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Darcy Bites: Pride and Prejudice with Fangs
"In a world where the existence of vampires is a truth universally acknowledged, most would be surprised to learn they had ever invited one to tea." Elizabeth Bennet is no damsel in distress. Mr. Darcy cannot help but admire her fighting skills and lively mind but he struggles against his attraction to her as he struggles against his own nature. Elizabeth finds Mr. Darcy to be proud and disagreeable and, while she does not wish to be ungrateful for his having saved her life, she finds it most inconvenient to be indebted to him. Elizabeth never suspects that there is a reason Mr. Darcy is such a gifted vampire slayer. When the truth is revealed, they find they each have a lot to learn about each other and themselves.
- GenresParanormal
370 pages, Paperback
Published November 27, 2015
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57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 12, 2016
I was skeptical when I first encountered this book because I've never read a paranormal Pride and Prejudice variation before this and I wasn't sure if this was a parody or what. When I finally decided to purchase this, I was so happy that I did!
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
August 15, 2016
Generally speaking, this is a successful mashup of Pride and Prejudice with a vampire story. Jane Austen's prose and Ms. Davis' merge pretty nicely. There are a few places where it sounds a little too contemporary, but most of the time it's reasonably seamless.
I also was impressed with how well the vampire plot was executed with relatively small changes in the P&P plot. Where it diverges is at Lady Catherine's confrontation with Elizabeth at Longwood and it becomes a different book from there, but iconic plot points up to that time mostly jive with the original. There is a particularly wonderful vampire twist on the Lydia-Wickham storyline that is completely unexpected.
However, I really, REALLY loved a scene that easily could have happened off-stage in the original: Bingley provides Darcy some instruction in how to be social and hold up his side of a conversation, and they practice together.
The last quarter of the book involves the unusual marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy, their struggle regarding whether or not to have children, and more interference from Lady Catherine. It works very well in adjunct with the rest of the story.
This is a very creative spin that is respectful of the hallowed original. Aside from some editing errors ("tired" instead of "tried" and similar mistakes) and the occasional lapse into sounding too modern as mentioned above, I thought this was a great read.
I also was impressed with how well the vampire plot was executed with relatively small changes in the P&P plot. Where it diverges is at Lady Catherine's confrontation with Elizabeth at Longwood and it becomes a different book from there, but iconic plot points up to that time mostly jive with the original. There is a particularly wonderful vampire twist on the Lydia-Wickham storyline that is completely unexpected.
However, I really, REALLY loved a scene that easily could have happened off-stage in the original: Bingley provides Darcy some instruction in how to be social and hold up his side of a conversation, and they practice together.
The last quarter of the book involves the unusual marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy, their struggle regarding whether or not to have children, and more interference from Lady Catherine. It works very well in adjunct with the rest of the story.
This is a very creative spin that is respectful of the hallowed original. Aside from some editing errors ("tired" instead of "tried" and similar mistakes) and the occasional lapse into sounding too modern as mentioned above, I thought this was a great read.
November 3, 2017
“Into every generation comes a vampire.” Holly Black
It is that time of the year that I get out my list of paranormal books to read around Halloween. More and more I am finding paranormal books in my favorite genre… JAFF [Jane Austen Fan Fiction]. This story features Austen’s Pride and Prejudice characters possessing a little something extra. It is several chapters before we are let in on the secret. And for me… that was part of the problem.
What I liked:
The author’s attempt to remain true to Austen’s characters. We knew how Darcy would act with and react to the other characters. His feelings followed canon and we, lovers of P&P, understood exactly what he would do and how he would respond to Elizabeth, her family, their behavior, their finances, her standing in society and their connections/ties to trade.
Our author also tried to follow Austen’s story outline and I applaud this Herculean effort. Those that are familiar with the P&P story already know the order and sequence of the story-line. Those not familiar with canon would probably be OK reading it as a stand-a-lone. However, I think it would be best to know Austen’s work. Although our author used quite a bit of Austen’s dialogue in order to bridge that gap.
