By: Tiffany Allee
This was a fun read and I finished it in no time.
Alice is in a bit of a bind....she is getting ready to go on a cruise for her sister's wedding, where she is sure to run into her ex-fiancé, Brent. And to make an awkward situation even more awkward, Brent will be on this cruise with his girlfriend, Kristen, who happens to be Alice's former best friend. Yes, they have been former friends ever since Alice walked in on Brent and Kristen in bed together. Whoops!
Enter Noah, hunky vampire extraordinaire. Noah is Alice's next door neighbor and he is being forced into an arranged marriage that he is desperately trying to get out of. Alice goes over to his house with the intent of trying to convince Noah to go on this cruise with her so she will not look like a loser in front of Brent. She has no idea Noah is a vampire. And she wants to bring him on a cruise ship. To sunny Mexico. What could possibly go wrong?
Noah decides to accompany Alice on this cruise so he can buy some time and come up with a plan to get out of his arranged marriage, and Alice now has a hunky piece of arm candy to parade around with in front of Brent and Kristen. It's a win-win situation for both of them until their feelings for each other start to get in the way.
This was a fun, lighthearted read. It is a quirky, well written story with lots of likable characters. Noah doesn't exhibit the stereotypical vampire traits that are in most of the books I read (he can go out in the sun, he just can't stay out for too long.....and thank God, he doesn't sparkle!) For all intents and purposes, he acts like a regular human who just happens to drink shampoo, err, I mean blood and he struggles with keeping his fangs in check when he's aroused. I really enjoyed this story and will soon be starting on the next book in this series.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Enchanted, Inc.
By: Shanna Swendon
This was such a fun, lighthearted read. It's a fast and easy read... Brain candy, if you will.
Katie Chandler is miserable in her current job, where her boss Mimi goes from nice to evil in the blink of an eye. One day she receives a job offer from another company, MSI, Inc. and, finally reaching her breaking point with Mimi, she accepts the offer and walks out on Mimi with not so much as a two week notice.
At her new job, Katie learns that she is an "immune", meaning she has no magical tendencies whatsoever. She cannot perform any kind of magic, but she is also not susceptible to magic that others try to perform on her. This is a rare and highly valued quality in the magical world, since most people have a slight magical streak in them that may not allow them to perform magic but it does allow them to be deceived by magic that others perfom on them, and Katie is welcomed with open arms at MSI, Inc. Her new job is to spot magic (since she is not susceptible to any kind of magic, she sees things as they really are. Spells and illusions don't work on her...) and point out any dangers or discrepencies to her employers.
This book was refreshing on several different levels. First of all, it is a creative twist on the usual magic-themed books on the market these days, plus this book is just plain, clean fun. There is no foul language and no sex in this book. You could let your ten year old read this book and there is nothing in it that would be inappropriate for her. Foul language and sex are not an issue with me. If they are in the book, fine. If not, that's fine too. But I always find it refreshing when I encounter a book that has neither sex nor language. See....it is possible to have a well written story where the characters don't all fall in ned with each other! I loved this book - I thought the characters were well rounded and likeable and the story itself had just enought humor to make it fun but not cheesy. I purchased this book because the Kindle store had it for a really good price and, after reading it, I downloaded the entire rest of the series. I am halfway through the second book and love it just as much as this one (so far!) :-)
This was such a fun, lighthearted read. It's a fast and easy read... Brain candy, if you will.
Katie Chandler is miserable in her current job, where her boss Mimi goes from nice to evil in the blink of an eye. One day she receives a job offer from another company, MSI, Inc. and, finally reaching her breaking point with Mimi, she accepts the offer and walks out on Mimi with not so much as a two week notice.
At her new job, Katie learns that she is an "immune", meaning she has no magical tendencies whatsoever. She cannot perform any kind of magic, but she is also not susceptible to magic that others try to perform on her. This is a rare and highly valued quality in the magical world, since most people have a slight magical streak in them that may not allow them to perform magic but it does allow them to be deceived by magic that others perfom on them, and Katie is welcomed with open arms at MSI, Inc. Her new job is to spot magic (since she is not susceptible to any kind of magic, she sees things as they really are. Spells and illusions don't work on her...) and point out any dangers or discrepencies to her employers.
