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Undead #15
Undead and Done
Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor continues her rule in Hell in the scorchingly funny finale to the Undead series from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.
It had been a well-kept secret for centuries, but now the existence of vampires is all over the news, thanks to Betsy Taylor’s half sister (and the frustrated former Antichrist), Laura. Life for the undead will never be the same, and it’s up to Betsy to do some damage control. But her interview on the local news doesn’t exactly put out the fire. It more or less pours kerosene on it.
With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell—especially when Betsy’s new parole program becomes about as complicated as you’d expect.
With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls—and how hard—the end isn’t just near. It’s here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it’s the queen of Hell.
It had been a well-kept secret for centuries, but now the existence of vampires is all over the news, thanks to Betsy Taylor’s half sister (and the frustrated former Antichrist), Laura. Life for the undead will never be the same, and it’s up to Betsy to do some damage control. But her interview on the local news doesn’t exactly put out the fire. It more or less pours kerosene on it.
With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell—especially when Betsy’s new parole program becomes about as complicated as you’d expect.
With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls—and how hard—the end isn’t just near. It’s here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it’s the queen of Hell.
301 pages, Unknown Binding
First published October 4, 2016
105 people are currently reading
2,566 people want to read
About the author
MaryJanice Davidson
155Ìýbooks5,331ÌýfollowersMaryJanice Davidson is an American author and motivational speaker who writes mostly paranormal romance, but also young adult and non-fiction. She is the creator of the popular UNDEAD series and the time-traveling historical fiction A CONTEMPORARY ASSHAT AT THE COURT OF HENRY VIII. MaryJanice is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today and lives in St. Paul with her family. You can reach her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
February 7, 2017
Undead lovers, Read Fearlessly - This review has No Spoilers
Trigger warning : Suicide
One BetsyÌý.Ìý.Ìý. to rule them all.
My love for the Undead series is unparalleled. I love everything - the characters, the unpredictable plot and the snarky writing. As I finished the last book, I realized I have not reviewed the other books in this series. The only reason is I read these before I started reviewing books on GR and the books didn't let me sleep.
I hope this review captures a part of my deep fangirl attatchment to this series :
What I loved :
No loose ends
MJD brilliantly tied up the plot lines and answered all questions to give you the closure you need. We get to meet all the characters we love and get a sense of what their future may be.
Supporting Characters
This book has so many characters Marc - whose a doctor and a zombie, Tina - family and a majordomo ( This book introduced me to the concept of majordomos and yes, I want one ;) ) Batman's Alfred would definitely approve
There's Jess, Nick, the twins, both Antonias, BabyJon and many more.
Everyone has a role to play and contributes to the plot.
Usually, I struggle with minor characters and forget who is who.
Because this was the life I had chosen: free of yes-men.
Betsy
Betsy is a character who has grown incredibly under bizzare circumstances. She retains who she is - funny, caring, shoe obsessed and adds new layers to the Queen we know. She is surrounded by money but holds all the power, she has a roundabout way of thinking - she will surprise you and win.
She was a newbie vamp, a trouble for magnet and resisted The Book of the Dead. Now she handles Hell, her vampire subjects, The AntiChrist, her insane household and supernatural politics with humor and ease.
“Hell is no place for your tiresome morality.�
The Writing
I LOVE MJD'S WRITING.
Not every vampire is a thousand years old and rich and has a European accent and skulks in alleys.�
This book pushed vampires into frightening, new territory and created a fascinating world. Vampires in the modern world deal with mundane issues, politics, real estate, religion, their graves and what not. They love their wardrobes, their vodka, their puppies - Just remember - they are still predators.
This book is snarky, filled with self deprecating humor but if you followed the series, you realize it has a lot of depth.
The series explores issues like death, depression, sibling rivalry, power, influence of parents & childhood, beliefs, politics, coping mechanisms and I know I've forgotten some other stuff.
It uses my favorite plot devices really well and I'm an ecstatic fangirl - you get to read about Prophecies, Great Evil, Time Travel, Supernatural politics and a beautiful romance.
What broke my heart :
Eric Sinclair
He is the brain of this series, I think of Betsy as the heart...
Eric is gorgeous, unflappable, a ruthless King with a keen, deadly mind. He can be impassive, is in love with Betsy and always has an agenda.
I adore Eric and wished this book had more of him.
Eric Sinclair is a droolworthy book boyfriend and his reduced part in the series finale disappointed me in a major way. He adds something magical to the books and I felt deprived somehow....
That's the only fault I could find.
Ìý
Now I must come to terms with the fact that another beloved series has ended, I'm going to miss this Smoothie obsessed household & I need Cheesecake to help me get through this...
“Something jerk-ass this way comes.�
Trigger warning : Suicide
One BetsyÌý.Ìý.Ìý. to rule them all.
My love for the Undead series is unparalleled. I love everything - the characters, the unpredictable plot and the snarky writing. As I finished the last book, I realized I have not reviewed the other books in this series. The only reason is I read these before I started reviewing books on GR and the books didn't let me sleep.
I hope this review captures a part of my deep fangirl attatchment to this series :
What I loved :
No loose ends
MJD brilliantly tied up the plot lines and answered all questions to give you the closure you need. We get to meet all the characters we love and get a sense of what their future may be.
Supporting Characters
This book has so many characters Marc - whose a doctor and a zombie, Tina - family and a majordomo ( This book introduced me to the concept of majordomos and yes, I want one ;) ) Batman's Alfred would definitely approve
There's Jess, Nick, the twins, both Antonias, BabyJon and many more.
Everyone has a role to play and contributes to the plot.
Usually, I struggle with minor characters and forget who is who.
Because this was the life I had chosen: free of yes-men.
Betsy
Betsy is a character who has grown incredibly under bizzare circumstances. She retains who she is - funny, caring, shoe obsessed and adds new layers to the Queen we know. She is surrounded by money but holds all the power, she has a roundabout way of thinking - she will surprise you and win.
She was a newbie vamp, a trouble for magnet and resisted The Book of the Dead. Now she handles Hell, her vampire subjects, The AntiChrist, her insane household and supernatural politics with humor and ease.
“Hell is no place for your tiresome morality.�
The Writing
I LOVE MJD'S WRITING.
Not every vampire is a thousand years old and rich and has a European accent and skulks in alleys.�
This book pushed vampires into frightening, new territory and created a fascinating world. Vampires in the modern world deal with mundane issues, politics, real estate, religion, their graves and what not. They love their wardrobes, their vodka, their puppies - Just remember - they are still predators.
This book is snarky, filled with self deprecating humor but if you followed the series, you realize it has a lot of depth.
The series explores issues like death, depression, sibling rivalry, power, influence of parents & childhood, beliefs, politics, coping mechanisms and I know I've forgotten some other stuff.
It uses my favorite plot devices really well and I'm an ecstatic fangirl - you get to read about Prophecies, Great Evil, Time Travel, Supernatural politics and a beautiful romance.
What broke my heart :
Eric Sinclair
He is the brain of this series, I think of Betsy as the heart...
Eric is gorgeous, unflappable, a ruthless King with a keen, deadly mind. He can be impassive, is in love with Betsy and always has an agenda.
I adore Eric and wished this book had more of him.
Eric Sinclair is a droolworthy book boyfriend and his reduced part in the series finale disappointed me in a major way. He adds something magical to the books and I felt deprived somehow....
That's the only fault I could find.
Ìý
Now I must come to terms with the fact that another beloved series has ended, I'm going to miss this Smoothie obsessed household & I need Cheesecake to help me get through this...
“Something jerk-ass this way comes.�
May 6, 2020
It feels kind of sad to close the final Undead book, I have been reading this series since 2006 and have consistently enjoyed following Betsy's craziness and adventures.
We got lots of closure here;
I really hope Davidson comes back to this series in the future, even if it's just a few short stories; I'm not totally ready to let go of this world yet!
Series started for me with Undead and Unwed in April 2006
Series ended for me with Undead and Done in January 2018
We got lots of closure here;
I really hope Davidson comes back to this series in the future, even if it's just a few short stories; I'm not totally ready to let go of this world yet!
Series started for me with Undead and Unwed in April 2006
Series ended for me with Undead and Done in January 2018
October 12, 2016
-Ms. Davidson is the paranormal queen of stream of consciousness writing: Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, and current Ruler of Hell, is back for this last ride. It’s as wacky and rambling, yet still as wickedly entertaining as I remember. If you struggle with books that seem to, narratively, wander around like a kid with ADHD who just ate an entire cake, perhaps this isn’t for you. I find the humor laugh out loud funny and Betsy's charming in the most vapid way possible. Also, I’d probably kill for her shoe collection. #dontjudgeme
-Not a standalone: Now it’s been a while since I read the Undead series, so I was a little lost at first trying to catch up with the goings on. However, there are enough breadcrumbs and straight up exposition, to help the long time reader who may have missed a book or two. However, if you haven’t read these at all, I’m pretty sure you’d be as lost as if you were wandering through the Mall of America without a map.
-Whole lot going on: This story starts off with vampires having just been outed by Betsy’s sister Laura (aka the Antichrist, long story) and the fallout from that. There’s alot of visits from old friends, nemesis and general craziness that would be impossible to encapsulate in a review. Suffice to say, Betsy’s idea that it would be “no big deal� to confirm vampires are real, wasn’t exactly the best plan she’s ever come up with. But in true Betsy fashion, she manages to make it all work out in the end and give a good amount of closure for long time fans.
More Sinclair and Betsy: My main complaint is Betsy and Sinclair’s romance is what kept me coming back for more in the beginning, and once they were cemented as a couple, they definitely took a backseat to the madness around them. It’s why I dropped off the train on this series, and even if I enjoyed this one, it was still missing that bit of real romance. I understand it, but I still longed for the early books and more romance. That’s just my personal bias though, since I’m an admitted romance junkie.
I enjoyed myself and I think if you’re a long time fan of Betsy, you will too. If you’ve never read the series, I wouldn't start here, but I would encourage you to check it out (especially the early books) if you love a great sense of snarky humor with your paranormal romances.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
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January 16, 2017Okay, good series! It started out strong, really got to wear at you there towards the end when the Vampire stuff went by the wayside and Betsy herself just got dumber and dumber, but this last book really pulled things back together. I was sad to learn that this was the last volume of the series!
I wouldn't have been that sad after books 13 or 14, for instance, because infuriatingly little happened in them, they started to get annoying author footnotes that broke suspension of disbelief, and what small amount of progress happened usually occurred in the epilogue, which was invariably rolled back or otherwise invalidated at the start of the next book.
So, in the last few books, only a few things actually happened, but the lead up was great.
1: Betsy got together with her half sister Laura the Antichrist, and went on a time traveling adventure where they changed a number of things in their timeline, and met a competent and evil 'Future Betsy' who had taken over the now frozen world and turned their friend Mark into an evil vampire, and turned her husband Sinclair into the evil prophetic book, his skin the pages. They made it back to their own time and resolved to change the future to avoid creating 'Future Betsy', but they somehow brought evil Mark back, and he convinced current Mark to kill himself, whereupon a time travelling 'Future Betsy' showed up and turned him into a zombie! That and the evil book still existing showed that they didn't actually stop 'Future Betsy' at all, but at some point everyone just agreed that they had.
2: The Devil, Laura's mom and actual Satan in charge of actual hell for billions or years (or millions or at least a very long time, it varies), wanted out of her job, so she tricked Betsy into killing her in hell, thereby sticking Laura with the job. Part of the deal was a wish, allowing Sinclair to be able to 'bear the light'. Betsy just wanted him to be a daywalker like she was, but it also ended up letting him say God's name without pain, ignore crosses, go to church and so on. And the daywalking gave him the gumption to raise puppies! However, it also made him act like an idiot for several books for no reason.
3: After Betsy killed the Devil, Laura went a bit nuts, blaming Besty for the death of her 'beloved' mother, despite being present for the subterfuge! This was a problem, because Laura had hell based superpowers and a legion of evil cult followers that despite considering herself 'good', didn't have a problem utilizing for underhanded deeds!
4: Laura had to take over the Devil's job, but resisted! Her deal had always been that she was raised good, and seemed to want to be good for its own sake, but her true nature was evil, and she was half being good as a way of rebelling against her mom, who was the evil devil. With the devil gone, she tricked Betsy into half taking over hell, and then fully taking over hell. Once Betsy had taken over hell, she and Laura had a complete falling out, and Betsy banished Laura from hell, stripping her of her powers, which is what Laura said she wanted.
5: Betsy's time travel shenanigans had not only changed her husband's past, she'd also messed with her best friend's life as well, giving her a loving boyfriend/husband Dick (whereas the same guy, then known as Nick, had left her before) as well as a magical pregnancy. The whole thing was complicated by Betsy's half brother that she's raising as a son, because of his magical powers. Basically, the reason for that entire book was to remind us that Babyjon wasn't just a normal kid, but couldn't be harmed by magical means and could befuddle minds. They worked through it though, and the babies were born. Her friend gave birth to fraternal twins who could jump timelines, appearing in their mansion home as their regular baby selves, toddlers, kindergartners, middle schoolers, teens, and young adults, because the timelines they came from were further along. Sometimes they would tease bits of the future, or possible futures!
6: Betsy took over hell. She learned how to utilize hell's powers, like the teleportation to and from hell that Laura had previously used, how to change hell, turning it from a torture hive into a Mall of America clone, and picked a bunch of hell residents that she knew from life (including her hated Ant, Cynthia the murder victim, a Priest from a previous book, Zombie Mark, Tina the vamp and eventually Sinclair) to form a mini bureaucracy to keep things running smoothly. She would eventually institute a 'hell buddy' system, and initiate a release program. You see, in a previous book, a friend of hers had died, went to hell, but after a confrontation with the devil, she had grabbed the friend as she was leaving, and she ended up back on earth, alive. It turns out anyone let out of hell comes back alive, not as a ghost! So, she chose a not all that bad person to go back and try to make amends as a test case. It worked out! Betsy was also trying to revise the ten commandments for some reason.
7: Betsy was pretty sure the Devil wasn't really dead anyway, and she was right! The devil had been posing as a friend of hers that she then appointed as one of her advisers in hell. Betsy outed the devil, and banished her for good! The transition of power had been real, and now everyone knew it was extremely final! No one knew where the Devil might have gone during the banishment though!
8: Psych! Laura is deeply broken, and now considered Betsy to have 'tricked her out of her heritage'. She outed Vampires, but then that turned out to be okay, so she had her minions blow up Betsy's house! Laura herself had allowed this, fooling herself that everything would be okay, but snapped out of it at the last second and went into the mansion to help. She failed utterly, and was instead impaled on some rubble and died in Betsy's arms.
8: Just before the fire, Mark's new boyfriend tried to warn him, but was fatally shot instead. After the fire, Betsy had an epiphany, and brought him to hell, where he woke up as a zombie himself. She had figured it out! Yay? Meanwhile, the fire itself had been timed to coincide with a conference of mystical beings, and since everyone except for evil Laura ended up okay, and a number of people had accidentally been transported bodily to hell, the event became the start of a new Vampire/Mermaid/Werewolf alliance!
9: Finally, one of the twins showed up and expositioned that everything would work out just fine, that she would be a great ruler of hell, and that eventually Babyjon would grow up and take over some or all of her roles, he would be immune to any mystical attack, and had the twins to scour the timelines for other threats. The end!
****
Well, I did like this last book, which comprised steps 8, 9 and 10 listed above. It was well written, and Betsy didn't come off as a complete space case.
I think I would have liked more reasoning for why Betsy would step down. Did she step down from both running Hell and being the Vampire Queen? Was she just bored, or was it on purpose in order to avoid 'Evil Future Betsy'? I guess we'll never know, because the book trailed off at that point.
We never got to find out why some timelines only had one twin. And if they were jumping timelines voluntarily, as was implied, why would that sad remaining twin bother? Especially if they weren't really in the other timelines?
The author never went back to show why Betsy even had any of the weird powers that she had. I could think of plenty of ways... mostly that the Devil did it through some circuitous means. After all, she gave the same powers to Sinclair later. Yet, throughout the novels, Betsy continuously assumes God did it.
After what, 3 or 4 books where she's dealing with the Devil, then another 3 or 4 where she's literally running hell, we never once come upon another angel. Basically, everyone's freaked out that no one is running hell, but who cares? It's not like anyone other than Laura is screwing with it. If they had just left it alone, no one on earth would care, and presumably God would send someone else to run it if it really needed running.
Speaking of other angels, the last couple of books teased that Betsy was getting better at teleporting, or what would normally be thought of as Plane Shifting, I'm looking at you for that, author. Anyway, it's further teased that she could plane shift to other places, but she never even tries. After all that, you'd think she'd at least try to find Heaven!
Speaking of Laura screwing with hell, she had evidently let out a whole bunch of evil souls from hell, then told Betsy they had escaped, in order to trick her into taking over hell. I'm glad Betsy called her on her stupidity... she could have just lied about it instead of actually doing it. The thing is, who cares? I mean, in other series this could be a serious problem, but not here. Here, they're not wandering evil souls, poltergeists, or even ghosts! No, if they were let out of hell, they're alive again! Evidently the people Laura chose weren't that bad, because Betsy wasn't too fussed over it and most of them went back to hell on their own anyway.
Speaking of which, that had to mean they killed themselves to get back to hell, because only Betsy has that plane shift power now. This was seriously glossed over in the books.
Speaking of which, her attempt to make an official change to the ten commandments was interesting in theory, yet boring in execution, and dumb when considered as part of this story. She has power over hell, not heaven.
Speaking of which, the author would sometimes bring up interesting ideas about who ended up in hell and why, and perhaps why other people who you would think should have been there weren't, like Hitler. There were also a few thoughts about other belief systems, but it would seem the author shied away from developing those thoughts. Well, not everything can be as awesome as the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony.
So, all in all, it was a good book, and a pretty good series with a rough middle, and could have kept on going, but clearly the author had run out of ideas and stopped really thinking about it. Maybe I'll look into her other series, although I read the Mermaid/Vampire crossover and wasn't terribly impressed. Maybe the Werewolf series would be better?
I wouldn't have been that sad after books 13 or 14, for instance, because infuriatingly little happened in them, they started to get annoying author footnotes that broke suspension of disbelief, and what small amount of progress happened usually occurred in the epilogue, which was invariably rolled back or otherwise invalidated at the start of the next book.
So, in the last few books, only a few things actually happened, but the lead up was great.
1: Betsy got together with her half sister Laura the Antichrist, and went on a time traveling adventure where they changed a number of things in their timeline, and met a competent and evil 'Future Betsy' who had taken over the now frozen world and turned their friend Mark into an evil vampire, and turned her husband Sinclair into the evil prophetic book, his skin the pages. They made it back to their own time and resolved to change the future to avoid creating 'Future Betsy', but they somehow brought evil Mark back, and he convinced current Mark to kill himself, whereupon a time travelling 'Future Betsy' showed up and turned him into a zombie! That and the evil book still existing showed that they didn't actually stop 'Future Betsy' at all, but at some point everyone just agreed that they had.
2: The Devil, Laura's mom and actual Satan in charge of actual hell for billions or years (or millions or at least a very long time, it varies), wanted out of her job, so she tricked Betsy into killing her in hell, thereby sticking Laura with the job. Part of the deal was a wish, allowing Sinclair to be able to 'bear the light'. Betsy just wanted him to be a daywalker like she was, but it also ended up letting him say God's name without pain, ignore crosses, go to church and so on. And the daywalking gave him the gumption to raise puppies! However, it also made him act like an idiot for several books for no reason.
3: After Betsy killed the Devil, Laura went a bit nuts, blaming Besty for the death of her 'beloved' mother, despite being present for the subterfuge! This was a problem, because Laura had hell based superpowers and a legion of evil cult followers that despite considering herself 'good', didn't have a problem utilizing for underhanded deeds!
4: Laura had to take over the Devil's job, but resisted! Her deal had always been that she was raised good, and seemed to want to be good for its own sake, but her true nature was evil, and she was half being good as a way of rebelling against her mom, who was the evil devil. With the devil gone, she tricked Betsy into half taking over hell, and then fully taking over hell. Once Betsy had taken over hell, she and Laura had a complete falling out, and Betsy banished Laura from hell, stripping her of her powers, which is what Laura said she wanted.
5: Betsy's time travel shenanigans had not only changed her husband's past, she'd also messed with her best friend's life as well, giving her a loving boyfriend/husband Dick (whereas the same guy, then known as Nick, had left her before) as well as a magical pregnancy. The whole thing was complicated by Betsy's half brother that she's raising as a son, because of his magical powers. Basically, the reason for that entire book was to remind us that Babyjon wasn't just a normal kid, but couldn't be harmed by magical means and could befuddle minds. They worked through it though, and the babies were born. Her friend gave birth to fraternal twins who could jump timelines, appearing in their mansion home as their regular baby selves, toddlers, kindergartners, middle schoolers, teens, and young adults, because the timelines they came from were further along. Sometimes they would tease bits of the future, or possible futures!
6: Betsy took over hell. She learned how to utilize hell's powers, like the teleportation to and from hell that Laura had previously used, how to change hell, turning it from a torture hive into a Mall of America clone, and picked a bunch of hell residents that she knew from life (including her hated Ant, Cynthia the murder victim, a Priest from a previous book, Zombie Mark, Tina the vamp and eventually Sinclair) to form a mini bureaucracy to keep things running smoothly. She would eventually institute a 'hell buddy' system, and initiate a release program. You see, in a previous book, a friend of hers had died, went to hell, but after a confrontation with the devil, she had grabbed the friend as she was leaving, and she ended up back on earth, alive. It turns out anyone let out of hell comes back alive, not as a ghost! So, she chose a not all that bad person to go back and try to make amends as a test case. It worked out! Betsy was also trying to revise the ten commandments for some reason.
7: Betsy was pretty sure the Devil wasn't really dead anyway, and she was right! The devil had been posing as a friend of hers that she then appointed as one of her advisers in hell. Betsy outed the devil, and banished her for good! The transition of power had been real, and now everyone knew it was extremely final! No one knew where the Devil might have gone during the banishment though!
8: Psych! Laura is deeply broken, and now considered Betsy to have 'tricked her out of her heritage'. She outed Vampires, but then that turned out to be okay, so she had her minions blow up Betsy's house! Laura herself had allowed this, fooling herself that everything would be okay, but snapped out of it at the last second and went into the mansion to help. She failed utterly, and was instead impaled on some rubble and died in Betsy's arms.
8: Just before the fire, Mark's new boyfriend tried to warn him, but was fatally shot instead. After the fire, Betsy had an epiphany, and brought him to hell, where he woke up as a zombie himself. She had figured it out! Yay? Meanwhile, the fire itself had been timed to coincide with a conference of mystical beings, and since everyone except for evil Laura ended up okay, and a number of people had accidentally been transported bodily to hell, the event became the start of a new Vampire/Mermaid/Werewolf alliance!
9: Finally, one of the twins showed up and expositioned that everything would work out just fine, that she would be a great ruler of hell, and that eventually Babyjon would grow up and take over some or all of her roles, he would be immune to any mystical attack, and had the twins to scour the timelines for other threats. The end!
****
Well, I did like this last book, which comprised steps 8, 9 and 10 listed above. It was well written, and Betsy didn't come off as a complete space case.
I think I would have liked more reasoning for why Betsy would step down. Did she step down from both running Hell and being the Vampire Queen? Was she just bored, or was it on purpose in order to avoid 'Evil Future Betsy'? I guess we'll never know, because the book trailed off at that point.
We never got to find out why some timelines only had one twin. And if they were jumping timelines voluntarily, as was implied, why would that sad remaining twin bother? Especially if they weren't really in the other timelines?
The author never went back to show why Betsy even had any of the weird powers that she had. I could think of plenty of ways... mostly that the Devil did it through some circuitous means. After all, she gave the same powers to Sinclair later. Yet, throughout the novels, Betsy continuously assumes God did it.
After what, 3 or 4 books where she's dealing with the Devil, then another 3 or 4 where she's literally running hell, we never once come upon another angel. Basically, everyone's freaked out that no one is running hell, but who cares? It's not like anyone other than Laura is screwing with it. If they had just left it alone, no one on earth would care, and presumably God would send someone else to run it if it really needed running.
Speaking of other angels, the last couple of books teased that Betsy was getting better at teleporting, or what would normally be thought of as Plane Shifting, I'm looking at you for that, author. Anyway, it's further teased that she could plane shift to other places, but she never even tries. After all that, you'd think she'd at least try to find Heaven!
Speaking of Laura screwing with hell, she had evidently let out a whole bunch of evil souls from hell, then told Betsy they had escaped, in order to trick her into taking over hell. I'm glad Betsy called her on her stupidity... she could have just lied about it instead of actually doing it. The thing is, who cares? I mean, in other series this could be a serious problem, but not here. Here, they're not wandering evil souls, poltergeists, or even ghosts! No, if they were let out of hell, they're alive again! Evidently the people Laura chose weren't that bad, because Betsy wasn't too fussed over it and most of them went back to hell on their own anyway.
Speaking of which, that had to mean they killed themselves to get back to hell, because only Betsy has that plane shift power now. This was seriously glossed over in the books.
Speaking of which, her attempt to make an official change to the ten commandments was interesting in theory, yet boring in execution, and dumb when considered as part of this story. She has power over hell, not heaven.
Speaking of which, the author would sometimes bring up interesting ideas about who ended up in hell and why, and perhaps why other people who you would think should have been there weren't, like Hitler. There were also a few thoughts about other belief systems, but it would seem the author shied away from developing those thoughts. Well, not everything can be as awesome as the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony.
So, all in all, it was a good book, and a pretty good series with a rough middle, and could have kept on going, but clearly the author had run out of ideas and stopped really thinking about it. Maybe I'll look into her other series, although I read the Mermaid/Vampire crossover and wasn't terribly impressed. Maybe the Werewolf series would be better?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2016
It had been a well-kept secret for centuries, but now the existence of vampires is all over the news, thanks to Betsy Taylor’s half sister (and the frustrated former Antichrist), Laura. Life for the undead will never be the same, and it’s up to Betsy to do some damage control. But her interview on the local news doesn’t exactly put out the fire. It more or less pours kerosene on it.
With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell—especially when Betsy’s new parole program becomes about as complicated as you’d expect.
With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls—and how hard—the end isn’t just near. It’s here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it’s the queen of Hell.
I have to admit a little bit of dramatic book trauma now that this series is over, but at the same time I have to give Davidson props for knowing when to end it.
