I couldn't keep going. There was too much going on, but the writing felt slower than in the previous books, lacking charm and passion. It was empty, as if the authors didn't feel inspired and were actually looking forward to finishing the book.

These books are always good fun. It took me a little while to get used to the epistolary form, it not being something I come across often, but it ends up working really well. An entertaining story with witches, reanimated corpses, gore and humour. Definitely read this if you enjoyed the other books, but I think you could read this without reading them first. There are references to the previous stories, but this is very much its own story.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2022/06/16/land-of-the-dead-stokers-wilde-3-by-stephen-hopstaken-and-melissa-prusi/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Resist everything, except this series

I am loving this series. It’s just a fantastic combination of great writing, great characters and ridiculously outrageous adventures.

This is book No.3 in the Stoker Wilde series. Having read the previous two I would heartily suggest that you start at the beginning because why deprive yourself the pleasure of reading them both. That being said, and time being precious, etc, etc, I think you could easily step in at this point if you wish to do so. Just, please, do yourself a favour and read the other two, pretty please.

At the risk of repeating myself from previous reviews what I really love about this is the style it’s told in. Once again we have the epistolary style with diaries, reports and other items delivering the story. I just adore this. It’s so appropriate for the era in question and it also works well given the two central characters – I think Oscar Wilde famously kept a diary (because it made such sensational reading) and Stoker wrote his famous Dracula in the same fashion. Plus Stoker’s excerpts take the form of reports which are written in a no-nonsense style and relate the facts without embellishment which totally feeds into the way his character comes across in this series.

The plot here once again channels things well renowned from the period. Séances for example were very popular as was a general taste for anything macabre. Shelley’s Frankenstein was already popular feeding into the obsession with mortality (not to mention grave robbing) and all these things conspire to create a sinister novel where bodies are reanimated and used as vessels to bring back the souls of those that have passed away.

In this story mad scientist Victor Mueller still has an obsession with Bram’s blood believing it holds the key in his search to bring his wife back to life. This leads us to repeated kidnap attempts that escalate dramatically as the story progresses. On top of that we have a young girl called Lorna Bow, a medium who is gaining popularity for her ability to channel the spirits. Of course the set up is a con but as it happens Lorna has a measure of talent which becomes easy to understand when her mother finally returns to collect her daughter.

Once again Stoker and Wilde are central and foremost in the story, but I loved the inclusion of so many strong females. Stoker’s wife, Wilde’s fiancee, and even one of the actresses from the Lyceum Theatre, they all had great roles as did the young medium and her mother.

This takes us to the other element of this series that I’m loving. It seems that each book has a fascination with some form of horror from the period. We already have werewolves and vampires, plus the existence of an organisation that looks into the supernatural. This particular story seems to take us down the route of monsters of a different ilk, it gave me decided Frankenstein vibes and this combined with travel to a completely different world that smacked very much of the Land that Time Forgot made me wonder what else these authors might have up their sleeves. My tiny brain is running amok thinking of all the possibilities we still have left to explore. The Mummy? Jekyll and Hyde, The Time Machine. Maybe we will end up with an appearance by the famous Ripper or, well, I don’t know, my mind is going into overdrive thinking of all the possibilities and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

In terms of criticisms. I did harbour a tiny moment when certain people were being resurrected of thinking ‘this is batshit crazy’. But, I got over that feeling quite quickly. Things do go decidedly over the top but to be honest I loved that element of the story.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This third outing for the Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker takes a darker tone as they deal with lost souls and enter another dimension with flourish.

Hopstaken and Prusi have returned with another inning of their fantastic series based on Wilde and Stoker. Moving forward with a series can be daunting and it is very rare that the third novel lives up to its predecessors as they often suffer form writers’ fatigue. This is not the case with Land of the Dead, the authors confidently move the story forward whilst giving a nod and wink to events past.

Old characters good and bad make a repeat reappearance and given those fans of the series something to rejoice but at the same time, if you are new, it does not hinder the story from going forward. This is an incredible feat as normally you would get one hundred pages of recanting what happened previously but the authors do this more cleverly by spacing this out through the story so new readers are kept involved. Also, it so be markedly awarded that they also do this without given away endings and conclusions so readers can go back and read the first two volumes without being cheated by the outcome.

The characters are sharply written and well rounded given some life to some classic real people and giving them more substance not found in any history book. They breath life into the proceedings giving vig and vigour to the mystery and horror found within the pages.

This is another winner and if you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed. If you are new to the series, you will love getting into this story and characters and will want to consume all previous two. A must read.

As a quick recap of what has happened previously, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde are best friends, in the theatrical world and also in the arena of supernatural shenanigans.

Allied with but not allied to the White Worms, ostensibly a 'book lovers group', but more like what Torchwood and UNIT are to Dr Who,they have been tangled with vampires a werewolves yet have still to face their wildest foes.

Which are basically their old ones, brought back from the dead.

Whilst Bram is focusing on his, and vampire sire Henry Irving's production of the Scottish play,and reconciliation between his ex lover Ellen and wife Florence, Wilde is preparing for marriage.

Bram has vampire blood in him courtesy of Irving, and hopes he can use it to find a cure for vampirism whilst Wilde is turning to science and folklore to cure his brother, Willie, who is a werewolf.

Whilst they deal with their personal issues , the maniacal Dr Muelleris planning on using the Stoker serum (Bram's blood) as a means to bring people back from the dead.

Having not read Frankenstein and seen how horribly wrong resurrecting the dead could go, he has kept his dead wife on literal ice whilst trying to perfect his resurrection technique.

This whole situation collides when Mueller kidnaps Stoker for a full time blood bank, and subsequently becomes aware of a potential alliance with 2 mediums.

Mother and daughter, Endora and Lorna Bow have been working the seance gig until Endora realises she could use this so much profitably by joining with Mueller. Their skills could break into the other world, the Realm, to pull back particular souls for a new life ,in an improved body.

What could possibly go wrong?

With a spy following Mueller and the Bows,the White Worms on high alert and personal clashing with the professional in our group of heroes, the stakes-no pun intended-have never been higher for humanity!

Combining the epistolary nature of Dracula with the high spirits of adventure, the wit of Wilde and the sensory visuals of Stoker, you have a satisfying climax to a journey begun in Book 1.

The notion of 'just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should' has been put to the test on every page.

Sometimes higher powers exist for a reason and with the banks of the Realm threatening to burst, a small band of people rammed with courage, is all that stands between us and becoming a land of the living dead.

This is the third book in this series but I had no problems reading it without having read the others. A book that has Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde together sounds like my kind of read. In order to defeat the forces of evil they have to join forces, interesting? Well I thought so.

Again, a Flame Tree Press published book, I have loved every book I have had the pleasure to read from them. An Urban historical Fantasy with vampires, magic, tons of action and we even have a bit of Frankenstein stuff going on! If there was ever a book that was going to capture my imagination, this is one of them.

The story is told from multiple points of view throughout. The two authors have used letters and journal entries to tell the story. I thought this made it even more interesting and worked really well with the various characters and the multiple plot threads running throughout.

I loved how well developed the characters of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde are, in fact all of the characters just felt like they could have been flesh and blood in front of me. I almost felt starstruck as Stoker and Wilde team up with people such as Richard Burton, Tesla and even Arthur Conan Doyle. They need them to help close the spirit gates to the Land of the Dead.

They don't just need the icons from the past, they also need magic and that comes from a young witch, Lorna. She has only just found out she is a witch with magic. Her mother, a woman Lorna thought was dead, returned to her and unleashed the power of Lorna’s magic. Lorna tugged on my heartstrings with her emotional story, I felt for her, that's the maternal side of me coming out. The mission is not an easy one for her and its all new too.

A historical urban fantasy that,for me blends the genres together in such an expert way that this book became an enthralling read for me. Any reader who loves historical fiction or even urban fantasies with a bit of everything should enjoy this well written book
Thanks to Flame Tree Press, Random Things Tours and Netgalley.

