Dread Nation (#1)
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.
In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.
But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.
But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.
But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.
And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.
Reviews
"With a shrewd, scythe-wielding protagonist of color, DREAD NATION is an exciting must-read.”
“Abundant action, thoughtful worldbuilding, and a brave, smart, and skillfully drawn cast entertain as Ireland illustrates the ignorance and immorality of racial discrimination and examines the relationship between equality and freedom.”
"Ireland delivers a necessary, subversive, and explosive novel with her fantasy-laced alternate history [...] maneuvering through a world that is brilliant and gut-wrenching."
"A perfect blend of horrors real and imagined, perfect for public and school libraries and fans of The Walking Dead.”
“DREAD NATION will catch readers off-guard with its blend of genres: it starts out as a historical thriller but then tosses in hard hits of mystery, dystopian reimaginings, romance, and humor. Jane’s voice and narration, despite the era, find familiar to more contemporary considerations of Black girlhood, with elements such as beauty standards, colorism, and friendships poignantly dispersed and discussed throughout.”
“This absorbing page-turner works on multiple levels: as unflinching alternate history set in post-Reconstruction-era Maryland and Kansas; as a refreshingly subversive action story starring a badass heroine; as zombie fiction suspenseful; and as a compelling exhortation to scrutinize the racist underpinnings of contemporary American sociopolitical systems.”