heartstone

At fourteen, I was that student determined to read every single book on the pre-college reading list that my freshman year English teacher handed out. I didn’t care that there were well over a hundred “classics” listed, and that you only had to read two for her class. I was determined to be well read by the time I graduated high school, through sheer determination if need be. Luckily, I started with Jane Eyre (which I loved to pieces). With a good experience at the start, I forged on. Not every book hit the right notes, but between the failures *cough*Lady Chatterley’s Lover*cough* I scoured my local library for books about magic and dragons. And so I discovered McCaffrey’s Pern and Wrede’s Enchanted Forest at the same time as Austen and Hardy and the Brontë sisters, and I loved both kinds of books with different but equal passion. Elle Katharine White’s Heartstone is a mashup for every reader who grew up loving both dragon books and Jane Austen.

A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride & Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms.

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers…something far more sinister than gryphons.

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world.

I went into this book thinking it would have some vague Pride and Prejudice vibes, like Jo Walton’s dragonish comedy of manners, Tooth and Claw – but I was wrong. This is a straight up mythological creature retelling, with almost-identical plotlines, similar names (Aliza Bentaine instead of Elizabeth Bennett, anyone?), and even some of the same exact language in the epistolary sections. If you’ve read P&P, there will be few-to-no surprises. And that’s okay! But be aware  - it’s basically a fanfiction AU with dragons (and gnomes, and gryphons, and so on).

So, how was it? So-so quality-wise, and yet enjoyable. Heartstone is dialogue-heavy (to the point that sometimes you’re not quite sure who is speaking). It is also written from a first-person perspective (rather than the omniscient narrative of the original), without much set-up or description. It doesn’t feel like epic fantasy, which is usually heavy on worldbuilding. I’m sure this is due in part to the fact that most readers will already be familiar with the source material, and not need introduction to the characters, their situation in life, or their relationships to one other. There’s also the juxtaposition in this case of titles, manor houses, and a class hierarchy, and informal language. It’s a bit jarring at the start, and something along the lines of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (if you read that).

I didn’t like: the baby talk and dialect of the hobgoblins (when no one else seemed to have appreciable accents, even when noted in the text), that there was no resolution to the *spoiler* Elsian Minister’s plot *end spoiler*, and the necessary narrowing of perspective and characterization that a first-person tale necessitates.

In a case like this, where most of the work of plotting and characterization is either already set or expected, it is up to the author to surprise the reader, and if possible, to improve upon the source work. Heartstone didn’t accomplish either task, but it was an agreeable read, and I don’t regret spending my time with it. I think it will appeal greatly to anyone who, like me, loves both dragons and Austen.

Recommended for: devoted fans of both Jane Austen and dragons.

the thinking woman's guide to real magic

Last summer I was reading Beth Fish Reads’ blog (you’ll remember, she does the wonderful Weekend Cooking meme I participate in), and I saw her review of Emily Croy Barker’s debut, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic.  She was head over heels for the book, so I (naturally) went searching for it on my local library’s website.  No go.  I requested it be purchased for the collection, please and thank you.  My archived email informs me that my wish was fulfilled on August 1, 2013 (thanks Arlington County Libraries!).  Of course I then forgot all about it in a flurry of reading Irish books, and didn’t get around to it until this week.  Well!  I have now rectified my misdoings and I agree with Beth Fish entirely: The Thinking Woman’s Guide for Real Magic is the sort of book you fall in love with.  

An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate world—where she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive

Nora Fischer’s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman.  During a miserable weekend at a friend’s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she’s transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty.  Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It’s almost too good to be true.

Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora’s new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally—and a reluctant one at that—is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel’s student—and learning magic herself—to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her “real life” against the dangerous power of love and magic.

