By Charlotte Bronte, Sherri Browning Erwin

Gallery Books, $15.00, 396 pages

Fans of Charlotte Bronte and vampires look no further! When author Sherri Browning Erwin combines the literary classic Jane Eyre with the undead, the result is Jane Slayre, a blood-sucking adventure. Readers will recognize familiar characters made famous in Bronte’s novel, but Erwin gives them a twist. Young Jane is raised by the Reed family. In addition to being pompous classists, they are vampires and Jane is forced to live on a nocturnal schedule like the rest of the house. When the ghost of Uncle Reed appears to Jane, he instructs her to fulfill her destiny and become a vampire slayer. Jane discovers the art of making stakes and never goes anywhere without one. Just as in Bronte’s story, Jane leaves the Reed family and enrolls at Lowood, a school for orphan girls. Unlike the classic tale, there are “special students” who never eat and who lack any spark of life…zombies in training to become future maids. At Thornfield, her slaying skills are put to good use. Who, or what, is Mr. Rochester hiding in the attic? Erwin’s style blends effortlessly with Bronte’s themes. She has done the classic story justice by adding her own flair.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin