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Jane Austen's Dragons #2
Longbourn: Dragon Entail
Darcy thought his problems were over when Pemberley hatched and successfully imprinted on humans. But baby dragons prove far more difficult than any dragon lore prepared him for. Only Elizabeth Bennet's notes offer him any help. When his imperious Aunt Catherine takes matters into her own hands, things take a turn for the worse and Pemberley’s life hangs in the balance. He desperately needs more of Elizabeth’s help, but she ignores all of his requests.
Elizabeth, though, has problems of her own. After the Bennet family dragon sent Pemberley away, life at Longbourn was supposed to return to normal and Elizabeth get on with the all-important business of marrying the heir to her father’s estate. Except that he is the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry—a bumbling, addle-pated dragon-hater who demands she gives up the dragons she lives for.
Can she, with the help of her dragon friends, find her way back to Pemberley before they both suffer their fate from the Dragon Entail?
Jane Austen meets Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern. A Must read for Pern fans.
Elizabeth, though, has problems of her own. After the Bennet family dragon sent Pemberley away, life at Longbourn was supposed to return to normal and Elizabeth get on with the all-important business of marrying the heir to her father’s estate. Except that he is the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry—a bumbling, addle-pated dragon-hater who demands she gives up the dragons she lives for.
Can she, with the help of her dragon friends, find her way back to Pemberley before they both suffer their fate from the Dragon Entail?
Jane Austen meets Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern. A Must read for Pern fans.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2017
448 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Maria Grace
100 books320 followersSix time BRAG Medallion Honoree, #1 Best-selling Historical Fantasy author Maria Grace has her PhD in Educational Psychology and is a 16-year veteran of the university classroom where she taught courses in human growth and development, learning, test development and counseling. None of which have anything to do with her undergraduate studies in economics/sociology/managerial studies/behavior sciences. She pretends to be a mild-mannered writer/cat-lady, but most of her vacations require helmets and waivers or historical costumes, usually not at the same time.
She stumbled into Jane Austen fan-dom in the mid '90s with Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility film, having somehow graduated HS without ever having read Austen. It was only a short leap then to consume all of Austen's works, in all their various media forms. In the hopes of discovering more works by Austen, she stumbled into the fan fiction forums, which naturally led to asking 'What if...' herself. Twenty nine books later, she still asks that question.
She writes gaslamp fantasy, historical romance and non-fiction to help justify her research addiction.
She stumbled into Jane Austen fan-dom in the mid '90s with Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility film, having somehow graduated HS without ever having read Austen. It was only a short leap then to consume all of Austen's works, in all their various media forms. In the hopes of discovering more works by Austen, she stumbled into the fan fiction forums, which naturally led to asking 'What if...' herself. Twenty nine books later, she still asks that question.
She writes gaslamp fantasy, historical romance and non-fiction to help justify her research addiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
May 4, 2018
Phew! Where do I start?? This continuation of Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon is jam packed. There's a lot going at Longbourn, Rosings and London with humans and dragons and their various intersecting plot developments. I read the entire book in one sitting, and I'm already drooling for the third and final volume.
Longbourn is not a happy place. Mr. Collins has most of the dragons in an uproar because he is dragon-deaf and is so cruel to them. Meanwhile, Longbourn (the dragon) and Mr. Bennet continue to insist that Elizabeth must marry Mr. Collins so she can take her father's place as dragon Keeper. While Elizabeth is at first resigned to what she believes is her inevitable fate, very early she starts to weary of her role as peacekeeper and chafes over having no say in the course of her own life.
Rosings is not a happy place, either. Darcy brought the baby dragon Pemberley there. Unfortunately, she is upset at the continued separation from Elizabeth and thrashes around so much that she's injuring herself. Darcy is trying to deal with that along with his Aunt Catherine and her demand that he marry Anne, who's more of a chip off the old block here than usual. In addition, Darcy is trying to encourage Georgiana, who can hear dragons but is terrified of them, to take an active role in caring for the baby dragon.
All the above describes essentially the starting point for these various plotlines. For the first part of the book, Darcy and Elizabeth are apart, each coping with their respective difficulties. Eventually, Elizabeth makes her way to Rosings to assist Darcy with Pemberley (the dragon). However, their problems keep piling up, building to a climactic Dragon Conclave court case in London that determines the futures of Elizabeth, Mr. Collins, Darcy, Pemberley and Longbourn.
The situations introduced in this book are resolved or explained by the end. However, the final revelation at the Dragon Conclave neatly sets the table for the next book, and circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to separate.
Although Elizabeth does develop more appreciation for Darcy's good qualities and the book ends with them in accord, the tone of this story is less romantic than it is action/adventure. The writing is crisp and fluid, and it's truly impressive how Ms. Grace creates a distinctive personality for each human and dragon. The various species of dragons are also well-defined. I know some reviewers object when an author re-assigns Jane Austen's dialogue to characters other than in canon, but it's done very cleverly here. It's amazing the way Ms. Grace mingles the fantasy world of dragons into a story firmly rooted in the much-beloved Pride and Prejudice plot.
Awesome book!
Longbourn is not a happy place. Mr. Collins has most of the dragons in an uproar because he is dragon-deaf and is so cruel to them. Meanwhile, Longbourn (the dragon) and Mr. Bennet continue to insist that Elizabeth must marry Mr. Collins so she can take her father's place as dragon Keeper. While Elizabeth is at first resigned to what she believes is her inevitable fate, very early she starts to weary of her role as peacekeeper and chafes over having no say in the course of her own life.
Rosings is not a happy place, either. Darcy brought the baby dragon Pemberley there. Unfortunately, she is upset at the continued separation from Elizabeth and thrashes around so much that she's injuring herself. Darcy is trying to deal with that along with his Aunt Catherine and her demand that he marry Anne, who's more of a chip off the old block here than usual. In addition, Darcy is trying to encourage Georgiana, who can hear dragons but is terrified of them, to take an active role in caring for the baby dragon.
All the above describes essentially the starting point for these various plotlines. For the first part of the book, Darcy and Elizabeth are apart, each coping with their respective difficulties. Eventually, Elizabeth makes her way to Rosings to assist Darcy with Pemberley (the dragon). However, their problems keep piling up, building to a climactic Dragon Conclave court case in London that determines the futures of Elizabeth, Mr. Collins, Darcy, Pemberley and Longbourn.
The situations introduced in this book are resolved or explained by the end. However, the final revelation at the Dragon Conclave neatly sets the table for the next book, and circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to separate.
Although Elizabeth does develop more appreciation for Darcy's good qualities and the book ends with them in accord, the tone of this story is less romantic than it is action/adventure. The writing is crisp and fluid, and it's truly impressive how Ms. Grace creates a distinctive personality for each human and dragon. The various species of dragons are also well-defined. I know some reviewers object when an author re-assigns Jane Austen's dialogue to characters other than in canon, but it's done very cleverly here. It's amazing the way Ms. Grace mingles the fantasy world of dragons into a story firmly rooted in the much-beloved Pride and Prejudice plot.
Awesome book!
December 12, 2019
EDIT: I almost forgot to add - these characters keep "biting their knuckles." That sounds like a seriously unhealthy and unsanitary habit. (And possibly dermatophagia, a mental disorder)
3.5 stars?
It is hard to know how to rate this one because sometimes it made me really, really happy and other times I found myself physically cringing at the corniness of all it.
At least the cover improved dramatically?
The adventure continues with longer and more consistent breaks from the traditional P&P plot. This works well as it allows the story to develop at its own pace and follow characters who get relatively little role in the original. (Or just plain don't exist.) It also means more dragon time! Yay! I'm totally in love with Pemberley.
Unfortunately, the author persists in inserting large swathes of dialogue from Pride and Prejudice and it continues to fit awkwardly. Even worse, it no longer involves famous lines in different settings, but famous lines delivered by different characters altogether. Mr. Collins provided the most egregious example when he proposed a second time with the language from Mr. Darcy's first proposal. Not only did it leave me confused, it felt extremely awkward and out of character coming from him. It turned Mr. Collins from a bumbling idiot into an a-hole. I barely tolerate Mr. Bennet's transformation. Must you make Mr. Collins unrecognizable too???
Speaking of unrecognizable, besides turning otherwise mundane characters into complete villains, the author manages to remove all flaws from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. On the one hand I do not mind because it is good, fluffy fun, but on the other hand I am getting a little weary of how sugar sweet they both are. I can't think of a single flaw in either of them, except perhaps naivety on Elizabeth's part and shyness on Darcy's. Their romance, however, has taken a step in the right direction and I'm seriously hoping Darcy's letters play a role in the third book. Talk about romantic potential.
I did find a slight grammatical error in my copy as well.
Yet for all my hesitation, I am seriously enjoying this series and have 0 regrets about buying it! I devoured this one almost as fast as the first and if my common sense doesn't kick in soon, probably will devour the third one in record time instead of doing homework like I should...
