|
Lord of the Vampires (Diaries of the Family Dracul 03)
|
From Publishers Weekly
This final volume in the trilogy of The Diaries of the Family Dracul merges the histories of Vlad the Impaler and Count Dracula in a prequel to, and retelling of, the Stoker classic, seeking to fill some of the gaps left by the original. This novel begins with Vlad's journal entries about wartorn Bucharest in 1476, but it swiftly moves to the more familiar territory of Transylvania and London in 1893. There, it follows the starving Count, his vampiric niece, Zsuzsanna, her servant, Dunya, and their undead cousin, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, as they lure mortals, such as Jonathan Harker, into the castle to feed on them. Meanwhile, the noted vampire slayer Abraham Van Helsing awaits Dracula's arrival in London. Using powerful paraphernalia (garlic, crosses, holy water, etc.), he attempts to save Luch and Mina from the undead's evil embrace while trying to foil the family curse and decipher the angelic Arminius's motives. Kalogridis has a firm command of atmosphere, language and character. After the opening chapter, the Count is seen mainly as a shadowy figure integral to, though not illuminated by, the novel's plot, but the spunky Zsuzsanna and ravaged Van Helsing manage to carry the book handily between them. With its descriptions of iron maidens and flaming pokers it would be hard to call this a kinder, gentler, vampire novel, but Kalogridis reconciles the forces of light and darkness in a manner likely to please fans of justice and the genre.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Think of Kalogridis's series as an embellishment of Stoker's Dracula. While the first two parts (Covenant with the Vampire, LJ 10/1/94, and Children of the Vampire, Delacorte, 1995) were prequels, this volume runs concurrently with the famous novel. Here, Dracula prepares to leave his castle, but he has enemies within. Two other immortals also walk these dark halls, his cousin Zsuzsanna and Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman more vile in nature than the count. Together, these women plot his destruction. Meanwhile, using occult powers he has obtained, Van Helsing continues his hunt for Dracula and his spawn. Other characters, such as Mina and Jonathan Harker, Dr. Seward, and Lucy Westenra, also make appearances but not necessarily in the same way as in Stoker's classic. Kalogridis presents a fine mixture of sinister atmosphere, horror, and eroticism. For most public libraries.?Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Bowie, Md.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
28/07/2009
The DIARIES OF THE FAMILY DRACUL series is remarkable and appealing historical fiction --- the series falls within the realm of historical fiction because Kalogridis bases it on characters from recorded history. I'm a big fan of hers and have read all of her recent books, and I'm also a huge fan of DRACULA and believe in preserving the integrity of the classics.
THE DIARIES OF THE FAMILY DRACUL series is a completely unique take on the original DRACULA, and readers will find that it really adds a lot to it. Even if you may not have realized there were lingering questions, reading this series will answer them. A few examples of questions addressed are: Why did Dracula commission Jonathan Harker specifically and why did he choose to come to England rather than elsewhere?; who were the three female vampires in Bram Stoker's story?; where did they come from and what happened to them?
This series is a lot darker than the original, if you can imagine that. The story is written in a parallel style to the original diary format, and you'll find that Kalogridis has done a significant amount of research on Vlad the Impaler to create the story. This enhances the classic profoundly. The bottom line is that it's also a thrilling story.
I do have a MAJOR concern with the series in that it significantly alters a main theme of Bram Stoker's classic, particularly the central faith-based concept in Stoker's ideal of good and evil. While I'm not at all opposed to the concept of diversity in religion and acceptance of alternative ideas, I do feel strongly that in the instance of tying into a classic, Stoker's original thought processes should be preserved in every important way --- especially in a story which has become so colossal. But you'll have to read the series to know more because to comment further on this would be a spoiler.
That said, it is a thrilling trilogy, and Dracula becomes a much more menacing and terrifying villain than he has been. I highly recommend this book based on the quality of the writing and the story, but I would not recommend it to anyone who reveres the original DRACULA because it is too inconsistent with the classic.
Your Name:
Your Review: Note: HTML is not translated!
Rating: Bad Good
Enter the code in the box below:
|
|
|
