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The Brides
Not yet published
Expected 26 Mar 26Before Dracula, there were The Brides. . .
1903. Sir John Seward, survivor of Count Dracula’s murderous campaign ten years before, takes up a post as a psychiatric doctor at an Oxford public asylum. There, a new patient arrives whose traumatic experiences resurrect horrors John has spent a decade trying to forget.
1884. Mafalda Lowell journeys from London to Budapest to care for her recently widowed aunt Reka. She uncovers the chilling truth about her uncle’s death, and writes to her secret love Lucy North for comfort. Chaperoned by former schoolfriend Eliza and lady’s maid Alice, Lucy travels across the continent to be with her beloved.
Only Alice, beset by nightmares and terrifying visions, notices the strange black-clad man who seems to follow them wherever they go. When Eliza is struck down with a mysterious wasting illness, her doctor orders her to take the healing waters of Transylvania, a journey with devastating consequences.
There was meant to be four . . .
A dual timeline novel, told through letters, diary entries, psychiatric reports, that places women at the centre of literature's most famous vampire story.
1903. Sir John Seward, survivor of Count Dracula’s murderous campaign ten years before, takes up a post as a psychiatric doctor at an Oxford public asylum. There, a new patient arrives whose traumatic experiences resurrect horrors John has spent a decade trying to forget.
1884. Mafalda Lowell journeys from London to Budapest to care for her recently widowed aunt Reka. She uncovers the chilling truth about her uncle’s death, and writes to her secret love Lucy North for comfort. Chaperoned by former schoolfriend Eliza and lady’s maid Alice, Lucy travels across the continent to be with her beloved.
Only Alice, beset by nightmares and terrifying visions, notices the strange black-clad man who seems to follow them wherever they go. When Eliza is struck down with a mysterious wasting illness, her doctor orders her to take the healing waters of Transylvania, a journey with devastating consequences.
There was meant to be four . . .
A dual timeline novel, told through letters, diary entries, psychiatric reports, that places women at the centre of literature's most famous vampire story.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 26, 2026
4 people are currently reading
1368 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Want to read
September 26, 2025when am i never gonna devour a retelling of dracula's brides honestly
Read
January 18, 2026DNF 😏
November 18, 2025
I am so sad to admit that I really struggled to engage with this one. On paper, this should have been immaculate. I adore multiple works of classical literature, grandeur gothicism and of course, the delectable darkness that is Bram Stokers masterpiece, Dracula. The concept of doing an inspired piece from the perspective of Count Draculas wives was an immediate sell to me. However, for me personally, I believe the concept was more engaging than its actual execution.
For me this was entirely a pacing issue, and I can only attribute this to the format in which the tale was presented. I do largely enjoy unconventional presentations of texts, be it diary entries, letters, or snippets of news. But in this particular instance, there were a number of differing povs, a series of unreliable narrators, scewed time-lines, and of course the epistolary written formats. It became incredibly confusing and particularly jarring to attempt to follow the plot.
This jarring and particularly slow pacing (especially for the first few hundred pages!) further damaged my relationship with the characters due to oftentimes being confused as to whose pov I was reading, and as such damaged the levels of empathy I had been attempting to build with this novel.
Whilst I realise this is an attempt at mimicking the original Stoker text, for whatever reason I truly struggled to engage with it. Perhaps I struggled with it being an e-arc as it was not simple to flick back constantly to see who was speaking and at what time.
I am sad to say I struggled with this one, but I would still urge others to read it and form their own opinions on it.
Thanks again to Tor Books/ Pan Macmillan for granting me the opportunity to read this novel as an arc and I look forward to working together again in future!
For me this was entirely a pacing issue, and I can only attribute this to the format in which the tale was presented. I do largely enjoy unconventional presentations of texts, be it diary entries, letters, or snippets of news. But in this particular instance, there were a number of differing povs, a series of unreliable narrators, scewed time-lines, and of course the epistolary written formats. It became incredibly confusing and particularly jarring to attempt to follow the plot.
This jarring and particularly slow pacing (especially for the first few hundred pages!) further damaged my relationship with the characters due to oftentimes being confused as to whose pov I was reading, and as such damaged the levels of empathy I had been attempting to build with this novel.
Whilst I realise this is an attempt at mimicking the original Stoker text, for whatever reason I truly struggled to engage with it. Perhaps I struggled with it being an e-arc as it was not simple to flick back constantly to see who was speaking and at what time.
