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The Diaries of the Family Dracul #3
Lord of the Vampires
After the death of his half brother, Stefan, at the hands of Vlad Tsepesh--also known as Dracula--and after the destruction of his vampire father, Arkady, also at the hands of Vlad, Abraham van Helsing has traveled the world slaying many vampires. With every vampire he destroys, Bram becomes stronger and Vlad weaker, and soon Bram hopes he will be able to finally kill the fearsome vampire who has kept the Tsepesh family enslaved through a centuries-old blood ritual.
But a desperate Vlad and his vampire great-niece, Zsuzanna, summon help from the most powerful, brutal, and beautiful vampire of all--Countess Elizabeth of Bathory. Bram learns of their plot to destroy him, and makes his own move to strike out at Vlad before Vlad can put him to death. He teams up with a courageous band of humans as he hunts Vlad--including Mina Harker and John Seward--and they finally succeed in killing the head of the Tsepesh clan, just as Bram Stoker foretold in Dracula. But the terror does not end with the death of Vlad, for there is another force that drives Vlad, Zsuzanna, Elizabeth and all the vampires, an ancient entity more evil than anything Bram has ever encountered: the Lord of the Vampires. And for Bram to defeat this dark lord, he must once again risk losing his very soul, to save not only his family, but humanity as well.
In her final book in The Diaries of the Family Dracul trilogy, Jeanne Kalogridis brilliantly melds her own fascinating story of the Tsepesh family with that of Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula. Told in diary form like the first two books and Stoker's own chilling tale, LORD OF THE VAMPIRES reveals the dark, startling truths behind the original Dracula.
But a desperate Vlad and his vampire great-niece, Zsuzanna, summon help from the most powerful, brutal, and beautiful vampire of all--Countess Elizabeth of Bathory. Bram learns of their plot to destroy him, and makes his own move to strike out at Vlad before Vlad can put him to death. He teams up with a courageous band of humans as he hunts Vlad--including Mina Harker and John Seward--and they finally succeed in killing the head of the Tsepesh clan, just as Bram Stoker foretold in Dracula. But the terror does not end with the death of Vlad, for there is another force that drives Vlad, Zsuzanna, Elizabeth and all the vampires, an ancient entity more evil than anything Bram has ever encountered: the Lord of the Vampires. And for Bram to defeat this dark lord, he must once again risk losing his very soul, to save not only his family, but humanity as well.
In her final book in The Diaries of the Family Dracul trilogy, Jeanne Kalogridis brilliantly melds her own fascinating story of the Tsepesh family with that of Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula. Told in diary form like the first two books and Stoker's own chilling tale, LORD OF THE VAMPIRES reveals the dark, startling truths behind the original Dracula.
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
25 people are currently reading
1823 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne Kalogridis
21 books808 followersJeanne was born in Florida , and has been interested in books ever since. Her interest in language led her to earn an M.A. in Linguistics. She taught English as a Second Language for eight years at The American University of Washington, D.C., before retiring to write full time.
She now lives in California with an overly adored Labrador retriever. Her outside interests include yoga and reading everything ever published.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jeanne...
She now lives in California with an overly adored Labrador retriever. Her outside interests include yoga and reading everything ever published.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jeanne...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 31, 2020
This one...well, let's just be honest & call it the worst of the trilogy. Because it is. I really liked #1, then enjoyed #2 despite its flaws. But this one went off the rails. Detailing my issues would involve a lengthy (& boring) review, so I'll try to keep it brief with bullet points.
--Why is Bathory the main villain? Perhaps if she'd been introduced earlier in the series, it might've worked, but suddenly thrusting her into the trilogy as Big Baddie muddled the Dracula story...which sorta defeats the point of a Dracula fic. It was like the JK got tired of the Dracul family, so she decided to write about something else—but a separate Bathory book would’ve worked better.
--Up until this novel, the series has been relatively faithful to the Dracula mythos. But alas, that's thrown out the window here. I've bitched about this before, but why can't authors work with Stoker's original? Expanding established story (like, say, Seward being Van Helsing's son) or even inventing new wrinkles (like Arkady & Zsuzsanna) is fine--but why this sudden reliance on magic? What is this Dark Lord junk? WTF with these keys & lost manuscripts penned by Lucifer that confer ridiculous evil!powers? Why, why, why?? Can we PLEASE stick to the original. Garlic, crosses, sacred hosts, Vlad as THE villain. It's not that difficult, right?
--The ending(s) were weak. Unlike other Dracula fics, this author treats Seward & Quincy favorably, but Jonathan is still given less-than-respect, & WTF were he & Mina so uninvolved?
