The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch
On sale
3rd October 2023
Price: £20
Genre
Miss Lydia Bennet may be the youngest, but what she lacks in maturity and responsibility, she more than makes up for in energy, fun – and magic.
In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.
But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .
Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice – while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.
In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.
But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .
Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice – while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.
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Reviews
Wildly inventive and utterly addictive. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm now 100% Team Lydia
This book is pure joy. Absolutely rollicking and thoroughly delightful. Melinda Taub peered directly into my soul and gave me the adventure I needed, plus feisty witches in empire waist dresses and the Kitty of my dreams. I'll be over here, swooning on my fainting couch
A romping, lively retelling with surprises galore! It's a delight to see Lydia Bennet receive her due
Witty, magical, romantic and altogether brilliant! There's so much more to Pride and Prejudice than we ever knew
What a delicious book this is - like Lydia, it's headlong, a little wicked, and irrepressibly fun. And if that weren't enough, it gave me an entirely new lens through which to appreciate Jane Austen's Bennet family. Melinda Taub writes with a forensic wit and understanding of the desire to be loved and understood, even when those two things stand in seeming opposition. And like Georgette Heyer at her best, or, indeed, Austen, she has the alchemist's touch which turns this exploration into something delightful
Funny and fierce as Lydia Bennet herself, this book mixes witchcraft lore with Austen's story to make its own unique magic. I'll never look at Kitty the same way again . . .
A delightfully rendered redemption of the much-maligned youngest Bennet daughter, Lydia; whose ill-advised actions that once threatened the Bennett sisters' futures are finally proven to be less a girlish folly and more the result of a sacrifice made meant to save them all. Filled with magic, mayhem and manners, Melinda Taub has crafted a world both familiar and strange, faithful and fantastic
Clever twist on Jane Austen's classic
This is a masterpiece and a treat for any Austen fan
Taub's wit and creativity shines through . . . A delight for both Austen lovers and fans of magical adventure stories
Cleverly inserts Lydia's magical misadventures into the original story, creating something wholly original and utterly charming
Infused with elements of English folk horror, this Regency-era comedy of manners makes for a lively, delightful adventure
Infused with elements of English folk horror, this Regency-era comedy of manners makes for a lively, delightful adventure
It's smart, it's in dialogue with the past but not bound by it, and it's trying to do a lot of interesting things at once
[S]imply wonderful, a laugh-and-cry book. Taub's close reading of and research into Austen's work is remarkable; she threads a careful needle between invention and retelling, contemporary legibility and historical homage. The result is a terrifically well-balanced novel blending romance, fantasy and mystery
[A] fun new hybrid of Jane Austen's mannerly world and the highly contrasting world of 19th century witchcraft. It's perfect for readers who enjoy a good mash-up involving a classic story, some modern views on social expectations, and a dose of occult suspense