Mr Darcy, Vampyre [Paperback]

Amanda Grange (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2009

Elizabeth Darcy is the happiest woman alive when she steps into the carriage that is to take her on her wedding tour - until she sees the look of torment on Mr Darcy's face and discovers that he has a deep, dark secret that nearly destroys their love, their marriage and even her very life. Darcy and the rest of his family are vampires that cannot be outside during sunrise or sunset. Lady Catherine is at the source, having turned Georgiana into an undying friend for her vampiric daughter, Anne, and then Darcy as the perfect mate for Anne. Now Lizzy and Darcy must travel across the Continent to the Pyrenees to find a way to break the curse. But Lady Catherine won't give up her undead without a fight - The Y in "Vampyre" is a tribute to the first vampyre story in print in the English language called simply "The Vampyre". It was written by John Polidori, a physician in the employ of Lord Byron and who, whilst staying by Lake Geneva with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont amused themselves by reading and writing ghost stories. Two of the greatest horror stories came from that night Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" and "The Vampyre".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grange (Mr. Darcy's Diary) continues Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, beginning on Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding day and follows the two on their honeymoon trip to Paris, the Alps and Venice during a lull in the Napoleonic Wars. Told from Elizabeth's point of view, the story is about her expanding horizons as she leaves the sheltered life she led at Netherfield for her new world as a wife and a traveler outside England. Darcy's continued lack of physical attention to Elizabeth makes her realize that something isn't quite right, but the clues provided in the text are too subtle for her to figure out his secret. By the time Darcy reveals his true nature, more than two thirds of the way through the book, Elizabeth is able to accept his announcement (which she sees as less disturbing than her more mundane fears), but its impact on the reader is greatly diluted by the revealing title. Grange manages to capture the period in a manner that will appeal to Austen fans, but vampire fans are likely to be disappointed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

Mr. Darcy's reservations, temperament and apparent aloofness are explained in a most unusual way by Jane Austen guru Amanda Grange (see the diaries saga) as he hides what torments him from his beloved. (Harriet Klausner #1 Amazon.com Reviewer 20090731)

Our author has given us a treasure of culture to please even the most delicate palate, a delicious romance of times gone by and a fantasy world that will surely make you quake in your boots. (Terra Studer Yankee Romance Reviewers 20090731)

Vampires are all the rage now, so expect interest. (Booklist 20090803)

Ms. Grange skillfully builds the tension and expands the darker thread into danger... I loved it. (Danzo Sia McKye Sia McKye's Thoughts Over Coffee 20090803)

"Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" is truly and step back in time and you would almost think this is a natural progression from "Pride and Prejudice". Fascinating tale! (Dan Karpf Grumpy Dan's Journal 20090803)

A dark, captivating read. (Anna Lemkau Anna's Book Blog 20090803)

I opened it and became so absorbed in it that I lost hours of time without realizing it... and without regretting it. (Rebecca Laney Becky's Book Review 20090803)

Grange creates her own vampire mythology and weaves it seamlessly into the story of Darcy and Elizabeth's early marriage... a really great sequel to Pride and Prejudice. (Grace Loiacano Grace's Book Blog 20090804)

Since I love vampires and Pride & Prejudice I was really curious how this book would turn out. I'm glad to say I am pleasantly surprised by how well it was written. (Debbie Suzuki Debbie's World of Books 20090804)

Along with the adventure, it is the enduring love of Darcy and Lizzy that kept me glued to every page, eager to find out what would happen to my favorite couple. (Bella McGuire A Bibliophile's Bookshelf 20090811)

[A] thought provoking and seductively gothic tale... (Amy Kennedy Romance B(u)y the Book 20090811)

[F]un and interesting... the plot had me sucked in from page one. (Naida Milenkovic The Bookworm 07 20090811)

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. (Nely Sanchez All About the {n} 20090811)

Amanda Grange has crafted a clever homage to the Gothic novels that Jane Austen so enjoyed... This is an Austen-inspired scary story for Janeites, by a Janeite, done with affection and delivered with a very subtle British wink, and completely suitable for a 21st-century audience. (Maggie Sullivan AustenBlog.com 20090811)

I highly recommend Mr. Darcy, Vampyre to those who enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and would be interested in exploring different directions that Elizabeth and Darcy might take, particularly those who enjoy vampire stories along the lines of Anne Rice. (Gaby Lupus Starting Fresh 20090811)

The description is bountiful and alive. (Shawn Remfry Maymay's Memos 20090811)

...a true melding of vampire fiction with a Pride and Prejudice follow on story. (Gayle Surrett A Curious Statistical Anomaly 20090812)

