31 Days of Halloween { review + giveaway } Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Review: Told from the point-of-view of the newly Mrs. Darcy, Mr. Darcy Vampyre takes Elizabeth and Darcy out of picturesque England and into Gothic Continental Europe with its castles and haunting beauty. Throughout the book we get a peek inside Lizzie’s innermost thoughts concerning her new husband and his increasingly strange behavior: looks of torment on his face and his refusal to consummate their marriage. On top of that, Lizzie is being haunted by 100 year old memories…

I’ve read some reviews where people were annoyed at the thought of vampires in Pride and Prejudice, but (and I could be mistaken here but this is what I got from reading) I think the author was going for a novel akin to Northanger Abbey in the way that it’s almost poking a little fun at Gothic books (sans the beloved Austen sarcasm, which was truly missed). I didn’t take it as being serious, and I‘m sure this is a book that Catherine Morland would have certainly devoured. I felt like Mr. Darcy, Vampyre was less of a book written for Austen sequel lovers and more of a book written by Grange for Jane Austen herself.

I will, however, agree with the reviews that say Elizabeth’s character was flat and left a lot to be desired. I also found Darcy on the verge of that as well. Her historical detail definitely seemed to outweigh the characters themselves, and perhaps that mattered more as atmosphere itself is a major character in classic Gothic novels. While I didn’t exactly fawn over it, I found this to be a pleasing read, a nice homage to the Gothic titles that Jane Austen herself liked to read, and a good choice for the Autumn season—especially if you like your Regency gentlemen with a little bite. I’m giving it a 3 out of 5.

(This counts as my book #2 in the Austen is My Homegirl reading challenge)

Giveaway

Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks, three winners will be chosen at random to receive a copy of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre for their own collection. Contest ends November 6th and is open to US and Canada residents only—no PO boxes. The books will be shipped by the publisher, not Read All Over Reviews. Rules:

Be a follower of Read All Over Reviews (GFC, Facebook or Twitter)
Be a follower of Sourcebooks via Twitter or AustenFans.com [optional]
and fill out this form; simple as that.

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.