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Black Shadow Moon: Bram Stoker's Dark Secret - The Story of Dracula
Bram Stoker wanted fame. What he got was pure evil.
In late Victorian London, Bram Stoker is an unnoticed author who longs for celebrity and recognition. His ignored writings have left him anonymous. When Vlad Tepes, an eccentric European aristocrat, poses a dangerous proposition, the frustrated artist can't help but listen. In trade for a simple exchange of services, Tepes promises to give him the information he needs to write a book about the nature of evil that will shock the world. Hungry for a successful book, Stoker reluctantly agrees.
Sir Henry Irving, England's leading Shakespearean actor and Stoker's employer, begins to notice an unpredictable nature in his struggling friend. When Stoker's uncharacteristic behavior jeopardizes a deal between Irving and Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, the creative masterminds begin to investigate the source of Stoker's preoccupation. What they find shakes them to the core: malevolent darkness, blood, and murder. The evidence begins to mount that they may be dealing with a real vampire.
The chase is on to save Stoker and his family. Failure could result in the loss of their lives… and their souls.
Black Shadow Moon is the first book in a series that asks the question, "What if Bram Stoker's Dracula was based on real events?" Author P.G. Kassel's dark supernatural thriller answers the question in a gothic horror novel that brings vampires back to their original evil: existing for no other purpose than to purvey pain, destruction, and death. Will Stoker fall prey to the beautiful side of evil that promises, seduces, and then eviscerates? Pick up P.G. Kassel's chilling novel today to get your answer.
In late Victorian London, Bram Stoker is an unnoticed author who longs for celebrity and recognition. His ignored writings have left him anonymous. When Vlad Tepes, an eccentric European aristocrat, poses a dangerous proposition, the frustrated artist can't help but listen. In trade for a simple exchange of services, Tepes promises to give him the information he needs to write a book about the nature of evil that will shock the world. Hungry for a successful book, Stoker reluctantly agrees.
Sir Henry Irving, England's leading Shakespearean actor and Stoker's employer, begins to notice an unpredictable nature in his struggling friend. When Stoker's uncharacteristic behavior jeopardizes a deal between Irving and Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, the creative masterminds begin to investigate the source of Stoker's preoccupation. What they find shakes them to the core: malevolent darkness, blood, and murder. The evidence begins to mount that they may be dealing with a real vampire.
The chase is on to save Stoker and his family. Failure could result in the loss of their lives… and their souls.
Black Shadow Moon is the first book in a series that asks the question, "What if Bram Stoker's Dracula was based on real events?" Author P.G. Kassel's dark supernatural thriller answers the question in a gothic horror novel that brings vampires back to their original evil: existing for no other purpose than to purvey pain, destruction, and death. Will Stoker fall prey to the beautiful side of evil that promises, seduces, and then eviscerates? Pick up P.G. Kassel's chilling novel today to get your answer.
492 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2015
57 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
About the author
P.G. Kassel
5 books48 followersP.G. Kassel is a former film and television writer-director turned novelist. He has always loved good stories and story telling. Suspense-thrillers, the supernatural and horror, romantic comedy, science fiction, westerns – he isn’t one to be fenced in by a genre label – he just enjoys telling a good story.
While attending film school at USC his focus was on directing. At the time a new director was more likely to get the opportunity to direct a feature film if they had written the screenplay. So, he began writing screenplays and teleplays, and wrote a shelf-full of them.
Phil always loved books and reading so it was only a matter of time before his enjoyment of writing screenplays began to transform into a desire to write a novel. The end result was Black Shadow Moon. He is currently writing the sequel to Black Shadow Moon and has four other novels in various stages of development.
A native Californian, Phil spent over 30 years working in the entertainment industry. In addition to writing his interests include songwriting, playing and recording music, still photography, and shooting cowboy firearms.
Phil is married to an amazing and beautiful woman who puts up with all his artistic moodiness. They make their home in Los Angeles, California.
While attending film school at USC his focus was on directing. At the time a new director was more likely to get the opportunity to direct a feature film if they had written the screenplay. So, he began writing screenplays and teleplays, and wrote a shelf-full of them.
Phil always loved books and reading so it was only a matter of time before his enjoyment of writing screenplays began to transform into a desire to write a novel. The end result was Black Shadow Moon. He is currently writing the sequel to Black Shadow Moon and has four other novels in various stages of development.
A native Californian, Phil spent over 30 years working in the entertainment industry. In addition to writing his interests include songwriting, playing and recording music, still photography, and shooting cowboy firearms.
Phil is married to an amazing and beautiful woman who puts up with all his artistic moodiness. They make their home in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 21, 2022
A stellar, action-packed and frightening take on how Bram Stoker came to write Dracula. Featuring author Arthur Doyle and Shakespearean actor Henry Irving, we are treated to a hauntingly Gothic tale of how an eastern European called Tepes insidiously inserted himself into the life of Stoker and then preceded to lay waste to both his sanity and those closest to him.
A deliciously eerie imagining that drew you and held you absorbed.
A deliciously eerie imagining that drew you and held you absorbed.
January 19, 2016
Conan Doyle is very impressive and aｔtractive . He is definitely Sherlock Holmes .
January 27, 2019
When you think of Bram Stoker then Dracula will spring to mind. This book goes deeper into Stoker's absorption into Dracula's life. Stoker works alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and the actor Sir Henry Irving in London's theatre land. From Victorian London they find themselves drawn to Whitby, where each visit seems to bring more horror. When those horrors follow them to London Stoker's behaviour changes and causes problems in his relationship with the others.
Although this is a work of fiction there is enough fact in the narrative to keep the reader engrossed. This could so easily be true, even those bits that you might not really believe! The narrative is gripping, very well written, leaving just enough to the imagination to have the reader wondering - What if? Could he? Do they exist?
One feature that I really like was the chapter length. This may not seem important but for me it was. The chapters are short and this keeps the story moving along at pace. Each chapter creates a little image that sticks in the mind. Very effective.
Although this is a work of fiction there is enough fact in the narrative to keep the reader engrossed. This could so easily be true, even those bits that you might not really believe! The narrative is gripping, very well written, leaving just enough to the imagination to have the reader wondering - What if? Could he? Do they exist?
One feature that I really like was the chapter length. This may not seem important but for me it was. The chapters are short and this keeps the story moving along at pace. Each chapter creates a little image that sticks in the mind. Very effective.
July 8, 2019
Black Shadow Moon includes a number of historical figures and explores what could have happened if the events in Dracula were real. It was fun to see Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle brought to life. The chapters alternate between different points of view, sometimes omniscient third person and other times close third person from different characters' perspectives, including a rat's. It's hard to do this well, and I thought it was effective here. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
That said, I felt it could have been better edited, both for punctuation and content. There was some redundancy in the vocab and a lot of places where characters' thoughts and actions were over-explained (i.e., a paragraph or two where one well-done sentence should have done the trick). There were a few unnecessary scenes that could have been cut, as they didn't add much. And the "of course a woman must have a child to be fulfilled" trope, which is so overused in pop culture, should have been completely left out (there was no need to mention any child-related plans of theirs at all, as it wasn't relevant).
That said, I felt it could have been better edited, both for punctuation and content. There was some redundancy in the vocab and a lot of places where characters' thoughts and actions were over-explained (i.e., a paragraph or two where one well-done sentence should have done the trick). There were a few unnecessary scenes that could have been cut, as they didn't add much. And the "of course a woman must have a child to be fulfilled" trope, which is so overused in pop culture, should have been completely left out (there was no need to mention any child-related plans of theirs at all, as it wasn't relevant).
July 16, 2017
WHAT A SURPRISE!! Expectations upon a book is something everyone has. I was a bit hesitant because I thought how could it possibly triumph, or surpass, the Original book,especialy since thats a Classic.
Let me stand humbled and say genuinly: WOW!!
This was not "Yet another" of anything!
What THIS is:
It's UNIQUE (THIS is a highly amazing feature in these circumstances). An unforgettably eloquent, highly vivid depictation of life, people, customs and manners, giving it depth and dimension. This fantasy capturing time period been made even further riveting with the uncanny tale unfolding before the readers eyes.
The Author P.G. Kassel has displayed a divine skill in creating and presenting us lucky readers with a story that has an unparalleled way of being presented. It's written with stunning detail richness, both in characters and events, rendering a mesmerizing and ghastly mix of history, fiction and the unseen. The result is a book you really don' want to miss out on.
Let me stand humbled and say genuinly: WOW!!
This was not "Yet another" of anything!
What THIS is:
It's UNIQUE (THIS is a highly amazing feature in these circumstances). An unforgettably eloquent, highly vivid depictation of life, people, customs and manners, giving it depth and dimension. This fantasy capturing time period been made even further riveting with the uncanny tale unfolding before the readers eyes.
The Author P.G. Kassel has displayed a divine skill in creating and presenting us lucky readers with a story that has an unparalleled way of being presented. It's written with stunning detail richness, both in characters and events, rendering a mesmerizing and ghastly mix of history, fiction and the unseen. The result is a book you really don' want to miss out on.
April 17, 2024
I will give this book 4 stars as I would have liked a lot more of Tepes than what was within.
But as a story it really frolicked along at pace.
Considering it was written by an American and that I do not live that many miles away from Whitby(day trip miles) I feel Kassel,s descriptions of Whitby were really period sounding authentic.
Mix in the fact that we have Arthur Conan Doyle as a Stoker accomplice then you know you are in for a ride.
Fans of Dracula and/or Doyle will enjoy this romp.
There is a book 2 so the ending of this book leaves you in no doubt of this fact.
But as a story it really frolicked along at pace.
Considering it was written by an American and that I do not live that many miles away from Whitby(day trip miles) I feel Kassel,s descriptions of Whitby were really period sounding authentic.
Mix in the fact that we have Arthur Conan Doyle as a Stoker accomplice then you know you are in for a ride.
Fans of Dracula and/or Doyle will enjoy this romp.
There is a book 2 so the ending of this book leaves you in no doubt of this fact.
May 14, 2018
A little bit of a different take on Dracula but not really worth the read.
September 23, 2019
I liked the writing style and it's one of the best vampire books on Dracula that I've read.
Read
March 3, 2022Different
New twist on an old classic, not bad at all. Decent period piece as well. Yay vampire lore yada yada
New twist on an old classic, not bad at all. Decent period piece as well. Yay vampire lore yada yada
November 5, 2015
This is not "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Well actually, it sort of is but not how you might think. It's an interesting new twist on the classic tale. If you are fan of Stoker's original story, or of vampire novels in general, you are sure to enjoy Black Shadow Moon.
January 26, 2016
My daughter is LOVING it!!
February 16, 2020
Already ordered book 2 🧛🏻♂👍🏻
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews