Review by Vicky London
Undead and Unfinished is the ninth book in MaryJanice Davidson’s highly successful vampire series. Here’s the cover blurb:
There’s only one thing Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor hates more than the threat of hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (after all, how tradition is her family?), and that’s trying to get through the Book of the Dead without going insane. Every time she’s tried reading it she just gets blindsided–until this time, when the devil strikes a bargain. She offers Betsy a chance to get through the cursed (literally!) thing cover to cover and finally discovers all its mysteries. There’s just one teensy little catch.
Betsy and her half sister, Laura, have to go to Hell. Just long enough for Laura to finally embrace her dark heritage (after a rebellious youth of charity work and teaching Sunday school) and make nice with her mother, aka Lucifer, by picking up such skills as slicing through time and the universe with a hellfire sword. While such things might sound fun, time travel is proving to be an alarming journey for Betsy and Laura. Not only are they interacting firsthand with their own family’s past, but in doing to, they’re dangerously impacting the future in ways they never anticipated.
Of course that’s what Mother wanted all along. Damn her.
Betsy’s latest adventures take a serious turn in Undead and Unfinished. Betsy and Sinclair have a confusing fight with ominous overtones. She doesn’t have time too think to hard about it because Laura needs her help. Laura has decided to embrace her dark side, but on her own terms. Betsy, being a good sister agrees to go along with her to Hell and in return the devil will give her the ability to read the loathsome book of the dead. The first thing Laura has to do is master the ability to transport herself and Betsy to any time and place. As they start to move through the different doors of Hell, they quickly discover that the locations and times aren’t random. Of course, Betsy can’t help but interfere in past events and jump at the opportunity to fix past mistakes. That may end up being her biggest mistake of all when she finally gets a glimpse of a terrible future.
For the most part I really enjoyed Undead and Unfinished mainly because we finally get some backstory on Sinclair. But, the epilogue just freaked me out. MJD has proven that she has no problem killing off her characters (Garrett and Antonia) and putting them through some pretty bad stuff. In the past, however, her trademark humor and Betsy’s snark usually lighten things up when it gets too dark. Not in this case. The ending left me shocked and stunned and I’m really hoping that somehow things will turn out alright. If you’re a fan of the series, you may want to wait for the paperback or borrow it from the library. Even better, wait until the next book is out and read them together.
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Release Date: July 6, 2010
ISBN-10: 0425234355
ISBN-13: 978-0425234358
Popularity: 2% [?]
Reader Ratings - Click On A Star to Rate This Book:
(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
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August 20th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I really liked this book becuase it finally seemed that Betsy was getting things weren’t just about her but the ending just broke my heart. The epilogue has essentially ruined the entire series. I don’t, I can’t believe that that is how the series is going to end.
September 1st, 2010 at 8:33 am
I really loved the undead series until the ending of Undead and Unfinished. How could MaryJanice Davidson end this book in such a horrible way. I was stunned by this epilogue and will not read another one of her books. To much time invested to feel betrayed like this. Won’t trust this author again!!!!!