--Once the Bathory half is concluded, Van Helsing's diary becomes a tedious summarization of Stoker's novel. We don't even get to see most of the key moments firsthand; they're just related like a tween on Livejournal describing her BFF's visit to the orthodontist. Zzzzz. It felt like the author was forcing her book back onto the Dracula rails...but by then it was too late.
--What happened to Gerda? Great honkin' plot hole, that one.
3 stars feels generous, but 2 is overly harsh...so I'll stick with 3. The first book is definitely worth reading, & the second has its merits--but unless you're craving the bloody, racy soap of Bathory's section, I recommend skipping this one. Read Stoker's Dracula instead & call it the conclusion of the Dracul family saga.
--Why is Bathory the main villain? Perhaps if she'd been introduced earlier in the series, it might've worked, but suddenly thrusting her into the trilogy as Big Baddie muddled the Dracula story...which sorta defeats the point of a Dracula fic. It was like the JK got tired of the Dracul family, so she decided to write about something else—but a separate Bathory book would’ve worked better.
--Up until this novel, the series has been relatively faithful to the Dracula mythos. But alas, that's thrown out the window here. I've bitched about this before, but why can't authors work with Stoker's original? Expanding established story (like, say, Seward being Van Helsing's son) or even inventing new wrinkles (like Arkady & Zsuzsanna) is fine--but why this sudden reliance on magic? What is this Dark Lord junk? WTF with these keys & lost manuscripts penned by Lucifer that confer ridiculous evil!powers? Why, why, why?? Can we PLEASE stick to the original. Garlic, crosses, sacred hosts, Vlad as THE villain. It's not that difficult, right?
--The ending(s) were weak. Unlike other Dracula fics, this author treats Seward & Quincy favorably, but Jonathan is still given less-than-respect, & WTF were he & Mina so uninvolved?
--Once the Bathory half is concluded, Van Helsing's diary becomes a tedious summarization of Stoker's novel. We don't even get to see most of the key moments firsthand; they're just related like a tween on Livejournal describing her BFF's visit to the orthodontist. Zzzzz. It felt like the author was forcing her book back onto the Dracula rails...but by then it was too late.
--What happened to Gerda? Great honkin' plot hole, that one.
3 stars feels generous, but 2 is overly harsh...so I'll stick with 3. The first book is definitely worth reading, & the second has its merits--but unless you're craving the bloody, racy soap of Bathory's section, I recommend skipping this one. Read Stoker's Dracula instead & call it the conclusion of the Dracul family saga.
June 14, 2009
I... I am stunned.
I was on board the 'let's make a prequel to a classic novel' up until the 'let's include the classic novel as part of the story, but change a whole lot of really important themes, ideas, characters and plot to make them fit in the new author's storyline and worldview' bit. Then came the wanting to scream and yell and throw the book across the room part (I refrained from throwing, but I did yell a couple times).
This whole series has been an up and down experience for me. Some of the characters I thought were really well done; others I did not. The way the story tied itself to the original novel of Dracula was interesting... at first, but the farther it got, the more convoluted and absurd it became. Hence the changing major aspects of the original to fit into this wacky new world.
A lot of this had to do with certain plot points and character developments that were completely unnecessary. That and the sexual depravity. There already is what I refer to as a 'Lesbian Spank Inferno Dracula.' It's porn with a little bit of plot thrown in... ish. One of these types of books is enough. It really wasn't needed in this book, too. Or any other book for that matter.
Overall the series was an interesting read, however I'd like to erase this final book from my memory. I hold Stoker's novel on a pedestal, and I do so for a reason. So when a book comes along that changes nearly everything that makes Dracula special, unique, fascinating, horrific and epic, for no reason other than to make it fit a new author's ideas of what a vampire novel should be, I become quite flummoxed and displeased. Which is pretty much how I feel about this book.
I was on board the 'let's make a prequel to a classic novel' up until the 'let's include the classic novel as part of the story, but change a whole lot of really important themes, ideas, characters and plot to make them fit in the new author's storyline and worldview' bit. Then came the wanting to scream and yell and throw the book across the room part (I refrained from throwing, but I did yell a couple times).
This whole series has been an up and down experience for me. Some of the characters I thought were really well done; others I did not. The way the story tied itself to the original novel of Dracula was interesting... at first, but the farther it got, the more convoluted and absurd it became. Hence the changing major aspects of the original to fit into this wacky new world.
A lot of this had to do with certain plot points and character developments that were completely unnecessary. That and the sexual depravity. There already is what I refer to as a 'Lesbian Spank Inferno Dracula.' It's porn with a little bit of plot thrown in... ish. One of these types of books is enough. It really wasn't needed in this book, too. Or any other book for that matter.
Overall the series was an interesting read, however I'd like to erase this final book from my memory. I hold Stoker's novel on a pedestal, and I do so for a reason. So when a book comes along that changes nearly everything that makes Dracula special, unique, fascinating, horrific and epic, for no reason other than to make it fit a new author's ideas of what a vampire novel should be, I become quite flummoxed and displeased. Which is pretty much how I feel about this book.
April 22, 2018
Tarde mucho en conseguir la ultima parte, y cuando por fin la conseguí y la pude leer, no la pude dejar.
La autora llego a un final que nos deja con la boca abierta de lo bien que hizo en finalizar la trilogía junto con Drácula de Bram Stoker que sorprendente, ni hablar de la aparición de la Condesa Bathory.
Es una trilogía super recomendada.
La autora llego a un final que nos deja con la boca abierta de lo bien que hizo en finalizar la trilogía junto con Drácula de Bram Stoker que sorprendente, ni hablar de la aparición de la Condesa Bathory.
Es una trilogía super recomendada.
May 13, 2011
Sadly, the most seemingly interesting of the three books in the "Diaries of the Family Dracul" series is the weakest. Introduced in this outing is a new vampire, based on the historical Countess Elisabeth Bathory. She, rather than Vlad, inexplicably takes center stage as the villain of the final novel. Despite the buildup of the previous novel, Vlad is left with little in the novel save what he does in the original Dracula. Kalogridis tries to spice up these events by interpreting them from Van Helsing's point of view, but they're sadly the weakest parts of the novel as it just retreads Bram Stoker's plot.
A few of the plot changes left me scratching my head: the rather off-hand revelations about Seward and Harker, as well as the sudden reliance on mysticism and magic left a bad taste in my mouth. Sadly, this isn't the finale that the first and second parts of this trilogy led me to expect. Read it, or don't read it and use Dracula as the third part of this trilogy...it's not going to make that much of a difference, though the latter might be a little more entertaining in the long run.
A few of the plot changes left me scratching my head: the rather off-hand revelations about Seward and Harker, as well as the sudden reliance on mysticism and magic left a bad taste in my mouth. Sadly, this isn't the finale that the first and second parts of this trilogy led me to expect. Read it, or don't read it and use Dracula as the third part of this trilogy...it's not going to make that much of a difference, though the latter might be a little more entertaining in the long run.
May 10, 2017
The third and final novel in the Dracula prequel series “The Diaries of the Family Dracul” not only continues the tale from the first two books but takes us right up to and, in fact, overlaps with the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.
This novel actually begins long ago with a prologue wherein it is explained that a prince named Vlad, who came to be known much later as the Impaler (Tsepesh) or the son of the Dragon (Dracula), made a bargain with the Dark Lord. Every generation that his family continued, he would offer up the soul of the eldest surviving son in exchange for continued immortality. But before that soul was offered, its owner had to have been willingly corrupted. If the sacrificial lamb died a good, honest man, then Vlad himself would lose his immortality, age, and die. Consequently, much of this trilogy is devoted to which of his descendants is related to whom and who is hiding out under a disguised origin.
The author has demonstrated a vast knowledge of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the historical periods involved and this novel is no different. This time around she has taken the additional step of adding in the character of Elizabeth Bathory which really shakes things up. The problem here is that this third novel doesn’t simply lead us into the Dracula novel itself but actually includes most of the events from there as well. This makes for some convoluted twists and actually changing some of the Dracula plot line in order to make things fit. Normally I’m Ok with that but here the convolutions are a bit too severe to be realistic and the plot and pacing of the second half of the novel suffers for it. Still, I was happy to be reading of my old pals Jonathan and Mina Harker, Lucy Westenra, John Seward, Quincey Morris, and of course, Renfield. Abraham Van Helsing continues to be a major character form book two and, indeed, is the POV character for much of the book.
All in all, I’ve enjoyed reading this trilogy. There are some parts, especially in book 2 that dragged on way too long but the pacing is much better here in book three and more or less rescues the trilogy. For those that enjoy the language and style of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, (Victorian/literary), I recommend these novels.
This novel actually begins long ago with a prologue wherein it is explained that a prince named Vlad, who came to be known much later as the Impaler (Tsepesh) or the son of the Dragon (Dracula), made a bargain with the Dark Lord. Every generation that his family continued, he would offer up the soul of the eldest surviving son in exchange for continued immortality. But before that soul was offered, its owner had to have been willingly corrupted. If the sacrificial lamb died a good, honest man, then Vlad himself would lose his immortality, age, and die. Consequently, much of this trilogy is devoted to which of his descendants is related to whom and who is hiding out under a disguised origin.
The author has demonstrated a vast knowledge of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the historical periods involved and this novel is no different. This time around she has taken the additional step of adding in the character of Elizabeth Bathory which really shakes things up. The problem here is that this third novel doesn’t simply lead us into the Dracula novel itself but actually includes most of the events from there as well. This makes for some convoluted twists and actually changing some of the Dracula plot line in order to make things fit. Normally I’m Ok with that but here the convolutions are a bit too severe to be realistic and the plot and pacing of the second half of the novel suffers for it. Still, I was happy to be reading of my old pals Jonathan and Mina Harker, Lucy Westenra, John Seward, Quincey Morris, and of course, Renfield. Abraham Van Helsing continues to be a major character form book two and, indeed, is the POV character for much of the book.
All in all, I’ve enjoyed reading this trilogy. There are some parts, especially in book 2 that dragged on way too long but the pacing is much better here in book three and more or less rescues the trilogy. For those that enjoy the language and style of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, (Victorian/literary), I recommend these novels.
September 4, 2025
Great end to an exceptional trilogy. Jeanne Kalogridis has taken the stories of the Family Dracul and the Van Helsings and woven them together in an unforgettable tale of treachery, lust and greed that is action packed and difficult to put down. this finale doesn't disappoint. We are even introduced to the bloody Countess Elisabeth Bathory as a formidable protagonist...I'd you aren't familiar with her, Google her now!
Highly recommend this series to all horror an especially vampire fans.
Highly recommend this series to all horror an especially vampire fans.
July 15, 2020
Huh. For a trilogy that's supposed to be a prequel (and ... through-quel? What do you call a series that also integrates itself into an already-written story?), it sure does veer away from the whole Dracula thing and take the mythology elsewhere. It changes antagonists, for one, but it also adds a lot of new elements that don't fit with the original mythology at all. I don't think it helps that Kalogridis chose to re-write parts of Dracula in telling her story, either. I feel like it would have worked better if she had led us right up to the events of that book and let us put it all together, but she added so many new elements to the mythology that she had to retcon some things to make them fit her story.
The book isn't poorly written, but it's puzzling that a series that takes two books to build up an interesting take on what led Dracula up to the events of Stoker's novel takes a different direction in its conclusion. For all that the first two books promised, the final book just doesn't deliver.
The book isn't poorly written, but it's puzzling that a series that takes two books to build up an interesting take on what led Dracula up to the events of Stoker's novel takes a different direction in its conclusion. For all that the first two books promised, the final book just doesn't deliver.
September 19, 2013
It's Dracula and somewhat accurate to the history, but it throws in Elizabeth Bathory at the end of the series (which is awesome!). It's a very good read but I will warn you, it's even a bit angsty and twisted. It's the evil Dracula that we're taught about in school (or rather, I was). It even has Van Helsing, or one of his children--it's a good twist of a story.
September 8, 2013
This book was very disappointing. Considering how good the first book was, I found that the series just went on a slow decline, that by the 3rd book I just wanted to put a steak in it's heart!
July 12, 2017
De los tres libros es el que menos me ha gustado, pero en conjunto la trilogía me pareció bastante entretenida.
(Spoilers adelante, hay alerta sobre los párrafos)
Sentí que el tercer libro transcurría de manera demasiado lenta, haciendo tiempo para el final, y solo se dedicaba a dar vuelta a la misma información y los mismos temas por varios capítulos, sin aportar mucho información nueva ni un avance significativo.
¡SPOILER!
Casi al final, se introduce un nuevo problema que se soluciona de manera muy sencilla para lo complicado que parecía en un principio la tarea. Siento que si se hubieran enfocado en este problema (solo diré que se trata de un pergamino) desde mucho antes, hubiera resultado mucho más interesante, en lugar de pasar tanto capítulos con Lucy y Mina dando vueltas a los mismos problemas y la misma información sin llegar a nada relevante. Si se hubiera sabido sobre el pergamino, desde mucho antes y la trama se hubiera enfocado en este detalle, muy probablemente hubiera resultado mejor aunque se hubiera alejado un poco más del toque de realismo que había estado manejando en los dos libros anteriores. Además, todo el tema del pergamino, una vez se reveló, pareció un elemento forzado y sin mucho dificultad, así como también sin casi ninguna explicación. De manera personal, hubiera indagado un poco más sobre la misteriosa Scholomance para poder justificar mejor al condenado pergamino y su decepcionante sencillez.
FIN del spoiler...
Este libro pareció enfocarse más en la fantasía y los personajes me parecieron mucho más sencillos de convencer sobre el mundo de los vampiros, auras y pactos con el Señor Oscuro, que en los anteriores libros. Pero a mi parecer parecía que esto era así solo para acelerar la trama hasta el clímax, que en lo personal no me ha parecido tan emocionante por lo sencillo que fue la resolución del problema.
El Señor Oscuro fue mi personaje favorito en este libro, me pareció que fue el mejor planteado ya que, aunque no aparece mucho, el misterio le ha quedado bien y lo han sabido aprovechar en las escenas que tiene, pero además de esto, la explicación final de Abraham sobre él me ha dejado pensado: "meh...", sentí que esa información adicional era algo innecesaria, hubiera sido mejor dejarlo al criterio del lector, haberme dado la oportunidad de descubrirlo sola.
Por último, con el aumento de la fantasía, los poderes y los círculos mágicos, vino una considerable disminución en la parte histórica, que era lo que más me gustaba de estos libros, y eso formó parte de que este último no me terminara de gustar del todo.
El diario de Vlad como primer capítulo me ha encantado, y por un momento creí que se le daría más protagonismo a la condesa de Bathory, pero este último personaje, así como el mismo Vlad, me han terminado decepcionando enormemente con su participación en este libro.
En conclusión, tengo problemas con los personajes, el ritmo de la trama, la reiteración de los mismos temas y problemas por varios capítulos, el acelerado y a la vez insatisfactorio final, (muy absurdamente sencillo todo en las últimas páginas); pero, en conjunto los tres libros son muy entretenidos, tienen un gran y detallado trabajo de historia e investigación, que no pude resistir y que me dio a conocer muchos datos históricos (e inclusos geográficos) que desconocía. El trabajo de genealogía también es increíble y (al menos en los primeros 2 libros y primera parte del tercero) se mezcla muy bien con la ficción y los personajes principales, dando un excelente toque realista a la primera parte de la historia (lo que falla en el último libro).
En total, me parece que la trilogía completa tendría 3 estrellas. "Pius et Justus"
(Spoilers adelante, hay alerta sobre los párrafos)
Sentí que el tercer libro transcurría de manera demasiado lenta, haciendo tiempo para el final, y solo se dedicaba a dar vuelta a la misma información y los mismos temas por varios capítulos, sin aportar mucho información nueva ni un avance significativo.
¡SPOILER!
Casi al final, se introduce un nuevo problema que se soluciona de manera muy sencilla para lo complicado que parecía en un principio la tarea. Siento que si se hubieran enfocado en este problema (solo diré que se trata de un pergamino) desde mucho antes, hubiera resultado mucho más interesante, en lugar de pasar tanto capítulos con Lucy y Mina dando vueltas a los mismos problemas y la misma información sin llegar a nada relevante. Si se hubiera sabido sobre el pergamino, desde mucho antes y la trama se hubiera enfocado en este detalle, muy probablemente hubiera resultado mejor aunque se hubiera alejado un poco más del toque de realismo que había estado manejando en los dos libros anteriores. Además, todo el tema del pergamino, una vez se reveló, pareció un elemento forzado y sin mucho dificultad, así como también sin casi ninguna explicación. De manera personal, hubiera indagado un poco más sobre la misteriosa Scholomance para poder justificar mejor al condenado pergamino y su decepcionante sencillez.
FIN del spoiler...
Este libro pareció enfocarse más en la fantasía y los personajes me parecieron mucho más sencillos de convencer sobre el mundo de los vampiros, auras y pactos con el Señor Oscuro, que en los anteriores libros. Pero a mi parecer parecía que esto era así solo para acelerar la trama hasta el clímax, que en lo personal no me ha parecido tan emocionante por lo sencillo que fue la resolución del problema.
El Señor Oscuro fue mi personaje favorito en este libro, me pareció que fue el mejor planteado ya que, aunque no aparece mucho, el misterio le ha quedado bien y lo han sabido aprovechar en las escenas que tiene, pero además de esto, la explicación final de Abraham sobre él me ha dejado pensado: "meh...", sentí que esa información adicional era algo innecesaria, hubiera sido mejor dejarlo al criterio del lector, haberme dado la oportunidad de descubrirlo sola.
Por último, con el aumento de la fantasía, los poderes y los círculos mágicos, vino una considerable disminución en la parte histórica, que era lo que más me gustaba de estos libros, y eso formó parte de que este último no me terminara de gustar del todo.
El diario de Vlad como primer capítulo me ha encantado, y por un momento creí que se le daría más protagonismo a la condesa de Bathory, pero este último personaje, así como el mismo Vlad, me han terminado decepcionando enormemente con su participación en este libro.
En conclusión, tengo problemas con los personajes, el ritmo de la trama, la reiteración de los mismos temas y problemas por varios capítulos, el acelerado y a la vez insatisfactorio final, (muy absurdamente sencillo todo en las últimas páginas); pero, en conjunto los tres libros son muy entretenidos, tienen un gran y detallado trabajo de historia e investigación, que no pude resistir y que me dio a conocer muchos datos históricos (e inclusos geográficos) que desconocía. El trabajo de genealogía también es increíble y (al menos en los primeros 2 libros y primera parte del tercero) se mezcla muy bien con la ficción y los personajes principales, dando un excelente toque realista a la primera parte de la historia (lo que falla en el último libro).
En total, me parece que la trilogía completa tendría 3 estrellas. "Pius et Justus"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2023
Repeat read, though this is the first time I've finished the trilogy since reading Dracula a few years ago.
I think this is the weakest book of the three. Whereas the first two books served as prequels to Dracula, this one largely takes place during the events of Stoker's novel. However, now the Count isn't just moving to England in search of fresh prey, there's a Macguffin quest for him that's supposed to make him more powerful. And the three vampiresses from the novel? One of them is Elizabeth Bathory, who is a vampire but doesn't suffer from any of the standard weaknesses that Dracula does. She's more of a rival chasing the Macguffins too.
There's a whole bunch of extra stuff jammed in between the scenes of the original Dracula novel, including Van Helsing having magic powers, Jonathan Harker being a tool of Elizabeth's, and . Honestly, most of it seems like a distraction from the core story, rather than enhancing it.
It's not bad by any means, but it feels like an odd fit with the previous two novels, especially since the whole Macguffin plot came out of nowhere, with no foreshadowing in the previous two books and no connection to anything in Stoker's novel.
I think this is the weakest book of the three. Whereas the first two books served as prequels to Dracula, this one largely takes place during the events of Stoker's novel. However, now the Count isn't just moving to England in search of fresh prey, there's a Macguffin quest for him that's supposed to make him more powerful. And the three vampiresses from the novel? One of them is Elizabeth Bathory, who is a vampire but doesn't suffer from any of the standard weaknesses that Dracula does. She's more of a rival chasing the Macguffins too.
There's a whole bunch of extra stuff jammed in between the scenes of the original Dracula novel, including Van Helsing having magic powers, Jonathan Harker being a tool of Elizabeth's, and . Honestly, most of it seems like a distraction from the core story, rather than enhancing it.
It's not bad by any means, but it feels like an odd fit with the previous two novels, especially since the whole Macguffin plot came out of nowhere, with no foreshadowing in the previous two books and no connection to anything in Stoker's novel.
October 28, 2019
Contrariamente ai primi due libri della trilogia questo è stato letto dopo Dracula di Bram Stoker, perché volevo che gli stessi avvenimenti mi venissero raccontati dall'originale, e poi guardare la storia da un secondo punto di vista. Obiettivamente quella di Jeanne Kalogridis è stata una grande opportunità, l'idea di fare una raccolta epistolare (che io non amo particolarmente) sulla famiglia Dracula era potenzialmente buona e interessante. Ma, comunque la storia si perde in particolari che non avrei voluto così, ma diversamente. Il primo libro era partito molto lento, però si era ripreso alla fine con gran grinta. Il secondo molto più bello del primo e questo.... NI. Ho apprezzato l'inserimento di alcuni personaggi famosi nel libro, come Van Helsing e la grande Elizabeth Bathory, però proprio di quest'ultima non mi è piaciuto il riscontro. Avrei voluto un alleata di Vlad molto più agguerrita e in generale un romanzo molto più crudo,spaventoso, più lungo e sviluppato; perché ripeto, gli spunti ci sono tutti ma non sono stati resi come avrei voluto. Un gran peccato, però sicuramente super consigliato e perfetto nella libreria.
September 9, 2020
It was a good ending to the series in some ways in the other the third book is probably the worse of all three. There old characters and new characters meeting up in the final book of the series. Will there combine skill be able to put Vlad down for good or is there another threat lurking under the surface.
Vlad was probably the worse part of the book. With the change from Elisabeth to Vlad as the main villain. It left a feeling for me at least of disappointment. Instead of the epic final battle were Vlad is a force to pay for all of his crimes. He just stabbed in his coffin to weak to defend himself. A villain built up over three books is just killed like a regular vampire.
The Vampires in book two that Abraham kills were more interesting than how Vlad went out. Overall this ended to the series was a good adventure.
By the way, this book copies a good amount of things from the original Dracula book.
Vlad was probably the worse part of the book. With the change from Elisabeth to Vlad as the main villain. It left a feeling for me at least of disappointment. Instead of the epic final battle were Vlad is a force to pay for all of his crimes. He just stabbed in his coffin to weak to defend himself. A villain built up over three books is just killed like a regular vampire.
The Vampires in book two that Abraham kills were more interesting than how Vlad went out. Overall this ended to the series was a good adventure.
By the way, this book copies a good amount of things from the original Dracula book.
February 5, 2025
well this was a whirlwind, and not in a good way. I struggled with the other two parts of the series storywise, and this was the worst of them all.
it seems as thought the language lost it's charm as well, how many times can a person describe something seeming like mother-of-pearl?
there are so many weird choices made here, and I have so many questions. I don't understand why she chose to re-write "Dracula" into this novel, I had interpreted that this was supposed to be before Brams novel and not be seeping into eachother. the changes she made are all terrible, and I don't understand why everyone has to be related in the end. like?
the introduction of magic and auras is strange at best, and everything just really spiraled. I hate that Vlad (much like in the original) just gets a two-sentece death and is never mentioned again. was he not supposed to be the main villian? what the hell happenend. I had high hopes for this but am bitterly disappointed.
it seems as thought the language lost it's charm as well, how many times can a person describe something seeming like mother-of-pearl?
there are so many weird choices made here, and I have so many questions. I don't understand why she chose to re-write "Dracula" into this novel, I had interpreted that this was supposed to be before Brams novel and not be seeping into eachother. the changes she made are all terrible, and I don't understand why everyone has to be related in the end. like?
the introduction of magic and auras is strange at best, and everything just really spiraled. I hate that Vlad (much like in the original) just gets a two-sentece death and is never mentioned again. was he not supposed to be the main villian? what the hell happenend. I had high hopes for this but am bitterly disappointed.
April 9, 2021
La Trilogía los diarios de la familia Drácula, de la que El Señor de los Vampiros es la tercera entrega, hace uso de la historia, la leyenda y la ficción. Pero sobre todo es una obra que se engarza en el texto de Drácula conformando una precula o retelling a la narración de Stoker, con la que el presente libro se solapa. Esta obra introduce giros innovadoras en la conocida trama que sirven para cubrir, historias ausentes en la narración original. Pero lo más importante es que ayuda a crear una prehistoria del propio Conde Drácula, estableciendo una conexión entre el Vampiro de Stoker y el Principe valaquino del S. XV, Vlad el Empalador(también conocido como Drácula).
El libro esta escrito a modo de diario y por eso es ameno e interesante, engancha al lector desde la primera página, su lenguaje es sencillo.
Recomiendo leer esta saga.
El libro esta escrito a modo de diario y por eso es ameno e interesante, engancha al lector desde la primera página, su lenguaje es sencillo.
Recomiendo leer esta saga.
December 24, 2022
Si chiude la trilogia della Kalogridis ispirata al vampiro più famoso di sempre o, per meglio dire, ai diari della famiglia Dracula. Paradossalmente, questo ultimo capitolo è quello che ho apprezzato di meno e che mi ha anche leggermente deluso per le aspettative che nutrivo dopo aver letto i primi due volumi.
Nel tentativo di fondere la storia della famiglia Dracula con quella tracciata da Bram Stoker, infatti, l’autrice aggiunge troppa carne al fuoco, rendendo il tutto confusionario e troppo frettoloso, specialmente verso il finale. Peccato perché l’idea generale poteva risultare valida e interessante ma l’opera, nel complesso, rappresenta un gradevole passatempo o poco di più.
Nel tentativo di fondere la storia della famiglia Dracula con quella tracciata da Bram Stoker, infatti, l’autrice aggiunge troppa carne al fuoco, rendendo il tutto confusionario e troppo frettoloso, specialmente verso il finale. Peccato perché l’idea generale poteva risultare valida e interessante ma l’opera, nel complesso, rappresenta un gradevole passatempo o poco di più.
May 18, 2023
Riuscire a "completare" ed arricchire un romanzo come "Dracula" non credo sia molto facile, soprattutto se a farlo è un altro scrittore a distanza di un secolo dalla pubblicazione del capolavoro di Stoker.
