So Blooms the Dawn

Now Comes the Mist #2

by Julie C. Dao

Freshly vampiric Lucy Westenra thirsts for revenge in the second and final book of this Dracula retelling from critically acclaimed author Julie C. Dao.

Lucy Westenra, the flirtatious, wealthy, and beautiful debutante who once dazzled London society, is no more. Manipulated into thinking that Vlad understood her fervent darkness, she has become his bitter, blood-spattered, and lifeless bride.

Now en route to join his other brides in the Carpathians, Lucy writhes in pain each time she attempts to speak Vlad’s name. She dreams of finding solace in the arms of her loved her suitor, Arthur Holmwood, and her best friend, Mina Murray Harker. Instead, she is hunted by her former friends Dr. Van Helsing and Quincey Morris and tormented by the memory of the people she has killed in bloodlust.

But Lucy will not relinquish hope nor give up on escaping Vlad’s violent grip. Much like the monster who once wandered into her dreams and gave her a glimpse of his heart’s desire, she is determined to commune with Mina and Arthur, no matter the outcome. She must know once and for all whether their love for her persists—and if it can withstand her abandonment of her own humanity.

The long journey ahead will take Lucy to places unknown, where both familiar darkness and new light await. But will she step out of the mist and into the sun to embrace the vastness of her new immortal existence?

The stunning conclusion of a duology that reimagines Dracula from the perspective of Lucy Westenra, Now Blooms the Dawn is perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful and Danielle L. Jensen.



Praise for Now Comes the Mist



“A lush, thoughtful, seductive reimagining of the Dracula mythos that had me under its thrall from page one, Dao’s darkly dreamy book will leave you thirsting for more. Let Lucy sink her teeth into you and draw you into her new world.” —Kiersten White, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying



“This novel will leave you breathless and make you question what you thought you knew about the original tale. Julie C. Dao is the master of nuanced, complex female leads who will not just demand but forcibly take exactly what they deserve.” —Beth Revis, New York Times–bestselling coauthor of Night of the Witch



“[A] refreshing and clever gothic romance . . . Haunting and atmospheric . . . Fans of dark vampire romance will be delighted.” —Publishers Weekly



“A wonderful read! I was spellbound by this vivid reimagining of a Dracula myth that is at once enthralling, haunting, and darkly romantic.” —Sue Lynn Tan, USA Today–bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess



“Dazzling, sensual, sparkling with danger. Lucy Westenra is a force of nature in Dao’s capable hands, taking control of her own story with a vengeance long overdue. A vibrant, chilling reimagining that feels wholly its own.” —Natalie Mae, author of the Kinder Poison trilogy



“A sultry gothic that hooked me from the first sentence. Every page of this lush Dracula retelling is imbued with danger and darkness.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Vampires, Romantasy, Romance, Gothic, New Adult

260 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

Julie C. Dao is the award-winning author of many books from Disney, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and more. Her novels have earned starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and her "Rise of the Empress" books are being made into a major television series at Amazon MGM Studios.

A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England.

Pronunciation: JOOL-lee DOW
Pronouns: She/Her

Reviews

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack)]

My longest yeah boy ever! While I enjoyed the first book of this Dracula retelling from the point of view of Lucy Westenra, the second book is where I think this duology found its beating heart – by giving her a strong arc around escaping from Vlad's control, Julie C. Dao uses the existing themes of Dracula to say something really interesting about abusive relationships, and the importance of a support system who understands you in managing to escape.

As a Dracula retelling, I particularly enjoyed the development of Lucy's relationship with Mina and Jonathan. I'll definitely be returning to this.

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[mag_book_]

4,75/5
Satysfakcjonujące zakończenie 😏

[Sandra 🎀✨]

4,5✨
To była bardzo udana kontynuacja a zarazem zakończenie serii.
Pełna mroku i ciemności. A jednak potrafiła jeszcze pokazać, że dobre uczynki zawsze zwyciężają.
Lucy o wiele bardziej przypadła mi do gustu niż w pierwszym tomie.
A jej przyjaźń z Miną jest taka jaka też bym chciała mieć.

[Dominika]

⭐ 2.5/5

Cytaty:
• "Twoim przeznaczeniem jest być wolną, więc niech tak się stanie. Ruszaj w świat i spełnij najskrytsze marzenia."
• "Nigdy nie potrafiłbym uczynić cię szczęśliwą, moja miłości. Dlatego pozwalam ci odejść, z pełną świadomością i szczerym sercem.
• "Widzę również naszą przyszłość – ich i moją – pełną dziesięcioleci i stuleci spełnienia oraz radości, a także życia dla siebie, czynienia dobra, świętowania naszej odwagi i wolności. Wyobrażam sobie, jak wędrujemy po świecie, jeśli zechcemy, jak układamy sobie życie u boku kogoś, kogo kochamy, i jak stajemy się wszystkim, o czym kiedykolwiek marzyła młoda dziewczyna, jeśli tak zdecydujemy. A co najważniejsze, zostaniemy razem – już nigdy więcej samotne."
• "W mojej przyszłości nic mnie nie ogranicza. W mojej przyszłości latam."

[Lara]

E-ARC received from Edelweiss, huzzah and thank you!

Yessssss, I knew this version of Lucy wouldn't simply shrug and say "Oh well, guess I'm one of Dracula's brides now". Watching her grasp at the life she always wanted while fighting Vlad's control and her own hungers was fantastic, and the way the story reshaped itself around her still existing--Arthur and Mina still love her, Jonathan realizes that she understands what he went through, the two other brides are women in their own right and her allies against Dracula--felt no less than triumphant. Sure, there's an element of wish-fulfillment involved, with it being explicitly stated that Dracula's death removes all the bad parts of vampirism so that Lucy, Hong, and Thabisa will be immortal and retain all their gifts without having to drink blood again. But why not? Lucy Westenra has had one of the most horrible endings in literature for over a century. Let her be unapologetically victorious!

The hints of bisexuality in Lucy's personality are no longer subtext, and Lucy remains sexually drawn to Dracula even if she doesn't want to be. The text did a good job of not shaming her for either of those facts. She's also not predatory about it. She sleeps with Nell because there's a spark between them and she looks kind of like Mina, she has sex with Dracula partially because he's compelling her, but also in an attempt to use him like he's using her. It's a more frank perspective on sex than one would expect a Victorian woman to have, but then, this Victorian lady has had some uncommon experiences, and is also building on her repressed feelings from the first book. Part of freedom is acting on your desires, after all. I also really appreciate Lucy's awareness that her prior suicidal ideation was misplaced. She no longer idolizes and longs for death. She doesn't hate herself for it, but she admits to herself that it was a lot of complex feelings built around the loss of her father and the fear of losing her autonomy and self in a marriage, Some people never make it that far.

The other familiar characters get their moments in the sun. Mina remains amazing--you can see why both Lucy and Jonathan adore her--and Jonathan remains Victorian Wife Guy. Arthur Holmwood has more depth and kindness to him, and I can see his growth in his encounters with Lucy and his realization that she needed and wanted more than just being his wife. Van Helsing and Quincey are, eventually, able to look past their determination to view Lucy as a monster and admit they might be wrong. Seward is still a ninny, letting his inmates distract him, but what can you do? And for their willingness to change and trust her, they get a better ending! Quincey gets to live!

These two books are my favorite Dracula retellings. Step out into the day, Lucy Westenra, you're going to be amazing.

[RedWineReading]

So Blooms the Dawn by Julie C. Dao is a retelling of Dracula through the eyes of Lucy Westenra and the sequel to Now Comes the Mist. Lucy is fairly freshly turned by the Count and has been ordered to travel to his castle from England. Along her way she deals with fighting her new bloodlust, the guilt of her decision leading to her curse, and Dr. Van Helsing and the gun toting Quincey Morris on her tail. The journey involves train, ferry, and a haunting carriage with a quick stop in Paris. Throughout the scenes perfectly encapsulate the eloquence of the times wealthy while oozing the Victorian Gothic atmosphere along the way. The balance of beauty and horror is classic Dracula turned up to eleven, seeing the events unfold through the eyes of a vampire fighting the urge ups the stakes of every situation. (No pun intended) Everywhere Lucy goes she is tempted to feed and often encouraged by Vlad through their connection. The double edged sword that is Vlad has you constantly guessing how he will react and creates a real looming threat without him even needing to be present.
The story itself really focuses on what it is to be a woman in the peak of the world changing. Lucy is expected to stay living in a traditional world, both in her life alive and now undead in Vlad's world, but longs for the freedom of a woman in the modern world. It's a tale of dealing with your regrets and finding the strength to be your strongest self. It also shows us that in order to grow sometimes you have to look past the love you so desperately want to see it for what it really is and stake it in the heart.
Any fan of the classic Dracula will feel right at home with So Blooms the Dawn. There are small glimpses of the classics journal entries and news stories that show up as we move through the world with new eyes that really connect the retelling with the original in a fantastic way while incorporating new pieces that add to the narrative. The journey on the ferry is reminiscent of the Demeter voyage that the Count uses on his way to England. The whole thing is a love letter to the classic Dracula that captures all of the romance, danger, and rage that any vampire lover will appreciate making it an absolute must read.

[otulona_stronami]

// współpraca recenzencka //

Bardzo byłam ciekawa dalszych losów naszej pięknej i wolnej duchem Lucy.
W tym tomie wracamy do przemienionej niedawno kobiety, która w podróży do nowego domu, stara się zrozumieć swoje nowe położenie oraz zaakceptować to, jak będzie wyglądać jej dalsze życie. Postanawia udowodnić się od swojego oprawcy i zdobyć wymarzoną wolność.

Ta część podobała mi się bardziej od poprzedniego tomu, bo zauważamy tutaj realną przemianę głównej bohaterki, jej zwątpienie we wcześniejsze decyzje i próbę naprawy swojego życia. Możemy tutaj przeczytać o naprawdę wielu głębszych przemyśleniach na temat swojego życia, które tak bardzo chciała Lucy, a teraz równie mocno za tym starym tęskni.

Nie jest to książka, która skupia się mocno na fantastyce. Jest ona jak najbardziej obecna, bo nadal głównymi bohaterami w tej historii są wampiry, jednak skupiamy się tutaj głównie na życiu kobiety, która w czasach, gdzie jej celem powinno być bycie idealną żoną i matką, ona szuka wolności i szczęścia na swój własny sposób.

Jedyna rzeczą, która przeszkadzała mi w tej książce to była scena zbliżenia, która była na swój dziwny sposób wyjątkowo wulgarna i nieprzyjemna dla mnie w odbiorze, a przy tym kompletnie zbędna.

Całą historią Lucy jestem zachwycona i żałuję, że nie będę miała już okazji poznać dalszej historii tej wyjątkowej kobiety.

[Tisaiaa]

Warto było czekać na wydanie drugiej części w Polsce, choć nie ukrywam, że minimalnie bardziej podobała mi się pierwsza. Niemniej tej części również nie można niczego odmówić - nadal klasyfikuje się jako bardzo dobra. Mam jednak wrażenie, że nieco odebrano jej gotyckiej stylistyki, szczególnie w opisach architektury, które w pierwszej części budowały niezwykły klimat.
Lucy jest tutaj zupełnie inna. Przez całą książkę obserwujemy, jak mieszają się w niej emocje, do tego stopnia, że sama przestaje rozróżniać miłość od pożądania czy nienawiści. Po przeczytaniu całości nadal nie jestem pewna, czy w którymkolwiek momencie rzeczywiście mówiła to, co czuła w głębi serca, ani czy była jeszcze w stanie rozpoznać prawdziwą miłość.
Vladimir został natomiast wykreowany perfekcyjnie - kanonicznie i brutalnie. Kolejny raz dziękuję autorce za trzymanie się pierwotnej wersji tej postaci, zamiast łagodzenia jej charakteru.
Mroczna, niepokojąca historia, która zdecydowanie ma swój klimat. Mogę śmiało polecić.

[Iona]

This was a delight of a conclusion. I really enjoyed how this ended.

I did feel like the pacing was a bit off - the journey over to France just felt like it went on a bit too long - and I did miss some of the other characters that were more prominent in the first book - especially Arthur.

I also felt like there were a few details that were glossed over - like, how was Lucy able to eventually defy Vlad’s compulsion, it felt just too convenient. I also felt like there goings on at the asylum were mostly ignored and had no real resolution.

Overall, tho, I loved everything about Lucy and her journey to surviving Vlad and how she grew into herself. I would have loved more of the other wives because they were delightful.

I did find the ending deeply satisfying.

[Alina]

Read this sequel in one sitting. The first book was a surprise to me and instantly pulled me into its world. It has been a long time since I fell in love with a story as much as I did with this one.

I can confidently say the second book is just as great as the first. A very satisfying ending for Lucy Westenra. My only qualm is I wish the book were longer, but it was a journey well spent.

The first book just manifested itself in my life and here I am thinking about it months later. So Blooms the Dawn will be another book I can’t stop thinking about and comparing to future readings.

[Lauren]

A highly subjective 4.75 out of 5 stars. I love adaptations of Dracula, and I am obsessed with this take, from the perspective of Lucy Westenra, but also functioning as a take on vampire tales and historical tales, on who gets to be a hero, on who is villainized, on who is allowed or not allowed to be a victim, on how sufferers can become survivors.

This conclusion to the duology is action-packed, gory, romantic, complex, reflective, and everything I needed it to be. It makes a lot of sense viewing it in dialogue with the original novel and subsequent adaptations. I would love to be a professor and use this duology as part of the syllabus for greater discussion.

[Mia]

This duology brings a fresh, feminist and anti-colonialist perspective to the classic story of Dracula, and examines the inner lives and motivations of the female characters that don’t get much attention in the original novel. In So Blooms the Dawn, we get to see the main character and narrator Lucy step further away from the original storyline and have more of an arc of her own. There’s a lot of gothic horror, action, and definitely some steamy parts in this one!

[Sio]

I found I didn't enjoy this as much as the first, although I did like the ending for this one. Maybe it has to do with me listening to the audiobook for this one vs reading the physical book for the first one. I did find the narrator's laugh bothered me enough to throw me out of the story.

[Marta]

3,5 ⭐️
Trochę jestem rozczarowana, zwłaszcza że pierwszy tom bardzo mi się podobał. Liczyłam po prostu więcej przepychanek między Vladem i Lucy, myślałam, że będzie bardziej elektryzujący, jak pierwszy tom

[Laura Zarzyńska]

Ciężka sprawa

[Paulina Hawryłko]

fajnie, na koniec super ze tak polaczyli sily
(dalej nie rozumiem sjad milosc z arturem i taka troche z pizdy ale git)

[Katerina]

To była dobra kontynuacja, kochaaam klimat tej książki, mroczny, duszny, tajemny, naprawdę idealna historia na jesień!

[Maelia]

🥹❤️‍🩹

[juls]

Niestety wyraźnie gorsza od tomu pierwszego :/

[cichaczytelniczka]

4/5⭐
Jest to bardzo dobre zakończenie dylogii o mojej ulubionej wampirzycy, jednak pierwszy tom podobał mi się zdecydowanie bardziej 🫶🏻

[Chantalen ⋆.˚]

I thought the first book was delicious, but compared to this, it was bleak. So blooms the dawn is both a retelling and its own story and following Lucy was consuming me utterly. really, if anybody wants a retelling of dracula that will grab you by your heart, go get it.

especially the part where Lucy was travelling. can't say much to not spoil anything, but I was NERVOUS, anticipating what would happen next