The scandalous confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch

Teen Lydia Bennet is a witch. No, really, a real witch in this Pride and Prejudice retelling in which Lydia confesses her magical sins in writing. She turned her cat familiar into another sister, Kitty, explaining why the two are inseparable. But separate they must, for Lydia catches the notice of Lord Wormenheart, one of the Great Powers, to whom she offers a boon to save Kitty's life. He, in turn, requests the Jewel of Prophecy, which Lydia traces to Brighton under the eye of the slightly older, more powerful Harriet Forster, the colonel's wife. There they meet Maria Lambe, a mixed-race heiress from the Caribbean who is buttoned-up and holding secrets of her own. There is also Wickham to contend with (he's a demon). Interwoven with that quest is the tale of Georgiana Darcy, studying math in Newcastle when Lydia meets her, and bogged down by protective charms that render her dull. YA author Taub (Still Star-Crossed, 2013) cleverly inserts Lydia's magical misadventures into the original story, creating something wholly original and utterly charming.

Taub (Still Star-Crossed) makes her adult debut with a clumsy fantasy remix of Pride and Prejudice. Most of the book is presented as a long letter that Lydia, the youngest and flightiest Bennet daughter, is writing to a purposefully obfuscated correspondent about her life story, including her discovery of her magical powers and subsequent use of them to turn her cat familiar into her human sister Kitty, her unthinking bargain with the demonic dragon Wormenheart, and her "elopement" with Mr. Wickham, who here is reimagined as Wormenheart's demonic son. Meanwhile, in the frame narrative, Lydia befriends Georgiana Darcy, who, in a bizarre defiance of canon, is at school in Newcastle, where Wickham's regiment is stationed. Unfortunately, the momentum of this frame plot relies entirely on Mr. Darcy making nonsensical choices, the Austen pastiche is stilted, and Taub favors a flowery style ("Young ladies are met with prognostications of doom for the slightest transgression, and I feel that is unwise"), which creates some dissonance between the narrative voice and the characterization of Lydia. The witchy conceit is fun enough that all this might be forgivable, but the novel's worst failing is its treatment of the lone character of color, who is transfigured partway through into a magical rock and must be saved by Lydia. Given the proliferation of Austen retellings, readers will be better served elsewhere. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. (Oct.)

Taub's (Still Star-Crossed) adult debut reexamines Pride and Prejudice through a new lens with a light touch. Allowing Lydia Bennet to recount her own story, this retelling imagines that she is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and thus born a witch. Also, Kitty Bennet is actually a cat that Lydia has bewitched to appear human. Jumping around in time, with witty asides and honest commentary, Lydia relates how she came to run away from home, why she ended up with Wickham, and more. Full of spell-casting garden parties, demons, hidden jewels, vibrant dances, backstabbing, and societal slights, this is vividly descriptive, frothy fun. While Pride and Prejudice has been retold from Lydia's perspective before, her frank, humorous, narration of her own misadventures in Taub's version adds a great deal, as does the magical intrigue. The concluding author's note comments on the many influences, stories, and myths that fused to become Lydia's story, including which bits came from Jane Austen and what Taub made up herself. VERDICT A funny, lighthearted read recommended for those who love a retelling with a dash of magic and a witty heroine.--Katie Lawrence

A secret society exists within the mores and marriage plots of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. "It is a truth universally acknowledged that the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter must be a witch." Enter Lydia Bennet, the youngest of the Bennet sisters. Anyone who has read the source material will insist that Lydia is the fifth daughter and thus the maxim shouldn't apply. But they are not factoring in the three eldest sisters who died shortly after birth. Nor are they aware that Kitty, the second-youngest sister, doesn't count since she's a cat Lydia hexed into girlhood without her family remembering. In setting down Lydia's recollections, Taub breathes new life into classic characters in a novel that is carefully researched and surprisingly layered. Magic comes at a price here, and for every spell a witch casts she must offer up something in return. Lydia's troubles start when, in order to spare her and Kitty's lives, she foolishly makes a promise to Lord Wormenheart, a dragon demon. Years later, Wormenheart comes to collect what he is owed, which sends Lydia on a dangerous adventure to Brighton. There she seeks out the Jewel of Propriety with the help of fellow witches Mrs. Harriet Forster, a beautiful but existentially unsatisfied colonel's wife, and Miss Maria Lambe, daughter of a freed Black woman and a South Seas plantation owner's son. Lydia's future husband, George Wickham, who in this telling is Wormenheart's demon son, lends help and a good deal of mischief. Mostly detailing events from her past, Lydia also describes her current (though far less engaging) predicament, trying to help Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's hexed sister, Georgiana. While at times the story drags, Taub's wit and creativity shines through, making even the Kitty/kitty character endearing where a lesser writer might have made it grating. As our heroine says: "though it is dauntingly long I daresay it is charmingly written." A delight for both Austen lovers and fans of magical adventure stories. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Teen Lydia Bennet is a witch. No, really, a real witch in this Pride and Prejudice retelling in which Lydia confesses her magical sins in writing. She turned her cat familiar into another sister, Kitty, explaining why the two are inseparable. But separate they must, for Lydia catches the notice of Lord Wormenheart, one of the Great Powers, to whom she offers a boon to save Kitty's life. He, in turn, requests the Jewel of Prophecy, which Lydia traces to Brighton under the eye of the slightly older, more powerful Harriet Forster, the colonel's wife. There they meet Maria Lambe, a mixed-race heiress from the Caribbean who is buttoned-up and holding secrets of her own. There is also Wickham to contend with (he's a demon). Interwoven with that quest is the tale of Georgiana Darcy, studying math in Newcastle when Lydia meets her, and bogged down by protective charms that render her dull. YA author Taub (Still Star-Crossed, 2013) cleverly inserts Lydia's magical misadventures into the original story, creating something wholly original and utterly charming. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.

In this fantastical reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, narrated by youngest sister Lydia Bennet, Kitty is really a barn cat, Wickham is indeed a demon, and Lydia herself is a witch just learning her craft. What will straitlaced Mr. Darcy think of all this magic? From the Emmy Award—winning Taub, author of the YA novel Still Star-Crossed; with a 30,000-copy first printing. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Taub's (Still Star-Crossed) adult debut reexamines Pride and Prejudice through a new lens with a light touch. Allowing Lydia Bennet to recount her own story, this retelling imagines that she is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and thus born a witch. Also, Kitty Bennet is actually a cat that Lydia has bewitched to appear human. Jumping around in time, with witty asides and honest commentary, Lydia relates how she came to run away from home, why she ended up with Wickham, and more. Full of spell-casting garden parties, demons, hidden jewels, vibrant dances, backstabbing, and societal slights, this is vividly descriptive, frothy fun. While Pride and Prejudice has been retold from Lydia's perspective before, her frank, humorous, narration of her own misadventures in Taub's version adds a great deal, as does the magical intrigue. The concluding author's note comments on the many influences, stories, and myths that fused to become Lydia's story, including which bits came from Jane Austen and what Taub made up herself. VERDICT A funny, lighthearted read recommended for those who love a retelling with a dash of magic and a witty heroine.—Katie Lawrence

Taub (Still Star-Crossed) makes her adult debut with a clumsy fantasy remix of Pride and Prejudice. Most of the book is presented as a long letter that Lydia, the youngest and flightiest Bennet daughter, is writing to a purposefully obfuscated correspondent about her life story, including her discovery of her magical powers and subsequent use of them to turn her cat familiar into her human sister Kitty, her unthinking bargain with the demonic dragon Wormenheart, and her "elopement" with Mr. Wickham, who here is reimagined as Wormenheart's demonic son. Meanwhile, in the frame narrative, Lydia befriends Georgiana Darcy, who, in a bizarre defiance of canon, is at school in Newcastle, where Wickham's regiment is stationed. Unfortunately, the momentum of this frame plot relies entirely on Mr. Darcy making nonsensical choices, the Austen pastiche is stilted, and Taub favors a flowery style ("Young ladies are met with prognostications of doom for the slightest transgression, and I feel that is unwise"), which creates some dissonance between the narrative voice and the characterization of Lydia. The witchy conceit is fun enough that all this might be forgivable, but the novel's worst failing is its treatment of the lone character of color, who is transfigured partway through into a magical rock and must be saved by Lydia. Given the proliferation of Austen retellings, readers will be better served elsewhere. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. (Oct.)