Source: Vine
Joseph Barkeley has a gift. Without the aid of
chemical testing, he can accurately determine the authenticity and age of any
document, seeing details within the fibers the way a composer picks out the
individual notes of a symphony. But rarely does Joseph get a job this delicate
and well-paying. A mystery buyer has hired him to authenticate the original
draft of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
When he travels to Transylvania to personally
deliver the manuscript to the legendary Bran Castle, Barkeley, a Romanian
orphan himself, soon realizes that his employer is the son of the infamous Vlad
Dracula. Imprisoned in the castle and forced to serve “the Master,” Barkeley
must quickly decipher cryptic messages hidden within Stoker’s masterpiece to
find the Master’s long-lost bride—or risk wearing out his welcome.
But as he delves into the history of Dracula and
his own lineage, Barkeley discovers that his selection for this job was based
on more than his talent with rare books. Now, he has a perilous decision to
make—save his life with a coward’s flight, or wage a deadly battle with an
ancient foe.
Stoker's Manuscript is exactly the kind of historical/supernatural
thriller that I love. The premise yields all sorts of possiblities: what if, within
the original, lost manuscript of one of the most famous horror books of all time,
lies proof that Vlad Tepes existed? But not only that - what if within its excised
narrative is the key to the proliferation of vampires in the modern day?
Joseph Barkeley, a rare books dealer, is hired by a mysterious, but very rich client from Transylvania to make sure that the original manuscript of Bram Stoker's Dracula is authentic and if so, to purchase it and deliver it in person. The unusual conditions surrounding this purchase puts Joseph on alert, but like all flawed heroes, the pull of curiosity and of money is too much. He accepts and once he does, so starts a terrifying journey wherein his life and the lives of his friends and family are put in danger.
"'There's danger there, a type not like here. You won't like what you see, Joseph, and you'll never be able to purge it from your memory.'
"'Can I have your blessing?'
"'If only I could,' he said. 'Where you are going, God's eyes do not watch.'"
Prouty mixes historical and pseudo-historical "facts" with his own unique vampire mythology in addition to incorporating traditional vampire lore. Although filled with tension and horror, I enjoyed reading narratives describing Barkeley's exploration of Transylvania, its customs and people.
The plot is fast-moving and does live up to its inspiration; there are the very creepy scenes which escalated to graphic ones that are so horrifying I can still see them in my mind even now.
I was confused with some of the details and at times I just thought for someone so smart, how can Barkeley not see some of this stuff coming? However, I was truly riveted from the first page until the last.
Joseph Barkeley, a rare books dealer, is hired by a mysterious, but very rich client from Transylvania to make sure that the original manuscript of Bram Stoker's Dracula is authentic and if so, to purchase it and deliver it in person. The unusual conditions surrounding this purchase puts Joseph on alert, but like all flawed heroes, the pull of curiosity and of money is too much. He accepts and once he does, so starts a terrifying journey wherein his life and the lives of his friends and family are put in danger.
"'There's danger there, a type not like here. You won't like what you see, Joseph, and you'll never be able to purge it from your memory.'
"'Can I have your blessing?'
"'If only I could,' he said. 'Where you are going, God's eyes do not watch.'"
Prouty mixes historical and pseudo-historical "facts" with his own unique vampire mythology in addition to incorporating traditional vampire lore. Although filled with tension and horror, I enjoyed reading narratives describing Barkeley's exploration of Transylvania, its customs and people.
The plot is fast-moving and does live up to its inspiration; there are the very creepy scenes which escalated to graphic ones that are so horrifying I can still see them in my mind even now.
I was confused with some of the details and at times I just thought for someone so smart, how can Barkeley not see some of this stuff coming? However, I was truly riveted from the first page until the last.