Miss Bennet's Dragon by M Verant ★★★★☆

Powers and beasts of mysterious origin

 

Elizabeth Bennet discovers that she has a forbidden power. She can speak to draca, the fire-breathing creatures kept as status symbols by English gentry. If only Mr. Darcy would stop noticing… and hinting at his own dark secret.

M. Verant weaves the familiar romance of Elizabeth and Darcy, with delightful strands of mystery regarding the surprising origins of draca, powerful women and a battle with evil and Napoleon's forces.

The characters are those you would expect to meet in a Pride & Prejudice variation, with a rather famous addition. For the most part, they do not deviate from expected behaviour. Mary's character stands out as a campaigning woman, fighting slavery and "the patriarchy". She is a rugged individualist and very appealing for it. Another familiar character displays disturbingly sociopathic behaviour. That is the most I can say without giving a spoiler!

The book's ending leaves plenty of scope for furthering the series, but does not contain a cliff-hanger. I can happily recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

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