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

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy were stumbling around in their awkward courtship, it seems there was another story playing out in the background - that of Lydia Bennet, witch, her familiar/sister Kitty, and the literal demon Mr. Wickham.

Reader, I love Pride and Prejudice. It was one of the first classic books that I read in its original form, and I've reread it numerous times over the years since. But I've usually avoided Pride and Prejudice retellings, doubtful of how they might add their own spin to them. But a title like  The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch promises quite a different take on the well-trod story.

The book takes an epistolary format, told through a long confessional document from Lydia as well as a section consisting of letters between various characters. We alternate between the past - Lydia's childhood and the events of the original Pride and Prejudice - and her present situation, in which she is called upon to help the Darcys with some thorny problems and perhaps redeem herself in the eyes of society.

Lydia Bennet, Witch does a great job as both a Pride and Prejudice remix and as a fantasy in its own right. I loved that the author stuck meticulously to canon even in its little details, and Lydia isn't so much re-characterized as shown with other facets. It's a lot of fun to see Austen's choices reinterpreted in this new light - Kitty not colorless but instead a cat familiar willed into a girl-shape, Lydia's yen for Brighton not purely frivolous but part of a vital magical quest, Wickham's sinister entanglement with the Bennets part of a larger scheme.

But there's lots to love even outside that well-known framework. The magic system, simple yet exacting, was an enjoyable mix of old folk magic and Taub's own invention that felt at place in the setting. I enjoyed the various relationships explored - of course there's romance, but friendship and familial relationships end up carrying more weight. I especially loved the character of Maria Lambe (from Austen's unfinished Sanditon, though developed as an original character here), how tartly she encourages Lydia to dig deep for her potential, and how she brought the broader context of the time to bear in the story.

It's just a fun book! And definitely one I plan to add to my shelves, and recommend to my Austen-loving friends.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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