3.5 stars?
It is hard to know how to rate this one because sometimes it made me really, really happy and other times I found myself physically cringing at the corniness of all it.
At least the cover improved dramatically?
The adventure continues with longer and more consistent breaks from the traditional P&P plot. This works well as it allows the story to develop at its own pace and follow characters who get relatively little role in the original. (Or just plain don't exist.) It also means more dragon time! Yay! I'm totally in love with Pemberley.
Unfortunately, the author persists in inserting large swathes of dialogue from Pride and Prejudice and it continues to fit awkwardly. Even worse, it no longer involves famous lines in different settings, but famous lines delivered by different characters altogether. Mr. Collins provided the most egregious example when he proposed a second time with the language from Mr. Darcy's first proposal. Not only did it leave me confused, it felt extremely awkward and out of character coming from him. It turned Mr. Collins from a bumbling idiot into an a-hole. I barely tolerate Mr. Bennet's transformation. Must you make Mr. Collins unrecognizable too???
Speaking of unrecognizable, besides turning otherwise mundane characters into complete villains, the author manages to remove all flaws from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. On the one hand I do not mind because it is good, fluffy fun, but on the other hand I am getting a little weary of how sugar sweet they both are. I can't think of a single flaw in either of them, except perhaps naivety on Elizabeth's part and shyness on Darcy's. Their romance, however, has taken a step in the right direction and I'm seriously hoping Darcy's letters play a role in the third book. Talk about romantic potential.
I did find a slight grammatical error in my copy as well.
Yet for all my hesitation, I am seriously enjoying this series and have 0 regrets about buying it! I devoured this one almost as fast as the first and if my common sense doesn't kick in soon, probably will devour the third one in record time instead of doing homework like I should...
December 9, 2017
“I desired dragons with a profound desire.” C.S. Lewis, Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories
Book 1: Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon: 5-stars
Book 2: Longbourn: Dragon Entail: 5-stars
“If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons.” Ilona Andrews, Fate’s Edge
If you don’t like fantasy, paranormal, dragons and such… then don’t read this. If, on the other hand, your pulse increases and your eyes dilate just thinking about dragons… then this is the book series for you. OMG! Maria Grace is most excellent in creating this universe where humans and dragons coexist. Book 1 established the universe in which our characters lived. There were both major dragons and minor dragons. Dragons, that lived on estates, took their name from that estate and their Dragon Keeper was the landed gentleman. Thus, Longbourn Estate had the distinction of being the territory of Longbourn, a major dragon.
“Never laugh at live dragons.” J.R.R. Tolkien
In book 1, we learned of the death of the estate dragon Pemberley from Devonshire and that an egg had been stolen from that estate. The trail led Mr. Darcy to Hertfordshire where he attempted to enlist the aid of the Blue Order Historian, Mr. Bennet. Unfortunately, he was not much help due to his lackadaisical attitude and his indolent and cranky dragon Longbourn. Thank goodness Mr. Gardiner was on hand to help with the search. All clues pointed to the thief hiding within the ranks of the Meryton militia. Well, that settles that… we can only guess who that must be.
The egg was eventually retrieved [took way too long to get to that point]. The finding of the egg happened off the page and I am wondering if some secret will be revealed in book 3 as to how and who retrieved the egg. There seems to be something going on that we are not privy to and it is just out of sight and off the page. We hear it whisper and hear the noise and wonder what is going on. Little clues are scattered all over the page and we simply cannot get them all together enough to form a picture.
Wickham: “He had only heard of dragons, and although he had never seen one, he was sure they existed.” Dee Marie, Sons of Avalon: Merlin’s Prophecy
Through two books, Wickham has not done anything that anyone can put their finger on. We just know that he is enamored with the dragon stories that Lizzy tells her Gardiner niece and nephew. There is something going on with him and we are not sure what it is. We assume a lot but you know what happens when we assume. It was eventually determined that he could not hear dragons. That left something far worse.
Mr. Collins: “But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.” Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
Lawd! That man was as dense as a brick and also could not hear dragons. How could he be a Keeper of Longbourn when he inherited due to the entail? Of course, he would marry Elizabeth and she would run the estate and manage the estate dragon. The pressure was now on… from Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins, and even Longbourn himself. And, there seemed to be another presence trying to influence her subliminally. Lizzy finally collapsed under the pressure after an encounter with Longbourn.
Marie Grace made the world of dragons come alive. Elizabeth loved being with dragons more than she did with people. She innately sensed what they needed and she was happy to accommodate them. It reminded me of Dame Jane Goodall, the British primatologist who is considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Jane was willing to live and study the primates for most of her life. Elizabeth was willing to live with and study the dragons; she loved them.
Andy Serkis traveled to the jungles and mountains of Rwanda in order to study the great apes and gorillas so he could mimic them in his performance for King Kong and his other nonhuman roles. I mention this because Elizabeth needed to know the sounds, mannerisms and posturing that the various dragons preformed and expected from their human counterparts. What Elizabeth could do with her cape was just short of amazing. Those gestures and actions were the icing on the cake. I was amazed at the performance of her meeting with dragons and various creatures. At every turn she was earning their respect and esteem. Darcy was constantly asking the question… how did she know to do that? I was constantly asking the question… how did Maria Grace know to do that? It was fricking awesome.
This is a multi-layered story and I loved it. I loved knowing ‘There Be Dragons’ in the world. The society of dragons and their Friends and Keepers was so much fun. I can hardly wait to read book 3 so we can see who or what has been hiding in the shadows. Since the title of the next book is ‘Netherfield: Rogue Dragon’… I suppose that is who has been about.
Book 1: Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon: 5-stars
Book 2: Longbourn: Dragon Entail: 5-stars
“If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons.” Ilona Andrews, Fate’s Edge
If you don’t like fantasy, paranormal, dragons and such… then don’t read this. If, on the other hand, your pulse increases and your eyes dilate just thinking about dragons… then this is the book series for you. OMG! Maria Grace is most excellent in creating this universe where humans and dragons coexist. Book 1 established the universe in which our characters lived. There were both major dragons and minor dragons. Dragons, that lived on estates, took their name from that estate and their Dragon Keeper was the landed gentleman. Thus, Longbourn Estate had the distinction of being the territory of Longbourn, a major dragon.
“Never laugh at live dragons.” J.R.R. Tolkien
In book 1, we learned of the death of the estate dragon Pemberley from Devonshire and that an egg had been stolen from that estate. The trail led Mr. Darcy to Hertfordshire where he attempted to enlist the aid of the Blue Order Historian, Mr. Bennet. Unfortunately, he was not much help due to his lackadaisical attitude and his indolent and cranky dragon Longbourn. Thank goodness Mr. Gardiner was on hand to help with the search. All clues pointed to the thief hiding within the ranks of the Meryton militia. Well, that settles that… we can only guess who that must be.
The egg was eventually retrieved [took way too long to get to that point]. The finding of the egg happened off the page and I am wondering if some secret will be revealed in book 3 as to how and who retrieved the egg. There seems to be something going on that we are not privy to and it is just out of sight and off the page. We hear it whisper and hear the noise and wonder what is going on. Little clues are scattered all over the page and we simply cannot get them all together enough to form a picture.
Wickham: “He had only heard of dragons, and although he had never seen one, he was sure they existed.” Dee Marie, Sons of Avalon: Merlin’s Prophecy
Through two books, Wickham has not done anything that anyone can put their finger on. We just know that he is enamored with the dragon stories that Lizzy tells her Gardiner niece and nephew. There is something going on with him and we are not sure what it is. We assume a lot but you know what happens when we assume. It was eventually determined that he could not hear dragons. That left something far worse.
Mr. Collins: “But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.” Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
Lawd! That man was as dense as a brick and also could not hear dragons. How could he be a Keeper of Longbourn when he inherited due to the entail? Of course, he would marry Elizabeth and she would run the estate and manage the estate dragon. The pressure was now on… from Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins, and even Longbourn himself. And, there seemed to be another presence trying to influence her subliminally. Lizzy finally collapsed under the pressure after an encounter with Longbourn.
Marie Grace made the world of dragons come alive. Elizabeth loved being with dragons more than she did with people. She innately sensed what they needed and she was happy to accommodate them. It reminded me of Dame Jane Goodall, the British primatologist who is considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Jane was willing to live and study the primates for most of her life. Elizabeth was willing to live with and study the dragons; she loved them.
Andy Serkis traveled to the jungles and mountains of Rwanda in order to study the great apes and gorillas so he could mimic them in his performance for King Kong and his other nonhuman roles. I mention this because Elizabeth needed to know the sounds, mannerisms and posturing that the various dragons preformed and expected from their human counterparts. What Elizabeth could do with her cape was just short of amazing. Those gestures and actions were the icing on the cake. I was amazed at the performance of her meeting with dragons and various creatures. At every turn she was earning their respect and esteem. Darcy was constantly asking the question… how did she know to do that? I was constantly asking the question… how did Maria Grace know to do that? It was fricking awesome.
This is a multi-layered story and I loved it. I loved knowing ‘There Be Dragons’ in the world. The society of dragons and their Friends and Keepers was so much fun. I can hardly wait to read book 3 so we can see who or what has been hiding in the shadows. Since the title of the next book is ‘Netherfield: Rogue Dragon’… I suppose that is who has been about.
April 25, 2018
Today I have a review and a readers' choice giveaway for this book at Just Jane 1813.
https://justjane1813.com/2017/05/06/l...
https://justjane1813.com/2017/05/06/l...
December 11, 2019
After being enthralled by the Jane Austen's Dragons world in Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon, it was with great anticipation that I gladly put in my earbuds and tucked into this second installment of the series to learn what came next for Darcy, his baby dragon Pemberley, vivacious dragon keeper Elizabeth and the plots swirling around them all.
Longbourn: Dragon Entail is set in a world of Regency manners and customs juxtaposed with the inclusion of dragons of every size, nature, and race living side by side with humans where only a few humans are born in tune with dragons to hear them, see through the mental glamour, and interact with them. In the British Isles, all is regulated by the treaty between dragons and humans called the Dragon Accords and the Order of the Blue Dragon made up of humans and dragons. The dragons live with hierarchy and class, manners and matches just like their human counter parts. But, make no mistake, they are always powerful and dangerous and should be treated with respect even tiny fairy dragons who can poison or glamour. Against this setting, the author placed Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice story.
In the previous book, the hero and heroine got off to a rocky start from a series of misunderstands, miscommunications, and villainous interference. Fitzwilliam Darcy, wealthy estate owner and upper class gentleman from Derbyshire was on the hunt for the legacy of his family estate, a stolen fire dragon egg. He was able to recover the egg in the small village of Meryton where he encountered a vivacious and vexing woman who knew more dragon lore than many members of the Order. She is unimpressed by his status and even blames him for the loss of the egg and his ignorance of what she considers knowledge that every responsible dragon keeper should know.
Elizabeth thinks she has Darcy's number and is utterly unimpressed from the moment she meets him. She sees him as arrogant and ignorant and thus is susceptible when a certain charming officer feeds this with tales of woe and mistreatment from Darcy. She aids Darcy because she must for his baby fire dragon's sake.
Now, in this installment, Lizzy thinks she has an even stronger reason to dislike Darcy because she thinks he took away the baby dragon before he knew enough to care for it and separated her from the sweet baby. Meanwhile, her estate dragon, Longbourn, whom she serves as keeper, is forcing her into a match with the male heir of her father's estate and her father is going along with it to help secure the next generation of keepers. Collins is a bluff and bumbling man who disgusts her, but she will do her duty. That is until both Longbourn and Collins push her too far and make her go on the run. She is convinced that Longbourn tried to mentally coerce her even though he denies it.
Darcy is now staying on his aunt's estate so Rosings, the fire dragon of the estate, can act as surrogate for Pemberley his fire dragon baby. He wishes that the testy and jealous Longbourn hadn't sent him away before he could learn all he could from Elizabeth to care for Pemberley and he is sorry she believed so many lies about him, but his pride and also his promise to his sister, Georgiana, for her part in it all with Wickham, held his tongue. If only Elizabeth would see the real him and why isn't she answering his letters asking aid for Pemberley when she is sickening?
This book picked right up where the last left off and continued the story. It has several things going on that carry over from the first book, a series of misunderstandings that cause Darcy and Elizabeth into a slow-burn enemies to lovers, the plottings of dragons- one known and one hinted at, the plottings of humans- Darcy's aunt who wants his wealth and status for her daughter and Wickham a jealous enemy of Darcy who seems overly interested in dragons considering he isn't gifted to hear them. Elizabeth feels isolated on her family estate where crotchety estate dragon Longbourn dictates her life to keep his own comforts and her ill, weak father who is technically Longbourn's current keeper goes along with it all even the arranged marriage with detestable Mr. Collins.
This is very much a set up book because the hints from book one grow to full on concerns in Longbourn Dragon Entail. It expands things from the close setting around Elizabeth's country estate to now include the Rosings Park estate and London and the Order. Both Darcy and Elizabeth were floundering on their mistakes and misunderstandings along with lack of real communication. That part, I was glad to see come to a head. Elizabeth had a lot of wrong notions that needed to be disabused so she wouldn't continue on the dangerous path she was on with Wickham and a few other issues.
There is a wonderful blend of dragon to dragon, dragon to human, and human to human interaction going on so that characters of both races are fully-fleshed out and part of the action. The dragons steal the show much of the time. Darcy's companion dragon and Elizabeth's reflect a lot of their human companion's temperament. Baby Pemberley was adorable and I thought the curmudgeonly Longbourn and stately Rosings just added to the mayhem that also came with such colorful human characters like snobby Lady Catherine and ignorant Mr. Collins.
I loved the exciting moment when a few major matters came to a head and set things up for the final actions needed in the third upcoming book. I was on the edge of my seat and was not disappointed. Now, I can't wait for what comes next after where things were left.
Benjamin Fife is the series narrator and this was my first occasion to listen to his work. He had the complicated job of narrating a story with not just a plethora of human cast of characters of both genders, ages, classes, and temperments, but also dragons of every shape and size and race. He did splendidly. I think I was most enthused for his dragon voices and actually giggled the first time I heard the squeaky high voice of Elizabeth's fairy dragon companion in the same scene with the deep languid voice of Longbourn a huge dragon. I'll definitely have to listen in to more of his work.
In summary, this middle book did a great job of transitioning the opening actions and intro in book one to creating higher anticipation for what is to come in the last book while never lagging. Those who love a developed historical fantasy world of dragons and humans whimsically melded with a classic story should give this book/trilogy a look-see.
My thanks to the narrator for providing a copy of the book to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
Longbourn: Dragon Entail is set in a world of Regency manners and customs juxtaposed with the inclusion of dragons of every size, nature, and race living side by side with humans where only a few humans are born in tune with dragons to hear them, see through the mental glamour, and interact with them. In the British Isles, all is regulated by the treaty between dragons and humans called the Dragon Accords and the Order of the Blue Dragon made up of humans and dragons. The dragons live with hierarchy and class, manners and matches just like their human counter parts. But, make no mistake, they are always powerful and dangerous and should be treated with respect even tiny fairy dragons who can poison or glamour. Against this setting, the author placed Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice story.
In the previous book, the hero and heroine got off to a rocky start from a series of misunderstands, miscommunications, and villainous interference. Fitzwilliam Darcy, wealthy estate owner and upper class gentleman from Derbyshire was on the hunt for the legacy of his family estate, a stolen fire dragon egg. He was able to recover the egg in the small village of Meryton where he encountered a vivacious and vexing woman who knew more dragon lore than many members of the Order. She is unimpressed by his status and even blames him for the loss of the egg and his ignorance of what she considers knowledge that every responsible dragon keeper should know.
Elizabeth thinks she has Darcy's number and is utterly unimpressed from the moment she meets him. She sees him as arrogant and ignorant and thus is susceptible when a certain charming officer feeds this with tales of woe and mistreatment from Darcy. She aids Darcy because she must for his baby fire dragon's sake.
Now, in this installment, Lizzy thinks she has an even stronger reason to dislike Darcy because she thinks he took away the baby dragon before he knew enough to care for it and separated her from the sweet baby. Meanwhile, her estate dragon, Longbourn, whom she serves as keeper, is forcing her into a match with the male heir of her father's estate and her father is going along with it to help secure the next generation of keepers. Collins is a bluff and bumbling man who disgusts her, but she will do her duty. That is until both Longbourn and Collins push her too far and make her go on the run. She is convinced that Longbourn tried to mentally coerce her even though he denies it.
Darcy is now staying on his aunt's estate so Rosings, the fire dragon of the estate, can act as surrogate for Pemberley his fire dragon baby. He wishes that the testy and jealous Longbourn hadn't sent him away before he could learn all he could from Elizabeth to care for Pemberley and he is sorry she believed so many lies about him, but his pride and also his promise to his sister, Georgiana, for her part in it all with Wickham, held his tongue. If only Elizabeth would see the real him and why isn't she answering his letters asking aid for Pemberley when she is sickening?
This book picked right up where the last left off and continued the story. It has several things going on that carry over from the first book, a series of misunderstandings that cause Darcy and Elizabeth into a slow-burn enemies to lovers, the plottings of dragons- one known and one hinted at, the plottings of humans- Darcy's aunt who wants his wealth and status for her daughter and Wickham a jealous enemy of Darcy who seems overly interested in dragons considering he isn't gifted to hear them. Elizabeth feels isolated on her family estate where crotchety estate dragon Longbourn dictates her life to keep his own comforts and her ill, weak father who is technically Longbourn's current keeper goes along with it all even the arranged marriage with detestable Mr. Collins.
