Undead and Undermined

Undead and Undermined is the first Queen Betsy book that I didn't love. I understand that post-time travel story lines have a tendency to be a little confusing and hard to follow, but much of this book went beyond that. The problem wasn't grasping the difference between the timeline before and after, but rather the present-time action. So much focus was spent on making sure differences were noted that a lot of what makes Queen Betsy entertaining was lost.

The Undead series is light, fluffy, vampy fun in the face of a variety of horrors. There wasn't much fun in Undead and Undermined though. Betsy's snarky humor is absent for much of the book. When it does show up, it feels out of place. More than anything, my major complaint is the feel show more of the book is off.

After such a monumental reveal in Undead and Unfinished, I expected something more. Unfortunately, this huge series plot twist isn't mentioned for much of this book. Instead, the book focuses on Betsy relaying the differences in the two timelines while being occasionally sidetracked by new plot changing twists.

Undead and Undermined seems to be a book used solely to take back things that have already happened in the series. It's a collection of re-dos that ultimately undermine (see what I did there?) the series as a whole. Bringing people back to live, killing off others, and changing every aspect of certain characters personalities are all things that are going to greatly annoy series fans that are already invested in all that has happened in the previous nine books. I'm sure MaryJanice Davidson has a plan, but I'm seriously questioning her choices here. show less

With about 20 pages of plot and characterization in 200 pages of fluff MaryJanice Davidson has written the literary equivalent of Payless Discount Shoes. Congratulations, MaryJanice, after 10 books you finally convinced me that there's no there there, and I'm not going to keep searching for it. Betsy Taylor, the Vampire Queen, is perpetually 30 years old. Now, in my time line a 30 year old female is a woman with a reasoning mind able to listen to ideas, to formulate plans, to envision others as people. In her time line a 30 year old female is just a 13 year old girl with the ability to have sex, lots of hot steamy sex but with absolutely no ability to contemplate the idea that others might also have sex or be anything other than show more accessories to her life. She's a cutesy, cutesy Sex and the City kind of 30 year old, and in spite of Davidson's remarkable imagination, she is incapable of being anything but cutesy. Enough already, you win MaryJanice. I'm going back to the real world. The one with 30 year old adults. show less

As some other reviewers pointed out, there are only about 20 pages or so of actual action. The rest is Betsy's internal dialogue and filler, making what should have been a novella into a 320-page novel, and to somehow drag this story arc across three books to make it a trilogy within a larger series. I ended up skimming most of it and didn't miss any of the "major" action (of which there's really only 1 main scene).

When this series started, I really enjoyed it - it was fresh & fun. Sadly, book 10 failed for me. Even the characters have gotten stale, showing little development. Even Sinclair reads as flat and one-dimensional. So now I'm not sure I'll even bother with book 11.

I am not a fashionista or have an obsession for shoes, but I love this series. Queen Betsy is selfish and at times moronic, but I love her for all those things too. She is hilarious and what ever the issue is she's usually going 100 miles a minute.

This latest installment is the 10th book in the series. For a while I had thought about not continuing the series because I hadn't enjoyed the last few books as much as the early ones. I'm glad I stuck it out because Undead and Undermined was worth it. As always Betsy is laugh out loud funny and shocking as ever, maybe even more so. Once again Ms. Davidson has turned Betsy's world upside down. She has taken the story to a place I didn't even think it would or could go, but it works and I show more loved it. I can't wait to read more of this storyline. show less

Betsy has returned from her time travel adventure and finds herself on a slab in the Cook County Morgue. Let's just say that that is pretty much the best thing that happens to her in the entire book. I am not going to give away anything because this book is so insanely funny and just plain insane that I would hate to spoil anything. MJD says that this is the second in a trilogy within the series so I am guessing everything will be tied up in the next book.

I can say that Betsy is in high snark. Jessica is pregnant. Sinclair is as hunky and surly as ever. And Laura, hmmm, yes Laura... I know these books are not for everyone but if find them incredibly entertaining. After a slump around book 4 (for me anyway), I think they just keep show more getting better. show less

I've read each "Queen Betsy" from the first with both delight and tolerance. It's intentionally silly,ribald and supernaturally cock-eyed. The series and Betsy's antics have been funny enough, up to now, to ignore the crass factor. (especially as the author has been known to make fun of it herself) Based on the Acknowledgement/authors comments this installment appears to be an attempt to correct the last book,(which apparently wasn't well received.) but comes off more like a parody of the series, and more than a little confused by itself.

I've Lost interest.

Second book in a trilogy within the Betsy series that I can only assume will be used to explain a change in Betsy's outlook and attitude in future books. In the last book Betsy travels with Laura through time so she can practice her abilities to jump to different times and places and eventually take over Satan's job; mom wants to retire. Betsy's presence and action in the past causes changes to the current timeline. Their jump of 1000 years to a horrific future caused by Betsy has given Betsy the goal to prevent that future from happening.

This book has Betsy discovering and trying to acclimate to the changes in the timeline and apparently only she and Laura can recall the way things were before their little vacation. Since going back show more and feeding on Laura instead of Nick in the past, he's much friendlier towards vampires, although Laura isn't too happy about being fed on. Jessica is pregnant and about to pop. Mom has a boyfriend. Someone dead in the prior timeline is now alive and a little different. And someone from the future is sent back to the present time. Steps are taken to meet Betsy's goal to alter the future she saw, but events that take place to try to prevent it seem like it just might be putting her on the path she wants to avoid. By the end of this book we see a more assertive Betsy.

The book starts out with a seven page recap of the entire series. This was well done. There are also a number of quotes and a definition for Retroactive Continuity from Wikipedia which was really a smart thing to add because there are differences in this new timeline that can't be explained by Betsy's visit to the past; at least for now. Hopefully this will make more sense in the 3rd book.

There is actually very little story taking place in this one, much of it dealing with Betsy being stunned and trying to acclimate to how things are now. Betsy's ADD (or ADHD?) is more evident than ever with a huge amount of ink devoted to her sarcastic thoughts and comments which temporarily drag her and us away from a topic or conversation, all to add humor to the story. I'm not sure if there is more of this in these last two books or if it's just becoming old. It is why I loved the first couple of books in the series. I still do enjoy it and have to marvel at some of the things the author came up with, but there's just too much of it.

This trilogy could have easily been one decent size book if half of the sarcastic comments and observations were removed. The author does thank the readers who picked up this book after believing she lost her mind with the last one. It helps, although I'm upset to have paid a hardcover price for the book and have doubts that I will if I read the next one. show less