PULSE and PREJUDICE: The Confessions of Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Colette L. Saucier – Mashup Fiction, Historical Romance, Classic Adaptation

As a wealthy member of the landed gentry, Fitzwilliam Darcy has obligations in Colette Saucier’s mashup, Pulse and Prejudice: The Confessions of Mr. Darcy, Vampire.

Darcy must secure a suitable match for his younger sister, maintain his cool facade of indifference, and live as quietly as possible. He refuses to consider marriage for himself due to his unusual “affliction.” Forced to live a shell of his former existence for the past six years, Darcy relies on his valet, Rivens, for his every need. He shuns most company because Darcy is a vampire. So, when his close friend, Charles Bingley, insists that Darcy accompany him to a country ball, Darcy is loath to accept. When Bingley meets and is immediately captivated with Jane Bennet, Darcy suspects the Bennets are fortune seekers, interested only in finding wealthy matches for the five Bennet daughters, including the fiery Elizabeth, Jane’s sister.

As Bingley spends more time with Jane, Darcy is thrown together with Elizabeth and begins to see something extraordinary in the headstrong girl, so much so that he fears his growing hunger goes beyond mere admiration. When Darcy feels his control beginning to slip, he knows he must distance himself from Elizabeth, but he soon learns nothing, not even distance, can diminish the strength of his need.

Based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this novel is a fantastic adaptation which most Austen fans will love.

It has the cozy familiarity of the classic with an unexpected twist, creating something that feels as comfy as your favorite jeans but is sexy as a little black dress. In this retelling, the author explores the same time-tested love story as the original but from Darcy’s perspective, which in and of itself is truly interesting; however, add the fact that he is a vampire, and the story explodes in a fresh, new way while seamlessly aligning with the original. Even the vocabulary and sentence structure of the novel matches that of Austen, making the story seem like the perfect companion.

Darcy’s tortured psyche is the star of this novel.

Ironically, this dynamic character experiences a dramatic change that makes him much more human – although he is not – than in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. As the plot follows that of the original, the reader can see and feel his growth from a man of extreme pretension, a man spoiled by his parents into believing himself above most of society. Though he must maintain this belief for decorum and the safety of others, he is also a lonely man who misses that human part of himself that he has suppressed.

In the beginning, Darcy doesn’t realize how miserable he is nor how much he hates himself, but the more time spent with Elizabeth, the more he sees the “pinnacle of [his] self-loathing.” Having pretended indifference for so long, Darcy now feels unworthy of Elizabeth’s love or forgiveness for the many slights he gives her and her family. Darcy also wonders which part of him, the vampire, or the bit of humanity to which he clings, that Elizabeth excites. His yearning for her goes beyond anything he experienced as a man and drives his vampire nature insane. He cannot stay away from her, nor does he desire it. He wants her body and blood, but he mostly wants to be worthy of her love. In short, she brings him back to life and makes him feel, maybe for the first time. He is the perfect tortured, dark hero, and romance lovers will not be disappointed.

Pride and Prejudice: The Confessions of Mr. Darcy, Vampire won 1st Place in the CIBA – Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance.