by Dacre Stroker, J.D. Barker
Published by Putnam Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, suspense, thriller
Format: Hardcover
Published by Putnam Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, suspense, thriller
Format: Hardcover
“…not all monsters go away with time. In fact, some don’t leave you at all – they wait. They’re a patient lot. And no matter what it takes, you have to keep ahead of them, an inch outside their grasp will do.” It sucked me in! (pun intended!). I was lost in the pages of this book. LOVED it. This prequel to Dracula was Amazing. I could not put this book down. Nor should you! If you are one of the few people who have not read this book yet, I highly recommend you pick up a copy today! Now on to the gushing……. Bram Stoker was a sickly child. He spent a lot of his childhood indoors, bedridden and weak. His nanny, Nanna Ellen, tended to him and only she had the ability to provide him with relief and save him when he appeared to be near death. Soon Bram and his sister, Matilda noticed strange things about their caretaker. Things they could not explain, and then suddenly one day she was gone from their lives. 1868, Bram Stoker is sitting in a tower armed with holy water, crucifixes, and a Bible. He hopes to survive the night and while he awaits the horrors which will visit him, he begins to write…. What took him from being a sick child to a young man armed in a dark tower? What or who? One only need read the book to find out! Written by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker, Dracula is a Masterpiece. I LOVED J.D. Barker’s books The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth To Die and when I saw that he had co-written this book, I HAD to read it. I have not read Dacre Stoker before now, but will be checking out his book Dracula: The Undead. I loved this contemporary Gothic tale. Wait, what did I just say? The book has a very Gothic and atmospheric feel to it but at the same time uses contemporary language and at times I felt it was on the verge of using modern sayings. Heck, at one point I thought Emily was going to say, “red rover red rover send Matilda over” She didn’t, but you get the picture. I am not critiquing the language at all. I loved the writing. I found it made for a very fast and enjoyable read. This brilliant collaboration was a pleasure from beginning to end. The pages were full of dread, suspense, mystery, creepiness, and of course, blood. I loved how the story was told through letters (Matilda Stoker to Ellen Crone), journal entries (Bram Stoker, Thornley Stoker, Arminius Vambery), and texts (no, not the modern-day smart phone ones). I found this book to be a real page turner and for me, there was never a dull moment. I was glued to my seat, riveted to the pages, and transported back in time to the beginning of Bram Stoker and Dracula. A horror masterpiece, Dracul has teeth! It can and will stand on its own merit. A love letter to the original Dracula but again, a masterpiece on its own. It’s a big book which doesn’t feel big. The prose flows and for me, the plot unfolded at the right pace. This is a well thought out and executed book. In short – this is horror done right! In case you couldn’t tell, I loved it. I highly recommend it! I also highly recommend avoiding creepy dark towers, crumbling unconsecrated cemeteries, strange boxes which smell like dirt, things that go bump in the night, and anyone with fangs and/or puncture marks on their skin! |
