Line #75 Literature/BetsyTheVampireQueen


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/betsy_the_vampire_queen.jpg]]
2	''Betsy the Vampire Queen'', properly known as the ''Undead'' series, is an UrbanFantasy book series by [=MaryJanice=] Davidson about Betsy Taylor. Betsy loses her job and is killed in the same day (her 30th birthday), but awakes undead in a funeral home. After attempting multiple times to kill herself, Betsy realizes that she is a vampire — not only a vampire, but queen of the vampires.
3
4	The series is a humorous jab at many popular vampire stereotypes. While the vampires are played completely serious, Betsy's bubbly personality takes the wind out of their sails.
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6	The books are, in chronological order:
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8	* ''Undead and Unwed'' (2004)
9	* ''Undead and Unemployed'' (2004)
10	* ''Undead and Unappreciated'' (2005)
11	* ''Undead and Unreturnable'' (2006)
12	* ''Undead and Unpopular'' (2006)
13	* ''Undead and Uneasy'' (2007)
14	* ''Undead and Unworthy'' (2008)
15	* ''Undead and Unwelcome'' (2009)
16	* ''Undead and Unfinished'' (2010)
17	* ''Undead and Undermined'' (2011)
18	* ''Undead and Unstable'' (2012)
19	* ''Undead and Unsure'' (2013)
20	* ''Undead and Unwary'' (2014)
21	* ''Undead and Unforgiven'' (2015)
22	* ''Undead and Done'' (2016)
23
24	The series is now complete.
25
26	----
27	!!This series contains examples of:
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29	* AllWomenLoveShoes: Betsy isn't all women but she's neurotically obsessed with them.
30	* AlternateHistory: In a minor way, though not to Betsy. [[spoiler:Her and Laura's travels through time cause, among other things, Christian Louboutain to not be born. The shoe obsessed Betsy treats this as a worse tragedy than if both the Nazis and the Confederacy had won their respective wars.]]
31	* AnswersToTheNameOfGod: A running gag. Vampires cannot bear to hear Christ's name or any prayer, as it causes them physical pain. Betsy's tendency to take the Lord's name in vain is therefore unfortunate given her relationship with the vampire Sinclair. So every time she exclaims, "Jesus Christ!" Sinclair winces and says, "I've asked you not to call me that."
32	* AntiAntichrist: Laura, the Devil's Daughter, is first introduced as this, but as the series goes on, she appears less and less "good", what with murdering people (specifically serial-killers, but ''still''), dumping her job (ruler of Hell) on her sister and then accusing her of robbing her of her birthright, etc...
33	%%* ArtifactOfDoom: %%Neither example properly explains the trope
34	%%** The Book of the Dead.
35	%%** Betsy's first engagement ring, as well. It grants your wishes... [[spoiler:[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor in the most destructive way it can.]]]]
36	%%* BadassNormal: The Blade Warriors, a group of teenage vampire hunters.%%Does not explain the trope. How are they badass, or normal?
37	%%* BecauseDestinySaysSo: The Book of the Dead pretty much predicts every single plot development.%%Does not fully explain the trope
38	%%* BigBad:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
39	%%** Nostro. [[spoiler:Though he dies very quickly.]]
40	%%** ''Undead and Unfinished'' introduces a new one: [[spoiler:Betsy's future self.]]
41	%%* BitchInSheepsClothing: As the series goes on, Laura seems to fall more and more deeply into this category.%%Does not explain the trope.
42	%%* BlackAndGrayMorality: This series is somewhere between this and GreyAndGrayMorality.%%Does not explain the trope
43	%%* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The way Laura believes the world is.%%Does not explain the trope
44	%%* BlondeRepublicanSexKitten: Betsy.%%Does not explain the trope. A single charcter name is not context
45	%%* AChatWithSatan: Betsy regularly has these. Satan apparently resembles Lena Olin.%%Does not fully explain thet rope. "Has these" is not sufficient context, just like "does this" is not
46	* CreatorProvincialism: Minnesota is the heart of the vampire world ''before'' Betsy takes over.
47	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Sinclair.%%Does not explain the trope
48	%%* TheDevil: Appears as a middle-aged woman, in fact, a dead ringer for Lena Olin.%%Does not explain the trope and relies on the trope name
49	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Betsy [[spoiler: kills Satan]]. No, seriously.
