Aug 6, 2009

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

"Her attention was attracted by movement close at hand and she saw the dark shape of a bird--no, a bat--heading towards the window. She closed it quickly, leaving the bat to hover outside. As she looked at it she was seized with a strange feeling. She thought how lonely it must feel, being shut out; being a part and yet not a part of the warmth and light within." (Page 67 of the ARC)

Amanda Grange
's Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, published by Sourcebooks, catches up with Mr. & Mrs. Darcy right before their nuptials and follows them along their wedding tour. As plans change and the Darcys spontaneously tour Europe, mingling with Mr. Darcy's friends, Elizabeth begins to feel that there is a deep dark secret her husband is hiding from her.

Throughout the novel, Grange adheres to Jane Austen's characters and the time in which those characters live. Readers of Pride & Prejudice may have wondered why Fitzwilliam Darcy was so reserved, but Grange provides a paranormal alternative to mere position and wealth considerations in the 19th century. The lush landscape and dramatic plot will suck readers into Mr. Darcy, Vampyre as they travel with Elizabeth and Darcy through Paris, Italy, and the Alps.

"She needed no urging. The sumptuous atmosphere was starting to oppress her and the strangely sinuous people were unsettling. She was relieved to get outside and breathe the fresh air.

Night hung over the city like a dark mantle, pierced with the light of flambeaux and, up above, there seemed to be a thousand stars." (Page 47 of ARC)

Elizabeth is captivated by her foreign surroundings, but eventually she begins to feel weary of her new acquaintances and the tension in her marriage. Readers will grow anxious and paranoid just as Elizabeth does. From bandits and wolves in the woods outside a secluded castle to the reappearance of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her ties to Darcy's secret, Grange weaves a twisted narrative that leaves Elizabeth, Darcy, and readers on the edge of their seats.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a paranormal continuation of Austen's Pride & Prejudice that is executed successfully. Even though the title does the novel a disservice by telling readers Darcy is a vampire, Grange is a master of this time period and her imagination shines through in this novel. There are enough descriptive clues and dialogue in Grange's novel that a different title would not have detracted from its paranormal quality. It took me less than 3 days to read this novel in the free time I had at home. Readers will be absorbed by this paranormal world. Mr. Darcy, Vampire is another notch in Grange's repertoire, and if readers have enjoyed Mr. Darcy's Diary (click on the link for my review), they will enjoy this paranormal novel.

Feel free to check out the Mr. Darcy, Vampyre blog. And stay tuned for my interview with Amanda Grange and a giveaway on August 7. Check out more of the Mr. Darcy, Vampyre tour on the book's blog.


This is my first book for the Everything Austen Reading Challenge. What books have you read for the challenge? What movies have you watched?

Also reviewed by:
Cafe of Dreams
Diary of an Eccentric



20 comments:

Esme said...

Serena-good morning-please come over for a morning croissant and a special surprise-I have an award for you.

Ps Did I mention that pomegrants are one of my favorite foods.

lol Esme

Blodeuedd said...

I so need to read this one, I thought zombies in that world was cool but Darcy a vampire, must read :D

Sandy Nawrot said...

I guess I could look it up but I'm lazy...did this book come before the Zombies? Seems like they are dangerously close in spirit! I thought that P&P&Z was so unique...guess not?

Serena said...

Esme: yes you did mention that pomegranates are one of your favorite foods, and yes I will be over this morning to check out the award. Thanks.

Blodeuedd: This book is great.

Sandy: Apparently, Grange was writing this book before the zombies were thought of...It is a fun read

Anna said...

Great review! I thought this was a fun book, and I enjoyed it, too. I hope to post my review tomorrow.

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric

LN said...

This story reminds me of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". That sounds quite funny as well ;-)

S. Krishna said...

I think this book sounds great! Thanks for the review!

bermudaonion said...

I'm not sure why I couldn't get on here before. I asked Vance to come help me and as soon as he walked in the room, I was able to get on. It was magic! I'm not much for the Austen sequels or vampires, so I'm not sure this is the book for me.

Serena said...

Anna: can't wait to hear what you say about it.

LN: Yes, there seem to be quite a few of these supernatural re-dos of Austen.

Krishna: this was a fun read, perfect for summer.

Bermudaonion: I was having the same issue earlier with Booking Mama's site. Must be Google again...acting up. I really had fun with this one...grange has a talent for the time period and these characters

Anonymous said...

I wasn't sure about another P & P knock-off, but maybe I should give this one a shot after all.

Jeanne said...

yeah, what Carol just said. It sounds like more fun than I would have thought.

Amber said...

I've not been interested in reading any other interpretations but your review of this one caught my eye.

ibeeeg said...

I have this book sitting on my piano waiting for its turn in the reading line-up. **smile**
This does sound like a fun read and look forward to it.
Great review!

windycindy said...

Hello! I enjoy reading about what characters of their books that the author identifies with.
Thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

Heather G. said...

This one is on my list as well! Can't wait to read it!

Darlene said...

Great review Serena. I finished this book the other day and just loved it. I'll have my review up Wednesday.

Melanie said...

Wait, are you saying that Darcy isn't a vampire in this novel? Argh, I can't wait to read this book!

The Reading Momster said...

It seems this book is everywhere! I also think they shouldn't have disclosed that Mr. Darcy was a Vampire:D

Awesome review!

Darlene said...

Me again, just came back to read your review better after writing mine. You're right I was being paranoid while reading this. I kept wondering if she was going to be attacked or something-that's what kept me on the edge of my seat. lol.

Cecelia said...

Great post! I've got this next on my challenge list (or perhaps after-next?), and I'm sure I'll enjoy it, given the happy responses from you and others. Thanks for sharing your review!