Initial thoughts: “Goddess bless the Stoker family. Bram’s Dracula story is a gift that keeps on giving. There is nothing I did not love about this collaboration between Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker. As a prequel, it has everything I love about the original Dracula story without messing with it. As a stand-alone, it is cleverly and convincingly portrayed to be the real story behind the story with the reasons for the 102 missing pages of Bram’s original manuscript abundantly clear. Creepy, intense, gory in the right places, great characters – it is the perfect blend of storytelling elements. Plus, like his previous novel, the Stoker family authorizes this prequel. I am most definitely a fan!”

Now: I stand by my gushing. Dracul is a genuinely entertaining and scary story that works for both Dracula fans and those who may have never read the original story. Personally, because I am a superfan, I love the idea of Bram Stoker meeting vampires and that his personal experiences are what fueled his novel. I love that a distant relative attempted to fill in the gaps of the missing manuscript. I love the “Is it true?” aspect of the authors’ notes. I especially love how formidable Bram’s sister is. Seriously, that girl did not let convention dictate anything she did. I adore how Mr. Stoker and Mr. Barker turned on their head the characteristics of the original cast of characters and played with all of the roles. Plus, I had way too much fun with the little nods to the original; it felt like my own Easter egg hunt. Still, I do think that someone who is not as familiar with the original tale will find Dracul intense and enjoy it just as much as I did.

This book intertwines Bram Stoker's actual life with his literary creation. It's an interesting premise, and at times this book is suspenseful and even a little scary, however it's also too long and uneven. I liked the beginning of the book when Bram is a sickly 7 year old looked after by a nanny whose behavior is decidedly odd. I also liked it when there was a sudden flurry of missing bodies, beating hearts, rats, roaches and grave robbing. However, there was a lot of repetition, and when Dracul finally showed up near the end of the book he was a cheesy, melodramatic disappointment. This might make a fun B movie, and I was entertained enough to round my 3.5 star rating up to 4.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

What if the dark tale of Dracula was not just a flight of fancy for author Bram Stoker? What if the origins of the story came from Stoker's own life? Dracul is a prequel of sorts for the classic novel, spinning a dark tale of death, evil and monsters.

OMG....I love this book! This isn't a re-telling of the Dracula story, but an imagining of the origins for the vampire story. Bram Stoker left diaries and notes behind, detailing mysterious happenings revolving around a Stoker family servant, Nanna Ellen. The story switches back and forth in time, alternating from Bram's sickly childhood in Ireland to his facing down unimaginable evil 12 years later as an adult. I was completely engrossed in this dark tale from beginning to end. Easily as horrific and well-written as the classic Dracula, this new tale of the undead is darkly disturbing and mesmerizing.

Like the classic Dracula, this book relies mostly on psychological horror, rather than more in-your-face type scary. The dark and bleak atmosphere, horrific discoveries and mysterious occurrences build suspense, revealing just a little bit of the truth at a time. The pacing is perfect. I don't usually like books that skip back and forth in time, but for this story it worked perfectly. Jumping from Bram and his sister discovering secrets about a beloved family servant to his facing evil lurking outside his locked, barricaded door years later just made the suspense stronger. The characters are awesome. The writing is descriptive, and the horror....chilling.

Full stars from me! Loved it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I recently read the original Dracula, and I was excited to pick this one up! I really enjoyed this addition to the classic!

Inspired by Bram Stoker's notes and other texts that he left behind, Dracul is a prequel to the events in his famous novel. This story centers on Bram himself as well as his family, who throughout much of Bram's childhood were served by a nanny with some unusual attributes. Now an adult, the strange occurrences of Bram's and his siblings' childhood are brought back to the surface as they are pulled into a living nightmare.

Similar to Dracula, Dracul is told through the journal entries and letters of various characters, alternating between past and present The tale draws you in and leaves you with a new perspective on the events of Dracula. An enjoyable read for those who liked the classic novel.

I would say that DRACUL is a good book, but ultimately one that was just a bit too long. And, I say that regrettable because of the idea of the book, to link the Dracula myth with Bram Stoker's own life is marvelous and I quite enjoyed the story. Especially the first part with the creepy nanny. I also came to like Bram's brave and gutsy sister Matilda very much. What for me sadly just didn't work was the pacing. It's a thick book, 500 pages and I just felt that my interested in the story went up and down as the story progressed. Some parts really interesting, other parts, well I lost the focus now and then. On the plus side, the ending is quite good and the story had a lovely gothic atmosphere. Also, I did, however, quite enjoyed the author's notes at the end of the book. Fascinating reading.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, definitely. The story is interesting and you will like it especially if you have a burning obsession with everything concerning the Dracula myth. Confession, the original Dracula book by Bram Stoker was never a favorite of mine so perhaps it's not that odd that I did not totally love this book.

Okay, so definitely NOT what I was expecting, and to be quite honest, I don't know whether to believe all of this happened to Bram or not....Very compelling evidence, some of which the authors add to an afterward/note section. But truthfully, I'd like to believe Bram and his siblings had an encounter with the man who later became Dracula.

When I first began reading, I was instantly hooked and had trouble putting the book down, but as the pages wore on, the less interested I became and more skimming I began. Then I would jump back and be ravenous with my reading, and then get bored.

But anyway, good read, would definitely recommend!

Editor's note: This interview will run in Mountain Times (Boone, NC) print and online on Oct. 25:

Hede: Fact and fiction rise from the pages: Great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker make vampire lore personal and move genre forward in 'Dracul'

Into the fray of monster and monster-hunters is there yet room for another vampire novel?

Yes — if that novel is co-written by the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, the author whose novel, “Dracula,” jumpstarted the genre in 1897.

“Dracul” (Putnam), by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker, is in its essence an origin story featuring both historical (Bram Stoker, chief among them) and fictional figures that follow Stoker and siblings on their hunt for an evil presence. Beginning with their childhood home in Ireland, the adventure continues across Europe in a tale that feels both classic and contemporary due to a form that combines Draculaesque journal entries and modern-day storytelling.

Cinematic in scope — the movie rights have already been secured — “Dracul” is a twice-told tale combining mystery and horror and doing what too few contemporary vampires novels do: move the genre forward. Yes, as with any classic vampire tale, the denouement is filled with supernatural confrontation, but here that conclusion is worth the price of admission ($27 U.S. and 481 pages, not counting authors’ notes, worth of invested time).

Both Stoker and Barker agreed recently to take a few questions from Mountain Times about the new novel, including their thoughts about why “Dracula” continues to fuel our nightmares and what it is that keeps them awake at night.

Mountain Times: One of the surprising things we learn from “Dracul” is that Bram Stoker’s original preface and manuscript isn’t in the edition we are familiar with. What did your research turn up about this, and why might the original publisher have modified Stoker’s work?

Dacre Stoker: It is very possible that the original manuscript to "Dracula" was far too realistic for London readers. We believe that Bram was asked by his editor at Archibald Constable to modify the story to tone it down; the preface was reduced to a much less volatile suggestion that the story was real.

J.D. Barker: In the original preface, Bram actually said the story was true. He claimed Jonathan Harker, his wife, Mina, and Dr. Seward were personal friends. He went on to say the scientist (Van Helsing) was well known, so he changed his name in order to protect him. Whether or not this is true, his publisher would have been deeply concerned with the potential outcome of such a claim. Jack the Ripper was active in London at the time; residents were already on edge. I imagine he thought it could create a panic similar to the one we saw years later with the broadcast of "War of the Worlds." Ultimately, they stripped out the first 101 pages of the novel, made alterations to text in the middle and changed the ending. Much of that focused on removal of the “true” aspects of the story in favor of a fictional slant.

MT: Another fascinating part of your novel is the blending of historical and fictional figures and actions. You both did a lot of research for this story, including on Dacre Stoker’s part, unraveling his great-granduncle’s secret to the location of Dracula’s castle and visiting there. According to your research, Bram Stoker insisted that his novel was based on true accounts. How much of “Dracul” is factual?

DS: For the writing of Dracul, we blended a known Stoker family timeline of events with fictional events inspired by the following Dracula seminal documents: the Dracula Typescript, the Dracula Notes, Tthe Lost Journal of Bram Stoker, the original Dracula Preface and other Stoker family lore.