What I didn’t like:
There were times I felt there was information missing. In trying to mesh the two themes [P&P with vampire], I felt the lack of some background information. There were a lot of secrets, and hidden agendas carried throughout the story. Many were not revealed until near the end.
“Werewolves were far more terrifying than vampires. It is probably the idea of seeing the human within the beast and knowing you can’t reach it.” Glen Duncan
Bingley’s story felt sort thrown in and wasn’t utilized as it could have been. Why reveal his secret if you weren’t going to use it? He was just there.
It was an exciting story… full of scary thrills and secrets revealed that would make you shudder. Several times I caught myself thinking… ‘they did not do that’ when in fact… yes, they did. There were also lots of questions that were unanswered. It was like going into an apocalyptic movie after it had already started and you don’t know how the heck everything became the way it was. From that point on, you’re trying to catch up and you never quite get there. That was the way this story felt. Emotions seemed a bit subdued and sterile. Hardly anyone freaked out… they all knew about and expected vampires and feral was a word that didn’t pertain to cats. It was just a bit disconcerting.
Editing: there were those pesky errors that made you back up and read it again just to be sure you understood what you had read. Two stood out [Forster vs Foster was mixed up several times] and [Chapter 4 Lambton vs Longbourn].
Rating: PG-17: Vampire/dhampir fighting violence, mildly graphic sex, and sensual innuendo/references.
It is that time of the year that I get out my list of paranormal books to read around Halloween. More and more I am finding paranormal books in my favorite genre… JAFF [Jane Austen Fan Fiction]. This story features Austen’s Pride and Prejudice characters possessing a little something extra. It is several chapters before we are let in on the secret. And for me… that was part of the problem.
What I liked:
The author’s attempt to remain true to Austen’s characters. We knew how Darcy would act with and react to the other characters. His feelings followed canon and we, lovers of P&P, understood exactly what he would do and how he would respond to Elizabeth, her family, their behavior, their finances, her standing in society and their connections/ties to trade.
Our author also tried to follow Austen’s story outline and I applaud this Herculean effort. Those that are familiar with the P&P story already know the order and sequence of the story-line. Those not familiar with canon would probably be OK reading it as a stand-a-lone. However, I think it would be best to know Austen’s work. Although our author used quite a bit of Austen’s dialogue in order to bridge that gap.
What I didn’t like:
There were times I felt there was information missing. In trying to mesh the two themes [P&P with vampire], I felt the lack of some background information. There were a lot of secrets, and hidden agendas carried throughout the story. Many were not revealed until near the end.
“Werewolves were far more terrifying than vampires. It is probably the idea of seeing the human within the beast and knowing you can’t reach it.” Glen Duncan
Bingley’s story felt sort thrown in and wasn’t utilized as it could have been. Why reveal his secret if you weren’t going to use it? He was just there.
It was an exciting story… full of scary thrills and secrets revealed that would make you shudder. Several times I caught myself thinking… ‘they did not do that’ when in fact… yes, they did. There were also lots of questions that were unanswered. It was like going into an apocalyptic movie after it had already started and you don’t know how the heck everything became the way it was. From that point on, you’re trying to catch up and you never quite get there. That was the way this story felt. Emotions seemed a bit subdued and sterile. Hardly anyone freaked out… they all knew about and expected vampires and feral was a word that didn’t pertain to cats. It was just a bit disconcerting.
Editing: there were those pesky errors that made you back up and read it again just to be sure you understood what you had read. Two stood out [Forster vs Foster was mixed up several times] and [Chapter 4 Lambton vs Longbourn].
Rating: PG-17: Vampire/dhampir fighting violence, mildly graphic sex, and sensual innuendo/references.
November 2, 2017
I enjoyed this story and the alteration of the characters. I felt the changes were incorporated while still keeping the characters true to themselves. Others summarize the plot so I won't here. it follows cannon to a point but then diverges at the end and continues. The story is written well and the characters feel authentic. I enjoyed Lady Catherine being a Vampire. That was an interesting twist. I loved the scene with Darcy asking Bingley for advise on how to be agreeable in company. That was hilarious.
