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The Vampire of New York
When archaeologist Carrie Norton stumbles upon the mummified corpse of a Civil War-era homicide victim, she enlists the help of a cold-case detective who discovers a shocking link between this centuries-old murder and a recent series of brutal killings. Original.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 31, 2024
Taking place between two time periods, the Vampire of New York starts 1863 before and briefly after the Draft Riots in New York City and modern times. Beginning with the dramatic ship wreck where Dracula, coming to New York centuries before, claiming a new name.
Then the book makes a shift to Archaeologist Carrie Norton makes a find in a historic New York City site: the remains of a Civil War-era murder victim. NYPD Detective Max Slattery sees some parallels to a recent series of brutal slayings.
This looked like it could have been immensely fun.. We have VanHelsing chasing and trying to kill Dracula in the past, along with the archaeologist and detective, trying to understand the story in the present. It wasn't.
2/5 it's clear the author put some research into New York's history, and did their best to Bring the Gilded Age to life. Lee Hunt did a lot of research intothe atmosphere of NYC, the environment, and hte brutality of the draft riots.
This might be why there was a problem. The author spent so much time describing the history lesson of the Riots and not enough time wrapping the story up. The end result is a plot becoming looser as the story proceeds ending in a vague and unfulfilling story.
Then the book makes a shift to Archaeologist Carrie Norton makes a find in a historic New York City site: the remains of a Civil War-era murder victim. NYPD Detective Max Slattery sees some parallels to a recent series of brutal slayings.
This looked like it could have been immensely fun.. We have VanHelsing chasing and trying to kill Dracula in the past, along with the archaeologist and detective, trying to understand the story in the present. It wasn't.
2/5 it's clear the author put some research into New York's history, and did their best to Bring the Gilded Age to life. Lee Hunt did a lot of research intothe atmosphere of NYC, the environment, and hte brutality of the draft riots.
This might be why there was a problem. The author spent so much time describing the history lesson of the Riots and not enough time wrapping the story up. The end result is a plot becoming looser as the story proceeds ending in a vague and unfulfilling story.
October 14, 2021
Boy this book is a RIDE. There's just so much to unpack here. To be fair, though, the first third was actually so bad it was almost laughingly enjoyable.
My third least favorite part was the plot. There's too much happening for the length of it. The plot is split between modern New York (around 2008, when the novel was published) and 1863. There are vampires and detectives and archeologists all fighting for page space. Van Helsing, once a real live man, has died and his daughter Echo (wow what a name...) is chasing Draculyia to avenge him - even though Draculiya actually didn't kill him? Also Abe Lincoln wasn't assassinated in this universe? I'm honestly still not positive about that one, they mentioned it once or twice in passing and there's a character named Lincoln somewhat unimportantly running for elected office.
There are hints of interesting vampire lore but they never get fully fleshed out. Vampire time travel, for example, isn't even introduced until about page 300. It was all a bit rushed.
My second least favorite thing was the inaccuracies about archeological excavations and museum work. Carrie is a PhD anthropologist but she spends all her time on archeological excavations for some reason. She doesn't like museums much and she hates her PhD topic. I've never ever met a PhD holder who hates their topic. It doesn't matter how obscure and how little cited they are, it's a topic that person cares enough about to dedicate years to! After the first three years, citations don't matter anymore lol.
Also they never took GIS points or properly bagged any of the artifacts. And they took the clothes off the bog body!!!!!! No!!! And the Natural History museum tech was EATING near the remains. I swear I almost has a heart attack. It's some of the least realistic and inaccurate treatment of archeological evidence I've seen since Heinrich Schliemann. (Sorry, archeologist jokes.)
And I have no idea why they called the cops to solve a 145 year old murder. Ya ain't gonna solve that, kids. You call in a specialist, either in osteology or human remains, and you keep that on lockdown. Even if the remains did have some passing resemblance to a current series of murders, no one is going to be overlapping in both fields enough to know about it.
And my LEAST favorite part of this book was the racism. I really hate the way authors try to imbue their stories with "historical" racism. Unless it's a story about race, keep your slurs to yourself. Jews, Chinese people, and African Americans received the brunt of it.
But it wasn't even relegated to the historical chapters. There's an African American cop whose nickname is "Diddy Kong".
A black man
nicknamed
after a video game gorilla.
And he's fully freaking okay with it!!! I don't know much about this author but boy does he have a tenuous grasp on racism.
