Dearly, Beloved (Gone with the Respiration, #2)

by Lia Habel

Can the living coexist with the living dead?
 
That’s the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.
 
Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.
 
Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and The Murder, a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren’t the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder’s crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.
 
As paranoia, prejudice, and terrorist attacks threaten to plunge the city into full-scale war, Nora’s scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of “The Laz” and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed when a mysterious zombie appears bearing an entirely new strain of the illness—and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.
 
Lia Habel’s spellbinding, suspenseful sequel to Dearly, Departed takes her imaginative mash-up of period romance, futuristic thriller, and zombie drama to a whole new level of innovative and irresistible storytelling.

• ISBN10: 0345523342
• ISBN13: 9780345523341
• Publish Date: 25 September 2012 (first published 1 January 1999)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 24 June 2014
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Ballantine Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 484
• Language: English

Reviews

[Chelsea]

Quick thoughts:
1. Not quite as good as the first book. I wasn't expecting it to be.
2. I liked the multiple villains in this book as well as the villain we don't even know yet.
3. The romance between the main characters just gets better. I'm going to be upset when it's over.
4. The other characters are fantastic. I loved that we learned more background about Sam. It helped us see him a little better.
5. The world is exactly how I would picture it. Nobody would be comfortable living with zombies and nobody is in this world. It's a lot more realistic than some books you read.

[EBookObsessed]

.As we begin the second installment of Lia Habel’s Gone with the Respiration series, things have slowed down and the living and the dead are trying to learn to “live” side-by-side. Although Dr. Dearly has agreed to allow Bram Griswald to court his daughter, Nora is finding the return of the New Victoria stringent rules to be harder to embrace after the freedoms she was allowed during the siege.

Society in general has started embracing their undead relatives, but not everyone is ready to play nice on either side of the living and the undead. There are now men in masks calling themselves The Murder grabbing zombies off the street and attacking pro-zombie supporters. There is also a group of zombies calling themselves The Changed who want to protect their own.

As a zombie and former Captain of Company Z, Bram is trying to balance between keeping the living safe mad zombies as well as keeping the innocent zombies safe from frightened living. As tensions begin to rise again as both of these terror groups run rampant through New London, he is starting to wonder whose side he should be on.

Nora’s best friend Pamela is showing signs of PTSD after her adventures during the siege. She desperately wants to return to her pre-siege life but is unsure if she can ever accomplish that.

All the while, Michael is putting into motion his grand plan to convince Nora that he is the better man than her zombie love; plans which include kidnapping them both and ripping out Bram’s unbeating heart.

I was very interested in giving this book a try and I would say that I have mixed feelings about it. The story was well written enough that it was enjoyable and the characters were likeable, even the villains (Michael is kind of a pathetic villain), but the constant switching of POV dragged this story out a great deal to the point I felt like “How can I still be reading this book?” There is a reason for it since it gives you not only insight into your main characters, but also into Michael and his obsession for Nora; we have a first person view into the Changed camp; and we also spend time in the world of Verpertine, who was a protagonist in the last book, and we are given a chance to determine for ourselves if she is truly evil and selfish (like Michael) or if there is more to what drives her.

There was enough to intrigue me to read the next story when it comes out, but I am hoping that it is intended to be a trilogy only. There are answers to questions that pop up in this story that I would like answers to, and we get a hint that Michael’s father is everything a true villain should be, but I know that I could not continue this as a series, her style of writing, although enlightening, is just too draggy.

I would like to stick around to see if there truly could be a happy ending here. Since zombies might be walking around but they are still decomposing, our hero Bram may have 4-5 years at best before his mind decomposes to mush and he could be a danger to those around him. Unless there is a miracle “cure” found that will return them to living beings, there can’t really be a HEA for Nora and Bram.

I am definitely in this for one more book, but definitely no more than that.

Received digital ARC from publisher through Netgalley.com. Thank you.


See more at http://ebookobsessed.com

[kimbacaffeinate]

I loved the world building and secondary characters in Dearly, Departed and despite some issues I was looking forward to book two. I hoped Dearly, Beloved would deliver and instead it left me with mixed feelings. I truly struggled with this book and its six points of view. I read this over the course of three days and often felt disconnected. There were aspects I loved, and others that had me frustrated.

The tale picks up a shortly after Dearly, Departed ends. Bram and Nora are still very much in love and trying to make the best of their limited time together. The young couple, along with some of company Z have taken up residence in the Dearly home. The underground city is practically abandoned, and the artificial sky is dimmed. A new strain of the Lazarus virus has erupted. This has caused tension between humans and zombies. The city is in chaos. A band of masked young people are kidnapping zombies and they are never seen or heard from again. A group of zombies has banded together outside the city limits and Bram fears they are up to no good. It is dangerous to be a zombie supporter at the moment. Nora is trying to take care of everyone she loves. She also wants to be useful and refuses to leave the city. The tale has many different storylines, and I found parts of it fascinating.

The tale is told from six points of view. This was an issue I had with Dearly Departed with its five points of view. Once again I felt that too many perspectives clogged the tale. Characters that I adored in book one, fell apart in book two. I loved Pam and thought she was kick-ass and stole the show in Dearly, Departed. In this novel, she is paranoid, dramatic, scared and although she has amazing moments, she lost her mojo. Coalhouse a member of company Z who was witty and awesome has a meltdown in this novel. Nora is still head strong, fierce and protective of those she cares about. Bram was focused on his company and keeping humans and zombies safe. The romance was sweet and the two enjoyed a few stolen moments. I did like the development in their relationship. Ren, Chas, Tom and others were present. We did learn more about Dr. Chase and Samid’s background. Patient Zero was interesting and I admit to being curious about him and Michael’s father. Michael had his own point of view, and it was perhaps the most interesting. Lauren, a hippie zombie has her own voice making her the new POV.

There is a lot going on in this novel, many different story threads are weaved together. Sadly, the pace of the first three-fourths of this book was horrible. In book one I loved the attention to detail and world-building, this novel lacked those details. Habel’s writing style is lovely and some of the action scenes, and storylines had me completely enthralled. Overall though, the tale didn’t give me the rush I got from book one. I felt like I was at an amusement park, and spent most of my time waiting in line. I will say that when I did get on the ride, it was exhilarating. The ending wrapped up nicely, but there are still many unanswered questions. This novel is going to be hit or miss with fans. Despite, my feelings I would pick up a third book, but the anticipation I felt after book one is gone.

I had a love hate relationship with Dearly, Beloved. I still recommend this to fans of Dearly, Departed. Some of the stories lines were fascinating, and despite issues, I enjoyed aspects of this and adore Nora and Bram.

I want to thank Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Lia Habel wows reader's once again with her "beloved" sequel to, Dearly, Departed. The words spellbinding and suspenseful, is the best way that I know to describe this amazing book. To say that I was completely blown away by it, would be an understatement. Dearly Beloved was absolutely un-put-downable! From the moment that it started, it just did not stop and the story that Habel has spun into existence with such originality and edge, wonderfully developed character's, and intriguing mystery is enough to keep any fan of the horror and zombie genre glued to their seats and flipping the pages.

I was utterly transfixed by the pages of this book and I didn't want to put it down, not for a second. This is a novel that definitely kept me up to all hours of the night. The history is so well fleshed out and blended into the horror shambles of the zombies, and the dearly beloved are incredibly captivating. The Victorian backdrop that the story is set against, is full of wonderous splendor and beauty. Habel's attention to details and world building, is absolutely flawless and enticing. Dearly Beloved is truly a fantastic thriller set in futuristic time, full of horror, undead zombie mayhem, and highly imaginative drama.

A look inside this awesome novel full of so much wow, gives insight into a world divided by the mysterious plague known as, "The Laz". The streets of New London are plagued with the walking dead corpses who have turned into mindless ravenous monsters who are hungry for human flesh they can rip apart, while other's can still function as they once did as humans in society. They still possess the ability to reason, speak, think, and more importantly: control their ravenous appetite's for destruction of anything human that moves. The streets are tension filled and the factions are extreme from one side to the other, with anti and pro-zombie sentiments. It becomes extremely apparently nearly early on in the book, that the battle lines have been drawn.

The Changed and the Murder are complete oppossite's of one another. While The Changed are a radical group of zombies fighting for their survival among the living, The Murder is a masked group of individuals who are dead set on destroying any of the living dead, whether they're peaceful and in control of theirselves or whether their the rabid kind who dine on human flesh. Lia Habel does a spectacular job of distinguishing the two factions from one another and introducing them each, with their background information and opposing stance so effortlessly blending it in with the rest of the story. It pique's interesting and gives the book so much more depth and layers. The twist that she introduces is, the fact that the zombie's aren't the only one's who are in trouble. Their living allies are also being targeted closely by, The Murder. And, it seems that Nora Dearly, who has been caught up in their crosshairs, has secured herself a spot at the top of their list.

Bram is swoon-worthy gorgeous and incredibly brave. Ever the hero, he never ceases to amazing me. His best attribute is the fact that he isn't scared to stand up for himself and that he will stop at nothing to protect those he cares about. It's endearing to witness the relationship between him and Nora unfold, in such a sweet and charming way, given the conditions they find themselves living and fight for survival in. In a way, I would venture to say that he's written as one of the most interesting perfectly flawed character's that I've really felt like investing my time in. This is where Lia Habel also out does herself, with her ability to make her character's shine on the pages, in such a way that they're as realistic and relatable (even if some of them are undead zombies) that reader's can enjoy them and find ways to connect with them.

Nora, as sweet as she may seem, isn't as innocent as she comes across on the pages. This is another instance, where I praise Habel for her wonderfully developed character growth and attention to detail. She's brave and rash in a lot of ways, but it always comes back to the fact that she's protecting her friends, which makes it alright in the end. She's not foolish in the least little bit and definitely easy to connect with. It's incredible to see how strong she is, in such a terrifying world where she could have every possible reason to lose herself, but she doesn't. It's a definitely a quality of hers to be admired. Her optimism at hope for a better future instead of staying mired down in the past that's behind her, is also another admirable quality.

Dearly Beloved is a virtual rollercoaster ride of awesome! This is truly a book that fans of Lia Habel's previous novel, will definitely not want to miss out. Filled with so much intrigue, mystery, secrets, and terrifying danger and given a beautiful Victorian backdrop and subtle yet sweet and charming romance, this book is sure to wow anyone who enjoys paranormal zombies with a historican spin. I would definitely suggest picking up this book and giving it a try. Fans of This Is Not A Test and Die For Me will definitely find themselves attracted to this brilliantly intense and incredibly suspenseful nove.

[inlibrisveritas]

Oh how good it feels to back in Habels’s world of neo-Victorian and zombie goodness. This picks up shortly after the first book finishes and immediately pulls you back into the word of New Victoria…which is having a bit of a internal melt down. Like the first one it raises some rather interesting questions about the state and position of the sentient zombies in a normal society, and also like the first one it handles it with a good amount of realistic cause and effect. The plot focuses on things a little closer to home for Nora and she finds herself in the center of another conflict. It was pretty clear from the way the last book ended that things were going to be very tense for the citizens of New Victoria, so this focuses on what all that tension gives rise too. The POV changes were numerous but since the first book is the same way it didn’t bother me as much this time around, though I still had problems with some of the characters.

Nora is still strong willed and independent and Bram is still the swoon worthy zombie he was in the first book, though he might be a tad more protective. Then there is Pamela…who i wasn’t fond of in the first book and she continues to be my least favorite. She’s a nervous wreck and most things that Nora does in this are met with her disapproval, no matter what they are. I felt bad for her because I know she’s been through a lot but I kind of wanted someone to shove her in a closet and leave her there until it was all over. Alister was just as much a creep as before, more so actually. His character has actually taken a turn for the worst and he’s even a bit disturbing now. Vespertine is the one character that I want to see more of in the next one, she’s strong and assertive and despite her need to remain aloof and kind of rude she’s rather reliable. She has to deal with issues no one really understands and I’d love to see more of her in the third novel. All of the other characters from the first book return and some even get a bit of light shined on their history, which does end up a bit heartbreaking. There is one character, Laura, that I absolutely loved because of her flowers. She reminded me a bit of a sweeter and more zombified version of Poison Ivy, and I couldn’t help but think she probably looks amazing with flowers growing from her.

I’d definitely say this one was a bit of a roller-coaster in terms of speed and directions. It slows down a bit to give you time to breathe before sending you over the edge, and while you’re barreling along you get glimpses of upcoming twists but they don’t really register until you are experiencing it first hand. I’ll be buying an actual copy of this when I get the chance.

I received this from Del Rey and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelsenator]

For the full review, check out my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf

got a copy of this from NetGalley, and I’m so happy that I did. Thank you!!

This review is based on an early review copy, so things may change when it finally gets released.

Now, the first book was really good. I loved that it made Zombies differently, making some of them still human with thoughts and memories, emotions and all. The different characters and all the action was just awesome. This book is even better than the first!

Months after the events of the first book, zombies are living in the city with the living, trying to stay peaceful. Not everyone likes this, and because of the hate for the dead, two new groups have formed. The Murder, a bunch of rich kids going and killing/torturing zombies and hurting anyone associated with them, and the Changed, the Zombies with thoughts who are tired of being treated badly and who just want to survive at any cost.

Bram and Nora, Pam and everyone else gets mixed up with the drama that these groups create, and they want to stop anything from getting worse and more people getting hurt. On top of that we have Patient Zero, a zombie with a completely different strain of the Laz virus, and the cure from the first book had no effect on it.

This book goes more in depth with the characters, what the effects of the first attack have done to them (especially Pamela), and also digs more into the past which leads to something revealing at the end. And oh my goodness the end! Not only do I dislike a different person in this one now because of their evilness, but Nora and Bram are so cute!

This series is great for anyone who’s never read or who is unsure if they will like a Zombie book. This book so far deals much more with the intelligent Zombies than the crazed ones in the first book, but with all that’s going on you’ll just want to keep on reading. I will definitely be getting a copy for myself when it’s released for the final print!