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Jane and the Barque of Frailty, by Stephanie Barron
Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries are always clever, but some of the books in the series are more emotionally effective than others. It’s difficult to forget the facts of Austen’s life—she...
Jane Austen Ruined My Life, by Beth Pattillo
Beth Pattillo’s Jane Austen Ruined My Life is the latest (and one of the more interesting) examples of the many, many novels inspired by Jane Austen’s life and work. Recently divorced American co...
Jane Eyre's Daughter, by Elizabeth Newark
The front cover of Elizabeth Newark's novel Jane Eyre's Daughter features a blurb announcing that this is “A Superb Tale for Lovers of the Brontë Classic”. That's not a promotional quote from a reviewer, mind you—it came straight from the publishers, who, sadly, are somewhat overstating their case...
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is an extraordinary book, but Bloomsbury’s attempt to market it as “Harry Potter for grown-ups” is misleading. Clarke’s ten-years-in-the-making debut novel is a witty, wildly imaginative book that’s certain to knock the socks off any English Lit major...
Juliet Immortal, by Stacey Jay
I set the bar low for fantasy novels—all I ask is that they follow their own rules. I'm perfectly willing to buy “It's magic!” as an explanation for something, but if the magic in question behaves a certain way, it better keep behaving that way throughout the novel....