I vividly recall sitting in the movie theater in the fall of 2005 as the credits of Pride & Prejudice rolled, full of wonder and awe. Without hesitation, I turned to my husband and asked him if we could stay to watch it again. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve seen it since—so often the dialogue has become part of our everyday banter. Our favorite go-tos are, “You have a very small garden,” and “I have never been thus treated in my entire life!” While I’ve read the source material at least a half-dozen times, I also eagerly throw money at any and all adaptations that cross my path. Zombies? Yes. Sequels? Absolutely. Mary’s story? Sign me up!
So it should come as no surprise that when I began crafting the protagonists for my debut novel, Soulmatch, I drew inspiration from my favorite fictional couple—Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The intelligent, headstrong girl. The reserved yet powerful love interest. Equal parts pride and prejudice shared between the two. Ooh, yes. I bottled up that delectable romantic tension and sprayed it all over my manuscript.
Soulmatch is not set in nineteenth-century England, but a dystopian Washington, DC, where the government-mandated identification of your past lives determines your future. But observant readers will find subtle nods to the timeless Jane Austen classic throughout. The love interest in Soulmatch, Donovan, isn’t betrothed to his cousin like Darcy, but he does have a scientifically identified soulmate. Sivon, the savvy heroine, knows falling for Donovan would lead to inevitable heartbreak, but her stand-offish bodyguard is the last person she’d fall for… until she witnesses his selfless love for his sister, much like Darcy’s relationship with Georgina. Uh oh. Just in time, a perfectly suited match for Sivon enters the story, setting up an angst-ridden love triangle. But maybe the Wickham-esque newcomer isn’t everything he claims to be. Maybe none of them are.
(Psst. Fans of Matthew Macfadyen’s hand flex will not be disappointed. Wink wink.)
Apparently, my love of Pride & Prejudice goes further than I realized. I just did quick scan of my bookshelf, and it’s embarrassing how many of my favorite novels incorporate these same tropes. If you’ve made it this far, we probably share the same tastes. So while we wait not-so-patiently for the new Netflix adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, here are five YA science fiction & fantasy books to satisfy your craving for more of that scrumptious Darcy and Elizabeth energy.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Let’s start with this bestselling Booktok favorite. I have never ordered a sequel as quickly as I did after finishing The Cruel Prince. Jude and Cardan are so Elizabeth and Darcy-coded that it almost hurts to point it out, but here goes. Despite the inferiority of her birth—Jude being a middle-class human while Cardan is fae royalty—Cardan falls hard, masking his selfless affection with a cold exterior and unforgivable behavior. Unforgivable, that is, until we learn his true, noble motives. Swoon! This book will send you on a rollercoaster of emotions from the first page to the last. Don’t try to predict where Holly Black is going with anything. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
Fans of Pride & Prejudice’s love triangle won’t want to miss this enchanting tale where the Wickham-like character is the literal mirror-image of Princess Ying’s betrothed prince. Who will she choose? The snobbish and indifferent real prince or the charming, considerate mirror prince? Well, if you know Pride & Prejudice, you will easily guess the answer, but who cares? The fantastical, monster-filled mirror world Ying is swept into will keep you on the edge of your seat until you reach the promised happily-ever-after. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Imagine if Elizabeth had to kill instead of marrying to save her family. Need I say more? No, but I will anyway. Much like Elizabeth is expected to marry to her cousin to prevent their eviction from Longbourn, Voya bears the responsibility of saving her family’s magic. To do so, she must literally sacrifice her true love, a genetically matched soulmate who finds Voya barely tolerable. Of course, that changes as they get to know each other, testing Voya’s devotion to her family, moral code, and treasured magical heritage. The sizzling high stakes make this book utterly unputdownable.
A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya
But what if Mr. Darcy was a vampire? Lalo is a hilariously uptight blood-sucker trying to preserve his humanity while fighting off the rebellious Carolina. Like Elizabeth, Carolina’s family tries to marry her off to someone who looks good on paper but is obviously the wrong match for her. She’d much rather counter their sexist dismissal of her abilities by proving she’s just as capable of slaying as her brothers. So when Carolina discovers there’s a new vampiro in town, she’s determined to take him down before anyone else… until Lalo’s inexplicable devotion to his human sister softens her resolve and her heart. Come for the romance, stay for the incredible supporting cast, including a frying-pan-wielding Charlotte Lucas archetype.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
He’s in love. She’s oblivious. In fact, she detests his upper-class haughtiness and privilege. Darcy and Elizabeth stans will drool over this rivals-to-lovers workplace romance where Roman Kitt rebuffs his family’s expectations to pursue the headstrong Iris. If you melted at Darcy’s letter where he addresses the offenses laid against him, you’ll likewise drool over the exchange of letters between Iris and Carver—Roman’s pen name—written on magical typewriters as correspondence during a war of gods. When Iris discovers who’s actually behind the heartfelt letters… well, you don’t have to imagine her conflicted emotions for the gentleman she’d sworn to loathe for all eternity. It’s all so delicious. Bring a napkin.
Buy the Book
Soulmatch
I’m assuming a deliberate not mentioning * The Ninth.
Let’s have London Bone by Michael Moorcock instead.
The Bennets live in Longbourne, not Netherfield.
Shades of Milk and Honey, the first book in the Glamourist series by Mary Robinette Kowal, is very Austen-esque and shares some plot points with P&P. Never would have huessed it to be the same author as The Calculating Stars!
“Divine Rivals”, not “Divine Royals” (though I’d 100% read that too)
I appreciate how wide-ranging this list is!