I will say that I wish we had a bit more information about Darcy's internal struggle with his family's past. It was mentioned but I don't think we felt his emotional turmoil. That would have helped me understand his decision about not wanting kids better. It was explained but the emotions behind it were not really experienced between Darcy and the reader so I felt that his concerns were a bit too extreme.
I really enjoyed Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship and development in this story. It was a fun read, especially at Halloween.
I will say that I wish we had a bit more information about Darcy's internal struggle with his family's past. It was mentioned but I don't think we felt his emotional turmoil. That would have helped me understand his decision about not wanting kids better. It was explained but the emotions behind it were not really experienced between Darcy and the reader so I felt that his concerns were a bit too extreme.
I really enjoyed Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship and development in this story. It was a fun read, especially at Halloween.
December 30, 2020
Wow!!
As an avid Austin PP fan this book just took my breath away!
Absolute perfection! Loved the pnr aspect and she seemed to effortlessly include/assimilate it into the classic storyline.
Loved all the extras we get with this book carrying on from the original story.
The skill to write this book is incredible. Its perfectly executed.
Nothing came across as fake or not in line with PP.
I could wax lyrical all day about this incredible book!
And after such a long dry spell of 5 star reads this one accidently landed in my search list.
Such a shame its not more widely known n shared.
I'll try do my part for sure.
Sublime literary bliss!!!!
Only critique is i really don't think the cover does it justice at all!!! It deserves a better one!
As an avid Austin PP fan this book just took my breath away!
Absolute perfection! Loved the pnr aspect and she seemed to effortlessly include/assimilate it into the classic storyline.
Loved all the extras we get with this book carrying on from the original story.
The skill to write this book is incredible. Its perfectly executed.
Nothing came across as fake or not in line with PP.
I could wax lyrical all day about this incredible book!
And after such a long dry spell of 5 star reads this one accidently landed in my search list.
Such a shame its not more widely known n shared.
I'll try do my part for sure.
Sublime literary bliss!!!!
Only critique is i really don't think the cover does it justice at all!!! It deserves a better one!
June 27, 2016
Hmmm, it was interesting to start with but after coming across Great-Church street few times, the feeling of excitment has disappeared. I would not read it second time, but if you are bored it is ok book.
May 22, 2023
a good read
In the world of P&P there are vampires. Oh my, two of my favorite subjects when reading a book. Darcy is a good vampire as the story flows following the original. Elizabeth’s family rather has secrets which collide when the Netherfield party comes to Meryton. I enjoyed the story but loved the last few chapters and would have liked more time in that period of time. If you like supernatural stories with ODC you will like this book.
In the world of P&P there are vampires. Oh my, two of my favorite subjects when reading a book. Darcy is a good vampire as the story flows following the original. Elizabeth’s family rather has secrets which collide when the Netherfield party comes to Meryton. I enjoyed the story but loved the last few chapters and would have liked more time in that period of time. If you like supernatural stories with ODC you will like this book.
July 13, 2024
Ignore the cover
3 1/2 rounded to 4
I have put off reading this due to the cover for a while even after I owned the book. I finally took a chance based on what someone said in one of the P&P book groups. For many readers, this is not a regular genre that they read for pride and prejudice variations. There are several other in this genre and this one did fairly well. My favorite in the genre is Tempt Me by Julie Cooper. Because of that strong story, I had a harder time rating this compared to others I’ve read as I wanted to be fair. A few things that I struggled with was at the beginning. The background of the world could have been better explained to give us a better understanding instead of the reader questioning some things it would have let us just be enveloped in the story and the world where it takes place. Some of it was explained later in the story, but I think having some of that world building upfront could have made the book more enjoyable. Bingley’s story could have been explained a little more and even expanded. Overall it was better than I thought based on the cover. I think if the author redid it the sales would increase. Will I read this again? Yes.
3 1/2 rounded to 4
I have put off reading this due to the cover for a while even after I owned the book. I finally took a chance based on what someone said in one of the P&P book groups. For many readers, this is not a regular genre that they read for pride and prejudice variations. There are several other in this genre and this one did fairly well. My favorite in the genre is Tempt Me by Julie Cooper. Because of that strong story, I had a harder time rating this compared to others I’ve read as I wanted to be fair. A few things that I struggled with was at the beginning. The background of the world could have been better explained to give us a better understanding instead of the reader questioning some things it would have let us just be enveloped in the story and the world where it takes place. Some of it was explained later in the story, but I think having some of that world building upfront could have made the book more enjoyable. Bingley’s story could have been explained a little more and even expanded. Overall it was better than I thought based on the cover. I think if the author redid it the sales would increase. Will I read this again? Yes.
February 11, 2023
Things I liked about the novel:
• Darcy is a dhampir not a vampire. There’s a few Pride and Prejudice inspired vampire novels around so, to make him a dhampir was 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 was 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 Darcy killed his mother and his brother.
Things I didn’t like about the novel:
• The cover. It really doesn’t do the novel justice.
• For me, the novel’s epilogue went on too long. I could see the point of having Anna, their first child included but I wasn’t particularly interested in Darcy and Elizabeth’s children when they grew up, but I realise I may be the odd woman out there.
• Darcy is a dhampir not a vampire. There’s a few Pride and Prejudice inspired vampire novels around so, to make him a dhampir was 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 was 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 Darcy killed his mother and his brother.
Things I didn’t like about the novel:
• The cover. It really doesn’t do the novel justice.
• For me, the novel’s epilogue went on too long. I could see the point of having Anna, their first child included but I wasn’t particularly interested in Darcy and Elizabeth’s children when they grew up, but I realise I may be the odd woman out there.
September 10, 2022
Fantastic Story
5 Stars for a wonderful story that is riveting in every way. I howled with laughter during chapter six after reading the title. The poetic justice of the downfall of Lady Catherine is a nice special touch at the end too.
5 Stars for a wonderful story that is riveting in every way. I howled with laughter during chapter six after reading the title. The poetic justice of the downfall of Lady Catherine is a nice special touch at the end too.
November 16, 2022
Excellent variation
Enjoyable read. Very entertaining variation for our favorite characters as vampire/vampire offspring. Well developed storyline and well written story exploring Darcy and Elizabeth's emotional journey through family and love.
Enjoyable read. Very entertaining variation for our favorite characters as vampire/vampire offspring. Well developed storyline and well written story exploring Darcy and Elizabeth's emotional journey through family and love.
October 10, 2023
Mixed emotions
Vampire stories are not my usual cup of tea, but this seemed reasonably entertaining as we follow Elizabeth and Darcy through their path to happiness. If you enjoy vampire stories as well as JAFF, you will probably like it.
Vampire stories are not my usual cup of tea, but this seemed reasonably entertaining as we follow Elizabeth and Darcy through their path to happiness. If you enjoy vampire stories as well as JAFF, you will probably like it.
January 26, 2020
Briefly details an encounter with a prostitute. Disappointing! Was otherwise enjoying it.
September 24, 2022
It’s a fun vampire story. There are a few amusing (critical) Twilight references. I liked the light world building.
The storyline to 80% or so is along the same timeline as the original & often follows it fairly closely, including reusing or reframing certain passages. This doesn’t always flow well/feel natural with the authors writing style. However, the author does pretty well in giving vampire (or other supernatural, as per the fairly obvious ‘twist’) explanations for occurrences/behaviours/storylines of the original plot. Some, like the Lydia storyline and the reason for Mrs Bennet’s nerves were great. I didn’t feel the Lizzy/Darcy/Wickham storyline was handled quite as well as it could have been because, despite working & interacting with Darcy and resisting Wickham’s glamour & getting creepy vibes from him, Elizabeth still makes comments of Darcy bad/Wickham good. She even acknowledges contradictory information and disregards it. It makes her feel a bit too obstinate in her dislike & wilfully ignorant to a fault. It’s also unnecessary - a reasonable wariness of both would have still served the storyline fine. On the flip side, Darcy also seems a bit too snobby in his concerns about Elizabeth given his own requirements- though he is more reasonable regarding Jane and Bingley.
I liked the Bingley storyline very much.
The end of the story is about their life together after marriage, and a bit about other characters particularly the de Bourgs. I enjoyed this extension and I thought it was some of the best part of the book, allowing them to really explore the supernatural storylines without getting bogged down in the original. Often sweet, occasionally funny.
There are also a number of spelling mistakes, anachronisms, words swaps etc that could be edited up to make the whole read better.
The storyline to 80% or so is along the same timeline as the original & often follows it fairly closely, including reusing or reframing certain passages. This doesn’t always flow well/feel natural with the authors writing style. However, the author does pretty well in giving vampire (or other supernatural, as per the fairly obvious ‘twist’) explanations for occurrences/behaviours/storylines of the original plot. Some, like the Lydia storyline and the reason for Mrs Bennet’s nerves were great. I didn’t feel the Lizzy/Darcy/Wickham storyline was handled quite as well as it could have been because, despite working & interacting with Darcy and resisting Wickham’s glamour & getting creepy vibes from him, Elizabeth still makes comments of Darcy bad/Wickham good. She even acknowledges contradictory information and disregards it. It makes her feel a bit too obstinate in her dislike & wilfully ignorant to a fault. It’s also unnecessary - a reasonable wariness of both would have still served the storyline fine. On the flip side, Darcy also seems a bit too snobby in his concerns about Elizabeth given his own requirements- though he is more reasonable regarding Jane and Bingley.
I liked the Bingley storyline very much.
The end of the story is about their life together after marriage, and a bit about other characters particularly the de Bourgs. I enjoyed this extension and I thought it was some of the best part of the book, allowing them to really explore the supernatural storylines without getting bogged down in the original. Often sweet, occasionally funny.
There are also a number of spelling mistakes, anachronisms, words swaps etc that could be edited up to make the whole read better.
November 12, 2016
My new favorite variation!! So good!!
If you love vampires, or monsters, or thought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with a badass Liz was super fun, you will love this! As easily as this story could have become too Twilight (Edward was inspired by Darcy, you know), it didn't and I was so happy for that. In fact, at one point Caroline makes a comment about how vampires sparkle which instantly draws a comment of disgust from Darcy. I laughed pretty hard, several times, not just this instance. It was thorough and complete and very enjoyable. I will definitely read it again!
If you love vampires, or monsters, or thought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with a badass Liz was super fun, you will love this! As easily as this story could have become too Twilight (Edward was inspired by Darcy, you know), it didn't and I was so happy for that. In fact, at one point Caroline makes a comment about how vampires sparkle which instantly draws a comment of disgust from Darcy. I laughed pretty hard, several times, not just this instance. It was thorough and complete and very enjoyable. I will definitely read it again!
December 2, 2015
Interesting
I found this book interesting. It would be four solid stars if it had been edited well. Some mistakes were the use of "weather" instead of "whether" and "cloths" instead of "clothes." Also, in the first 3/4 of the book almost every time someone is talking or thinking of Elizabeth it says "miss Elizabeth Bennet." Darcy even calls her by her full name when asking mr Bennet permission to marry her. It got a little annoying.
I found this book interesting. It would be four solid stars if it had been edited well. Some mistakes were the use of "weather" instead of "whether" and "cloths" instead of "clothes." Also, in the first 3/4 of the book almost every time someone is talking or thinking of Elizabeth it says "miss Elizabeth Bennet." Darcy even calls her by her full name when asking mr Bennet permission to marry her. It got a little annoying.
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