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A review by kelamity_reads
Black Mass Rising by Theo Prasidas
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
FINALLY, a vampire story that I can get behind!
As a child, I loved vampires but as I got older that love dwindled more and more with every sparkly, romantic vampire that I came across. I think the last decent portrayal of vampires I read or saw was the film adaptation of "30 Days of Night". So, when I had the opportunity to read a spiritual sequal to Bram Stoker's "Dracula" I was cautiously hopeful for, what I consider, a 'real' vampire story and "Black Mass Rising" did not disappoint!
The story moves at a steady pace and I was fully engrossed by page thirteen. The world building is amazing considering the length of the book and the characters, both primary and secondary, feel fully-formed and genuine. The story is both intriguing and desperately dark. The religious elements were done to perfection. Afterall, can you even call a vampire story 'great' if it doesn't have you questioning just who the ultimate evil truly is?
I loved how tied to "Dracula" the story was and the way that Stoker's characters were reimagined was a lot of fun.
The artwork is beyond brilliant. Seriously.
I hadn't come across any of Jodie Muir's work before reading "Black Mass Rising" but I'll definitely be seeking her work out from now on.
The illustrations are dark, emotive, gorgeous, and polished. They were the perfect accompaniment to the story.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of horror.
As a child, I loved vampires but as I got older that love dwindled more and more with every sparkly, romantic vampire that I came across. I think the last decent portrayal of vampires I read or saw was the film adaptation of "30 Days of Night". So, when I had the opportunity to read a spiritual sequal to Bram Stoker's "Dracula" I was cautiously hopeful for, what I consider, a 'real' vampire story and "Black Mass Rising" did not disappoint!
The story moves at a steady pace and I was fully engrossed by page thirteen. The world building is amazing considering the length of the book and the characters, both primary and secondary, feel fully-formed and genuine. The story is both intriguing and desperately dark. The religious elements were done to perfection. Afterall, can you even call a vampire story 'great' if it doesn't have you questioning just who the ultimate evil truly is?
I loved how tied to "Dracula" the story was and the way that Stoker's characters were reimagined was a lot of fun.
The artwork is beyond brilliant. Seriously.
I hadn't come across any of Jodie Muir's work before reading "Black Mass Rising" but I'll definitely be seeking her work out from now on.
The illustrations are dark, emotive, gorgeous, and polished. They were the perfect accompaniment to the story.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of horror.