JDB: Much of Dracula is actually based on fact. For instance, during a trip to Whitby, Bram heard of a Russian ship that ran aground called the Dmitry, it was filled with boxes of sand and earth. This became the Demeter. He purposely blurred the lines between fact and fiction whenever possible. In "Dracul," we did the same. David Morrell (First Blood) was kind enough to send me a list of the reference material he used while writing his Thomas De Quincey series — that proved to be instrumental in capturing the Victorian aspect of the book.

MT: Both of you come from diverse backgrounds. How did you meet? How did this project come together? And, what was the writing process like? I’m pleasantly surprised at how seamless the story flows coming from two writers.

DS: I had read JD’s first novel, "Forsaken," and it included a wonderful element about a journal that holds a curse and takes over the author's life. I loved the story; I had been working on an outline for the story of Bram writing "Dracula," which included Bram’s notes in the Rosenbach Museum and his Lost Journal. I realized the potential and creativity that JD could bring to the project. I figured that I had to meet him to pitch the idea of a collaborative novel.

JDB: Much of the story came from Bram’s own notes and journals. Dacre and I brainstormed continuously — first at his cabin in the Carolina mountains, then over the phone and via email, flushing out the story. Dacre submitted blocks of text, I submitted blocks of text, some were used, others were not, all were important because they ultimately led us to the outcome. Because Dacre’s writing style/voice tends to be more professorial, more in line with non-fiction, we decided to let my voice (more suited for fiction) dominate the final text. In general, this created a fluid partnership — two fiction writers in the same kitchen can trip over each other. With us, individual skill sets complimented, instead.

We were joking around about this the other day and came up with this — if we had to bake a cake, and Dacre was tasked to write the grocery list, the list would be incredibly detailed. Possibly annotated. Most likely have footnotes. And nothing would be missed. If I’m asked to write that same grocery list, you’d read it, speed to the grocery store, double-park out front, run through the aisles grabbing items and probably forget to pay on your way back out the door. I’d probably end the note with a cliff-hanger requiring you to read the back. Maybe lead you to a second note for the frosting. Once we figured this out, and fell into a rhythm, the writing process went incredibly smooth.

MT: How difficult did you find it to get inside Bram Stoker’s head and to find his voice?

DS: In the year and a half of transcribing Bram’s Lost Journal and writing comments on it along with Dr. Elizabeth Miller, I feel that I got to know Bram on a very personal level, even more then just reading the biographies written about him. This was very helpful when I needed to write sections that included things Bram would say and how he would act.

JDB: I read everything Bram wrote and listened to the audiobook for "Dracula" on a constant repeat during my daily runs until we got the last page of "Dracul" down on paper. This allowed me to capture his cadence, vocabulary and writing style. Portions of the novel came directly from Bram’s notes and journals, and it was important we matched his voice as closely as possible. There were many times when it felt like Bram was in the room, nodding along silently as he read. There was a smile on his face when we got it right, and he was quick with the red pen when we didn’t.

MT: There are so many mysteries surrounding the publication of “Dracula.” What are some of those you found most interesting in your research?

DS: With all the research that I have done about Bram, I fully believe that "Dracula" is somewhat semi-autobiographical, or even a “perfect storm” of events both stemming from his personal life and also events that he researched.

Bram’s notes included a New York newspaper article about the New England vampire scare of the 19th century. I also found the one interview that had given involving his writing of "Dracula;" it was very interesting, as Bram mentions that the theme of the vampire combines both fact and fiction, and that the idea had been in his mind for many years.

JDB: Although his UK editor forced significant changes, Bram managed to sneak portions of his original text in foreign editions. The discovery of the Icelandic version was an eye-opener — there are different characters, different scenes. I believe as more and more foreign first editions are translated back to English, more discoveries await. In many ways, the novel is fluid, alive, as immortal as his iconic character.

MT: Why is it that a novel such as “Dracul’ still resonates with and can scare modern readers?

DS: It really boils down, in my opinion, to the continuing fascination with the theme of immortality. Even Bram knew in his day that many cultures include superstitions about some sort of vampire creature. At some point in everyone's life they think about death and what happens to them at the end; immortality is an interesting alternative to ponder.

JDB: At their heart, most fictions are based on some form of fact. I find it fascinating that virtually every culture includes some form of vampire lore, a story passed down through the ages. They’re rooted in histories that existed long before the internet, long before sailing vessels, long before this world shrank and we began to all talk to each other. You can’t help but wonder where they began. Is every culture wrong? Or was there something we have yet to fully understand, hidden somewhere in our collective pasts? Perhaps some monsters are a little more real than we’d all like to believe.

