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Book Review: Dracula of Transylvania by Ricardo Delgado

cover art for Dracula of Transylvania by RIcardo Delgado

Dracula of Transylvania by Ricardo Delgado

Clover Press, LLC, 2021

ISBN-13: 9781951038229

Available: Hardcover, paperback

Buy:  Bookshop.org |  Amazon.com

 

Ricardo Delgado has an impressive resume. He is an American-born artist and writer of Costa Rican descent, and a graduate of, and teacher at, the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has worked as a film illustrator on Star Trek: First Contact, Jurassic Park 3, The Matrix Reloaded, Revolution, and others. He has also worked on designs for animated films such as The Emperor’s New Groove, WALL-E, How to Train Your Dragon, and more. His creative endeavors don’t end there. He created the acclaimed comic series Age of Reptiles for Dark Horse, wrote Sam Specter and the Book of Spells, and the hard-boiled science fiction noir Warhead. He decided to take on the subject material of Dracula of Transylvania in a new vision of the classic tale.

 

Young solicitor Jonathan Harker, headstrong and curious natured Mina, newly engaged Lucy, brave Arthur, timid but honorable Ian, drawling gunslinger Quincy, and old professor and friend Van Helsing brave the supernatural and mundane in their quest to stop the Son of Satan, Dracula of Transylvania, and his three wives, Andromeda, Petra, and Venus, from destroying all of humanity.

 

I’ll start by discussing the pros of Delgado’s epic retelling. First, the characters are much more fleshed out than they are in Stoker’s work. While Delgado took liberties with such things as character backgrounds (e.g. Jonathan is from America in this version), the changes do not distract from the story. There is much more focus on Mina and her point of view, and frankly, she is my favorite character out of all of them. The reader gets a better feel for the characters and, truly feels invested in what happens to them. Van Helsing is well-developed, and his influence can be felt throughout the journey to find Dracula, even when he is not present in the pages. Even side characters, like the villagers fearing for their lives but wanting to provide Harker and the others with as much aid as they can, come across as being very real and more than merely bit players.

 

Then, there are the villains of the piece. Dracula, of course, is portrayed as an imposing, cruel master and conqueror, but he is not alone in his travels. His wives follow him wherever he goes, but not out of any love or familial devotion. Andromeda, Petra, and Venus each have distinct personalities and histories, and are welcome improvements from Stoker’s original novel. The reader only gets a glimpse of them in Stoker’s tale, and then they are practically forgotten. In Delgado’s revision, while they are treated as concubines by Dracula, the author gives them more than a passing mention. Another addition to Dracula’s entourage is the skeleton army led by the Roman-clad warrior Primus, also a skeleton, and an ever present swarm of rats. The hulking figure of Renfield is terrifying, and Delgado gives him a backstory that tells the tale of the source of his mental illness, as well as adding a dash of a legendary serial killer who roamed Whitechapel into the mix. War time is hell, and Renfield, Van Helsing, and the other parents were not immune to the trials they experienced.

 

The pacing is fantastic. Delgado’s action scenes are incredible, and when the characters need to slow down and take a breath or plan their next move, it does not feel forced. It almost feels like it is a break for the reader to catch their breath! Delgado provides ample footnotes throughout the novel that describe Biblical passages and various facts to further embed the reader in the Victorian era.

 

Now, I’ll discuss the negatives. While there were illustrations between the chapters, they were all black and white. The artwork included in the back of the book were in colour, and gorgeous. I think if Delgado used the same colour palette for the other pieces they would have been more striking and effective. Another aspect that was interesting to begin with but gradually became a distraction and quite daunting was the use of different languages followed by translations that Delgado admits came from using Google Translate. Since I do not read any of the languages used, I cannot determine their accuracy. I know in my own experience using the translation feature can result in terrible mistakes, so I am hoping that Delgado consulted with people who could properly translate to verify accuracy. It would have also benefited the book for another round of editing. There were grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors throughout that could have been spotted by a careful editor.

 

Despite the negatives to the book, the story was solid and well executed. The danger of Dracula and his accomplices is much improved from the original story, as is the interaction and growth of the characters, and the action is much more intense and exciting. The accompanying artwork is a welcome addition, and we get a better sense of Delgado’s vision. I recommend this for readers who hoped for a more action packed, character driven story than the source material delivered. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

 

Graphic Novel Review: Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola

Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell

Dark Horse Comics, 2022

ISBN-13: 9781506724768

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, comiXology  Bookshop.org )

 

Monster hunters extraordinaire Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan have investigated and hunted the uncanny before, but now they come together to answer the question that’s haunted them for years: what happened to their friend and notorious vampire slayer, James Falconspeare? 

 

Upon finding their old friend, he tells them of his adventures. After dealing with a werewolf problem, Falconspeare ended up in a community where young people were disappearing, only to be found later dead, the bodies in terrible condition. The people in the community found the police less than helpful, so they turned to Falconspeare for aid.

 

Upon investigation of the bodies, Falconspeare at first believed the victims were killed by a vampire. The incredible vampire hunter, acting under the suspicions of dealing with such a creature, found he was in error. Clues point to Baron Fontin, whose appetites were gossiped about in influential circles, but the baron is no vampire. He is a serial killer. When the vampire hunter approached local authorities to address the situation, no one listens.

 

Out of desperation and frustration, Falconspeare went in search of the Black Docks Biter, a female vampire who lives in the sewers feasting on rats, and ventures out rarely for human blood. Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan discover their old friend has done something unthinkable to deal with the human monster that is Baron Fontin. Johnson-Cadwell’s unique art style provides a good accompaniment to the Victoriam tale of terror. 

 

Falconspeare is the third installment of Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola’s series that include the trio of monster hunters, Ms. Van Sloan, Mr. Knox, and Professor J. T. Meinhardt.

Highly recommended

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Book Review: The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

 

Cover art for The Lost

The Lost Girls: A Vampire Revenge Story by Sonia Hartl  

Page Street Publishing, 2022

ISBN: 9781645673149

Available: Hardcover, e-book, audiobook  Bookshop.org )

 

In this book, a group of young women who were turned by the same gaslighting vampire team up to take him down.   

 

Since 1987, Holly has been an eternal teenager, stuck with one of the era’s iconic fashion don’ts— crimped hair— after falling for pretty-boy vampire, Elton.  Hartl starts this tale after the ever-after, with Holly working at a Taco Bell to make ends meet once her sexy vampire boyfriend fails to make good on the promise of eternal love.  When Elton’s two other exes enter the scene, readers find out what they have in common, and the trio joins forces to try to break the alluring and totally predatory hold on his next victim— another teenage girl, Parker. 

 

Parker and Holly develop a fast physical attraction as they get to know each other. Turning the teen girl victim trope on its ear,  Hartl’s  updated vampire story takes on patriarchy with a humorous tone, lots of action, and a solid dose of queer romance. Characters’ bisexuality (and sexuality, in general) is handled quite comfortably, with the long view of an immortal. Who better than vampires to go up against the centuries-old problem of patriarchy? Folks seeking grim horror may be disappointed by some of the romantic elements, but readers looking for a contemporary paranormal tale will find a lot to enjoy in this quirky, laugh-out-loud YA vampire story.   The plot is fast-paced and unfolds to a satisfying conclusion. With a hearty dose of gory violence, this is likely to appeal to folks who enjoyed Lish McBride’s  Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, Adam Rex’s Fat Vampire, and other horror-humor mashups.  Recommended.  

 

A cure for the common sparkle.   

 

Reviewed by E. F. Schraeder