Jane Austen Sequels- Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation, by Regina Jeffers
Regina Jeffers began writing on a dare. As a public school teacher for nearly 40 years, her students began taunting her that if she knows so much she should write a book. So she did. In fact, she currently has seven completed novels to her credit. Her first book was self-published and did so well she now writes for a big publishing company. She has written a number of Jane Austen adaptations with a focus on Darcy’s viewpoint of various topics. Vampire Darcy’s Desire is a fantasy adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
The main character of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is Elizabeth Bennet. She is the second oldest of five sisters. Through her eyes, issues such as parenting, wealth and social standing and their effects on character development are explored. The setting is 19th century English upper class society. Her pride is wounded by Darcy’s snobbery.
Darcy is the young man who rudely presumes he is better than Elizabeth for a number of no-good social reasons. The prejudices of Darcy and his social group are exposed as he gets to know Elizabeth. As time goes by, his begrudging respect turns to admiration, which of course develops into romance.
Regina Jeffers keeps the main characters of Pride and Prejudice and changes the issues of social standing and wealth to issues of vampirism and conscience. In Vampire Darcy’s Desire, Darcy is torn between his conscience and his evil and human lusts. Regina Jeffers once again toys with the concept of a spark of goodness in an evil being and a woman’s penchant to fan that goodness into a consuming blaze that purifies all that is evil until nothing but goodness is left.
Regina Jeffers uses her fantasy interpretation of Pride and Prejudice to explore the eternal question of nature versus nurture but in a more modern context than 19th century English culture. The Vampire twist lends itself better to carnal lusts that are more titillating and more bloody. Although 19th century England was no virgin to desire, modern readers may have difficulty with the cultural setting of Jane Austen’s story. Regina Jeffers’ adaptation appeals to both diehard Jane Austen fans and young readers alike.
Many published Jane Austen sequels take either a Regency or modern plot, however, this story is refreshingly different.
Regina Jeffers is the author of eight novels: most are well done Pride and Prejudice sequels and adaptations. Her most recent novel, is entitled The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Murder Mystery, is due out later this year and will undoubtedly build on the previous success of her other 7 published works: Second Chances: the Courtship Wars, Darcy’s Temptation, Darcy’s Passions, Darcy’s Dreams, Wayward Love: Captain Frederick Wentworth’s Story, Honor and Hope, and Vampire Darcy’s Desire.
