The first thing about this book was the fact that it is a sequel written by an actual Stoker which I think is great! It is a blend of the older story that continues into a new generation with all the old characters making appearances. It makes a great effort to close up the holes from the first novel while still making Dracula a character that fills you full of anger, lust (if you're that kind of girl) and sadness.
One of the things that I want to mention that the book brings up at the end is the fact that Stoker never owned the rights to his own novel in the States and that is why so many of the movies that have been made here have been so .... well so shitty. The family has also never seen a dime from any of the movies or plays made or produced in the U.S. which I think is a shame. If people had to follow the story more closely we would be able to get so many more decent productions going! Of course I could feel this way since I have had a small love affair with the idea of the vampire since I was about 11.
The original Dracula is and hopefully always will be a classic. It was decadent and brought to life a story that most of us had never even dreamed of except in our nightmares. Though Bram Stoker never saw success in his life time the images from his novel have fueled peoples imaginations for generations to come. And Dracula is a great novel with lavish scenes and a villain both cruel and heartrending there were definitely things that we felt were left out. Especially at the end when he just faded to mist. That's where the second novel comes into play.
Dracula has survived but he is not the horrible creature that everyone thought. I mean he is still Dracula, harsh and cruel but you see more of the passionate man underneath the creature of the night. They introduce a new villain Countess Elizabeth Bathory. I adore this since I have been fascinated with the idea of the Blood Countess for years!
Mina and Harker have a child at this time and he is in his twenties. He ends up leaving law school to become an actor and finds the play that Bram Stoker has written and is trying to get produced. The premise is that the original story was created from certain details that were told to Bram Stoker in a pub by a drunk old man. Quincy is surprised and soon horrified to learn of the adventure his parents went through.
The action is quick paced and the characters are in depth. You can see how the characters have fought with the demons over the years as they look back at what had happened with Dracula. Dracula speaks more fully about being Vlad Tepes from Romania and the things he had to do to ensure a strong country. All in all I really enjoyed the novel and thought the love story between Mina and Dracula even better! I would definitely suggest picking this novel up if you can find it.
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