Bram Stoker: Dracula

I thought I'd review something different. It was free on kindle and I currently have about a pound to my name so I had nothing to lose.

I'll start by saying this book is well worth a read, despite some short comings. The action scenes in the book really get you turning the pages and at those points, I was unable to put the book down. Unfortunately, these points are few and far between. The main characters, Mr and Mrs Harker, John, Quincey, Arther and of course Van Helsing, are all rather good at congratulating each other and issuing rallying speeches but rather bad at actually doing anything. I couldn't help bring to my mind the words of a song by Elvis - A little Less Conversation (A Little More Action Please). If you cut out all the talking, it would be a better read.

Some of the side characters, like Renfield(the lunatic) and Mr Swales being a well need comic value to the book, but they are far from flat, they also have a serious side and add value to the novel rather than detract from the point.

Lets understand though, that this is a classic novel, written over 100 years ago, for a very different audience, it touches on many contemporary themes and is enlightening in the way it shows social roles throughout. It is also the novel that defined the modern Vampire, and although that is something I don't have much time for, it was an enjoyable read and should be on everyone's 'to read' list.

Avengers Angel: Lost Angels: Book One, Heather Killough-Walden

I’d like to say I enjoyed this book, but I’d be stretching the truth a bit. 

The first major disappointment for me was discovering that this was actually a vampire novel in disguise. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the odd novel about vampires but I like to know what I’m getting myself into. When I chose this book it was because I thought it was a supernatural novel about angels, not vampires. Vampires are alluded to from the start of this novel and one of the four angels is in fact a vampire, another is a movie star playing a vampire and ends up becoming one as well. I understand why Azrael, Angel of Death, would fall to earth as a vampire but it seemed a bit contrived making Uriel, who’s name mean Light of God; he is associated with the sun, a vampire. It came across as ridiculous. To then have the Angel of the Christian God compare the taste of something to ambrosia, nectar of the Roman Gods, was just uncomfortable.

 

Don’t get me wrong, this book had some very good ideas running through it, love, loyalty and brotherhood, even the Fallen Angel ended up helping the Archangels in the end but it was so poorly executed it was just difficult to enjoy. The language was heavy handed, some of the metaphors so glaringly obvious I felt like I was being smacked in the face with them. Not something I enjoy, figuratively or literally if I’m honest. Take Gabriel for instance, Killough-Walden has given him a Scottish accent, brilliant! However writing in the accent itself should be left to Irving Welsh, it makes it tricky to read and is jolting for the reader. 

The use of supernatural abilities is referred to throughout the novel, as you would expect from a book in this genre, however to refer to them as ‘Vampire Powers’ or just ‘Powers’ didn’t sit well with me. It came across as a cop-out, our language is diverse and beautiful, to use this basic term seemed weak to me. In the end, the powers were pretty much useless so what was the point in having them in the first place?

That said, there are some positive points to this novel, the part where the two protagonists are spending time together, particularly the bit where they are flying is written well and enjoyable to read.

All in all though, I don’t think I will be reading the sequel!