This is very much a set up book because the hints from book one grow to full on concerns in Longbourn Dragon Entail. It expands things from the close setting around Elizabeth's country estate to now include the Rosings Park estate and London and the Order. Both Darcy and Elizabeth were floundering on their mistakes and misunderstandings along with lack of real communication. That part, I was glad to see come to a head. Elizabeth had a lot of wrong notions that needed to be disabused so she wouldn't continue on the dangerous path she was on with Wickham and a few other issues.
There is a wonderful blend of dragon to dragon, dragon to human, and human to human interaction going on so that characters of both races are fully-fleshed out and part of the action. The dragons steal the show much of the time. Darcy's companion dragon and Elizabeth's reflect a lot of their human companion's temperament. Baby Pemberley was adorable and I thought the curmudgeonly Longbourn and stately Rosings just added to the mayhem that also came with such colorful human characters like snobby Lady Catherine and ignorant Mr. Collins.
I loved the exciting moment when a few major matters came to a head and set things up for the final actions needed in the third upcoming book. I was on the edge of my seat and was not disappointed. Now, I can't wait for what comes next after where things were left.
Benjamin Fife is the series narrator and this was my first occasion to listen to his work. He had the complicated job of narrating a story with not just a plethora of human cast of characters of both genders, ages, classes, and temperments, but also dragons of every shape and size and race. He did splendidly. I think I was most enthused for his dragon voices and actually giggled the first time I heard the squeaky high voice of Elizabeth's fairy dragon companion in the same scene with the deep languid voice of Longbourn a huge dragon. I'll definitely have to listen in to more of his work.
In summary, this middle book did a great job of transitioning the opening actions and intro in book one to creating higher anticipation for what is to come in the last book while never lagging. Those who love a developed historical fantasy world of dragons and humans whimsically melded with a classic story should give this book/trilogy a look-see.
My thanks to the narrator for providing a copy of the book to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2017
One of the most exiting tales!
An incredibly original series, it keeps the reader's attention riveted. The characters keep some traits of the original ones but have some different ones necessary to adapt to the situation. I'm loving the development of this story and, having just finished this book, I can barely wait for the next.
Well done Maria Grace! Write fast!
An incredibly original series, it keeps the reader's attention riveted. The characters keep some traits of the original ones but have some different ones necessary to adapt to the situation. I'm loving the development of this story and, having just finished this book, I can barely wait for the next.
Well done Maria Grace! Write fast!
August 13, 2020
Review published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
I absolutely love sci-fi stories but I’ve never been much into fantasy so I was a little skeptical when I read Maria Grace’s Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon. But this lady does know how to tell a story and how to invent an incredible new world, so I ended up loving it (check my review here). As that was only the first book in the series, I had to read the following books, and Longbourn: Dragon Entail was the next in line. Because I love audiobooks I decided to listen to Benjamin Fife’s narration instead of reading the book, but I’ll get into that in a bit.
Longbourn: Dragon Entail follows the story of little Pemberley who is harder to manage then Mr. Darcy anticipated, but even though this is the dragon that once more brings Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together, Longbourn is the one who will take center stage in this story. Longbourn is yet another dragon who refuses to be separated from Elizabeth, so he insists she must marry Mr. Collins who will inherit the estate, but stubborn as she is, Elizabeth does not accept to be persuaded and her reaction will generate a roller coast of events.
This book is full of mystery and action and is a true page turner. I could not stop listening to the narration because I just wanted more and more of it. I wanted to know all the little secrets or suspicions that arose in it, and I wanted to know more about the Blue Order. In this book Maria Grace gives us more insight into this order and I loved that fact. Everything is perfectly integrated in this story and I felt transported into this dragon world.
One of my favourite aspects about this book was to see how similar the dragons are to their owners because that was too fun to see. I particularly liked to get to know Kate and Rosings, and Pemberley was just adorable in this novel! Have you ever imagined a dragon baby? One word: Adorable!
Mary Bennet was also a wonderful surprise and probably my favourite aspect about this book (even if there are many to choose from). It is no secret she is my favourite secondary character in Pride & Prejudice, and I was very happy to see her playing such an important part in this story. Mary Bennet is a wise young lady who showed a lot of insight and maturity by providing good advices to Elizabeth and by handling Mr. Collins in the best of manners. With her insight Mary was able to show the reader a different view of Mr. Collins which was more favourable than the one Elizabeth decides to pass along to us, and that was really interesting to see. I know we all have the same opinion of the man, but have you ever stopped to consider that it is Elizabeth who influences our opinion of him? What if someone else showed you a different view of the man?
I loved Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon, but I believe Longbourn: Dragon Entail is a better book at engaging the reader, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a page turner which is able to combine action, humour and interesting human interactions. If you like fantasy, you’ll love this book! And if you don’t, you’ll probably love it too. I know I did 🙂
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
I absolutely love sci-fi stories but I’ve never been much into fantasy so I was a little skeptical when I read Maria Grace’s Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon. But this lady does know how to tell a story and how to invent an incredible new world, so I ended up loving it (check my review here). As that was only the first book in the series, I had to read the following books, and Longbourn: Dragon Entail was the next in line. Because I love audiobooks I decided to listen to Benjamin Fife’s narration instead of reading the book, but I’ll get into that in a bit.
Longbourn: Dragon Entail follows the story of little Pemberley who is harder to manage then Mr. Darcy anticipated, but even though this is the dragon that once more brings Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together, Longbourn is the one who will take center stage in this story. Longbourn is yet another dragon who refuses to be separated from Elizabeth, so he insists she must marry Mr. Collins who will inherit the estate, but stubborn as she is, Elizabeth does not accept to be persuaded and her reaction will generate a roller coast of events.
This book is full of mystery and action and is a true page turner. I could not stop listening to the narration because I just wanted more and more of it. I wanted to know all the little secrets or suspicions that arose in it, and I wanted to know more about the Blue Order. In this book Maria Grace gives us more insight into this order and I loved that fact. Everything is perfectly integrated in this story and I felt transported into this dragon world.
One of my favourite aspects about this book was to see how similar the dragons are to their owners because that was too fun to see. I particularly liked to get to know Kate and Rosings, and Pemberley was just adorable in this novel! Have you ever imagined a dragon baby? One word: Adorable!
Mary Bennet was also a wonderful surprise and probably my favourite aspect about this book (even if there are many to choose from). It is no secret she is my favourite secondary character in Pride & Prejudice, and I was very happy to see her playing such an important part in this story. Mary Bennet is a wise young lady who showed a lot of insight and maturity by providing good advices to Elizabeth and by handling Mr. Collins in the best of manners. With her insight Mary was able to show the reader a different view of Mr. Collins which was more favourable than the one Elizabeth decides to pass along to us, and that was really interesting to see. I know we all have the same opinion of the man, but have you ever stopped to consider that it is Elizabeth who influences our opinion of him? What if someone else showed you a different view of the man?
I loved Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon, but I believe Longbourn: Dragon Entail is a better book at engaging the reader, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a page turner which is able to combine action, humour and interesting human interactions. If you like fantasy, you’ll love this book! And if you don’t, you’ll probably love it too. I know I did 🙂
April 24, 2017
Loved it!
I love the universe Maria has created, love the dragons and all the little details that just add to the magical world of the story!
Thank you for the final chapter especially, i was worried that we would have to wait till next book is published to find out how that particular problem is going to be resolved.
I love the universe Maria has created, love the dragons and all the little details that just add to the magical world of the story!
Thank you for the final chapter especially, i was worried that we would have to wait till next book is published to find out how that particular problem is going to be resolved.
February 14, 2021
Firstly, l had to giggle after reading other people's reviews, it seems l am not the only reader/listener to listen to this series multiple times. This series is fantastic, l can't recommend it enough. I have the audio book and the narrator does an amazing job.
September 28, 2017
Book 2 of the Jane Austen's Dragons series was a little less successful than the first book for me, for a couple of reasons. It felt more chaotic, like all of the various threads are getting a little unwieldy; some of the original Austen elements of plot and character are starting to feel a little bit strained by the changes that dragons necessitate; and some of the things that bothered me a bit in the first book, like the removal of a good bit of choice and free-will for the characters, are even more prominent in book 2.
But that said, there is just something about this series that I just find really fun and intriguing. It's a very different concept for a piece of JAFF, and one that really doesn't seem like it would work all that well on the surface, but that actually works REALLY well, in really clever ways. I talked more about that in the review for book one, and I'm sure I'll end up talking about it again when the series comes to a close, but until then, I await book 3, and more dragon shenanigans!
But that said, there is just something about this series that I just find really fun and intriguing. It's a very different concept for a piece of JAFF, and one that really doesn't seem like it would work all that well on the surface, but that actually works REALLY well, in really clever ways. I talked more about that in the review for book one, and I'm sure I'll end up talking about it again when the series comes to a close, but until then, I await book 3, and more dragon shenanigans!
January 8, 2022
Completely loved this book. I have to wait until the end of 2017 to read the next one?! Noooooooo! Must practice patience.
Reread: Still love this one!
Reread: A worthy follow-up in the series. I hope this series never ends!
Reread: I love this one.
Reread: Still love this one!
Reread: A worthy follow-up in the series. I hope this series never ends!
Reread: I love this one.
April 27, 2017
Dragons, Darcy and Deception...Oh My! This is Book 2 of Jane Austen's Dragon series that had me clutching my Kindle as I was again immersed into the visual world of dragons, their personalities and their Keepers. In order to fully appreciate the story and plot, I highly recommend reading Book 1, Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon.
The tension is even higher in this book. All is not well at Longbourn as Elizabeth deals not only with dragon-deaf Mr. Collins but with Longbourn, the petulant and indolent dragon of Longbourn...sounds like someone else we know! Throw into the mix, the charming but deceptive Mr. Wickham, whom Elizabeth has been warned about from her Fairy Dragon, April, and her Aunt Gardiner. This quote alone from Wickham should have set off warning bells ('Danger Will Robinson' was going off in my head)!
"...I have always found that making allowances for a liberal amount of fiction in one's life is necessary to maintaining equanimity."
All of this is leaving her decidedly overwhelmed and exhausted and not thinking straight! However, there is also something more sinister afoot that sends chills up her spine!
While all of this is going on at Longbourn, Darcy is having his own troubles at Rosings Park with Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh. Pemberley his baby dragon is missing "Her" and has started teething! The resident dragon, Rosings, along with the cockatrice dragon, Cait are adding to his problems. I found it amusing how vain Lady Catherine's dragons are and the lines blur between who has taken on traits of their Keeper or their Dragons! Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana arrive and everyone's feathers and scales are in an uproar!
There are so many delicious plots and subplots going on throughout this tale that blend and flow beautifully. I loved how certain original comments within Pride & Prejudice are said by others that make total sense and left me laughing. The dragons within, each have their own unique personalities and the visual description of each one brought them to life. Mary Bennet is coming into her own in this story as well. I loved how she chided Elizabeth in this story.
I must commend Ms. Grace for such a new and exciting world that she has created within the Jane Austen Fan Fiction genre by adding a major dose of Fantasy. I can certainly see this series going even further than the third book that is expected at the end of the year...at least that is what I am hoping for!
I highly recommend this imaginative and spellbinding series that wraps around you and draws you in!
The tension is even higher in this book. All is not well at Longbourn as Elizabeth deals not only with dragon-deaf Mr. Collins but with Longbourn, the petulant and indolent dragon of Longbourn...sounds like someone else we know! Throw into the mix, the charming but deceptive Mr. Wickham, whom Elizabeth has been warned about from her Fairy Dragon, April, and her Aunt Gardiner. This quote alone from Wickham should have set off warning bells ('Danger Will Robinson' was going off in my head)!
"...I have always found that making allowances for a liberal amount of fiction in one's life is necessary to maintaining equanimity."
All of this is leaving her decidedly overwhelmed and exhausted and not thinking straight! However, there is also something more sinister afoot that sends chills up her spine!
While all of this is going on at Longbourn, Darcy is having his own troubles at Rosings Park with Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh. Pemberley his baby dragon is missing "Her" and has started teething! The resident dragon, Rosings, along with the cockatrice dragon, Cait are adding to his problems. I found it amusing how vain Lady Catherine's dragons are and the lines blur between who has taken on traits of their Keeper or their Dragons! Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana arrive and everyone's feathers and scales are in an uproar!
There are so many delicious plots and subplots going on throughout this tale that blend and flow beautifully. I loved how certain original comments within Pride & Prejudice are said by others that make total sense and left me laughing. The dragons within, each have their own unique personalities and the visual description of each one brought them to life. Mary Bennet is coming into her own in this story as well. I loved how she chided Elizabeth in this story.
I must commend Ms. Grace for such a new and exciting world that she has created within the Jane Austen Fan Fiction genre by adding a major dose of Fantasy. I can certainly see this series going even further than the third book that is expected at the end of the year...at least that is what I am hoping for!
I highly recommend this imaginative and spellbinding series that wraps around you and draws you in!
May 26, 2021
I really enjoyed book 1 in this series, and I loved this second book! Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book, and it is simply delightful when a retelling or homage to the original is just as entertaining. This series is absolutely that entertaining and I was charmed and thrilled by every word of the book!
This author clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because she does a perfect job at weaving in aspects of the original with her own unique, clever and well-written plot for the characters. I am not a particular lover of dragon stories, but Maria Grace has created such charming and likable dragons in this series that I am officially converted and am now a dragon-lover . . . well, at least I love the dragon characters in this series.
This series has everything I loved about the original story, but is even more exciting with the addition of the author's creative twists and turns that take the story and the characters to new heights of interesting, engaging places.
I am truly excited that there are more books in this series, and I cannot wait to read them, and continue with the unique new adventures Maria Grace has created for the characters I have loved since I first read Pride and Prejudice. Highly recommend this series to anyone who loves P&P and is interested in creative twists on the original story.
This author clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because she does a perfect job at weaving in aspects of the original with her own unique, clever and well-written plot for the characters. I am not a particular lover of dragon stories, but Maria Grace has created such charming and likable dragons in this series that I am officially converted and am now a dragon-lover . . . well, at least I love the dragon characters in this series.
This series has everything I loved about the original story, but is even more exciting with the addition of the author's creative twists and turns that take the story and the characters to new heights of interesting, engaging places.
I am truly excited that there are more books in this series, and I cannot wait to read them, and continue with the unique new adventures Maria Grace has created for the characters I have loved since I first read Pride and Prejudice. Highly recommend this series to anyone who loves P&P and is interested in creative twists on the original story.
July 1, 2023
I was really impressed once again how the author wove P&P and dragon lore together. There were some interesting changes made that actually worked notably Mr Darcy’s first proposal being made by Mr Collins. I still can’t stand Mr Bennet but I’m hoping for redemption in the next book.
There’s still some little things that annoy me about characters like Lizzy sniggering or giggling, which seemed odd for her.
There’s still some little things that annoy me about characters like Lizzy sniggering or giggling, which seemed odd for her.
August 24, 2020
Elizabeth, Darcy and Fitzwilliam are true characters and well developed while remaining true to their original characters. The dragons are delightful and this does not often work when you try to give animals human qualities. They add a new set of personalities to this delightful story. The dragon lore and issues are realistic especially struggles with personalities.
Congrads Maria these will go on my shelf next to my 40 year old copy of Pride and Prejudice to be read again and again.
Congrads Maria these will go on my shelf next to my 40 year old copy of Pride and Prejudice to be read again and again.
December 31, 2024
This may be my favorite Pride and Prejudice variation series...and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to proofread it!! In this second book, Darcy and the baby dragon Pemberley have removed to Rosings Park where Rosings, an ancient firedrake dragon, has taken on the training of the baby. Lady Catherine continues to insist that Darcy marry Anne who is Junior Keeper to Rosings, despite the fact that Anne knows nothing about dragon care. Pemberley pines for Elizabeth's presence since Elizabeth possesses an uncommon affinity for dragons and tends to enjoy their presence more than she does most humans.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, remains at Longbourn Keep where the dragon of the same name, a grouchy wyvern, insists that she marry Mr. Collins, the dragon-deaf heir to Longbourn. Collins is horrid, hates all mentioning of dragons, and abuses the minor dragons (which he sees as birds, cats, and other creatures) of Longbourn Keep. Finally, Mr. Collins and Longbourn the dragon push Elizabeth past her endurance, and she escapes to London, accompanied by Wickham who is abnormally curious about all things dragonish. Elizabeth's Dragon Friend, April, a fairy dragon of unusual perception, warns Elizabeth of revealing too much to Wickham.
Darcy and Elizabeth run into each other at the Blue Order buildings in London, and Darcy requests Elizabeth's assistance in nursing the pining Pemberley back to health. He accompanies her to Rosings Park where the dragons all fall in love with her, as they usually do, for Elizabeth truly understands dragons...much better than she does Mr. Darcy who also seems to be respected by the wise dragons of Rosings. And then everything begins to unravel, with Pemberley's imprinting called into question, leaving her young life hanging in the balance at the dragon Conclave...which will also decide Elizabeth's future with Mr. Collins.
This is a delightful story mixing the secret world of dragons and Jane Austen's Regency world beautifully while continuing to develop the various characters of Pride and Prejudice. I've read this book no fewer than five times; I just can't get enough of it!
And the good news is that the third book in the series, Netherfield: Rogue Dragon should be written and released by the end of the year or early 2018; I'm so thrilled and hope to proofread it as well. :)
Elizabeth, meanwhile, remains at Longbourn Keep where the dragon of the same name, a grouchy wyvern, insists that she marry Mr. Collins, the dragon-deaf heir to Longbourn. Collins is horrid, hates all mentioning of dragons, and abuses the minor dragons (which he sees as birds, cats, and other creatures) of Longbourn Keep. Finally, Mr. Collins and Longbourn the dragon push Elizabeth past her endurance, and she escapes to London, accompanied by Wickham who is abnormally curious about all things dragonish. Elizabeth's Dragon Friend, April, a fairy dragon of unusual perception, warns Elizabeth of revealing too much to Wickham.
Darcy and Elizabeth run into each other at the Blue Order buildings in London, and Darcy requests Elizabeth's assistance in nursing the pining Pemberley back to health. He accompanies her to Rosings Park where the dragons all fall in love with her, as they usually do, for Elizabeth truly understands dragons...much better than she does Mr. Darcy who also seems to be respected by the wise dragons of Rosings. And then everything begins to unravel, with Pemberley's imprinting called into question, leaving her young life hanging in the balance at the dragon Conclave...which will also decide Elizabeth's future with Mr. Collins.
This is a delightful story mixing the secret world of dragons and Jane Austen's Regency world beautifully while continuing to develop the various characters of Pride and Prejudice. I've read this book no fewer than five times; I just can't get enough of it!
And the good news is that the third book in the series, Netherfield: Rogue Dragon should be written and released by the end of the year or early 2018; I'm so thrilled and hope to proofread it as well. :)
May 5, 2017
I loved this second in a series but it is not at the end of the tale. So for those of you who want the entire story in hand before beginning to read...you may want to wait.
I did so enjoy this further telling of the integration between humans who "hear" dragons, those who are dragon-deaf and the whole of dragon society. And we find that even dragons have human faults, feelings and frailties. Separation anxiety? Yes, baby Pemberley has been banished from the Longbourn estate by its major dragon, unbeknownst to Elizabeth, who blames Darcy from ripping the baby from her presence. Then there are humans and dragons who further the separation by keeping communication, i.e., letters, between Elizabeth and Pemberley hidden.
Then there is the crime of "persuasion" by both Mr. Bennet and the dragon voice Elizabeth hears from the cellars as Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. You will find amusing the words of his proposal...as we heard them in canon from another man...so funny.
As things spiral with interference from Lady Catherine and Anne at Rosings, where Darcy has gone with his baby dragon, Collins' total ignorance of and antipathy towards the dragon world comes to a startling head and a concave is called in London to settle more that one charge by dragons and by humans at each other and as to how to settle some future responsibilities between the dragon world and that of humans.
I had been following this story as a WIP so was able to quickly skim the first eleven chapters but got enraptured and unwilling to put the rest of the story down.
I am now very anxious to have the third book in my hands. Yes, I recommend this story to one and all.
I did so enjoy this further telling of the integration between humans who "hear" dragons, those who are dragon-deaf and the whole of dragon society. And we find that even dragons have human faults, feelings and frailties. Separation anxiety? Yes, baby Pemberley has been banished from the Longbourn estate by its major dragon, unbeknownst to Elizabeth, who blames Darcy from ripping the baby from her presence. Then there are humans and dragons who further the separation by keeping communication, i.e., letters, between Elizabeth and Pemberley hidden.
Then there is the crime of "persuasion" by both Mr. Bennet and the dragon voice Elizabeth hears from the cellars as Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. You will find amusing the words of his proposal...as we heard them in canon from another man...so funny.
As things spiral with interference from Lady Catherine and Anne at Rosings, where Darcy has gone with his baby dragon, Collins' total ignorance of and antipathy towards the dragon world comes to a startling head and a concave is called in London to settle more that one charge by dragons and by humans at each other and as to how to settle some future responsibilities between the dragon world and that of humans.
I had been following this story as a WIP so was able to quickly skim the first eleven chapters but got enraptured and unwilling to put the rest of the story down.
I am now very anxious to have the third book in my hands. Yes, I recommend this story to one and all.
February 20, 2021
I started this right after reading Mr. Darcy's Dragon, and I sped right through it. As before, the worldbuilding is fun and the story is interesting. Elizabeth finally starts standing up for herself, and I feel like the romance between her and Darcy grows believably. Plus, given the way it ends, we'll get to see that continue. I'd been waiting for the detail they revealed in the penultimate chapter and had thought it would be the driver of this entire book, actually, so now I just get to enjoy it in the next book. Which I bought the minute I finished this one.
April 28, 2022
I found this book more engaging and compelling than the first one, possibly because it was less closely tied to the plot and events of Pride and Prejudice. Indeed, I think the weakest parts of the book are when conversations from Pride and Prejudice are included but in different circumstances and in different mouths than in the original. But overall it was a very enjoyable book.
July 13, 2025
More slow paced read in comparison to the first book but still very enjoyable. Pemberley kept being adorable and the ending spiced everything back up.
March 21, 2021
This is book two of Maria Grace's Jane Austen's Dragons series and follows directly on from book one Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon. If you chose to listen to the entire series, the reading order should be book four, A Proper Introduction to Dragons, then books one, two and three. You need to read books one, two and three to get the entire story.
This combines a Pride and Prejudice variation, with fantasy about dragons. It will appeal to both JAFF readers and fans of fantasy.
Set in a Regency England with a large population of dragons. This book continues directly on from Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon. At the end of the first book, the stolen firedrake egg is recovered. The baby dragon, Pemberley has benefited from the care of both Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth is devoted to Pemberley and is devastated when Mr Darcy takes her away to the care of an adult firedrake, at Lady Catherine De Bourgh estate, Rosings.
Her distress is made worse by the presence of Mr Collins, the heir to Longbourn. Not only is her mother pushing her to marry him, her father and the dragon Longbourn are also pressuring her. Collins is dragon deaf and cannot be left in charge of the estate, without a dragon hearing keeper as his wife. It is the law, that the estate dragon has the right to arrange the marriages of keepers. Elizabeth has heard that the law may soon be changed, which gives her hope. The local dragons hate Collins because although he cannot hear dragons, he seems to have a prejudice against them and is cruel to the animals they are pretending to be. Eventually it becomes too much for Elizabeth and she flees to her aunt in London.
Meanwhile, Darcy is at Rosings, trying to look after baby Pemberley and fend off Lady Catherine and her machinations. When Pemberley becomes unwell and the De Bourghs only make things worse, Darcy has letters sent to Elizabeth to ask for help. he receives no answer, unaware that she has left Longbourn.
The main characters are Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Pemberley the dragon. Elizabeth and Darcy come to a closer understanding. Mr Collins is even more unpleasant than usual. Mr Wickham is typically self-serving, seeking a way to obtain money and power from knowledge about dragons. Mr Bennet continues to be an exceedingly disappointing father and Longbourn the dragon is grumpy, selfish and devious.
This is an excellent story. Complex and involved plot, with a surprising conclusion. You will be keen to move on to book three. I would recommend it to all fans of JAFF and fantasy.
This whole series is narrated by Benjamin Fife. His narration is very good, his voice warm and pleasing to listen to. His female voices are convincing and his dragon voices are excellent.
I look forward to more stories by Maria Grace.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.
This combines a Pride and Prejudice variation, with fantasy about dragons. It will appeal to both JAFF readers and fans of fantasy.
Set in a Regency England with a large population of dragons. This book continues directly on from Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon. At the end of the first book, the stolen firedrake egg is recovered. The baby dragon, Pemberley has benefited from the care of both Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth is devoted to Pemberley and is devastated when Mr Darcy takes her away to the care of an adult firedrake, at Lady Catherine De Bourgh estate, Rosings.
Her distress is made worse by the presence of Mr Collins, the heir to Longbourn. Not only is her mother pushing her to marry him, her father and the dragon Longbourn are also pressuring her. Collins is dragon deaf and cannot be left in charge of the estate, without a dragon hearing keeper as his wife. It is the law, that the estate dragon has the right to arrange the marriages of keepers. Elizabeth has heard that the law may soon be changed, which gives her hope. The local dragons hate Collins because although he cannot hear dragons, he seems to have a prejudice against them and is cruel to the animals they are pretending to be. Eventually it becomes too much for Elizabeth and she flees to her aunt in London.
Meanwhile, Darcy is at Rosings, trying to look after baby Pemberley and fend off Lady Catherine and her machinations. When Pemberley becomes unwell and the De Bourghs only make things worse, Darcy has letters sent to Elizabeth to ask for help. he receives no answer, unaware that she has left Longbourn.
The main characters are Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Pemberley the dragon. Elizabeth and Darcy come to a closer understanding. Mr Collins is even more unpleasant than usual. Mr Wickham is typically self-serving, seeking a way to obtain money and power from knowledge about dragons. Mr Bennet continues to be an exceedingly disappointing father and Longbourn the dragon is grumpy, selfish and devious.
This is an excellent story. Complex and involved plot, with a surprising conclusion. You will be keen to move on to book three. I would recommend it to all fans of JAFF and fantasy.
This whole series is narrated by Benjamin Fife. His narration is very good, his voice warm and pleasing to listen to. His female voices are convincing and his dragon voices are excellent.
I look forward to more stories by Maria Grace.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.
May 22, 2019
This is the second book of the series the background and setting of which I described to some degree in my last review, here.
Mr. Darcy now has a baby dragon to raise, which is a much more difficult task than he had ever imagined. He takes Pemberly to his aunt Lady Catherine's home, where the fully grown firedrake, Rosings, has agreed to have young Pemberley spend her infancy. But Darcy's cousin, Anne de Bourgh, who is destined to become Rosings' Keeper, and whom his aunt also plans to marry off to Darcy, proves to be a bigger problem even than her overbearing mother, who at least understands something about the care of dragons. Anne thinks Darcy is spoiling Pemberley, and tries to take matters into her own hands with dangerous results.
Meanwhile, Mr. Collins has arrived at Longbourn, in fact he arrived shortly before the end of the first book in the series, and it turns out he is completely dragon-deaf, so that even the suggestions of dragons don't work well on him. Aside from that he is a plodding, self-centered, moronic bore with a cruel streak. Lizzy already wasn't thrilled with the idea that she will be required to marry him, before she met him. Now she is repulsed by the man, and wonders what her life with him will be like. Her curmudgeon of a father and the temperamental dragon Longbourn are determined that she will accept Collins. What to do? Her sister Mary tries to convince her that Collins can be managed, and Lizzy attempts to follow her advice, with some success. But he doesn't like the idea of "pet birds" in the house, meaning her little fire dragon, April. He doesn't much like "cats" in the house either, and is cruel towards Rumplkin.
To say more would spoil the story too much, so I will stop there. This book is nearly as good as the last, and kept me reading and enjoying this wonderful dragony world, but some of the author's quirks began to annoy me more in this slower moving story, at times throwing me out of the story. This is also in a sense more a middle-of-the story than a whole story in itself, with many important matters left unresolved, so I was anxious to get on to the outcome in the third book.
Mr. Darcy now has a baby dragon to raise, which is a much more difficult task than he had ever imagined. He takes Pemberly to his aunt Lady Catherine's home, where the fully grown firedrake, Rosings, has agreed to have young Pemberley spend her infancy. But Darcy's cousin, Anne de Bourgh, who is destined to become Rosings' Keeper, and whom his aunt also plans to marry off to Darcy, proves to be a bigger problem even than her overbearing mother, who at least understands something about the care of dragons. Anne thinks Darcy is spoiling Pemberley, and tries to take matters into her own hands with dangerous results.
Meanwhile, Mr. Collins has arrived at Longbourn, in fact he arrived shortly before the end of the first book in the series, and it turns out he is completely dragon-deaf, so that even the suggestions of dragons don't work well on him. Aside from that he is a plodding, self-centered, moronic bore with a cruel streak. Lizzy already wasn't thrilled with the idea that she will be required to marry him, before she met him. Now she is repulsed by the man, and wonders what her life with him will be like. Her curmudgeon of a father and the temperamental dragon Longbourn are determined that she will accept Collins. What to do? Her sister Mary tries to convince her that Collins can be managed, and Lizzy attempts to follow her advice, with some success. But he doesn't like the idea of "pet birds" in the house, meaning her little fire dragon, April. He doesn't much like "cats" in the house either, and is cruel towards Rumplkin.
To say more would spoil the story too much, so I will stop there. This book is nearly as good as the last, and kept me reading and enjoying this wonderful dragony world, but some of the author's quirks began to annoy me more in this slower moving story, at times throwing me out of the story. This is also in a sense more a middle-of-the story than a whole story in itself, with many important matters left unresolved, so I was anxious to get on to the outcome in the third book.
April 25, 2024
Okieee I had to read book 2 right away. The last book left me needing more. I needed to see what was going to happen to our lovely cast.
Darcy and Elizabeth thought everything was done and over with. Back to normal life. Darcy has his baby dragon and Elizabeth is going to (eventually) marry Mr Collins. However, life is never simple especially with dragons.
I really enjoyed this one. I liked it more than book 1. I felt like I understood more about this world. Yes, we are still learning, but I felt like I had a grasp and there wasn't info-dumping here. Yayy!
Things between Darcy and Elizabeth FINALLY move forward. We get to see them go from enemies, to friends, and maybe JUST maybe more? Feelings, especially when the truth is all laid out, are blossoming. Yayy!
Mr Collins needs to be shipped away to some remote island where he can live alone. UGH. Unbearable man. Honestly...this version is top 5 of the worst Collins.
Lady Catherine and Anne are unbearable too. Normally I pity Anne, but this version she is a little snot. Send these two with Collins so they can live together.
I'm so glad to see Mary getting some love in this version. She is normally ignored and a super background character, but we get to see her more. Love that for her!!! I feel bad at a certain point at the end......but if she's happy......let it be.
Now, I did switch up to the audiobook because I had an extra credit and I had no idea what to get and this popped up as a recommended so why not. The narrator was fine. The dragon voices grated on my nerves at first, BUT I did get used to them. Yes, I get why they had to use voice effects essentially but still.....it took a minute to warm up to them. Especially the higher up voices like April. *eye twitch*
THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG OMG. Now I need to read book 3. Hahahaha. Damn these cliffhangers.
All-in-all I did enjoy this one much more than book 1. However, I was 50/50 on the narration. I liked the people voices, but it took some time to get used to the dragon voices. I might switch back to the ebook/physical book. We'll see.
I'll stamp this with 4 stars.
ONE WORD SUMMARY: Better
Darcy and Elizabeth thought everything was done and over with. Back to normal life. Darcy has his baby dragon and Elizabeth is going to (eventually) marry Mr Collins. However, life is never simple especially with dragons.
I really enjoyed this one. I liked it more than book 1. I felt like I understood more about this world. Yes, we are still learning, but I felt like I had a grasp and there wasn't info-dumping here. Yayy!
Things between Darcy and Elizabeth FINALLY move forward. We get to see them go from enemies, to friends, and maybe JUST maybe more? Feelings, especially when the truth is all laid out, are blossoming. Yayy!
Mr Collins needs to be shipped away to some remote island where he can live alone. UGH. Unbearable man. Honestly...this version is top 5 of the worst Collins.
Lady Catherine and Anne are unbearable too. Normally I pity Anne, but this version she is a little snot. Send these two with Collins so they can live together.
I'm so glad to see Mary getting some love in this version. She is normally ignored and a super background character, but we get to see her more. Love that for her!!! I feel bad at a certain point at the end......but if she's happy......let it be.
Now, I did switch up to the audiobook because I had an extra credit and I had no idea what to get and this popped up as a recommended so why not. The narrator was fine. The dragon voices grated on my nerves at first, BUT I did get used to them. Yes, I get why they had to use voice effects essentially but still.....it took a minute to warm up to them. Especially the higher up voices like April. *eye twitch*
THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG OMG. Now I need to read book 3. Hahahaha. Damn these cliffhangers.
All-in-all I did enjoy this one much more than book 1. However, I was 50/50 on the narration. I liked the people voices, but it took some time to get used to the dragon voices. I might switch back to the ebook/physical book. We'll see.
I'll stamp this with 4 stars.
ONE WORD SUMMARY: Better
November 22, 2019
I don't know that I really liked this book over the first installment (which I rated four stars). Here, I think I was already involved in this twist on the classic P&P tale, so I just went with it more this time. Five stars. Absolutely enjoyed it.
I'd listened to the first book in audio format, but this one hasn't been made into audio as of yet. I was able to snag it for free download on my Kindle Unlimited plan, actually reading it myself this time (but still imagining some of the voices introduced in book 1). As I don't have as much time to stop and read as I do listen and read, it takes me longer to get through reading these days. Here though, I was anxious to continue and binged the last half of the book.
... of course, in addition to the dragons, there were a few changes to the original P&P story.
I noticed two different spellings cockatrice/cockatrix ... male and female? Cowntess ... a dragon version of Countess? I had wondered if "nuncheon" had been an editing error the first time it appeared (I did a quick Kindle definition check and didn't come up with anything ... but it did later when I Googled it as it appeared several times, who knew? )
There was one section where "What a fool she had been, so caught up in searching for maps, that she missed what was right in front of her!" was thought by Lizzy, only to have "She had been so preoccupied with searching for maps that she had been blind to what was plainly before her!" thought just a page or so later ...
But overall, I loved the additions, and new conversations, and felt it all flowed very well with the original text style, even though some were silly, they made me smile. I don't think "arsey-varsey" was in Austin's original ;)
I'll be continuing on with the series.
I'd listened to the first book in audio format, but this one hasn't been made into audio as of yet. I was able to snag it for free download on my Kindle Unlimited plan, actually reading it myself this time (but still imagining some of the voices introduced in book 1). As I don't have as much time to stop and read as I do listen and read, it takes me longer to get through reading these days. Here though, I was anxious to continue and binged the last half of the book.
... of course, in addition to the dragons, there were a few changes to the original P&P story.
I noticed two different spellings cockatrice/cockatrix ... male and female? Cowntess ... a dragon version of Countess? I had wondered if "nuncheon" had been an editing error the first time it appeared (I did a quick Kindle definition check and didn't come up with anything ... but it did later when I Googled it as it appeared several times, who knew? )
There was one section where "What a fool she had been, so caught up in searching for maps, that she missed what was right in front of her!" was thought by Lizzy, only to have "She had been so preoccupied with searching for maps that she had been blind to what was plainly before her!" thought just a page or so later ...
But overall, I loved the additions, and new conversations, and felt it all flowed very well with the original text style, even though some were silly, they made me smile. I don't think "arsey-varsey" was in Austin's original ;)
I'll be continuing on with the series.
January 25, 2025
Alrighty! This one went deep into the Dragon 🏴 part of the story and veered quite a bit away from the original P&P story. There were some parts that gave me pause and had me shaking my head. Which is the reason for the 4 stars instead of the 5 although I did quite enjoy the book! 🙈
But to start with the good: Pemberley the dragon is an absolute darling and I want to cuddle with her for days❤️😭
Seeing Darcy’s POV is a treat
And the added mystery of another dragon and Wickham’s opaque (and different from the book) motivations are fun to read about too
Now the weird and bad: Collins was MUCH worse than the original book, he was just smarmy and conceited in the original but he feels like a sleazey asshole here. The number of times he looks at Liz’s body and licks his lips or is described as ‘lascivious’ is too high!
Lady Catherine was worse than the books too, as was her daughter. I think Anne is actually my least favorite character because not only is she arrogant and annoying, she’s also immensely stupid. She just ruins the vibes every time she comes onto the page and. Just. 🤢
Wee spoilery here: The iconic “most ardently” lines and that whole dialog went to Collins! Not Darcy and Lizzie, but Collins and Lizzie! I was baffled by that choice because, everyone knows, that was ✨ iconic ✨
Also in the review for the first book I’d said I’d hoped Mary got with Collins? Because their personalities in the OG book seemed more in sync? Yeah, she does in this. But I feel TERRIBLE for wanting that now because Collins is so awful 😣 It feels like a punishment for Mary to be tied down to the idiot 🥺
Also Charlotte’s lines about her not being a romantic and being happy with Collins now go to Mary!
I hope he straightens his act up in the next book, or that we read less about him 🫣
The end of this book is fairly abrupt. It ends with Liz and Darcy being betrothed but separated with Liz going to Netherfield to save Jane and Bingley and Darcy going to rescue that dumbass Lydia (kinda not looking forward to the next one because there’ll be more Lydia and my reaction to her has always been: 🙄😒😤😾)
Idk why I thought this book would end with the Happily Ever After but I’m not disappointed at having to read a 3rd lol
But to start with the good: Pemberley the dragon is an absolute darling and I want to cuddle with her for days❤️😭
Seeing Darcy’s POV is a treat
And the added mystery of another dragon and Wickham’s opaque (and different from the book) motivations are fun to read about too
Now the weird and bad: Collins was MUCH worse than the original book, he was just smarmy and conceited in the original but he feels like a sleazey asshole here. The number of times he looks at Liz’s body and licks his lips or is described as ‘lascivious’ is too high!
Lady Catherine was worse than the books too, as was her daughter. I think Anne is actually my least favorite character because not only is she arrogant and annoying, she’s also immensely stupid. She just ruins the vibes every time she comes onto the page and. Just. 🤢
Wee spoilery here: The iconic “most ardently” lines and that whole dialog went to Collins! Not Darcy and Lizzie, but Collins and Lizzie! I was baffled by that choice because, everyone knows, that was ✨ iconic ✨
Also in the review for the first book I’d said I’d hoped Mary got with Collins? Because their personalities in the OG book seemed more in sync? Yeah, she does in this. But I feel TERRIBLE for wanting that now because Collins is so awful 😣 It feels like a punishment for Mary to be tied down to the idiot 🥺
Also Charlotte’s lines about her not being a romantic and being happy with Collins now go to Mary!
I hope he straightens his act up in the next book, or that we read less about him 🫣
The end of this book is fairly abrupt. It ends with Liz and Darcy being betrothed but separated with Liz going to Netherfield to save Jane and Bingley and Darcy going to rescue that dumbass Lydia (kinda not looking forward to the next one because there’ll be more Lydia and my reaction to her has always been: 🙄😒😤😾)
Idk why I thought this book would end with the Happily Ever After but I’m not disappointed at having to read a 3rd lol
January 22, 2025
Another fun read which I devoured - mostly for the dragons, especially the baby and little ones.
This book has moved even further away from its Pride and Prejudice roots, compared to Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon. The book changes up P&P's events and leans even more into the dragon lore, which is to it's benefit. There are some awkward insertions of the original dialogue which didn't work as the writing here is quite different from Austen. That held the book back from my estimation.
The human characters are basically only like P&P in name only. The dragons shine here and the humans are hopefully coming into their own. I quite enjoyed the plot and the time spent with the book. Hopefully now that we have done off the P&P template into our own adventures this will pick up.
The romance between Elizabeth and Darcy is a bit lacking - but I have hope for the next book. In general, the human characters are a little flat (paragons of virtue or pretty nasty depending on what the plot calls for). I didn't believe Elizabeth's self flagellation at all as the plot never shows her wrong. But in the end, this did not matter as I throughly enjoyed the read. It was soothing; undemanding in the best way. Kind of sweet with the baby dragons.
This book has moved even further away from its Pride and Prejudice roots, compared to Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon. The book changes up P&P's events and leans even more into the dragon lore, which is to it's benefit. There are some awkward insertions of the original dialogue which didn't work as the writing here is quite different from Austen. That held the book back from my estimation.
The human characters are basically only like P&P in name only. The dragons shine here and the humans are hopefully coming into their own. I quite enjoyed the plot and the time spent with the book. Hopefully now that we have done off the P&P template into our own adventures this will pick up.
The romance between Elizabeth and Darcy is a bit lacking - but I have hope for the next book. In general, the human characters are a little flat (paragons of virtue or pretty nasty depending on what the plot calls for). I didn't believe Elizabeth's self flagellation at all as the plot never shows her wrong. But in the end, this did not matter as I throughly enjoyed the read. It was soothing; undemanding in the best way. Kind of sweet with the baby dragons.
September 29, 2025
I read this book in pretty much one day. It's a great follow up to the first one and the dragon world-building is developed a lot more while the interpretation of Austen's original story becomes a bit looser as the story comes into its own. I'm quite interested to see what happens in the next one as, again, things were hinted at that make quite a compelling case for moving right along to the next one and binge-reading. I might not actually move on right away, though, as I'm a bit busy with other stuff and had other books I wanted to try, but I'll come back to this series for sure - I just want to enjoy it a bit more slowly instead of just speeding right through!
January 23, 2020
After listening to this novel, I have found a new series to enjoy. This is my second read in this series and I find that I am looking forward to more. At first I thought that throwing Dragons into a romance theme would not work well. I am pleasantly surprised with the way this Author has built the storyline and the characters together so well that it is highly entertaining. I usually don't listen to romance but now I can't say that anymore. Lol! I recommend this series for everyone. You will enjoy the listen!
February 12, 2020
This book continues with its interesting little twist in the re-writing of the classic novel. The illustration of the book is adorable.
The characters are getting even more details as you learn about them in this second installment of the series. I love the dragon scenes the best.
The narrator continued to do an excellent job with so many different pitches of voices for the different characters, keeping the same tones as the first book.
Book leaves you wanting more, which is great.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving am honest review.
The characters are getting even more details as you learn about them in this second installment of the series. I love the dragon scenes the best.
The narrator continued to do an excellent job with so many different pitches of voices for the different characters, keeping the same tones as the first book.
Book leaves you wanting more, which is great.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving am honest review.
May 6, 2018
Widening the World - Insights and Excitement
I expected that the middle book might just be a bridge, filling space between Start and Finish, but most fortunately, my assumption was wrong. This book was gripping, providing more explanation and exploration of the fascinating world the author describes. And it fills out the cast we've met while introducing a whole host of new creatures and characters. Bravo to Maria Grace.
I expected that the middle book might just be a bridge, filling space between Start and Finish, but most fortunately, my assumption was wrong. This book was gripping, providing more explanation and exploration of the fascinating world the author describes. And it fills out the cast we've met while introducing a whole host of new creatures and characters. Bravo to Maria Grace.
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