gatonolivro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
igotbigbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining take on the good old vampire legend, with some modern twists and a bit of historical fact. American scientist Kate adopts a baby from a Romanian orphanage, but the child turns out to be the next Dracula and his concerned vampire relatives are eager to retrieve him. With the aid of a sexy, one-legged Catholic priest Kate treks through the Transsylvanian countryside trying to save baby Drac and humanity. The info dumps and over-the-top action movie ending were tiring, but then that's often the case with Simmons.
luna545's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ninjabunneh's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting take on the whole vampy idea.
Full review to come - soonish.
4 Ninja-Bunnehs-Slurpin'-Blood
Full review to come - soonish.
4 Ninja-Bunnehs-Slurpin'-Blood
blackaliss's review against another edition
4.0
A surprisingly solid read despite the uneven pacing. The pace drops to a crawl whenever the main characters leave Romania, but picks back up when they return. Some reviewers apparently disliked the endless driving along Romanian roads in the second half of the book, but it had just the opposite effect on me. A highlight is the detailed look into the immediate aftermath of Ceauşescu's fall and perhaps more broadly, Eastern Europe.
Will disappoint if approached as horror, but a good sci-fi thriller from a top-notch author.
Spoiler
I think the plot got away from Simmons a bit, he stacked the odds just too high against the definitely not combat-oriented Kate, pacifist O'Rourke and wildcard Lucian. So I give him a pass on the deus ex machina and the improbable but entertaining ending sequence. Oddly reminiscent of 90s action flicks, what with Kate's latent super climber abilities. Still, a little jarring when compared to the seriousness (if dullness) of the second act and its medical exposition.Will disappoint if approached as horror, but a good sci-fi thriller from a top-notch author.
sai_tannhauser's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jamiezaccaria's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good but not great; it had a cool premise but I kept wishing I was rereading [b:The Historian|30236962|The Historian|Elizabeth Kostova|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592232171l/30236962._SY75_.jpg|3061272] instead.