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A review by batbones
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
5.0
Just when I reckoned there wouldn't ever be another alternate historical fantasy vampire novel as cleverly-knitted and socio-politically sensitive as Barbara Hambly's James Asher series. I am proven wrong. Hurrah. I love the blatant borrowing that tends to be the signature move in vampire fiction, but it is tiresome if done badly, which this book did not do. It is refreshing to see old characters in new places, adjusting to them and acquiring new grievances. This reads a bit like the James Asher books if they had been written by Jonathan L. Howard; wickedly humorous at times and lots of fun.
The romance between Beauregard and Genevieve (as B's ambivalence towards Penny) was anything but unpredictable, but that was a minor setback in the overall picture. I appreciate the fact that Penny was not left in the lurch of the plot like a mistreated female character that has outlived her purpose, but enough was said that showed she had a new direction to look forward to. Godalming's...conclusion was less than desired. To avoid spoilers, I will only say his degradation was sudden and unconvincing; he was likable for the most part.
The romance between Beauregard and Genevieve (as B's ambivalence towards Penny) was anything but unpredictable, but that was a minor setback in the overall picture. I appreciate the fact that Penny was not left in the lurch of the plot like a mistreated female character that has outlived her purpose, but enough was said that showed she had a new direction to look forward to. Godalming's...conclusion was less than desired. To avoid spoilers, I will only say his degradation was sudden and unconvincing; he was likable for the most part.