Jacqueline Mahan

To begin this review, I would like to point out that Dracula is one of my two favorite characters (the other is Merlin) that have been written into so many books, with so many takes on their character and their back stories that it is hard for me to ever be bored with a story with either character (when is some going to write one titled Merlin versus Dracula!). And this plot was different than any other I have read before and originality is a main factor in my opinion of a book. The book was fast paced, the characters were interesting, and I wasn't always able to guess what would happen next.

I do have two critiques though. Whoever edited this book for grammatical errors really needed someone else to edit it after. There are multiple instances where the wrong word or punctuation was used, and while I rarely read a book without at least one error, there were many more than usual in this book.

The second critique is that sometimes the dialogue seemed wooden and forced. The narrative never seemed this way at all, flowing nicely, but some of the character interactions didn't really jive with the characters' personalities.

But despite these two critiques, I think that this book justly deserves a solid 4 stars. I would recommend it as a vacation book and of course to anyone who loves reading about Vlad Tepes the way I do.

Finally, I would like to thank the author, Jacqueline Mahan. I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Not only did Jacqueline sign the book, she also included a thank you note for entering the giveaway (SHE thanked ME for entering to win her FREE book about one of my FAVORITE characters - what a woman). To top it all off, she included a signed Dracula calender, which is now hanging in my cubicle at work. Thank you Jacqueline!!!

(I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.)… (more)

I was fortunate enough to win this book from GoodReads First Reads giveaways.

This was a very enjoyable book. Although the plot is predictable the author is able to compensate with brisk writing and a story that flows very nicely.

The author sets the tone with characters who are believable and strong which I think helps the story to move along. I immensely enjoy a book in which the author is able to elicit some variant of emotion, whether it be dislike or liking a character. While reading Ezrah's Plateau, I responded to the novel with feelings of anger and indignation as Ms. Mahan disclosed the mis-treatment of Maggie Morton, and the unscrupulous use of religion as a means of control and containment quickly unfolded.

A good novel definitely worth picking up.… (more)

It must be challenging to come up with a new twist on the Dracula story. Ms. Mahan has done it. A young American couple travel to Europe to do the vampire guided tour. The mister is gaga over all things Dracula. They are quickly off the tour bus and embroiled over a mystery fraught with disappearances, a spooky woodland, the creepy librarian/treasure hunter, caves, blue flames that come and go when near the treasure and the reappearance of Dracula (who is mostly bark and not so much bite this time). There are some edits needed for typos and such but the book reads well and the action advances swiftly. I was impressed with the amount of historical background and research into the locales that the author offered. If you are a Dracula fan this is a must add to your collection. I offer my thanks to the author and Goodreads for a complimentary copy. Additional thanks to the author for a personal greeting and the inclusion of her own art cards and horror classics calendar with the book package. A pleasant surprise from a generous talent.… (more)