Jane and the Damned (Immortal Jane Austen, #1) by Janet Mullany

Mar 29, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency, fantasy, historical, paranormal_romance

From the title, and the cute black-and-pink cameo cover, one might assume that this is yet another Austen-rip-off. However, from the very first chapter, it's clear that Mullany knows her Austen and the period in which she wrote. From her muslin-choices to her religion, Jane Austen is written in a way that fits perfectly with what we know of her life. But her Britain is not precisely like ours. Vampires exist, and humanity not only knows about them, they even accept them at the fringe of Society...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-vampires

I loved Jane and the Damned. I've never been much interested in Jane Austen's personal life, but Jane Austen as a vampire was one of the most enthralling things I've read.

Jane is turned into a vampire and promptly abandoned by her maker. Her father, a minister, is sure that she must take the life-threatening cure as it is the only chance to save her immortal soul. Strong-willed, apparently rather patriot Jane has other ideas. She would rather use her new abilities to fight the invading French.

Ja...more

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May 22, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ever wondered what life would be like if your favourite authors were in fact Vampires ? It seems that our lovely Jane Austen has been turned into one of the Damned. While out one night at a function with her sisters, Miss Austen still reeling from the heartbreak of Tom Lefroy meets a handsome gentleman or so she thinks - the mysterious Mr. Smith . After a night of partying, Jane wakes up feeling well mysterious herself and we discover that Mr.Smith was in fact a Vampire and has turned our favour...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 26, 2010 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jane Austen with a bite!

In the fall of 1797 the Austen family is preparing for the winter and making the final rounds of social events still trying to procure a proper match for Jane. But at one such event Jane encounters a man that turns out to be everything she should fear and no one she should associate with. Before the end of the evening Jane has found herself turned into one of the feared vampires called The Damned and the quiet, modest life Jane led is over and choices she makes from here...more Jane Austen with a bite!

In the fall of 1797 the Austen family is preparing for the winter and making the final rounds of social events still trying to procure a proper match for Jane. But at one such event Jane encounters a man that turns out to be everything she should fear and no one she should associate with. Before the end of the evening Jane has found herself turned into one of the feared vampires called The Damned and the quiet, modest life Jane led is over and choices she makes from here on out will impact everyone surrounding her.

Jane confides in her father what has happened and he takes the family to Bath to find a cure for this condition. There are powerful, healing waters he believes can save her but the condition the entire family needs saving from is the invasion of France onto the English shores. The French overtake one city after another and the Austen family finds itself not only staying in strange surrounding but also must share this home with the French military. Jane has spent her life writing and seeking to compose the perfect piece of literature but now even that does not bring her solace. Writing has been the core of her existence and now that she fails commit one word to paper she feels even more lost.

What Jane does encounter is the residence where the other Damned are staying and discovered there is a mentor called a Bearleader who can take the novice vampire Jane and help her through the transition from woman to vampire. The Damned are also a service to England’s military and use their special gifts of persuasion to help win back the country they may not love but call home.

But does Jane want immortality, can she leave her family and embrace the Damned as her closest allies, is the vampire relationships she is forming her destiny? So many decisions to be made in these the worst of times that will alter Jane and whatever family she choices as her future. Jane does learn to live life as a vampire and fight like a man but the choice of who her true family is has to be made. So what will Jane do to still keep the passion for her writing and what place can give her love and reassurance to pursue her true self?

There have been so many formats written about Jane Austen, her life and the books she wrote. But did I ever expect Jane to be a vampire and find that a credible, interesting story – honestly no. But it is and I think Janet Mullany is the only one that could pull this off because she has the eloquent writing style and wit to make a Jane Austen as a vampire believable. She takes what could have been a light subject and transforms it into showcasing what could happen if the unthinkable has happened to the amazing Jane Austen.
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Jul 16, 2010 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

* Jane Austen style but quirky, fun and not so polite and dry (To me anyway)
* Could have been awkwardly written but so wasn't
* Great storyline kept you interested (and kept me from going to bed as it was so delightful)
* Never was a fan of reading Austen's works as they were always overly polite (Yes I know that is how people spoke in those times, but I am not from those times and it was difficult to read for someone who isn't overly polite and flowery) Loved watching the movies...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Chev E rated it 4 of 5 stars

From the start, I was hesitant with this book, primarily because historical fantasies, especially ones with famous people, tend to sound extremely fake (yes, I know that they're supposed to be unreal, but there's a limit to how unreal). The idea of Jane Austen as a vampire is somewhat reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as all the other books like it. I was surprised to find that the beginning of the novel read like a Jane Austen novel, but as soon as the vampires entered it...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Marion rated it 3 of 5 stars

First, this book was a Christmas present. Two, I hate books that mash vampires and Regency/Victorian historical fiction. Wait, I don't hate them-I loathe them with a burning passion. But, my mother gave this book to me and I didn't want to hurt her feelings, and I really haven't read anything of the genre that I claim to loathe so much. So, I read it. And though I laughed at it because after reading many Jane Austen biographies I just shook my head at some of the dialogue and events. But that's...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, supernatural-fiction, womens-interest, jane-austen

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While there have been several spins and spoofs on the classic + monster genre, I liked this one better than your standard issue spin. Rather than take an existing novel and making it work around sea monsters, vampires, or zombies, this novel imagines what Jane Austen might have gone through had she become a vampire. In addition to being a fun take on a literary trend, the characters were interesting with very believable motives. The twists and turns of the plot make sense and don’t leave the rea...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, first-reads

Jane Austen is a 21-year-old gentlewoman living with her father, mother and sister, and she has just had her first manuscript rejected. She decides to go to a dance with her sister Cassandra to put her book out of her mind and meets a Mr. Smith, who promptly turns her. Into a vampire, that is. Her father takes the family from their country house to Bath where Jane may partake in the waters, the only thing that will cure her illness from damnation. While they are there, the French are invading En...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is 1797, and twenty-one year old Jane Austen’s first attempt at publication, First Impressions, has been “Declined by Return of Post”. Disheartened, but not dejected, she attends the Bassingstoke Assembly with her sister Cassandra. One would think that “to be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love,” not to be turned into one of the Damned! What started as an innocent flirtation with one of the bon ton (but dangerous) vampires, changes Jane’s life forever. Carelessly turned...more It is 1797, and twenty-one year old Jane Austen’s first attempt at publication, First Impressions, has been “Declined by Return of Post”. Disheartened, but not dejected, she attends the Bassingstoke Assembly with her sister Cassandra. One would think that “to be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love,” not to be turned into one of the Damned! What started as an innocent flirtation with one of the bon ton (but dangerous) vampires, changes Jane’s life forever. Carelessly turned then abandoned, she is now one of the Undead. Struggling to hide her en sanglant urges Jane shares her affliction with her father Rev. Austen who is determined to save his daughter’s immortal soul from damnation. He decides to leave immediately with his family for Bath so Jane may partake the waters, the only known cure for her affliction.

Weak from hunger, Jane visits the Pump Room for the first time meeting Mr. Luke Venning, another of her kind. He quickly convinces her that she needs to feast on him to restore her strength before taking the cure. Jane is revived, but now her vampire desires are heightened and she craves even more blood. She is still determined to stay with her family and take the cure, until Napoleon’s troops invade England and Bath quickly loses the battle surrendering to the French forces. Realizing that her superior vampire skills could be used to oust the French from England, Jane rejects her salvation and accepts the mentorship of Mr. Venning who adopts her as her Bearleader. Training her in the vampire ways, Jane learns how to drink blood to survive and rip out the throats of Frenchmen, all in defense of her country.

Jane is indoctrinated into the vampire world revealing the pleasurable and decadent side of the Damned by reading minds, overpowering mortal thoughts and partaking in feeding orgies. She is even introduced to an infamous Royal who she previously abhorred for his dissipation and vice, but she now befriends as a fellow vampire. She is pleasantly surprised to discover that not all of her kind are narcissistic as they join together to thwart the enemy. As Jane becomes more of a vampire she discovers that she has lost her ability to write and her affection for her family is diminishing, including her dear sister Cassandra. Torn between her new life of pleasure, power and passion or her love of writing and her family, Jane must choose between the decadent life of the Damned or the chance that her books will offer her immortality.

If the plot summary raised both eyebrows, just remember to go with the flow and have fun. Janet Mullany has been touted as the witty love child of Jane Austen and Lord Byron for good reason. She is sharp and acerbic and irreverent; presenting a literary mash-up of a Jane Austen bio-fic, vampires and Napoleonic battles into an adventurous “sick and wicked” concoction.

This is a vampire novel with Jane Austen in it, not vice versa, so be prepared to experience our Jane as never before. The story is high spirited, outrageous and at times shocking (Mr. Austen giving his daughter his blood & Jane ripping out the throats of her opponents), but I am fainthearted and swoon at the thought of a putrid throat. Since my vampire expertise extends to childhood memories of Dark Shadows and the recent movie of the novel Twilight, I can only attest to her Jane being a true bloodsucker and not the vegan variety that sparkles in the sunshine.

For those Janeites who were miffed at the notion of paranormal stuff in your Austen (a la Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) best to try stumbling upon something more traditional. If you are in the mood for a galloping Regency paranormal spiked with wit, irony and romance, get ready for Jane and the Damned.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose(less)

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Jul 18, 2010 Samantha rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get to read an advance copy of this unusual and unique take on Jane Austen's life. Bitten and created a vampire (in an England where those types of occurrences are known and commonplace), Jane finds her world a far cry from the one she knew. I'm a Jane Austen fan, but this was suspending reality just a bit more than is comfortable for me. It seems more and more and more authors are jumping on the vampire novel bandwagon in the wake of Stephanie Meyer's wildly popular and be...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Serena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Janet Mullany‘s Jane and the Damned follows Jane Austen’s transformation into Nosferatu shortly after the rejection of her first novel in 1797. Jane is as brash and outspoken as Elizabeth Bennet, and her sister Cassandra is as beautiful and demure as Jane Bennet in Mullany’s novel. Attending country assemblies bores Jane, but she takes out her frustration by writing, but disappointments lead her to take chances she might not have otherwise.

While her sister and their friend are off playing cards...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Vic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: highly-recommended

These days, centering a plot around Jane Austen as a vampire is as common as pre-packed sliced cheese, and so I approached Jane and the Damned from a jaundiced point of view. I must make a confession, however. I have been addicted to vampire novels and films about these bloodsuckers since my early 20's, starting with Bram Stoker's Dracula; Ann Rice's Vampire Lestat series; Gary Oldman as the ancient bloodsucker; the cheeky tv series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and more recently True Blood and to...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen-inspired, jane-austen

While attending the Basingstoke Assembly with her dear sister Cassandra and good friend Catherine Bigg, Jane Austen encounters a fascinating and mysterious group of men and women from London. These people are impeccably dressed and exceedingly attractive, yet do not possess a reflection. Jane discerns that these guests are members of The Damned. One of these mysterious strangers, Mr. Smith a.k.a William, dances with Jane and after engaging in an energetic debate with her about vampires and immor...more While attending the Basingstoke Assembly with her dear sister Cassandra and good friend Catherine Bigg, Jane Austen encounters a fascinating and mysterious group of men and women from London. These people are impeccably dressed and exceedingly attractive, yet do not possess a reflection. Jane discerns that these guests are members of The Damned. One of these mysterious strangers, Mr. Smith a.k.a William, dances with Jane and after engaging in an energetic debate with her about vampires and immortality decides to turn her into a vampire. Now Jane is hungry for blood, able to hear the thoughts of others, and in possession of superior strength and beauty. What will our beloved authoress do?

Upon discovering that his daughter is a vampire, Mr. Austen decides to travel to Bath and have Jane take the waters in hopes of it curing her from this affliction. Before Jane has a chance to sample the waters, the French armies of Napoleon invade Bath! Jane is faced with multiple dilemmas as her family is now forced to remain in Bath against their will, board French officers, and possibly face the infamous guillotine. Because of Jane's weakened state and lack of nourishment (blood), she is forced to seek out her own kind, and becomes ensconced in an establishment of vampires.

Even though Jane Austen is a well-mannered clergyman's daughter, she has much to learn about vampire etiquette and protocol. From her Bearleader (vampire mentor) Jane learns how to properly drink someone's blood, how to hide in shadows, and how to attack. As Jane's band of vampire friends plot to overthrow France's hold on Bath, she discovers that vampires aren't just immoral, lewd self-seeking reprobates. Especially the one vampire who has captured her heart! Jane finds that she is torn between two worlds. The more time she spends with The Damned the harder it becomes to return to her family. In addition, Jane has finally found the love and companionship she has been seeking for her whole life. Should she follow her heart and remain one of The Damned? What would become of her writing? What about her family?

Reading Jane and the Damned was a thrilling and adventurous experience! From ambushing and spying on French armies to getting arrested and facing the guillotine, our not-so-dainty-and-delicate-Jane does it all! Ms. Mullany did an adept job of combing true events and people from Jane Austen's life with French armies and vampires. While I admired Ms. Mullany's portrayal of our beloved Jane, at times I felt she seemed a little unlike the famous authoress I've read about. Perhaps this is because she didn't do a lot of writing in this novel or maybe it is because she is a vampire...

Overall, I found much to enjoy in this vampiric tale about Jane Austen. I could easily see her being concerned with being a moral and benevolent vampire, and having no qualms about fighting the French. In addition, I loved the vampire elements of this novel and that there was a history and explanation behind everything. Moreover, Luke Venning, Jane's Bearleader was a handsome and compassionate Mr. Knightley type of character whom I absolutely adored! While this may not be every Austenite's cup of tea, I do feel that many will find Ms. Mullany's intriguing blend of vampires, history, and Jane Austen a captivating and exhilarating good read!

Austenesque Reviews(less)

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Oct 29, 2010 Staci rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: TLC Book Tour

Shelves: tlc-tour, 2010-reads

Why I wanted to read this book:

* I love all things Austen and wanted to see if I could believe this story about Jane becoming a vampire.

What worked/and didn't work for me:

* To be frank...not much. I just couldn't buy into the whole Jane is a damned vampire idea. I had a hard time envisioning her with blood dripping down her face. The story was slow and very uninspiring.

* I'm sure this was supposed to be a 'tongue in cheek' variation, but I found myself not being able to give a darn about anyo...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 4 of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ - Really Liked It

Authors have been putting a paranormal twist on the classics a lot lately. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Bespelling Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, Jane Slayre, Wuthering Bites, just to name a few. =) I am no expert on Jane Austen or similar figures and haven’t read a classic since high school, there are just so many other books out there that I have been more interested in I kind of put these on the bac...more ♥♥♥♥ - Really Liked It

Authors have been putting a paranormal twist on the classics a lot lately. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Bespelling Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, Jane Slayre, Wuthering Bites, just to name a few. =) I am no expert on Jane Austen or similar figures and haven’t read a classic since high school, there are just so many other books out there that I have been more interested in I kind of put these on the backburner in my mind.
I first heard about Jane and the Damned and Janet Mullany from the Supernatural Underground and immediately put this book on my TBR list, and then I was lucky enough to win a signed copy. I approached it cautiously because I was not sure what to expect but after not being able to put it down and finishing it in a day I can say it was a phenomenal good ride!

This is a never-seen-before Jane Austen that will knock your socks off. Jane and the Damned is full of witty wordplay with a poetic twist, suspense, action, irony, conflict and just a dash of romance with vibrant and seductive characters.

Jane Austen, an aspiring writer, attends an assembly and falls prey to her dance partner William, one of the Damned. She wakes up several hours’ later feeling strange and immediately realizes what has happened, she has been changed into a vampire. She confides in her father, The Reverend Mr. Austen, who decides the family shall travel to Bath so Jane can partake in the healing waters, the only known cure for her condition.

While at the Pump Room Jane meets the vampire Luke Venning, who kindly takes her on to show her the ‘vampire ropes’ and introduce her to Damned society. And as Jane’s luck would have it, the French decide to invade the town at the same time and the Austen’s find themselves hosting several French soldiers in their home. Jane decides to use her new vampire abilities and takes up the cause to fight the French. While learning the ways of the Damned and fighting the French alongside Luke she starts to fall in love with him, but is it unrequited love?

Jane is conflicted and deters back and forth with her decision to remain a vampire. She feels she is loosing her writing ability because of the change; writing has been her life’s purpose. She is also concerned with the choice she makes and the effect it will have on her family. The Damned are a family unto itself and only allow mortals around for dining and serving. Jane has a lot of hard decisions to make, which way will she go?

A fast-paced and detail rich plot that never bores and comes to an epic battle, Janet Mullany has channeled Jane Austen in this novel and brought her to life on the pages. You can actually see and believe her as a kick-ass, humorous and witty vampire.

The romance was minimal and what little there is it’s very clean and ran YA style. There were, unfortunately, no steamy love scenes for our Miss Jane Austen who seemed rather naïve in the romance department for her age. Times were different though; this is a Regency era novel, and Ms. Mullany was staying true to her character as much as she could while being a vampire. LoL. But I do so love steamy love scenes and thought being classified as a paranormal romance there might be just one or two but alas, there was not. Which is why, for me, it brought Jane and the Damned from a 5♥ down to a 4♥. Still a fabulous read despite that! I'm looking forward to the next encounter between Jane and the Damned.
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Oct 06, 2011 Vivian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoy reading the fictional works by Jane Austen as well as fiction and nonfiction about Jane Austen, so I was intrigued when I received an ARC of Blood Persuasion by Janet Mullany. Of course since that is the second book in the Immortal Jane Austen series by this author I purchased and read the first in this series Jane and the Damned. I had previously read and enjoyed the "Jane Fairfax" series by Michael Thomas Ford, but that series was set in modern times and Ms. Mullany's series is set dur...more I enjoy reading the fictional works by Jane Austen as well as fiction and nonfiction about Jane Austen, so I was intrigued when I received an ARC of Blood Persuasion by Janet Mullany. Of course since that is the second book in the Immortal Jane Austen series by this author I purchased and read the first in this series Jane and the Damned. I had previously read and enjoyed the "Jane Fairfax" series by Michael Thomas Ford, but that series was set in modern times and Ms. Mullany's series is set during the lifetime of Jane Austen . . . big difference.

Jane and the Damned begins when Jane is 21 and home with her family in Steventon. It is strange that this is set in the late 18th century with strict societal rules and morals, yet vampires are supposedly known to and moderately well-received by society albeit known as “The Damned.” The initial problem I had was that there doesn't appear to be any reason for the vampire to "convert" Ms. Austen other than a case of boredom during a country party. Jane knows very little about vampires and vampire etiquette but realizes that she doesn't want to be one. She confides in her father and the family takes off to Bath for Jane to partake of the waters in effort to cure her of vampirism. What follows are a wild few weeks while Jane hesitates to accept the cure, is befriended by the local visiting vampire community and receives a new vampire master to teach her vampire etiquette and acceptable behavior. Jane discovers that her artistic talents for writing and enjoying music have dimmed. (Can you even imagine a world without Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibilities?)

Jane begins to live a double life, one where she mingles with the vampires at night and the other where she tries to be the genteel daughter and sister her family expects. When the French invade Bath, Jane and the other vampires fight alongside the English to overthrow the French. Of course the English prevail, but Jane has become enamored with her new vampire master. She loves her family and finds it difficult to decide whether or not she should stay a vampire or take the cure. Will she take the cure, return home with her family and writing or will she stay a vampire with her new love?

Again, I found the premise of Jane Austen as a vampire rather interesting. However, Jane and the Damned seemed to stretch credulity. Yes I know this is fiction but even paranormal-fantasy and science fiction make a certain amount of sense. The romance between Jane and her new master is the only part that made sense and rang true. The remainder of the story just didn't do it for me. (less)

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Oct 29, 2011 eva rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad, vampyr

Maybe I've read too many vampire themed books, but this book was underwhelming. Everything in the book felt forced and underdeveloped. I felt Jane being a vampire was not the central theme, there should have been more of Jane as vampire and how she copes and less of the family. Plus, maybe I do not know enough about Jane Austen and her personal life, but Jane in the book didn't really develop she's whiny in the beginning and a bore and she stayed like that the entire story. I understand she's su...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Shuffy2 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jane-austen, vampires

What happens if Jane Austen became a vampire, would her story change? Um- yes and no.
Jane is turned into a vampire against her wishes and her father, Rev. Austen takes the family to Bath to seek out a possible cure. The story takes a dramatic turn when the French invade and Jane turns to the Damned for help. The kind of welcome they offer, especially after the way Jane was 'turned', is not what she was expecting. Will it have a happy ending?...[
As a Jane Austen nut I did not mind the vampire asp...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Regency buffs, lovers of wit

This is NOT my genre, I never read vampire books and almost never read Regency romances, even though I am a fan of historical mysteries.
Janet Mullany and I were friends years ago when she was disguised as an arts administrator and I was a secretary-volunteer manager-facilitator of sorts, so I couldn't resist reading her book, and it brought back all sorts of memories of Janet as a vampire, en sanglant when confronted with George...nooooooooo, just joking, Janet!
Seriously, I enjoyed this. Janet...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Cathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like most of these Jane-Austen-come-back-as-the-undead novels, this started out promising enough. Jane, who has recently been turned into a vampire, travels to Bath with her family to take the waters, which is a rumored cure for her current situation. While there, however, Bath is taken by the French, and Jane and the other vampires choose to use their undead power and strength to fight. This premise would have been much more interesting if, in fact, that's what happened in the book. Instead Jan...more

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Nov 06, 2010 Cheska rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-for-fun

Grabbed this off the featured books shelf at the library after reading the zombified version of Pride & Prejudice. Liked the idea of shaking up the classics with a paranormal twist, but this I felt fell short. Loved how prim and proper Jane was transformed into a more mischievous, almost primal sensuous character - a refreshing contrast to her typical portrayal. The plot, however, was slow, her conflict lacked the right amount of emotional depth (enjoy sensory pleasure with Dracula for undef...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Aleksis Wolowiec rated it 3 of 5 stars

A little confusing at first bc vampires are never mentioned yet somehow Jane knows she is one. A great love story that ends horribly. Understandable Jane Austin needs to write her books. But Janet, you wrote a book about vampires, no turning back and saying "and now back to your scheduled programming." If you are going to write fiction, go on and continue with the the fiction. Go crazy like Quinten Tarantino in inglorious bastards.

Anyway, a little hard to get into at first bc the author starts...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Lori added it

Shelves: jane-austen-austen-inspired

Both Jane Austen inspired books and vampire themed books could be considered an oversaturated genre but Jane and the Damned makes it mark and stands out among the competition. I found the overall premise of Jane Austen, pre-author fame, being turned into a vampire novel (no pun intended) and refreshingly original. This Jane is humorous and witty but she also has a bloodlust - - she is certainly no chaste Cullen vampire.

Author Janet Mullany created wonderful conflict within the pages of this exc...more Both Jane Austen inspired books and vampire themed books could be considered an oversaturated genre but Jane and the Damned makes it mark and stands out among the competition. I found the overall premise of Jane Austen, pre-author fame, being turned into a vampire novel (no pun intended) and refreshingly original. This Jane is humorous and witty but she also has a bloodlust - - she is certainly no chaste Cullen vampire.

Author Janet Mullany created wonderful conflict within the pages of this exciting read. Becoming a vampire and associating with other vampires and their heady, indulgent (non)lifestyle is stimulating for Jane, but goes against her upbringing. Not only does it conflict with her religious family's thinking (Jane's father is a minister) but it also depletes her desire to write and takes her away from her beloved sister Cassandra. While Jane is torn at the loss of familial relationships and devastated at not putting pen to paper, she thrills at assisting in ambushing the French, fighting as a male and rubbing shoulders with royalty. What's a beloved Regency gal to do?

Jane and the Damned wasn't what I was expecting; it far exceeded my expectations. I loved the action, I loved the vampire elements and I loved that Ms. Mullany kept many quirks and characteristics of the original Jane intact. The fictional characters Ms. Mullany introduced were vibrant, flamboyant , excessive and seductive - - Jane was made more remarkable by her alliance with them. It was fascinating to think of our beloved Jane, a proper lady of the times, a minister's daughter, who was perhaps most honest when penning tales, participating in feeding frenzies, throat ripping and yes, even romance. I liked this Jane, I would even go so far as to say I loved this Jane - - this determined, fearless and extremely resolute Jane - - and was sad to see this exhilirating vampire tale come to an end.

Jane and the Damned is a vampire story for those discriminating readers who enjoy a more cerebral type of supernatural yarn. For the diehard Austen purist, Jane and the Damned may be a little too much creative license. I am most certainly adding Ms. Mullany to my list of "must read" authors and look forward with anticipation to what literary delicacy she can offer us next.

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Apr 23, 2013 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: physical-books, vampires

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. After reading many of the Jane Austin adaptions I was expecting more of the same, but Jane and the Damned didn't dissapoint.
Jane has just had her first novel rejected by the publishers in an attempt to cheer herself she attends a party with her sister and a friend. Some of the Damned (Vampires) have also come along. While most of the respectibles shun them in fear Jane agrees to dance with Mr Smith, whom she assumes is using a false name, and is...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Marishka rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire, jane-austen-or-related, paperbacks-or-hardcovers, my-ebooks, reviewed, sorta-romance-maybe

I read this book because, at the time, anything Jane Austen (or related) was of interest to me. Happily, a lot of the books I read were good and really kept my attention. Sadly, this was definitely not one of them. It was disappointing and, after further thought, more disappointing then I had thought previously. The suspension of disbelief (the very fact that there is so much disbelief going on here, even for a fiction book) really just burst my bubble for this whole story.

When I first picked th...more I read this book because, at the time, anything Jane Austen (or related) was of interest to me. Happily, a lot of the books I read were good and really kept my attention. Sadly, this was definitely not one of them. It was disappointing and, after further thought, more disappointing then I had thought previously. The suspension of disbelief (the very fact that there is so much disbelief going on here, even for a fiction book) really just burst my bubble for this whole story.

When I first picked this book up, I had high hopes for it. It looked interesting and the cover was cute (though I usually try to ignore the cover of something) and, after reading the description, I decided that, even though it was outside my usual range of accepted reading material, I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did, just so I know I didn’t like it.

I’m not very sure why this book put me off to much. I’ve read other books that are similar, when known history is different, or where fey creatures are known about, and I’ve had no problems with them. But something about this book just completely made me shake my head and wonder what the author was thinking. I know there’s an explanation for this, but I can’t seem to really put my finger on it. Suffice to say, this book lost my interest about 20% in, but I went ahead and read it anyways.

I just have to say, the whole premise of this book was…well, just ridiculous. Which is saying something, because I’ve been known to read some pretty ridiculous thing in my day. Jane Austen, our heroin, is told to stay away from the, of course, very attractive and interesting vampires of society. This thoroughly confused me, considering what day and age Jane lived in. Vampires are totally cool, even though most of history had people burning other, innocent, people because they failed the “do you sink and drown like a non-witch or float like a real-witch?” test. I do understand that this is sorta explained away as “oh they’ve been known about for a while so everyone’s cool” thing but…it just seemed a little to far-fetched. Especially if they’ve been known about for a while and people are still treating them like they’ve all been involved in a very large, very loud scandal. Again, again, I understand the books point, that they’re suppose to be like this, because of the plot, but it just seemed so backwards that it put me off.

Skipping ahead, I found myself very disappointed in the fact that Jane seems to pick up all of her fighting techniques and vampire tricks like she’s known them all of her life. It’s explained that they’re partly instinctual, but that seemed like such a cop-out. Then again, it would have been fairly boring and tedious to place Jane through a long training process, so why not just make it all known and already at her command. Cheap, but better then writing chapters and chapters of “Jane tried to hide in the shadows but couldn’t” or something similar. Understandable.

Similarly, the fact that Jane is placed into so much danger and seems to jump right into the thick of things (view spoiler) seemed very ridiculous as well. (view spoiler)

(view spoiler)

To say the least, this book was a good idea that should have been fleshed out more, and (I hope) will get better with its sequel. However, as it is, not a book I would read again, and not something I would recommend quickly. Two out of five stars and I really hope it gets better in the sequel!(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was a little apprehensive to read JANE AND THE DAMNED after my failed attempt at EMMA AND THE VAMPIRES. One, I hadn't read the blurb in a while so I was under the impression that it was a JANE EYRE remake and two, I haven't been thrilled with the writing style of books set in this era so it was setting itself up to fail for me. It ultimately didn't and I enjoyed the plot but it had its faults and a lot of that hinged on the writing itself.

I didn't know why this story was about Jane Austen. You...more I was a little apprehensive to read JANE AND THE DAMNED after my failed attempt at EMMA AND THE VAMPIRES. One, I hadn't read the blurb in a while so I was under the impression that it was a JANE EYRE remake and two, I haven't been thrilled with the writing style of books set in this era so it was setting itself up to fail for me. It ultimately didn't and I enjoyed the plot but it had its faults and a lot of that hinged on the writing itself.

I didn't know why this story was about Jane Austen. You'd think there'd be some kind of relevance to it but it rightly could have been some made-up character created strictly for the book and it wouldn't have made a bit of different. So I was haunted by the question, "Why the hell is this Jane Austen?" throughout, making it a touch distracting.

That's not to say I didn't like Jane. I did. She was a very strong woman that, although reluctantly, embraced her vampirism and used it to fight the French when they invaded (a point to be dealt with in a moment). She stood her own as a fighter and even as her fellow Damned looked down upon her as not only a fledgling but an orphaned one (her maker having abandoned her and she was adopted by another) she stood tall, pulling off feats that eventually made them proud.

The writing didn't really lend itself to telling the story well, though. I felt the progression was jerky and I often found myself shoved out of the story due to a ragged transition from one scene to the next. The language was trying a bit too hard and while I never found it stilted it lent to the crappy transitions that kept pulling me out of the story.

That's not to mention that as I was reading I had a niggling feeling that Napoleon's army invading Britain just didn't sound right. Did it make for some good drama? Of course. Jane wouldn't have been able to become the fighter she did without someone to fight so steadfastly against. But it didn't seem right. Love the interwebs as it verified my unsettled thoughts: Napoleon was never actually able to get past the Royal Navy to fight on British land. Talk about taking gross liberties with history to serve the plot. It only puffs up the question as to why it had to be Jane Austen as the lead in this story. I have a big problem with that. Adding vampires to Jane Austen's life is one thing. I was entertained by all of that. But why bastardize history so much? I don't get it. Wait, I do get it: it served the plot. And yes, this book is a work of fiction. But holy crap Napoleon's army never invaded Bath nor took London. It's a contrivance of epic proportions that I still just don't understand. Too many questions and not enough answers.

I did finish JANE AND THE DAMNED, much to my surprise. I enjoyed it and I ultimately came to like Jane and Luke together but Jane is a little too bi-polar for me. She changed her mind about accepting her vampirism as often as she changed dresses and it was rough going trying to keep track of where her brain was in terms of not only her vampirism but her love of Luke. It wavered too much for my liking. She turned out to be a really strong heroine in terms of fighting capabilities and standing on her own but she ultimately had too much negative about her that, for the most part, cancelled it out.

I was entertained so the book served its purpose in that regard but it's incredibly historically inaccurate, I still have no idea why Jane Austen was the focusing character and the writing leaves a bit to be desired. If you're looking for a light, entertaining read reminiscent of Austenian works with a bit more fangs and blood and don't have much else to read JANE AND THE DAMNED will probably whet your appetite. Just don't expect it to do much else.(less)

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Sep 01, 2011 Denae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: random-discovery, re-read-potential, read-in-2011, challenge-1010-by-2020

I am more than a tiny bit alarmed by how much I loved Jane and the Damned. I almost certainly would not have read it, had it not come up on a randomly generated list created precisely for the purpose of directing me towards books I might otherwise not read. I cannot remember how it ended up on my to be read list in the beginning.

All that aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was better than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in that it was more than just the insertion of a set of key phrases into a...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm such a huge Jane Austen Fan but I have avoided the parodies and mash-ups so far, in fear I may be disappointed. I felt that Death Comes to Pemberley was beautifully handled and I admired the way the Austenesque universe was sustained in Pemberley and was really well handled.

I'm also a huge vampire fan. So I thought I would chance reading Jane and the Damned. I believe I should not have read this so soon after reading Death Comes to Pemberley. I have waited a while to do this review, as I did...more

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Jane and the Damned (Immortal Jane Austen #1)

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