Pride and Prejudice… with Dragons

Heartstone

By: Elle Katharine White

Grade: B

A Pride and Prejudice retelling where Darcy and others are dragon riders. And there’s other things like hobgoblins, wyverns and giant worms but the most amazing thing of all…

A Pride and Prejudice where I didn’t want to murder “Lydia” a miracle!

I like the change ups in this story. Aliza meets Alastair Daired when he and the other riders come to the manor in order to take care of a deadly gryphon infestation. And he annoys her most perhaps when he accidentally attacks her hobgoblin friends. Though he’s still a pill at the parties. His dragon is definitely the diplomat.

Aliza’s mother comes off a lot better in Heartstone as well although from what I could tell she’s in it a lot less than the original.

There romance follows a lot of the same beats except there’s also gryphon attacks and much like ever Anjey/Jane is a bore here to. But I’ve found that was the case in all the adaptions I’ve seen or read.

The middle is probably the longest run of being recognizably like the book. Though Mister Collins gets a better edit here as well. The end is totally different and involves a giant battle with a giant angry worm and Aliza/Eliza going full on warrior woman.

Truth be told, that was a bit chaotic and there was a big sacrifice at the end I couldn’t feel anything for because we didn’t really spend that much time with the character. Heartstone is a pretty simple fun book that really doesn’t try to be anything but what it is. I’d definitely drop into the category of fun vacation or summer reads.

Not perfect but it has dragons, Aliza goes warrior, the mom is mainly silent and Lydia isn’t half bad herself.

Recommend: Yes.