A review by daxual
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

5.0

I went into this a bit unsure -- I'm not an Austen purist, I don't think, but there are quite a number of fanfiction (not an insult, at least not from me) takes on her characters, and I feel like most of them are probably not great? This one aims high, by taking the despicable Wickham and the frivolous Lydia and asking us to put aside what we know about them long enough to find out What Really Happened. And it's astonishingly good! Funny, twisty, dark, and faithful to the books -- not just P&P but also Austen's unfinished SANDITON. Whether the Wickhams are redeemed by the end is perhaps debatable, but the getting there is full of schemes and weird, bloody magic, and it is at least clear that while Lydia did make bad decisions, other people from the book were secretly much worse than her. The ending is not neat and tidy, and it might break your heart a little. It makes me think a bit of Mark Twain -- if HUCKLEBERRY FINN exposed the underbelly of TOM SAWYER's world, then maybe this book does that (respectfully) with P&P. Very highly recommended for Austen fans, especially those who enjoy fantasy.