Elle Katharine White

Heartstone is, as promised, Pride and Prejudice but with dragons (plus, like, various other magical creatures, there aren't actually that many dragons if we're being totally honest here--also a significantly higher death toll). And that's cool. But I liked it even more than I expected because it diverges from the Austen meaningfully and thoughtfully/thought-provokingly at a number of points, many of which are moments or dynamics in which the original story is driven by misogynistic cultural show more ideas or archetypes (the gossipy middle-aged woman who is just Too Much, the flirt, etc.). It's a great deal of fun! show less

It's a [Pride and Prejudice] retelling with dragons! Now before that single sentence makes you say, "Umm, no thanks, I don't do dragon books," let me just point out that normally neither do I but this one charmed me enough to put a Staff Picks sticker on it before I returned it to the library where I work. In this version, Aliza Bentaine lives in a small community being threatened by gryphons. When the lord of the manor calls in a group of Riders to rid the neighbourhood of the plight, show more amongst them is Alastair Daired and his dragon Akarra. Translating the classic plot of P&P to a fantasy setting is a unique approach and it's as much fun to see how White renames characters, reinterprets them mildly in some cases to better fit the setting, and adds in a ripping climax to the novel without moving so far from the source material to bother this die hard Janeite. Recommended if you enjoy a P&P retelling, regardless of your general fondness for dragon books. show less

In this sequel, Aliza and Daired's honeymoon is interrupted when Daired receives a request for aid from one of the northernmost kingdoms in the realm. An unknown creature is killing Idar and stealing their heartstones. As Aliza and Daired find their way in their marriage, they must also unravel the mystery that points to a much larger battle ahead.

The first novel in this series was a [Pride and Prejudice] retelling so I was surprised to discover the author had written a sequel. However, I'm show more very pleased she did as this is a very well-written fantasy novel that stands on its own without an Austen narrative to rely on. Aliza and Daired continue to grow here and it's interesting and lovely to see another novel who doesn't treat marriage as the end of the plot but rather the beginning. The fantasy world-building is solid, the central mystery of the novel is well-done, and the looming sense of threat from the larger conflict to come is well-established. I look forward to the release of the next book in the series. show less

This has the the sort of worldbuilding I’d be unsurprised to find in a fairytale retelling - but instead of retelling a fairytale, it sets Pride and Prejudice in a world with dragons, gryphons and hobgoblins.

When Lord Merybourne hires a group of Riders to deal with the gryphons who are threatening Hart’s Run, Aliza’s mother sees an opportunity for her daughters to marry someone who would take them to live somewhere safer.

“Surely you see what an opportunity this is!” Mama said.
show more “Yes, I do.” Papa’s voice was stern. “It’s a chance to get rid of these accursed gryphons once and for all. Of all people, I’d think you’d appreciate that most.”
“Of course, of course, but I’m talking about our daughters.”
“Oh? Were they planning to slay some of the beasts themselves?”
“Robart!”
“If these Riders are apprenticing, I’ll give my hearty consent to whichever girl wishes to take up the blade. You and I will both sleep easier if they know how to defend themselves. [...] I was joking, my dear.”
“Well, I’m not! And anyway, a husband lasts longer than an apprenticeship.”

I enjoyed Aliza’s lively first person narration and the way Heartstone translates Pride and Prejudice to a different context. It would be easy for a fantasy P&P to keep the context of the main developments much the same as P&P, but Heartstone roots these developments in its fantasy world. So certain events - such as the arrival of new people in the community - occur, but for different reasons. This all meant that, in spite of knowing P&P so well, I had so many questions I wanted answered: What was the history between Daired and Wydrick? What was going to happen to Leyda?

There are also a few ways, both big and small, in which Heartstone diverges from P&P. It surprised me more than once. I was initially wary when I heard of this book’s existence, but it is fun! Pride and Prejudice is still superior, of course, but Heartstone has dragons - dragons! - and does a good job of being its own story. show less