MT: Beyond vampires, what is it that keeps you up at night?

DS: The present state of politics in the USA.

JDB: At the moment, it’s a baby monitor. Little Ember Barker down the hall has yet to grasp the concept of sleeping through the night.

A timely read with Halloween just around the corner! A well-written tale with a creepiness factor that starts out as a quiet simmer and slowly builds to a full, roiling boil. Well-developed, sympathetic characters, a wonderfully eerie atmosphere, and VAMPIRES! What more can you ask for?! I became a fan of Mr. Barker with his 4MK series, and even though this is a very different tale, it did not disappoint. Then, with an actual, authentic Stoker as co-author, it is destined to be a successful addition to the entire Dracula mystique.

Dracul is written in the same style as the original title but adds some light to how Bram Stoker was inspired for Dracula.
Bram Stoker was a sickly youth. But everything changed when Nana Elen arrives. At death's door, Bram is cured by Nana Ellen and inspires a search into the woman herself and how she healed him. With his sister and brother, Bram travels a strange pat that leads him to Dracul and the world of vampires.
The prose style matches that of the original Stoker title. This means there is superfluous wording and a tendency to over-describe each moment and place. This makes the exposition difficult to get into. Once the action starts happening, it more easy to follow along as the tension rises perfectly.
I enjoyed the novel's slant: explaining where Bram's ideas came from. According to additional information included in the book, some things were based on Stoker's notes as well as research into his own lives. In fact, it seems many characters are based on real people outside the family.
Overall, this is a wonderful tale that fits into the Dracula lore beautifully.

A Dracula prequel written by a descendant of Bram Stoker?! Sign me up! Unfortunately, I had a great deal of trouble getting into the book, so much so that I nearly gave it up a few times. Why? A few factors. The first is my fault. I saw Dracula and the author and dove in without reading farther. I was therefore a bit disappointed to learn that the story didn’t deal with the Count’s story so much as it did Stoker’s. Second, the book takes quite a while to find its feet and engage the reader. The plot seems to drag along for the first few hundred pages. At 500+ pages, there’s plenty of time for the story to figure itself out, but man…that beginning is rough.

Now I will say, that once the plot begins to pick up, the book is fantastic. Stoker and Barker do a wonderful job keeping to Bram Stoker’s style and maintain a high level of gothic creepiness. Moreover, they have used historically verifiable aspects of Bram Stoker’s life to add realism to the plot. The imagery of the book is also simply fantastic. Bits and pieces strongly reminded me of elements from MR James’ classic ghost stories.

So in sum, I wound up liking this book far more by the end of it than I thought I would. Fans of Stoker’s Dracula and gothic horror in general may want to give it a go…the ending is worth the slog. More casual readers, however, may want to give this one a pass.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read the original Dracula by Bram Stoker more than once and it has always been one of my favourite books and so it was with some trepidation on starting Dracul that I may be disappointed.....well this was certainly not the case at all I absolutely devoured and loved the book and was really sad to finish it as it was just so damn good. It was written in a series of letters, journals and diary entries etc (very reminiscent of Dracula) and this made the book a “ I’ll just read this next bit” kind of read for me especially as it just got more and more intense as the story progressed. Anyway what more can I say except that this is a truly wonderful book and I highly recommend it as a 5 Star read I also hope we will see another collaboration between Dacre Stoker and J D Barker as the writing was brilliant. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin books for a chance to read the ARC.

This story was so compelling and well driven. i am a fan of all things Horror and this book blew me away. I've always thought that Dracula sequels/prequels have fallen short to live up to its original coined name. however this is not the case with this novel. This book was written by the great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker and J.D. Barker. And let me tell you, boy did the do Bram stoker justice! I was so amazed with e writing etiquette and the story they laid out. We as the reader get a deeper more imaginative concept of the early years of the young Bram Stoker. This chilling tale is perfect for late October nights!

I included this is in a feature about October books on my blog. Actual feedback will be submitted as publisher notes when I submit my opinions in the next stage here.

Dracula. Prequel.

Oh, did I need to say more than this to make you want to read this book? I really shouldn’t have to…but ok.