Nora Fischer is an ordinary woman in our world.  She’s a former cook and a now-struggling grad student with relationship drama, insecurities and a passion for poetry.  After one too many misfortunes, she wishes that her life were different, in any way.  And that is how Nora finds herself in another world entirely.  At first, it’s everything she’s dreamed of – she’s the belle of the ball, life is grand, and the dashing Raclin wants her.  A voice deep inside tells Nora to see past illusion, and when she does, the wizard Aruendiel offers her a home.  In his household, she’ll need every scrap of determination and intelligence to survive and learn magic, for this new world is a hard one – much harder than it originally seemed.

Heroine Nora is intelligent, thoughtful, alert, stubborn (or I suppose you could say… persistent?), and loyal.  But she is also convincingly insecure about her looks, her chosen profession, and her love life (thus disqualifying her from the running for 'perfect' woman).  In all, Nora’s a typical educated, modern woman.  However, when placed in the context of a sword and sorcery fantasy, those qualities mark her out as different, as other.  In her new environment, Nora becomes something more: a fierce observer and survivor, an unraveler of secrets and histories, and the mistress of her own fate.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide is an impressive book, nevermind debut.  Barker plays with the notions of portal fantasy (where a character accesses another world through a gate or portal), the meaning and structure of magic, and the politics and inequality inherent in a patriarchal system.  Oh, and I left out one thing… it’s readable.  More than readable—un-put-downable!  I finished it (all 500+ pages!) in one day.  Whew!

Nora’s adventure is an exploration of a new (magical) world, and it’s also generally romantic.  My favorite bit?  When Nora began to learn elementary magic, and juxtaposed that with her daily translation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice into Ors, the common language of her new world.  She shares both of these experiences with Aruendiel, the mysterious magician who has offered her protection.  The growth and accommodation between these two: it’s something!  *sigh*  I can’t wait for the sequel to see how Barker continues what could be a fantastic saga.

Now, about the magic and world-building: in some ways it is predictable (if you’ve read a fair amount of fantasy, you’ll see bits and pieces from many kinds of worlds and stories stitched into the fabric of the world), but it is no less satisfying for all that.  It’ll be a delight for anyone who escapes into magical literature and expects a strong female protagonist.  I think Barker was making an obvious parallel between Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and Nora, but after finishing the book I jotted down a quick note about Eliza and Higgins from My Fair Lady. 

In any case, it’s an exceedingly well-written book.  And I promise you that’s not just my happy/romantical side talking.

Recommended for: fans of Sharon Shinn and Anne Bishop, and any adult who has pictured him- or herself making the (unlikely) trip to Narnia or Middle Earth.

epic fail

If my Waiting on Wednesday post and participation in past ‘Everything Austen’ events didn’t warn you, I’m an Austen-ite. I am more likely to pick up an adaptation or re-telling of one of Jane Austen’s books than I am to eat milk chocolate. True fact. Dark chocolate, now, that I eat more often than I’d like to admit. When I read a summary of Claire LaZebnik's Epic Fail (after I got over the hilarious title, that is), I knew I had to check it out.

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Epic Fail is Elise’s story, but in terms of narrative, it’s Pride and Prejudice in a Hollywood high school. Other things it is: cute, sweet, predictable, and a good bit of quick fun. If you know the original, you know how this plays out. What saves it from sappy and overdone is Elise’s smart inner dialogue. She’s perceptive and at the same time her worries and concerns ring true for a real kid (albeit an intelligent one).

Outside of Elise, the other well-defined characters were her sister Juliana, and to a lesser extent, Derek. If you’re looking for true learning and honest change in your next read, this isn’t your novel. And if we’re going to talk weaknesses, a glaring one for me was the inclusion of characters from the original P&P who didn’t fit in the space of Epic Fail. Elise’s cousin (who takes the place of Charlotte) definitely had the feel of an add-on, and could have been left out with no problem at all. Despite a slight excess of shallowness, this read resonated as ‘fun’ rather than ‘contrived.’

Recommended for: fans of Austen retellings and spin-offs, those who are into young adult lit with a dash of celebrity and the Hollywood trappings, and anyone looking for some quick and light summer reading with a classic theme and a happy ending.

