Having recently read the vampire classic "Dracula", I was intrigued by "Bloodline." Kate Cary's novel is a piece of fan fiction written as a sequel to "Dracula". In it, about twenty years have passed since the end of "Dracula". The main characters of "Bloodline" are the children of the former novels main characters. (That's less confusing than it seems when I write it down.)
Mary is a young nurse during World War I. When a new patient arrives from the front in the hospital, she helps care for him. The more than she sees of this new patient, John, the more interested in him she becomes. Not only is she intrigued by his past and the problems still haunting him, she begins to fall in love with him. Is love enough to save him from the horrors he is reliving in his head? And if he can recover, what will happen when he learns truths that he never imagined?
Meanwhile, Mary must face John's former commanding officer, Captain Harker. Harker quickly seduces John's sister and seems to ingratiate himself with everyone he meets, but Mary always knows that there is something sinister about him. Will she discover the truth about Captain Harker before it's too late? As the group embark on an adventure across the continent, they'll discover dark truths about both the past and their present natures.
Although the story line picks up from Stoker's "Dracula", the writing style is very different. However, as a piece of fan fiction and a historical novel/vampire novel, I enjoyed it.
To visit author Kate Cary's official website, click here. On the site you can find out about her other "Dracula" fan fiction novel. "Reckoning" is the sequel to "Bloodline", and I'd like to read it.
If you enjoy "Dracula" and "Bloodline", I recommend reading other vampire fiction. Some good places to start include novels by Katie MacAlister, P.C. Cast, Poppy Z. Brite, and Elizabeth Kostova.
Showing posts with label bram stoker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bram stoker. Show all posts
Monday, 19 September 2011
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
"Dracula" by Bram Stoker
I read a lot of vampire books, so I decided to go back to the classic and read Bram Stoker's "Dracula".
Although it wasn't the first piece of vampire fiction, "Dracula" is the classic vampire novel. The funny thing is, when I read it, I wanted more of the vampire. I felt like for a book called "Dracula", there simply wasn't enough of Dracula (who also uses the name De Ville...later borrowed by Cruella of "101 Dalmations"). That was a major way in which vampire fiction has evolved since then. In Stoker's "Dracula", the vampire is an evil, "unholy" creature that the main characters hunt down and abhor. In most modern vampire fiction, the vampire is one of the main characters that in some way you like.
Traditionally, there is something seductive and sexy about vampires (even in old succubus folklore). There are moments of this in "Dracula", but only moments. For example, the vampire tells the group of men hunting him, "Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine..." Most of the time, though, Dracula is more of an eccentric old man or generic shape shifting evil.
Yes, "Dracula" is a classic, and I'm glad that I read it. It made me interested in how vampire fiction has evolved, and showed how different culture was then. As far as simple entertainment goes, though, I have to say that I prefer modern vampire books.
Although it wasn't the first piece of vampire fiction, "Dracula" is the classic vampire novel. The funny thing is, when I read it, I wanted more of the vampire. I felt like for a book called "Dracula", there simply wasn't enough of Dracula (who also uses the name De Ville...later borrowed by Cruella of "101 Dalmations"). That was a major way in which vampire fiction has evolved since then. In Stoker's "Dracula", the vampire is an evil, "unholy" creature that the main characters hunt down and abhor. In most modern vampire fiction, the vampire is one of the main characters that in some way you like.
Traditionally, there is something seductive and sexy about vampires (even in old succubus folklore). There are moments of this in "Dracula", but only moments. For example, the vampire tells the group of men hunting him, "Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine..." Most of the time, though, Dracula is more of an eccentric old man or generic shape shifting evil.
Yes, "Dracula" is a classic, and I'm glad that I read it. It made me interested in how vampire fiction has evolved, and showed how different culture was then. As far as simple entertainment goes, though, I have to say that I prefer modern vampire books.
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