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A review by verkisto
One Thousand Monsters by Kim Newman
2.0
While I was reading Anno Dracula 1899, I wondered if reading this book would be necessary, since the last story in that collection was a shorter version of this story. It turns out my concerns were unfounded, since the entire story in that collection didn't even cover the first two chapters of this book. So reading that story won't spoil anything in this novel.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that great of a book. It took about two-thirds of the book before any kind of plot took shape, and up to that point, it seemed to be more about Newman telling the reader all about Japanese vampires. It also tells some of the story of what happened before Dracula became the Prince Regent in the first book, which was nice, but that sort of made this more Anno Dracula 0.5. Oh, and the rest of the book takes place before The Bloody Red Baron, so would it be more Anno Dracula 1.5? It's not confusing, but it means that there's not a whole lot happening for most of the book.
Also, I like the way Newman pulls in a bunch of different fictional characters into the series, but Popeye? That's a bridge too far.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that great of a book. It took about two-thirds of the book before any kind of plot took shape, and up to that point, it seemed to be more about Newman telling the reader all about Japanese vampires. It also tells some of the story of what happened before Dracula became the Prince Regent in the first book, which was nice, but that sort of made this more Anno Dracula 0.5. Oh, and the rest of the book takes place before The Bloody Red Baron, so would it be more Anno Dracula 1.5? It's not confusing, but it means that there's not a whole lot happening for most of the book.
Also, I like the way Newman pulls in a bunch of different fictional characters into the series, but Popeye? That's a bridge too far.