When Napoleon and his fire-breathing dragons menace all of Europe, Mr. Darcy and his mage powers are England’s last hope in the second book of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage.
Danger awaits in France, where Darcy must complete his mission for England while fighting to return to his beloved Elizabeth. But when he finally comes face to face with Napoleon, Darcy discovers the tyrant’s dark secret – one that threatens the survival of England and everyone Darcy loves. Now he is on the run, trapped behind enemy lines with no hope of escape.
Back at Pemberley, Elizabeth discovers Darcy’s grave danger through their entwined magic. Accompanied by her trusted dragon, she sets forth on her own perilous journey to bring him home. But finding him is only the beginning, and Darcy and Elizabeth must work together to face magical traps and a relentless manhunt. As their love and magic are put to the ultimate test, will they be able to overcome the obstacles and save England from certain doom?
Fans of gaslamp fantasy, heartfelt romance, and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice will be swept away by the heart-pounding adventure and deep love in The Magic of Pemberley, Book 2 of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage trilogy.
Content warning: Fear of pregnancy loss (spoiler: .......good outcome in the end)
Abigail Reynolds may be a nationally bestselling author and a physician, but she can’t follow a straight line with a ruler. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian and theater at Bryn Mawr College and marine biology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. After a stint in performing arts administration, she decided to attend medical school, and took up writing as a way to retain her sanity during her years as a physician in private practice.
A life-long lover of Jane Austen’s novels, Abigail began writing variations on Pride & Prejudice in 2001, then expanded her repertoire to include a series of novels set on her beloved Cape Cod.Her most recent releases are A Matter of Honor, Mr. Darcy's Enchantment, and Conceit & Concealment. Her books have been translated into six languages. A lifetime member of JASNA, she lives on Cape Cod with her husband, her son and a menagerie of animals. Her hobbies do not include sleeping or cleaning her house.
This book starts with a bang and just keeps going with the fast pace. When I finally took a break, I was only at 30% and so much had already happened!
We learn more about the Darcy's love, marriage and commitment to each other. Loads more questions are raised than are answered. I assume it will all come together by the end of book three.
The dragons and fae have an even stronger presence in book 2. Again, we are left with too many unanswered questions and a if I am not mistaken, some secrets and personal hidden agendas. (I think Darcy us being made a companion in a slow process) but I could be wrong.
If you liked book 1, you will love book 2. A fast paced, entertaining jaff/fantasy tale. Can't wait for book 3!
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: mature teen due to adult themes, violence, and injuries discussed. >>Angst Level: medium-to-high at times. >>Source: I borrowed this from KU [10-2-24] and volunteered to leave a review. This was a long story with 39 Chapters. It is book 2 in the series and left at a good point. The final book in the series is The Guardians of Pemberley >>Trope: Dragons and magic
Where to begin? This was a white-knuckle ride from beginning to end. It is the second book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage Series. Book 2 continues the plan from the War Office for Fitzwilliam Darcy to travel to France and join a plot against Napoleon. The mission was complicated and many hands were involved in the assignment. Even Elizabeth was engaged as she was joined to the land that would aid her husband. The reader is introduced to many new dragons of various standing within the hierarchy of dragon society. Darcy’s mission was doomed from the start. Everything that could happen did and yet he survived. Elizabeth had her adventure and part in securing his safe return home. The story ended on a soft cliffhanger in preparation for Book 3, the conclusion of the series.
Book 1: Spellbound at Pemberley Book 2: The Magic of Pemberley Book 3: The Guardians of Pemberley
My best advice is to read the author's story description. I admit that it has been several years since I read the first in the series. Somehow I missed the release of this second in the series...perhaps as I was buying and setting up a new computer.
For most of this novel Darcy is in France, on his mission to assassinate Napoleon. In that attempt he is in for a horrible surprise. (I'm not revealing that.) Darcy finds himself fleeing for his life and having a hard times getting out of "close calls"...even having a bullet leave his one arm useless. He and Elizabeth maintain sporadic contact through their powers but when that is broken, Elizabeth fears the worse.
Elizabeth, pregnant, experiences much interaction with various dragons and their nests. We have one from India who has her reasons to hate Britain due to how that nation has treated hers. But she plays a part in the Darcys' lives.
Fredericka Fitzwilliam gets her wish to be a companion to a dragon but this is not a simple process.
I enjoyed this story, even though my busy life kept me from reading it straight through. I am now going on to read the next in the series.
I highly recommend this story but know that the premise does not resemble canon other than a few characters having the same names. This is not a stand-alone book.
I love the way Reynolds has expanded the Austen universe by bringing in magical elements. The books are a quick, easy read, full of era-appropriate description and conversation. Perfect for Janeites who want a little magic in their reading.
An amazing adventure that keeps you turning pages. I could hardly make myself stop to work! The love story between our beloved couple, the incredible characters involved, the wondrous plot, all of it keeps you at the edge of your seat wanting to find out what happens. One story not to be missed!
Warning: Meant for mature audiences. Contains scenes that would scandalize the ton. Readers of a delicate constitution are advised to keep their fans and vinaigrettes close at hand. Fear of pregnancy loss, but spoiler, good outcome in the end.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is a Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice variation. A Pride and Prejudice meets Fantasy variation. Experience a thrilling, magical twist to this tale. Fans of gaslamp fantasy, heartfelt romance, and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice will be swept away by the heart-pounding adventure and deep love in this tale. When Napoleon and his fire-breathing dragons menace all of Europe, Mr. Darcy and his mage powers are England’s last hope in the second book of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage.
Danger awaits in France, where Darcy must complete his mission for England while fighting to return to his beloved Elizabeth, but when he finally comes face to face with Napoleon, Darcy discovers the tyrant’s dark secret, one that threatens the survival of England and everyone Darcy loves. Now he is on the run, trapped behind enemy lines with no hope of escape. Back at Pemberley, Elizabeth discovers Darcy’s grave danger through their entwined magic. Accompanied by her trusted dragon, she sets forth on her own perilous journey to bring him home, but finding him is only the beginning, and Darcy and Elizabeth must work together to face magical traps and a relentless manhunt. As their love and magic are put to the ultimate test, will they be able to overcome the obstacles and save England from certain doom? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
To fully grasp and enjoy this book, you need to read book one. If you have done that, you will enjoy returning to this world of hidden dragons and land magic. Darcy and Elizabeth continue to struggle with learning to trust one another and the secrets they have even as their love for each other grows. Darcy’s mission continues to loom in the midst of their relationship. More mysteries and secrets are revealed but the question is how will this affect Darcy‘s mission, their trust and love, and their unborn child. Darcy does some serious soul-searching and growth in his time away from home. Many things will keep you on the edge of your seat and beg for book 3. Thankfully we are not left with too many cliff hangers and feel satisfied at the end.
I also got the audiobook when it came out. That made this story even better! Elizabeth Klett and Harry Frost partnered up beautifully to bring even more life and emotion to this book. This will be a series I will gladly read and listen to again!
I knew there was going to be a twist based upon the blurb, and I was not disappointed! The intensity went way up in this story as Darcy finally gets the call to head to France to defeat Napoleon. He is in so much danger before he even gets to Napoleon that he realizes that some of the precautions they took saved his life. Elizabeth was actively saving his life. This story focuses a lot on Elizabeth and Darcy apart except for small snippets of time that they connect- there is so much pining and difficulty for these two!
I listened to the audiobook which again came to life with an absolutely fabulous narration by Harry Frost and Elizabeth Klett. There are some pretty fantastical creatures in this one that all get much TLC with their characterization. Even with the angst, the narration just made the story that much more enjoyable and fun.
I can't wait to keep working through the series. I am not typically a fantasy reader, but Abigail Reynolds has really won me over with her take in the world of P&P. Incredible story!
I read Book 2 in a day and a half. It continues right where Book 1 leaves off. The challenges multiply along with additional characters. Big surprises and little ones of all kinds give the plot twists and turns. Darcy and Elizabeth continue to discover previously unknown aspects of each other--sometimes with appreciation, other times with disagreements, but always resulting in greater self-knowledge and deepening their relationship.
I anticipate Book 3 and highly recommend Books 1 and 2 to readers of fantasy and of Pride and Prejudice variations.
In this second book of a fantasy Pride and Prejudice twist, Elizabeth and Darcy are in true love. They both must take measures in the battle against Napoleon, and in saving each other from harm. There are more dragons and a couple surprising dragon twist. I liked this book better than the first because I felt the relationships more between the main characters, with their friends, and with their dragons. It also had emotional turmoil and suspense. Maybe book 3 will be even better.
The Darcy’s involved in undercover efforts to assist England in the battle with Napoleon was interesting. Magic, dragons, Fae and family all mixed up in war led to an unexpected progression of the plot. I never thought of Darcy as the undercover type! The unique relationships between dragons, companions, lesser Fae combined with all the funny family issue nuances was fun to observe. I loved how the story concluded-yet clearly there is more to come!
This installment was non-stop action packed a lot of different subplots were happening at the same time. It was interesting and kept me entertained. The only reason I deducted stars was because the relationship between the MCs didn't feel fully developed. As such I wasn't as invested in their story as I felt I should've been. Overall however, this was fun, clean, and a nice way to pass the time. :) I'm looking forward to seeing how the author ties up this series.
This tugs at your heart string.... Magic, dragons, fae, changling, pain, cruelty, fire, death, love, hope, life.
Totally keeps you involved and best not start reading if you don't have time to finish... Other words, can't put it down and maybe up all night. So sad have to wait another year for sequel! Reynolds never disappoints.
Book one was awesome! Book two is beyond amazing! I am going to need another interjection that begins with the letter a for book 3. I am glad I have time to increase my vocabulary and discover one before it is released. I especially loved the fact that dragons are so much more then ever believed possible in this series!
This was a really good book. I don't think it needed to be a P&P variation - I really haven't seen much relation to the original at all. Anyway, I really liked the twists and additional reveals in this book. It was more interesting than the first book, for that reason. It ends in a good place, no cliffhangers though the story is not fully resolved.
I love Abigail Reynolds & The Magic of Pemberley is another awesome & very romantic book from her. I really enjoyed the neat twists and turns to this story. I also love the romance and bond between Darcy & Elizabeth. This author just has a way of highlighting their love for each other. I am really looking forward to the final book!!!
This is a wonderful second book. I love the interactions between dragons and their companions as well as the surprises in plot. But I still want more...is there a third book?
So far, a disappointing read that has me questioning whether this was simply poorly written and edited, or if Abigail Reynolds perhaps never was a good writer to begin with. Still debating whether or not to DNF.
I love all of Abigails wonderful books. Book 2 of this magical series is no exception and is amazing! I love the creativity of blending Pride and Prejudice with the enchanting, mesmerising storytelling. Bring on book 3!
What a wonderful and magical tale! The characters are marvelous and the storyline is wonderful too. I especially loved how the perception and prospective of life deepened for Elizabeth and Darcy. This P&P variation truly is magical.