If you enjoyed Frankenstein or a nice vampire story with a Jane Austen twist, then sink your teeth into Mr. Darcy, Vampyre and enjoy its rich detail to traditional vampire lore! (Celia Pham The Epic Rat 20090813)

a fun take on the beloved Austen novel. (Anna Horner Diary of an Eccentric 20090824)

Grange did a fantastic job of not only recreating the characters of Darcy and Lizzy but also weaving the history of the original story into the new plot. (Leslie Gladnick Leslie's Psyche 20090824)

If you're looking to read a good sequel to Pride & Prejudice and you have a fondness for the paranormal, then I suggest you give this one a try. (Darlene Smoliak Peeking Between the Pages 20090824)

[S]uch a suspenseful story, full of gothic elements, dark secrets and danger! (Andreea Ghiura Passionate Booklover 20090824)

The romance and mystery in this story melded together perfectly... Night Owl Romance Reviewer Top Pick! (Night Owl Romance 20090828)

Grange is able to make her vamprye utterly new and different... compelling, heart breaking and triumphant all at once. (Katrina Hall Bloody Bad Books 20090828)

She made a gripping story that sucks you in... a very entertaining vampire tale. (Heather Carroll The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century 20090902)

Grange has a talent with words and uses this talent to create a believable paranormal filled with stunningly chilling atmosphere and mystery. (Keira Gillet Love Romance Passion 20090902)

[The] character development is substantial... Mr. Darcy makes an inordinately attractive vampire himself. (Patty Inglish Amrchair Interviews 20090903)

[Amanda Grange] sure knows how to have fun with her reader, and I think she gets it right. (Alison Skapinetz Alison's Book Marks 20090908)

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a clever and well-written in-joke aimed squarely at Austen devotees, and we're confident that Grange's target audience will enjoy themselves. (Julia LaVassar Word Candy 20090910)

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a unique twist on a well known and beloved set of characters created by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. (April Pohren Cafe of Dreams 20090910)

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre takes up the beloved characters and plot threads of Jane Austen's novel and weaves them into a supernaturally-wrought adventure. (Jennifer Bitten By Books 20090917)

There's just something about the dark side of fiction that really piques my interest, and seeing this take on a classic work of fiction really makes my day. (Trish Horror and Fantasy Books 20090923)

Grange's story is great fun to read. (Lyn Seippel BookLoons.com 20090924)

Grange adds some interesting and unique elements both to the vampyre story and to the adventures of Darcy and Elizabeth... I fell in love with Darcy all over again. (Lindsay Reading with a Bite 20090928)

I enjoyed revisiting the world Jane Austen created... a fun sequel to P&P. (Ames The Book Binge 20091001)

Good for any fan of Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice. (Carrie Zimmerman The Book Girl 20091005)

I give the book 5 stars for having as its author a woman who writes beautifully, and can step outside the box with her imagination. It is well-told and unforgettable. (Barbara Davis Everything Victorian )

A fun read with lots of romance, atmospheric prose and pulse-raising scenes. (My Pride and Prejudice )

If Jane Austen had written a book about a vampire, this would be it. (Lynda K. Scott Star-Crossed Romance ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc (August 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140223998X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402239984
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,025,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Darcy has a dark secret. Who knew?, August 9, 2009

By 

Laurel Ann "Austenprose" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre (Paperback)

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice may be one of the most famous love stories in literature. Their uneasy courtship was wrought with misconceptions skillfully played out by Austen's acerbic wit and romantic tension. When they finally realize they are in love and destined to be together, their wedding seems to insure a happily-ever-after that Austen is famous for. What Elizabeth had envisioned as their carefree wedding tour in the Lake District is altered by her new husbands dour mood and abrupt change of destination. They will now travel to the Continent and visit Darcy relations in Paris, Switzerland and Italy, making the Grand Tour.

As they travel in the style and comfort afforded the master and mistress of Pemberley, Elizabeth sees a dark change come over her husband. He is preoccupied and incommunicative; not at all the man that she grew to love during their courtship in England. In fact, the farther they travel, the more distant he becomes. She pours out her troubles and concerns by writing letters to her dear sister Jane. Foremost in any young brides mind is the consummation of their marriage which Darcy is avoiding. Moreover, Darcy's formidable relations are more than just a bit odd and events along the way are unsettling. While in Paris Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam privately admonishes him for marrying her. On the road to Switzerland his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh surprisingly appears expressing her displeasure at his disgraceful alliance and begging him to end it. As their carriage climbs the mountain road, the local people jump away and cross themselves as they pass. When they arrive in the Alps at his uncle Count Polidori's castle, an axe displayed above a doorway mysteriously falls missing Darcy by inches. The servants say it is a sign that Elizabeth will cause his death. Later, a fortune teller warns her to beware. "There are dangers all around you ...not all who walk on two legs are men...not all who fly are beasts." When the castle is stormed by angry villagers, Darcy and Elizabeth flee into the mountains where they are attacked by the mob. In the confusion of the fight they are separated. Against all odds the crowd is subdued. Darcy is disheveled and unharmed except for the blood on his mouth. Elizabeth is horrified, thinking he is hurt. We, suspect otherwise.

Their journey continues to Venice, and on to Rome. More seeing the sights, more friends and more subtle comments and minor events as the plot moseys along. The descriptions of the countryside and cities are similar to a vintage travelogue. Not only are the Darcy's taking the Grand Tour, so are we. The scenes of the castle in the Alps, the fortune teller and the angry mob play gentle homage to the Gothic novels so popular in Jane Austen's time and parodied in her own novel Northanger Abbey. The difference here is this novel is not a burlesque or a spoof. It is dead serious, and that is one of its foibles. Lack of humor. No Catherine Morland in her nightgown peering into a ponderous chest. Only poor Lizzy unhappily dragged about Europe, neglected by her husband, and totally unaware that his indifference is a front to his dark secret. When did our spirited and clever Lizzy become willing to put up with such treatment? She used to taunt and tease him into submission. Now she can't seem to find him to put him in his place. Yes, he is a vampyre and he is tormented over not being able to tell his wife about his terrible curse, but there still needs to be some conversation to develop their relationship. Over three quarters of the way into the book and I was still impatiently waiting for the big reveal. Is this really a vampyre novel? Where's Darcy's coffin with a bit of Pemberley terra firma thrown in?

I will attempt to forestall any reproof and readily admit that I admire Amanda Grange's courage and creativity. The novel was a bold move that unfortunately did not quite fulfill my expectations.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately, not impressed- SPOILER ALERT., August 19, 2009

By 

thisnonbritluvslit - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre (Paperback)

Pride and Prejudice is my favorite story of all time. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, and of many of the variations of Darcy & Elizabeth that have followed the masterpiece of P&P. I am also a big fan of the Twilight series and of the HBO show Trueblood, so I was intrigued to read this. I also very much enjoyed Ms. Grange's previous book, Mr. Darcy's Diary. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I know this book is purely for fantastical entertainment, and to call it ridiculous and unbelievable would be unreasonable since the book is about vampires. I am not taking that angle, even though I don't think Ms. Grange made Darcy or any member of his family convincing vampires, and they did end up coming across as slightly ridiculous.

The story line was forced and the plot was flimsy. For the first 200 pages there really is no plot. They just travel around Europe meeting Darcy's vampy friends, none of whom really have a huge impact on the story. They spend so much time conversing with these other people in the book and when they do speak directly to each other, it is always mundane small talk. J.A. would not approve! Darcy and Elizabeth's conversations in P&P were always inflected with wit, humor and sarcasm; and in the end, passion and love.

Ultimately, I think a major problem with the book is that the reader is taking it all in from Elizabeth's point of view, who is completely unaware that Darcy is a vampire. The reader knows from the beginning of the book that Darcy is a vampire from the title itself. Therefore, it is a very slow read since we are constantly waiting for Lizzie to figure it all out. Although, Stephenie Meyer did a great job with this in Twilight; we know Edward is a vampire but the book is still from Bella's viewpoint and we do have to wait for her to figure it out. But Meyer left me racing through the pages to find out what happens next. That just didn't happen for me with the book.

I was looking for more suspense, drama and darkness, and it lacked all of the above. The only suspenseful thing in the whole story is waiting for Darcy to consummate his marriage. Even that got old after a while. There was so much build up about them having sex and when they finally do, Ms. Grange only devotes about one sentence to it. I'm not a huge fan of long, drawn out love scenes, but since she made it such a major part of the story line, she should have devoted a little more of the plot to the resolution of that one major issue.

In conclusion, I sadly would not recommend this read. I think that Ms. Grange recognized that vampires are a huge part of pop culture right now, and wouldn't it be a great idea to write a book about them and the lead characters of P&P, the greatest love story of all time? Good concept, but just missed the mark entirely.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Darcy...vampyre?, September 3, 2009

By 

*Bones* "Blame McSteve" (On a beach in Hawaii...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre (Paperback)

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. 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!