Dracula: The UnDead

Well I got a copy of this a few weeks ago, and was excited at the prospect. I am sucker for Dracula, hmm, no pun intended, and enjoyed The Historian immensely.

The prospect of Dacre Stoker pairing with a fan of the genre, Ian Holt, captivated me. I read the preface and drooled.

I should have known.

Years ago I picked up a book that was a sequel of Dickens, and it had Tiny Tim as an adult. After a few pages, I decided not to buy the book. It just didn't do anything for me.

I had high hopes for this one, but as good as I'm sure it is, I can't do it. I read the first few chapters, and the characters went a direction that made me sad, and it ached to see them lose their nobility. I saw that they bickered a lot. I had no problem with what they did with Dracula, or his key vampiric protagonist, but again, not for me. I could only scan the rest of the book, and read the last few chapters, too.

I guess what really did it, was - as a horror writer myself - I saw a key story plot telegraphed for me. That vanquished a good portion of the mystery element.

If you read this, or have read it, I hope that you enjoyed it. Kudos for the courage to write it, and many salutes to the Stoker family. But, it wasn't meant to be for me.