So few authors know when its time to close one journey and wrap it up when its okay to say goodbye. Instead they tend to strangle the life out of a series until it no longer resembles anything it started out as.
I honestly felt that Undead and Done was one of her most beautiful installments - crazy yes but beautiful because there is a lot of morale conflict and soul searching that our queen brings to the plate.
I should mention a warning about suicide (if this topic upsets you or is close to you should take into consideration if you should read it) its rather deep and may bother some who struggle with the issue.
Also topic of note is how Davidson reaches out and gives a nod to previous cast creatures to other books she's written which I thought was great. Long time fans will like this.
The big reveal was less Diana Ross and more Marilyn Manson but who are we to judge? Bes let's the cat out of the bag and it doesn't go over so well once its out. What happens next is well... The rest is as we say is history.
Its great because despite the craziness and the adage of responsibility everything kind of feels full circle when you consider the entire series and where Bes started out.
She's taken on her new world, her abilities, the supernatural surrounding her and she's managed to do it all while still keeping her sanity and if I dare say it her humanity.
But she's grown as well. She's matured. She's become someone that can be respected and understood and related to, also someone not to be miscalculated or messed with but she's still the same woman you love at the start of it all.
If you haven't read this series I highly suggest picking it up and starting it all from the beginning.You won't be sorry.
Undead will be missed but maybe we will get a few glimpses into it sometime in the future. It would be nice to see what happens later on in the world and to our characters and what changes in their lives at some point later down the road.
Bravo Davidson for a fantastic finish to the Undead series. I applaud you. Take a bow, your work is done.
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley/Penguin Publishing
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers! Thank you!
With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell—especially when Betsy’s new parole program becomes about as complicated as you’d expect.
With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls—and how hard—the end isn’t just near. It’s here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it’s the queen of Hell.
I have to admit a little bit of dramatic book trauma now that this series is over, but at the same time I have to give Davidson props for knowing when to end it.
So few authors know when its time to close one journey and wrap it up when its okay to say goodbye. Instead they tend to strangle the life out of a series until it no longer resembles anything it started out as.
I honestly felt that Undead and Done was one of her most beautiful installments - crazy yes but beautiful because there is a lot of morale conflict and soul searching that our queen brings to the plate.
I should mention a warning about suicide (if this topic upsets you or is close to you should take into consideration if you should read it) its rather deep and may bother some who struggle with the issue.
Also topic of note is how Davidson reaches out and gives a nod to previous cast creatures to other books she's written which I thought was great. Long time fans will like this.
The big reveal was less Diana Ross and more Marilyn Manson but who are we to judge? Bes let's the cat out of the bag and it doesn't go over so well once its out. What happens next is well... The rest is as we say is history.
Its great because despite the craziness and the adage of responsibility everything kind of feels full circle when you consider the entire series and where Bes started out.
She's taken on her new world, her abilities, the supernatural surrounding her and she's managed to do it all while still keeping her sanity and if I dare say it her humanity.
But she's grown as well. She's matured. She's become someone that can be respected and understood and related to, also someone not to be miscalculated or messed with but she's still the same woman you love at the start of it all.
If you haven't read this series I highly suggest picking it up and starting it all from the beginning.You won't be sorry.
Undead will be missed but maybe we will get a few glimpses into it sometime in the future. It would be nice to see what happens later on in the world and to our characters and what changes in their lives at some point later down the road.
Bravo Davidson for a fantastic finish to the Undead series. I applaud you. Take a bow, your work is done.
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley/Penguin Publishing
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers! Thank you!
March 21, 2019
A good and typically quirky wrap up to a series I really enjoyed. Hoping there will be a spin off at some stage!
October 6, 2016
Omg.
Totally an awesome finale to the series.
Totally an awesome finale to the series.
December 5, 2016
A good ending to a series that lasted entirely too long.
October 4, 2016
This series has always been a humorous escape for me, so I am sad to see it end... but I also believe that it's ending in a good place. As readers, we aren't always happy with how a series pans out... but I think this one was wrapped up quite nicely. Maybe with the potential for a spinoff? ::Cough::Jon Taylor::Cough::
Warning!!! This review may contain spoilers for prior books in the series. So if you aren't caught up... what the heck is wrong with you? No - seriously - read at your own risk and don't blame me if you accidentally see that Betsy changed the timeline again and now is obsessed with Birkenstocks, not Blahniks.
So picks up right where left off. The Anti-Christ, Laura Goodman, has outed Betsy and the vampires to society... and Betsy has just confirmed it in a sort-of press release. Reporters are camping outside the mansion, Betsy is giving interviews, and the werewolves are storming into town. But it's not all earth-bound drama in this final installment. While the Mall of Hell is running smoothly these days, Betsy decides to kickstart her parole program with the first test case. Is releasing people from Hell really a good idea, or is it going to blow up in Betsy's face?
I've seen Hell and I've been audited. The Antichrist doesn't scare me.
So before reading this final installment... what I was most looking forward to? Well, I wanted to see the Anti-Christ and the Deadbeat Dad come to a huge inglorious ending. I wanted karma, dang it. I have just hate-hate-hated Laura the last few books. She was a sanctimonious asshat and I couldn't understand why Betsy always seemed to make excuses for her. And don't get me started on her odious father - he was just awful from the beginning. I also wanted the story behind Jessica's weird time-traveling babies. I just loved all their iterations that started popping up in the last couple of books. Did I get everything I wanted? Well - I'm not telling! Some things happened, some things didn't. But I wasn't disappointed. I will say that despite being the prophesied vampire queen and ruler of hell, and despite having been responsible for numerous deaths, Betsy has always had a much bigger heart than anyone (other than her friends) gave her credit for. I think this series has blurred the line between good and evil, and no one nature triumphed over the other.
Much like myself, Betsy can't always think in a linear fashion, but she never fails to solve her problems in her own roundabout way. She has definitely experienced a great deal of personal growth over 15+ books, but she has maintained her endearingly vapid nature and wonder at the powers she has accumulated. Sinclair was a steady presence through the series and this final story, and I have not one bad thing to say about him. He's a bit of a megalomaniac... but one that loves puppies! Sinclair also loves Betsy to pieces, and I liked that the heat level varied over the books. Betsy and Sinclair were always a little handsy, but they weren't breaking beds in every book. I have enjoyed the family that Betsy has made... vampires, zombies, furred and finned all added their own special something to the series.
I just love MJD's sense of humor and the way it shines through her books. Sometimes you just need an escape into a frivolous and funny world, and I always enjoy a foray into MJD's imagination. If you are a blog follower, you may remember that MJD was my white whale at the RT Convention this year. I missed her at the signing and was chasing her around for two days trying to force her to sign my copy of Undead and Unwed... but we kept missing each other! I have to say that she was a great sport about it and my friends that actually did get to see her said she was just as funny in real life as she is in print. (PS. I too bought my brother a tshirt that says World's Okayest Brother!) I love that she drops footnotes into her writing to add side notes or reference points. I'm always dropping footnoes into my legal writing, so I think I would want to do it if I had any type of creative writing ability as well. (Side note: My new Kindle Voyage handles footnotes very well... who knew! They pop right up - no more flipping back and forth to the end. Yay!)
Is there anything that I was missing from this final book? No... not really. I would have loved to see 'Nother 'Nother Epilogue like some 100+ years in the future just to see how people are doing, what the world is like, what they're wearing, and what kinds of shoes Betsy has accumulated. BUT - I can hold out hope that we will see Betsy and Sinclair again as secondary characters in future spinoffs or novellas.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2016
UNDEAD AND DONE is the fifteenth! and last book in the Queen Betsy series, and while I hadn’t read any of the previous instalments, I had no problem keeping up with the story, and believe me, that’s no mean feat! I can hardly imagine the giddiness of long-time fans as it was obvious that some loose ends were wrapped up. And in spite of my gross ignorance of the previous events in this series, I enjoyed myself immensely!
When Satan � in fact, Betsy Taylor’s half-sister Laura Goodman � outed the vampires, Betsy and her husband Eric Sinclair’s mansion was assaulted by reporters. Damage control was needed, and diplomacy not being Betsy’s strong suit, it would not be an easy task. Especially since those pesky werewolves don’t want their own secret revealed. So now smoothie-drinking, shoe addict Betsy, is now Satan 2.0, and the head of a committee to manage Hell, and she intends to make changes! Is Hell about to freeze over?
If you’ve never read any of the Queen Betsy books, think of it as the Marx Brothers doing a paranormal romance with a dash of Albert Camus thrown in! Betsy’s world is completely over-the-top madness, and perpetual chaos seems to follow Betsy wherever she goes, and no matter how hard she tries to make things work. Somewhat tries. For the most part, UNDEAD AND DONE unfolds at a frantic pace; and the tone often feels like stream of consciousness, which suits the type of story perfectly. The characters are well-defined and colourful, to say the least, but quite endearing � when they are the good guys, that is.
Readers for whom mentions of suicide constitutes a trigger should probably abstain from reading this book, as Ms. Davidson herself points out. While the first half is mostly utter mayhem, hilarious mayhem, the second half where the suicide issue occurs is positively riveting, and it is in my opinion the strongest part of the book, strangely enough. Ms. Davidson demonstrates a profound and insightful understanding of the issue, and the hysterically funny chaos slips into a philosophical discourse, without missing a beat or sounding preachy, Far from being dark and depressing, or worse saccharine-sweet and fake, this segment felt liberating and real; I imagine this is how things would go, should we come back from the dead. It is very beautiful in a very understated way, and unforgettable, really. It’s a very important component of the underlying story � what Hell is and what it should be � and it touched me deeply.
I really love MaryJanice Davidson’s take on the paranormal. Besides the hilarity, there are some very original touches: I found Dr. Bimm, the mermaid, particularly appealing, and the twins were simply marvellous, or rather their growth spurs (wink, nudge!). Neophyte to this series that I am, I very much appreciated the footnotes � funny, but also quite instructive � as they point out in which book to read for backstories or more information on certain characters or events. And what do you know, my to-be-read pile just grew by several books!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I give 4 ½ stars
When Satan � in fact, Betsy Taylor’s half-sister Laura Goodman � outed the vampires, Betsy and her husband Eric Sinclair’s mansion was assaulted by reporters. Damage control was needed, and diplomacy not being Betsy’s strong suit, it would not be an easy task. Especially since those pesky werewolves don’t want their own secret revealed. So now smoothie-drinking, shoe addict Betsy, is now Satan 2.0, and the head of a committee to manage Hell, and she intends to make changes! Is Hell about to freeze over?
If you’ve never read any of the Queen Betsy books, think of it as the Marx Brothers doing a paranormal romance with a dash of Albert Camus thrown in! Betsy’s world is completely over-the-top madness, and perpetual chaos seems to follow Betsy wherever she goes, and no matter how hard she tries to make things work. Somewhat tries. For the most part, UNDEAD AND DONE unfolds at a frantic pace; and the tone often feels like stream of consciousness, which suits the type of story perfectly. The characters are well-defined and colourful, to say the least, but quite endearing � when they are the good guys, that is.
Readers for whom mentions of suicide constitutes a trigger should probably abstain from reading this book, as Ms. Davidson herself points out. While the first half is mostly utter mayhem, hilarious mayhem, the second half where the suicide issue occurs is positively riveting, and it is in my opinion the strongest part of the book, strangely enough. Ms. Davidson demonstrates a profound and insightful understanding of the issue, and the hysterically funny chaos slips into a philosophical discourse, without missing a beat or sounding preachy, Far from being dark and depressing, or worse saccharine-sweet and fake, this segment felt liberating and real; I imagine this is how things would go, should we come back from the dead. It is very beautiful in a very understated way, and unforgettable, really. It’s a very important component of the underlying story � what Hell is and what it should be � and it touched me deeply.
I really love MaryJanice Davidson’s take on the paranormal. Besides the hilarity, there are some very original touches: I found Dr. Bimm, the mermaid, particularly appealing, and the twins were simply marvellous, or rather their growth spurs (wink, nudge!). Neophyte to this series that I am, I very much appreciated the footnotes � funny, but also quite instructive � as they point out in which book to read for backstories or more information on certain characters or events. And what do you know, my to-be-read pile just grew by several books!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I give 4 ½ stars
September 27, 2016
UNDEAD AND DONE BY MJ Davidson Sort of brings Queen Betsy’s Reign to an End
Mary Janice has finally left the undead and others behind as she brings this convoluted series to an end.
E-Galley provided by publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
I have often thought MJD was going off the rails with this series so I am glad to see it coming to an end. She brings most of it full circle with a really satisfying ending. I feel we may occasionally see Betsy, et al. in short stories from time to time.
One thing that has worked throughout the series is Betsy becoming more mature; this has been a personal journey for this character. I have had a hard time throughout understanding the metaphysics of MJD’s Queen Betsy’s world. And, to be sure it is pretty fluid and is less like an urban fantasy than it is a farce with supernatural beings.
One thing that has never been in question is MJD’s wildly imaginative, implausible, what-if approach to her stories and her sense of humor in developing a self-deprecating, humble-in-all-but-her-fashion-sense, vampire queen. This is a MUST READ if you have been a follower. And, while I think it is best read in order, I myself have skipped a couple of books in the series and still been able to follow the storylines. This probably has a lot to do with that loose world-building I reference above.
Mary Janice has finally left the undead and others behind as she brings this convoluted series to an end.
E-Galley provided by publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
I have often thought MJD was going off the rails with this series so I am glad to see it coming to an end. She brings most of it full circle with a really satisfying ending. I feel we may occasionally see Betsy, et al. in short stories from time to time.
One thing that has worked throughout the series is Betsy becoming more mature; this has been a personal journey for this character. I have had a hard time throughout understanding the metaphysics of MJD’s Queen Betsy’s world. And, to be sure it is pretty fluid and is less like an urban fantasy than it is a farce with supernatural beings.
One thing that has never been in question is MJD’s wildly imaginative, implausible, what-if approach to her stories and her sense of humor in developing a self-deprecating, humble-in-all-but-her-fashion-sense, vampire queen. This is a MUST READ if you have been a follower. And, while I think it is best read in order, I myself have skipped a couple of books in the series and still been able to follow the storylines. This probably has a lot to do with that loose world-building I reference above.
May 22, 2017
As a swan song for the Undead series, Undead and Done contains all of the elements that made it a fan favorite from its start: laugh-out-loud stream of consciousness observations and self-effacing wittiness from Betsy, a string of escalating mayhem, family, friends, frienemies, enemies, and baddies galore in various iterations of a Minnesota as imagined by dopers. Religious, ethical, and philosophical quandaries abound in addition to odd historical tidbits.
Undead and Done reclaims the fun, absurdist vibe that was lost in the entries with totally depressing storylines and horrible deaths of beloved characters as cliffhangers that felt like unnecessary stunts. Nicely integrated cameos from The Undersea Folk and Wyndham Werewolves series, too. Maybe Lara will eventually get her own series? (And a shout-out to Kathleen Woodiwiss was worked in!)
Undead and Done is a worthy farewell to an overall outstanding manifestation of imaginative storytelling with humor and heart at its core.
Undead and Done reclaims the fun, absurdist vibe that was lost in the entries with totally depressing storylines and horrible deaths of beloved characters as cliffhangers that felt like unnecessary stunts. Nicely integrated cameos from The Undersea Folk and Wyndham Werewolves series, too. Maybe Lara will eventually get her own series? (And a shout-out to Kathleen Woodiwiss was worked in!)
Undead and Done is a worthy farewell to an overall outstanding manifestation of imaginative storytelling with humor and heart at its core.
June 23, 2018
This month’s review is of a book that JUST came out. But, it has been on my TBR ever since I read the first book in the series, if you know what I mean. I got into MaryJanice Davidson a bit late, but by 2008-2009 I was hooked and was raring for more. Betsy, and the Wyndhams, and Fred the Mermaid had my heart and I simply couldn’t wait to see how their stories would play out. It was a long and maddening time coming. This review is going to be ridiculous, and I can’t promised there won’t be series spoilers.
Book 15, oh parting is such sweet sorrow! MJ and Betsy, we’ve been through it, huh? A) I didn’t know a series this ridiculous could actually jump the shark. And B) I didn’t know how we were ever going to come back from the events of Unfinished and Undermined. The time traveling and the loved ones made into a creepy skin book with an Evil Betsy Taylor was just too much for me and many other readers. I am not ashamed to admit, I kind of quit this series. It has been 15 books and 8 years or so, and while it hasn’t always been great, it has been, something�
When I heard that she was wrapping up though, I caught back up and gave her another chance. And I am glad I did. I rarely quit series, and don’t do it lightly, and this is the only one I have ever come back to. I had missed the lightheartedness, the ridiculous humor, and the antics of friends I would never, ever want to hang out with. Seriously, it was like a train wreck.
What we have is my favorite designer shoe loving, airhead almost heroine vampire. She…kind of…grows up. Resolves some stuff, messes some more stuff up, and in general just takes us on a ride. Par for the course and almost like old times. A number of mysteries were solved/resolved, the vampire nation AND Hell are humming along on a fairly even keel, and the gang all comes out on top. There was one death, which was something of a deus ex machina, but honestly I can’t say I could see another way out either, so it is getting a pass from me.
I don’t know. How do you explain the end of a ridiculous series that made you laugh, and cry, and actually hand-to-heart set a book on fire and vow to never read another thing from this author again…but then you do anyway? I guess the best way to explain it is that I enjoyed it but am glad it is over. AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS UNHOLY AND DESIGNER SHOE RELATED, MARYJANICE DAVIDSON, you had better not come back here ever again. All that can happen by adding to it is making it worse. The only thing permissible would be short stories to fill in the gaps of things that have already happened (see below). Don’t screw this up like the nameless horrors.
I am not unequivocally satisfied with the series. There is a major series plot hole regarding Boo, Rachel, and Edward from Wolf at the Door that I find maddening. And little inconsistencies and discontinuity that may or may not be explained by the time line shift. And Liam and Sophie were never resolved. And I don’t know if I would necessarily recommend someone who hadn’t read the series to start (too much baggage in the middle). But if you used to love this series and stopped, it might be good to peak out and maybe ease any lingering irritation and finish it on a high note, I know I am glad I did.
Book 15, oh parting is such sweet sorrow! MJ and Betsy, we’ve been through it, huh? A) I didn’t know a series this ridiculous could actually jump the shark. And B) I didn’t know how we were ever going to come back from the events of Unfinished and Undermined. The time traveling and the loved ones made into a creepy skin book with an Evil Betsy Taylor was just too much for me and many other readers. I am not ashamed to admit, I kind of quit this series. It has been 15 books and 8 years or so, and while it hasn’t always been great, it has been, something�
When I heard that she was wrapping up though, I caught back up and gave her another chance. And I am glad I did. I rarely quit series, and don’t do it lightly, and this is the only one I have ever come back to. I had missed the lightheartedness, the ridiculous humor, and the antics of friends I would never, ever want to hang out with. Seriously, it was like a train wreck.
What we have is my favorite designer shoe loving, airhead almost heroine vampire. She…kind of…grows up. Resolves some stuff, messes some more stuff up, and in general just takes us on a ride. Par for the course and almost like old times. A number of mysteries were solved/resolved, the vampire nation AND Hell are humming along on a fairly even keel, and the gang all comes out on top. There was one death, which was something of a deus ex machina, but honestly I can’t say I could see another way out either, so it is getting a pass from me.
I don’t know. How do you explain the end of a ridiculous series that made you laugh, and cry, and actually hand-to-heart set a book on fire and vow to never read another thing from this author again…but then you do anyway? I guess the best way to explain it is that I enjoyed it but am glad it is over. AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS UNHOLY AND DESIGNER SHOE RELATED, MARYJANICE DAVIDSON, you had better not come back here ever again. All that can happen by adding to it is making it worse. The only thing permissible would be short stories to fill in the gaps of things that have already happened (see below). Don’t screw this up like the nameless horrors.
I am not unequivocally satisfied with the series. There is a major series plot hole regarding Boo, Rachel, and Edward from Wolf at the Door that I find maddening. And little inconsistencies and discontinuity that may or may not be explained by the time line shift. And Liam and Sophie were never resolved. And I don’t know if I would necessarily recommend someone who hadn’t read the series to start (too much baggage in the middle). But if you used to love this series and stopped, it might be good to peak out and maybe ease any lingering irritation and finish it on a high note, I know I am glad I did.
October 4, 2016
Betsy’s plate is full: now the new boss in Hell after taking over from half-sister Laura, she’s still dealing with the inevitable fallout and learning curve when yet another task is thrown in her lap. And she does it with her usual mix of clever thinking outside the box, happy and not so coincidences, and plenty of interior (mostly) narration that leads to shoes, smoothies, more shoes and, wait for it, fashion sense or lack of it.
What is a wonderful addition here is the footnotes, either notating where a particular scene or series of scenes can be found, a snarky comment from Betsy, a few notes from the author and even a bit of backstory, readers couldn’t completely jump into the story without having read some of the earlier books in the series � but as I can attest, there are plenty of new elements and predicaments to keep you engaged as long as you are familiar with the major players.
Eric Sinclair is still around and he is the perfect sensible, mostly calm balance to Betsy’s outrageousness. Tina, the vampire assistant is there with a penchant for oddly flavored vodka is as organized and rather humorless as possible. We revisit with the Wyndham Pack, have Marc the former ER doc now in residence, BabyJon is growing and they’ve added 2 lab puppies to the mix. What’s missing is Jessica in residence with her husband and twins � moved out when Laura, the Antichrist and Betsy’s half sister decided to out the vampires in hopes that Betsy would be shamed into silence and disappear.
Davidson uses humor, a fascination with shoes, fashion and smoothies, and the entrance to hell in the food court just like the one at the Mall of America to set her story� Yep. It’s silly and snarky and has moments of danger and pure on goofy fun, completely refreshing and wholly different than the angst ridden battles between good and evil, where guilt and self-obsession rule the day. It’s a lighthearted (mostly) story full of the Betsy that has grown into her position, dragging iit into a form of her own shape and making. The perfect ending for the series proper, with opportunities for ‘cameo appearances� from the characters that have been so integral and loved.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
What is a wonderful addition here is the footnotes, either notating where a particular scene or series of scenes can be found, a snarky comment from Betsy, a few notes from the author and even a bit of backstory, readers couldn’t completely jump into the story without having read some of the earlier books in the series � but as I can attest, there are plenty of new elements and predicaments to keep you engaged as long as you are familiar with the major players.
Eric Sinclair is still around and he is the perfect sensible, mostly calm balance to Betsy’s outrageousness. Tina, the vampire assistant is there with a penchant for oddly flavored vodka is as organized and rather humorless as possible. We revisit with the Wyndham Pack, have Marc the former ER doc now in residence, BabyJon is growing and they’ve added 2 lab puppies to the mix. What’s missing is Jessica in residence with her husband and twins � moved out when Laura, the Antichrist and Betsy’s half sister decided to out the vampires in hopes that Betsy would be shamed into silence and disappear.
Davidson uses humor, a fascination with shoes, fashion and smoothies, and the entrance to hell in the food court just like the one at the Mall of America to set her story� Yep. It’s silly and snarky and has moments of danger and pure on goofy fun, completely refreshing and wholly different than the angst ridden battles between good and evil, where guilt and self-obsession rule the day. It’s a lighthearted (mostly) story full of the Betsy that has grown into her position, dragging iit into a form of her own shape and making. The perfect ending for the series proper, with opportunities for ‘cameo appearances� from the characters that have been so integral and loved.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
March 24, 2017
I had just finished reading another book by this author and thoroughly enjoyed it so when Undead and Done was offered up for review, I jumped up and said MINE. I get the book then notice it is actually the finale book to the Undead series, a series that I have not read one book of. Ooops! Okay, I've done this before, jumping into an ongoing series. I can do this. Right? Right?!
Wrong. I was so wrong. Let me start with, I didn't hate it. Actually, what I read I loved. A solid 4-star with the possibility of going to 5. Betsy is so darn funny! Narrating while getting busy with the hubs. *Snorts* Getting a signed FREE book - SCORE! I am right with you there girlfriend. I have a feeling the whole series is funny. My problem is I don't know any of these characters or what has previously happened. I've restarted this book three times and each time I only make it to about 40% before I give up. My inability to finish is 100% my fault and not the author's. This is nothing wrong with Undead and Done in fact, if anything now I REALLY want to read the series from the beginning. In my personal opinion, this is not a book that should be read as a standalone. Just this taste has me very curious, so for now, I am moving Undead and Done into my DNF pile with a commitment to pick it up once I have read the first fourteen books.
And I will read them!
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine.
Despite not finishing� Stars - 4, Flames - 2
Wrong. I was so wrong. Let me start with, I didn't hate it. Actually, what I read I loved. A solid 4-star with the possibility of going to 5. Betsy is so darn funny! Narrating while getting busy with the hubs. *Snorts* Getting a signed FREE book - SCORE! I am right with you there girlfriend. I have a feeling the whole series is funny. My problem is I don't know any of these characters or what has previously happened. I've restarted this book three times and each time I only make it to about 40% before I give up. My inability to finish is 100% my fault and not the author's. This is nothing wrong with Undead and Done in fact, if anything now I REALLY want to read the series from the beginning. In my personal opinion, this is not a book that should be read as a standalone. Just this taste has me very curious, so for now, I am moving Undead and Done into my DNF pile with a commitment to pick it up once I have read the first fourteen books.
And I will read them!
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine.
Despite not finishing� Stars - 4, Flames - 2
December 30, 2017
4,5/5 stars
July 11, 2017
Undead and Done by Mary Janice Davidson, is a fun and entertaining read from start to finish. Betsy, the Vamp Queen and her cast of diverse characters in her court, from other vamps, to zombies, to mermaids and more, is a chuckle and a laugh on nearly every page. Davidson has a great style of writing dialogue which is witty, fast and poignant - and funny too. Betsy remains, as always, the reluctant queen of the vampires, and now, the overlord of Hell, which she has turned into a giant shopping mall to upgrade the orthodox picture. There is action, blood (of course), but nothing gory or even vaguely on the level of horror. The Undead series are a parody on the whole vamp world in modern times, depicting them as both vamps and real people with real issues, and at the center of them is shoe-loving Betsy, who can't get enough smoothies in between the endless chain of crazy events that happen to her, just nonstop. She is no normal vamp and you just gotta love Betsy in this series. Recommended reading and bound to put a smile on your face.
March 20, 2017
Je n’ai pas lu tous les tomes de la série, je l’avoue, mais j’ai toujours passé un moment agréable avec tous ceux que j’ai pu découvrir. Aussi c’est vrai que j’étais curieuse de découvrir ce dernier tome et de voir comment se concluait l’histoire de notre chère Betsy.
Il semblerait que pour se venger, Laura, la sœur de Betsy, ait révélé l’existence des vampires au monde. Mais à la surprise de tous, notre reine a confirmé ce fait et a même peut-être mentionné sans le faire exprès l’existence des loups garous qui ne sont pas forcément très contents de ce fait. En plus de devoir gérer toutes les conséquences de ses propos, c’est-à -dire l’arrivée des garous, ou encore des vampires, plus tous les journalistes ou même leurs opposants, Betsy doit aussi gérer l’enfer. En effet, elle a décidé de créer un programme de mise à l’épreuve afin de renvoyer certaines personnes sur terre pour qu’ils rachètent leur faute et c’est au tour de Jennifer ici.
On suit donc dans ce livre un grand nombre de choses et c’est vrai qu’il n’y a aucun temps mort. C’était vraiment un roman très intéressant et j’étais très curieuse de voir où l’histoire allait nous mener. C’était assez drôle parce que le format de l’histoire est assez différent de ce qu’on a l’habitude d’avoir. En effet, on passe du présent au passé d’un chapitre à l’autre sans qu’il n’y ait vraiment un ordre précis comme un puzzle dont on assemble petit à petit les pièces. J’ai bien aimé en découvrir un peu plus sur Jennifer et son passé en suivant certains des chapitres par la même occasion. Oui, il se passe vraiment beaucoup de choses dans ce livre et j’ai été surprise par certaines actions des personnages et même ce qu’il leur arrivait, je ne m’y attendais pas pour la plupart du temps. L’auteur conclut assez bien l’histoire des personnages même si c’est vrai que certaines pistes restent un peu ouvertes pour nous faire comprendre que même si les problèmes sont réglés ici, d’autres surviendront tout de même.
J’ai vraiment pris plaisir à découvrir ce dernier tome et je pense qu’il plaira vraiment beaucoup aux fans de la série.
June 18, 2019
J'ai aimé cette série dans son ensemble, il y a plein d'idées sont intéressantes (une reine vampire et ses pouvoirs, l'enfer et son fonctionnement...), de l'humour, des références à la culture pop, c'est dynamique...
Mais certaines choses m'ont dérangé en avançant dans la série comme le manque d'évolution des personnages, qui fait passer par exemple Betsy de rigolote à exaspérante et gâche un peu la lecture, le fait qu'on la traite constamment d'idiote est assez énervant et peu constructif, les insultes aussi qu'ils utilisent pour se parler font penser à des échanges de collégiens alors qu'ils ont dans la trentaine !
J'ai détesté le personnage de Laura comme elle est présente plus de la moitié de la série c'était difficile par moments d'apprécier l'histoire et je suis assez déçu qu'a la fin elle soit pardonnée car elle ne le méritait pas du tout.
Mais certaines choses m'ont dérangé en avançant dans la série comme le manque d'évolution des personnages, qui fait passer par exemple Betsy de rigolote à exaspérante et gâche un peu la lecture, le fait qu'on la traite constamment d'idiote est assez énervant et peu constructif, les insultes aussi qu'ils utilisent pour se parler font penser à des échanges de collégiens alors qu'ils ont dans la trentaine !
J'ai détesté le personnage de Laura comme elle est présente plus de la moitié de la série c'était difficile par moments d'apprécier l'histoire et je suis assez déçu qu'a la fin elle soit pardonnée car elle ne le méritait pas du tout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2019
I’m so sad that I’ve now finished the series. I loved every book. I want more Betsy!
July 7, 2020
It was a good end to the series and left enough of the story open that it could be spun off or picked back up.
I'm glad it's over though. I couldn't take Betsy's vapidity. Is that a word? Vapidity?
I'm glad it's over though. I couldn't take Betsy's vapidity. Is that a word? Vapidity?
April 11, 2017
Great ending to a wacky series!
March 16, 2017
3.5 une bonne fin de série !
November 20, 2016
(Nov) I began this wild ride with Queen Betsy more than a dozen years ago. I don't remember if this was the first vampire book I read; I'm pretty sure it was the first funny vampire book I read! I think my introduction to MJD was in Secrets 6 - I read and loved the Wyndham Werewolves and when I saw she delved into vampires, I knew I had to try them. It was love and laughter at first sight. I realize MJD's writing style is not for everyone, but for me her sarcastic, slightly wacky, ditzy, vain, self centered Queen was so up my alley! The first few were great; the next were ok. MJD took the series in some weird directions that I don't think enhanced the series in any way, but no matter what, I was still hooked enough. I respect that she realized it was time to end the series (she probably could have about 5 books ago - I think most series, In Death excepted, really get stale around book 8).
Undead and Unforgiven, the penultimate book in the Undead series, was so good. I picked this up with anticipation of a continuation of where we left off. We did, in a way. But I felt like all the strides that were made in #14 disappeared in #15. Betsy fan-girling all over the writer of Smoothie Nation was cute. Seeing the Wyndham Wolfs and Fred the Mermaid was a nice way to tie the ending together with other characters I love. Sinclair was as swoon-worthy as he's been (almost) the entire series. The squeal-shoe ending was perfect for Betsy. But there was too much other going on. Too much about Jennifer and her journey from Hell to forgiveness. Nice, but sorry, don't care. Why waste the last book in a series focusing on a character who means nothing to the series? I wanted to see much more of the "hey, Vampires are real" fallout from Betsy's announcement. Once Mark became a zombie, his character faded to a shadow of his former wonderful self. I am glad he found love but I feel he got a raw deal. Laura, on the other hand, got the deal she deserved (just like her mom). I think the whole twins-time-travel is weird and again, pointless - it didn't enhance any of the series, and I am not sure if I missed something when Derek saw Eric - or was it that Eric was there but not there? I wish MJD had made less weird things happen and kept more to the basic story and plot.
I am sad to say goodbye, but I am glad this series has finally ended because I think MJD got lost along the way and much of the charm and humor of the Undead books disappeared with each book. I still reread #1 on occasion, and I think some of the short stories from this world are definitely worth reading. So if you've never dipped your toe into the Undead world (and if you enjoy Charley Davidson - there is definitely a resemblance between the series and the main characters!) give it a shot. Perhaps reading them all close together might make some of the glaring faults less obvious.
So goodbye Jessica and Nick/Dick (another story line - the two of them - that MJD kind of ruined). Goodbye Mark and Tina. Goodbye Sinclair, you sexy, sexy Vampire. Goodbye Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, friend to many, enemy to a few, ruler to all. I'll miss you all.
Undead and Unforgiven, the penultimate book in the Undead series, was so good. I picked this up with anticipation of a continuation of where we left off. We did, in a way. But I felt like all the strides that were made in #14 disappeared in #15. Betsy fan-girling all over the writer of Smoothie Nation was cute. Seeing the Wyndham Wolfs and Fred the Mermaid was a nice way to tie the ending together with other characters I love. Sinclair was as swoon-worthy as he's been (almost) the entire series. The squeal-shoe ending was perfect for Betsy. But there was too much other going on. Too much about Jennifer and her journey from Hell to forgiveness. Nice, but sorry, don't care. Why waste the last book in a series focusing on a character who means nothing to the series? I wanted to see much more of the "hey, Vampires are real" fallout from Betsy's announcement. Once Mark became a zombie, his character faded to a shadow of his former wonderful self. I am glad he found love but I feel he got a raw deal. Laura, on the other hand, got the deal she deserved (just like her mom). I think the whole twins-time-travel is weird and again, pointless - it didn't enhance any of the series, and I am not sure if I missed something when Derek saw Eric - or was it that Eric was there but not there? I wish MJD had made less weird things happen and kept more to the basic story and plot.
I am sad to say goodbye, but I am glad this series has finally ended because I think MJD got lost along the way and much of the charm and humor of the Undead books disappeared with each book. I still reread #1 on occasion, and I think some of the short stories from this world are definitely worth reading. So if you've never dipped your toe into the Undead world (and if you enjoy Charley Davidson - there is definitely a resemblance between the series and the main characters!) give it a shot. Perhaps reading them all close together might make some of the glaring faults less obvious.
So goodbye Jessica and Nick/Dick (another story line - the two of them - that MJD kind of ruined). Goodbye Mark and Tina. Goodbye Sinclair, you sexy, sexy Vampire. Goodbye Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, friend to many, enemy to a few, ruler to all. I'll miss you all.
October 4, 2016
Betsy’s plate is full: now the new boss in Hell after taking over from half-sister Laura, she’s still dealing with the inevitable fallout and learning curve when yet another task is thrown in her lap. And she does it with her usual mix of clever thinking outside the box, happy and not so coincidences, and plenty of interior (mostly) narration that leads to shoes, smoothies, more shoes and, wait for it, fashion sense or lack of it.
