Cover Image: Dracul

Dracul

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Member Reviews

I didn't have high expectations going in but the book started off really interesting and at one point elicited a bizarre emotion in me: sympathy for flies. Colour me confused 😂 it felt like a comfort read with some really creepy feels for the most part. However, the last 100 pages felt like a slog and I would've DNFd had I not been so close to finishing 😫

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Bit of a disappointment since i had very high hopes for this book. Even though i did not enjoy Dracula by Bram Stoker at all, finding it very very slow and painfully boring, i was still intrigued enough to read about Bram Stoker himself and how he came up with one of the most famous horror novels of all times. And so i picked up this book not knowing much about it apart from what i just mentioned. This turned out to be essentially a Dracula retelling (which i guess makes sense now but i didn't think about it before starting the book). There are many similarities between the two stories (for example the way it is told in journal entries and the vampire characteristics and certain characters as well ...aka Vámbéry), and with this in mind i want to say that this book did for me exactly what Dracula promises to deliver and fails to (in my opinion). If you are looking for an atmospheric, eerie and creepy book with lots of vampire essentials (like blood, gore and grave-digging), then this is the book for you. My only major complaint with this story is that it's painfully slow and i had a hard time getting into it, although i would say that after around page 200 it does pick up the pace. Oh and another minor detail that probably most people wouldn't look over twice is the few Romanian and Russian words/phrases in the book where grammatically incorrect and i say this with confidence since i speak both languages. I feel that the authors could've done a bit more research on that.

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I was really hoping to love this book but I struggled to find myself captivated. It took a long time to settle into it. Overall, it wasn't a bad read but pacing could use some work.

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I chose this book because I liked the idea of Bram Stoker’s Dracula being based on his own experiences. It was an interesting read,
the story is dark and creepy but it took me a long time to get into the story. It's not a book I will get reading but I do recommend for fans of the gothic genre, vampire fiction, and the original story.

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I was left so surprised by this book. I hated Dracula when I read it last year, so I was worried that Dracul might just be a regurgitated version of it. I persevered and was so pleasantly surprised by how different it was and by how well the story came together. I generally detest epistolary novels, hence the fact that I couldn't give this 5 stars, but it was so refreshing and a wonderful addition to the gothic genre.

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This book was instantly so appealing to me. I've always loved the original Dracula story by Bram Stoker, the book and all of the films and just anything to do with it really. So when I saw that Dracul is prequel to Dracula, I just had to see what it was all about. It was also written by none other than Bram Stoker's great nephew (or something! I think that's right?) and J.D. Barker, who I've never read personally but I have heard extremely good things about him and have been absolutely dying to read his book "The Fourth Monkey", which speaks for itself really. I mean, talk about credentials!

Anyway, the premise for this book is that it's all true and based on journals of the various characters (or should I say people?) in the book, the main one being Bram Stoker's own journal. It also explains that the original story of Dracula was also true, and also based on Bram's own experiences. Now I can't say whether I believe that or not, but I do plan to look into it in more detail, as there's more than meets the eye with all this as is explained in the book if you read the author's notes at the end.

I don't want to give away too much of the story because I'm not a fan of spoilers, and it unfolds so cleverly and organically I really think you should go into it without knowing what happens. But basically the story skips between "now" in Bram's journal, and goes back to when he was a very ill child who was mostly too weak to leave his bedroom. The point of interest here is Bram and his siblings' nanny, Ellen Crone, who is a very mysterious woman indeed! Bram and his sister Matilda become interested in the comings and goings of Ellen for various reasons, and the plot thickens. I don't think I need to spell out where this is going; since this is the prequel to Dracula, it isn't likely to be about unicorns is it?

The writing is actually very similar in style to that of Bram Stoker himself. I assume that this is intentional, to give the same kind of feel to the book as the original, and it works really well. I haven't read Dracula for years, but I could believe it was penned by the same author. Similarly, the book is quite long and the pace is fairly slow. But the prose is interesting to read because it's descriptive and wonderfully vintage. The characters are fantastic, especially Bram and his sister Matilda. And the vampire element is raw and as creepy as you like. None of this sparkly romantic business.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes the original Dracula book or story, or any fans of classic horror in general.