So besides the overstuffed plot and off kilter pacing, and my own personal fact inaccuracy gripes, this book is just racist AF.
There are better alt history vampire books out there.
My third least favorite part was the plot. There's too much happening for the length of it. The plot is split between modern New York (around 2008, when the novel was published) and 1863. There are vampires and detectives and archeologists all fighting for page space. Van Helsing, once a real live man, has died and his daughter Echo (wow what a name...) is chasing Draculyia to avenge him - even though Draculiya actually didn't kill him? Also Abe Lincoln wasn't assassinated in this universe? I'm honestly still not positive about that one, they mentioned it once or twice in passing and there's a character named Lincoln somewhat unimportantly running for elected office.
There are hints of interesting vampire lore but they never get fully fleshed out. Vampire time travel, for example, isn't even introduced until about page 300. It was all a bit rushed.
My second least favorite thing was the inaccuracies about archeological excavations and museum work. Carrie is a PhD anthropologist but she spends all her time on archeological excavations for some reason. She doesn't like museums much and she hates her PhD topic. I've never ever met a PhD holder who hates their topic. It doesn't matter how obscure and how little cited they are, it's a topic that person cares enough about to dedicate years to! After the first three years, citations don't matter anymore lol.
Also they never took GIS points or properly bagged any of the artifacts. And they took the clothes off the bog body!!!!!! No!!! And the Natural History museum tech was EATING near the remains. I swear I almost has a heart attack. It's some of the least realistic and inaccurate treatment of archeological evidence I've seen since Heinrich Schliemann. (Sorry, archeologist jokes.)
And I have no idea why they called the cops to solve a 145 year old murder. Ya ain't gonna solve that, kids. You call in a specialist, either in osteology or human remains, and you keep that on lockdown. Even if the remains did have some passing resemblance to a current series of murders, no one is going to be overlapping in both fields enough to know about it.
And my LEAST favorite part of this book was the racism. I really hate the way authors try to imbue their stories with "historical" racism. Unless it's a story about race, keep your slurs to yourself. Jews, Chinese people, and African Americans received the brunt of it.
But it wasn't even relegated to the historical chapters. There's an African American cop whose nickname is "Diddy Kong".
A black man
nicknamed
after a video game gorilla.
And he's fully freaking okay with it!!! I don't know much about this author but boy does he have a tenuous grasp on racism.
So besides the overstuffed plot and off kilter pacing, and my own personal fact inaccuracy gripes, this book is just racist AF.
There are better alt history vampire books out there.
October 15, 2016
A very enjoyable take on the vampire story. Not quite to the level of The Historian, but similar in that it is a good mix of the present day, history, & the various legends surrounding Dracula (& vampires in general).
Recommended, especially for fans of vampire lore & legend.
Recommended, especially for fans of vampire lore & legend.
December 31, 2017
Ugh. THE VAMPIRE OF NEW YORK was rough. Between the overabundance of racial epithets, gratuitous detail, and meandering, jerky plot, there’s very little to like with this book.
On the surface it has things that immediately draw my attention: old New York and vampires. But that’s where that ends. The timeline alternates between Civil War New York and present day New York and if it’s not the gratuitous use of the n-bomb or other racial slurs to describe any number of non-white people in the 1865 timeline, it’s self-deprecating racial slurs and stereotyping of black characters and heinously racist villains flinging out every manner of slur. Some would argue that, at least for the 1865 timeline, the author was being “historically accurate.” I call bullshit on that. Not that it’s not historically accurate, but that this book wasn’t written in 1865. It was written in the 2000s. There are ways around that. But combine it with all the racial bullshit in the current timeline and it’s just far too pervasive to not be author insertion. Racial slurs and stereotypes abound regardless of setting so it’s not the story. Not to me.
The insertion of Dracula into this storyline was awkward at best. It felt forced and without direction. The story often lost its way as it went on, getting lost in way too much detail, whether it was about old New York or autopsy results from the body that was found on the modern timeline. I get it, author. You did a lot of research. That doesn’t mean I needed an entire chapter on the descriptions of a street (seriously, this happened).
By the time the end of the book rolled around it felt like the author forgot that he actually needed to end the book so really out of character things happened that left me with some whiplash. Plus there wasn’t much closure with the 1865 characters, or the little tidbit with the benefactor of the dig Carrie was on in the modern timeline. There just seemed to be too much going on for the author to handle and then when it came time to wrap it all up he just smashed everything together and made a big, messy knot.
Skip this one. It’s good for details about old New York, but that’s about it. There’s pretty much no character development, the plot can’t keep track of itself, and with all the racial slurs it’s just off-putting at best. Yuck. Utter waste of time.
1
On the surface it has things that immediately draw my attention: old New York and vampires. But that’s where that ends. The timeline alternates between Civil War New York and present day New York and if it’s not the gratuitous use of the n-bomb or other racial slurs to describe any number of non-white people in the 1865 timeline, it’s self-deprecating racial slurs and stereotyping of black characters and heinously racist villains flinging out every manner of slur. Some would argue that, at least for the 1865 timeline, the author was being “historically accurate.” I call bullshit on that. Not that it’s not historically accurate, but that this book wasn’t written in 1865. It was written in the 2000s. There are ways around that. But combine it with all the racial bullshit in the current timeline and it’s just far too pervasive to not be author insertion. Racial slurs and stereotypes abound regardless of setting so it’s not the story. Not to me.
The insertion of Dracula into this storyline was awkward at best. It felt forced and without direction. The story often lost its way as it went on, getting lost in way too much detail, whether it was about old New York or autopsy results from the body that was found on the modern timeline. I get it, author. You did a lot of research. That doesn’t mean I needed an entire chapter on the descriptions of a street (seriously, this happened).
By the time the end of the book rolled around it felt like the author forgot that he actually needed to end the book so really out of character things happened that left me with some whiplash. Plus there wasn’t much closure with the 1865 characters, or the little tidbit with the benefactor of the dig Carrie was on in the modern timeline. There just seemed to be too much going on for the author to handle and then when it came time to wrap it all up he just smashed everything together and made a big, messy knot.
Skip this one. It’s good for details about old New York, but that’s about it. There’s pretty much no character development, the plot can’t keep track of itself, and with all the racial slurs it’s just off-putting at best. Yuck. Utter waste of time.
1
September 7, 2010
Vampires - Historical Fiction
4.5 stars
From Back Cover:
1863: During a shipwreck in the frigid waters off the coast of North America, young Enoch Bale dies -- and a vampire fleeing Europe takes on the dead man's identity and attempts to make himself as inconspicuous as possible in NYC. Enoch Bale, formerly known as Count Draculiya, is being hunted by Echo Van Helsing and her younger brother to avenge their father's murder by a creature out of ancient myth.
The Present: Archaeologist Carrie Norton makes a startling find in a historic Manhattan site: the mummified corpse of a Civil War-era homicide victim. Cold case detective Max Slattery sees something more gruesome -- uncanny parallels to a recent series of brutal slayings.
This was a real page turner! I loved the historical fiction aspect and learned alot of very interesting historical info about NYC, the Civil War, etc. I learned for the first time about the Draft Riots, the largest civil insurrection in U.S. history, apart from the Civil War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York...
I loved the present-day murder investigation headed by the crusty old police detective and the very book-smart police rookie. The archaeological details added another layer of interest. Add the vampires, many other intriguing sub-plots, and this is one great read.
Being a major bookaholic, of course I went looking for more books by the author and ran into nothing but brick walls. This seems to be the only book he/she has written. Signet (the publisher) has no info, a google search leads to book sites with this one book listed, but no info on the author, no website, no news of any other books. No discussions at Amazon or info there either. No author bio or author info in the book. Hmmmm. Odd. I did sign up for an email alert at the publisher in case he/she publishes another book at Signet.
4.5 stars
From Back Cover:
1863: During a shipwreck in the frigid waters off the coast of North America, young Enoch Bale dies -- and a vampire fleeing Europe takes on the dead man's identity and attempts to make himself as inconspicuous as possible in NYC. Enoch Bale, formerly known as Count Draculiya, is being hunted by Echo Van Helsing and her younger brother to avenge their father's murder by a creature out of ancient myth.
The Present: Archaeologist Carrie Norton makes a startling find in a historic Manhattan site: the mummified corpse of a Civil War-era homicide victim. Cold case detective Max Slattery sees something more gruesome -- uncanny parallels to a recent series of brutal slayings.
This was a real page turner! I loved the historical fiction aspect and learned alot of very interesting historical info about NYC, the Civil War, etc. I learned for the first time about the Draft Riots, the largest civil insurrection in U.S. history, apart from the Civil War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York...
I loved the present-day murder investigation headed by the crusty old police detective and the very book-smart police rookie. The archaeological details added another layer of interest. Add the vampires, many other intriguing sub-plots, and this is one great read.
Being a major bookaholic, of course I went looking for more books by the author and ran into nothing but brick walls. This seems to be the only book he/she has written. Signet (the publisher) has no info, a google search leads to book sites with this one book listed, but no info on the author, no website, no news of any other books. No discussions at Amazon or info there either. No author bio or author info in the book. Hmmmm. Odd. I did sign up for an email alert at the publisher in case he/she publishes another book at Signet.
July 6, 2011
Rullo di trombe e squillo di tamburi! Quella che mi sembrava una missione impossibile ha avuto un inaspettato riscontro positivo: trovare in mezzo alla fuffa di storielle pseudo-horror un romanzo degno di tale nome. Se spesso ci sentiamo dire che un libro non va giudicato dalla copertina, questo è una ennesima conferma della regola: il giovane efebo dalle labbra vermiglie che scruta l'incauto lettore con il suo unico occhio color acqua non ha nulla a che vedere con il mostro che rivelano le pagine del romanzo.
Il misterioso Lee Hunt ci regala un degno seguito di quello che fu il "Dracula" di Bram Stoker, senza cadere nel banale né facendo il verso al grande maestro.
La sua storia si dipana su due binari che scorrono paralleli e che hanno un punto in comune: l'omicidio brutale di un soldato di colore. Al giorno d'oggi, durante uno scavo, l'archeologa Carrie Norton rinviene il cadavere perfettamente conservato del soldato: per ordine del proprietario del terreno, si trova alle prese con l'indagine di un omicidio commesso centocinquant'anni addietro. Viene affiancata da un burbero detective ghiotto di junk food e da un agente di colore che sembra il solito pivello ma che in realtà nasconde doti inaspettate.
Continua su
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
Il misterioso Lee Hunt ci regala un degno seguito di quello che fu il "Dracula" di Bram Stoker, senza cadere nel banale né facendo il verso al grande maestro.
La sua storia si dipana su due binari che scorrono paralleli e che hanno un punto in comune: l'omicidio brutale di un soldato di colore. Al giorno d'oggi, durante uno scavo, l'archeologa Carrie Norton rinviene il cadavere perfettamente conservato del soldato: per ordine del proprietario del terreno, si trova alle prese con l'indagine di un omicidio commesso centocinquant'anni addietro. Viene affiancata da un burbero detective ghiotto di junk food e da un agente di colore che sembra il solito pivello ma che in realtà nasconde doti inaspettate.
Continua su
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
October 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this twist on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, still one of my favorite vampire novels of all time. The author takes us through a present-day mystery and rather turbulent time in New York City's history.
The history is well-researched and this reader felt like she was there with the exquisite detailing of the smells, the Draft Riots, the wheeling and dealing done behind the scenes, and the various characters we encounter.
The characters, including many of the side characters, are well-developed bringing even more realism to the rather realistic feeling and gritty story.
I only have a couple of issues with the story. The ending felt a bit contrived and rushed, which is a shame, because there was so much potential for an ending as dynamic as the story was. The other issue, albeit minor, is something that is always a bugaboo with me, and that's editing. I only caught a couple of editing issues, but they made me have to go back and re-read to make sure I hadn't missed something.
I'd love to read more by this author, but it seems that he or she has disappeared into obscurity.
The history is well-researched and this reader felt like she was there with the exquisite detailing of the smells, the Draft Riots, the wheeling and dealing done behind the scenes, and the various characters we encounter.
The characters, including many of the side characters, are well-developed bringing even more realism to the rather realistic feeling and gritty story.
I only have a couple of issues with the story. The ending felt a bit contrived and rushed, which is a shame, because there was so much potential for an ending as dynamic as the story was. The other issue, albeit minor, is something that is always a bugaboo with me, and that's editing. I only caught a couple of editing issues, but they made me have to go back and re-read to make sure I hadn't missed something.
I'd love to read more by this author, but it seems that he or she has disappeared into obscurity.
January 26, 2014
Fan of vampire fiction in the Victorian, turn of the century, steampunk type realm. This one has it. Good, fast paced story and ended the way I had hoped it would. I don't know if there is a sequel, I looked it up awhile back and couldn't find one. Be nice to have a sequel, or more along this line from the author. If you like well written vampire fiction, a fan of the genre, and not that teen age romance crap (or even some of the "adult" hack crap) you will like this book.
July 9, 2008
I quite enjoyed this story. It's more literary than most of the contemporary vampire stories being written today.
December 17, 2014
'nzomma ...
Potezialmente una bella storia
In pratica una occasione mancata
Potezialmente una bella storia
In pratica una occasione mancata
October 30, 2023
The Vampire of New York by Lee Hunt was a good read with a promising story. As a fan of vampire fiction, I was immediately drawn to this book and eager to dive into its world of darkness, mystery, and suspense. However, my experience with the novel left me unsatisfied.
One of the most notable aspects of the book is its ambitious ensemble of characters. There are so many individuals introduced throughout the narrative that it became challenging to keep track of them all. While a diverse cast can add depth to a story, in this case, it felt overwhelming. It left me wishing for more space for character development and a deeper exploration of their backgrounds and motives. With a little more focus on a select few, the story could have been even more engaging.
The plot itself was filled with potential. The idea of a vampire in the heart of New York City promised a fresh take on the vampire genre, and the initial build-up was tantalizing. However, I couldn't help but feel that the story's climax and resolution were rushed. The climax and the ultimate confrontation with the villain left me somewhat unsatisfied. It felt as though the author hurried to wrap up the narrative, leaving many loose ends and unanswered questions.
Despite these shortcomings, I must give credit to Lee Hunt for crafting a dark and atmospheric setting. The streets of New York City were vividly described, and the sense of dread and mystery that permeated the narrative was palpable. The author's writing style and ability to create an eerie atmosphere were commendable.
One of the most notable aspects of the book is its ambitious ensemble of characters. There are so many individuals introduced throughout the narrative that it became challenging to keep track of them all. While a diverse cast can add depth to a story, in this case, it felt overwhelming. It left me wishing for more space for character development and a deeper exploration of their backgrounds and motives. With a little more focus on a select few, the story could have been even more engaging.
The plot itself was filled with potential. The idea of a vampire in the heart of New York City promised a fresh take on the vampire genre, and the initial build-up was tantalizing. However, I couldn't help but feel that the story's climax and resolution were rushed. The climax and the ultimate confrontation with the villain left me somewhat unsatisfied. It felt as though the author hurried to wrap up the narrative, leaving many loose ends and unanswered questions.
Despite these shortcomings, I must give credit to Lee Hunt for crafting a dark and atmospheric setting. The streets of New York City were vividly described, and the sense of dread and mystery that permeated the narrative was palpable. The author's writing style and ability to create an eerie atmosphere were commendable.
February 12, 2023
Was wandering through a used book store in Ann Arbor a couple weeks ago and couldn’t find any of the usual books or authors interesting. For some reason I saw this and pulled it down. Before I realized it, I had read the Prologue and was hooked. I wanted to read further. This isn’t quite the usual fiction I read. However I did read Bram Stokers Dracula.
So I brought this home and really enjoyed the characters and writing, as well as the attention to historical detail. There were some moments of predictability, but that didn’t ruin the novel.
Funny how smart phones and social media date so much and so quickly now. When reading this novel you can tell it was written over 10 years ago. Regardless, it was still a good book, worth seeking out.
So I brought this home and really enjoyed the characters and writing, as well as the attention to historical detail. There were some moments of predictability, but that didn’t ruin the novel.
Funny how smart phones and social media date so much and so quickly now. When reading this novel you can tell it was written over 10 years ago. Regardless, it was still a good book, worth seeking out.
November 14, 2017
I found this book to be very well written and entertaining as well. I would love to see how this book would play out. However, I am not sure if that is possible. I really liked how the past and present worked together and the characters were believable and enjoyable to follow. It was a new twist on the story we all know so well. It was a fresh look at Dracula and the legends that have followed. I highly recommend this book! It was well done!
October 26, 2020
I truly enjoyed this tale which is a revising of the Dracula storyline, taking him back prior to Bram Stoker and involving a number of historical figure around New York City in 1863. It kept me interested throughout and did not lack in the mystique of the creature, while at the same time taking the reader deeper into the actual mind of the vampire. It was very good, and included the seductive nature of Draculiya, while also avoiding the use of graphic profanity, which I appreciated.
August 26, 2017
This book was a disappointment. I knew it had Dracula in it but it read the same way as every other book. Vanhelsing chases & tries to kill him. The current crime was hard to follow because the chapters kept jumping back & forth. Then the ending was predictable.
July 10, 2021
An interesting take in the dracula story. Not a bad read, not a great one.
March 20, 2022
I barely finished this book and when I got towards the end I was just scanning the pages to see what happens.
It was confusing, not well written imo, boring, and full of racial slurs that seemed to not just be part of the context since the story covered the civil war era, but seemed to also be coming from the writer. The book has too many characters ti keep track of, with none of them seeming to play a more important role than the next. The ending got really terrible when somehow Abraham Lincoln was brought into it in a bizarre way.
A lot of the slurs and racial references were so unnecessary and extra, yet someone still decided to put them in the book. The author really went overboard with some of the descriptions, particularly of the mutilation and murders of African Americans in the street during a riot. Like…what relevance did that description really have? We get it…it was during slavery. There was a riot. We all know what went down then. No need to bang it over our heads with such vivid description and slurs. Very poor choice.
This is probably one of the worst books I’ve ever read.
It was confusing, not well written imo, boring, and full of racial slurs that seemed to not just be part of the context since the story covered the civil war era, but seemed to also be coming from the writer. The book has too many characters ti keep track of, with none of them seeming to play a more important role than the next. The ending got really terrible when somehow Abraham Lincoln was brought into it in a bizarre way.
A lot of the slurs and racial references were so unnecessary and extra, yet someone still decided to put them in the book. The author really went overboard with some of the descriptions, particularly of the mutilation and murders of African Americans in the street during a riot. Like…what relevance did that description really have? We get it…it was during slavery. There was a riot. We all know what went down then. No need to bang it over our heads with such vivid description and slurs. Very poor choice.
This is probably one of the worst books I’ve ever read.
November 29, 2011
This book takes place between two time periods: 1863 before and briefly after the Draft Riots in New York City and modern times. After LinCorp discovers a mummified body of a black Union soldier in preserved in a bog. At the same time, Echo Van Helsing is searching for her father's murdered with the help of Kate Warne.
I really found myself enjoying the book. The characters were extremely engaging, and I liked the story. It didn't set out Dracula as the horror Bram Stoker wrote. Further, it explained why Dracula was not purely a figment of fiction. It also pulled in some miscellaneous stuff from American literature. It makes me wonder how much of this was based in fact.
The other thing that really struck me was the amount of history in the book. Because of the nature of the book and the time period, the author obviously did a lot of research into the Draft Riots, the atmosphere of NYC, the environment, etc. He was able to make me feel as though I was seeing a picture of the NYC of 1863. Further, the sections actually dealing the the Riots was graphic, brutal, and portrayed the horrors that took place in the city.
While it appears that these are two separate stories, they end up meeting in the end. I thought it was a clever plot devise. It really connected to the past and present. However, I felt that Echo, Kate, and Matthew were not given and full and decent ending. Their story was so captivating and moving, so I felt it was a disservice. Further, the ending was far to rushed. The author spent too much time describing the occurrences of the Riots and not enough time wrapping the story up. The ending was found within a few pages at the end. Honestly, it was anti-climatic. It just kind of fizzled.
Another thing that caught my attention was the scene Branum's American Museum. After talking with Booth, it read: "leaving the hotel." Unless the Museum was in a hotel, I am rather annoyed that the editor did not catch this. I flipped back several times to make sure I misread or missed the author telling the reader it was located in a hotel. I understand mistakes made by writers, but there is no reason the mistake should be published.
Even though I really enjoyed the majority of the book, I find myself only giving it two skulls. Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to let that editing issue slide. Since it was the only one I noticed, it is definitely an understandable oversight. However, the ending pushed me over the edge. If the author spent more time developing an ending and not giving us history lessons about the Riots, I think he could have wrapped it up beautifully. As it stands now, I just feel so unfulfilled by the book.
I really found myself enjoying the book. The characters were extremely engaging, and I liked the story. It didn't set out Dracula as the horror Bram Stoker wrote. Further, it explained why Dracula was not purely a figment of fiction. It also pulled in some miscellaneous stuff from American literature. It makes me wonder how much of this was based in fact.
The other thing that really struck me was the amount of history in the book. Because of the nature of the book and the time period, the author obviously did a lot of research into the Draft Riots, the atmosphere of NYC, the environment, etc. He was able to make me feel as though I was seeing a picture of the NYC of 1863. Further, the sections actually dealing the the Riots was graphic, brutal, and portrayed the horrors that took place in the city.
While it appears that these are two separate stories, they end up meeting in the end. I thought it was a clever plot devise. It really connected to the past and present. However, I felt that Echo, Kate, and Matthew were not given and full and decent ending. Their story was so captivating and moving, so I felt it was a disservice. Further, the ending was far to rushed. The author spent too much time describing the occurrences of the Riots and not enough time wrapping the story up. The ending was found within a few pages at the end. Honestly, it was anti-climatic. It just kind of fizzled.
Another thing that caught my attention was the scene Branum's American Museum. After talking with Booth, it read: "leaving the hotel." Unless the Museum was in a hotel, I am rather annoyed that the editor did not catch this. I flipped back several times to make sure I misread or missed the author telling the reader it was located in a hotel. I understand mistakes made by writers, but there is no reason the mistake should be published.
Even though I really enjoyed the majority of the book, I find myself only giving it two skulls. Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to let that editing issue slide. Since it was the only one I noticed, it is definitely an understandable oversight. However, the ending pushed me over the edge. If the author spent more time developing an ending and not giving us history lessons about the Riots, I think he could have wrapped it up beautifully. As it stands now, I just feel so unfulfilled by the book.
July 18, 2017
Trovato per caso in un angolino di una libreria della mia città, l'ho preso, incuriosita dalla trama in cui viene citata la figlia di Van Helsing. Per chi non lo sapesse, io ho un debole per Van Helsing e per i cacciatori di vampiri in generale.
Questo libro è stata una piacevole scoperta, ben scritto, personaggi credibili e ben descritti, azione, vampiri cattivi, vampiri nobili e gentiluomini, ben vestiti e fieri.
Grande protagonista della storia la città di New York, mi ha colpito soprattutto l'immagine della città nel 1863, con scontri violenti, strade sporche e malfamate, un grande shock per chi, come Echo Van Helsing, arrivava da Londra.
(Non so voi ma il nome della ragazza mi ha fatto subito venire in mente Pandora Hearts, il manga, per chi lo conosce!)
Una sorta di seguito di Dracula, per nulla offensivo per il grande classico che io ho amato.
Il finale è leggermente affrettato, ma è apprezzabile e non delude affatto.
Insomma, una buona storia di vampiri ad un prezzo davvero modico, in mezzo a tanti altri vampiri sbrilluccicosi che deludono.
Questo libro è stata una piacevole scoperta, ben scritto, personaggi credibili e ben descritti, azione, vampiri cattivi, vampiri nobili e gentiluomini, ben vestiti e fieri.
Grande protagonista della storia la città di New York, mi ha colpito soprattutto l'immagine della città nel 1863, con scontri violenti, strade sporche e malfamate, un grande shock per chi, come Echo Van Helsing, arrivava da Londra.
(Non so voi ma il nome della ragazza mi ha fatto subito venire in mente Pandora Hearts, il manga, per chi lo conosce!)
Una sorta di seguito di Dracula, per nulla offensivo per il grande classico che io ho amato.
Il finale è leggermente affrettato, ma è apprezzabile e non delude affatto.
Insomma, una buona storia di vampiri ad un prezzo davvero modico, in mezzo a tanti altri vampiri sbrilluccicosi che deludono.
May 13, 2025
I thought the book was very well written, so much so that I wonder if Lee Hunt is a pen name for an author that normally writes under a different name. I wish I knew so that I could read more books by this author.
I didn't really understand the dislike for this book that some other reviewers have. While it's true that the story switched between two different timelines, I was never confused about which one was being discussed. As for the racial slurs, part of the story was about someone trying to create a race war, so the slurs make the dialogue more believable to me.
The one way in which I agree with the critics is the ending. Once the stories of the two timelines came together, everything wrapped up in much fewer pages than I would have expected.
Note that I believe (and follow) the meanings Goodreads gives for what each number of stars means. Therefore, the majority of my ratings are 3 stars ("liked it").
I didn't really understand the dislike for this book that some other reviewers have. While it's true that the story switched between two different timelines, I was never confused about which one was being discussed. As for the racial slurs, part of the story was about someone trying to create a race war, so the slurs make the dialogue more believable to me.
The one way in which I agree with the critics is the ending. Once the stories of the two timelines came together, everything wrapped up in much fewer pages than I would have expected.
Note that I believe (and follow) the meanings Goodreads gives for what each number of stars means. Therefore, the majority of my ratings are 3 stars ("liked it").
April 26, 2013
I picked this up at a used placed as a 'what the heck,' brain candy type of book. I found this relatively enjoyable (except the rather unsatisfactory ending), and quite a bit smarter than I thought. More mystery than anything else, the movement in time was well handled, neither jarring nor muddled. The historical aspects were interesting. Clearly someone had done some research but didn't allow it to dominate the storyline. Characters were relatively flat, but not entirely stereotyped. Given that, however, the choice the archeologist makes at the end and the fact that two other just disappear without narrative note seemed odd. Sort of as if it had been finished in a rush -- perhaps the authors was told X number of words, no more and had to hit just what he felt were the key bits. Interesting take on the vampire and historicity.
May 24, 2015
Very rarely do I think that a novel needs a few extra hundred pages, but in this instance that is entirely the case. There was so much potential in this novel but it ended so abruptly. I suppose the main plot point was settled, but it opened up such a crazy history of vampirism but never really went anywhere with it. What about the other 5 that were spread out in the world? What happens to the damphyr? What about the cop and the assistant?
This novel was rich with New York history circa 1860's and that aspect was very entertaining, but I can't help but feel the story was unfinished, as if the author used up the 300(ish) pages given and was like, "the end..." midsentence.
I was far more interested in Dracula than any other character and feel like he should have had his story expanded, not just snippets along the way. Good ideas- just more expansion needed.
This novel was rich with New York history circa 1860's and that aspect was very entertaining, but I can't help but feel the story was unfinished, as if the author used up the 300(ish) pages given and was like, "the end..." midsentence.
I was far more interested in Dracula than any other character and feel like he should have had his story expanded, not just snippets along the way. Good ideas- just more expansion needed.
June 21, 2016
Excellent additiion to the Dracula canon of pastiche fiction... an alternate view of the Dracula legend with the vampire escaping from England with the blame for the death of Abraham Van Helsing, and now with the daughter and son of the deceased vampire-hunter in pursuit of the Count.
parallel story set in modern time has an NYPD detective paired up with an urban archaeologist to determine the history and mystery behind a skeleton of a Union sailor which turned up during the excavation for a new commercial building project. The problem is that the deceased Union sailor was murdered and the modus operandi matches both a series of similar murders in mid-19th-century New York and also a string of murders happening now almost a century later.
the question is how does all this connect with Dracula? read and find out.
parallel story set in modern time has an NYPD detective paired up with an urban archaeologist to determine the history and mystery behind a skeleton of a Union sailor which turned up during the excavation for a new commercial building project. The problem is that the deceased Union sailor was murdered and the modus operandi matches both a series of similar murders in mid-19th-century New York and also a string of murders happening now almost a century later.
the question is how does all this connect with Dracula? read and find out.
October 9, 2008
When I was reading a lot of fanfiction there was this writer who always got to me. Her stories started out wonderful and got better and better and then… over. She came up with great premises for stories, and was a wizard at writing the beginnings and middles, but when it came to endings she fizzled.
This book is very similar - I was fascinated, entranced, spellbound… and then it was just done. Learnt a lot about NYC during the Civil War, though. Just wish the conclusion had been as promising as the rest of the book.
This book is very similar - I was fascinated, entranced, spellbound… and then it was just done. Learnt a lot about NYC during the Civil War, though. Just wish the conclusion had been as promising as the rest of the book.
July 7, 2010
I had to think about this for a while before writing my review. All throughout the book I really liked it and was curious about what happened next. That lasted to the very last chapters. The ending felt really rushed or like the author ran out of time and/or something to write about. It's a shame because the idea was really interesting and, besides the ending, the book was good.
November 21, 2008
I haven't finished this book yet but it's pretty good. I got side tracked when a few books I've been waiting for came out and had to read asap but I'm picking it back up slowly. It hasn't been an amazing page turner, or I wouldn't have put it down, but it's good.
May 27, 2009
This was entertaining. There are some interesting elements. I didn't necessarily like the conclusion. However, I did like the idea of having the descendants of Van Helsing still fighting vampires and such. All in all it's an interesting recreation of Dracula.
February 28, 2010
I didn't think this book was horrible, but I just could not get into it at all. Additionally, I just finished it yesterday and am already vague on the details. It was in no way original, unique, or memorable for me.
February 18, 2010
I enjoyed the history in the book and was intrigued by Kate. However, the ending lacked a lot. It was like the author ran out of things to write, or was just tired of writing and ended it. That was a lot of writing and explaining to conclude in a way that didnt make sense.
May 22, 2012
Entertaining for those who enjoy the vampire genre althought somewhat anti-climatic at times and overly (unnecessarily) gruesome in some descriptions of certain scenes and of general city life in New York in the 1800s.-
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