Warning: Spoiler Alert
In this post, I’ll be reviewing Darcy Bites: Pride And Prejudice With Fangs by Amy Elizabeth Davis. I almost didn’t read this Pride and Prejudice inspired paranormal novel because I thought the cover looked amateurish. However, I’m glad I gave it a chance because it was well written and entertaining.
There’s a few Pride and Prejudice inspired vampire novels around but only one other one I can think of where he’s a dhampir. Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Paranormal Vagary by Regina Jeffers.
It’s very nearly a mashup novel (where 80% of the text comes from a classic novel and 20% is original like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). There’s lots of the original text in the novel. For example, Darcy does indeed say to Bingley that Elizabeth “is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me”.
However, the author also often slightly changes the text.
For example, Elizabeth says to Darcy. “Did you not think, Mr. Darcy, that I expressed myself uncommonly well just now, when I was teasing Colonel Foster to spar with me?”
“With great energy, but it could hardly be a fair match.”
‘You are severe on Colonel Foster.”
Plot
The plot is as follows: Darcy is a dhampir (half vampire/half human). His mother was a vampire, and his father was human. He accompanies Mr Bingley to Netherfield Hall because it was attacked by vampires eighteen years ago. He wants to make sure that there are no vampires still lurking in the area. As per the original, he only becomes interested in Elizabeth after the assembly. Wickham makes an appearance. he’s also a dhampir and abuses his powers.
Elizabeth has been trained in martial arts (reminded me of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and volunteers as bait. Lady Catherine does come to visit Elizabeth, but she demands that Elizabeth promise not to marry Darcy and tries to kill her when she refuses. Darcy saves Elizabeth, and he stakes his aunt. This doesn’t kill her, but it does leave her comatose. She winds up imprisoned in his cellar for several years.
There are several discoveries about different characters: Wickham is a dhampir who abuses his ability to mesmerise people. Bingley is a werewolf and Mr Bennet is also a dhampir which is why Elizabeth has super hearing and is good at fighting. Jane, it turns out is the adopted daughter of Mr and Mrs Bennet. They had a son, Edmund, who was killed when he was young because he became feral. Mr Bennet makes his wife forget about Edmund (this reminded me of Abigail Reynold’s Mr Darcy’s Enchantment where a similar thing occurs).
Things I liked in Darcy Bites
Darcy is a dhampir not a vampire, which made a refreshing change.
Mr Darcy is aloof at the assembly because he‘s thirsty and wants to avoid the temptation of biting a human.
Elizabeth has a sense of humour and says witty things.
Bingley has a secret of his own although it’s pretty obvious early on what it is.
How the author changed the plot to fit in with the paranormal theme. For example, Wickham spreads rumours that Mr Darcy killed his own mother and brother.
Things I didn’t like about Darcy Bites
The cover. It really doesn’t do the novel justice.
For me, the epilogue went on too long. I could see the point of including Anna as a child as it related to Mr Darcy’s fears about going feral. However, I wasn’t that interested in the lives of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth’s children. I’m probably the odd woman out there though.