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The Origin of Dracula
"The past isn't dead. It isn't even past. -William Faulkner"
Between mourning the recent loss of his wife and trying to raise his young son alone, librarian John Grant is barely surviving. And then he receives an anonymous letter promising a terrible revenge-retribution for a childhood sin John had thought long forgotten. The threat couldn't be more cruel:
"I will kill your precious son on his seventh birthday."
Now John's only chance to save his son is to play the "game" his enemy has laid out for him. A game involving clues buried in literary fiction. Impossibly, these clues are planted in novels written centuries before John was even born.
But soon the line between fact and fiction begins to blur, and the trail of clues forces John into a confrontation with an unimaginable evil.
Between mourning the recent loss of his wife and trying to raise his young son alone, librarian John Grant is barely surviving. And then he receives an anonymous letter promising a terrible revenge-retribution for a childhood sin John had thought long forgotten. The threat couldn't be more cruel:
"I will kill your precious son on his seventh birthday."
Now John's only chance to save his son is to play the "game" his enemy has laid out for him. A game involving clues buried in literary fiction. Impossibly, these clues are planted in novels written centuries before John was even born.
But soon the line between fact and fiction begins to blur, and the trail of clues forces John into a confrontation with an unimaginable evil.
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First published April 27, 2015
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About the author
Irving Belateche
9 books270 followersIrving Belateche is an author, screenwriter, and adjunct professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. He's written three Amazon bestsellers: "Einstein's Secret," "H2O," and "Under An Orange Sun, Some Days Are Blue." He's also written screenplays for Paramount, Universal, Sony, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 28, 2017
I wanted to like this book, especially once I figured out that the narrator lived on the (very small) street that I used to live on. It has an incredibly engaging and compelling premise and first few chapters, and I think it would have made a very good short story. Unfortunately, as the page length climbs,the cracks in characterization, motive, and reaction start to appear. It would have benefited from some editorial strong-arming, particularly when it comes to the author's absolute beating to death of the terms "breadcrumbs" and "novel therapy" It also suffers from a severe case of Telling over Showing, which is a real detriment to a mystery-style narrative. A lot of people love the story, judging by the reviews; however, if technical style is important to you, I wouldn't recommend it.
December 1, 2015
It would be taxing to even begin describing how unutterably awful this book is
The author probably wrote the best book he could -- and that's the beginning of the problem. Leaden dialogue. No art to the writing. And often boring. This book will ruin your day.
The author probably wrote the best book he could -- and that's the beginning of the problem. Leaden dialogue. No art to the writing. And often boring. This book will ruin your day.
January 24, 2020
Wow, this book was so entertaining, didn't have vampires per se, but was so good, the clues, the villain being a master of 4d chess, and the most incredible thing: the message that in fiction exists because through them you can learn as he puts it everything you need to know, especially when you are dealing with the supernatural.
Go read it if you enjoy paranormal thriller.
Go read it if you enjoy paranormal thriller.
March 30, 2018
4 stars
John lives with his son Nate. He is a reference librarian who has sworn off reading fiction – for personal reasons. His wife Lucy is deceased some eight months earlier. HE is having a very hard time getting over her death. Nate’s seventh birthday is in two weeks. While going through Nate’s backpack looking for notes from the school that Nate often forgets about, he discovers a plain envelope with no writing on it. Inside the letter it states that John’s son Nate will be killed on his birthday. It is a note of revenge for something that John took part in some twenty years earlier. John just knows it is.
He finds out that Lee lives right in his city and that Quincy has moved to South Carolina. With time in short supply, he contacts Lee. He is the man who started the whole fiasco twenty years earlier.
He discovers that Lee’s wife Grace died just two months earlier. John decides to take Nate to Jenny’s (a friend of his wife Lucy).
With Lee he sets out on a strange journey. Lee tells him along the way that Quincy died in a drowning accident – they think for his body was never found. As they move along their quest John deciphers clues left in the form of partial quotes from old texts. The quotes are from novels; the very thing that John has shunned since Lucy’s death. Some of the quotes are very old, some even written centuries before.
Along the way, Lee and John pick up Harry, Lee’s double amputee uncle. He knows a great deal and can see through the evil that stalks them.
This is a book about adventure and discovery; about fact and fiction, and about how the truth is often shaded by an otherworldly realm. With just enough horror to make it intriguing, this is a story of good and evil. The ending was a little anticlimactic, but hey, what the heck, it was still a very good read. I enjoyed it.
It was well written and plotted. The apparent editing problems mentioned by other reviews have been corrected. The book was an interesting blend of the historical and present-day times. I liked the author’s use of the myths of the indigenous Native Americans as part of the book. While John was sometimes pretty slow to get to the point, he got there in the end. (Sometimes, he was a little frustrating – oh, get to it!!) It had just enough tension to keep my interest. I kept reading until the end.
This is my first Irving Belateche book, and I immediately went back to Amazon to look for other books of his. Well told, Mr. Belateche, and keep writing.
John lives with his son Nate. He is a reference librarian who has sworn off reading fiction – for personal reasons. His wife Lucy is deceased some eight months earlier. HE is having a very hard time getting over her death. Nate’s seventh birthday is in two weeks. While going through Nate’s backpack looking for notes from the school that Nate often forgets about, he discovers a plain envelope with no writing on it. Inside the letter it states that John’s son Nate will be killed on his birthday. It is a note of revenge for something that John took part in some twenty years earlier. John just knows it is.
He finds out that Lee lives right in his city and that Quincy has moved to South Carolina. With time in short supply, he contacts Lee. He is the man who started the whole fiasco twenty years earlier.
He discovers that Lee’s wife Grace died just two months earlier. John decides to take Nate to Jenny’s (a friend of his wife Lucy).
With Lee he sets out on a strange journey. Lee tells him along the way that Quincy died in a drowning accident – they think for his body was never found. As they move along their quest John deciphers clues left in the form of partial quotes from old texts. The quotes are from novels; the very thing that John has shunned since Lucy’s death. Some of the quotes are very old, some even written centuries before.
Along the way, Lee and John pick up Harry, Lee’s double amputee uncle. He knows a great deal and can see through the evil that stalks them.
This is a book about adventure and discovery; about fact and fiction, and about how the truth is often shaded by an otherworldly realm. With just enough horror to make it intriguing, this is a story of good and evil. The ending was a little anticlimactic, but hey, what the heck, it was still a very good read. I enjoyed it.
It was well written and plotted. The apparent editing problems mentioned by other reviews have been corrected. The book was an interesting blend of the historical and present-day times. I liked the author’s use of the myths of the indigenous Native Americans as part of the book. While John was sometimes pretty slow to get to the point, he got there in the end. (Sometimes, he was a little frustrating – oh, get to it!!) It had just enough tension to keep my interest. I kept reading until the end.
This is my first Irving Belateche book, and I immediately went back to Amazon to look for other books of his. Well told, Mr. Belateche, and keep writing.
May 27, 2016
I need to read some classics!
January 28, 2017
I was drawn to this book based on the title. I love vampire books, particularly ones that portray vampires and monsters and not as wishy-washy emotionally stunted sparkly emo boys. However, there is vitsery little about this books that deals with vampires, sparkly or otherwise. It is, however, a phenomenal and original tale. There is a mystery to be solved, and Dracula comes into play. Other classics pop up, too, such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Dante's Inferno, Plato's Allegory of the Cave, and The Castle of Otrano. The protagonist must use these clues to save the life of his young son and to solve the mystery of what truly transpired on a camping trip he took with his friends many, many years past. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The clues that lead the protagonist on his journey are unique, and the end result is nothing short of fantastic. It's a story that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, and where what the main character refers to as "novel therapy" is tantamount to solving the case and saving lines. It's not what you'd expect. It is so much more.
It's the first book I've read in a long time that has truly stuck with me. I still find myself stopping and thinking about it in the course of the day. It's worth the read. It might even be worth a re-read. I wholeheartedly give it five stars, and I would probably give it more if that were possible.
It's the first book I've read in a long time that has truly stuck with me. I still find myself stopping and thinking about it in the course of the day. It's worth the read. It might even be worth a re-read. I wholeheartedly give it five stars, and I would probably give it more if that were possible.
June 29, 2016
(Spoiler tagged for very minor spoilers.)
I waited to write this review in the hopes that I would be able to say something positive about this book (Like the fact that the plot itself wasn't a terrible idea) but that wasn't going to happen.
I can forgive this book for a lot of things. I can forgive that the narration jumps between gruelingly over detailed and strangely bullet-pointed. I can forgive that the characters are flat and unsympathetic at best and unlikable at worst. I can even forgive that "reality is a giant shake and bake" is repeated multiple times a chapter (and by the end was actually causing me a negative physical reaction).
What I cannot forgive is that this book specifically points out the ending to the book Dracula as something important, but gets the ending wrong. Come on, man. It's over a hundred years old and you can read it for free.
I waited to write this review in the hopes that I would be able to say something positive about this book (Like the fact that the plot itself wasn't a terrible idea) but that wasn't going to happen.
I can forgive this book for a lot of things. I can forgive that the narration jumps between gruelingly over detailed and strangely bullet-pointed. I can forgive that the characters are flat and unsympathetic at best and unlikable at worst. I can even forgive that "reality is a giant shake and bake" is repeated multiple times a chapter (and by the end was actually causing me a negative physical reaction).
What I cannot forgive is that this book specifically points out the ending to the book Dracula as something important, but gets the ending wrong. Come on, man. It's over a hundred years old and you can read it for free.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2015
Not for me.
Slow start that did not improve. Tossed at about 20% in. It was a Kindle Unlimited option so that it what earned the two stars.
Slow start that did not improve. Tossed at about 20% in. It was a Kindle Unlimited option so that it what earned the two stars.
April 27, 2018
Like the book a lot.
It was pretty intense even for a horror story. There are some good characters here and their backstories are both diverse and unexpected.
The flow of the story is smooth and the pace is fast enough to keep the suspense. There is a nice connection between Dracula and Native American myth. It makes for a different kind of monster story.
It was pretty intense even for a horror story. There are some good characters here and their backstories are both diverse and unexpected.
The flow of the story is smooth and the pace is fast enough to keep the suspense. There is a nice connection between Dracula and Native American myth. It makes for a different kind of monster story.
April 10, 2017
Great mystery and atmosphere. Subdued on the horror
This book is a bit of a mixed bag. And whether you enjoy it or not will depend on how you approach the book and what you're looking for while reading it.
Personally, I was looking for either a good mystery or a good horror story. It felt like a very well realized world of mystery. The characters were largely believable and search for a killer is compelling. The sense of space is also done in a way that gets the reader to do most of the work.
And then there's the horror aspect, something you'd think would surround the tale. It doesn't really though. The most overt horror atmosphere and mechanics emerge in about the last third of the book. This isn't necessarily a problem if you're looking for more than just a horror story. But if you are searching for something that is strictly a horror novel, it feels like something that would fall flat for you.
This book is a bit of a mixed bag. And whether you enjoy it or not will depend on how you approach the book and what you're looking for while reading it.
Personally, I was looking for either a good mystery or a good horror story. It felt like a very well realized world of mystery. The characters were largely believable and search for a killer is compelling. The sense of space is also done in a way that gets the reader to do most of the work.
And then there's the horror aspect, something you'd think would surround the tale. It doesn't really though. The most overt horror atmosphere and mechanics emerge in about the last third of the book. This isn't necessarily a problem if you're looking for more than just a horror story. But if you are searching for something that is strictly a horror novel, it feels like something that would fall flat for you.
January 10, 2018
Having got this book on a deal for Kindle and with no previous Amazon reviews to go off I really wasn't sure what to expect with this book but was very pleasantly surprised!
'The Origin of Dracula' is a tale from the perspective of John Grant who receives an anonymous threat that someone will kill his child if a sinister game is not played and a riddle is not solved. What follows is a chase through the past and present intertwined with novels and stories as fact and fiction begin to blur.
The book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go; it is well paced, the main character is nicely relatable and the other characters you are introduced to are also well rounded. The story takes a lot of leaps in terms of the clues but I enjoyed the literary slant on the story. If you love reading and also love thrillers this is certainly the book for you - recommended!
'The Origin of Dracula' is a tale from the perspective of John Grant who receives an anonymous threat that someone will kill his child if a sinister game is not played and a riddle is not solved. What follows is a chase through the past and present intertwined with novels and stories as fact and fiction begin to blur.
The book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go; it is well paced, the main character is nicely relatable and the other characters you are introduced to are also well rounded. The story takes a lot of leaps in terms of the clues but I enjoyed the literary slant on the story. If you love reading and also love thrillers this is certainly the book for you - recommended!
January 5, 2016
I really liked this book. The story line was actually incredibly unique- and based on the title, it was a lot different than I expected. The story is gripping from the first page and stays interesting the whole time, it is definitely a page turner.
My only complaint is there are constant reoccurring phrases from the narrator (the book is written in first person) saying things like, "I didn't realize how important this was- but I would" or "It wouldn't dawn on me until later that this would mean something" etc. so on. The same meaning said it different ways. To me that was distracting because it would punctuate the story in a way that made me feel like it was detracting from the future plot and surprises.
My only complaint is there are constant reoccurring phrases from the narrator (the book is written in first person) saying things like, "I didn't realize how important this was- but I would" or "It wouldn't dawn on me until later that this would mean something" etc. so on. The same meaning said it different ways. To me that was distracting because it would punctuate the story in a way that made me feel like it was detracting from the future plot and surprises.
November 7, 2020
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: John and his friends managed to get their parents to let them go camping alone in the woods. They didn’t expect that night to become a living nightmare waiting for dawn to break. Nor did they expect it to return decades later, for the old evil they disturbed lives for his psychotic games with deadly ultimatums…
My Opinion: At no point did it get better. The mystery is poor, the game is boring, the characters are so-so. You know that recipe of old horror movies and books: group goes camping, someone dies, then the dead come back to mess with them? Well, this is that but bad.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: John and his friends managed to get their parents to let them go camping alone in the woods. They didn’t expect that night to become a living nightmare waiting for dawn to break. Nor did they expect it to return decades later, for the old evil they disturbed lives for his psychotic games with deadly ultimatums…
My Opinion: At no point did it get better. The mystery is poor, the game is boring, the characters are so-so. You know that recipe of old horror movies and books: group goes camping, someone dies, then the dead come back to mess with them? Well, this is that but bad.
July 20, 2015
An intriguing story that is at times a little slow and at other times a bit disjointed, but over all a tale that is subtlety mesmerizing, steadily reeling the reader into a most unusual plot. The main character is a librarian who unwittingly enters into a game of life and death as a child but doesn't realize the impact until he is an adult and is son his threatened by an ancient menace. The author put a lot of thought into weaving his tale and crafting the logic behind his plot. Engrossing and unusual.
April 21, 2017
An interesting concept, suggesting the roots of the Dracula legend in native American history and folklore. Don't expect vampires because there are none. Be terrified, be very terrified. The random events of life sometimes have their roots in the past. Strange events in your youth may suddenly come back to haunt you. Games are real. Hide and seek, but watch out in what you find. A true literary work in the best sense of the word.
August 24, 2023
When I started reading THE ORIGIN OF DRACULA, I really didn't expect to continue reading more than half the book in one sitting. It is tantalizing. The first half of this book screams 'tell me more!' Once all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, the pace slows considerably.
Irving Belateche tells us a New World origin story for Bram Stoker's vampire that predates the Jamestown colony. His creature, borne of Native American lore, is protecting his sacred land from intrusions. Notably, this creature is not Count Dracula himself, only the basis for Stoker's character. The Van Helsing character in THE ORIGIN OF DRACULA is widowed librarian John Grant who follows breadcrumbs supplied by early horror works such as THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, by Horace Walpole as he lives the blurring of the line between fact and fiction. He recalls the death of his father and how rather than facing the death, he buried himself in books to not face reality. He called it 'novel therapy' using 'novel' as a book of fiction rather than as uniqueness.
I've long been a fan of vampire fiction. That is what drew me to this book. I am always on the lookout for variations on the vampire mythos. THE ORIGIN OF DRACULA tries to force the best-known mythos given us by Stoker into the colonial American landscape. The 'breadcrumbs' (you might think of them as Easter eggs) throughout the first half of the book will stand out to any vampire afficionado. Because of that, I kept turning pages searching for more of these Easter eggs.
The effort to create a new vampire mythos somewhat succeeds. John Grant as vampire hunter is lacking in the knowledge and skill of a true Van Helsing.
Irving Belateche tells us a New World origin story for Bram Stoker's vampire that predates the Jamestown colony. His creature, borne of Native American lore, is protecting his sacred land from intrusions. Notably, this creature is not Count Dracula himself, only the basis for Stoker's character. The Van Helsing character in THE ORIGIN OF DRACULA is widowed librarian John Grant who follows breadcrumbs supplied by early horror works such as THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, by Horace Walpole as he lives the blurring of the line between fact and fiction. He recalls the death of his father and how rather than facing the death, he buried himself in books to not face reality. He called it 'novel therapy' using 'novel' as a book of fiction rather than as uniqueness.
I've long been a fan of vampire fiction. That is what drew me to this book. I am always on the lookout for variations on the vampire mythos. THE ORIGIN OF DRACULA tries to force the best-known mythos given us by Stoker into the colonial American landscape. The 'breadcrumbs' (you might think of them as Easter eggs) throughout the first half of the book will stand out to any vampire afficionado. Because of that, I kept turning pages searching for more of these Easter eggs.
The effort to create a new vampire mythos somewhat succeeds. John Grant as vampire hunter is lacking in the knowledge and skill of a true Van Helsing.
November 23, 2020
For me, the novel read like a very engaging screenplay. I was hooked by the initial premise of the clock ticking against the life of the very lovable son. The hunt for clues was exciting and links to the world of fiction were fun. But I longed for more depth overall, and more complex characters with a larger internal world.
Details important to me were shrugged off, for instance: once the son is dropped off with a babysitter, a very long time passes in the book without his dad giving him a second thought. When a friend is killed, other characters barely give it a mention an hour later. A car continues to be driven with bullet holes in the rear passenger window (and slept in) and no one in the world notices. Clothes are soaked in filth from a dumpster, and no one smells them or minds at all. Cheerful, bro dialog ensues throughout, even during life-threatening events. The overuse of the term "breadcrumbs" felt trite given the circumstances.
Such details restrained my review, even though I wanted to give it more stars, because I tore through the book quickly, and looked forward to reading. I DO recommend it, especially to lovers of Dracula and mystery. But I was hungry for more complexity, details, and literary sophistication.
Details important to me were shrugged off, for instance: once the son is dropped off with a babysitter, a very long time passes in the book without his dad giving him a second thought. When a friend is killed, other characters barely give it a mention an hour later. A car continues to be driven with bullet holes in the rear passenger window (and slept in) and no one in the world notices. Clothes are soaked in filth from a dumpster, and no one smells them or minds at all. Cheerful, bro dialog ensues throughout, even during life-threatening events. The overuse of the term "breadcrumbs" felt trite given the circumstances.
Such details restrained my review, even though I wanted to give it more stars, because I tore through the book quickly, and looked forward to reading. I DO recommend it, especially to lovers of Dracula and mystery. But I was hungry for more complexity, details, and literary sophistication.
May 6, 2019
I was really enjoying this book up until the end. There was a secondary plot line that was going on and it was just as interesting to me as the main plot. When it got to the last, say, 100 pages of the book, the secondary plot kind of fell flat on its face and it was extremely disappointing to me. While the book is still very good and very interesting, it's very difficult for me to actually recommend it to other people now. While reading the first 200 and something pages, I couldn't stop telling people about it. It was quickly becoming a book that I would eagerly read multiple times. While not quite the horror novel that I'm use to, it was an interesting thriller leaning more towards the horror side of things. At times, it vaguely reminded me of books like Katherine Neville's The Eight and Matt Broleewe's Illuminated, both books that I very much enjoyed for different reasons, but near the ending, it fell on its face for me.
I would still highly recommend this book for people who enjoy books like the two mentioned before, but, I also warn to prepare for disappointment.
Then again, maybe someone else will like the ending.
I would still highly recommend this book for people who enjoy books like the two mentioned before, but, I also warn to prepare for disappointment.
Then again, maybe someone else will like the ending.
January 4, 2020
This wasn’t what I was expecting as I thought this would be a Dracula adaptation, whereas in fact it was a whodunnit with clues being taken from classic works of literature; with Dracula being one. In this respect, it reminded me of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind.
I found the writing style quite easy to read but the contrast between the casual modern aspects and the classic literature jarred a little and didn’t flow; it was almost as if there were two authors.
The second half of the book was where I really lost the plot and was only reading for the sake of it in case something major happened towards the end. I would be very divided about reading anything else by this author.
I found the writing style quite easy to read but the contrast between the casual modern aspects and the classic literature jarred a little and didn’t flow; it was almost as if there were two authors.
The second half of the book was where I really lost the plot and was only reading for the sake of it in case something major happened towards the end. I would be very divided about reading anything else by this author.
January 22, 2021
What a strange trip this was.
Stories within stories leading to a supernatural quest to slay an evil entity before it slays John's son Nate. That's what this book is about. The origin of the Dracula story, mysterious happenings in colonial times in Virginia, and a weird experience in a camping trip as a boy tie John into this series of events that lead to unimaginable things. The story had a nice flow to it. The pace was slow and thoughtful. But the tension levels could shoot through the roof Ata moments notice. If you like non-traditional horror stories., you might like this book.
Stories within stories leading to a supernatural quest to slay an evil entity before it slays John's son Nate. That's what this book is about. The origin of the Dracula story, mysterious happenings in colonial times in Virginia, and a weird experience in a camping trip as a boy tie John into this series of events that lead to unimaginable things. The story had a nice flow to it. The pace was slow and thoughtful. But the tension levels could shoot through the roof Ata moments notice. If you like non-traditional horror stories., you might like this book.
February 14, 2023
John is raising his young son alone after the death of his wife in a carjacking eight months before the book opens. While looking through his son's backpack, he finds an unmarked letter addressed to him which promises revenge (the killing of his 7-year-old son in 2 days....) for an incident that happened when John was a 13-year-old. The only way to spare this outcome is to solve the riddle of who wrote the letter. Reluctantly, John engages with the game and draws in one of his buddies from that long-ago incident. Things get weirder and weirder as the line between fact and fiction blurs.
Some excellent scene-setting - and I could see this turning into a movie. 3.5 stars.
Some excellent scene-setting - and I could see this turning into a movie. 3.5 stars.
January 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. The story was imaginative and unique, and the characters were interesting.
The main character was an imperfect and fallible, but smart and likable. As he progressed on his adventure, he picked up some very interesting cronies. The suspense kept me reading this book without wanting to put it down, and every time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it.
The book is really a good read. The only complaint I can make is that the editing was less than acceptable. If you can ignore the errors, the book is very intriguing and well worth reading.
The main character was an imperfect and fallible, but smart and likable. As he progressed on his adventure, he picked up some very interesting cronies. The suspense kept me reading this book without wanting to put it down, and every time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it.
The book is really a good read. The only complaint I can make is that the editing was less than acceptable. If you can ignore the errors, the book is very intriguing and well worth reading.
March 11, 2019
Slow Start and a Thrilling End
This book slowly draws you in until you are completely hooked. The story stays in the real world until the world of thought becomes dominant. When the connection to the fictional Dracula is established he is just a weak reflection of the true monster. A lot of action takes place in a brief period of time, and the story ends with your heart pounding.
This book slowly draws you in until you are completely hooked. The story stays in the real world until the world of thought becomes dominant. When the connection to the fictional Dracula is established he is just a weak reflection of the true monster. A lot of action takes place in a brief period of time, and the story ends with your heart pounding.
November 16, 2020
I feel like this book had potential, but the author missed the mark. I enjoyed reading the mixed sense of reality that the main character endured, but the text was so repetitive that it was hard to actually become immersed in the book. I think if it was tweaked, just a little, this would actually be a really good middle schooler or YA novel about overcoming loss and coping with life’s challenges. However, with the target audience being adults, I wasn’t the biggest fan.
May 9, 2017
This book was very different than what I expected it to be. I liked the storyline as far as the literary clues and puzzles went, that kept my interest. I did not care so much for the way the supernatural elements were portrayed. A lot of it didn't seem to make sense and I was not satisfied with the way "Drakho" was defeated. If you can look past those things, it was a pretty interesting story.
March 17, 2019
Entertaining and fast paced
Honestly this just showed up in my suggested reading so I have it a go. I like that it had a different approach to the Dracula mythos, but there was some thinner areas of the plot that could have been expounded on to get more depth to the story. But overall, I liked it for what it is.
Honestly this just showed up in my suggested reading so I have it a go. I like that it had a different approach to the Dracula mythos, but there was some thinner areas of the plot that could have been expounded on to get more depth to the story. But overall, I liked it for what it is.
November 13, 2018
Very fast paced and unusual, original plot. The title is misleading as it is not a vampire book. The plot concerns a father playing a game with a supernatural being to save his son's life. This being may or may not have inspired the Dracula story.
June 9, 2019
Smart and interesting
A very deep mystery with lots of moving parts. If you enjoy stories that really make you think and mysteries that gnaw at you (sometimes literally), this one's for you!
A very deep mystery with lots of moving parts. If you enjoy stories that really make you think and mysteries that gnaw at you (sometimes literally), this one's for you!
December 6, 2019
Captivating
This story was scary, mesmerizing and captivating. Not a vampire book but just as good. Written in a way that draws you in and makes you care about the people TRYING to save themselves and a little boy. I recommend the book. I hope you will enjoy it. Happy Reading.
This story was scary, mesmerizing and captivating. Not a vampire book but just as good. Written in a way that draws you in and makes you care about the people TRYING to save themselves and a little boy. I recommend the book. I hope you will enjoy it. Happy Reading.
December 30, 2020
An enjoyable enough read. I was engrossed in the story right from the start which is always a treat, as most books take a while to ‘warm up’ for readers. I didn’t know too much about this book before I started it so it was surprise after surprise as I read it. I especially liked the very last few paragraphs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews