Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper, 2)

Daring and Enticing | Review of ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ (Hunting Jack the Ripper #2)(Review originally posted on Cyn's Workshop)

“Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine, and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend. However, her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.” —Goodreads

Published September 19th, 2017, by Little, Brown & Company Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco is the second in her Stalking Jack the Ripper series where an empowered young woman fights against the prejudices of her time to study the mysteries of forensic science and solve murders.

Anyone who loves the Gothic element will love this novel as it continues to follow the smart and fabulous Audrey Rose. Taking the story out of London, the story and characters enter Romania to attend a prestigious forensic school. However, things are not going smoothly for her. Suffering from PTSD after the events of the Jack the Ripper case, a story that incorporated real historical events as well as tying in Gothic elements from the queen of Gothic literature herself, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As riveting as a novel as it was, the story left a mark on the character that carries on in this novel. Audrey is seeking an escape from London and all the ghosts that haunt the corners of her mind, but in doing so, she must also find a way to overcome the tragedy within her, the dead bodies that come to life with mechanics only in her mind. Maniscalco expands the knowledge of Audrey Rose, adding to character development, especially as she enters a foreign environment that has its own hauntings and prejudices of women in the medical field. However, once again, Audrey rises to the occasion and against the prejudices against those who think she is cursed and that murder follows her and those who think her profession is unfit for women. She overcomes all of that and continues with her investigation as murders, reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, comes into play.

It is an exciting novel that not only focuses on the facts but also delves into the mythology and lore of Romania and that created by Vlad Dracul. Vlad will always be a figure in history that will always inspire the imagination, and this novel explores why. Maniscalco keeps her character and the focus of the narrative trained on the facts, and she has the story look at the evidence, incorporating the lore of this land into making it otherworldly and challenging to decipher. It is excellent writing because the atmosphere in the story rises off the pages and draws the reader into the story as everything unfolds. Furthermore, much like with the previous novel, it is not predictable. One could read the novel more than once, seeking out those hints and pieces that would allude to that climactic ending, and find none. Maniscalco does not give anything away as she tells the story, letting it unfold for the reader as it unfolds for the characters.

Now, as tension driven and hypnotic as this story is, the climactic ending is short lived. The revelation, it comes to an almost abrupt ending, and this is probably the only part of the novel that’s lackluster, but it feels forced. It feels as if she was trying to make some of the characters have a more significant impact than they had, but it felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of the novel.

Nevertheless, Hunting Prince Dracula is still a remarkable novel that focuses on character development, growing out dynamics, and making sure the story is as haunting as the title. (★★★★☆ | A)

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After multiple attempts and who knows how much time, I've finally finished this book, and honestly, I only managed to do so by playing the audioboook on 2x speed.

It felt like nothing actually happened in this book. Most of the scenes felt like repetitions of a previous scene or two with no real story progression from any of them. Then the pacing just explodes exponentially in the last half dozen chapters, but it never felt like the characters were making their own decisions. It was more like they were being pushed into places where events happened around them.

While intrigue and suspense were not particularly high in the first book, they were even lower in this one to the point that it almost felt like this second book had changed genres from the first.

And the main character was just so bland in this sequel. It's understandable that she has some trauma given the events of the first book, but she never actually seems to heal from it in a realistic way. It's more like it just... disappears, and until it does so, she's quite annoying to listen to.

I think I like the first one better.
These two just need to get over their feelings and be official already.
I wanted more vampire-y stuff.

First off, I love the events in history that Kerri’s chosen to write her books around. I loved the setting of Hunting Prince Dracula and how it is a historical take on Vlad the Impaler. I recently read Now I Rise by the wonderful Kiersten White so this book was even more fun to read for me since all of that was so fresh!

Kerri did a wonderful job of building the academy of Forensics within the walls of Bran Castle in Romania. I enjoyed her use of folklore and superstitions throughout the book because it really amplified the mystery.

I love Audrey Rose. I love how independent, intelligent, and no nonsense she is. She doesn’t let anyone push her around and is not afraid to tell you off if need be. I think that is the best part of her personality in the time in which these books take place. She doesn’t let societal expectations define who she is and I think that is important in YA novels. Young readers need to know that they can have their own minds and can be successful at anything they put their minds to.

Thomas Creswell. Oh Thomas. He is so adorable. I love how loyal he is to Audrey Rose and isn’t afraid to admit that he is wrong. He apologizes for the times he has offended Audrey Rose and only wants what is best for her. He is mischievous and I find that made for a great balance to the seriousness of some parts of this book. He really will go to the depths of Hades with Audrey Rose.

Kerri also did a fabulous job with the other characters in this book. She also isn’t afraid to depict all the gory details of what goes on in a setting filled with forensics, dead bodies, and mysterious goings on. Some people may struggle with how descriptive she is in some of the details but I think it makes the story really come to life. It is a realistic depiction of what it is like in the scenarios throughout the book. I think that is the top reason why I love these books so much! I’m a sucker for all the gory details!

I can’t wait to see where Audrey Rose and Thomas’s journey takes them next…although I have an idea of what case they may be chasing next! Do you?

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