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A review by arnrockwell
Dracula's Child by J.S. Barnes
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dracula's Child by J.S. Barnes is this author's attempt to make a sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula. It takes place roughly 12-13 years later and follows several characters over a period of several months. There are some returning characters from Stoker's tale, as well as many new faces. It's is also written in a very similar format to Stoker's book, known as an epistolary novel: a book written as a series of documents. In this case, the book contains diary entries, letters, telegrams, and newspaper articles in chronological order.
Two characters are the primary focus of the novel: Quincy Harker, the son of John and Mina Harker, and newcomer Gabriel Shone. We don't see these two characters' own thoughts in this book, save for the last two entries in the book, but through the accounts of other people. This is a good thing, however, as witnessing their side of things would've removed some of the mystery from the story.
The story begins with a meeting of the surviving members of the main group from Dracula, and the story officially takes off after Professor Abraham van Helsing suffers from what seems to be a heart attack and falls unconscious. The book takes it's time introducing the characters and building the plot. But once it does take off, it moves at a descent pace, becoming lightning fast by the climax. Speaking of the climax, don't expect an epic battle or you will be disappointed.
Most of the characters, the ones that matter, are fairly well developed. The more personal touch epistolary grants helps to develop the characters, and allows you to picture them with ease. I could grasp the scenes, personalities and settings with no trouble at all.
Though I've only read Dracula once so far, I can say with certainty that the author did a good job with mimicking the writing style of Bram Stoker. There are a few times where the illusion slips, but it is only for a brief moment and doesn't pull me out of the book too much. My primary reason for not rating this book higher than average is due to me not being fond of epistolary books, though I still enjoyed it. I can definitely see myself owning a copy and reading the book again in the future. D
Dracula's Child by J.S. Barnes is this author's attempt to make a sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula. It takes place roughly 12-13 years later and follows several characters over a period of several months. There are some returning characters from Stoker's tale, as well as many new faces. It's is also written in a very similar format to Stoker's book, known as an epistolary novel: a book written as a series of documents. In this case, the book contains diary entries, letters, telegrams, and newspaper articles in chronological order.
Two characters are the primary focus of the novel: Quincy Harker, the son of John and Mina Harker, and newcomer Gabriel Shone. We don't see these two characters' own thoughts in this book, save for the last two entries in the book, but through the accounts of other people. This is a good thing, however, as witnessing their side of things would've removed some of the mystery from the story.
The story begins with a meeting of the surviving members of the main group from Dracula, and the story officially takes off after Professor Abraham van Helsing suffers from what seems to be a heart attack and falls unconscious. The book takes it's time introducing the characters and building the plot. But once it does take off, it moves at a descent pace, becoming lightning fast by the climax. Speaking of the climax, don't expect an epic battle or you will be disappointed.
Most of the characters, the ones that matter, are fairly well developed. The more personal touch epistolary grants helps to develop the characters, and allows you to picture them with ease. I could grasp the scenes, personalities and settings with no trouble at all.
Though I've only read Dracula once so far, I can say with certainty that the author did a good job with mimicking the writing style of Bram Stoker. There are a few times where the illusion slips, but it is only for a brief moment and doesn't pull me out of the book too much. My primary reason for not rating this book higher than average is due to me not being fond of epistolary books, though I still enjoyed it. I can definitely see myself owning a copy and reading the book again in the future. D
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Violence