I am sad to say I struggled with this one, but I would still urge others to read it and form their own opinions on it.
Thanks again to Tor Books/ Pan Macmillan for granting me the opportunity to read this novel as an arc and I look forward to working together again in future!
October 29, 2025
4.5 stars!
A sapphic epistolary gothic novel that is also (and I mean this in the best way) Dracula fanfic? Sign me up! This is a wonderful homage to Dracula (you can tell Cross loves that book deeply) whilst also managing to be its own thing. Very atmospheric for sure (definitely gave me some wild dreams). Perfect for all my vampire-loving girlies out there!
A sapphic epistolary gothic novel that is also (and I mean this in the best way) Dracula fanfic? Sign me up! This is a wonderful homage to Dracula (you can tell Cross loves that book deeply) whilst also managing to be its own thing. Very atmospheric for sure (definitely gave me some wild dreams). Perfect for all my vampire-loving girlies out there!
November 12, 2025
The Brides is an epistolary novel, much like its inspiration, that weaves the intersecting stories of four women as they eventually find themselves travelling to Dracula's castle, before the events of the original 1897 novel. Years on, John Seward (the psychiatrist who oversaw Renfield) will piece together letters and journal entries, whilst working at an asylum in 1903.
A familiarity with Bram Stoker's Dracula is crucial to The Brides, that acts as a prequel and continuation of the original novel. Characters from Dracula make appearances, and Cross' brides are skilfully written around the original narrative.
The Brides deals heavily with the themes of female autonomy, sapphic relationships in the late Victorian era, and the effects of living with trauma. It focuses largely on the backstories of its leads, though I also found myself looking forward to the chapters from John Seward's perspective throughout the novel.
Dracula himself is an ever-present, though rarely seen, terrifying force that permeates the text. As a character study, the bulk of story is spent learning about the brides before Dracula's castle, and at times I did find the plot to unfold more slowly than expected. Ultimately however, I found The Brides to be a very gratifying slow-burn read.
I can never get enough of these types of Dracula adjacent continuations/retellings/reimaginings, so I was ecstatic to be able to receive a proof copy to review. Fans of recent classic vampire novel retellings like Hungerstone will be equally eager to devour The Brides.
*Thank you to the publishers for providing a proof copy of this book for review*
A familiarity with Bram Stoker's Dracula is crucial to The Brides, that acts as a prequel and continuation of the original novel. Characters from Dracula make appearances, and Cross' brides are skilfully written around the original narrative.
The Brides deals heavily with the themes of female autonomy, sapphic relationships in the late Victorian era, and the effects of living with trauma. It focuses largely on the backstories of its leads, though I also found myself looking forward to the chapters from John Seward's perspective throughout the novel.
Dracula himself is an ever-present, though rarely seen, terrifying force that permeates the text. As a character study, the bulk of story is spent learning about the brides before Dracula's castle, and at times I did find the plot to unfold more slowly than expected. Ultimately however, I found The Brides to be a very gratifying slow-burn read.
I can never get enough of these types of Dracula adjacent continuations/retellings/reimaginings, so I was ecstatic to be able to receive a proof copy to review. Fans of recent classic vampire novel retellings like Hungerstone will be equally eager to devour The Brides.
*Thank you to the publishers for providing a proof copy of this book for review*
January 10, 2026
I’m a huge fan of Dracula so I was fully expected to love this book. I was not disappointed. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
This book tells the origin of Dracula’s brides. It overlaps with the original story at points, and it’s told over many years. The books uses a blend of letters, diary entries to showcase the events of the past. We follow John Seward, years after the events of Dracula. He’s treating a patient with an unusual illness and he’s forced to remember his own traumatic events whilst investigating what happened to her. This feels reminiscent of the writing style in Dracula. Indeed, there’s so much affection and respect shown to the original material. The author has managed to beautifully tie her own work to the original novel, whilst creating something that stands up as its own story. Would you benefitting from being familiar with Dracula when reading this? Yes. Can it stand up as its own book without reading Dracula first? Also yes. I was really impressed with this and I’ll certainly be looking out for more from this author.
I loved the gentle blending of historical detail throughout this novel, particularly given it spans decades and takes place across England, Hungary and Romania. The setting is richly imagined in each case. We hear from multiple points of views across various letters and diaries. I was impressed with how individual each voice felt. Though the entries are labelled with their creator, I felt they were distinct enough I could have told the voice just from the writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I would certainly read it again. Fantastic.
