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Dracul

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Dracul

Written by: Dacre Stoker, J.D. Barker
Narrated by: Pete Bradbury, Vikas Adam, Saskia Maarleveld, Raphael Corkhill, Alana Kerr Collins, Allan Corduner
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The prequel to Dracula, inspired by notes and texts left behind by the author of the classic novel, Dracul is a supernatural thriller that reveals not only Dracula's true origins but Bram Stoker's--and the tale of the enigmatic woman who connects them.

It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here ...

A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents' Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen--a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen--and that the nightmare they've thought long ended is only beginning.

A riveting novel of gothic suspense, Dracul reveals not only Dracula's true origin, but Bram Stoker's---and the tale of the enigmatic woman who connects them.

Read by a Full Cast:
Pete Bradbury, Narrator
Vikas Adam, as Bram Stoker
Saskia Maarleveld, as Matilda Stoker
Raphael Corkhill, as Thornley Stoker
Alana Kerr Collins, as Ellen
Allan Corduner, as Arminius Vambéry Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Gothic Horror Scary Paranormal
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Most Relevant
A revitalized retelling of Dracula from the perspective of Bram Stoker and his family, DRACUL is as haunting as it is beautifully written and filled with gothic horror. Fans looking for a fresh but familiar take on this classic will thoroughly enjoy this story. 

Like Dracula before it, the story is told from multiple perspectives and multiple timelines. While Bram is the main character, credit should be given to his brother and the eccentric vampire hunter they eventually meet. So with that credit given, I will say that the female characters, Mathilda and Ellen, were my favourites. At once powerful and tragic, their POVs were the ones I wanted to stay in the most, their connection unique amongst all the death and chaos around them. 

While the story is arguably slow in the beginning, the tension increases until the very end, the sense of dread palpable as these mortals are faced with supernatural cruelty and evil. Tragedy follows in their wake as they uncover more secrets, all if it tied to one devastating event that left my heart aching. 

Like all Dracula stories and iterations, this one is bittersweet and while some people may find the ending unsatisfying, I chose to see it a different way and think it fit the story fairly well. Fans of the classic will find plenty of similarities to the original, but this is a unique take and I truly enjoyed it once I was immersed. Definitely a recommend for lovers of vampire lore!

A Fresh Take On A Classic

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My biggest issue is the choice to use multiple narrators throughout the book for different points of view and periods of time. This could have worked, but the choice of narrators had me scratching my head. E.g. In one segment the narrator is a English male, voicing the Irish Stoker family. This isn’t too much of a stretch, but in the following segment, done in the first person from the point of view of Matilda Stoker, the narrator is a female with an American accent. Then another narrator voiced the collective characters and his voice was not well suited for the dialogue of the females. This being said, the narration wasn’t bad, but I think would have worked better with just one.

I enjoyed the story. It was dark, horrific, and entertaining.

Great story, odd choices for narration

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I was completely bewitched by this story. It was amazingly good and the performance of the voice actors was fantastic. I will definetly check out more books from this author.

Amazing

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This is the story before the story be sure to include the author’s note. Surprise!

Surprise tale

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