5/5 stars.

This book was _excellent_!

I read (listened to, actually) _Dracula_ last year for the first time, and truly wondered where it had been all my life. (The audiobook full-cast production, btw--with the swoonworthy Simon Vance as Jonathan Harker--is fantastic.) Of course, never having been a vampire fan before (or since) that listen--that might have had something to do with it.

Count this book as #2 in my "vampire-esque novels to read" list. :) It's written, as are a majority of my reads, from a very bluntly Christian perspective--just how I like it--and is packed with theology, much like _Dracula_ itself. And I loved the incorporation of Bram Stoker as an actual character in the read, along with historical events; be sure to read the author's note about the true events incorporated into the story. Some familiar names, as well, I recognized from the _Dracula_ novel--fun Easter eggs other readers of the classic will enjoy too.

I liked this book better than the first, just as I enjoyed reading _Dracula_ over _Frankenstein_ (the subject of Book 1, [b:Lost in Darkness|57047457|Lost in Darkness (Of Monsters and Men #1)|Michelle Griep|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1619268331l/57047457._SY75_.jpg|89269986])--but Book 1 is certainly quite good, and recommended as well. Both are particularly good fall/spooky/Halloween-time reads, for sure!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.