I’ve yet again changed a book on my intended reading list. In August, I was scheduled to read Crackpot by Adele Wiseman. It was an interesting novel — I read 50 pages — but the meandering storytelling didn’t suit my brain at that time. The family are Jewish immigrants, and I plan on giving the book to Jackie @ Death by Tsundoku in the hopes that she enjoys it. Because I spent so much time trying to get into Crackpot, I replaced it with a novella so I could stay on track with my monthly reading goals.
Bring Out Your Dead by Katie MacAlister is part of the Dark Ones series. It’s an extra novella that falls between two books. Apparently, readers wanted to know more about the French vampire Sebastian, who appears in two earlier books, but is always a side character. He meets his Beloved, Belle, rather quickly, and the book clips along at a rapid pace as they attempt to keep a demon from taking one of Belle’s two souls (she has two thanks to a glitch).
While I often feel like the Dark Ones novels drag on too long, Bring Out Your Dead was too short. MacAlister made an interesting heroine (a first in her Dark Ones series), but then leaves much unexplained about Belle. Readers learn she has been married five times . . . and that’s because she’s died before and was resurrected. Belle has a sidekick, Sally, who is unexplained. She’s a spirit guide, but what does that mean? Sally doesn’t know French, but she likes to throw it in awkwardly. I wouldn’t even compare this to the beauty of Spanglish:
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed at her for a moment. “You are aware, are you not, that you are not speaking actual French?”
“Le gasp! Sally said, following word by deed and gasping in a thoroughly shocked manner. “Je suis too!”
“No, you are not. You are mangling a perfectly nice language.”
It’s also unclear why another character thinks Sebastian is her Beloved. A Beloved is a woman who is “meant” for the Dark One — sort of like soul mates, if you believe that sort of thing — except the Beloved returns the Dark One’s soul once they go through a series of steps that lead them to joining. Some of these steps are the vampire admitting who he is, kissing, sex, a blood exchange, and the woman risking her life to help the vampire. Typically, a Dark One very clearly has one Beloved, but in Bring Out Your Dead, another character is mad at Sebastian and Belle because she thought she was Sebastian’s Beloved. Why would this misunderstanding happen? MacAlister doesn’t explain.
Typically, the heroines of the Dark Ones novels are naive, stubborn for terrible reasons, and stupid despite their education. Belle is older, like the vampires, so she isn’t as irritating. In fact, she has a useful job: she’s a counselor helping zombies cope with existence. She encourages them to be vegan so they don’t get a taste for flesh, and she helps them with daily microaggressions:
“You were telling me about the taunting you experienced recently?”
“Yes, brains. Or rather, braiiiiiiins. Spoken in a slurred, repugnant voice that was accompanied by a fine spray of spittle. That’s all they said, over and over again, as if I were supposed to stagger toward them with a fork and knife, and start hacking away at their heads.”
I enjoyed the presence of the zombies, articulate creatures trying to be helpful in Belle and Sebastian’s quest to save her souls. They were unexpected in this culture of The Walking Dead and the huge number of cheaply made zombie movies on Netflix. We sure have come a long way from the 1st Dark Ones novel, in which the heroine didn’t even acknowledge vampires were real. Now everyone is a mythical creature.
As with all the Dark Ones novels, I’m not sure that I recommend them. Except they are compulsive reads, and I’m 4.5 books into the series (yes, Bring Out Your Dead was a 0.5 book). I enjoy reviewing them because they often give me a chance to be snarky!
Hmm….I can see why one might be drawn into this series. But I’ll be honest and say that mythical creatures are not my thing. And I know just what you mean about those ‘why would this happen’ sort of questions. I’m honestly not sure this series is for me, but I’m glad you find them compulsive reading. I like that feeling, myself.
It’s definitely predictable with some small adjustments in the lead male and female characters, so it’s reliable.
Wait…so is there a lot of humour in these books too? The whole ‘le gasp’ thing was a bit painful to read…being a Canadian with some French knowledge haha
Having taken 3 years of French in high school, I can tell you it’s super painful. MacAlister adds humor to all of her books that I’ve read (about 6 or 7), and it tends to work better in her minor characters.
I don’t make monthly TBRs because I often stray from them (I can be a really moody reader). I’m not a big fan of novellas that tie into a series (I think I’ve only enjoyed two) just because I feel like if the author wanted to focus on these characters they would have in the original series. Wishing you luck with the rest of the series!
Thank you! I think it was more like there was a side character people were curious about, so he got a “spin off,” like a TV show.
Glad I’m not the only one who enjoys an excuse to be snarky… 😀
And you’re good at it!
I always enjoy your reviews of this series! The whole “le gasp” thing would definitely annoy me, so I am impressed that you stuck with it nonetheless.
Thanks, Lou! For one review I wrote a letter to the author that had my readers in stitches. Perhaps I should keep doing that!
The mangled French reminds me of an episode of Friends that I just watched last night, oddly enough – the one where Joey tries to speak French and he’s just saying nonsense. 🙂
I think I know that one! There’s also an episode of The IT Crowd in which Jen pretends to speak Italian for a conference call 😂
How does one “pretend” to speak another language?
Gibberish that sounds phonetically like that language.
That sounds so hard to pull off! I am not that skilled with phonetics.
As someone who is not a fan of the supernatural or paranormal, this one (or series) isn’t even on my radar. So, a non-starter for me.
Does the genre scare you, or does it seem too silly?
Your description of this book made me think of my friend, who has (at least to me) read an awful lot of vampire books. I’ll have to remember to ask if she’s read this one!
If she’s got a blog, hook me up 😂
She was thinking about it, but I don’t believe it’s happening right now. One day!
This sounds entertaining but maybe also unintentionally funny since I don’t have the context of the rest of the series. I kind of laughed at having two souls because of a glitch. I have no idea what that means!
The first book in the series is very our world plus vampires in eastern Europe. As the series goes along, MacAlister throws in whatever she wants. “This heroine has two souls? Why not?!” The character had a soul, apparently died and was given back her soul, but also given a new one when she was resurrected. Kind of like when we run out of bagels, so I get some at the store, but later my husband comes home armed with bagels too because he’s trying to be helpful today…
I need more bagel glitches in my life.
😅😅
I am not a fan of novellas, but I do like vampires. This may be a series could read to pass the time.
Hi, Jen! It’s a bit silly at times, and the sex is fairly PG. I really liked the first book, A Girl’s Guide to Vampires, so I would recommend you check that one out!
Ok I’ll try it!
Every now and then, I desperately need to be snarky. Hence my review of Shatter Me. I never want to be *mean* but I’ve got to vent. I’m glad you have an opportunity with these books.
I know you’ve read quite a few of these books. Have you been reading them in order? As in, do you believe the writing is growing with this series or is this just a fluke? I guess it also matters when this was published… Often, the 0.5 type books are published long after the books they fall between. But I’m so glad there is an intelligent female protagonist who isn’t super irritating! Plus, the whole zombie thing cracks me up.
Spoilers! I know my book now. 😉
I’ve been reading them in order, except the 0.5 books are listed weirdly on Goodreads and MacAlister’s website, so I read this one at the wrong time. This book come after 3 but is labeled 4.5 in the list.
Is the writing improving as you continue through this series, then? Or was this novella an exception?
I think the heroines might be improving a TINY bit. And then, a novella keeps me from “suffering” as long as a full novel.
XD So, are you going to keep reading them all? Because with the world “suffering” tossed in there… well, it makes me question the value of this project.
Of course I’ll read them all. #stubborn