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blueshadow's review against another edition
2.0
I like this author. I love Austen. I like Pride & Prejudice. I like fantasy. I like Regency fantasy. I somewhat like the quirky humor typically found in these books. I SHOULD have liked this book, but only made it to about 10% before giving up.
I sometimes get frustrated at Austen's delicate touch in her writing. There is humor, and there is characterization, but you have to look for it and think about it, it's not all obvious. And then I read something like this book, where we get told (over and over) how witty Mr. Dover is, how Mrs. Dover talks irritatingly much, how foolish the younger girls are, how priggish and pedantic Ruth is, and I suddenly feel a great appreciation for the subtlety in Austen's writing. I think perhaps the exaggerated writing was supposed to be funny, but it is a sort of humor I have never been able to understand, much less appreciate. (Also entirely possible I am wrong - see comment about me not understanding the humor).
Plus Archer was a jerk. I have never been excessively fond of Mr. Darcy, but I didn't want to spend any time at all with Mr. Archer. Other reviews suggest he is nicer later on. I didn't have enough patience to stick around and find out.
I sometimes get frustrated at Austen's delicate touch in her writing. There is humor, and there is characterization, but you have to look for it and think about it, it's not all obvious. And then I read something like this book, where we get told (over and over) how witty Mr. Dover is, how Mrs. Dover talks irritatingly much, how foolish the younger girls are, how priggish and pedantic Ruth is, and I suddenly feel a great appreciation for the subtlety in Austen's writing. I think perhaps the exaggerated writing was supposed to be funny, but it is a sort of humor I have never been able to understand, much less appreciate. (Also entirely possible I am wrong - see comment about me not understanding the humor).
Plus Archer was a jerk. I have never been excessively fond of Mr. Darcy, but I didn't want to spend any time at all with Mr. Archer. Other reviews suggest he is nicer later on. I didn't have enough patience to stick around and find out.
indigo_han's review
4.0
Take pride and prejudice, mix with magic, some pronto-feminism, add a scoop of lgbt representation, and an African Darcy, and it’s a recipe for delight.
clarabooksit's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jenniferfoglesong's review
4.0
It's Pride and Prejudice with magic and alternate dialogue and scenes. It was well done! Very enjoyable. :)
scriptrix's review
4.0
This book promises magic, but barely delivers until the final few chapters. I guess I wanted something that went as hard as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (undead battles and other irreverent changes added to almost every single page) but this was the Jane Bennet of retellings: shy, modest, and doesn't reveal its true intentions until it's almost too late.
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because I love the original P&P and this is very nearly the same book, with some minor alterations.
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because I love the original P&P and this is very nearly the same book, with some minor alterations.
burningupasun's review
5.0
This was SO GOOD! I don't get the reviews being like "it's too similar to Pride and Prejudice" like yes, it's a LITERAL P/P RETELLING? But the author changed SO MUCH for the better, beyond the use of magic. Quite a few characters had different endings, it was supremely well done. Also, not to spoil too much, but Darcy (and his family) are from Africa and are POC, and also (I won't say who) there are characters who end up in a lesbian relationship!!!!!! SO good.
krisrid's review
5.0
I loved, loved LOVED this book!!! Unquestionably, one of the absolute best Pride & Prejudice homages ever, and I've read most of them. If you love P&P and you like books about magic, this one is a must!
I have read other books by C.E. Murphy and liked them, but this is an incredibly clever and well-conceived twist on my favourite book. This version of P&P makes everything I loved about the original even BETTER! The characters who were unpleasant are given the opportunity to be better or be redeemed [except the ones who simply don't deserve better!], and the plot points that were not *quite* delightful are made so in Murphy's creative and thoughtful re-imagining! It really is the best of all possible worlds for my favourite story and my favourite characters - I am excessively diverted!!
It's also worth mentioning, that Murphy clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because in her skillful and inventive re-imagining of this story, it shines through that she respects the original, and the love for that original that its fans have for this story and these characters. There is nothing done to the original here that is groan-worthy, or discomfitting to those of us who feel proprietary of these characters and their world.
Instead, there is respect and understanding of precisely the things that made the original so beloved, and these things are not messed with to a degree as to upset those proprietary fans. They are simply augmented and turned just slightly sideways, to allow for magic to be worked into the equation to make this a charming and entertaining new perspective on an old and cherished favourite.
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. As I said, I've read a great many P&P homages, re-tellings, follow-ups, etc., and some have been lovely, while others have been dreadful. This is right at the top of homages I cannot recommend highly enough! This is a wonderful book.
I have read other books by C.E. Murphy and liked them, but this is an incredibly clever and well-conceived twist on my favourite book. This version of P&P makes everything I loved about the original even BETTER! The characters who were unpleasant are given the opportunity to be better or be redeemed [except the ones who simply don't deserve better!], and the plot points that were not *quite* delightful are made so in Murphy's creative and thoughtful re-imagining! It really is the best of all possible worlds for my favourite story and my favourite characters - I am excessively diverted!!
It's also worth mentioning, that Murphy clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because in her skillful and inventive re-imagining of this story, it shines through that she respects the original, and the love for that original that its fans have for this story and these characters. There is nothing done to the original here that is groan-worthy, or discomfitting to those of us who feel proprietary of these characters and their world.
Instead, there is respect and understanding of precisely the things that made the original so beloved, and these things are not messed with to a degree as to upset those proprietary fans. They are simply augmented and turned just slightly sideways, to allow for magic to be worked into the equation to make this a charming and entertaining new perspective on an old and cherished favourite.
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. As I said, I've read a great many P&P homages, re-tellings, follow-ups, etc., and some have been lovely, while others have been dreadful. This is right at the top of homages I cannot recommend highly enough! This is a wonderful book.
madisonreadsbooks's review
4.0
This book was a bit slow in the beginning , but it definitely picks up in the middle, and by the end, it left me wanting more.
cakt1991's review
5.0
This is such a fun book! There are good Austen spinoffs and then there are bad ones, this is one of the good ones. It is not only a combination of "Pride and Prejudice +magic," it also adds new layers to the classic characters (who have all been renamed...in some cases quite cleverly), and despite being set in the Regency era, the story is full of strong female characters, as well as several minority characters. Fitzgerald Archer (Darcy), Persephone Archer (Georgiana), Lady Beatrice Derrington (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), and Annabel Derrington (Anne de Bourgh) are part African, and Annabel even desires to return to live among the Oyoans in Africa in the story. There is also LGBT representation, as we see the characters of Sophia Enron (Charlotte) and Julia Webber (Caroline) find happiness with each other.
If you love Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, and magic, this book is for you. It does not rehash the tale so much as reimagine, which a great adaptation should do.
If you love Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, and magic, this book is for you. It does not rehash the tale so much as reimagine, which a great adaptation should do.