50	%%* DoingInTheWizard: A really weird case. [[spoiler: Future Betsy writes the ''Book of the Dead'' and sends it back in time.]]%%Does not explain the trope
51	* EmergencyTransformation: Subverted. [[spoiler: Jessica refuses to become a vampire when faced with cancer.]]
52	* {{Expy}}: Sinclair bears a ''lot'' of resemblance, personality-wise, to the butler from MJD's earlier ''Alaskan Royalty'' series.
53	* FangThpeak: Betsy Taylor thpeakth like thith.
54	%%* FirstPersonSmartAss: Betsy herself.%%Does not explain the trope
55	* FootnoteFever: The author uses them for two purposes: to remind the readers of which book some actions took place in, and for humorous remarks.
56	%%* FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires: Betsy herself. A large portion of her problems comes from attempting to make every other vampire in the world into one.%%Does not explain the trope
57	* FurAgainstFang: Subverted. For the longest time werewolves and vampires each thought the other race was a myth. When they finally meet the results are...awkward, but not actively hostile.
58	%%* FutureMeScaresMe: %%Neither example properly explains the trope
59	%%** Future Betsy is mighty scary indeed in ''Undead and Unfinished''.
60	%%** Laura's attempts to avert this [[spoiler:backfire horribly.]]
61	* GenderBlenderName: Betsy throws Sinclair's opera CD's from his car in revenge. Leading to (paraphrased):
62	--> '''Betsy''': Music/AndreaBocelli? Who the hell is she?
63	%%* GeniusDitz: Betsy at vampiredom.%%Does not explain the trope
64	* GhostlyGoals: The Queen of the Vampires can see the dead. They want stuff done.
65	%%* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
66	%%** How other vampires view Betsy.
67	%%** Later played straight with [[spoiler: Ancient Betsy.]]
68	%%* GreyAndGrayMorality: This series is somewhere between this and BlackAndGrayMorality.%%Does not explain the trope
69	* TheGrovel: When Betsy turns temporarily evil in ''Undead and Unappreciated'', she attacks her friends. Afterward she tries to grovel but she gets sidetracked into an argument over how much of the possession was her fault.
70	--> '''Betsy''': Hmm, my grovelling wasn't going quite the way I planned.
71	%%* HandsomeLech: Sinclair, pre-Betsy.%%Does not explain the trope
72	%%* {{Hellfire}}: Laura is capable of generating this.%%Does not explain the trope
73	* HeroicBSOD: Sinclair in the second book, when [[spoiler:Betsy's been staked and, they think, killed.]] As Father Markus said, "It would have been touching if it wasn't so terribly, terribly sad."
74	* HolyBurnsEvil: Vampires are hurt by holy items.
75	%%* {{Hypocrite}}: Laura.%%Does not explain the trope
76	%%--> '''Betsy''': You actually managed to make me being ''in Hell'', doing ''your job'', sound like a character flaw, or like I was rude to keep your Great Idea waiting.
77	* InsultedAwake: In order to get Betsy out of a near-comatose state, Eric (her fiancé) shouts, "I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot go through with the wedding!" She snaps and begins to yell at him before realizing what he was trying to do.
78	* ItsAllAboutMe: It takes a while for Betsy to figure it out, but all of Laura's good deeds are about proving that ''she'' is Good and deserves to go to Heaven, not about genuinely helping people.
79	* KissOfTheVampire: Played straight; the kiss of a vampire makes people deeply in love with the vampire.
80	%%* KnightTemplarParent: Laura in ''Undead and Unwelcome''.%%Does not explain the trope. Also, trope names should not be potholed to change their name
81	* LesbianVampire: Tina is technically bisexual and, as such, has emotional sway over both men and women (but not over gay men). However, she prefers women, which causes Betsy a bit of trouble early on.
82	%%* TheMasquerade: [[spoiler:Until Laura decides to blow it]] in ''Undead and Unforgiven''.%%Does not explain the trope
83	%%* {{Motormouth}}: Betsy in a nutshell.%%Does not explain the trope
84	%%* MyGirlIsNotASlut: Betsy's friend keeps a calendar of her sexual activity to try and encourage her to get more action; Sinclair has daily orgies with his three girlfriends on black silk sheets.%%Does not explain the trope
85	* NeverHeardThatOneBefore: As noted early in book 1, Betsy's real full name is Elizabeth Taylor, and she's heard (and is ''not'' amused by) all the jokes comparing her to the actress.
