Review and Giveaway! "Emma and The Vampires"


"Emma and the Vampires"

by Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson

Source: ARC provided for review by Sourcebooks

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

My Review:

Take Jane Austen's original novel, "Emma", and make all the leading men vampires while Emma and her female companions must decide which vampires and good and which are worth marrying. Emma and Harriett even get to put a few stakes through some undead hearts!

This was my first mash-up novel, Jane Austen or otherwise. I was a little disappointed in this one just because it wasn't what I was expecting. I didn't feel like enough was changed from the original "Emma". Yes, the men were vampires, but the story followed the exact same plot with all of the exact same scenes, only with a few vampires attacking after dinner parties, etc.

However, I read the author's note at the end of the book, and Josephson said that one of his main motives was to make the original "Emma" more accessible to modern readers, especially teens. I appreciate his intentions, and I can see why he wanted to stay so close to the original. I do think he achieved this goal, because if you had never read Emma before, you really would have a great understanding of the original after reading this book. I personally just wanted to see more of story 'inspired by' the original, instead of a re-write.

Mr. Robert Martin is my favorite character in the original "Emma" and I loved the author made lots of mention of the gentle farmer here. Robert Martin, the vampire, even throws a cow over his fence in his frustration over Harriet's marriage refusal! That alone was worth reading the book, in my opinion!!

Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5 (sigh, Mr. Martin...)

Setting: 4/5

Romance: 3/5

Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 5/5 (love it!)
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Having read the original novel, this book seemed too much of a rehash with not enough new elements. However, since the original is much unchanged here, maybe new readers unwilling to try the Austen classic would get a chance to read the story here.


GIVEAWAY RULES:
Liz at Sourcebooks
has generously provided a finished paperback of this book for readers of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!

Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.

Extra Entries:
  • +2 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
  • +2 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)
  • +2 Answer the question: What do you think of the mash up books out now? Have you read any??

Rules:
  • US only
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
  • Leave a comment with your email address
  • Book will be mailed by me :)
  • Ends Friday August 27
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

30 comments

  1. Please include me in your giveaway. I am a follower.
    Thanks
    Debbie D
    debdesk9(at)verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. I kind of loved this one cos he hadn't changed much. It fitted to well then. I liked it more than PP and zombies, just cos that one was more changed :)

    So are you game for trying more mash-ups?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am a follower!
    I Tweeted! http://twitter.com/Tiffanysblogs/status/20822246096
    +2

    I own at least 7 mashup books, some are great (I love love love Jane Slayre) some are not so great (The Undead Land of Oz kind of sucked).
    +2

    tiffanyniekro at gmail dot com

    5 total entries

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am a follower :)

    +2 - I've only read a few mashup books, and while some are endlessly entertaining (Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters), others are sorely lacking because they ruin the originally-loved concepts (Mr. Darcy, Vampyre).

    ReplyDelete
  5. I haven't read one of these "re-tellings" of a classic yet - it seems wrong to have the original authors name on it. Maybe inspired by would sit better with me. I got Emma at BEA so I'll give it a try & see how I feel after I read it. No need to enter me in the contest...just putting in my two cents!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary D
    zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

    I've never read Emma, but this is one I've recently added to my TBR list, so I am thrilled to enter a giveaway to (hopefully) win a copy :D

    I follow you via Google

    +2 Most of these mash-ups I've really enjoyed! Pride & Prejudice & Zombies has been my fav thus far :) Hope the trend continues!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This really sounds great since I enjoy everything Austen. Good luck everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the contest, I love unique spins on all things Austen!
    I'm a follower!
    Email address:
    thebooksophisticate@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. ha ha :) LOL and *smiles*
    I had to laugh at our beloved Mr. Martin tossing a bovine :)

    FAB!

    (not an entry)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm a follower.

    hewella1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. LOL...sounds like a fun book. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  12. +2 Comment
    My favorite Mash Up was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter was pretty good too. Sense and Sensibility and SeaMonsters, not so much. I think what makes a good one is integrating the "monsters" into the actual story, rather than having them just exist.

    +2 Tweet (I tweeted the contest, but I don't know how to post a link to it - I'm "LtlMissMolly").
    lvsgund @ gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just love mash-ups :) I'm with LilMissMolly, my fave so far was Pride and Prejudice with zombies, lol

    aliciaeflores1 @ yahoo.com

    GFC follower

    ReplyDelete
  15. Publicly following In the Hammock with Google Friend Connect [Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug}] -- I enjoyed your review and would love to read Emma and The Vampires :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!

    +2 Tweeted the giveaway

    +2 Linked the giveaway in sidebar, Delicious

    +2 I haven't read any mash up books yet, so I don't really have an opinion on them.

    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Google follower, please count me in!

    +2 Haven't read any mash up books but definitely plan to!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Neat! I liked the original Emma.

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

    +2 http://twitter.com/bookishinabox/status/21020657108
    +2 Sidebar: http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com/
    +2 Originally I was opposed to them, but now, though I still haven't read any, I really want to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (and Emma and the Vampires, of course!).

    ReplyDelete
  18. I follow via GFC. Thanks for the opportunity!

    forsurveysonly at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a lovely give away! I'll be following you in mere seconds. And my email address is abookishwonderland@yahoo.com

    There's a give away on my blog as well if you're interested.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great giveaway! I am a follower
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm a follower. Please count me in!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    I have a couple of mash up books, but haven't read them yet. I think they are fun and must be fun to write!

    ReplyDelete
  22. This looks really good
    Follower
    Link here http://dementedreading.blogspot.com/

    Question :I really like them. I have read pride and pride and Zombies one. It was rather funny

    vampireprincess2468@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. im a follower

    jecca.0104@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm a public new follower! Please enter me

    vvperesk@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Answer: We've reviewed quite a few mash up books on my blog, but I haven't personally read any. So would love to give this a try! vvperesk@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Entry #2 for answer above

    vvperesk@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks for this giveaway!

    allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I read Pride, Prejudice and Zombies and thought it was pretty good. It's a great way to get teens to read the classics.

    allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I follow!

    +2 I've never read any mash-up books but they sound interesting!

    bmweida at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for your lovely comments!