book review | Dracula’s Child by J.S. Barnes

Author: J.S. Barnes
Title: Dracula’s Child
Series: –
Genre: Dracula; Vampires
Pages: 576
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

I’m really craving some Dracula content these days. So when “Dracula’s Child” by J.S. Barned got into my feed, I had to read it. And I did. And it was okay.

About the Book: Upon chasing Dracula down and killing him, Mina and Jonathan Harker thought they rid their lives of the evil and can now begin the process of healing. Live their life, raise their son. But upon his death, Dracula swore revenge that’ll reach them across eons… And it seems the darkness is pooling up again.

My Opinion: The book is pretty well written, easy to read, entertaining. But at the same time it’s filled with characters and scene that add nothing, and yet are constantly there just to be there. You either end up forgetting their existence as soon as the scene is over, or try to connect them to anything at all for the rest of the story. But generally, I liked the idea, the way propaganda spreading is portrayed here, and whom it could possibly benefit. 

It’s not a bad book, there’s simply too many mediocre things to make it a good one. A firm 3 out of 5, mostly for the good writing itself.

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book review | Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta | Casa Dracula 4

Author: Marta Acosta
Title: Haunted Honeymoon
Series: Casa Dracula 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance; Vampires
Pages: 320
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

Ah, here we go. Finished “Haunted Honeymoon” by Marta Acosta. Last book in the Casa Dracula series. It ended well, so I’m happy.

About the Book: Never has Milagro been in this much trouble. After an argument with her man, she stormed off to let some steam off and figure where things go from there. But a series of impossible events has landed her here. In some weird lab, with a crazy evil scientist who dreams a dream of an undead army…

My Opinion: At first I thought this was going to be one of those boring old stories about getting kidnapped, evil scientists, clones, zombies, memory loss and eventual re-falling in love with douchebag ex. But this was not that, far from it. I made a right call comparing Milagro with Sookie: an underestimated woman who thinks on her feet.

Lots of good endings, since the story ended not just for Milagro. A firm 5 out of 5.

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book review | Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta | 2

Author: Marta Acosta
Title: Midnight Brunch
Series: Casa Dracula 2
Genre: Vampires; Paranormal Romance
Pages: 336
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

These days, with so much snow outside, it’s a bit hard to keep attention in the book pages. All I want to do is walk through fresh snow and play Cyberpunk 2077 upon getting home. But I did manage to sit down and read “Midnight Brunch” by Marta Acosta.

About the Book: If Milagro thought Grans the vampires are a tad strange and hostile, then her beloved’s parents need a whole new name to define. And even then, it’s but the tip of the iceberg. Dark cabal of evil greedy vampires are putting together a sticky web to capture the young woman with such magical blood…

My Opinion: Strange. First half of the book was very amusing and captivating. Then it lost the charm. Unusual for the second book in the series, and for second half of the book too. But I’ll definitely read another book, the warm humor really works for winter evenings.

Remains adorably humorous, but sadly not as captivating. 4 out of 5.

book review | Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta | Casa Dracula 1

Author: Marta Acosta
Title: Happy Hour at Casa Dracula
Series: Casa Dracula 1
Genre: Paranormal romance; Vampires
Pages: 314
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

“Happy Hour at Casa Dracula” by Marta Acosta is one of the most amusing and entertaining books I’ve read this year. Glad I got it in December.

About the Book: Milagro is a gorgeous and sweet woman with a big heart and kind soul. Which sadly means she often gets underestimated and taken for granted by very wrong men. Though broken heart time and again was nothing in compare, to this fella. A single drop of blood on a split lip and Milagro finds herself in the middle of nowhere, at some kind of a cottage, with a family of vampires…

My Opinion: Milagro is like a sweeter, more innocent version of Sookie. Just the kind of gal I love watching messing with the vampires. A quirky and funny book, glad it’s a series.

Cottage vibes, vampires, and a good ending. A 5 out of 5.

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book review | The Origin of Dracula by Irving Belateche

Author: Irving Belateche
Title: The Origin of Dracula
Series: –
Genre: Horror Literature; Paranormal
Pages: 367
Rate: 2/5 | Goodreads

“The Origin of Dracula” by Irving Belateche might just be the most boring Dracula-origin mystery I’ve ever read.

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.

No. 2 out of 5 is the best I can do.

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book review | Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula by Christian Klaver | 1

Author: Christian Klaver
Title: Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula
Series: The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Mystery
Pages: 61
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

“Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula: The Adventure of the Solitary Grave” by Christian Klaver isn’t the first Sherlock meets Dracula book that I’ve read, but it’s definitely among the better ones.

About the Book: Someone has taken Mina and Count Dracula is prepared to tear London apart to get her back. Luckily, his first step was to visit the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Apparently the count and the detective have common enemies…

My Opinion: It’s a messy book. Tracks are easy to lose, others are purposefully hidden in not the best kind of way. But as I said many times before, a well written character can save it all. Dracula is strange and interesting, Mina – even more so. Sherlock and Watson are more or less fitting the appropriate characters from my point of view.

It’s short enough to take the risk. A wobbly 4 out of 5.

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book review | How to Vex a Vampire by Alice Winters | VRC: Vampire Related Crimes 1

Author: Alice Winters
Title: How to Vex a Vampire
Series: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Paranormal Romance
Pages: 360
Rate: 3/5 | goodreads

“How to Vex a Vampire” by Alice Winters is both the most annoying and the most amusing book of this year.

About the Book: Ever since he was a teen Finn was being stalked by an elder vampire. For a while he was gone and it seemed like Finn could finally live. But now he’s back and there’s only one way to deal with this. So Finn weasels his way into vampire crime department. Just in time before all hell breaks loose. See, not everyone likes vampires and humans coexisting. Some believe it’s only a matter of time until vampires try to assert dominance. So they made two types of drugs. One gets them blindly hooked. The other one sends them into wild bloodlust frenzy…

My Opinion: Banter is cringy, filler scenes are cringy, and dudes keep losing their pants. There’s no base to character development, they just switch gears as plot progresses, which is technically fine, it just makes for poor reading experience. But the plot itself is a saving grace, for it was interesting, and I wouldn’t be opposed to reading another one.

A 3 out of 5, sorry, I can’t get past the graphic “dog stole my pants and underwear” scene.

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book review | All You Can Eat by Johnny B. Truant | Fat Vampire 3

Author: Johnny B. Truant
Title: All You Can Eat
Series: Fat Vampire 3
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires
Pages: 125
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

“All You Can Eat” by Johnny B. Truant is the last book in the Fat Vampire series that I own, and I’m not sure I’ll be getting any others.

About the Book: Vampires do not like this new regime, all these rules, especially the new ones that favor humans. Defiance soon turns into an outright mutiny. And as Council fails at its core, opposition rampages the streets. Piles of bloodless ripped apart bodies. Rogue youngling vampires, freshly turned, going insane. Even the Death Squads, vampire military of sorts, is itching to take a stand in the new game…

My Opinion: This book is a stepping stone to the next, nothing more. So if you don’t yet love the characters, it offers little to keep you interested. What was meant as mysterious and weird comes off as dull and uninteresting. Meaning series ended poorly for me, as I currently have no plans to continue.

I’m done for now. Maybe next October. Currently it’s a 3 out of 5 and I’m off to find some other appropriate reads.

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book review | Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes | 1

Author: Drew Hayes
Title: Fred, the Vampire Accountant
Series: Fred, the Vampire Accountant 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires
Pages: 300
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

The full title of Drew Hayes‘s book is “The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant“. And it sort of sums it up. But only sort of. Bear with me.

About the Book: In life, Fred was a frightful man, good with numbers, a boring accountant. In death, after he was turned and abandoned – a heinous act in the supernatural world – he remains a frightful vampire, good with numbers. A valuable accountant from whom other supernaturals don’t have to hide their, at the very least, odd looking expenses. But, oh, if only those were the only adventures he got. Instead… From a LARP going wrong to a sire returning.

Cats may always land on their feet, however, the same can’t be said for accountants.

My Opinion: Book reads as a collection of tightly knitted short stories. Each one – different, interesting. So the book title is wrong with the “uninteresting” part of adventurous tales. There’s a host of very great characters too, colorful and loveable bunch. For example, my favorite, of course, is the gay weresteed. Now, why’s that I won’t reveal.

A worthy October read. Solid 4 out of 5. Will read more.

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book review | Tastes like Chicken by Johnny B. Truant | Fat Vampire 2

Author: Johnny B. Truant
Title: Tastes like Chicken
Series: Fat Vampire 2
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires
Pages: 201
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Ah well, I feel compelled to continue series I began, unless they were utterly terrible. And since Johnny B. Truant‘s Fat Vampire series were not terrible, I’m onto second one, “Tastes Like Chicken“. It was oddly very good.

About the Book: A mysterious being, a vampire only in name, is brought before Reginald. He makes a mockery out of the precautions vampires took and foretells their genocide about to come at his hands. In this strange game of chess, where the only choices given are die by enemy’s hand or your own, vampires have 30 days to evolve. The way humans did.

My Opinion: A very well written myth and history, I really enjoyed all of that. And since the book is fairly short, there’s not much time for boring fillers, such as traveling places to discover answers that didn’t require any traveling. The minus goes to weirdly uncomfortable bits. 

A 4 out of 5, will read more.

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