If you are interested in other YA takes on Jane Austen’s classics, check out this article!

waiting on wednesday (14)

I’m participating today in "Waiting On" Wednesday. It is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and its purpose is to spotlight eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

I was introduced to Jane Austen and her wonderful books in high school. My English and Journalism teachers teamed up to invite the senior girls to their houses to watch the BBC five-hour version of Pride and Prejudice (yes, that sort of thing happened at my teeny-tiny private school). This started a long love affair with Austen, but also with Austen re-tellings and riffs. A couple of years ago I read Austenland by Shannon Hale (who also writes Grade A YA fantasy), and I enjoyed it quite a lot. I was thrilled to hear that it was being made into a film, and ecstatic to find that a sequel/companion novel is on its way! Midnight in Austenland will be published by Bloomsbury USA, and releases on January 31, 2012.

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?

What books are you waiting on?

about anne de bourgh

Want a delightful continuation of Pride and Prejudice? Darcy and Anne is the ticket – especially if you’ve ever wondered what happened after all to Miss Anne de Bourgh. Though not perfect, it was an entertaining and quick read. I am not sorry to have spent a couple of free hours finding out if Anne discovers love, and how the infamous Lady Catherine and the rest of the Pride and Prejudice crew fare after Darcy and Lizzie marry.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Lady Catherine will never find a husband for Anne…

When a fortuitous accident draws Anne away from Rosings and her overbearing mother's direct influence, she is able to think and act for herself for the first time ever. In the society of her cousins Darcy and Georgiana, and, of course, the lively Mrs. Darcy, Anne reveals a talent for writing and a zest for life.

Meanwhile, Lady Catherine is determined to choose a husband for Anne. But now that Anne has found her courage, she may not be so easy to rule.

Anne de Bourgh is a sympathetic character whose obedience and meekness were expected of women in her day. As she frees herself from these expectations, Anne discovers strength, independence, and even true love in a wonderfully satisfying coming-of-age story.

By now, faithful P&P purists will be wondering – how does sickly, mousy Anne work up the energy to fall in love? She’s a bit of a non-entity in Austen’s original, after all. Answer: Brocklehurst takes the liberty of suggesting bad medication and an introverted nature as the cause of this malaise.

But whatever the reason for the slight personality change, it makes Anne a loveable and interesting character, and this tale’s plot, while somewhat far-fetched, is amusing and agreeable. I read this for the Everything Austen Challenge hosted over at Stephanie's Written Word, and am happy to tell you that I liked it. Quite.

Recommended for: Jane Austen and Regency fans, romantics, and anyone in the mood for a pretty love story.

pride, prejudice and jasmin field

Alyce at At Home with Books is doing a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

My pick this week is Melissa Nathan’s fabulous Pride and Prejudice retelling, which I read for the first time in college. I’ve since re-read it at least four times. It’s the only Jane Austen spin-off in novel form that has received that treatment. What I’m trying to say (in not so many words) is that Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field stands on its own as a funny, charming and worthwhile piece of fiction.

Although the plot obviously follows the general outline of the original Pride and Prejudice, this version is completely modern without losing the social commentary, hilarious antics, and crisp dialogue that Jane Austen fans expect and love. It’s not an ‘update’ of the story so much as a re-imagining. And Nathan has the writing chops to pull it off.

Ultimately I was so enchanted by this book that I went searching for more of Nathan’s writing. She has another modern take on Austen in Persuading Annie (based on Persuasion), but unfortunately she’s passed away and won’t be delighting us with further Austen-esque tales. All the more reason to read and appreciate what she DID write: cute, engaging fiction that doesn’t patronize the reader and speaks for itself with a good dose of spunk, sass and wit.

It starts as a lark for Jasmin Field, the charming, acerbically witty columnist for a national women's magazine. She joins a host of celebrities gathering in London to audition for the season's most dazzling charity event: a one-night only stage production of Jane Austen's immortal Pride and Prejudice, directed by and starring the Academy Award-winning Hollywood heartthrob Harry Noble. And nobody is more surprised than Jasmin herself when she lands the lead of handsome Harry's love interest, Elizabeth Bennet. But things start to go very wrong very quickly.

Ms. Field's delicious contempt for the arrogant, overbearing Harry Noble goes from being wicked fun to infuriating. Her brief moment of theatrical glory looks as if it's going to be overshadowed by the betrayal of her best friend, the disintegration of her family and the implosion of her career. And suddenly she can't remember a single one of her lines. But, worst of all, Harry Noble - who, incidentally, looks amazing in tight breeches - has started to stare hard at Jazz with that sort of a glimmer in his eyes...

Fresh, wild, wonderfully romantic and absolutely hilarious, Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field is Jane Austen as the great lady herself never imagined it.

Did I mention that the book cover is absolutely sensational? It’s three-quarters of the reason I picked the book up in the first place! If you’d like to win your own copy of Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field, be sure to enter my Everything Austen Giveaway!

my dad gets lost in austen

I’m a film-lover. Ideally (in other words, if I had the money) I’d see at least one film a week in the theaters, and a couple more at home. My DAD is a film FREAK, though. It has manifested hard-core since his retirement, and it’s kind of scary, kind of awesome. He has the three-DVDs-at-a-time Netflix plan, but somehow parlays that into 7 or 8 movies a week. Plus whatever he gets at the library. I’ve seen him spend 12 hours straight watching films. And he likes all types of films – action, romance, classic, historical, rated G, rated R…

So it’s not that odd to hear him laughing uproariously from downstairs. Or upstairs. Or wherever.

But the other day…I walked in, and he was watching Lost in Austen.

Alone.

This is one of the Austen-inspired, Regency Era, usually girls night in type of miniseries I’ve heard so much about during the Everything Austen Challenge. I couldn’t get over it. He paused the film. Him: “Do you want to watch it with me?” Me: “No.” Him: “Okay, but it’s really GOOD! Hilarious!” Me: …"Okay, Dad"… (disbelief). The obvious response, once I’d gathered my wits back into my feeble brain? I made him promise to write a ‘two paragraph review.’ I started by saying three paragraphs, but he bargained me down to two. The man used to write for a living, but he’s gotten stingy with the words…

*smile *

So here you have it: Cecelia Bedelia’s Dad reviews Lost in Austen.

Lost in Austen is a must see for Pride and Prejudice lovers. The storyline begins with Amanda, an ardent Austen fan, and her boyfriend in modern England. The plot soon runs amuck when Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) carrying her well-read paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice, first appears in the Bennett household as a “friend” of Elizabeth’s. Meanwhile Elizabeth is absent and adjusting to life in modern-day London. Would Jane Austen turn over in her grave? That’s one by-line in this hilarious, heart-warming, love story in which the unexpected happens with regularity.

In addition to all the regular characters, we’re introduced to the three brothers of the groveling Mr. Collins. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are fantastic in their customary roles, with a delightful twist near the end of the film. Does it all work out in the end? You’ll just have to watch this flick with its many delightful twists and turns and turn-backs that keep you guessing until the finale. You must read the book or watch the original Pride and Prejudice to fully enjoy this enhanced tale.

Thanks, Dad!

teaser tuesday (1)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page. Post two (or more) sentences from that page, along with the title and author. Don’t give anything vital away!

“The Unconsecrated are beginning to swarm around me. Two steps in any direction and they could reach me through the metal links. Blood hammers through my body, panic clouding my vision, making my hands shake and pound with the rhythm of my heart.”

p. 33, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

And another kind of teaser, this time for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (link provided by Fuzzy Cricket). Dominic West reads aloud a fifteen minute-long excerpt from the famous novel. Best experienced accompanied by hot coffee, comfy armchair and dark chocolate.