July 29, 2024
Lucy Westenra gets the spotlight she deserves in this unique and powerful take on Dracula from White (Mister Magic). Spanning three timelines, the novel interweaves Lucy’s journey of self-discovery as she travels the world after Dracula changes her into a vampire, with the story of Iris Goldaming, a young woman on the run from her family’s multilevel marketing scheme. Lucy’s journals from 1890 chronicle her relationships with her mother, the men in her sphere (all of whom want something from her), and, most importantly, her dear friend Minas. A contemporary glimpse of Lucy’s life comes in the form of transcripts from her 2024 therapy sessions. In October of that same year, Iris arrives in London from the U.S. to evaluate her family’s property after her mother’s death and is immediately saved from a nasty fall by a beautiful woman named Elle. When Iris finds Lucy’s diary hidden in the floorboards of the house, she reads a story very similar to her own and begins to fall in love with the girl in the journal—even as she falls in love with Elle in real life. White paints familiar characters in a new light, and her enchanting prose will keep readers enthralled. This is a must-read for Bram Stoker fans who believe Lucy deserved better.
Starred review from March 1, 2025
Lucy Westenra, whose untimely death at the hands of Dracula was the defining moment of her life, has spent her vampiric afterlife searching for her beloved Mina and, ultimately, herself. Iris Goldaming is running to escape her family's sinister multilevel marketing scheme. Neither woman expects to find love along the way. In this gorgeously layered novel about self-forgiveness and allowing oneself to be changed by love, White (Mister Magic) offers a refreshing take on a classic. Narrator Billie Fulford-Brown steals the show as Lucy, somehow making her every iteration--pre-vampire Lucy, lost vampire Lucy, and confident-in-love Lucy--all sound distinct, while Elizabeth Knowelden as Mina and Nicky Endres as Vanessa offer small but extraordinarily effective performances. Linda Jones narrates Dracula's third-person passages with perfectly chilling flatness. Jeremy Carlisle Parker has incredible tone and delivery as Iris, ranging from snarky to tender and back in the span of a paragraph. The author reads the dedication and acknowledgments in a conversational, conspiratorial manner. VERDICT Mysterious and intoxicating, this is a delightful retelling that expands on one of horror's classics. Even the biggest scaredy-cat will love it.--Zoey Colglazier
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