4 Stars!

When I first read Stoker’s Wilde by Steven Hopstaken and Melissa Prusi, I was immediately drawn into the fantastic world of the novel and swept along for the ride. Stoker’s Wilde West failed to capture the same excitement as the first book and fell into the trap of many found in many epistolary novels: the materials that make up the story (letters, journal entries, etc.) were interesting but did not come together to make a compelling novel. When I saw Land of the Dead, the third book in the series, I was curious to see if the duo could find the magic of the first novel and craft a story that I could not put down.



Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde thought they had left supernatural threats to the world behind. They had their own problems to deal with and did not need to be at the beck and call of the White Worm Society. When a madman begins to bring back the dead to reanimate corpses, the White Worm Society comes calling again. The duo could resist the call to service, and intend to do so, until they learn the secret ingredient to raising the dead: Stoker’s blood. Dr. Victor Mueller has learned to tap into the magic of Stoker’s vampire-tainted blood and, with the help of the medium Lorna Bow, is bringing some of the duo’s greatest enemies back to life again. With all choice taken from them, it is back into the fray once more for the reluctant heroes.



Mueller teams with Lorna’s mother, Endora, to hatch a plan to unleash hell on Earth. Endora is a powerful witch driven by revenge and uses her hatred to tap into the Land of the Dead. As their power grows, however, Lorna begins to question her actions. Stoker and Wilde, meanwhile, must find a way to stop the Land of the Dead’s growing influence on the world. They must get help from friend both old, like Theodore Roosevelt, and new, like Arthur Conan Doyle and Nicola Tesla, to stand against the evil doctor and witch and keep the Land of the Dead from overrunning the world.



Land of the Dead is a world-spanning and dimension-hopping adventure of the highest degree. Hopstaken and Prusi draw in elements of classic novels from masters such as Mary Shelley and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to craft an adventure that keeps the reader on the edge of his seat from the first page to the last. There is some time given to building the unique world they have crafted but the action never stops. The epistolary style of writing does little to ease the tension of the novel. One of the downfalls of this style of storytelling is that the conclusion of the chapter seems to be foregone conclusion. After all, if the narrator of that chapter is writing about something that just happened, that person obviously survived to tell the tale. With its blurring of the lines of death, this is not the case in Land of the Dead. Death is not final here but rather just an obstacle to be overcome. The character writing the chapter may have survived, or died and been brought back, but that character is sure to never be the same again. This keeps the reader guessing at what is coming next with the turn of every page.



While I thought the series had lost some momentum in Stoker’s Wilde West, it comes roaring back in Land of the Dead. Hopstaken and Prusi find their mojo again and this novel is a rollercoaster of a horror-adventure ride. I was completely captivated from the opening chapter right through the end and could not turn the pages fast enough. The third novel of the series is the best so far, surpassing even the first novel which was done very well, and ends with the promise of more. The many threads of the story from the ventures into the Land of the Dead to Lorna Bow’s background and current adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. The epistolary style may not work for all readers, but it worked well in this novel for me. Hopstaken and Prusi have crafted a unique world based in the supernatural and classic horror and science fiction that is both thought-provoking and thrilling at the same time. This is a series to be savored by horror fans and promises more excitement to come.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Land of the Dead is available now.

I loved Stoker's Wilde - and this third installment in the series did not disappoint. There was enough backstory to remind me of book one as well catch up what I missed from book two.
Oscar Wilde - his fiancée, Constance, , Bram Stoker - his wife, Florence, as well as other narrators such as those working for the White Worm Society provide the narrative.
A powerful witch , Endora, has somehow broken free from her banishment to the Realm. After initiating her daughter, Lorna becomes a strong medium- providing a connection to the elite society's recently dead.
What is Endora's endgame? Will they be able to stop her? While protecting seemingly innocent Lorna?

a duo I never knew I needed in my life! I absolutely loved this book. Full of supernatural twists and turns

I was provided with an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Land of the Dead is the follow up to Stoker’s Wild West, part of a series about the adventures of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde fighting vampires, the undead, and other supernatural creatures. Its paranormal elements and the usage of historical figures as characters have huge appeal to me as a reader.

In this story, a real-life Dr. Frankenstein (with a different name) is bringing dead bodies back to life and having a spiritualist help him relocate the souls of his dead co-conspirators into the bodies, giving them greater than normal strength. This is made possible because someone has opened the Land of the Dead, allowing the dead souls to cross back into the world of the living. Stoker, Wilde, and their allies come up with a plan to close the passageway, but they must fight off threats from the doctor’s paranormal henchmen if they’re going to survive to see their plans through.

I gave Land of the Dead five stars. The plot premise and characterizations are well done. However, because the story is told mostly through diary entries and procedural reports, which is an interesting way to tell a story, but since the plot is related in this after-the-fact manner, this reader felt as if he were experiencing the story at a distance instead of from a closer, more interesting point-of-view.

Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde are at it again. Or in this book, more Stoker than Wilde. Oscar Wilde is busy planning his wedding, a wedding that promises to be the most significant London social event of the year (or decade? century? ever?). While Wilde focuses on dominating the London social calendar (and hopefully tamping down rumors of his own homosexuality), Stoker goes with an expedition to find a scientist rumored to be raising the dead. They find his evil lair (that’s just fun to write) but he is missing and presumed dead.

Meanwhile London society is becoming enamored with a young medium who can actually speak with the dead. At first she is participating in a scheme to fake contact with the dead, complete with children hiding in the room to make noises and pretend to be spirits. Then she meets a woman, her long missing mother, who unlocks her latent abilities and the seances move from fraudulent to frightening.

As the plot progresses (using the literary technique of diary entries by different characters telling the story from their own perspective and in their own voice), the plots come together and our protagonists find themselves facing enemies old and new. As befits a series with vampires and other things that go bump in the night, the inconvenient fact that some of those enemies were dead at the beginning of the novel does not reduce their menace.

The husband and wife writers have put together a series that is fun, whimsical, pays homage to both the Victorian horror genre and to these two authors in particular, and does not take itself too seriously. It is charming, not too scary, and quite clever. I am not sure just how far they intend to take their series, but I am along for the ride.

This is an epistolary novel (written through journal entries, letters, etc). Which is really the kind of thing that you should going into the book. For a novel about Bram Stoker, author of Dracula (which is also an epistolary novel), this is a fitting and neat format. However, it isn't going to be for everyone.

My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://youtu.be/u59KqqJaLEw?t=137

In this book, and evil scientist is trying to raise an army of zombies (you know, the Frankenstein-inspired flavor). Bram Stoker (and other famous friends) have to stop them.

I had a hard time enjoying this book. I don't think that was the fault of the book, but just that I didn't fit it. I had a hard time getting into the epistolary format. If you're reading the journal entry of someone's encounter with a zombie, you know that they survive the encounter. But, the characters that are most important to the encounter are usually the ones in the most peril, and so often not the narrators of the event.
It was the mix of constantly switching narrators, and the often clinical tone of the narration, that made it hard for me to connect with the characters.

I was pleasantly surprised with how many female narrators this book has. With the premise (1880's male vampire hunters), I was worried that the book has a high chance of being sexist and sidelining the women. However, I was wrong, and this books take care to spotlight the girls as much as the guys.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Land of the Dead: A Stoker's Wilde Novel (aka... book 3 of the Stoker's series) knocks it out of the ballpark!!! I absolutely loved the ride from start to finish! The book has a bit of a Frankenstein theme to it... but, then... they take it into a realm of spirits and the undead! Best part of the book was that the author included Nikola Tesla!!! The part Tesla played... OMG!! It ties in so well with some of his major inventions over the years! There are so many things for the reader steeped in history and the "behind the scenes" intrigues that the authors have totally delivered!! Totally five stars all the way!

This series is a favourite of mine as I always find the stories entertaining and gripping.
This is another excellent novel featuring Stoker/Wilde and the usual cast of historical characters plus a couple of new ones (Tesla, Roosvelt).
Our heroes deal with revenants, revengeful spirits, and other worlds in a fast paced and compelling novel.
I read it as fast as I could and it's strongly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Land of the Dead is the third installment of the Stoker’s Wilde series. Our main characters are familiar characters from the first two books on the series, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. They are once again brought into the supernatural affairs of the White Worm Society. In this installment, Dr. Victor Mueller is successfully doing experiments to reanimate the dead. This is a little bit Dr Frankenstein; however, he has figured out how to have a soul enter into the reanimated corpse. He has the help of Lorna Bow, a medium, and her mother Endora, a very powerful witch. They help bring back many souls, including the White Worm Society’s old nemesis, the Black Bishop. Thanks to Dr Mueller, several old enemies are resurrected into reanimated corpses and are ready to destroy the Society. Will our cast of famous historical characters be able to stop this evil supernatural threat?
I have read the first two books in this series, so o knew exactly what to expect going into this book. The format is the same and the story is told through a variety of letters, journal entries, and reports. I liked the introduction of Endora’s witchcraft and the inclusion of spiritualism/ mediums which were definitely happening during this time period. Overall, I really enjoyed stepping back into this world and was caught up in this tale. It was not as exciting as the first two books because I was a bit disappointed that some of the past enemies were able to come back so easily.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
How could I resist a book where Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker join forces to defeat the forces of evil?
I really enjoyed this book- an urban fantasy with vampires, possession, Frankenstein influences, magic and plenty of action. Even though this is the third book in this series featuring Wilde and Stoker, it was easy to follow the story without having read the previous two.
Stoker and Wilde are well-developed characters as are their enterprising other halves- Florence and Constance. They are aided by a number of well-known literary people including Doyle and Tesla in their mission to close the spirit gates to The Land of the Dead.
The story is told through several points of view through journal entries or letters, but this works well given the number of characters and sub-plots.
Lorna, the young witch who discovers her magic after meeting her powerful mother she thought dead, is aching vulnerable and her story perhaps the most emotional. An unwilling accomplice to Dr Muller's evil plan of bleeding Stoker dry of his unusual blood to create an army of the undead filled with the souls of evil, rich people.
Perfect for Fans
This book will appeal to readers who love historical fiction and those who love complex urban fantasies with plenty of drama and action.
Content warning
References to child abuse, parents dealing with the loss of children.

I looked forward to returning to the Stoker's Wilde series, I enjoyed both previous novels which were entertaining and witty I really like the interactions between Oscar and Bram. In the Land of the Dead an old enemy returns brought back to life by a scientist who reanimates the dead, he is joined by a young woman who is a talented medium. I must say although I enjoyed this, I did feel that there were too many voices in this novel and it lost some of the first 2 novel's wit as there is hardly no word play between Wilde and Stoker and it feels like they have been pushed to one side in favour of the female characters. Hopefully in book 4 Wilde and Stoker will be focused on.

Bad guys are reanimating corpses and bringing back people who shouldn't have gone around once in life, much less twice. Yet, here they are building an army of strong but not-too-bright bodies and it's up to intrepid vampire hunters, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde (and company) to visit the dead lands and stop this vile plan.

Very few vampires this time, but having a myriad of talents, the authors go on the hunt in the land most of us will never come back from. Back on regular Earth, a host of historic figures help them on their venture. Plus, Stoker and Wilde's wives are good paranormal busters themselves so if you like strong women characters, there's several in these pages.

I've enjoyed all three of the Stoker's Wilde books and this one is set up where it looks like sequels are coming. I missed that they didn't get the words "Stoker's Wilde" in the title like they had in the last two books. I suggest they summon the spirit of a writer of vampire books in the 20th Century and call it, "Stoker's Wilde Rice."

Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Land of the Dead.

Book three in the Stoker and Wilde series. As with the first two books, this is written in the epistolary style, through journals, reports and letters.
I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first books - but I think that was mainly due to the fact that I had just finished a big fantasy trilogy and my head was still in that world, I was about half way through before really connecting to the story and the characters.
In this instalment Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde team up again when an old enemy returns looking for revenge.
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

This book made the English Literature student in me very happy, who doesnt want to tread a book featurong Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. It was well written with a great storyline and the characters were well developed and likeable. I couldnt put this book down, I really enjoyed it.