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A review by mad_about_books
The Van Helsing Paradox by Evelyn Chartres
5.0
THE VAN HELSING PARADOX is a cerebral and subtle look at the fine art of vampire hunting. In fact, the word vampire appears a mere eleven times in the entire book.
Clara Grey is orphaned at a very young age and whisked off to an orphanage run by nuns. She is curious, adventurous, and mischievous… these traits push her to an even more arduous training at the Tower where she learns the power of faith, prayer, and combat. The Tower put me somewhat in mind of the Shaolin temple training prominent in the old TV series "King Fu."
Along with monsters that go bump in the night, there is a soupçon of steampunk to be found in the devices of the mysterious Georgians. When I think of Georgians, I think of the era following the Victoria era. This makes THE VAN HELSING PARADOX a bit of genre bending novel.
I'm finding it hard to put into words exactly why I found THE VAN HELSING PARADOX as compelling as I did. Part of it was surely the very different coming of age story combined with very adult themes. Don't let Clara Grey's childhood adventures lull you into thinking this is just another young adult series with vampires. It is so much more.
I have been a collector of vampire fiction and lore for many years. The Dracula mythos is but one surrounding the blood sucking undead. As I read my way through both classic and modern tales, I am always on the lookout for new takes on this universal theme. Invoking Van Helsing in the title is what attracted me to THE VAN HELSING PARADOX; the new interpretation of the vampire hunter made me want to keep reading the next books in the series.
Clara Grey is orphaned at a very young age and whisked off to an orphanage run by nuns. She is curious, adventurous, and mischievous… these traits push her to an even more arduous training at the Tower where she learns the power of faith, prayer, and combat. The Tower put me somewhat in mind of the Shaolin temple training prominent in the old TV series "King Fu."
Along with monsters that go bump in the night, there is a soupçon of steampunk to be found in the devices of the mysterious Georgians. When I think of Georgians, I think of the era following the Victoria era. This makes THE VAN HELSING PARADOX a bit of genre bending novel.
I'm finding it hard to put into words exactly why I found THE VAN HELSING PARADOX as compelling as I did. Part of it was surely the very different coming of age story combined with very adult themes. Don't let Clara Grey's childhood adventures lull you into thinking this is just another young adult series with vampires. It is so much more.
I have been a collector of vampire fiction and lore for many years. The Dracula mythos is but one surrounding the blood sucking undead. As I read my way through both classic and modern tales, I am always on the lookout for new takes on this universal theme. Invoking Van Helsing in the title is what attracted me to THE VAN HELSING PARADOX; the new interpretation of the vampire hunter made me want to keep reading the next books in the series.