Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford

 This is the first book in the so-far three book series Michael Thomas Ford has written with famous British author Jane Austen as a modern day vampire. I like Ford's treatment of Austen as one of the undead, mainly because he also casts several other literary geniuses as vampires, including Lord Byron and Charlotte Bronte. It is amusing to see that Austen now "lives" as a New York bookseller ironically named Jane Fairfax, a name Janeites know as one of Austen's least likeable characters.

The first third of the novel is just set-up, but the action really starts in the middle of the novel. That's when we meet Austen's literary and romantic rival for the affections of vampire Lord Byron, vampire Charlotte Bronte. We find out why in the next book in the series. For now, though, Bronte is portrayed as a crazed blogger who keeps the rest of her family mummified in a creepy house in New Orleans. Jane runs into her when they are both in town for a romance novel convention.

You see, Jane Fairfax/Austen has written and finally (after 116 rejections) published a best-selling novel called "Constance". Vampire Bronte, calling herself Violet Grey, threatens Jane's reputation during the convention, as Bronte claims Austen's book is plagiarized from an undiscovered Bronte novel. Before true awkwardness can begin, Jane decides to steal the original manuscript back (as she knows it is the copy she left with Lord Byron decades before). However, in the process of burning it, she also sets Bronte on fire. Although Jane thinks Bronte is now dead, the "gloomy one" comes back at the end of the book to kidnap the whole Scooby gang (Jane, her agent Kelly, her store manager Lucy, and her boyfriend Walter), and threatens to reveal to the humans Jane's true nature. Luckily, Lord Byron shows up to save the day and chases Bronte away. Everything ends happily for all as Byron agrees to break up with Kelly's live-in boyfriend, and Jane's boyfriend Walter reveals his love for her.

So no, it's not a classic work of literature. But it's amusing that this author has taken famous Brit Lit authors and jammed them all together in a clever, tooth- baring modern mashup which can be enjoyed as a quick summer read by Austen fans as well as those who know nothing about her. I would recommend it to an~one except Austen scholars or purists who might look for more hints of her18 h century life or more references to her books. 

Submitted by Gerti