DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile
What if the story of Dracula were based upon real events witnessed by Bram Stoker himself? That’s the burning question driving this fictional prequel to DRACULA by Bram Stoker’s grandnephew, Dacre, and JD Barker. Evoking the epistolary style of the original novel, the audiobook enlists an ensemble cast to voice different characters when the story shifts point of view. Narrator Pete Bradbury recounts the straight narrative sections. Bradbury and Vikas Adam, as Bram Stoker, evoke a doleful tone that elevates the gothic elements throughout the novel. Together, they bring to life this tale of a young Bram Stoker and his siblings racing across Europe in pursuit of mysterious and deadly beings. L.E. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
08/06/2018
Promoted as a prequel to Dracula, this novel is a melodramatized family history that proposes author Bram Stoker and his siblings confronted an undead nemesis early in their lives. Set for the most part in Ireland and told through a mix of straightforward narrative, personal letters, and journal and diary entries spanning the second half of the 19th century, it relates how a sickly young Bram was brought back from death’s doorstep by the bite of his nursemaid, the mysterious Ellen Crone. Years after Ellen’s abrupt disappearance from their lives, Bram, his sister Matilda, and his brother Thornley are drawn into a web of intrigues when they discover that Ellen is a Dearg-Due, a bloodsucking being of Irish folklore who is under the thumb of a more sinister vampire master. Although the authors evoke particulars of Bram Stoker’s Victorian vampire classic, their portrayal of Ellen as a sympathetic victim is decidedly modern. In an author’s note, Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram, explores gaps in the fossil record of Dracula’s genesis to explain the direction his own Dracula-infused collaboration took. Bram Stoker fans and scholars will find this a satisfying exploration of his legacy. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Dracul
Bram Stoker Award Nominee—Superior Achievement in a Novel 2018
One of PW’s Top 10 SF, Fantasy & Horror Novels of Fall 2018
One of Crime by the Book’s Most-Anticipated Books of Late 2018
“Reading Dracul is like watching a classic vampire film. Bram Stoker lives! Dracula lives! Horror lives on nearly every page. A terrifying read that gave me hours of fun.”—R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
“Brilliant. Dracul pumps fresh blood into the vampire genre by telling the story of the man who started it all—Bram Stoker. And what a story! A grand adventure that contains all the literary playfulness and mounting dread of the original Dracula. It gave me chills.”—Riley Sager, author of Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied
“Something wonderfully wicked this way comes in the guise of a prequel to the granddaddy of vampire lore...Succumb to its horrific charms.”—Family Circle
“The prose is modern, energetic, and easy to read. Dracul reveals not only Dracula's ‘true’ origin, but Bram Stoker's as well. More than just a Dracula novel, it's a great addition to the entire vampire genre.”—SF Reader
“The narrative moves fairly quickly, pulling readers into this thrilling tale, with twists that keep the pages turning, even late into the night. …A strong pick for fans of classic gothic tales, such as Dracula, but also good for anyone who appreciates gripping historical novels, including those by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“A big book that will no doubt be a hit among monster-movie and horror lit fans—and for good reason.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Bram Stoker fans and scholars will find this a satisfying exploration of his legacy.”—Publishers Weekly
“Sheds light on the original characters and author. Adding just the right touch of suspense increases the pace and ratchets up the tension.”—Booklist
“A terrifying and compelling prequel that reveals how a young Bram Stoker confronted evil to craft a masterpiece.”—Library Journal
“A compelling, deep, dark drama about Dracula’s origin. Even I had to keep the lights on when reading this book!”—John Saul, author of Suffer the Children
“An exhilarating fever dream of creeping dread and dark adventure. Reading Dracul is like stepping into a time machine and traveling back to a shadowy landscape ruled by nightmares. I devoured it in two sittings and was delighted and chilled with every turn of the page. You will be, too.”—Richard Chizmar, co-author of Gwendy’s Button Box
“Scary as hell. Gothic as decay. Dracul will have you checking over your shoulder, under your bed, and up on the ceiling, too. All while wondering about the contents of every crate and oblong box you see.”—Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box
“Whatever fiendish bargain Stoker and Barker struck to resurrect the voice of Bram Stoker with such authenticity and aplomb, it was worth it, at least to their mere mortal readers. Dracul is a genius and fevered nightmare of Gothic madness, each page seeping with ominous dread and escalating horror. It is a prequel more than just worthy of the original novel—it is sure to be an undying classic of its own, haunting, terrifying and entertaining generations to come.”—Eric Rickstad, author of What Remains of Her and The Silent Girls
DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile
What if the story of Dracula were based upon real events witnessed by Bram Stoker himself? That’s the burning question driving this fictional prequel to DRACULA by Bram Stoker’s grandnephew, Dacre, and JD Barker. Evoking the epistolary style of the original novel, the audiobook enlists an ensemble cast to voice different characters when the story shifts point of view. Narrator Pete Bradbury recounts the straight narrative sections. Bradbury and Vikas Adam, as Bram Stoker, evoke a doleful tone that elevates the gothic elements throughout the novel. Together, they bring to life this tale of a young Bram Stoker and his siblings racing across Europe in pursuit of mysterious and deadly beings. L.E. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