This book tells the origin of Dracula’s brides. It overlaps with the original story at points, and it’s told over many years. The books uses a blend of letters, diary entries to showcase the events of the past. We follow John Seward, years after the events of Dracula. He’s treating a patient with an unusual illness and he’s forced to remember his own traumatic events whilst investigating what happened to her. This feels reminiscent of the writing style in Dracula. Indeed, there’s so much affection and respect shown to the original material. The author has managed to beautifully tie her own work to the original novel, whilst creating something that stands up as its own story. Would you benefitting from being familiar with Dracula when reading this? Yes. Can it stand up as its own book without reading Dracula first? Also yes. I was really impressed with this and I’ll certainly be looking out for more from this author.
I loved the gentle blending of historical detail throughout this novel, particularly given it spans decades and takes place across England, Hungary and Romania. The setting is richly imagined in each case. We hear from multiple points of views across various letters and diaries. I was impressed with how individual each voice felt. Though the entries are labelled with their creator, I felt they were distinct enough I could have told the voice just from the writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I would certainly read it again. Fantastic.
Want to read
January 17, 2026Thanks to Hanover Square Press and HarperCollins for my review copy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A delightful, lush Dracula prequel told through letters and diary entries.
We have diary entries and letters from Lucy North in 1884 as well as letters from her accompanying servant who has visions.
In the present timeline, we have Sir John Seward’s personal diary from 1903 in Littlemore Hospital, Oxfordshire. Yes, the Dr. Seward from the original Dracula. This is him practising medicine after the defeat of Dracula, tending to a new patient with a strange case.
Lucy has a sapphic friends-to-lovers thread that is devastating. Not only was homosexuality not recognised during this time period, they were also unknowingly facing evil.
You start off unsure how everything will connect. Just a bunch of characters writing down their thoughts with a few editor’s notes within the text which only adds more mystery.
If you are more familiar with Dracula, I think this will come together more quickly for you.
This has great reflections on independence, reliance, gender roles and societal conformity.
‘They have no idea how to deal with any emotion that is not anger, so they treat a sensibility like a deep universal truth rather the nonsense it is. A man having an emotion is the most important occurrence in the history of the world, and everyone else be damned!’
This was very reminiscent to Dowry of Blood and it is clear Cross is aware of the many different vampire retellings alongside the original texts. This is both classical and unique. Exactly what you want from a retelling.
A great debut even if I did sometimes struggle with the formatting of how the plot was relayed.
Physical arc gifted by Tor Books.
Bookstagram
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We have diary entries and letters from Lucy North in 1884 as well as letters from her accompanying servant who has visions.
In the present timeline, we have Sir John Seward’s personal diary from 1903 in Littlemore Hospital, Oxfordshire. Yes, the Dr. Seward from the original Dracula. This is him practising medicine after the defeat of Dracula, tending to a new patient with a strange case.
Lucy has a sapphic friends-to-lovers thread that is devastating. Not only was homosexuality not recognised during this time period, they were also unknowingly facing evil.
You start off unsure how everything will connect. Just a bunch of characters writing down their thoughts with a few editor’s notes within the text which only adds more mystery.
If you are more familiar with Dracula, I think this will come together more quickly for you.
This has great reflections on independence, reliance, gender roles and societal conformity.
‘They have no idea how to deal with any emotion that is not anger, so they treat a sensibility like a deep universal truth rather the nonsense it is. A man having an emotion is the most important occurrence in the history of the world, and everyone else be damned!’
This was very reminiscent to Dowry of Blood and it is clear Cross is aware of the many different vampire retellings alongside the original texts. This is both classical and unique. Exactly what you want from a retelling.
A great debut even if I did sometimes struggle with the formatting of how the plot was relayed.
Physical arc gifted by Tor Books.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
October 12, 2025
The Brides by Charlotte Cross is a mysterious, enthralling retelling-of-sorts of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But instead of focusing on the events of the well-known classic novel, Cross’ novel takes an interest in the titular brides of the vampire count and how they came to be the figures from the original story.
To be quite frank, I did not read the whole synopsis before going into the book. I just saw it was sapphic and gothic, which is exactly my vibe, so I decided I had to read it based on that. Flash forward, I was texting my best friend in excitement about the book being a Dracula-retelling at midnight (the perfect time to read it). Truly, I’m always down for a female-centric retelling of a classic (bonus points for being sapphic!).
