Carole's Sunday Review. Dracula in Love - Karen Essex

Author: Karen Essex

Title: Dracula in Love

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, & Paranormal Romance

Pages: 384

First Published: August 2010

Where I Got It: My shelf (Won in a giveaway)

From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Dracula’s eternal muse, Mina Murray, vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair that has linked them through the centuries, and her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.

Mina’s version of this gothic vampire tale is a visceral journey into Victorian England’s dimly lit bedrooms, mist-filled cemeteries, and asylum chambers, revealing the dark secrets and mysteries locked within. Time falls away as she is swept into a mythical journey far beyond mortal comprehension, where she must finally make the decision she has been avoiding for almost a millennium.  

Bram Stoker’s classic novel offered one side of the story, in which Mina had no past and bore no responsibility for the unfolding events. Now, for the first time, the truth of Mina’s personal voyage, and of vampirism itself, is revealed. What this flesh and blood woman has to say is more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have expressed or perhaps even have imagined.

This has been sitting on my shelf for a while now and I don't know why. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to hear Mina's side of the story. However, now I regret not reading this before!

This is an interesting take on the classic 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. The story focuses on Mina's point of view and her real thoughts and feelings about the Count. Mina is not an ordinary woman...she has powers and owns the heart of the Count (aka Dracula) who she has shared many life times with him. He watches her be born, live, break his heart, and then she dies. I actually feel bad for the Count, because he does love her, but he never interferes with her decisions anymore, because it always ended badly when he tried. I think he should just give up on her, because she always chooses a mortal life instead of him. It's really tragic and feel bad. 

Now...will this life be different? I will not tell you.

In the original, I was on the Jonathon's side and wanted to defeat Dracula. However.....I switched sides in this rendition of the story. Why? You'll have to read and find out. The Count isn't the horrible bad guy that they make him out to be. Sure, he has done some bad things....but any worse then the "doctors" and that damn asylum.

That whole scene made me so mad. Poor Lucy...poor Mina. :( 

I would NEVER pick Jonathon after that whole ordeal. >____> I would pick the Count. Jonathon is a pig and a horrible husband to willingly put her in the asylum. 

ANYWAYS. 

I did not like the ending (even though I pretty much knew what was going to happen, because of my knowledge of the original) and I did not like Johnathon. The beginning was a little slow as well, but I am glad I got that slow period, because things got quick and complicated fast. I liked it, but I am glad the author gave me some time to get to know Mina. I liked her much more in this rendition then in the original (even though she made me horribly mad at her at the end....IDIOT). I get WHY she did what she did, but STILL I lost my respect for her at the end.

Overall, this was a fun book. I regret not reading it sooner. 0.0 It collected dust on my shelf for a while. 0.0 In some twisted part of my soul, I liked this better then the original JUST because of the fact they didn't make Mina a weak woman. I also loved how they addressed that Victorian woman were so sexual repressed and put in asylums if they expressed too much of it. It's sad. I also loved how the twist that the Count wasn't some terrible monster (yes, he has done bad things), but the true monsters are the so-called "doctors". I hated the ending, but I get why it happened. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I totally recommend this for those that like the original and want a nice retelling of the story. Even if you haven't read the original this is a nice historical fiction mixed with fantasy and a touch of paranormal romance. Out of five stars, I shall stamp this with 4 stars. More like 3.5, but I rounded.   

Favorite Character(s): Mina (but she pissed me off), the Count, & Kate Reed

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Lucy (I did feel bad for her), Morris, & Dr Seward (I am upset that he turned out to be nuts, because I liked him in the original 0.0)