The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch - Melinda Taub

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⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

Yeah, another book inspired by Pride and Prejudice, so what?! In this one Lydia is, of course, a witch, and she's telling her own side of the story. As a child she turns the cat Kitty into her familiar and accidentally promises an ancient power a favour, and at 15 it's time to pay up. The focus is on her time in Brighton with the militia and her friends as she meets more witches and tries to find a powerful stone, in between dancing and flirting with Wickham, the son of a demon. It's told in Lydia's voice to an unknown recipient, and she intersperses her account of last year's events with the present, after her "marriage" to Wickham.

It's really inventive and fun. Lydia is aware of her flaws, but since this is her story, we see every side of her and how others took advantage of naivete. I always prefer these different looks at P&P with a twist, instead of retellings of Elizabeth and Darcy's love story (which is obviously great, but I've read that a billion times). It's maybe a bit overlong, but I had a great time reading it.

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