Acclaimed author Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective—as, for the first time, Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth.
Who is this magnetic, fascinating man? And how could one woman fall so completely under his spell?
Mina Harker is torn between two men. Struggling to hang on to the deep, pure love she’s found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, she is inexorably drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a charismatic but dangerous lover. This haunted and haunting creature has awakened feelings and desires within her that she has never before known, which remake her as a woman.
Although everyone she knows fears him and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that the others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who’s taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be evil after all. Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life. It may cost Mina all she holds dear, but to make her choice she must learn everything she can about the remarkable origins and sensuous powers of this man, this exquisite monster, this . . . Dracula!
I am a huge fan of the original Dracula, and always wished we got more of Mina’s side of the story. Mina was attacked in the book, but she had a lot more strength in her convictions than Lucy did. This book tackles how Mina responded to being compelled by Dracula, and whether or not she fought back.
Syrie James fills in the gaps we have of Mina’s side in the original tale. We see Lucy and Mina meeting a dashing Mr. Wagner, and how the fear builds as the murders begin.
Mina is a woman, engaged to be married, who is charmed and courted despite how she believes a proper woman should behave. She eventually marries Jonathan, but her suitor still pursues her.
When Mina learns the truth behind Mr. Wagner and Dracula, she sees the manipulation, and begins to resist.
Dracula, My Love is a story of romance, mystery, and conflict. Mina Harker emerges from this novel a rounder character, revealing that a proper Victorian lady may not speak her mind as often, but she is just as quick witted as the men of her generation.
I recommend this book to fans of Dracula, Jane Austen, and anyone ready for a vampire story without a teenage cast.