The Pemberley Chronicles: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: Book 1

The characters (both canon and non-canon) were great. Lizzy and Darcy were completely in character and the chapters about the beginning of their marriage were wonderful. I especially loved the Gardiners and Mr. Bennet in this one. I loved that they had such a big role. The non-canon characters were great and fit well into the story. I usually prefer sequels focusing on Lizzy and Darcy themselves but the new characters worked well. I only wish there had been more of Lizzy and Darcy. I read Jane Austen sequels for Lizzy and Darcy and I think this one is not so much about them but the other people around them. The story jumps from one couple to the next and I just wish that, for the first book at least, the focus would have been solely on Lizzy and Darcy and their marriage. The characters also only stay in frame long enough for them to get married. I would have liked to get to know them a bit better. I was also disappointed in Collins' use of Kitty and Georgiana but especially Kitty. She became such a great character and reformed. I wanted to see more of her but as soon as she was married off, she disappeared. The bright spot for me was the history. I love how Collins follows the history of the times. To some readers it might be a bit oppressive but to see these characters in relation to the society in which they live is a true gift. Collins takes us beyond Austen's world and I absolutely love that. She also weaves the history into the story perfectly. I always wondered about Darcy's political views. Would he have been conservative or more liberal? Who knows but I did love seeing him looking out for his tenants because that is not something we got to see in Pride and Prejudice. Overall, this is a great Austen sequel. I would have liked it more if the story had focused more on Darcy and Lizzy but it is still worth a read because it is a very rich and well-drawn sequel.

Of all the attempts to provide a continuation of the characters and events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Ms. Collins has done the best job. Her style is more authentic, and there is very little adjustment to be made, and she is careful to keep the traditions, the mannerisms and the politics genuine.

Austen would surely give her smile of approval when reading The Pemberley Chronicles! The author, Rebecca Ann Collins, in no way tries to mimic Jane Austen's style to a pretentous degree - yet the novel flows perfectly, when it comes to characterization and setting. It is realistic in that it not only talks of love (as many over-the-top Austen sequels do, turning them into little more than trashy romance novels), but also discusses the social/economic state of society at the time, which really sets the scene. Many surprises and turns, in the lives of our favorite characters, leave you rivetted to each page. Collins' first novel is truly a masterpiece that any Austen fan would enjoy.

This is not a book to be placed on the shelf, but one to be read and enjoyed again and again. Meet the next generation of Darcy's, Bingley's, Fitzwilliam's, and Gardiner's in The Pemberley Chronicles. History comes to life through the eyes, ears, and experiences of our favorite Jane Austen characters and some new friends as well. Through "the Chronicles," Rebecca Collins brings readers into one of the most socially turbulent times in English history. We are swept up not only in the private lives of the characters as they journey through good times and bad, but also into a vortex of the political unrest and even violence which is beginning to creep onto the pastoral scenes so well-known to Austen fans. We see our friends grow and adapt to meet the challenges of their time. Set against a backdrop of the Industrial Revolution with all of its social impacts, who could have foreseen that our dear friends would show their strength and character through political activism, pamphleteering, and even as suffragists? If you love Jane Austen and her characters... If you love your novels peppered with history or subtle social commentary... Even if you simply love a really good read... pick up Rebecca Collins' Pemberley Chronicles. You'll be glad you did.