This book was refreshing on several different levels. First of all, it is a creative twist on the usual magic-themed books on the market these days, plus this book is just plain, clean fun. There is no foul language and no sex in this book. You could let your ten year old read this book and there is nothing in it that would be inappropriate for her. Foul language and sex are not an issue with me. If they are in the book, fine. If not, that's fine too. But I always find it refreshing when I encounter a book that has neither sex nor language. See....it is possible to have a well written story where the characters don't all fall in ned with each other! I loved this book - I thought the characters were well rounded and likeable and the story itself had just enought humor to make it fun but not cheesy. I purchased this book because the Kindle store had it for a really good price and, after reading it, I downloaded the entire rest of the series. I am halfway through the second book and love it just as much as this one (so far!) :-)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Bloodshot
By: Cherie Priest
This is evidently the first in a brand new series and I am already a little too eager for the next installment. This book was so much fun, I couldn't put it down! Raylene is such a likable kind of vampire and I could feel myself relating to her on more than one level. In most urban fantasy, the vampires might have one or two flaws, but are overall considered to be perfect or near perfect. Raylene has so many (minor) flaws that I sometimes temporarily forgot she was a vampire - she seemed so human. She has a moderate case of OCD, is a bit paranoid (and freely admits this!) and is (per her own words) on her way to Crazy Town. What's not to like about that kind of vampire?! She also has a soft spot for children, even if she won't admit it, as she lets two homeless siblings squat in one of her empty warehouses AND provides them with money, a disposable cell phone and a key to the mailbox (so she can send them money and replacement cell phones while she's out of town) and let's not forget her kickin' sense of humor. Mix all these attributes together and you've got one pretty hip vamp.
Raylene is hired by the blind vampire Ian to retrieve some medical paperwork that details what was done to him to cause him to go blind. This sounds like a fairly easy job and Raylene takes an immediate interest in this case because, to be honest, it scares her. What kind of things can people do to a vampire to make him go blind? Vamps are supposed to be fast healing creatures and should not be able to go blind. Well, Raylene takes the case and soon finds herself being hunted down at every turn. Obviously, there is somebody out there who either 1)wants this paperwork for himself or 2)wants to keep Raylene from getting her hands on it or 3)both of the above. Raylene soon meets up with one sexy ex-Navy Seal drag queen who also has a personal interest in this case. Together they go on the road to try to track down Ian's medical paperwork.
I couldn't put this book down! This is the first of Ms. Priest's work that I've read and I am so impressed (I found myself laughing out loud frequently while reading this book!) that I am planning on looking into some of her previous work. I donate the majority of my books to the library when I am done with them, simply because I don't have enough space to keep every single book I buy, but this particular book has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf, as I know I will be rereading it in the near future.
This is evidently the first in a brand new series and I am already a little too eager for the next installment. This book was so much fun, I couldn't put it down! Raylene is such a likable kind of vampire and I could feel myself relating to her on more than one level. In most urban fantasy, the vampires might have one or two flaws, but are overall considered to be perfect or near perfect. Raylene has so many (minor) flaws that I sometimes temporarily forgot she was a vampire - she seemed so human. She has a moderate case of OCD, is a bit paranoid (and freely admits this!) and is (per her own words) on her way to Crazy Town. What's not to like about that kind of vampire?! She also has a soft spot for children, even if she won't admit it, as she lets two homeless siblings squat in one of her empty warehouses AND provides them with money, a disposable cell phone and a key to the mailbox (so she can send them money and replacement cell phones while she's out of town) and let's not forget her kickin' sense of humor. Mix all these attributes together and you've got one pretty hip vamp.
Raylene is hired by the blind vampire Ian to retrieve some medical paperwork that details what was done to him to cause him to go blind. This sounds like a fairly easy job and Raylene takes an immediate interest in this case because, to be honest, it scares her. What kind of things can people do to a vampire to make him go blind? Vamps are supposed to be fast healing creatures and should not be able to go blind. Well, Raylene takes the case and soon finds herself being hunted down at every turn. Obviously, there is somebody out there who either 1)wants this paperwork for himself or 2)wants to keep Raylene from getting her hands on it or 3)both of the above. Raylene soon meets up with one sexy ex-Navy Seal drag queen who also has a personal interest in this case. Together they go on the road to try to track down Ian's medical paperwork.
