The Corpse War of 1793

Quality of the publication is excellent, with nice clear text. Haven't started reading it yet, but am sure it will be up to the authors usual high standards.

I finished ‘The Corpse War of 1793’ this week and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve never read much historical fiction from the Napoleonic Era, let alone a zombie inspired one, but this novel did not disappoint. While I have a background in history, I’m not overly familiar with this period and I still was able to follow along with everything quite well. Even without checking out the glossary (which I didn’t realize was there till I finished LOL) none of the time terms or dialog threw me off. The opening section of the book and first third gave me a H.G Wells ‘War of the Worlds’ vibe in a good way. I also enjoyed that unlike say World War Z (which I do enjoy) the ‘chlorotic dead’ in this are FAR more difficult to deal with than your run of the mill zombies. The narrator is quite a believable character for the time, and his journey even without the living dead, could easily be seen as that of a soldier living through this conflict-ridden period of history. Additionally, the sketches in the book which open each chapter were excellent. They convey the mood and add to the realism of the novel. I sincerely hope Brandon writes more historical fiction, with supernatural foes or not, as this was quite good. Highly recommend this if you enjoy history, alternate history, and if you liked World War Z (the novel), you’ll definitely enjoy this I think.

First, I found it delightful how well the book gets into the verbiage and style of the eighteenth century. Even the title page is fashioned after the style of the times: "The Melancholic WAR of CORPSES containing a Complete & Authentick account of the Desolation of Stowlham and the Great Battle between the LIVING and the DEAD." Beautiful.

The action grabbed me from the beginning – the slow building tension as John (whom I've decided to adopt) warns his skeptical comrades, their march to Stowlham, and the inevitable arrival of the "devils," which is genuinely visceral and horrifying and... emotional. (The teeth chattering wound up in my nightmare the next night, so thanks for that, Mr. Fisichella).

Characters: Ensign Tell is barely there, and yet, he had my heart as well as the narrator's. Captain Lawrence and the unnamed woman and her husband pack an emotional punch. And Captain Penn is a bright, sparkling gem.

Then there's John, John, John, my sweet summer child and the standout character for me. Suffice to say he's incredibly sympathetic and complex, and the narrator's description of why he calls him John when everyone else is called by their surname moved me to actual tears.

Small quibbles:
– I wanted more character development. Aside from John, there's not much, and even the narrator is not as explored as much as I wished. However, that may be in keeping with the fact that this is written as a story within a story, wherein our narrator is publishing his account for the public to read. Thus it may make sense for our narrator to restrain himself from revealing everything about his past.

– The ending. Was it fitting? Sure. Was it the ending I personally wanted or enjoyed? Absolutely not. But that's my personal taste.

All that being said, I couldn't put it down. It gave me nightmares and made me cry. So, ultimately, I highly recommend.

this book i bougth it because i was already into this era with zombies and also because im a fan of Brandon, but what i didn't know is that this book would make me so adicted to the story. i wont spil it but the way that the character evolves (or devolves idk) is so good and the sketches are beutifull too. in resume this is the best book you can buy to a guy who loves zombies and history.

Absolutely would recommend this book