Dracul was one of my most anticipated books this year (the other being another one of Barker’s works, of course) and my expectations were high. I actually read this about 2 weeks ago (twice!) and honestly couldn’t bring myself to write a review because there are just So. Many. Words! I mean, I could probably talk about this book for the rest of my life and still not get all my thoughts out. It really is that good!

I’m not going to lie, a huge part of the draw for me were the authors. The idea of a prequel book written by the original author’s descendant really intrigued me. I had never read anything by Dacre Stoker before but I figured if anyone could properly tell this story, it would be him. The fact that he teamed up with J. D. Barker, who honestly could write a grocery list and I would be counting the days until I could buy it, just sealed the deal for me and I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Bravo on the October release date, by the way. This is the perfect book to get you in that spooky mood and would also make for an amazing All Hallow’s Read gift. Make a friend, buy the book.

I normally hate flashbacks in books. Pick a time and stick with it. However, in THIS book, the jumps from the “present” day to the past are not only essential to the story but also beautifully done in journal entries and letters leading up to the current time. I think this was a brilliant nod to Bram Stoker’s classic and an excellent way to get into the minds of Bram, Matilda, Thornley and even Vambéry.

Vampire lore is different in many cultures and that is something that I was impressed was brought up. There were several names used and multiple myths that Vambéry debunked about vampires, how to kill them and what they can and cannot do. It was so refreshing to get back to the roots. I mean, vampires have been dragged through so much change over the years that I’m surprised anyone even remembers what the original vampires were like. They are the chilling undead and I was thrilled to see them portrayed as such again.

I’ve also really started to think of this book as not only a prequel but as an origin story as well. The in-depth look into Bram Stoker’s life from birth was amazing and I discovered so much. It is absolutely fascinating and brings about a million questions that I just need answers to: Was Dracula real? If he was, in fact a work entirely of Bram’s imagination, then how can you explain all the events in Bram’s life that would be otherwise unexplainable? Most importantly: Was Bram Stoker a vampire?

Please, read this book but don’t read it alone. Bring this to your book club, buddy read with someone or, if you don’t have anyone, come back and talk to me. I would be more than happy to gush and vent and theorize with you.

My last piece of advice for you is to read this in its entirety but DO NOT SKIP THE AUTHOR’S NOTE!!! This is very important and I’ve shortened this review by at least half a page so I don’t spoil that part for you (and you have NO idea how hard that was to do!). Once your mind has been blown by the extra information you just received, do yourself a favor and read the book again. While it’s still fresh. Trust me, it is worth it!

I’d love to give some type of amazing final thought on this book but I think it’s pretty clear that I loved it and think everyone needs to run out and buy it, like now. I will say this though, Stoker and Barker have created a mesmerizing and chilling masterpiece that I feel will become a classic in its own right, and it is impressively well deserved.

All the thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this bloodcurdling book and provide my honest opinions.

This was an absolute treasure of a mystery to read! From the very first sentence I was entranced by the story, the characters and the excellent writing. The story goes back and forth in time from Bram's childhood to adulthood. The reader learns about his illness-ridden infancy and childhood and Nanny Ellen who had some very mysterious habits and surreptitiously saves his life. Bram's sister Matilda is a precocious child whose curiosity must be satisfied and so begins their quest to discover who and what Nanny Ellen really is. This journey is undertaken with no clear goal in mind, initially. However events conspire to wrap Bram, Matilda, their brother Thornley in a haunting tale that was nearly impossible to put down. It fills in all the blanks about Dracula and will stay with you long after you finish it. Superb!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

I should warn you, you will NOT be able to put this down. I almost want to tell you to read the author's notes at the back FIRST, as they are SO SO SO interesting, but that would take away from reading the book as it IS. But make sure you DO read them, you just might be in for a few surprises!

Just when you think nothing new can come to the 'vampire genre' this (and another book I'll share later this month) book comes and changes all you preconceptions about what the ORGINAL Dracula WAS. This book will shake up what we think about the original classic, and everything that came after it! The twist of "what if the author was actually the VICTIM?" turns the tale on its head. Now the reader will see the story differently, and in a way that is so much more horrific, that you want to put the book down, but you can't! If remember the rush you had the first time you read Dracula or Interview With a Vampire, then you will revisit that feeling with this book! It's not for the feint of heart at over 500 pages, but when the ending comes, you will be wishing for another 200 pages!

Do NOT miss this book!

This is a true gothic horror novel - one of the best I have read!
In fact, this is one of my favorite books of 2018.
It is long, but interesting all the way through and the terror just builds and builds to an over the top blast of an ending!
I enjoyed the way this book was written - the narrative never rambles on about inconsequential things, as I find with many 19th century gothic novels, but the characters remain true to their 19th century sensibilities.
This prequel fills in many things that were just referred to, but not fully explained in the original Dracula book by Bram Stoker.
The epilogue goes on the explain more about Bram Stoker and how the original English version of Dracula was edited to read more as a work of fiction, not to scare people.
Highly recommended reading for smeone who enjoys gothic novels.

Vampires are real. And the biggest, baddest, best known of them all, that Transylvania tramp himself, is not simply Vlad the Impaler, but rather is something much older, darker, and even more evil. At least that’s what horror writer Dacre Stoker, great-grand nephew of some dude named Bram wants you to believe. Dracul, an official prequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, binds hidden pages and notes handed down amongst the family claiming that not only are vampires real, but Bram as a young man encountered them, thus unleashing his historical inspiration, and his ultimate desire for cremation.

Dracul is well-written gothic horror, mimicking the manuscript style of collected letters and diary entries, which is what made Dracula so captivating. The tale within has Bram, out of university but before his time with the Lyceum Theatre, along with his sister Matilda and brother Thornley, fascinated that their childhood Nana Ellen never seems to age. When Thornley’s wife, Emily, begins acting irrationally, not mention the sudden appearance of two puncture marks on her lower neck, their search is escalated into all things creepy and undead. Ellen is, of course, a vampire, seeking to break away from her dark, dread master. A sharp, pointy stake to those who might be able to guess his identity.

Stoker perfectly captures a 19th Century rhythm and environment. The cadence of the letter writing. The usage, and then complete disregard, of the scientific method. All are cleverly and professionally placed. The narrative itself is what takes a while for the reader to fully sink their teeth into. Bram and Matilda’s inquisitiveness as children make for a charming scene setting, but it is not until the hunt is on that the blood of this novel truly gets flowing. Stoker, along with co-author J.D. Barker, do indeed heat up that action to a boiling point. Be patient during that slow simmer.

Bram as an historical action hero certainly works, as Robert Masello in his latest, The Night Crossing, clearly proves. Yet as a prequel, Vlad himself is auspiciously absent through much of the chase. Relegated to shadows and rumor, his origins are mere whispers. He is not the xenomorph from Prometheus coming to birth only to attack and kill its creator, rather, an established evil already reigning as the Big Bad and well on his way to his Carpathian Castle. A true prequel, the story of this Dracul as well as that of Vlad the Impaler, is the story history is demanding.

Another, richer story of narrative significance would be that of the Stoker family history involving Dracula’s initial publication, which was all-too quickly mentioned in the author’s notes. The editing of Stoker’s original manuscript to include those original notes back into the original story would make a fuller, more compelling work of horror than the fiction presented within these covers. Alas, as Coppola displayed in his 1992 film, the sun always rises, sometimes too easily, chasing away those scary shadows into the recesses of our imagination. Dacre Stoker's Dracul, follows a similar path, this one laden with silver.


Fangs so very much to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the howling-good ARC.

“She was there at my beginning, and will no doubt be there for my end, as I was for hers. This was, and always shall be, our dance.”
-Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker

Descend into the dark reality and fictional world of the man who wrote the original Dracula. An account of diary entries by Bram Stoker himself, woven into a fictional plot that has created this stunning prequel.

"What does that say?"
"The Dead travel fast"

Welcome to Dracul

“…for the devil claims their soul, and the gates of Heaven are forever closed to their ranks, as their final test requires them to renounce God and embrace all that is unholy.”
-Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker


Bram was born in Clontarf, Ireland near Dublin on November 8, 1847 during the time of famine and disease. Ill and very sickly, he spent his first years of childhood upstairs at Artane tower, where he was cared for by Ellen Crone. She was in need of a home and was welcomed by the family to help with chores and aid in the care of Bram.

