Mr. Darcy, Vampyre

Wow. This book is just bad. The plot is non-existent, riddled with holes, and ultimately pointless. The characters, so vibrant and complex in the original novel, are here rendered as unconvincing cardboard cutouts. Elizabeth is a total doormat, accepting Darcy's odd moods, evasions and outright lies. Darcy does nothing but stump around offering obligatory niceties and being occasionally mysterious.

We are introduced to a spate of ephemeral characters who appear, info dump their life story and then vanish never to return. Several places in this novel I felt that the author was trying to pad the story. Overlooking all these flaws, the idea of Darcy and his sister as vampires kind of destroys the whole plot of Pride and Prejudice. That show more novel's plot turned on the idea of Wickham as a cad who seduced a fifteen year old girl. If that girl was, in fact, a hundred year old undead creature... well, that's a horse of a different color. Whatever, this book is totally mediocre. Skip it and reread P&P instead. show less

This book has the most audacious title I have seen in years. In just two words, it conveys everything a reader may expect within. No mystery here: before even turning a page we know that this will be the most shameless attempt to cash in on the successes of [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158963071s/1885.jpg|3060926] and [b:Twilight|41865|Twilight (Twilight, #1)|Stephenie Meyer|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DcKN0STkL._SL75_.jpg|3212258] yet. Yes! Let us dive into the depths of our id! Let us wallow in our love of costume dramas and supernatural romance! Let us splash around in the shallowest end of the literary pool!

Alas. This book is not so bad that it's good. It's show more just bad. Elizabeth is transformed into a paper-cut-out: her inner monologue has as much snap as a limp noodle. Mr.Darcy's dialog is limited to periodic pronouncements on Elizabeth's beauty or the doomed quality of their marriage. There is absolutely no irony in this book. (How does someone even ATTEMPT an Austen rip-off without including sarcasm?) The vampires--er, "vampyres", are utterly without menace. There's little dialog, no characters worth remembering, and no plot until nearly 300 pages in. Eventually (SPOILERS), Elizabeth cures Mr.Darcy of his vampyrism through the power of her lurve. And...that's it. That's the entire book.

I will never get that hour of my life back. show less

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 show more 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.

http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/historical/review-giveaway-mr-darcy-vampyre... show less

From the very day of her wedding to Darcy, Elizabeth suspects something is wrong. As the two travel across Europe meeting Darcy’s mysterious friends and family, staying in dark castles and fleeing from angry mobs, Elizabeth struggles with her new surroundings. Darcy is cold and unloving and Elizabeth must find out what caused his sudden change in demeanor.

I’ll come right out and say it – this book was BORING. I was expecting it to be 100% cheesy and hopefully entertaining (you know…bad in a good way?) and instead it was snorefest. I’m glad it wasn’t an incredibly long book – it took so little time to read it that at least I don’t feel like I wasted too much of my time.

Of course, from the title, readers will infer that show more Darcy is a vampire – oh, sorry, vampyre – and our dear Elizabeth is the only one who seems to be unaware of this fact. Darcy suddenly changes their honeymoon from a tour of the Lake District to a tour of Paris, Austria (I think? Or maybe it was the Swiss Alps…) and Venice so Elizabeth can meet a hoard of family and friends she’s never heard of. The vampiric – oh, sorry, vampyryc – undertones in the character’s behavior are obvious, and you know the reveal is coming, yet the other shoe doesn’t drop until about two thirds of the way through the book.

The majority of the book is details Darcy and Elizabeth traveling, “making arrangements” to travel more, unpacking/making themselves comfortable at various inns, meeting with cardboard cutouts of “eccentric” European gentry (read: obviously vampi—vampyres), and bland conversations between Elizabeth and Darcy, wherein Elizabeth doesn’t ask the right questions about what’s wrong with their marriage.

Elizabeth spends most of her time convincing herself that Darcy doesn’t love her because their marriage remains unconsummated. But rather than be her usual outspoken self, she spends all her time silently fretting and failing to talk to Darcy about anything even remotely important. Darcy is just silent and disappeary (yes, I made that up.) I didn’t think their personalities were properly captured.

When we finally do get to the vampire – ugh, vampyre – bits, there’s nothing standout there either. Darcy’s excuse for not coming to Elizabeth at night is because there’s a small chance that sexing her up could cause her to change into a vampire. What??? I mean…what??? That’s a new one for me. He has no problem with crosses, or daylight, etc. and explains to Elizabeth that each “family” (no clue how these are actually defined) has its own weakness and his is that he’ll eventually fade to nothingness if he’s outside during too many sunrises or sunsets. Another new vampire –vaaaammmpppyyyyrrreeee – trait for me and not a very thrilling one.

There is a pseudo-villain for about two pages, but there was no real tension created with his appearance and he didn’t pose much of a threat, despite being “old when Jesus Christ was young” and one of the most powerful vampires –vampyres! – ever. I won’t “spoil” the scene, but his defeat is laughably stupid. Darcy’s backstory on how he was turned is also cliché and tropetastic. He and his sister survived a plague, lost their parents and became homeless. His sister fell ill and they were found by a kindly vampyre who turned Georgiana to save her life and turned Darcy so they’d never be apart. –snoring–

Elizabeth also suffers from the “immediate acceptance of the unusual and fantastic” trope. She barely bats an eye at Darcy’s vampyrysm and explains it away with her having “heard stories” about them. Okay, girl, I know your love for him is strong and all, but you wouldn’t be the least bit disgusted, upset or afraid, even if he says he doesn’t drink human blood? PLEASE.

The ending was the most convenient plot twist ever and I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering how weak the vampyre plot line was to begin with, despite the title having the word vampyre – oh, sorry, vampire – in it!

I didn’t expect to fall in love with this book, but I thought I’d at least find something to enjoy. The only positive I can think of is that it’s an incredibly quick read, but overall this book was a huge disappointment and I wouldn’t recommend it for Austen or supernatural fantasy fans. show less

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre brings us back to that final moment in Pride & Prejudice - it picks up right before Lizzie and Mr. Darcy’s wedding and takes us along with them on their wedding tour. To her surprise they will not be touring the Lake District but instead will be traveling through Europe. Shortly after their nuptials, Lizzie starts seeing some changes in Mr. Darcy’s demeanor - could it possibly be that he is becoming even more aloof then he was when they first met? Her worrying increases when he will not visit the marriage bed - but she still tries to make the best of their trip and makes herself as pleasant as possible while introduced to some of his "old" friends, family and acquaintances.

Ms. Grange does a wonderful job in show more building tension throughout her novel. Yet through it all she makes it believable enough to where there are no discrepancies between Pride and Prejudice and her sequel. She does a fine job in weaving Mr. Darcy’s "vampiric" attributes with what we already knew about him. As the Darcys travel through Paris, to the Swiss Alps, Venice, and Italy - we are taken from splendid balls, to meeting a mysterious Count who strangely resides in a mirror-less castle, the threat of a mob lynching, to beautiful masquerade balls and eventually to being the guests of a Prince - whose actions might not be so princely. You fear for the innocent Lizzy and hope that their love can overcome Mr. Darcy’s deep, dark secret. Yet Ms. Grange does justice to the Lizzy we know and love - she continues to be the strong, opinionated young woman that stole our hearts.

I loved that the story was riddled with garlic, cross’s, mirrors - or a lack thereof, remote bats and plenty of superstitious townfolk who cross themselves when the Darcys and their acquaintances pass by. All these minor details were interspersed throughout the story and couldn’t help bringing a smile to my face.

Full of plenty of mystery, intrigue and adventure not to mention the scrumptious Mr. Darcy - a vampire! This is Austen fan-fiction at its best and required reading for any lover of Pride and Prejudice. show less

Overview:

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are finally wed and are about to embark on their wedding tour (honeymoon) to the Lake District when Mr. Darcy declares a change of plans. Eager to introduce Elizabeth to his distant friends and acquaintances on the European continent, Mr. Darcy convinces his new wife to follow a new destination. Soon, they are on a ship, heading towards the now-at-peace France. Throughout their travels, they learn more about one another, and Elizabeth discovers a dark and dangerous secret about her husband and his many friends.

My review:

This book started off well. I liked reading about the places they visited and the people they met. I liked the adventures they encountered and the parties they attended. show more However, there was just soo much missing from the story that it was an almost pointless book.

All the characters seem to be disconnected and undeveloped. Witty dialogue is gone in exchange for thoughts of self-doubt and inward sadness. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy barely speak, and when they do, it reads like a pathetic romance novel instead of a Jane Austen masterpiece. Even the occasional allusions to the original manuscript are misplaced and forced, convincing me that this book may have been improved without them. This story is not much "vampire" and barely "Austen", making it a very dull read with a most uninteresting end.

Side note:

I have a pet peeve about the way the author constantly refers to Mr. Darcy as just "Darcy". She even has Elizabeth calling him Darcy. Wouldn't it flow more if they were both called by their first names or both referred to as Mr. or Mrs. Darcy? The inconsistency is annoying when reading a book 300 pages in length! show less

"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 show more 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 readers 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. show less