DRACUL by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker is an intriguing story about how a young man’s journey against the dark begins. As a child, a sickly Bram is taken care of by a wonderful nanny who disappears from his life unexpectantly one day. Later his sister Matilda gives him some information that will take them to a world that they never dreamed existed. This story gives us journal entries and insights into the inspiration to the famous story of Dracula. It seems that their beloved nanny had many secrets that pull at Bram’s curiosity and help to begin his adventures. I am a big fan of Bram Stoker’s work, and it was nice to get to see what might have inspired his famous story.

I enjoyed meeting all the characters in this world and felt as if I was revisiting the original novel at times. This book begins as Bram is locked in a tower and decides to write down all that has happened in his life so far, so much goes on in this book. Bram and his family are subject to the evil of Dracula and must find a way to survive. I also enjoyed the epilogue and author’s notes at the end of the book. There is more information for those that enjoy the behind the scenes look at authors and their books.

The authors do a nice job of creating the atmosphere and an engaging story. I was quickly lost in the narrative and found a few twists that I did not see coming. If you enjoy the original novel of Dracula, this is a nice addition to the story. It gives readers many ideas to think about and puts some of the original story in a new perspective. Readers are treated to the Stoker family and how it all began. It is nice to see the love and that they all share and how they all stand by each other through it all. Dracul is a good book to add to one’s collection of vampire stories and a nice way to explore the lore of Dracula.