During a time when bloodletting and laudanum were the doctor’s only options to care for mysterious illnesses, Ellen was the one that spent the most time with Bram. Alone…behind closed doors, she always made him better.

Riding waves of high fevers and leeches gorging on Bram’s blood till they almost burst, he was often incoherent of what was happening to him or around him. So what was it that she did that made young Bram recover every time?

“Nanna Ellen’s finger came away red with blood: my blood. “Do you trust me?’ she said. I forced a nod, unable to speak. ‘You shouldn’t,” she replied.”
-Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker

Mrs. Stoker had her hands full caring for the younger siblings Thornley 9,Thomas 5, and infant Richard. Matilda, the only sister was a year younger and adored Nanna Ellen too.

It is 1854, and the beginning of an unforgettable autumn. Despite his confinements, Bram spends a lot of time with his sister Matilda too. He never ventures out or has dinners downstairs with the family, but it only took two words that would change all of that:

“Burried Alive”

Nanna Ellen keeps disappearing for days on end sometimes. Her sickly appearance after each healing of Bram, looking flaccid and ghostly with red glowing eyes, changed only for her to return with no pattern at all, rosy cheeked and back to herself.

After the siblings make a discovery in Ellen’s room and follow her out into the night, the two of them have no idea what deadly quest they’ve just begun. From Ellen leading them into secret places to her disappearance into the fog never to return, they are left with too many clues difficult to forget.

Time jump /Bram Stoker Diary Notes:

“I will gut you from groin to gullet and dance in your ruins as the blood bubbles from your lips if you do not open this door!”
-Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker

There is a monster outside the door and the stench of death and decay is seeping through. Wolves howling and prowling outside, voices inside tantalizing with his mind. How much longer will the garlic paste keep the door sealed before this being will break through? How many more crosses can the hold? Hours and hours go by, he uses all methods of his recollection to keep monsters away but slowly he seems defeated....mocking laughter is torturing from behind the door.

“You’re getting careless, Bram. You forgot to bless your flower; must be the fatigue setting in.”
- Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker

Back in time:

The siblings have grown and laid their childhood memories to rest, until Matilda sees a woman on the streets of Paris that looks just like Ellen Crone…but unaged and younger looking. Can this be? As Bram still prefers to forget, Matilda makes some investigations and presents him with newspaper articles about a mysterious death. A lead they will follow that will take them traveling all the way through Germany.

At this point the novel switches back and forth to the scene of Bram keeping out the monster and the continuation of the storyline as some other characters enter the novel, enriching the riddling and terrifying quest from the other end. It commences in a crescendo as they learn about the legend of Dracul and realize their own connection to the legend.

“You are at my home deep within the Carpathian Mountains….”
- Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker


***

I loved this novel from the beginning. A prequel that is equal its original predecessor and written by no other than the great grandnephew Dacre Stoker of Bram Stoker himself with the influence and experience of the talented J.D. Barker. The book that will be in my top 3 books of the year and an amazing addition to my Dracula collection.

As it has been said in previous reviews, according to the afterword in the book, it is confirmed that the original manuscript for Dracula begins at page 102, crossed out at the top and renumbered as page 1, the first one hundred and one pages missing. Research and cross referencing of those missing pages became the basis of this prequel. As the authors describe, the process seemed eery at times, as if Bram himself was looking over their shoulder.

I liked the way the novel was laid out between different timelines, each adding more dimension to the plot. For most of my reading my heartrate was elevated and I was unable to put the book down. Not expecting anything, I just let the story lead me through the twisty landscape and moments till the end seemed to seemingly fit perfect to the beginning of the original.

This book will be high on the popularity list with all those Dacula fans (ME). Without going overboard in the horror, it offers the perfect amount of hair raising old class scare and I am already ready to read it again. I appreciated everything tying in historically in reference to the German Walpurgisnacht (Wal·pur·gis·nacht /välˈpo͝orɡisˌnäKHt) and other bits of information. And one day I, shall visit Walachia!

As a little cookie for the reader, the novel ends with the following message from the diary:

“End Him”
Latitude 47
Longitude 25.75’

Happy reading everyone! 

I purchased a signed hardcover of this novel and received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

For further reading, here are some interesting links I came across:
www.bramstokerestate.com/LOST-JOURNAL...
www.bramstoker.org/links.html
www.bramstokerestate.com/Presenting_D...