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An interesting read, but it took me a long time to get into the story. I liked the idea that Bram Stoker’s famous novel was based on his own experiences. I had been worried that it was an attempt to cash in on the Stoker name but I don’t think the author (his Great-grandson) did him a disservice in writing this ‘prequel’ and managed to capture the tone of the original well.
If you can persevere through the slow start to the book, it’s worth a read for fans of the gothic genre, vampire fiction, and the original story.

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Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker.

“It is believed that the strongest of them can assume any form, be it bat,
wolf, swirling mist even human. They can appear young, old, or any age
between. Some can manipulate the elements, producing storms,
crashing thunder. Their motives remain unknown, but one thing is
clear: They leave a trail of death in their wake, thinking no more of
a human life than we would the life of a fly.”

When Bram Stoker first published Dracula over one-hundred years ago the first one hundred pages of his manuscript were removed. It is those pages along with handwritten notes by Bram Stoker himself that form the basis of this book, “Dracul”. A prequel to Dracula. It is written by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker. That in itself was reason enough to leap at the opportunity to read this book.
“Dracul” is told in the form of letters and journal entries by several of the characters including Bram Stoker and his brother and sister. It begins with Bram at twenty-one years old desperately trying to stay awake in a tower as he waits to face a being of the most extreme evil. Bram records in a journal the events that brought him here, possibly awaiting his own demise. His story begins with Bram as a rather sickly child in his family home in Dublin, being looked after by Nanny Ellen, Ellen Crone, who seems to be the only one who can be of any help to the young Bram and on one occasion brings Bram back from the brink of death when the family doctor could do nothing for him. Shortly after several mysterious deaths, Nanny Ellen vanishes. She leaves without a single word of goodbye and is not seen again for many years. Matilda, Bram’s sister, spots Nanny Ellen whilst she is studying in Paris. She does not look a day older than the day she vanished. From here the nightmare begins.

“I could not help but look at those teeth, glistening white, accentuated
by dark, red lips and his pale, vein-stencilled flesh.”

I found “Dracul” to be beautifully written using more contemporary language than the original Dracula making it a slightly faster read but without ever losing quality. The wonderfully atmospheric descriptions plunging the reader right into the thick of the action. To actually feel the chill of the night on your neck, the dampness of the ancient, crumbling stone tower and actively recoil in revulsion at the worms and cockroaches that frequently make an appearance.

“Dracul” feels like a gothic, horror, masterpiece that can stand beside “Dracula” with its head held high. Each page leading the reader from one dark and terrifying moment to the next.

Dacre is the great, grand nephew of Bram Stoker himself and it seems that a talent for writing terrifying, atmospheric gothic horror runs in the blood! (Pun 100% intended, naturally!)

I loved reading this book and was hooked from the first, spine chilling page. I recommend this to, not just fans of the original Dracula but to anyone who favours a good gothic horror story and everyone who enjoys a good scare.
When you finish reading this story and are telling yourself late at night that it is just a work of fiction, a dark fairy tale of sorts, ask yourself this question.
“Why did Bram Stoker demand that his body be cremated immediately after his death?”
Cremation was not a common practice at this time!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House U.K. for the opportunity to read this book.

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I enjoyed this prequel of Dracul, co-written by Stoker's great-grand nephew, but it could've done with a wee bit of editing to remove some information which felt cumbersome and unnecessary.

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I'm a huge fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula so I was really looking forward to Dracul. I thought it's pretty good! The three Stoker siblings, Bram, Matilda and Thornley are great together. The mystery behind Nanny Ellen is intriguing. There's some creepy, gruesome scenes! While the storyline has similarities to Dracula I can see that the book tries to do something different by bringing in more "undead" characters into the picture.

However, I thought the character Arminius Vambéry to be a poor imitation of Van Helsing. I also found the language to be anachronistic at times which was jarring.

While I appreciate that Dacre Stoker wants to showcase the missing pages from his great-grand uncle’s iconic work, I thought he and JD Barker missed the opportunity to write something truly freaky. It's mentioned in the Author's Notes that that Bram Stoker initially wanted Dracula to be published as a nonfiction. I thought there's a potential to go deeper into his psyche beyond just the notes he left behind. I wanted more exploration into the blurring of fact and fiction in Dracul rather than just a retelling of a vampire story. If a vampire story is all that you're looking for though, you will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

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Fantastic story.This book is super dark and creepy.Unlike many books,the story gets better trough the book.Couldnt put it down by the end

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Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Uk for an electronic copy of this book.
I’m so pleased to have gotten round to reading this, it was so addictive I went through it in just a few days. I almost felt a hunger to read more not unlike the hunger of the undead for lifeblood.
I studied Bram Stokers novel and loved it, obviously, as so many do and I have since continued to attend seminars and lectures about Dracula and the author as both are so fascinating. Dracul Will now be taking it’s place on my bookshelves next to the other texts relating to this most intriguing story.

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I think you know by now that I have an obsession with #bramstoker #dracula. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite novels and not to be messed with. Therefore, I approached #dracul from his great, grand-nephew #DacreStoker and J D Barker with some trepidation. However, I was blown away by how good this book is.

The novel is a prequel or more a companion to the original Dracula. Here a young Bram Stoker is set as the protagonist of the book and it portrays his chilling encounters with the world of the vampire. This book drips with a chilling gothic atmosphere of ruined castles, misty graveyards and red eyes in the darkness. Over the past few years vampires have become sanitized , but like the original novel this book makes vampires scary again. If you are reading this at night you may spend the night under the duvet.

As well as being an incredibly atmospheric read the book also opened my eyes to the mysteries of Bram Stoker.This prequel used 101 pages that had been cut from the original Dracula text, a long lost Stoker journal and the preface of the original novel that claimed all events in the book were true. Even in death Bram Stoker asked for his body to be immediately cremated which added further fuel to the mysteries.

A chillingly atmospheric ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5

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Bram Stoker was always a very sickly child, but when he’s miraculously cured by his nanny with a mysterious past he finds himself linked to her and her dark world in a way he could never have imagined.

I must admit I was a little wary of Dracul by Dacre Stoker - Bram’s great grand-nephew. I initially thought it would be a chance for the author to cash in on his famous name and nothing more. How wrong I was!

Firstly, I really enjoyed the story itself, although in places it feels a little similar in plot to the original, it certainly has the feel of being in the same universe. The characters are all well rounded and I liked the split narrative perspectives between the siblings in the chapters. I also enjoyed the side-stories as well and the whole novel had a nice element of Victorian Ireland mixed with Gothic Horror and thrilling suspense. It’s a prequel to the original and using Bram Stoker as the main character was a nice addition.

It was only when I got to the afterward that I realised how much of the story had been inspired by real life – either from Bram’s personal history, his original drafts of Dracula (which initially had to be edited for a UK audience) and additional notes and letters. This was a fascinating read and the mix of true folklore and actual people that inspired the characters showed how well researched and lovingly crafted this story really was.

Overall Dracul is a well-researched and atmospheric gothic horror which draws its strength from the original to create a thrilling prequel – highly recommended! Thank you to Random House UK and Transworld Publishers – Black Swan for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This dark and creepy gothic novel was a fitting read for Halloween. Purportedly based on Bram Stoker's notes and the first hundred pages of prequel removed from the original manuscript of Dracula, it tells of Bram's sickly childhood and later dealings with a blood sucking creature from Irish mythology, a Dearg Due, and her connection to Dracula.

There is plenty of suspense in this well crafted novel with it's tales of torture and death, graveyards and coffins, Bram's horror filled night in a castle tower fending off Dracul, and a hellish night spent in the Village of the Dead surrounded by vampires. In using Bram Stoker as the central character and weaving his sister Matilda and brother Thornley into the plot, Dacre Stoker and J.D Barker have successfully combined fact and fiction to add a chilling tone to this tragic and supernatural tale of a woman's love and loss. Highly recommended for all fans of horror and fantasy.

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This was an interesting premise, creepy and quite entertaining in th opening chapters. However unfortunately it just could not match the original as a work of quality. It was overlong and clunky in style and I couldn't finish it.

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What if the classic Dracula (1897) was based on the real life of the author? Indeed, Bram Stoker was a sickly child before making a rather miraculous recovery - an infusion of vampiric blood? And so this book affects to be written by his descendant, who has 'discovered' notebooks and such telling the 'real' story.

I must confess, I'm no wiser as to whether Dacre Stoker is real or a vaguely elaborate creation, nor do I think it matters - the conceit of the 'reality' of it all impresses me not one jot. If the story is good, then that's all that matters.

And indeed, it starts out well enough. There's a subtlety to the first part, dealing with the life of young Bram and his siblings, as they first encounter what may or may not be a vampire. However, as the author reaches adulthood, the tale felt like a 'retelling' of the classic, using historical figures to stand in for the known cast: Mina, Lucy, Van Helsing, et al.

To be honest, I found it a bit dull, perhaps supposed to have an extra chill from being 'real' (I can't help but scoff, I'm sorry!). I felt we hit quite a few cliches, particularly the 'friendly vampire'. It also seems to lift heavily from the visuals and perhaps even the motifs of Frances Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).

So, overall something here just didn't work for me, at least after that first section. The story feels derivative and unsatisfying, adding nothing new to the sub-genre. Worse, I think it actually cheapens the original book by suggesting it's a journal and not a well-written piece of excellent imagination.

Ack. It's not an awful read by any stretch, but it just didn't click for me at all.

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Dracul by Dacre Stoker and JD Barker is a great companion book to Dracula by Bram Stoker.

It features the backstory of the life of Bram and his family in Ireland in the 19th century using Brams journals, notes and letters showing where the ideas for Dracula came from. I initially found the book quite slow to start but once you get into it you are hooked. A great gothic horror book and a must read if you love Dracula.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC. My review is my own opinion.

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A prequel to Dracula taken from Bram Stokers own notes and life. Bram is stuck in a lonely tower facing an evil he barely understands but longs to possess him. He must keep himself alive and begins to recount his childhood and what led him to this dark place.

This was such a chilling read. Having been a fan of Dracula I couldn't wait for the chance to read this book. It did not disappoint. It flickers between the past and Bram's present. Told in different parts by his own journal, his brother's, his sisters letters and another we meet along the way. I liked that we saw it all from different perspectives. I couldn't help but love Bram, even as a sickly child there was something so likeable about him. The story itself is a slow build but I was gripped and by the end I couldn't read the words fast enough. The ending was so interesting especially Thornley's contribution. The images created by this are scary and the atmosphere is so haunting. A must for any Stoker fan.

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My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld Publishers/Black Swan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Dracul’ by Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker in exchange for an honest review.

It was originally published in 2018 with its U.K. paperback edition coming out on 17 October. I decided to purchase its audiobook edition, read by a full cast, and so was able to listen alongside reading the eARC for an immersive experience.

‘Dracul’ is a prequel to ‘Dracula’ and focuses on the haunted lives of the extended Stoker family in Ireland during the mid-19th Century. I felt that its authors had captured both the style and atmosphere of the original novel, creating a chilling work of Gothic horror.

Dacre Stoker is the great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker and as such has a unique perspective on the life and legacy of the ‘Dracula’ creator as well as access to his great-granduncle’s editorial notes, journals, and artifacts.

He and co-author, J.D. Barker, consider ‘Dracul’ an interpretation of the 101 missing pages from ‘Dracula’ which no living person has ever seen. I wasn’t even aware that there were missing pages!

‘Dracula’ is one of my favourite novels and I have read it many times over the years. I was very impressed with ‘Dracul’ and feel that it is an excellent companion work to the original.

Highly recommended.

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