I, Dracula

I’ve been loving vampire stories this year and I, Dracula was a perfect fit. Let’s get to my review.

Synopsis

Written in Dracula’s own voice as Vlad Tepes – The Impaler, the novel is set in the treacherous fifteenth-century Transylvania where the bloodthirsty prince was born and ruled without mercy, spreading death and devastation in his wake.

Ostracised by his mother, imprisoned by his father, feared by his country, and hated by a woman he adores, Dracula’s only hope for love rests with the son he gave away at birth.

Is the boy still alive? Is the vampire’s tragic confession going to earn him the much-wanted love or spark a searing desire for revenge? And why is Dracula wishing so desperately for his own death?

My Thoughts on I, Dracula

I’m always a little nervous that reading a retelling will either be redundant or too far off the mark. But that wasn’t an issue with I, Dracula. It is wholly unique to the often-overinflated vampire lore. This book isn’t a Dracula retelling at all instead it’s a fictionalized account of the real Vlad Dracula’s life. I could tell the author put so much research into his history as well as Romanian history. It was executed really well.

As far as character’s go she did a great job on that as well. Obviously, we’re not supposed to root for Dracula, but she did make him a great morally grey character. I could sympathize with him at times and at other times he disgusted me. I really enjoyed that juxtaposition.

While I loved almost everything about I, Dracula the end threw me off just a little. It felt a little disjointed and I didn’t completely understand the inclusion of this mystery character. That storyline just felt out of place. I’m going to have to research and see if there is any historical or folkloric basis to it.

My Rating: 4/5