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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Came for Dracula, stayed for Van Helsing.
I enjoyed components of this - the love and loss, the sincerity of the characters' relationships, Van Helsing himslef - but most of all was the fear of the unknown. This was done really nicely, as Dracula's powers become increasingly apparent, and the situation looks increasingly destitute for the protagonists.
Van Helsing was a very cool character, as he had an awful lot of knowledge and was extremely careful in how he shared it, which added to the mystery elements well. His moral conviction and beliefs feel real and robust, which gives him strength of character. I did really like him.
With that said, the writing style made this difficult to read. Although it was written in the late 19th century, and it's wonderfully poetic at times, it became opaque as the book went on. Whilst it builds tension well, it does make the final quarter of the book hard to enjoy - the path is clear, yet the characters spend an awful lot of time over-explaining the next steps, and the same conversation is had perhaps three times.
It was great to read this, and I really loved the first three quarters of the book before it started to drag on, making me skim the last 100 pages. 7/10
I enjoyed components of this - the love and loss, the sincerity of the characters' relationships, Van Helsing himslef - but most of all was the fear of the unknown. This was done really nicely, as Dracula's powers become increasingly apparent, and the situation looks increasingly destitute for the protagonists.
Van Helsing was a very cool character, as he had an awful lot of knowledge and was extremely careful in how he shared it, which added to the mystery elements well. His moral conviction and beliefs feel real and robust, which gives him strength of character. I did really like him.
With that said, the writing style made this difficult to read. Although it was written in the late 19th century, and it's wonderfully poetic at times, it became opaque as the book went on. Whilst it builds tension well, it does make the final quarter of the book hard to enjoy - the path is clear, yet the characters spend an awful lot of time over-explaining the next steps, and the same conversation is had perhaps three times.
It was great to read this, and I really loved the first three quarters of the book before it started to drag on, making me skim the last 100 pages. 7/10
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore