Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)'s Reviews > Hunting Prince Dracula

The Short
Actual rating: 4.5*

Perfect for fans of: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (obviously as this is the sequel), And I Darken by Kiersten White (I haven't finished this one but it reminded me a bit of what I have read of it, mostly due to the setting)

Writing: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5 stars
Originality: 4.5 stars
(All out of 5 stars)

The Long
This series is soooo good ahhhh. I listened to the audiobook for this one, which is what I did with the first book, and it was a great decision. The audiobooks are awesome, I highly recommend them.

The romance is this book was excellent. I've become very low tolerance in terms of romance in YA and its tendency to highlight very unhealthy relationships (possessive language, particularly). Before I read the first book, I expected to see a relationship I would hate, but I was pleasantly surprised to find quite the opposite. In this sequel, the relationship is really unpacked. Audrey Rose's position as a proper Victorian girl is brought even further into the spotlight as she and Thomas try to find a balance in their relationship. I loved that the power balance and her autonomy became a central focus of the book. It showed how a real relationship should work, IMO. Also Thomas is the first love interest I've found incredibly swoon worthy in a LONG time. But I love him. A lot. (view spoiler)[ Although when he pretended to be dead to try and talk to her I was LIVID. (hide spoiler)]

Audrey Rose is an independent, intelligent young lady that calls Thomas out on his bullshit. It's amazing. She's super headstrong and driven and you see her developing even more into the precious scholar that she is in this sequel. Watching her learn and grow as this series goes on is an absolute pleasure. She is such a great heroine. The author writes the story in a way that gives you a true sense of how her mind works, with its tendency to favour logic and analysis (very left brained). It felt like I was watching the gears turn on a well oiled machine watching her to try and piece together the mystery. She's also a very authentic character. She went through a lot in the first book and you don't see her just brushing that aside. She has to work through her newfound fears in order to do what she loves again.

The setting in this book is where it stood out against SJTR. While SJTR did a wonderful job of immersing me in Victorian London, that's a place I've been many times (though I really do LOVE revisiting it). But this book is set in Romania and o h m y g o d THE CASTLES. I love castles and boy did this book ever have beautiful castles and just an overall enchanting setting. It was described wonderfully and it just felt like you were in a fairy tale. I loved it!

The mystery in this was jam packed with twists and turns and I loved how it pulled from the tale of Dracula. I've yet to read Bram Stoker's Dracula (I'm hoping to before the end of the month), but I am familiar with the legend, as I feel most are. It was a delightfully spooky Halloween read with this looming question of the supernatural hanging over the whole book. Just SO good.

Overall, this series is excellent. Fantastically written (the descriptions are ON POINT), you follow characters that steal your heart (terrible joke if you've read the first one) as they trapeze around eerie locales trying to solve murder mysteries. It is great. If you're looking for the perfect Halloween read, look no further than this series!

I'm so sad I have to wait a whole year for the next book.
(view spoiler)[ This book ends with the characters heading off to America, I'm so curious what mystery the next book will tackle! (hide spoiler)]

*Thank you to Indigo for the ARC! All opinions expressed are my own, as per usual.*