lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
1.0
The synopsis and the gorgeous cover is what made me start reading this book, but oh how I really wanted to love it. I wanted Ruxandra to be bad-ass while at the same time find out who she is. While Ruxandra is bad-ass with her new supernatural powers I felt like she never did learn if she should continue trying to embrace her humanity or if she lets her power control her.
Honestly I felt like I read one giant PWP.
I don’t mind sex scenes. I am a adult if I want to read about two (maybe more) people getting it on I am not going to shy away from that, this book however found needless ways to include sex. Honestly sometimes the sexual situations got me bored and I just wanted them to get to the story.
The story was not noteworthy. I found it predictable and yawn worthy. I know what the story was suppose to be, but I felt like Kennedy failed to deliver which was a huge disappointment. It was not until the very end that something actually caught my attention enough to be noteworthy but it looks like that story won’t be told until the second book, which just makes this book a huge tease! It’s almost as if the author had no real plot but then had a spark of an idea but realized that he hit his word limit.
Ruxandra has so much potential to be a character who could really be lovable. With her uncontrollable badass powers but her desire not to harm anyone could be for some amazing character development and conflict, but it just didn’t happen in Princess Dracula maybe the second book is better or maybe I am just being too harsh. Kennedy is able to beautifully describe some of the gore and death scenes in this book so he’s not a bad writer in any sense. I just don’t know.
Honestly I felt like I read one giant PWP.
I don’t mind sex scenes. I am a adult if I want to read about two (maybe more) people getting it on I am not going to shy away from that, this book however found needless ways to include sex. Honestly sometimes the sexual situations got me bored and I just wanted them to get to the story.
The story was not noteworthy. I found it predictable and yawn worthy. I know what the story was suppose to be, but I felt like Kennedy failed to deliver which was a huge disappointment. It was not until the very end that something actually caught my attention enough to be noteworthy but it looks like that story won’t be told until the second book, which just makes this book a huge tease! It’s almost as if the author had no real plot but then had a spark of an idea but realized that he hit his word limit.
Ruxandra has so much potential to be a character who could really be lovable. With her uncontrollable badass powers but her desire not to harm anyone could be for some amazing character development and conflict, but it just didn’t happen in Princess Dracula maybe the second book is better or maybe I am just being too harsh. Kennedy is able to beautifully describe some of the gore and death scenes in this book so he’s not a bad writer in any sense. I just don’t know.
sshpurple1's review against another edition
5.0
First time I've read this author
New take on the Dracula legend. Its a steady paced with a character you what to read more about. Its an interesting journey of discovery of where she had come from to what has happened to her and what she has become.
New take on the Dracula legend. Its a steady paced with a character you what to read more about. Its an interesting journey of discovery of where she had come from to what has happened to her and what she has become.
peppermintbat's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this more. I love the concept- Dracula's daughter, newly-made vampire, set loose on the world by a fallen angel... But the gratuitous sex scenes were jarring and ill-placed, all the characters besides Ruxandra had absolutely zero development or depth, and Ruxandra herself was rather grating. She spent most of her time crying and eating rabbits. I'm all for creating a multi-dimensional character who grows into her newfound power, but the book was so truncated we really saw very little of that growth. It really feels like more a short prequel than a stand-alone novel.
In addition, you can very much tell this is written by a man. I can promise you that no woman thinks that much about her boobs. For heaven sakes, why are we spending so much time focused on what Ruxandra's nipples feel like? Male writers, when they write from a woman's perspective, always seem to focus so much on their character's breasts, but I can promise you I've never in my life thought about my tits that much, except to be vaguely annoyed when they get in my way. And although I appreciate the attempt made at a queer lady-on-lady sex scene, it felt more like a Penthouse letter written for a 15 year old boy to jerk off to, rather than women making love.
In addition, you can very much tell this is written by a man. I can promise you that no woman thinks that much about her boobs. For heaven sakes, why are we spending so much time focused on what Ruxandra's nipples feel like? Male writers, when they write from a woman's perspective, always seem to focus so much on their character's breasts, but I can promise you I've never in my life thought about my tits that much, except to be vaguely annoyed when they get in my way. And although I appreciate the attempt made at a queer lady-on-lady sex scene, it felt more like a Penthouse letter written for a 15 year old boy to jerk off to, rather than women making love.
littlemisswitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lulustjames's review against another edition
I’m a sucker for pretty covers and vampires. That much has always been clear. So, I voted for Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy to be published by Kindle Press because I thought it would be fun. Then, I started it and was excited because wow! A wlw book too??? Can this truly have everything I could want? Then, I kept reading and my hopes became a nightmare.
I had to stop reading at 30% because it genuinely was so cringey for me to keep going. It felt like it was written as someone’s wet dream, and I’m sorry to be so crude, but that’s the honest truth. Then, I went back and realized the author was a man and realized oh, this makes sense. Everything is done to titillate. Oh look, I’m so innocent and naive and oh, woops! I’m naked and going to stay naked and woops! All the sex with all the people! And like, I’m no prude and I’ve read books that have been mostly pwp, aka the later books in the Anita Blake series. However, none have left me feeling so grimy and gross. This feels like it was written by someone who views women as toys, as Barbies. Even if that’s not who the author is, the writing feels this way and it is extremely off-putting.
Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy is a story that had so much promise. A fantastic synopsis and cover which falls so low. It fails as erotica, it fails as parody, it fails as dark fantasy. If Kennedy tries to use Ruxandra’s sexuality as a metaphor for her budding liberation and freedom, he has sorely missed the mark as it is just completely written with obvious male gaze in mind.
// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //
I had to stop reading at 30% because it genuinely was so cringey for me to keep going. It felt like it was written as someone’s wet dream, and I’m sorry to be so crude, but that’s the honest truth. Then, I went back and realized the author was a man and realized oh, this makes sense. Everything is done to titillate. Oh look, I’m so innocent and naive and oh, woops! I’m naked and going to stay naked and woops! All the sex with all the people! And like, I’m no prude and I’ve read books that have been mostly pwp, aka the later books in the Anita Blake series. However, none have left me feeling so grimy and gross. This feels like it was written by someone who views women as toys, as Barbies. Even if that’s not who the author is, the writing feels this way and it is extremely off-putting.
Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy is a story that had so much promise. A fantastic synopsis and cover which falls so low. It fails as erotica, it fails as parody, it fails as dark fantasy. If Kennedy tries to use Ruxandra’s sexuality as a metaphor for her budding liberation and freedom, he has sorely missed the mark as it is just completely written with obvious male gaze in mind.
// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //
m3l89's review against another edition
1.0
For me, Princess Dracula felt as though it was one long prologue to the rest of the series. This is probably going to sound harsh, but not a lot actually happened. There was a lot of nakedness and a lot of sex (which begs the question – do sex and horror go hand in hand? Not really) but plot wise, there wasn’t very much progression. I could probably summarise the entire book in a few brief bullet points.
In terms of writing style, Princess Dracula was comprised of short sentences which didn’t flow very well and I don’t think showed off the author’s talent. There was a little character development, with Ruxandra’s internal battle being made obvious by the use of italics, but I would have like to see this more evident in the plot. I don’t think this necessarily needed to be linked to Dracula as there weren’t any plot links except Ruxandra being his daughter, it could be argued that this was a hook to get readers interested. But perhaps the link is built upon further in the series.
In terms of writing style, Princess Dracula was comprised of short sentences which didn’t flow very well and I don’t think showed off the author’s talent. There was a little character development, with Ruxandra’s internal battle being made obvious by the use of italics, but I would have like to see this more evident in the plot. I don’t think this necessarily needed to be linked to Dracula as there weren’t any plot links except Ruxandra being his daughter, it could be argued that this was a hook to get readers interested. But perhaps the link is built upon further in the series.
kayraalara's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
clairebearrich's review against another edition
1.0
What a sexist piece of garbage.
This book is what happens when a man who only thinks of women as sexual objects writes a female protagonist. Ruxandra is naked for 80% of the book and the author reminds us of it constantly. The author cannot for the life of him cannot stop mentioning the word "breasts." Every female character is sexualized. Ruxandra initially has relationships with women, which would be great if her first experience with a man doesn't bring her to admit that he is sooooo much better than her female partners. Mixed in with the constant nudity and the sexual objectification is a lot of self-hatred of the main character, who I think we are somehow supposed to admire.
Also nothing actually happens in the book. Like really. I cannot think of a single interesting thing that actually happens. I spent the entire time cringing at how poorly written it is.
Books like these always have so much potential. Unfortunately this one is a complete failure that left me reading it just so I could more roundly criticize it.
This book is what happens when a man who only thinks of women as sexual objects writes a female protagonist. Ruxandra is naked for 80% of the book and the author reminds us of it constantly. The author cannot for the life of him cannot stop mentioning the word "breasts." Every female character is sexualized. Ruxandra initially has relationships with women, which would be great if her first experience with a man doesn't bring her to admit that he is sooooo much better than her female partners. Mixed in with the constant nudity and the sexual objectification is a lot of self-hatred of the main character, who I think we are somehow supposed to admire.
Also nothing actually happens in the book. Like really. I cannot think of a single interesting thing that actually happens. I spent the entire time cringing at how poorly written it is.
Books like these always have so much potential. Unfortunately this one is a complete failure that left me reading it just so I could more roundly criticize it.