On Her Majesty’s Behalf: The Great Undead War: Book II by Joseph Nassise

Harper Voyager, 2014

ISBN-13: 9780062048783

Available: Paperback, Kindle

This is the second book in The Great Undead War series (the first book is By The Blood of Heroes. Normally I would never start a story in the middle, but I jumped at a review copy of this novel because I have read and heard great things about Joesph Nassise’s work.

This isn’t just another post-apocalypse undead story; it hits several popular genre publishing trends at once. The Great Undead War is an alternate history/zombie/steampunk series. It’s a combination that in lesser hands could easily fail, but Nassise pulls it off.

In this novel, set during the Great War (World War I), the world is under siege from zombie hordes created by German chemical weapons. Our hero, Major Burke,  and his company, are given the job of getting into zombie-occupied London to rescue the royal family. They must battle their way through zombies: the shamblers of the first novel, and the more vicious shredders.

This short novel is a rare case where I could have handled another hundred pages. The pace is great, and the action moves quickly. The vibe is that of a military action novel, but it also succeeds as a horror novel. It is well written and thoroughly researched.

This is a great crossover novel. I highly recommend this book for readers who like adventure fantasy, zombie novels, steampunk, and military adventure fiction. Libraries should also have this available for young adult readers ages 14 and up– they will love it. I intend to go back and read the first book, and will be in line when the next one comes out.

Contains: Zombie violence

Reviewed by David Agranoff