A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

DRACULA IN LOVE

Author: Karen Essex ISBN: 9780767931229 7/2011 PARANORMAL Publisher: ANCHOR
Time Period: 1890

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex
London, 1890.

Mina Murray Harker, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula’s object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male “defenders” rush in to rescue her from the vampire’s evil clutches. This is the story we have been told. But now, from Mina’s own pen, we discover a tale more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have ever imagined. From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Mina vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair, as well as her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I wanted to be crazy about DRACULA IN LOVE, but I've got to admit I wasn't. It's the retelling of the original DRACULA from Mina's perspective, which is a great idea. But perhaps the sticking point for me is just that I love the original, so any retelling would fall short. My feelings may have absolutely nothing to do with the novel itself, something I freely admit.

Karen Essex's DRACULA IN LOVE is a well-written, thoughtful tale that puts the whole Dracula tale on the table from a woman's point of view. Mina is fully fleshed out, a woman who thinks she knows where her life is going—that is, until her destiny actually comes calling. She is smart and sympathetic, although her sexual explorations and subsequent impressions of her body's responses fall flat.

What grabs me most about this book is the way the men are portrayed. They definitely don't feel "heroic" or inspire any romantic feeling. I had very strong feelings for them, but they weren't complimentary. And that, the strong feelings elicited by the characters in this book, is a sign that it is well-written. I cared about Mina and the men who share her journey. I am not saying I had warm feelings toward them; I simply had feelings.

Ms. Essex's tale is clever and I have no doubt that many will enjoy it.

Kay James

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