I couldn't put this book down! This is the first of Ms. Priest's work that I've read and I am so impressed (I found myself laughing out loud frequently while reading this book!) that I am planning on looking into some of her previous work. I donate the majority of my books to the library when I am done with them, simply because I don't have enough space to keep every single book I buy, but this particular book has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf, as I know I will be rereading it in the near future.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Eat, Love, Prey
By: Kerrelyn Sparks
Carlos, the were-panther, is looking for a mate who will care for the orphaned were-panther children that he has adopted. A mortal woman is out of the question, as Carlos takes it upon himself to repopulate the earth with his endangered species.
Enter Caitlyn.
Caitlyn and Carlos are immedately attracted to each other and the sparks fly. Carlos, however drawn to her he is, refuses (at first) to mate with her, as she cannot produce little were-panther babies for him. And to make maters worse, Caitlyn's father is the head of the government department in charge of hunting down and destroying paranormal creatures. Caitlyn's sister is married to a vampire and has two children who are half vampire, so this causes a rift in the family.
This is my first reading experience with Kerrelyn Sparks and I was not disappointed. This book was creative and well written and has given me cause to check out some of her other books. Carlos and Caitlyn embark on a journey to the jungles of Brazil in search of a mate for Carlos (yes, Caitlyn accompanies him on this quest!) and I found it fun to be there in the jungles with them. Caitlyn has a special talent (psychic linguist) which allows her to immediately understand any spoken language and, if given an hour or so, will almost immediately be able to learn it well enough to speak it back to the natives. This makes her invaluable on the trip, as she discovers an evil plot meant to harm Carlos that Carlos, unable to understand some of the indiginous village languages, is unaware of.
I always find it interesting to read various authors' ideas for how the different paranormal species function. Some authors write that werewolves are born into their species. Others write that werewolves cannot be born, but have to be bitten by an existing werewolf. Some say female werewolves cannot have children, as the change during the full moon is too hard on the fetus, and others claim that female werewolves have no problem giving birth to litters of babies. I love reading the different theories and this book was no different. Being part of the feline family, Kerrelyn Sparks' were-panters have nine lives, just like the kitty cat tales of old. Each time Carlos is killed, he comes back to life, stronger than he was before. He has nine lives, just like the old stories tell us he should have. I thought this was a neat concept.
Overall, this book was very good and I enjoyed it tremendously. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five, is I normally don't like my protagonist to be so desperate. I'm not a big fan of love at first sight...I like my characters to develop their feelings for each other over the course of the book. For me, there's a certain satisfaction in watching the characters fall in love. Love at first sight just takes all the fun out of it for me. Still, though, I did enjoy the book and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of the author's books.
Carlos, the were-panther, is looking for a mate who will care for the orphaned were-panther children that he has adopted. A mortal woman is out of the question, as Carlos takes it upon himself to repopulate the earth with his endangered species.
Enter Caitlyn.
Caitlyn and Carlos are immedately attracted to each other and the sparks fly. Carlos, however drawn to her he is, refuses (at first) to mate with her, as she cannot produce little were-panther babies for him. And to make maters worse, Caitlyn's father is the head of the government department in charge of hunting down and destroying paranormal creatures. Caitlyn's sister is married to a vampire and has two children who are half vampire, so this causes a rift in the family.
This is my first reading experience with Kerrelyn Sparks and I was not disappointed. This book was creative and well written and has given me cause to check out some of her other books. Carlos and Caitlyn embark on a journey to the jungles of Brazil in search of a mate for Carlos (yes, Caitlyn accompanies him on this quest!) and I found it fun to be there in the jungles with them. Caitlyn has a special talent (psychic linguist) which allows her to immediately understand any spoken language and, if given an hour or so, will almost immediately be able to learn it well enough to speak it back to the natives. This makes her invaluable on the trip, as she discovers an evil plot meant to harm Carlos that Carlos, unable to understand some of the indiginous village languages, is unaware of.
I always find it interesting to read various authors' ideas for how the different paranormal species function. Some authors write that werewolves are born into their species. Others write that werewolves cannot be born, but have to be bitten by an existing werewolf. Some say female werewolves cannot have children, as the change during the full moon is too hard on the fetus, and others claim that female werewolves have no problem giving birth to litters of babies. I love reading the different theories and this book was no different. Being part of the feline family, Kerrelyn Sparks' were-panters have nine lives, just like the kitty cat tales of old. Each time Carlos is killed, he comes back to life, stronger than he was before. He has nine lives, just like the old stories tell us he should have. I thought this was a neat concept.
Overall, this book was very good and I enjoyed it tremendously. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five, is I normally don't like my protagonist to be so desperate. I'm not a big fan of love at first sight...I like my characters to develop their feelings for each other over the course of the book. For me, there's a certain satisfaction in watching the characters fall in love. Love at first sight just takes all the fun out of it for me. Still, though, I did enjoy the book and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of the author's books.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Dracula in Love
By: Karen Essex
*********SPOLIER ALERT*************SPOILER ALERT****************
The main problem I have is this.....
If a writer is going to take on the task of rewriting a classic novel such as Dracula, and if said author is going to change our perception of who Dracula REALLY was, essentially turning the nefarious Count into a "lonely, misunderstood" guy whose major sin seems to be that of falling in love with a woman who technically isn't his, then why can't this same author alter the fate of one "misunderstood" Count? Why go through the trouble of rewriting Dracula's character to such a degree that he wins the affections of the reader, only to have the author kill him off anyway? If, as Mina Harker claims, Bram Stoker "got the story all wrong", couldn't he have gotten the ending wrong as well? I really hate books that kill off very likable characters and, as far as this story is concerned, Dracula was actually a very likable guy. I was actually rooting for him, thinking he stood a chance considering Bram Stoker "got it all wrong", but I was sorely disappointed.
Throughout the entire book, Mina's idiotic husband who, by the way, checks Mina into an insane asylum and allows her to be tortured at the hands of his "friend" and this same idiotic husband who commits egregious acts of adultry against his innocent and naive wife, maintains his title as hero while Count Dracula (who, by the way, rescues Mina from the insane asylum that her husband abandoned her in) keeps his place as local villain. What the.....?? The husband, with his arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude emerges as the champion and the Count, who has saved Mina's life several times and waited patiently with her while she tried tirelessly to remember her past relationship with the Count, remains villified. The author got the qualities of our characters mixed up and gave "the good guy" evil characteristics (with a still happy ending!) and "the bad guy" was rewritten as a good guy, but still given a villian's fate.
Overall, I hated this book for the reason mentioned above. However, there were some interesting details about how people were treated in insane asylums and some of the stories about how Mina and Dracula met (in a past life) were interesting. Still not worth reading, though, in my opinion.
*********SPOLIER ALERT*************SPOILER ALERT****************
The main problem I have is this.....
If a writer is going to take on the task of rewriting a classic novel such as Dracula, and if said author is going to change our perception of who Dracula REALLY was, essentially turning the nefarious Count into a "lonely, misunderstood" guy whose major sin seems to be that of falling in love with a woman who technically isn't his, then why can't this same author alter the fate of one "misunderstood" Count? Why go through the trouble of rewriting Dracula's character to such a degree that he wins the affections of the reader, only to have the author kill him off anyway? If, as Mina Harker claims, Bram Stoker "got the story all wrong", couldn't he have gotten the ending wrong as well? I really hate books that kill off very likable characters and, as far as this story is concerned, Dracula was actually a very likable guy. I was actually rooting for him, thinking he stood a chance considering Bram Stoker "got it all wrong", but I was sorely disappointed.
Throughout the entire book, Mina's idiotic husband who, by the way, checks Mina into an insane asylum and allows her to be tortured at the hands of his "friend" and this same idiotic husband who commits egregious acts of adultry against his innocent and naive wife, maintains his title as hero while Count Dracula (who, by the way, rescues Mina from the insane asylum that her husband abandoned her in) keeps his place as local villain. What the.....?? The husband, with his arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude emerges as the champion and the Count, who has saved Mina's life several times and waited patiently with her while she tried tirelessly to remember her past relationship with the Count, remains villified. The author got the qualities of our characters mixed up and gave "the good guy" evil characteristics (with a still happy ending!) and "the bad guy" was rewritten as a good guy, but still given a villian's fate.
Overall, I hated this book for the reason mentioned above. However, there were some interesting details about how people were treated in insane asylums and some of the stories about how Mina and Dracula met (in a past life) were interesting. Still not worth reading, though, in my opinion.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
When Blood Calls
By: J.K. Beck
This was an interesting book. This book has it all...vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, poltergeists, para-humans, a gryphon, and a multitude of blue and orange beings with copious supernatural abilities. The plot was creative and very well executed, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am eagerly looking forward to continuing the series. I also appreciated the author's interpretation of the paranormal world and how the law functions in such an environment.
That being said, there are a few (minor) issues I have with this book. First of all, I felt that the relationship between Sara and Lucius was purely physical, and not the deep lasting love that the author would have you believe. This didn't make me like the story any less, but I do wish their relationship would have had a little more substance...something worthy enough to last, even if the physical attraction between the two ever faded.
Second, I would have liked to have learned about the bad blood between Lucius Dragos and Ryan Doyle. While it is mentioned that the two have known each other for centuries and that they used to be friends, the author never tells us what transpired between them that caused them to hate each other all these years. I kept hoping I would learn their story, but alas, I never did.
Third, I would have liked to have known how some of these paranormal creatures (the half eagle/half lion gryphon comes to mind here) were able to successfully move about in the world without letting on to the ignorant humans that such creatures exist. Evidently these supernatural beings take great care to hide their existence from the humans, yet it is unclear how some of these beings are able to hide what they are. I would have liked to have read about how some of the more outrageous creatures remain undetected among the humans.
All in all, this was a very unique and refreshing approach to a topic that has often been overdone and overworked to the point of ennui. Two big thumbs up from me!
This was an interesting book. This book has it all...vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, poltergeists, para-humans, a gryphon, and a multitude of blue and orange beings with copious supernatural abilities. The plot was creative and very well executed, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am eagerly looking forward to continuing the series. I also appreciated the author's interpretation of the paranormal world and how the law functions in such an environment.
That being said, there are a few (minor) issues I have with this book. First of all, I felt that the relationship between Sara and Lucius was purely physical, and not the deep lasting love that the author would have you believe. This didn't make me like the story any less, but I do wish their relationship would have had a little more substance...something worthy enough to last, even if the physical attraction between the two ever faded.
Second, I would have liked to have learned about the bad blood between Lucius Dragos and Ryan Doyle. While it is mentioned that the two have known each other for centuries and that they used to be friends, the author never tells us what transpired between them that caused them to hate each other all these years. I kept hoping I would learn their story, but alas, I never did.
Third, I would have liked to have known how some of these paranormal creatures (the half eagle/half lion gryphon comes to mind here) were able to successfully move about in the world without letting on to the ignorant humans that such creatures exist. Evidently these supernatural beings take great care to hide their existence from the humans, yet it is unclear how some of these beings are able to hide what they are. I would have liked to have read about how some of the more outrageous creatures remain undetected among the humans.
All in all, this was a very unique and refreshing approach to a topic that has often been overdone and overworked to the point of ennui. Two big thumbs up from me!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Dracula, My Love
By: Syrie James
I have to admit it has been many years since I've read Dracula so, for all intents and purposes, I remain completely ignorant of the details in the story, but I am still aware of the basic plot. This book rightfully claims that one need not have read Dracula in order to understand what is happening in the story, as all of the characters are explained as they appear.
Mina Murray is a young, engaged woman who is vacationing in the small seaside village of Whitby with her best friend Lucy, when she unwittingly starts to fall for a handsome man who is NOT her betrothed. While Lucy encourages this "harmless" interaction with the fascinating Mr. Wagner, Mina is increasingly concerned about her fiance, who has yet to return from Transylvania while conducting a real estate transaction with one Count Dracula.
Fast foward a bit.....Mina has received word that her fiance, Jonathan, is sick with a brain fever and is in a hospital overseas. Mina leaves immediately, without saying goodbye to Mr. Wagner and sets off to rescue her beloved. Upon finding him, they are married in the hospital and Mina vows to nurse her Jonathan back to health.
What follows is the story of how Dracula comes to England for the sole purpose of meeting Mina, and his interactions with her and her friends, who are intent on destroying the "beast". Jonathan gives an account of his time in Count Dracula's castle, about how he was held prisoner against his will, and about how creepy Dracula's behavior was, etc. Later on in the story, we get to hear Dracula's side of the story and learn "what really happened." I have to admit, I really enjoyed this part. It was funny to hear Mina's recounting of Jonathan's version of events and then hear Dracula's rebuke, "is THAT what he thought he saw? No wonder he was terrified!" Dracula had a reasonable exlanation for all of the creepy behavior that Jonathan had "witnessed", as well as explanations for all of the morbid events that seemed to follow him around wherever he went.
Throughout the story, Dracula is portrayed as the misunderstood, lonely, benevolent (to a degree) vampire who never really meant to harm the few people he admits to harming. He treats Mina with utmost respect, falling into mutual temptation on occasion. He keeps every promise to her, from when and where he will contact her, to not harming any of her friends who are out to kill him. He starts to study the skills of Gregg's shorthand and typewriting, simply because they are passions of Mina's. He protects her and watches over her, and sees that no harm comes to her. Can this guy really be all that bad? Why go through all this trouble of wooing a woman that he clearly could have taken by force? As Dracula explains to Mina, "I want you willingly, or not at all." Dracula, it seems, really is in love.
******************************************************************************** BEGIN SPOILER ALERT - BEGIN SPOILER ALERT - BEGIN SPOILER ALERT ********************************************************************************
With all this said and done, why did Dracula turn into a monster at the end of the book? Why the sudden mocking, derisive behavior? This seemed totally out of character for him, seeing how respectful he was towards Mina throughout the rest of the story. Then the threats to kill her......? I simply didn't understand this sudden change of attitude. At the end of the story, we hear Dracula tell Mina "You WILL be mine, even if I must kill you here and now, and keep you here by force!" All throughout the story, Dracula repeatedly tells her that she wants her to stay with him voluntarily...that seems so important to him...yet by the end of the story, that little requirement of his is irrelevent. In the epilogue, we hear a description of Mina's young son, and we know that Dracula is obviously the father. If this is the case, there is only one instance when this child could have been conceived....and that was during Mina's "dream" of making love to the Count, as she and Jonathan never had any other children. Was this a rape? Mina most likely would have done the deed willingly with him, as she fantasized about it quite frequently, and she was so deeply in love with him. And Mina killing Dracula so suddenly and furiously, this didn't sit well with me. I realize she was angry that Dracula didn't tell her about the baby (did he even know it was his?) but she was so deeply in love with him, that her killing him just seemed a bit rash for my liking. I don't know....perhaps I'm over analyzing this because, after all, we are talking about Dracula here, but it just seems to me that he really had changed for the better and that he was so in control of his temper throughout most the story. Much too in control to simply "lose it" so suddenly like that at the end.
******************************************************************************** - END SPOILER ALERT - END SPOILER ALERT - END SPOILER ALERT - ********************************************************************************
So, at the end of the story, we see a different side of Dracula that we aren't privy to during the reading of the novel. Dracula behaves rather well up until the very end of the story, where we see a sudden change in temperament. This goes against the characteristics that I came to expect from him, so I was disappointed in how the story ended. I thought the ending (and Dracula's fate) should have been more suited to the character that I had come to respect throughout the novel. Instead the ending seemed rushed and, dare I say, unreasonable to me.
Other than the ending, I rather enjoyed the story and Syrie James's writing style.
I have to admit it has been many years since I've read Dracula so, for all intents and purposes, I remain completely ignorant of the details in the story, but I am still aware of the basic plot. This book rightfully claims that one need not have read Dracula in order to understand what is happening in the story, as all of the characters are explained as they appear.
Mina Murray is a young, engaged woman who is vacationing in the small seaside village of Whitby with her best friend Lucy, when she unwittingly starts to fall for a handsome man who is NOT her betrothed. While Lucy encourages this "harmless" interaction with the fascinating Mr. Wagner, Mina is increasingly concerned about her fiance, who has yet to return from Transylvania while conducting a real estate transaction with one Count Dracula.
Fast foward a bit.....Mina has received word that her fiance, Jonathan, is sick with a brain fever and is in a hospital overseas. Mina leaves immediately, without saying goodbye to Mr. Wagner and sets off to rescue her beloved. Upon finding him, they are married in the hospital and Mina vows to nurse her Jonathan back to health.
What follows is the story of how Dracula comes to England for the sole purpose of meeting Mina, and his interactions with her and her friends, who are intent on destroying the "beast". Jonathan gives an account of his time in Count Dracula's castle, about how he was held prisoner against his will, and about how creepy Dracula's behavior was, etc. Later on in the story, we get to hear Dracula's side of the story and learn "what really happened." I have to admit, I really enjoyed this part. It was funny to hear Mina's recounting of Jonathan's version of events and then hear Dracula's rebuke, "is THAT what he thought he saw? No wonder he was terrified!" Dracula had a reasonable exlanation for all of the creepy behavior that Jonathan had "witnessed", as well as explanations for all of the morbid events that seemed to follow him around wherever he went.
Throughout the story, Dracula is portrayed as the misunderstood, lonely, benevolent (to a degree) vampire who never really meant to harm the few people he admits to harming. He treats Mina with utmost respect, falling into mutual temptation on occasion. He keeps every promise to her, from when and where he will contact her, to not harming any of her friends who are out to kill him. He starts to study the skills of Gregg's shorthand and typewriting, simply because they are passions of Mina's. He protects her and watches over her, and sees that no harm comes to her. Can this guy really be all that bad? Why go through all this trouble of wooing a woman that he clearly could have taken by force? As Dracula explains to Mina, "I want you willingly, or not at all." Dracula, it seems, really is in love.
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With all this said and done, why did Dracula turn into a monster at the end of the book? Why the sudden mocking, derisive behavior? This seemed totally out of character for him, seeing how respectful he was towards Mina throughout the rest of the story. Then the threats to kill her......? I simply didn't understand this sudden change of attitude. At the end of the story, we hear Dracula tell Mina "You WILL be mine, even if I must kill you here and now, and keep you here by force!" All throughout the story, Dracula repeatedly tells her that she wants her to stay with him voluntarily...that seems so important to him...yet by the end of the story, that little requirement of his is irrelevent. In the epilogue, we hear a description of Mina's young son, and we know that Dracula is obviously the father. If this is the case, there is only one instance when this child could have been conceived....and that was during Mina's "dream" of making love to the Count, as she and Jonathan never had any other children. Was this a rape? Mina most likely would have done the deed willingly with him, as she fantasized about it quite frequently, and she was so deeply in love with him. And Mina killing Dracula so suddenly and furiously, this didn't sit well with me. I realize she was angry that Dracula didn't tell her about the baby (did he even know it was his?) but she was so deeply in love with him, that her killing him just seemed a bit rash for my liking. I don't know....perhaps I'm over analyzing this because, after all, we are talking about Dracula here, but it just seems to me that he really had changed for the better and that he was so in control of his temper throughout most the story. Much too in control to simply "lose it" so suddenly like that at the end.
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So, at the end of the story, we see a different side of Dracula that we aren't privy to during the reading of the novel. Dracula behaves rather well up until the very end of the story, where we see a sudden change in temperament. This goes against the characteristics that I came to expect from him, so I was disappointed in how the story ended. I thought the ending (and Dracula's fate) should have been more suited to the character that I had come to respect throughout the novel. Instead the ending seemed rushed and, dare I say, unreasonable to me.
Other than the ending, I rather enjoyed the story and Syrie James's writing style.
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