La Kalogridis è riuscita pienamente nell'intento, senza mai cadere nel cattivo gusto o nello scialbo e scontato. Ha creato una seconda trama che circonda la storia originale ed in questo terzo volume si consuma la grandezza di questa trilogia riuscendo ad affiancare due storie simili ma diverse tra loro e creando una giustificazione che regge il tutto.
Insomma è un libro che consiglierei vivamente ma...dopo aver letto "Dracula". Pieno voto.
La Kalogridis è riuscita pienamente nell'intento, senza mai cadere nel cattivo gusto o nello scialbo e scontato. Ha creato una seconda trama che circonda la storia originale ed in questo terzo volume si consuma la grandezza di questa trilogia riuscendo ad affiancare due storie simili ma diverse tra loro e creando una giustificazione che regge il tutto.
Insomma è un libro che consiglierei vivamente ma...dopo aver letto "Dracula". Pieno voto.
July 24, 2019
I'll admit, I didn't remember much of any of these stories at all. But each has been an interesting and thrilling journey. And...I could have sworn that this led into Bram Stoker's Dracula. not just a different perspective during it. But in the end, I liked that family won out. I might re-read the last few pages just to hammer in what happened but I liked it. Nice conclusion and will read Stoker's book soon.
November 23, 2024
I forced myself through this last volume. The author started losing me in Volume 2 when suddenly Van Helsing is related to Dracula and Seward is his son, etc. The last volume seemed to be, "I want to tell a different story than Stoker, so if something is inconvenient, just hypnotize the group into thinking other events happened. The first volume as intriguing, but the whole series rapidly degraded. If you think you are interested, just go read the original.
May 12, 2020
Para ser sincero, esperaba algo diferente al final, crecí con una perspectiva diferente de Drácula que la verdad no me imaginaba en los libros, los dos anteriores d ella trilogía estaban bien, me gustaron, pero le faltó más detalle, más acción, nada de resumir las cosas, y contar lo mismo que el libro de Drácula, sin duda mi peor lectura del año...
December 13, 2024
Peccato…i primi due erano molto belli. Crudi al punto giusto, non troppo “magici”, ma in questo libro si sconfina un po’ troppo nel soprannaturale rendendolo un libro per adolescenti.
Oltretutto Vlad l’invincibile e potentissimo fa una fine misera senza neanche combattere, John non si capisce cosa farà ora che ha scoperto di essere uno Tsepesh, Zsusanna di colpo una santa…ripeto: peccato!
Oltretutto Vlad l’invincibile e potentissimo fa una fine misera senza neanche combattere, John non si capisce cosa farà ora che ha scoperto di essere uno Tsepesh, Zsusanna di colpo una santa…ripeto: peccato!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2017
Este es la saga de vampiros que mas recuerda a Dracula incluso en este último libro toma personajes del original. El Van Helsing que mas me ha gustado esta aquí.
Muy recomendable...excepto que el final fue predecible.
Muy recomendable...excepto que el final fue predecible.
February 7, 2019
Very much enjoyed
At parts I found the book slow and repetitive, but there was parts that I could not stop reading or thinking about the story. Awe the ending, if you find it slow in parts keep going you will not be disappointed.
At parts I found the book slow and repetitive, but there was parts that I could not stop reading or thinking about the story. Awe the ending, if you find it slow in parts keep going you will not be disappointed.
February 7, 2023
Amazing!
This conclusion to the trilogy is simply amazing! Ms. Kalogridis has produced another emotion-jerking as well as suspenseful book. I got caught up in the sorrowful journey of the Tsepesh family right up to the very last word.
This conclusion to the trilogy is simply amazing! Ms. Kalogridis has produced another emotion-jerking as well as suspenseful book. I got caught up in the sorrowful journey of the Tsepesh family right up to the very last word.
August 10, 2017
Great book series
December 19, 2017
Another wonderful addition to the series! I'm so sorry it's over. This book introduced Elisabeth of Bathory who proved to be a very interesting, and disturbing, character.
December 7, 2018
Such a lame duck ending. Completely anti-climactic. It wrapped up the story, but was completely underwhelming.
July 5, 2024
The finale of the Diaries of the family Dracul endinh makes me cry 😢. How the character of these trilogy develope. One of mu fave book of all time.
November 17, 2024
Excellent final book of a gorgeous trilogy a masterpiece on vampires' stories
July 14, 2019
Satisfying Ending to the series
What an amazing ending. Though Vlad's ending was a little anticlimactic for me, what happened to the rest of the characters was satisfying.
What an amazing ending. Though Vlad's ending was a little anticlimactic for me, what happened to the rest of the characters was satisfying.
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