What is a wonderful addition here is the footnotes, either notating where a particular scene or series of scenes can be found, a snarky comment from Betsy, a few notes from the author and even a bit of backstory, readers couldn’t completely jump into the story without having read some of the earlier books in the series � but as I can attest, there are plenty of new elements and predicaments to keep you engaged as long as you are familiar with the major players.
Eric Sinclair is still around and he is the perfect sensible, mostly calm balance to Betsy’s outrageousness. Tina, the vampire assistant is there with a penchant for oddly flavored vodka is as organized and rather humorless as possible. We revisit with the Wyndham Pack, have Marc the former ER doc now in residence, BabyJon is growing and they’ve added 2 lab puppies to the mix. What’s missing is Jessica in residence with her husband and twins � moved out when Laura, the Antichrist and Betsy’s half sister decided to out the vampires in hopes that Betsy would be shamed into silence and disappear.
Davidson uses humor, a fascination with shoes, fashion and smoothies, and the entrance to hell in the food court just like the one at the Mall of America to set her story� Yep. It’s silly and snarky and has moments of danger and pure on goofy fun, completely refreshing and wholly different than the angst ridden battles between good and evil, where guilt and self-obsession rule the day. It’s a lighthearted (mostly) story full of the Betsy that has grown into her position, dragging iit into a form of her own shape and making. The perfect ending for the series proper, with opportunities for ‘cameo appearances� from the characters that have been so integral and loved.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at
What is a wonderful addition here is the footnotes, either notating where a particular scene or series of scenes can be found, a snarky comment from Betsy, a few notes from the author and even a bit of backstory, readers couldn’t completely jump into the story without having read some of the earlier books in the series � but as I can attest, there are plenty of new elements and predicaments to keep you engaged as long as you are familiar with the major players.
Eric Sinclair is still around and he is the perfect sensible, mostly calm balance to Betsy’s outrageousness. Tina, the vampire assistant is there with a penchant for oddly flavored vodka is as organized and rather humorless as possible. We revisit with the Wyndham Pack, have Marc the former ER doc now in residence, BabyJon is growing and they’ve added 2 lab puppies to the mix. What’s missing is Jessica in residence with her husband and twins � moved out when Laura, the Antichrist and Betsy’s half sister decided to out the vampires in hopes that Betsy would be shamed into silence and disappear.
Davidson uses humor, a fascination with shoes, fashion and smoothies, and the entrance to hell in the food court just like the one at the Mall of America to set her story� Yep. It’s silly and snarky and has moments of danger and pure on goofy fun, completely refreshing and wholly different than the angst ridden battles between good and evil, where guilt and self-obsession rule the day. It’s a lighthearted (mostly) story full of the Betsy that has grown into her position, dragging iit into a form of her own shape and making. The perfect ending for the series proper, with opportunities for ‘cameo appearances� from the characters that have been so integral and loved.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at
October 14, 2016
Reviewed by
UNDEAD AND DONE was a wonderfully crazy ending to a hilarious series. I love how this series is so unapologetic in its absurdity and quirkiness. In this final book Betsy is running Hell, being a vampire queen, and dealing with the vampire revelation to the human world. There is always so much going on in these books that at times I have to go back and try to figure out all of the "what did who and what the what, and who's that now?". That is by no means a fault of these books as I revel in the absolute chaos of Betsy's world and adore her ability to figure everything out in the end in a dramatic flair that only Betsy could do.
There are lots of loose ends tied up as is expected with a final book in a series. One thing I love about these books are the references back to previous books footnotes pointing to just which book in the series to find what characters are talking about. This is very helpful and should be applied to more series.
I've enjoyed seeing Betsy grow into her role as Queen of Hell and make that role her own. All of the characters get a chance to shine and especially the weird twins who appear at different ages at random times. They are my favorite of this random bunch of characters....aside from Betsy that is.
I'll miss the silly snarkiness of these books. They infused a lightness into the urban fantasy genre which leans towards grim and dark at times. I can't wait to see what MaryJanice Davidson has in store for her next series.
UNDEAD AND DONE was a wonderfully crazy ending to a hilarious series. I love how this series is so unapologetic in its absurdity and quirkiness. In this final book Betsy is running Hell, being a vampire queen, and dealing with the vampire revelation to the human world. There is always so much going on in these books that at times I have to go back and try to figure out all of the "what did who and what the what, and who's that now?". That is by no means a fault of these books as I revel in the absolute chaos of Betsy's world and adore her ability to figure everything out in the end in a dramatic flair that only Betsy could do.
There are lots of loose ends tied up as is expected with a final book in a series. One thing I love about these books are the references back to previous books footnotes pointing to just which book in the series to find what characters are talking about. This is very helpful and should be applied to more series.
I've enjoyed seeing Betsy grow into her role as Queen of Hell and make that role her own. All of the characters get a chance to shine and especially the weird twins who appear at different ages at random times. They are my favorite of this random bunch of characters....aside from Betsy that is.
I'll miss the silly snarkiness of these books. They infused a lightness into the urban fantasy genre which leans towards grim and dark at times. I can't wait to see what MaryJanice Davidson has in store for her next series.
September 23, 2016
Betsy Taylor's life is pretty complicated; not only is she the Vampire Queen, she's the ruler of Hell. She's re-vamped Hell to look like a Mall of America that never quite manages to be happy, and she's started a parole program for those souls she thinks don't really belong there.
Her former Antichrist sister Laura has stirred up more trouble, and outed the vampires to the world. So Betsy goes on live TV to say...ok, yeah. Here we are. The results are predictably less than ideal. She gets a PR team to launch a vampire-friendly campaign, and with the devil out running loose and mermaids just waiting to see who falls, the end has arrived. If anyone can make it spectacular, it's Betsy.
This is book 15 in the Queen Betsy series, and like all the rest, it's quirky, fun, and funny. The idea of the Queen of the Vampires being a slightly self absorbed, ditzy shoe addict is one that continues to amuse. The idea that one can make a hell out of a Mall of America where nothing is quite right is one that sounds silly at first, but then Davidson adds in all the little details--in the shops, nothing ever fits. The food in the food court is never any good. Everything that could be disappointing, uncomfortable and inconvenient happens. It had me amused. The Queen Betsy series is fun, light hearted reading with a little bit of vampire sexytimes added in for spice. Nice ending to the series.
Her former Antichrist sister Laura has stirred up more trouble, and outed the vampires to the world. So Betsy goes on live TV to say...ok, yeah. Here we are. The results are predictably less than ideal. She gets a PR team to launch a vampire-friendly campaign, and with the devil out running loose and mermaids just waiting to see who falls, the end has arrived. If anyone can make it spectacular, it's Betsy.
This is book 15 in the Queen Betsy series, and like all the rest, it's quirky, fun, and funny. The idea of the Queen of the Vampires being a slightly self absorbed, ditzy shoe addict is one that continues to amuse. The idea that one can make a hell out of a Mall of America where nothing is quite right is one that sounds silly at first, but then Davidson adds in all the little details--in the shops, nothing ever fits. The food in the food court is never any good. Everything that could be disappointing, uncomfortable and inconvenient happens. It had me amused. The Queen Betsy series is fun, light hearted reading with a little bit of vampire sexytimes added in for spice. Nice ending to the series.
February 14, 2017
An excellent wrap up to a wonderfully witty series that has kept me sane. I will miss Betsy and company. I hope there will be periodic visits to this wonderful world throughout the years.... Novellas, short stories, side characters... :-)
November 12, 2016
The last book! And what a way to end this series. I was actually worried about who was going to die permanently, and thank goodness it was a character I disliked!! This is definitely not a standalone, and you will be completely confused if you have not read the others, but Davidson helpfully footnotes each book as it is discussed!! If you like completely snarky, stream of consciousness, then this is the book for you. Betsy the Vampire Queen is one of the funniest characters EVER, and her King, Sink Claire as she calls him, is one of my favorite heroes, handsome, suave and loves Betsy to bits, which is very adorable. So in the end, Betsy is not only Queen of all supernaturals, but the head of Hell also. Yep that is the kind of book it is, plus it takes place in Minnesota, and Hell is sort of a copy of the Great Mall there. I hope that although this is the end of this series, we still will have some mermaid and werewolf stories. We must know how Lara turns out, and Babyjon and I could go on and I hope Davidson does!!!!!
February 7, 2017
MJD married three series in the final (I believe) Undead novel. Fred the mermaid, the Wyndham werewolves and Betsy and friends were all there to wrap things up and all in all, it was a job well done. Betsy never outgrew her shoe fetish but she did learn to see beyond herself. Admittedly, that was often by accident, but over the course of the series, it became deliberate. Even the feud with Laura. While she may have been angry with her half-sister, when it really mattered, Betsy did what she could. The book was slow in places. It took a while for the plot to roll out. I would have liked more time with BabyJon and we really didn't get to see the twins until the end but she tied up a lot of loose end in the right ways. If you ever have the chance to hear MJD speak, do so. She is hilarious in person and much of her personality comes through in her writing. Picture Betsy with Sinclair's brain and that's MaryJanice in a nutshell. I'm glad I picked up the series again.
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