Pride & Pyramids by Amanda Grange & Jacqueline Webb

Have you ever wondered what happened to Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice? Of course, they live happily ever after—and stayed very much in love and had six children. At least, that is the premise behind Pride and Pyramids.

Darcy’s cousin, Edward, is aware of his father (and Darcy’s father’s) interest in excavating Egyptian tombs. Edward, obsessed with finding riches in Egypt, contacts Sir Matthew Rosen, who will soon be attempting to find a famous Egyptian tomb. Darcy and Elizabeth, as well as their six children, accompany the explorers to Egypt and the adventure is underway.

Their youngest daughter, Margaret, has latched onto a doll that she found while visiting an Egyptian exhibit. This doll, Aahotep, seems to be a doll that a child would not be interested in, but she holds a special fascination for Meg. Aahotep has a legend surrounding her, and she seems to want Meg to do something for her. This creeps out the Darcys, of course, but this is the doll that will not be thrown away. Any attempt to put her away is unsuccessful. I found this thread of mysticism to enhance the book, although it did remind me of The Brady Bunch—random, I know. But, remember that episode when they go to Hawaii and Peter gets that artifact that he is not supposed to have and all sorts of bad things happen?

There is adventure, exploration, and romance to be found. A nice subplot occurs with a girl who accompanies the Darcys. Sophie ends up in the middle of a love triangle between Edward and Paul, an artist who accompanies the group to Egypt. This turn allows Elizabeth to impart wisdom about what she learned during her grand romance with Darcy. Seeing Elizabeth grow as a woman, and become a mother, was a payoff in this novel.

Other characters from the original novel make appearances as well, including Mrs. Bennett, Wickham, and Lydia. Even though a reader does not have to be familiar with Pride and Prejudice to understand the plot twists, it does help and adds to the enjoyment of the novel.

The characters were well drawn in this novel, and I did not detect any actions or attitudes that would be incompatible with how Lizzy and Darcy were written by Jane Austen. Each of their children was well described and a delight to read.  If you like Regencies or Egypt, this might be right up your alley.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Regina