86	%%* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Lampshaded on several occasions with Betsy.%%Does not explain the trope
87	%%* NotHimself: Betsy struggles with this due to [[spoiler:fasting, The Book of the Dead, and evil future selves.]]%%Does not explain the trope
88	%%* OneSteveLimit:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
89	%%** Subverted with the Ant and Antonia.
90	%%** Later subverted when [[spoiler: The Ant dies.]]
91	* OurVampiresAreDifferent: The majority are extremely weak, vulnerable to nearly all the traditional weaknesses and holy items especially. Betsy, as Queen of the Vampires, is immune to most of the traditional weaknesses.
92	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: They all live together in Cape Cod and some of them are psychic.
93	%%* OurZombiesAreDifferent:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
94	%%** [[spoiler: Marc]].
95	%%** Initially, they don't exist until [[spoiler: Betsy makes them.]]
96	%%* PetHomosexual: Marc.%%Does not explain the trope
97	%%* ScrewDestiny:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
98	%%** Betsy attempts this, usually to miserable failure.
99	%%** It becomes a major plotline after ''Undead and Unfinished.'' [[spoiler:Where Betsy must keep herself from becoming an EvilOverlord.]]
100	%%* StableTimeLoop:%%Neither example properly explains the trope, and in fact make it seem like this is not an example at all
101	%%** Over the course of ''Undead and Unfinished'', Betsy becomes part of several. [[spoiler: Subverted near the end, when she meets her evil future self. The future self acts like this is the case at first... and then Betsy ''completely'' deviates from her future self's memories, throwing her off.]]
102	%%** The timeline is now completely shot to hell.
103	%%* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler: How Satan goes out.]]%%Does not explain the trope
104	* TomeOfEldritchLore: ''The Book of the Dead'', again. The reason Betsy doesn't just speed-read it and know everything? Reading more than two or three pages at a time turns you into a monstrous {{Jerkass}}. This might seem minor, except that when you turn a ''vampire'' into a jerkass... (In Betsy's case, it involved nearly killing Jessica.)
105	%%* UngratefulBastard: The [[spoiler: Fiends]] once they regain their intelligence.%%Does not explain the trope
106	%%* TheUnmasquedWorld: As of the epilogue of ''Undead and Unforgiven''.%%Does not explain the trope
107	%%* UnclePennybags: Jessica.%%Does not explain the trope
108	%%* VampireMonarch: Betsy and Eric.%%Does not explain the trope
109	%%* WakingUpAtTheMorgue: Betsy has one of these moments, though it's a funeral home.%%Does not epxlain the trope
110	* WickedStepmother: Antonia Taylor, Betsy's stepmother. She pursued a married man, destroying his marriage, and tried to turn him against his then-teenaged daughter. She wanted him to surrender full custody to his ex-wife, and when that failed, to send Betsy to military school. Her efforts continued into Betsy's thirties, when after Betsy's funeral, she eats a celebratory lobster dinner and books a cruise. She is even, at one point in the backstory, possessed by Lucifer for a year, and no one notices because she's so nasty by nature. In ''Undead and Unworthy'' [[spoiler: After her death, The Ant comes back to haunt Betsy as a ghost because during life, her sole purpose was to torment Betsy. Part of this new torment includes walking in on Betsy and her husband during lovemaking, and making no apology or attempt to leave.]]
111	%%* WideEyedIdealist: Laura, best demonstrated by this quote:%%Does not explain the trope. An example should not rely on a quote for context
112	%%--> '''Laura (enthusiastically)''': Once we convince the rest of the world [of the existence of God], things would change overnight! No more wars, no more murders.
113	%%* YourVampiresSuck:%%Neither example properly explains the trope
114	%%** How Betsy reacts to the Nostro dominated vampires of the world.
115	%%** Amusingly, Betsy is largely a traditional vampire with a stake through the heart immobilizing her and sunlight making her fall asleep. It's other vampires who are more traditional Hollywood Vampires with massive weaknesses to sunlight and holy items.

Context Literature / BetsyTheVampireQueen