Dracula's Child is an original take on an old story that manages to make itself feel relevant to society today, a compelling and interesting read.

This takes place years after the battle with Drac. The story follows Mina, Jonathan and their son Quincey.

It's written in the same style as Bram Stoker's Dracula, giving it a similar feel to the original.

The story can feel quite dense at times, with lots of layers, yet it flows nicely and seems fast-paced.

Perfect for fans Dracula.

As a big fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula and BBC series Dracula, I've immensely enjoyed this book.

Written as in an original Stoker's Dracula style, the atmosphere is perfect. Characters wonderful, Mina and Jonathan with their loving marriage but not without the flaws and their son Quincey, burdened with their past.

Evil never rests, dark clouds are gathering above them.. All so very well known but with modern twist.

Loved it!

I love a good vampire narrative, and I was thrilled to be approved for this title.

Years after their original battle with Dracula, Jonathan and Mina Harker plan a birthday party for their son, Quincey. On the eve of the party, there are many announcements, but following a tragic turn of events, they have to admit that their battle with the darkness may not be over. At the same time, two men journey to various countries and meet up with an unlikely guide, and a naturalist plans on bringing a new species of bat back to London. What follows is a weaving of narratives into one intriguing homage.

I enjoyed this book.

Let me start by saying, if you're not familiar with Bram Stoker's Dracula, you might want to read that first before diving in. With allusions to the original, same characters, and Barnes drawing off the original plot for context, I'd say this would hit home more if you have the text fresh in your mind. I read this a few times in undergrad, but I actually went back and re-read to familiarize myself with the characters before diving in, and I'm glad I did. On its own, you could probably follow the story laid out with minimal confusion, but the characters and nods to the past become more nuanced when you understand the references.

Speaking of this work on its own, it is a solid read. The voices and writing emulate the Gothic style. It's told in a series of newspaper articles, letters, and diary entries, alternating voices to further the timelines into one cohesive account. I think for this text, I preferred Mina Harker's entries the best, for her observations about Quincey and her doubts about the house. It is quite dense at times, with layers of character development and details, changing scenery and expositions, but the letter format makes it move quick.

Overall, this is an elegant, immersive homage with lots of subtle intrigue and bloody vampire attacks. If you're a fan of Stoker's Dracula, I think you'll love this. And if you're a reader of vampire mythology, I also think this will be the book for you.

Big thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Thank you to the publisher, Titan Books UK, and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book to review. I read Dracula years ago and I was intrigued by this book as it is set after Dracula has fallen.

It is written in a series of journal entries and other documents that were “found”. I liked the style and found it a quick read once I got into the writing style. The writing style takes some getting use to as it is written in a way that is different to the modern style. It feels both fast paced and also drawn out in places. There is a lot about daily events which can drag but it is also what you would expect from journal entries.

I enjoyed the dark and troubling events in the book which are slow and suspenseful. It takes awhile for Dracula to appear but I was glad that it took awhile. There is creepy foretelling and strange dreams and I just liked the atmosphere. I love books that have a sinister feel about them. Also I enjoyed how Dracula planned his revenge and how it is a slow process that people don’t want to accept until it’s almost too late.

I liked the range of characters and how some appeared in Dracula. The Harker’s are the two main characters and they are at the front on the fight against Dracula. There are other characters that are interesting and I enjoyed the different voices in the journal entries.

Overall I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would when I first started reading it. I read this in a day and I liked it but I don’t think I’ll read it again anytime soon. Overall rating 3.5/5

* spoiler alert ** It's only fair to point out,that I read Dracula once,many years ago... and barely remember it.
So... I can't comment on authenticity of character actions or any such thing.
This book however,was a great race towards the reappearance of Dracula... creepy foretelling and wild dreams... and really just all round menacing behaviour.
The Harkers stand at the front of the fight,along with some others ,and I have to say it's all very enjoyable,if sometimes a bit ott.
It takes a hugely long time for anyone to utter the word "vampire" and then they are everywhere.
Fast paced,and for me,a lot of fun