BBNYA Finalist 2025 Review: MISS BENNET’S DRAGON

Hey bookworm friends. The finalists tour for BBNYA 2025 is still going strong and today is my stop for Miss Bennet’s Dragon! I’m really happy to share with you my review of this indie gem because it was one of my favourite reads of last year 🤩!

About Miss Bennet’s Dragon

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Blurb

War threatens England, but Elizabeth Bennet’s battles are closer to home. She’s managing the family estate for her ailing father. Insufferable gentlemen keep bursting in to propose marriage. And most dangerous of all, she’s hiding a forbidden skill. Elizabeth can speak to draca, the small, fire-breathing dragons kept by gentry as frivolous status symbols.

When Napoleon’s spies attempt to steal draca, the distant war threatens even cozy Hertfordshire. Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Darcy, the proud man whose proposal she once scorned. Amid the breathtaking halls of Pemberley, she discovers the truth: she is not the first woman to speak with draca. But with her secret revealed, the dark history of Pemberley tears her and Mr. Darcy apart.

One hope remains: her dangerous affinity to draca. But does she dare to trust legends and lost songs? And when a terrible betrayal threatens the man she loves, does she have a choice?

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the first book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy trilogy. For fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and of course Jane Austen.

Purchase Links

⟡ Amazon US│Amazon UK│Amazon CA ⟡

Review

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice; it starts very faithful to the original story but slowly, and then all of a sudden, it diverges and expands in fascinating and supernatural directions. If Regency England had dragons, they would definitely be used as status symbols and this book takes that idea and absolutely runs with it!

I’m familiar with P&P through the adaptations (I’ve yet to read it—sacrilege, I know!) and I enjoyed the blend of familiar story beats and characters with a unique world with draca and the politics of binding them plus the tension from the war against Napoleon. Certain characters got more time in the spotlight and became even more villainous which was such fun! There’s also so much lore and mythology and even a bit of mystery that made the world feel so vivid and magical. I was utterly engrossed the whole way through.

“Society’s gossip is a wicked thing”, Mary said. “The search for anonymous approval by the ill-informed is a great waste of the creative spirit.”

I enjoyed the writing style, it was engaging and witty. I especially loved the banter between Lizzie and her sisters and the awkward interactions with Mr. Darcy. The vibe was a clear homage to Austen while the language and self expression of various characters is more in keeping with modern conventions. I will say that while the pacing was mostly great, there were a few scenes at the beginning that I felt we flew past too quickly. So much happens and yet Verant still found time to spend quiet moments with the characters.

The characters were such a strong point; they felt real and I had strong feelings one way or another for all of them! I truly felt like I was living vicariously through them and I got choked up several times while reading. During sweet moments or when Lizzy and Mary had deep realizations. My heart! I’m sure it’s incredibly challenging to write such iconic characters and give them his own spin. I think it shows how talented this author is that I managed to fall in love with the characters the way he wrote them—not the versions of them that already exist in my head.

“Things that seem simple in the complacency of self-satisfied confidence become intricate puzzles when you care enough to understand the layers and folds of another life.“

Overall, I loved this story and I had a blast coming up with theories! I’m so happy that it’s a series and I can’t wait to continue the adventure!

About M. Verant

About BBNYA