Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex is from the untold perspective of Dracula. Mina has, her whole life, been the innocent girl free from un-pure thoughts. She is engaged to a respectable man above her own social standing, loves him, and can easily have her happily ever after. Unfortunately, something isn’t willing to let that happen. Mina’s sleepwalking disorder and haunted dreams start to bring her into phases central to a mysterious man. At first, he rescues her from assault, and beyond that he is her fantasy. Mina is trying to hold onto what she has agreed to believe is right, but she’s at a fragile stage in her life. Her best friend Lucy is involved in an affair with an American painter, and her fiancé Jonathan is absent and questionable for a good section of the novel. When she observes the morals of those close to her disintegrate to lust, she is drawn to do the same. Even though the man of her dreams—or nightmares—has an odd thirst for her blood and soul…
Dracula in Love is a creative spin on the classic horror. Unlike other vampire novels recently published, this one doesn’t dwell on love between the paranormal and mortal as something innocent, and lust seems to play a larger role. After reading so many vampire-love-stories, it’s refreshing to read something different. Essex’s writing also reflects the time period and Mina’s intellect, so there are a lot of detailed passages that can make both extremely exciting and not-so-exciting passages. Essex’s plot structure contains a lot of moments of action to keep the read thrilling. There is a complex array of conflicts ranging from Mina’s friend Lucy’s affair to Mina’s attraction to the mystery man that corresponds with her own inner turmoil. Fans of historical fiction, fantasy, and the original Dracula should find this to be a great read. This is for a mature audience.
- Publisher: First Anchor Books
- Date of Publication: July 2011
