Variations on Pride and Prejudice have become rather common, but this one enlisting magic, mages and dragon has a fresh approach. Both of the main characters have magical earth powers and utilize them for the good of England. Darcy has been enlisted by the Crown on a spy mission that will in all likelihood end in his death. As love grows between Darcy and Elizabeth she puts all the power of her family in finding a solution to keep him safe. Those who become caught up by the story will be impatiently awaiting the new installment.

This was a lovely, drama-filled, easy-read story with a twist I was not expecting!!! I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Low spice/fade-to-black, Pride and Prejudice with magic, great characters, and a pleasant style of writing! I was hooked throughout.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Spellbound at Pemberley by Abigail Reynolds is a marriage of convenience Pride and Prejudice retelling where Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet both have magical abilities and are married quickly in order to produce an heir. Darcy is meant to be sent to France on a mission where he is not expected to live and Elizabeth is meant to stay on his land to feed his magic.

The magical system is based firmly in the land and is mostly done via inference rather than explanation. Dragons and familiars make appearances as does magical abilities repelling each other, which I thought was an interesting touch. In this world, mages feel pain when they are in close proximity with each other and many marriages between people with magical abilities are ones where the spouses live separate from each other and the child is shipped between them. Elizabeth and Darcy not being repelled by each other is extremely rare and adds a layer to their dynamic in this world.

I would recommend this to fans of Pride and Prejudice looking for a touch of magic and readers of marriage of convenience.

Spellbound at Pemberley by Abigail Reynolds is a delightful blend of fantasy and Jane Austen's classic **Pride & Prejudice**. In this enchanting variation, Fitzwilliam Darcy is not just a wealthy gentleman—he's a powerful mage skilled in illusions. His abilities make him the ideal candidate for a perilous mission to end the devastating war with Napoleon, even if it means risking his own life.

Enter Elizabeth Bennet, whose magical Talents run deep and mysterious. When Darcy realizes he needs her assistance, he proposes an immediate solution: marriage. But Elizabeth has her reservations. Marrying Darcy would sever her magical bond to Longbourn and force her to relinquish her Talent forever.

As dragons join the European conflict, England's fate hangs in the balance. Elizabeth faces the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, their newlywed journey to Pemberley is fraught with danger. Dragons watch their every move, and a startling revelation forces them to question their beliefs. Can they overcome their differences, trust each other, and save their country—and their lives?

Abigail Reynolds weaves a spellbinding tale where love, magic, and destiny collide. If you're a fan of both fantasy and Austen, Spellbound at Pemberley promises an enthralling adventure into a world where romance and enchantment intertwine.

Jane Austen fans unite and rally around this beautifully woven retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy and Darcy are forced to marry because both of them wield magic that can save England from Napoleon's forces. Do they actually love each other is this a partnership of mutual convenience? SpellBound at Pemberley will delight fans of Jane Austen and regency romantic fantasy alike.

A fun concept, but it was slightly meandering throughout. I never could fully get a grip on the plot, and the only element that was similar to P&P was the names. There really was no reason to make this a P&P fanfic spinoff or whatever. It really could've been a regency fantasy and been made its own rather than riding on the P&P bandwagon. That said, I do think it's a solid start to what most likely will be an engaging, unique story. I just don't think it needed any P&P elements.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ebook. All thoughts are my own, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Wow, this was FUN! Exciting mix of fantasy world meets Darcy and Elizabeth. Abigail Reynolds is the master of Pride and Prejudice Variations, this one wasn't as steamy as her other ones usually are, and was a definitely different take on what I have read of her variations before. But I enjoyed it sooo much! Darcy and Elizabeth true to character even if their lives look quite different (as well as their connections). My only thing...I didn't realize this was to be a series, so the ending seemed quite abrupt. Can't wait for Book 2. Well done!
Thanks to #NetGalley and White Soup Press for the ARC.

This book is a variation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It has magic, dragons, and fae. Darcy is a mage, and Elizabeth has magic of her own, which they call talents. Because this is a variation, the author does not take the time to develop the characters. I guess it is expected that the reader should already know the characters and their mannerisms and characteristics, There isn't much time given to explain the talents and the world the characters were in. I felt like I was just dropped into the middle of the story. If I were not a fan of Austen's I am unsure I would have enjoyed or connected with these characters well. It is an entertaining read, it's a short one. It does end on a cliffhanger. I liked it enough that I want to read the sequel and fans of Austen and fantasy would like this also

I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own

Description
Fitzwilliam Darcy is a powerful mage and master of illusions. His abilities make him the perfect man for a dangerous mission to end the devastating war with Napoleon – a mission that would leave him little chance of returning alive. When he meets the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet, whose magical Talents are as deep as they are inexplicable, he knows he needs her help. And there’s only one way to get that – marriage. Immediately.

Elizabeth wants nothing to do with his plan. Marrying Darcy would mean breaking her strong and beloved magical bond to Longbourn and giving up the use of her Talent forever. Then dragons enter the war in Europe, and England's survival hangs in the balance. And Elizabeth must make the ultimate sacrifice.

But dragons are already watching their newlywed journey to Pemberley, and a shocking discovery will force them to question everything they believe. Can they learn to trust each other and work together to save their country--and their lives?

If you enjoy fantasy and Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice, you'll love Spellbound at Pemberley, the first book of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage!

Spellbound at Pemberly is a Pride and Prejudice retelling with a magical twist. I love seeing how Darcy and Elizabeth are reimagined. This one is listed as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage #1. I'm hopeful that this series will continue.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Abigail Reynolds for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Spellbound at Pemberley. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I love any type of Jane Austen adaptations whether they are books or movies. This one was really fun because it was magic based witches and warlocks. The addition of magic was really fun to the plot. I really enjoyed the characters. I thought the changes from the original Pride and Prejudice were fun and made it interesting. The writing was great. The only thing is I think the book was heavily focused on Darcy and Elizabeth. It would’ve been nice to see more of the other characters. I think there will be more books in the series, so maybe that will be explored more later on.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Pride and Prejudice adaptations!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

First I loved it , a great spin on a classic, a little bit of romance a little bit of magic. I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel but I found a new genre to love. Or a mashup of a few genre, romance and fantasy. Now I need to read the next book in the series. So I guess I also found a new to me author to love

I received an ARC of this book but am leaving an unbiased review.

Some of the Pride and Prejudice books leave me bored or feeling like I'm reading something that has nothing in common with the original work other than names. This wasn't that. I could see where pride and prejudice came in, and it kept me enthralled. I liked the world- building too. The idea of magic and talents made the characters more believable, and their history explains a lot about their characters.

That said, it wasn't perfect. The end of this book comes out of nowhere and feels way too abrupt. Darcy's inner monologues get annoying at times. I would have likely felt the same of the original work, so that feels authentic, but that still makes him unlikable at times. There is also a few too many side characters that don't feel very developed. I might have preferred using some of the ones from the book rather than making up these people and leaving me with more questions. Still, that said, I liked it and will read more.

In an alternate universe, where landowners and their families are magically linked to their land, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is in need of a wife. He is to leave England on a secret mission, and will need a wife to help him access the power of his home while away. Most “landed” people (those who are connected to their land) are repelled by one another. However, it seems that Miss Elizabeth Bennett is a rare exception to this.

This story had a good balance of keeping to the original while creating a new story for one of my favorite literary couples. The writing stuck to the same style as Jane Austin, which I appreciated. The magic system made sense and was woven into the story well.

I enjoyed this novel, the first in a trilogy. I look forward to reading the next two books when they are published.

I have mixed thoughts about this one.

First, the good: the prose is easy to read and clear,, and the relationships between the characters are enjoyable. The two tiered magic system is a very interesting one and I particularly liked the introduction of the repulsion as an element. I particularly liked Elizabeth’s dragon companion.

The not so good: it was just trying to do too much in too few pages. There’s the whole Pride & Prejudice plot which honestly? I could have done without. It feels sillly to say that given the whole reason I picked this up was because of the P&P aspect but truly, it diverges from the plot so much that I would have rather just renamed everything and had it be its own original world. The book starts off throwing you in the deep end and continues to randomly drop totally new elements with big info dumps throughout, which breaks up the flow and enjoyment of the story. So many elements, characters, and conflicts are introduced for a story where plot wise, very little happens. I feel like the pacing was quite inconsistent and a near death experience is treated about the same as a rumor that Lizzy is cheating on her husband.

Very fun concept, lots of great elements, but not quite there for me on the execution.

A fantasy Pride and Prejudice variation where Darcy is a Maga, and capable of illusions, perfect to be sent on a mission to kill Napoleon. Then he meets Elizabeth with her Land Talent. But Napoleon is using dragons and sea serpents against the British forces is there any chance that Darcy will survive.
An entertaining and well-written variation. The story continues in the next part of the trilogy.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this book turned out. I really thought I knew what I was getting into after reading the description but I was utterly unprepared!

I was a bit thrown off with some of the dialogue in the beginning of the book. However, as time went on I did not even notice the difference anymore, This was an interesting take on Darcy and Elizabeths love story, and I think I prefer this one. Everything is better with magic though, right?

In this world there is landed talent, literally magic talent that is attached to a specific area of land, and there is mage talent. Mage talents might be able to cast illusions, affect the weather, or any number of other things. While landed talent will ensure the crops are bountiful, the trees large and strong, and the animals in top health. People with talent feel physically repelled by another person with talent. My one complaint is that was not really explained in the beginning. I was able to figure it out after I went but it made for a confusing several chapters at the start.

Our MCs met and there were sparks immediately, and I’m not talking the good kind. Darcy was rude and abrasive and Elizabeth wasn’t standing for it. However, when Darcy discovers she has more magic than she lets on, and that they do not repel each other, feelings shift rapidly. Now he will stop at nothing to have her. If only he could guarantee that they will have a long future ahead of them.

I enjoyed the writing and all of the fantasy aspects of this book. I even enjoyed most characters. However, the things that’s annoyed me about Darcy in the story this book was based off of, still annoy me here. You will still not be able to keep me from reading the next book in the series though lol. I am intrigued and I HAVE to know how it ends.

I didn't know how I would feel about a SF Pride and Prejudice retelling but I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. It was the most unique retelling that I have read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
I've read a couple of Abigail Reynolds' Jane Austen 'spinoffs' before and quite enjoyed them.
I wasn't sure about P&P with magic, but I was won over. The author has created a quite interesting and complicated magical system, and she's integrated it well with Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship. There are talking dragons and other magical creatures.
Set while Britain and France are still at war, and magic is being used on the battlefield, so it's reminiscent of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in this instance.
Keep in mind that this is the first book in a series. The main characters marry early on and have a physical relationship (it's not graphic or the focal point of the book but might bother some readers?)
4-4.5 out of 5, I found it a little uneven in places, and I always find books that end on a cliffhanger a bit annoying.
Would recommend to fans of historical fantasy romance (is that a genre) - good fun!

I am writing this review for Net Galley. This is the first book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage series.

This is a retelling of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy but it involves Magic. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth meet in a field when there is what Elizabeth thinks is a herd of cattle running. There is a little kid in the field. In order to stop the cattle from trampling the kid, Elizabeth takes a risk in using her powers thinking no one is watching. She turns out to be wrong when Mr. Darcy appears out of nowhere.

Mr. Darcy can make illusions. Between the two of them, their magical powers bring them together. However, Elizabeth has to be careful when working her powers with illusions as she can become weak. Because of the magic between the two came to agreement to marry one another so they will have a child. Will Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth come together and learn to really love one another?

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn't to sure if I would like a retelling of Pride and Prejudice that involved magic, but I found it to be very easy to understand. The magic actually made it a faster read and more interesting. If you like magic and Pride and Prejudice that you will enjoy this series.

2.75

This was a cute book and I really enjoyed it. The story starts off where Elizabeth Bennett and Fitwilliam Darcy have already made each other's acquaintances. I felt like it dragged on a little too long for what it was, but I otherwise enjoyed it.
It has a part 2 and I think I would like to continue it to know what happens.