Jane and the Damned

August 9, 2010
Mullany (Improper Relations) pens an impressively compelling Jane Austen mashup full of humor ("You damned Damned!") and poignant irony. At a Basingstoke dance, the Austen sisters encounter some fashionable Londoners with a taste for blood. Jane is drawn to meet one of the Damned, enigmatic William, who turns her into a vampire against her will. Reverend Austen takes the family to Bath to seek a cure, but when the French invade England, Jane joins the other vampires in putting their superhuman strength and speed to the service of their country. Purists might regret Cassandra's relegation to soppy sister, but the bond between Jane and her father, the small scenes that reflect Austen's novels, the sly humor of a vampire Prince Regent, and an abundance of moral dilemmas and vivid action make this a very satisfying page-turner for vamp-lovers and Austen fans alike.

August 1, 2010

Jane Austen joins the undead to counter a French invasion of Britain, in the latest from Mullany (The Rules of Gentility, 2007).

Stung by the rejection of her first novel, Miss Austen attends a tea-dance with her sister Cassandra, hoping for a diverting if dull afternoon. But wait...who are those louche-looking roués accompanied by some extremely svelte and soignée ladies who make Jane feel even dowdier than usual by comparison? Although she suspects the strangers are vampires, Jane lets one get her alone. She awakens a few quarts low, hungry for blood. Jane confides her new status to her father, who suggests that the family travel to Bath, so that Jane can take the cure. Also touring Bath are her vampire acquaintances, collectively known as the Damned, including Luke, who offers to become her Bearleader or vampire mentor. Luke shows her the vampire ropes (how to retract tell-tale canines in public, how to heal with a drop of her blood, etc.) and explodes myths—garlic, crucifixes and daylight are annoying, not deadly, to the undead. Jane is loath to choose immortality over her family, and worse, although her senses are more acute and she's telepathic, she finds that vampire life induces writer's block. She's ready to ingest the healing waters, which cause terrible pain to vampires trying to reverse their condition, when Napoleon's army invades Great Britain. Soldiers take over Bath, imposing French bureaucracy, making everyone carry identity papers and address each other as "Citizen." When Jane, now endowed with superhuman strength, kills a French invader, she resolves to stay Damned—the vampires are Britain's only hope against the French. As she earns her stripes in the fanged militia, she begins falling in love with Luke, making his former mistress dangerously jealous.

Not as articulate as a Jane Austen parody needs to be.

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August 1, 2010

After her manuscript is rejected for publication, Jane Austen is determined to find enjoyment at the Basingstoke Assembly. A trio of Damned are in attendance, and Jane accepts an invitation to dance with one of the gentleman vampires. The next day she realizes falling ill at the dance was the beginning of her existence as one of the Damned. Reverend Austen takes the family to Bath so Jane can be cured by the waters. Before her first glass, she is "adopted" by Damned leader Luke Venning, and the French Revolutionary Army invades Bath. Now, Jane is grateful for the active role she can take in the war against the French. VERDICT Historical romance author Mullany (Improper Relations) joins the literary mashup craze with this tepid novel. Her spotty explanations of etiquette in Damned society, not fully developing Prince George's temporary vampire status to preserve the line of succession, and the open-ended nature of the conclusion (hinting at a possible series) make this a less than satisfying read for either Austenites or vampire fanciers. A far wittier take on Jane Austen as vampire is Michael Thomas Ford's Jane Bites Back.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Mullany rewrites history in more ways than one in this novel, which sets up Jane Austen as a vampire. In 1797, Jane is attending a ball when shes bedazzled by a seductive young man named Mr. Smith who happens to be one of the Damned, a genteel group of vampires who operate on the edges of polite society. A stolen moment with the dashing Mr. Smith has grave consequences for Jane, who wakes to find she has been transformed into one of the Damned. Her family takes her to Bath, where the waters are reported to be the only cure for vampirism. But soon after the Austens arrive in Bath, the French militia takes over the city. The only ones who stand a chance of defeating the invaders are the Damned, and a powerful, handsome vampire offers to take Jane under his wing and show her how to use her new abilities to help fight the French. A fast-paced adventure for those who dont mind the vampire craze impinging upon historical events and beloved authors.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)