Today I’m happy to be welcoming author Monica Fairview back to the blog with her latest release, Dangerous Magic: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, which mixes Pride & Prejudice with some magic! First I’ll share the blurb with you, and then hand over to Monica for a guest post and excerpt from the novel.
A sparkling tale of Regency England, a forced marriage, and two magicians who must work together to save the Kingdom.
Elizabeth Bennet is stunned when the Royal Mages come to her peaceful country home of Longbourn to take her away. She is even more bewildered when she is commanded to marry a powerful mage by the name of Fitzwilliam Darcy. She has always dreamed of marrying for love, and an arranged marriage with an arrogant stranger was never part of her plans.
But Darcy and Elizabeth have no choice in the matter. Uniting their two forms of magic is essential if the Kingdom is to defeat Napoleon’s mages. They may dislike each other on sight, but Darcy and Elizabeth have to overcome their differences and find common ground before it is too late. Fortunately, it is not long before the sparks begin to fly between them.
Join the author of ‘Fortune and Felicity’ in this Jane Austen Fantasy Variation, an enchanting story of determination, love, and hope against all odds.
Guest Post from Monica Fairview including an excerpt from Dangerous Magic: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
There are quite a few Jane Austen fantasy tales out there, starting with time travel concepts like we see in Lost in Austen to paranormal best-selling novels like Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy, Vampyre.
DANGEROUS MAGIC belongs to a different category of fantasy – the magical fairy tale type. It begins with a Cinderella moment. A fairy-godmother magician shows up and orders Elizabeth Bennet to marry one of the most powerful mages in the land, Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth then gets to ride in an enchanted carriage. Unlike Cinderella, however, Elizabeth Bennet is not happy to be whisked away into this new world. And Mr. Darcy is seriously displeased at having his life dictated by circumstances. They both have solid reasons to resent this marriage, and you know from the moment they meet that things are going to be stormy between them. In any case, we all know Mr. Darcy is nothing like Prince Charming. Let’s just say it takes him a while to open up to Elizabeth.
DANGEROUS MAGIC is set solidly in Jane Austen’s world. The Guild Hall where Elizabeth and Darcy live has a rulebook that even the most powerful magicians have to follow, and the rules include the same notions of propriety and behaviour that are familiar to Pride and Prejudice readers. Magic is woven into everyday things, like the maid lighting the fire. The Royal Mages are much like the militia, their ceremonial coats just as likely to quicken the heartbeat of young ladies like Lydia Bennet.
I very much hope the magic of Darcy and Elizabeth’s fantastic world in DANGEROUS MAGIC will quicken your heartbeat, too. To give you a glimpse of that that world is like, I have a short excerpt for your perusal. It comes from the second chapter, where Elizabeth has is trying to find out more about Mr. Darcy, her future husband.
When they stopped to exchange the horses
and to eat in a private parlor, Elizabeth took the opportunity to talk to
Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had been riding on horseback.
“Lord Matlock has informed me that you
are Mr. Darcy’s cousin.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam nodded. He had
pleasant features and an open face.
“Does Mr. Darcy resemble you?”
“Not at all,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“He is far more handsome.”
“Well, that is a relief,” said
Elizabeth. “You may consider me trivial, but it is one less thing to worry
about.”
“I am not certain how to take that,”
said the Colonel. “Surely I do not look as bad as all that.”
Elizabeth could not help laughing. “You
know very well, sir, that was not what I meant.”
Lady Alice, who was watching the
exchange with suspicion, cleared her throat.
“I hope you do not intend to keep up
this senseless chatter all through the meal,” she said, in a quelling voice.
“It is not in the least senseless,” said
Elizabeth. “It is a matter of great urgency for me to discover something about
the gentleman I am about to marry.”
“All you need to know is that you are
very fortunate.”
“Allow me to judge that for myself.”
Lady Alice gave her a look that would
have alarmed most young ladies, but Elizabeth was made of sterner stuff.
Besides, she did not care for Lady Alice’s good opinion.
As for Mr. Darcy, she was intrigued to meet him, based on what his uncle and cousin had told her, but she was not yet convinced she would like him. What kind of a man must he be, when he had not come to fetch her himself? How could he be so involved in his magic that he could not take the trouble to meet his future wife? She could not help concluding that it showed a considerable lack of feeling.
***
Elizabeth reached the limit of her
patience with Lady Alice long before they arrived in London. She could not wait
to reach the Mage Hall so she could be relieved of the mage’s presence.
“Am I to stay at the Mage Hall today, or
will I be staying somewhere else?” she asked, as the chimneys of London
appeared in the distance.
“You will stay in the Maidens’ Hall with
the other single ladies,” replied Lady Alice. “I am in charge there.”
Elizabeth groaned inwardly.
“Until you are married,” said Lady
Alice, “there are rules of conduct I expect you to follow.”
She fumbled under the seat for a small
portmanteau, opened it, and took out a book. “The rules are outlined here. I
expect you to study this book tonight and become familiar with our
expectations. Our Hall is run like a ship – everything must be shipshape, and
discipline is strictly enforced”.
“How many lashes will I receive if I
disobey orders?”
From his corner, Lord Matlock chortled.
“What nonsense!” said Lady Alice. “We do
not use the whip at the Mage’s Hall.”
“I am very relieved to hear it,” said Elizabeth.
Monica Fairview writes Jane Austen sequels and variations as well as Regencies. Her latest novel is a Pride and Prejudice fantasy variation, Dangerous Magic. Her biggest claim to fame is living in Elizabeth Gaskell’s house in Manchester, long before the house was restored. After studying in the USA, she taught literature, then became an acupuncturist. She now lives near London.
Monica loves anything to do with the nineteenth century, and obsessively follows every period drama she can find. Some of her favorites are ‘North and South’, ‘Bright Star’ and ‘War and Peace’, and a dozen others that she couldn’t possibly list here. Of course, she has watched Pride and Prejudice (1995 and 2005) more times than she could count on her hands and toes.
Monica enjoys reading fantasy and post-apocalyptic novels but avoids zombies like the plague. She loves to laugh, drink tea, and visit National Trust historic properties [those were the days!], and she is convinced that her two cats can understand everything she says.
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***
Fangirl moment here - read Monica's author bio again, she lived in Mrs Gaskell's house! Not only is this a beautiful looking house but this is the house where the creator of Mr Thornton dreamed him up!
Dangerous Magic: A Pride and Prejudice Variation is available to buy now in Paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
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Giveaway
Time!
Monica
Fairview is very kindly offering an ebook giveaway to accompany this post. To
enter, please leave a comment on this blog post by the end of the day worldwide
on Friday 2 April.
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I really want to know more about Lady Alice's position in this story, and why she is so negative.
ReplyDeleteThere a good reason for it, Ginna. :)
DeleteGlad this excerpt piqued your interest!
DeleteIt's hard to believe, but yes, I lived in Mrs Gaskell's house before it was restored. What are the odds? Maybe her ghost inspired me to write! Anyway, thank you for having me on your lovely blog, Ceri.
ReplyDeleteI am filled with such envy! It's on the list of places I'd like to go. Mr Thornton was imagined there!!! Very inspirational.
DeleteHow fascinating to have lived in Elizabeth Gaskell's house!
ReplyDeletedenise
It was, Denise. At that point it was very old and not as bright and beautiful as it is now. But I actually read Gaskell's books in that very house.
DeleteI was blown away by this fact!
DeleteI hope the house rules aren't too onerous - but fear they are!
ReplyDeleteNightstitcher, you can bet Lady Alice isn't going to be very flexible!
DeleteIt doesn't sound like things will be easy.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book.
I’m impressed with the thought of having lived in Mrs Gaskell’s house. Surely the Muse lives on to inspire others to take up their own and let their thoughts flow freely,imitating Mrs Gaskell’s talents.
Best of luck with your new book,Monica.
Thank you for your good wishes, Mary. I do think she was my Muse. I was around 12 years old at that point. It left a lasting impression.
DeleteIt sounds like such an interesting idea for a story. I like a bit of magic.
DeleteI read and enjoyed this story. Good luck with its release.
ReplyDeleteSheila thank you for this, Sheila! Much appreciated!
DeleteSo glad you enjoyed, Sheila.
DeleteCan't wait to see what comes next even while this first book is still taking it's bows. :)
ReplyDeleteNo pressure, eh, Sophia? :) Thank you so much!
DeleteI'm always interested to see what's coming next too :)
DeleteI enjoyed the book, but not the cliff hanger. When I realize a story does not finish within one volume, I strongly prefer to wait for the series. Similarly with tv, I record the season, then binge.
ReplyDeleteHow many volumes do you anticipate in the series and by when? I am, indeed, eager for the rest of the story.
Betty, I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to want more. E&D do have their HEA, though, so you're not left in any doubt there -- it's just a continuation of their adventures. At the moment I have one in the works, possibly one more. Maybe you'll have to hold off and binge read when the third one comes out. I'll let everyone know if there is a third, in any case.
DeleteThis is a good point, Betty. I don't mind waiting for sequels generally, but in JAFF I prefer to read them following on from each other, as I don't want to mix them up in my mind with other stories featuring the same characters from other authors.
DeleteElizabeth has her work cut out for her, that's for sure. But if there's anyone who can shrug at the disapproval of the Lady Alice types of the world, it's Elizabeth! Congrats again on the new release, Monica!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Christina!!! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteThank you for this funny excerot. Always loved Lizzy's unique personality (and retorts):)
ReplyDeleteFunny? Really, Buturot? :) Just kidding!!! Yes, Lizzy really refuses to be intimidated, doesn't she?
DeleteGlad you enjoyed it :)
DeleteI'm always intrigued when it comes to a fantasy P&P story so I'm looking forward to reading this. Congratulations on the release and thank you both for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteAlexandra Rivers
Alexandra, good to hear you're intrigued! And you're welcome!
DeleteI agree, it's good fun to have Austen's characters mixed in with fantasy elements :)
DeleteI have a comment to add on behalf of Eva:
ReplyDeleteI am not usually drawn to fantasy, but this book sounds so unusual and lots of fun. Monica writes fabulous books, so I know this will to disappoint. Oh, how will Elizabeth react to Darcy and vice versa since they must marry?
Eva, thank you. How very kind of you to say so. And very good question.
DeleteI hope you enjoy this book when you read it :)
DeleteI have a comment to add on behalf of Darcybennett:
ReplyDeleteSounds so good and Lady Alice seems like quite the character. So interesting that you lived in Elizabeth Gaskell’s house. Definitely would love to visit.
I have been meaning to go and visit Elizabeth Gaskell's house for years, so now I've promised myself I'll go when the lockdown ends. Something to look forward to. I wonder how I'll feel going back? And yes, Lady Alice is a character.
DeleteI hope you manage to get back to Mrs Gaskell's house, Monica, and I hope I get there too!
DeleteComment to add from Glynis:
ReplyDeleteAs usual I’m unable to comment but I’m a little worried for Elizabeth 🤔 she seems determined to antagonise Lady Alice! Hopefully she won’t have to live in the Maiden’s Hall for too long although it seems she may be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire 🔥? 😱😳🥰🥰
Yes, it's a bit difficult for her, to say the least, Glynis!!!! And you know how Elizabeth is. She refuses to be intimidated! ;)
DeleteHope you enjoy this book when you read it, Glynis.
DeleteI am new to the fantasy genre (read my first in February) but once I read a fantasy book my first thought was "Is there JAFF that is part of the fantasy genre?" and what do I see....I see this post! It must be fate! I have always enjoyed Monica's books but stayed away from the fantasy stuff because of some misconceptions so now I need to catch up. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think you are right, it must be fate! Hope you enjoy this when you read it.
DeleteI had neglected to choose a winner for the giveaway! So sorry! I chose a winner at random, using a number generator. The winner selected was DarcyBennett, so I'll drop her an email to check she would like to claim her prize as she might have got a copy in the meantime! Many thanks to everybody who commented and visited, and of course to Monica, for the post and giveaway!
ReplyDelete