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Kelly Evans
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The Mortecarni Kindle Edition

by Kelly Evans (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 56 ratings
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"Zombie apocalypse set in the Dark Ages. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Wonderfully fun." - Amazon Customer

"... a well-written and well researched story that takes readers on a new kind of journey through the horror of uprising of the undead!" - Michelle Lowe, author of Legacy

"Excellent novel, fantastic reading! Waiting for the movie!" - Amazon Customer

THE YEAR IS 1348 AND THE BLACK DEATH IS RAVAGING ENGLAND.

For Brother Maurice, a monk and physician, the disease is the most terrifying he’s ever seen. But Maurice soon learns of an even more deadly threat: the exanimate Mortecarni. After his first unexpected encounter with the creatures, Maurice is pulled into a world of savagery and secrecy.

As he travels across the country, investigating both the plague and the Mortecarni, Maurice questions how such unholy suffering is possible. When his own family is struck down, his beliefs falter. Can he regain his faith and save both England and himself?
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  1. Print length
    264 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 13, 2017
  5. Reading age
    15 - 18 years
  6. File size
    1196 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Mortecarni is one of the best truly terrifying horror stories I have ever read, and the root of its power lies in the brilliant presentation of ordinary life seven centuries ago. Kelly Evans is a very talented author. 5 stars." - Readers' Favorite

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XKVMPTB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 1st edition (March 13, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 13, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1196 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 56 ratings

About the author

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Kelly Evans

Kelly Evans

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Welcome to my page! I started writing in high school and have always been fascinated by history, eventually earning a degree in the subject. The merging of the two came naturally when I started writing full time a few years ago.

In my alternate identity as Lady Matilda, I post satirical articles on managing your medieval manor during the Black Death.

I’m currently editing part two of Turning the World to Stone, the life of Caterina Sforza. It's available for pre-order and will be out soon!

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
56 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard M
5.0 out of 5 stars Medieval Europe has more to worry about than the Black Plague--the dead are rising...
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ever watch The Seventh Seal?

You know, the opening where the knight and the squire come across that desiccated plague victim? Every time I watch it, I think to myself: “Wouldn’t it be cool if the corpse just grabbed Jons and tried to eat his face?”

If your brain works anything like mine, you’ll love the Mortecarni.

Really enjoyed this one--a fun, quick read that combines the zombie apocalypse with the medieval era!

As another reviewer asked, why hasn’t this been done before? I’m not sure, but Kelly Evans has taken a great concept and really run with it.

She’s done her homework. The historical information is well-researched (I’m only an amateur medievalist, but I didn’t spot any of those glaring errors that pull you out of the story) and relevant to the story.

The plot advances quickly and works to a satisfying conclusion (the sequel is out any day now, but Mortecarni certainly can be read as a stand-alone work).

Like many, I have become somewhat zombie-jaded: it really takes a quality book to stand out post “Peak Zombie.” This one does.

Brother Maurice is a fully-realized, three dimensional character, and Evans does a fantastic job of keeping his character consistent with his time (as near as we can imagine the 14th C. mind).

As a reader, a big test for me is whether or not the historical characters feel real. Some writers have difficulty with this, but Evans kills it--the king and the pope are immediate and real, not one dimensional, wikipedia-depth characters. Well done.

Diversity in books matters to some, so I will point out that the author’s inclusion of Fala is done in a way that makes historical and logical sense.

My issues with the work are minor: Needs more Hugh. I want some more of his story--his friendship with Br. Maurice develops over time, and feels natural, but I hope his role is larger in the sequel. Like in The Seventh Seal, the relationship between the knight and his squire is a crucial component to the story.

Maurice suffers a loss of faith--this section could be fleshed out more. This man has spent his life in God’s service, this time of questioning his purpose needs more dramatic tension, more gravitas.

Bottom line: There’s plenty of gore (well executed, heh, never over the top), scares, and fascinating characters. Will definitely seek out the second book.

Oh yeah, the next time you get a strong whiff of lavender, you might want to make sure your favorite weapon is near.
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Jude Fawley
4.0 out of 5 stars Monk struggles with zombies, swords, and faith
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
What struck me first about this book is the diction—punishment is meted out, people avail themselves, and whom is unleashed in all its proper glory, to name a few. I finally learned the rule that separates American English “traveled” and British English “travelled,” but that’s more of a personal victory than it is a reflection of the book. The diction goes a long way in establishing the setting, a medieval tour of Europe through the eyes of a medicinal monk.

At times I wish the book asserted its historicity more. There’s city names and a few famous popes/kings, and a general awareness of the plague that parallels the movements of the zombies (I apologize if that’s reductionist, these are the ‘mortecarni,’ who are never blessed or cursed with the designation of ‘zombie’ that we’ve come to adore). But the book’s focus generally lies elsewhere, which is definitely not a fault.

I enjoyed myself the most when the mortecarni took a back seat and the main character, Brother Maurice, follows his real passion—herbology and medicine. He’s only ever reluctantly a fighter, but manages to stumble through one encounter after the other. The book unfolds episodically, each with a different setting and moral quandary and time for reflection afterward by the strugglingly devout monk, which lends an interesting structure to the novel, giving it quick momentum and quick reward throughout.

Some of the motifs I enjoyed:

A kabbalistic outlook on religion, where secrets are kept by those in power to ‘maintain the faith of the plebs.’ This often goes hand in hand with the question, to me funny but probably also with a strange grain of truth, “Would zombies cheapen the resurrection of Christ?”

A narrative to willingness to delve into morbid details; I had to train myself away from eating while reading this book.

And finally a willingness to accept Moors as a source for Christianhood; controversial, yes, but it certainly pays off for the characters in the end, which is a moral in itself.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kiz
5.0 out of 5 stars There'd better be a book two!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
I'm not even slightly a fan of zombies, but the premise of a mediaeval monk taking on a plague of zombies was intriguing enough for me to try this book, and I'm glad I did.

Kelly Evans has obviously researched her subject thoroughly, as the period feel of the book is well done; Brother Maurice is a fully-realised character with solid and consistent motivations. Being a Londoner now living in the Midlands I got a lovely scared shiver when I recognised places mentioned in the story.

My only criticism is the cliffhangery nature of the ending; it's very abrupt and I'd have liked more...but I'm trusting and praying there's a boom two to come, PLEASE.

I think The Mortecarni will appeal to many readers, not just horror fans. The *why* of the Mortecarni plague is mysterious but sensible, as is how the author has expressed it in terms appropriate to the time period. I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SPIRIT MOSS.

Please :)

Five big, shiny stars.
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Morgan K Tanner
4.0 out of 5 stars Historical zombies!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
I’m not an avid reader of zombie fiction. I do enjoy the genre but feel I need to pace myself with it as many of the stories in this world tend to be a little samey.

Thankfully, that cannot be said about this book.

I never knew I was such a fan of historical fiction! The setting here, the 1340s, is perfectly executed. The prose describes this time brilliantly and a lot of research has obviously gone into this.

But what I really enjoyed was the fresh take on the zombie genre. With many contemporary undead tales, the characters kind of know about zombies and how to kill them. But here, the word zombie isn’t mentioned once (I don’t think). These rotting, mutilated, walking dead monstrosities are referred to as The Mortecarni.

We follow Brother Maurice, a monk who is also a medical man; able to treat patients’ ailments of both a physical and spiritual nature. Certainly a handy dude to have around the place.

As the plagues (the Black Death one and the zombie one) arrive, Maurice is sent first to the Pope, and then the King of England to help find a cure for these terrible afflictions.

Of course, as Bro Maurice journeys to various villages and towns to try and heal the infected, he has to do his fair share of decapitations, as this is the one known way to defeat the beasts. He turns from a peaceful guy into a highly efficient zombie killing machine faster than a certain Ash does!

As the story progresses he learns of a cure, but finding the details of this proves more than a little difficult.

As mentioned earlier, the undead rising to bite and infect the living is a totally new concept to the characters in this book. Of course we, the readers know what’s going on, but there’s never a sense of “Oi, idiots, they’re zombies; shoot em in the head,” creeping into the reading experience. The nature of the storytelling really makes you empathise with their medieval ignorance.

If you like zombies but feel there’s nothing that new in the genre these days, this is definitely a book you should be checking out.
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AJM
5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, New Take On The Genre
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2017
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Normally zombie books are not my go-to horror subject of choice. Yes, I've watched The Walking Dead, and nearly all of the books and films I've seen of this subject are the same: zombie apocalypse, it's the end of the world and some of the people struggling to stay alive are worse than the zombies. But this book was a different take on the genre, and for a book set in the medieval period it had a surprising start. Enjoyed it, hopefully there will be a book two.
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Charlie
5.0 out of 5 stars Hooked by the end of the first page
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2017
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Fantastic book could not put it down. Will keep a look out for more by this author. Five stars given
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