However, The Brides was not simply a fun read to me. It is also an interesting portrayal of trauma and its effects on a person. The novel considers how trauma is formed and how the memories of those experiences may be triggered again after becoming dormant. Additionally, there are beautiful portrayals of different kinds of love—romantic, familiar, platonic, everything in between. And to feature a sapphic love story at the center feels very fitting, considering how interlinked queerness and vampires have been in literature and other forms of media.
Overall, a very enjoyable to read I am excited to hit the shelves next year.
Thank you, Pan Macmillan | Tor Nightfire & NetGalley, for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and views expressed are my own.
To be quite frank, I did not read the whole synopsis before going into the book. I just saw it was sapphic and gothic, which is exactly my vibe, so I decided I had to read it based on that. Flash forward, I was texting my best friend in excitement about the book being a Dracula-retelling at midnight (the perfect time to read it). Truly, I’m always down for a female-centric retelling of a classic (bonus points for being sapphic!).
However, The Brides was not simply a fun read to me. It is also an interesting portrayal of trauma and its effects on a person. The novel considers how trauma is formed and how the memories of those experiences may be triggered again after becoming dormant. Additionally, there are beautiful portrayals of different kinds of love—romantic, familiar, platonic, everything in between. And to feature a sapphic love story at the center feels very fitting, considering how interlinked queerness and vampires have been in literature and other forms of media.
Overall, a very enjoyable to read I am excited to hit the shelves next year.
Thank you, Pan Macmillan | Tor Nightfire & NetGalley, for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and views expressed are my own.
November 19, 2025
YESSSS - this book was AMAZING! Since I was 10, my favorite book has been Dracula, so of course I was very very intrigued when I saw The Brides, I knew I had to read it and I got the chance to read an ARC thanks to PanMacmillan Export.
I loved the concept of the book, based on the origin story of the women that were Dracula’s “brides”. I will never read Dracula the same as before, because now I will always think that we know what the story of those poor women is. We know what they’ve been through, how much they suffered and what brought them to the monster’s castle.
I love the fact that the book is written really similar to Dracula, so we get the same exciting reading experience, through letters and journal entries. We also get to see some beloved characters like John Seward and Jonathan Harker. I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters and it felt so good to read about their lives after Dracula.
This book is an insanely good idea and I loved every part of it. Coming from a very big Dracula lover: this book is GOOD. If you’ve read and loved Dracula, you need to read this one!
I loved the concept of the book, based on the origin story of the women that were Dracula’s “brides”. I will never read Dracula the same as before, because now I will always think that we know what the story of those poor women is. We know what they’ve been through, how much they suffered and what brought them to the monster’s castle.
I love the fact that the book is written really similar to Dracula, so we get the same exciting reading experience, through letters and journal entries. We also get to see some beloved characters like John Seward and Jonathan Harker. I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters and it felt so good to read about their lives after Dracula.
This book is an insanely good idea and I loved every part of it. Coming from a very big Dracula lover: this book is GOOD. If you’ve read and loved Dracula, you need to read this one!
November 12, 2025
Wow. Wow. Wow. This is truly the most wonderful retelling of Dracula that I’ve ever read. I’m a huge fan of Dracula by Bram Stoker, and this book gives the exact same feel as the original. The gothic imagery, the characters, and the diary/letter entry style just blew me away.
This isn’t an action packed book. This is slow, but evenly paced. It really sets the scene for the latter part of the book wonderfully. It slowly fills you with dread over time, just as original Dracula does.
An absolutely amazing book that will be perfect for lovers of Dracula and slow, gothic, dread-inducing tales! 🩸🥀
A huge thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book before its release!
This will be perfect for you if you enjoy:
🏠 Diary and letter entries
🖤 Female vampires
🔪 Gothic horror
☕️ Multiple POVs
This isn’t an action packed book. This is slow, but evenly paced. It really sets the scene for the latter part of the book wonderfully. It slowly fills you with dread over time, just as original Dracula does.
An absolutely amazing book that will be perfect for lovers of Dracula and slow, gothic, dread-inducing tales! 🩸🥀
A huge thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book before its release!
This will be perfect for you if you enjoy:
🏠 Diary and letter entries
🖤 Female vampires
🔪 Gothic horror
☕️ Multiple POVs
December 29, 2025
The Brides is a haunting, female centred reimagining of one of the worlds most enduring vampire myths. Told through an epistolary structure of letters, diary entries, and psychiatric reports, it gives voice to figures long relegated to the margins. Dracula’s brides.
Rather than rehashing old ground, the book focuses on how these women came to the castle and what lingers after. It’s a slow burn exploration of female autonomy, sapphic desire, and the lasting effects of trauma, where memory and longing are as potent as blood. Dracula remains mostly unseen, yet his presence permeates every page as an ever looming force and threat.
Atmospheric, deliberate, and richly gothic, this is a perfect read for anyone drawn to vampire lore, epistolary storytelling, and narratives that reclaim power for women who were once only footnotes.
Rather than rehashing old ground, the book focuses on how these women came to the castle and what lingers after. It’s a slow burn exploration of female autonomy, sapphic desire, and the lasting effects of trauma, where memory and longing are as potent as blood. Dracula remains mostly unseen, yet his presence permeates every page as an ever looming force and threat.
Atmospheric, deliberate, and richly gothic, this is a perfect read for anyone drawn to vampire lore, epistolary storytelling, and narratives that reclaim power for women who were once only footnotes.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
First of all, thanks to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this eARC!
3,75/5 rounded up to 4
This is an epistolary novel that could perfectly be Dracula's prologue (I can say that as someone that Dracula did not hit as hard as people say, also I was 14 trying to read it, I did _not_ get it). The horror and mystery gets interlinked and explained by the characters through letters and their diaries, even work notes. This was very hard for me to follow in the beginning, and the formatting made it harder, but that last 50%? Phew. Absolute phenomenon. I did miss a bit more of the horror, but it does deliver sapphic women *and* vampires, so if that's right across your alley, this one's for you!
3,75/5 rounded up to 4
This is an epistolary novel that could perfectly be Dracula's prologue (I can say that as someone that Dracula did not hit as hard as people say, also I was 14 trying to read it, I did _not_ get it). The horror and mystery gets interlinked and explained by the characters through letters and their diaries, even work notes. This was very hard for me to follow in the beginning, and the formatting made it harder, but that last 50%? Phew. Absolute phenomenon. I did miss a bit more of the horror, but it does deliver sapphic women *and* vampires, so if that's right across your alley, this one's for you!
December 9, 2025
The Bride by Charlotte Cross is a dark, addictive, and beautifully tense story that pulled me in from the very first chapter. The atmosphere is eerie, the romance is deliciously unsettling, and every twist made me want to keep turning pages. Charlotte Cross perfectly balances suspense, emotion, and gothic undertones, creating a story that feels haunting yet irresistibly compelling.
Thanks Netgelly for providing me the wonderful Arc of this book.
Thanks Netgelly for providing me the wonderful Arc of this book.
November 10, 2025
I’ve always wondered who Draculas brides were before they became the undead and this book did not disappoint . I loved it a slow burn that kept me reading late into the night and unable to put this book down. Everything i hoped for creepy atmospheric and gloriously gothic. Thank you pan MacMillan book break uk and Tor books for the ARC
January 7, 2026
I absolutely loved this Sapphic gothic horror! While paying homage to the daring and quite scandalous for its time classical novel Dracula, Charlotte Cross still manages to weave her own terrifying and nail biting story!
As someone who found Dracula slightly boring (possible because I was forced into reading it for school) I absolutely loved The Brides. I would recommend to read Dracula prior as there is a large cross over with timelines, characters and plot so to fully understand and appreciate the story as a whole
As someone who found Dracula slightly boring (possible because I was forced into reading it for school) I absolutely loved The Brides. I would recommend to read Dracula prior as there is a large cross over with timelines, characters and plot so to fully understand and appreciate the story as a whole
Want to read
September 28, 2025I cannot wait to read this!!! I'm so intruiged by the brides, because we hardly know anything about them at all from the original script. There are many books/fanfictions out there inspired by the brides, so I hope this one brings us something new and is as good or better.
December 14, 2025
The Brides slides into the Dracula corpus as if it's always been there - a prequel and a sequel all at once - while at the same time feeling new and fresh and wholly, entirely its own. A must-read for anyone who loves Dracula, or vampires, or nuanced, meticulously researched explorations of the women living in the shadows of well-known narratives.
I absolutely adored it.
I absolutely adored it.
December 20, 2025
A mesmerising tale that places women at the centre of literature's most famous vampire story told through letters, diary entries and psychiatric reports across a dual timeline. A hauntingly gothic narrative, dripping with desire and blood that will linger in your mind long into the night.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 | 𝐓𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 | 𝐓𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews