Anno Dracula
Reviews
This was great fun, truly! It combines 3 of my favourite things: Dracula lore, alt history and the Victorian era so this was just great!! Seeing just how Dracula could influence and corrupt this time period was just super cool and it felt like playing a game of ~spot the literary reference and historical figure~ and it was delightful! I did find myself struggling to remember characters at the beginning because there were just so many names and similar characters but once I caught on it was a lot easier to distinguish them. I probably won’t continue to re read the series as it’s mainly the alt history Victorian era that drew me to these books in the first place but this works really well as a standalone anyway!
HOT DAMN I LOVE CROSSOVERS. Victorian vampire culture is so interesting, and I'm happy to see that here they are depicted in all their gruesome and bone-chilling glory as opposed to the glamorous image they seem to have taken on in recent years. & not just that- I also loved how there were so many easter eggs that referenced other pieces of Vict literature (yes, even the Arthurian revival got a shout out and i was suitably pleased) The storyline was really really engaging- introducing new characters while killing off all the former characters that belonged to the Dracula era- almost like acknowledging the death of that vampire story in order to usher in a New Order of vampires of some kind... Would recommend to anyone who loves grisly Victorian gothics (or earlier gothics!) & am definitely going to continue with this series!
Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series is one of the thriving strains of the horror genre. Newman's ease with gory details and handling and reinvention of vampire lore rivals established writers like Barbara Hambly (who tends to be more contextually-focused) and Anne Rice (who, though she works in the same genre and with the same creatures, is her own subspeciality). Comparison can and also should be made with Jonathan L. Howard; Newman's narrative voice is a less sardonic version of Howard's, and consequently very adaptable to new characters. Howard's and Newman's stories have a strongly visual element and drive that would make them great graphic novels and movies. Action, context and character arcs are perfectly balanced. I especially liked how the story eased into its new characters and slowly brought them to the fore as its previous major ones took a backseat. Other than the main characters, the novel is populated by other colourful ones, such as Ruthven (yes, Polidori's own), England's Eternal Prime Minister who is obsessed about having portraits painted of him. Edgar Allan Poe too is a vampire. Kate is less annoying and more interesting in this second installment, since the story seems to have given her more purpose to exist instead of being just a Genevieve rival. I am actually looking forward to seeing Miss Mouse again. Beauregard has been a favourite for his quiet intelligence and dignity. Winthrop should return though this volume has him leave it; so much detail has been put into his character for him not to stay; he's surprisingly likeable, once he has had a vampiric conflict established internally and experienced some horrific troubles of his own, and his pov is an opportunity to explore other facets and effects of blood-drinking existence.
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.
HOT DAMN I LOVE CROSSOVERS. Victorian vampire culture is so interesting, and I'm happy to see that here they are depicted in all their gruesome and bone-chilling glory as opposed to the glamorous image they seem to have taken on in recent years. & not just that- I also loved how there were so many easter eggs that referenced other pieces of Vict literature (yes, even the Arthurian revival got a shout out and i was suitably pleased) The storyline was really really engaging- introducing new characters while killing off all the former characters that belonged to the Dracula era- almost like acknowledging the death of that vampire story in order to usher in a New Order of vampires of some kind... Would recommend to anyone who loves grisly Victorian gothics (or earlier gothics!) & am definitely going to continue with this series!
*3.5/5 I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first of the series, but Newman is a superb writer! Looking forward to the next one.
When I came across this book a few months ago, I was hesitant to read it for some reason. I just finished it and I’m glad that I did (thanks to those who recommended it to me!). The book is set in London in the 1800s where Prince Dracula has become the consort of Queen Victoria and vampirism spreads across the city. There are so many appearances by well-known people from this era, from Oscar Wilde to Mycroft Holmes. Most of the main characters from Dracula also appear, which was really interesting. Overall, I found this a bit overwhelming at first, but once the story focuses on the two main protagonists, Charles and Genevieve (love them both), then it gets really good. I loved the ending and I can’t wait to read the other books in this series!
I adored Genevieve and I really liked the premise of the story. The execution wasn't perfect but it was entertaining and I finished on a satisfied note. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Great book if you like alternate history and vampires.
