I'm not a vampire fan. I hated the Twilight books, even though I read all four. I enjoy occasional fantasy novels, so long as they don't involve vampires biting people. Edward is creepy and the throngs of teenagers who love him scares me. But the original Dracula has been the single exception to this rule. Now I have another exception. The sequel to Dracula titled Dracula The Un-Dead.
If possible this book is even better in some ways than the original. There's been a noticeable and somewhat disturbing trend towards modern writers writing sequels to established classics. Jane Austen must be turning in her grave with what they've done to some of her novels. But this one stays pretty true to form and if you didn't notice the last name coincidence (Stoker) this book was written by Bram's great-grandnephew. Long before I read this book, I read an interview with Dacre who said he spent loads of time researching the hell out of the original book, trying to find logical paths the book would have taken if the story continued. Well done Dacre, your research is evident in your book.
The Un-Dead picks up years after Dracula ends. It's more gory, more supernatural, more creepy than the original. Bram himself could have written it, although the diction is slightly more up-to-date. I think its unfair to keep doing this back and forth comparisons between the two books, but it in all honesty, I only read this because its a sequel to a classic book I love. Had it just been yet another vampire story overpopulating book shelves, I would have passed it by. But this one was so worth it. It's just that good.
And how awesome of a name is Dacre?
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