Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist.

Brontë, Charlotte & Sherri Browning Erwin. -- Library Journal, 03/08/2010

 Gallery Bks.: S. & S. Apr. 2010. c.416p. ISBN 978-1-4391-9118-7. pap. $15. FANTASY

No stranger to paranormal fiction, Erwin (To Hell with Love, Naughty or Nice) raises the bar for the next generation of “monster classics.” Jane is orphaned and raised by vampires, sent off to a boarding school (that breeds zombies for domestic help), and loses her love to a lunatic werewolf. It’s a ghastly new spin on the familiar, page-turning classic Jane Eyre. Poignant and charming, Jane could give Buffy a run for her money. Unlike Seth Grahame-smith’s novel but disjointed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (the zombies were an awkward insertion), Erwin seems to be channeling Brontë and the monsters are a seamless addition to the text. The story takes an unexpected turn towards the end, keeping readers entranced. Verdict Similar to Sharon Shinn’s Jenna Starborn, Erwin’s unique and gripping revision of a well-loved classic. Enthusiastically recommended for all. [For more mashup fiction, see A. E. Moorat’s Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter—Ed.]—Jennifer Anderson, Texas A&M Univ.—Corpus Christi Lib.