Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Revenge of Dracula by Peter Tremayne

The Revenge of Dracula by Peter Tremayne
Dell Books, ISBN 0 440 17374 4
Price paid: 1,00$


I was really hesitant to pick the book from the lot when I saw the stereotypical vampire on its cover. I have a fear of vampire novels, simply because I have read so many and gradually got bored with the idea (Anne Rice having completely obliterated any hope for a decent vampire story that does not involve self-martyrdom, Harlequin stereotypes and annoying "shock cheese").

However, this quickly changed as I started reading. The Revenge of Dracula tells the story of Upton Welsford, a British secretary for the Foreign Office, who comes in contact with a jade statuette in the form of a malevolent dragon. Nightmares and delusions ensue and he is forced to find unconventional means to stop whatever is happening to him. Along with an occult specialist and friend of his, they discover that the statuette is very ancient and a representation of the Egyptian god Draco.

As you might have guessed it, Upton eventually discovers the link between this evil god and Dracula. The occultist, a young lady he meets (which is connected to the nightmares) and himself decide to stop the ever-growing menace that seem to want either of the two dreamers to carry said statuette to Romania and which compels them gradually to do so.

Is it worth a dollar?

I have been an avid fan of H.P Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe and while the story was written in the seventies, Peter Tremayne writes it in the very same way, to my utter delight. As it is set in the Victorian Era, Upton acts very much like the British gentlemen of the 1800s and the story progresses in the same fashion. I loved it.

What further impressed me is that, though the book deals with vampirism, the story carries itself for a good half of the book without seeing one vampire; a nice departure from other, boring vampire stories. The last few chapters read like an alternate version of the classic Bram Stoker story and it is delicious to read.

Buy it!

No comments: