Dracul
Overview: It is 1868, and a twenty one year old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate town to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed Bram scribbles down the events that led him here,,,
A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parent’s Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen – a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen – and that is when the nightmare they’ve long thought ended is only beginning.
Pages: 497 Pages
Writers: Dacre Stoker
Recommendations:
Review By: Jason Schulte
Rating: 
I recently discovered that Dacre Stoker has been delving into the same universe that his legendary ancestor, Bram Stoker, once created. By using Bram’s old notes, Dacre has crafted a prequel to the iconic Dracula, with Bram himself as the protagonist. It’s a fascinating tale of Bram’s upbringing, his enigmatic caretaker, and his seemingly supernatural resilience to illness and injury.
Having Bram as the main character definitely kept me on my toes, blurring the lines between the real Bram and the fictional one. There were moments where I was hanging onto every word, especially when the origin of Ellen was revealed and during the satisfying conclusion. Sure, there were some parts that dragged a bit, making me question if we’d ever reach a thrilling climax, but overall, the story weaves together various elements of vampire lore masterfully.
This book reignited my passion for vampire stories and made me appreciate the groundwork Bram laid for the genre. It’s refreshing to see his legacy living on through Dacre’s work, keeping the vampire lore alive and kicking. Cheers to the Stoker family for keeping the blood-sucking tradition going strong!