% done with that. These are quick reads.
October 14, 2012
I was stunned to find myself thoroughly enraptured with this book. Often I find that Zombie novels are cliche or too over-the-top; yet with this book, Lori Handeland did an amazing job incorporating Shakespearean works with the walking dead and plots of intrigue. I randomly chose this based on the cover art at the library and am now going to have to get the first book.
July 17, 2016
I quite enjoyed this book. I was not expecting the vampires, and it got a little too romancey at points, but really. I liked this book. It was really fascinating to see how Handeland re-worked the Tempest into something so new.
October 8, 2019
When I first picked up this book I wasn't really sure if I was really going to like it. I mean how silly you have William Shakespeare the most famous play writer in the world as a vampire on an island full of zombies, but after going further into the book it actually became very interesting.
Will's lover Kathrine who is married to a man named Reginald but does not love her husband one bit decides to plot her escape by pretending she is dead by means of a deep sleeping potion(Romeo & Juliet) that Will had supplied her with, but instead of her being in the crypt with the rest of her family she is sailing back to Virginia with her "supposed" widow husband while Will is following just behind them, the ships end up being tossed in a storm stranding Reginald and the now awake Kathrine onto what is known as Zombie Island.
After coming upon a sorcerer Prospero who constantly carries his book of magic around and calling desperately for his sprite or spirit Ariel Kathrine, Reginald (who was turned into a werewolf) and Will discover that Ariel is causing the storms while the dead are being raised as zombies for the sorcerer's army to take back the throne that is considered his and later in the book we find out that Prospero actually has royal blood but in any case must be stopped. This is also giving Will the idea for the play "The Tempest".
This book is definitely a wild and crazy ride and yet I found myself really liking it along with all the characters and hoping the villain Prospero finally comes to his demise. However because this is only the 2nd book you must wait to see what happens in I suppose the 3rd. I also got a bit of a kick out of the fact that there is a part in the book that references Star Trek.
Will's lover Kathrine who is married to a man named Reginald but does not love her husband one bit decides to plot her escape by pretending she is dead by means of a deep sleeping potion(Romeo & Juliet) that Will had supplied her with, but instead of her being in the crypt with the rest of her family she is sailing back to Virginia with her "supposed" widow husband while Will is following just behind them, the ships end up being tossed in a storm stranding Reginald and the now awake Kathrine onto what is known as Zombie Island.
After coming upon a sorcerer Prospero who constantly carries his book of magic around and calling desperately for his sprite or spirit Ariel Kathrine, Reginald (who was turned into a werewolf) and Will discover that Ariel is causing the storms while the dead are being raised as zombies for the sorcerer's army to take back the throne that is considered his and later in the book we find out that Prospero actually has royal blood but in any case must be stopped. This is also giving Will the idea for the play "The Tempest".
This book is definitely a wild and crazy ride and yet I found myself really liking it along with all the characters and hoping the villain Prospero finally comes to his demise. However because this is only the 2nd book you must wait to see what happens in I suppose the 3rd. I also got a bit of a kick out of the fact that there is a part in the book that references Star Trek.
January 11, 2020
This is the second book in a series, and it suffers from MBS (Middle Book Syndrome) -- there were some good plot elements, but it was clear that the story was meant to pick up from book 1 and set up the events for book 3, without really standing on its own as a novel. As a romance novel, I don't think it was very successful -- the 2 male "heroes" used in sex scenes were William Shakespeare (eww!) and a man who had been transformed into a dog-like beast (double eww!). Shakespeare alternated between quoting his own known works, which was nice, to "inventing" lines from well-known contemporary movies such as Star Trek, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Casablanca, which made suspension of disbelief difficult to maintain. Not recommended to any but fans of this author/series.
May 1, 2018
Considering it said Shakespeare on it, I guess him as a character in a book interested me, oh and I guess the fact he's a vampire in it helped as well! Funny he doesn't look like he would be, not even n the book cover does he have the physical characteristics that tell me one is a vampire. (takes one to know one ;-) )
https://multiscreenmotivision.wordpre...
https://multiscreenmotivision.wordpre...
February 26, 2021
This is more just like a amazing story , this is kind of a amazing book , and then , the book is about the zombie island , and the zombie is the enermy , so many people want to be alive , but i think one thing is dangerous than the zombie is the humen mind and herat
November 18, 2022
Ms. Handeland is a top author that keeps delivering with every book she writes. Zombie Island is no different. Her characters are funny, scary, and real all at the same time. A must-read for any paranormal lover. Bravo!
November 7, 2017
Wonderful. Hoping for a third book.
July 3, 2012
Originally Reviewed at:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: ARC Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: AimeeKay
I was sooo excited when I opened my mail and found this one!! What can I say I have a zombie problem. While I did have some issues with certain things, I did enjoy the story a lot overall.
I found Kate and William both highly entertaining. I laughed out loud at quite a few parts. I liked how the author worked in famous quotes. Plus I really enjoyed the different story ideas that would pop into Shakespeare’s head, especially when the ideas were for more modern stories. Then there was Ariel. I liked watching how she tried to figure out exactly what love was and seeing how she and Caliban worked out.
I loved the little quotes from The Tempest at the beginning of each chapter, and how Handeland made each chapter relate to its quote. I also liked the author’s style. Between her descriptions and her characters she really drew me into the story and I couldn’t wait to see where she would go.
The issues I had with the story…
My biggest problem was the timing of the story. One minute it would be nighttime, or have to be night since Shakespeare was awake, and the next minute it would be daytime. I got frustrated because I kept rereading parts of the story thinking I had missed something. I found that as long as I just ignored whether it was day or night I really enjoyed the story.
My second concern was the ending itself. It just seemed rather abrupt. Don’t get me wrong, it made sense, but there was all this excitement and rushing to save the world from the zombie menace, and then poof, it was just over. Maybe I didn’t like it because I was enjoying the book so much I didn’t want it to end. *Shrug* I just know that while the ending was logical, it just wasn’t very satisfying.
Because of the issues I had with the novel, it’s very hard for me to rate the finished product.
Zombie Island was funny; I think I laughed on almost every page. The novel enticed me to want to read the first book in the series, Shakespeare Undead. It also makes me want to read any other sequels the author might come up with. However between the concerns I had with the story seeming to jump between day and night and the way it just ended, I feel bad giving it 5 stars.
Would I read it again? Yep! Would I read more of the author’s work? Definitely! Would I recommend this book? Of course!
With that being said, I had I have to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 controllers. Yes I loved the book, but the issues were rather important ones and affected my overall enjoyment of the story, however I would still recommend reading Zombie Island if you get a chance.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: ARC Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: AimeeKay
I was sooo excited when I opened my mail and found this one!! What can I say I have a zombie problem. While I did have some issues with certain things, I did enjoy the story a lot overall.
I found Kate and William both highly entertaining. I laughed out loud at quite a few parts. I liked how the author worked in famous quotes. Plus I really enjoyed the different story ideas that would pop into Shakespeare’s head, especially when the ideas were for more modern stories. Then there was Ariel. I liked watching how she tried to figure out exactly what love was and seeing how she and Caliban worked out.
I loved the little quotes from The Tempest at the beginning of each chapter, and how Handeland made each chapter relate to its quote. I also liked the author’s style. Between her descriptions and her characters she really drew me into the story and I couldn’t wait to see where she would go.
The issues I had with the story…
My biggest problem was the timing of the story. One minute it would be nighttime, or have to be night since Shakespeare was awake, and the next minute it would be daytime. I got frustrated because I kept rereading parts of the story thinking I had missed something. I found that as long as I just ignored whether it was day or night I really enjoyed the story.
My second concern was the ending itself. It just seemed rather abrupt. Don’t get me wrong, it made sense, but there was all this excitement and rushing to save the world from the zombie menace, and then poof, it was just over. Maybe I didn’t like it because I was enjoying the book so much I didn’t want it to end. *Shrug* I just know that while the ending was logical, it just wasn’t very satisfying.
Because of the issues I had with the novel, it’s very hard for me to rate the finished product.
Zombie Island was funny; I think I laughed on almost every page. The novel enticed me to want to read the first book in the series, Shakespeare Undead. It also makes me want to read any other sequels the author might come up with. However between the concerns I had with the story seeming to jump between day and night and the way it just ended, I feel bad giving it 5 stars.
Would I read it again? Yep! Would I read more of the author’s work? Definitely! Would I recommend this book? Of course!
With that being said, I had I have to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 controllers. Yes I loved the book, but the issues were rather important ones and affected my overall enjoyment of the story, however I would still recommend reading Zombie Island if you get a chance.
March 26, 2015
2.5 stars
The first book in this series, Shakespeare Undead, was better. Overall premise: Shakespeare is a vampire. He's already lived for centuries when we catch up with him in the standard Shakespearean/Elizabethan era of the first book. He meets his Dark Lady (known from the Shakespearean sonnets), Kate - a zombie hunter.
This book picks up as the last left off, When Will sets off on a ship following Kate to the new world, both ships are wrecked near the shores of Zombie Island, at the power of Ariel, a sprite under the control of Prospero. Will and Kate must fight back against the zombie horde and try to keep Prospero from claiming the throne he believes is rightfully his.
Overall I liked the Shakespearean references and the more modern pop culture references, implying that Will is still living undead today and is behind many more stories than the known works of Shakespeare. However, I HATED how the book ended.... it clumsily set up another sequel at the expense of giving this book a proper ending. It's "go-go-go, wait? What just happened?" If the next book was already available (or even announced as definitely in the works), that is a bit more forgivable, but as it is, this book deserved a proper ending.
The first book in this series, Shakespeare Undead, was better. Overall premise: Shakespeare is a vampire. He's already lived for centuries when we catch up with him in the standard Shakespearean/Elizabethan era of the first book. He meets his Dark Lady (known from the Shakespearean sonnets), Kate - a zombie hunter.
This book picks up as the last left off, When Will sets off on a ship following Kate to the new world, both ships are wrecked near the shores of Zombie Island, at the power of Ariel, a sprite under the control of Prospero. Will and Kate must fight back against the zombie horde and try to keep Prospero from claiming the throne he believes is rightfully his.
Overall I liked the Shakespearean references and the more modern pop culture references, implying that Will is still living undead today and is behind many more stories than the known works of Shakespeare. However, I HATED how the book ended.... it clumsily set up another sequel at the expense of giving this book a proper ending. It's "go-go-go, wait? What just happened?" If the next book was already available (or even announced as definitely in the works), that is a bit more forgivable, but as it is, this book deserved a proper ending.
May 14, 2012
This was an ARC from NetGalley. I am so happy I was able to review this from St. Martin's Press.
3.5/5
This story was an interesting take on Shakespeare and his “life”. I enjoyed the author’s use of historical figures such as his wife Kate and Queen Elizabeth 1 as a backdrop for the story. I will say that it felt like a love story with the words Vampire and Zombie stuffed into places where it otherwise would not have been. It was more about a love story which I did think was well written. I had never read “The Tempest” so I was a bit lost at times but it was easy to read none the less. Kate was easy to enjoy as a character and Will as a Vampire actually worked better than I thought it would.
The character and story development was well done. I found it not only easy to follow but also much easier to actually read. If there was one thing I could tell the author it would be to make future stories more interesting and not making it so obvious that words were just inserted where they did not seem to fit. It took a bit for me to get into the story because of this but once I got into it I enjoyed the twists and turns especially with Prospero and the Tudor family. The final line about Queen Elizabeth was so well executed and it dropped my jaw. I gave this book 3.5/5 because the story was good and easy to read but the lack of why the Zombie and Vampire words were really there was often unclear. This would have worked as just a historical novel sans supernatural element.
3.5/5
This story was an interesting take on Shakespeare and his “life”. I enjoyed the author’s use of historical figures such as his wife Kate and Queen Elizabeth 1 as a backdrop for the story. I will say that it felt like a love story with the words Vampire and Zombie stuffed into places where it otherwise would not have been. It was more about a love story which I did think was well written. I had never read “The Tempest” so I was a bit lost at times but it was easy to read none the less. Kate was easy to enjoy as a character and Will as a Vampire actually worked better than I thought it would.
The character and story development was well done. I found it not only easy to follow but also much easier to actually read. If there was one thing I could tell the author it would be to make future stories more interesting and not making it so obvious that words were just inserted where they did not seem to fit. It took a bit for me to get into the story because of this but once I got into it I enjoyed the twists and turns especially with Prospero and the Tudor family. The final line about Queen Elizabeth was so well executed and it dropped my jaw. I gave this book 3.5/5 because the story was good and easy to read but the lack of why the Zombie and Vampire words were really there was often unclear. This would have worked as just a historical novel sans supernatural element.
May 5, 2015
When I found this book on Book Outlet I was super excited, because I really enjoyed Shakespeare Undead. So naturally Zombie Island found it's way onto the top of my reading pile after my large winter book haul came in. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I thought I would. It was okay. A quick read that I liked at times. I felt like the plot was lacking in places. Despite knowing what Prospero was up to, he some how managed to get on the ships. Only to have the book end before Kathryn and Shakespeare get back to really face him. So there's not real battle for the sake of Queen and country like in the first. Just a lot of zombie killing and Kathryn and Shakespeare finding and loosing each other. Then of course there was the need to remind everyone about Shakespeare "amazing" vampire abilities. Yes, he can move quickly, see and the dark, and is all around pretty badass. Personally I got annoyed with being reminded that he was dead. It's a vampire book, but now I'm just being picky.
All together I just really only sort of liked it. Mostly because I do love the way Handeland voices Shakespeare. Maybe if I knew there was going to be a third installment where they kick some zombie butt and face Prospero I would have given it another star, but besides a few parts here and there I only thought it was okay.
All together I just really only sort of liked it. Mostly because I do love the way Handeland voices Shakespeare. Maybe if I knew there was going to be a third installment where they kick some zombie butt and face Prospero I would have given it another star, but besides a few parts here and there I only thought it was okay.
April 6, 2012
I guess this series just... isn't for me. I absolutely hated the writing in the first book, which I only read because I received an ARC of this one. I had higher hopes for the sequel, but I'm still not just loving it. I think what annoys me is all the incessant relations to Shakespeare's works. It makes the books seem less creative to me. I feel like this could've been a really, really funny idea and Handeland just didn't quite make it work for me. I honestly didn't even finish it, I just got too bored.
So not to say this book is just awful, but I just can't get into it. I don't like reading books I can actually stop and go to sleep without thinking about. I'm not anxiously awaiting another one, and I probably won't read any more of it. But I can see it being the type of book my mom would read - she hates reading good books because she wakes up in the middle of the night and just HAS to read more. Definitely seems like an airplane/beach read, one you don't particularly need to pay attention to.
I guess I should also point out that I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan. I mean, Romeo and Juliet, classical, I do like it, but Poe/Shakespeare were never my favorite units in English. I'm much more of a Conan Doyle fan.
So not to say this book is just awful, but I just can't get into it. I don't like reading books I can actually stop and go to sleep without thinking about. I'm not anxiously awaiting another one, and I probably won't read any more of it. But I can see it being the type of book my mom would read - she hates reading good books because she wakes up in the middle of the night and just HAS to read more. Definitely seems like an airplane/beach read, one you don't particularly need to pay attention to.
I guess I should also point out that I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan. I mean, Romeo and Juliet, classical, I do like it, but Poe/Shakespeare were never my favorite units in English. I'm much more of a Conan Doyle fan.
June 26, 2013
This book is a wonderful mix of humor, romance, magic, and ZOMBIES. The characters had a good amount of detail, describing enough of their pass to read this as a stand alone book instead of reading them in the series. The humor was subtle , yet there adding a light mood over the more serious situations. The character of Will Shakespeare was great, as was his relationship with Kate. The author incorporated much of Wills playwriting skills within the book, while using some of the same language as his time period. The blooming relationship between Ariel (the fairy) and the Caliban (Reginald) also added a nice emotional little twist that would bring a smile to anyone face. The plot itself was good and went very nicely with the setting of the island, though more of the book could of been focused on the Zombies (since it is called Zombie Island). The ending was a nice surprise and if the author wanted to she most definitely make this series a trilogy. This is one of those books so different, tha ti have very glad i gave it a try.
July 11, 2012
This wasn't quite as good as the first one, but it was still pretty entertaining. My favorite parts in the first book were the sprinkling of ideas Shakespeare would have, which would go on to become very popular movies later on. This book did have a few of those, but not nearly as much as I would have liked.
Will there be a third one? This ended quite abruptly, so I really hope so. These may not be literary masterpieces, but they are just so much fun.
Will there be a third one? This ended quite abruptly, so I really hope so. These may not be literary masterpieces, but they are just so much fun.
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