Mr. Darcy: Cogs Maketh the Man

by Joan I. Wendland

Who hasn't read Pride and Prejudice and said to themselves - that was a great read, but it would be even better with air ships and clockwork servants! So buckle up for this steampunk reimagining of the Jane Austen classic as told from Mr. Darcy's perspective.

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2018

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice variations and MR. DARCY: COGS MAKETH THE MAN was a fun variation to read. The two big diversions from the original were that it’s a steampunk reimaging and also that it’s told from Darcy’s POV. I was hoping the steampunk would actually come into play even more than it did, just because I thought that was a really interesting twist to throw in. But I loved the moments where we saw it! Darcy’s family owns Tyburn Clockworks. There are clockwork servants. Clockwork soldiers go into battle. There is an adorable scene with an “Alexa” clockwork bird Georgiana has to ask by name to sing for her. Too funny. Seeing the book retold from Darcy’s POV is always a fun variation because we get to see familiar scenes from the series but through Darcy’s eyes. There’s a clever twist at the end that I enjoyed. This is a neat P&P variation that I would recommend for lovers of the genre! 5/5 stars.

[Anna Fitzwilliam · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a weird book!

[Frances Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Pride and Prejudice, which not only shook the story up into something weirdly wonderful, but also cast new light on the original. I'm a purist about language and manners in re-tellings, and this one was mostly spot on. There was even the occasional beautifully turned witticism that Austen would have been proud of.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Expert Reimagining

In this clever retelling of Pride & Prejudice from Darcy’s perspective, author Joan Wendland provides some interesting steampunk hypotheses on the nature of Mr. Darcy and of the evolution of polite British society - and masculinity in particular - that Austen pokes at in the original. Faithful to the original plot, Wendland nevertheless manages to provide new and compelling views of well-known story points mixed with humor and a few original moments Austen couldn’t have imagined! Some Austin fans will not appreciate this steampunk world which, it should be said, requires a little suspension of disbelief to enter, but those who can expand their view of the original will not be disappointed by this well-written story which preserves the tone and language of the source work to tell a well-known story in a fresh and fun way.

[Joan Wendland · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be clear here - I WROTE this book. I think it's pretty spiffy.

[Shala Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore reading Jane Austen fan fiction. I’ve read so many of them that i can’t remember the last time one of them surprised me with a plot twist. I don’t mind. Part of the comfort of this hobby is visiting old friends in familiar places.

Joan Wendland wrote this particular retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view with a dollop of steampunk-ery. Wickham’s regiment in Meryton has airships and Darcy’s fortune comes at least in part from the sale of clockwork servants.

While she preserved the basic parameters of Austen’s plot, Wendland nevertheless managed to write a plot twist that I did not see coming. Strong work, Wendland! I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way out there..But it works

I normally like my JAFF with just a twist to make it interesting. So, I wasn't sure I'd like this based on the description. Loved it though. Try it. The surprise at the end is worth it.

[D.M. Dore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Darcy: Cogs Maketh the Man by Joan Wendland is a delightful retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice… with a twist.

The story is told through Dr. Darcy’s perspective, giving readers the chance to see through his eyes as he meets Elizabeth Bennet, her family, and struggles to deal with emotions he’s not quite sure what to do with… not to mention a revelation that could change everything.

The language stayed true to the classic, and the added steampunk flavoring was seamlessly spread throughout the story making it feel like it was always supposed to be there.

I truly enjoyed this story. It kept me engaged until the end, anticipating the beautiful moment when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finally, and wholly, expressed their love for each other.

Excellent job Joan Wendland!

[Melissa Polk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read from an interesting perspective. I highly recommend you give it a try if you love a good P&P retelling!

[Mary Grace van der Kroef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me. Darcy: Cogs Maketh the Man is a unique take on Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Written from Mr. Darcy's point of view with steampunk elements like clockwork servants woven in, it's a fun twist on the original.

I am a Jane Austin fan and have read the complete collection of her work, so I was glad to see that Joan Wendland did a decent job to hold to the original story, while still making it her own. The heart flutters when Darcy dares to declare his love for Elizabeth for the first time are still there for me.

I did wish that the steampunk elements had been brought out more in the first half of the book. I found them quite interesting as I am also a sci-fi/fantasy fan. There were also a few places that I wished for dialog or description instead of telling where used. But as the original story has already been written I can see how it would be a challenge not to copy large parts of the original if not careful.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes genre-hopping. It was fun!

[Shanna Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Clever Twist...

...both in Darcy’s character and in some explanation of key events from his perspective. A few truly Jane-Austen-like silver-tongued observations, as well. As a Janeite and steampunk fan, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[A.C. Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an odd book!

I like odd though! Enjoyed this a lot. Steampunk pride and prejudice wasn’t some thing I knew I needed in my life. This is definitely that. Well written and the elements from outside P&P are carefully woven in. You barely register them at first.

[W.A. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Pride and Prejudice I enjoy reading all the variations.
This book grabbed my attention, Airships and Clockwork servants sounded like fun to me and it was.
It followed the original story but with lots of twists and changes.
I really enjoyed this book.

[Lucien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, and honestly a great mood-lift while going through a challenging time. I’m so glad I read it.

[Charles Gull · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ politely invites ‘I Robot’ to dinner in the towns, villages and countryside of a Steampunk Regency England.

Read my full, spoiler free, review on my website.