Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is a feminist and sapphic reimagining of Dracula‘s first victim Lucy Westenra.   I really enjoy Dracula stories and a lot of times the wives or victims are forgotten, and I like how the author shifts the focus. I also liked her other book The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein that does something similar.   Lucy grew up in a time where women didn’t have many opportunities and oftentimes her story was forgotten altogether. In this book she becomes a vampire as well and while escaping from Dracula‘s clutches, she discovers who she really is. The concept of this book is amazing, and the beautiful cover perfectly reflects that. I loved Lucy from the first page and her character development was amazing.   On her journey she meets Iris, and the two women connect over the hope of freedom. Iris comes from a prestigious family and their wealth is built on a huge secret. Iris is very dependent on her mother and family, but she comes out of her shell and goes her own way and I loved that.   Both characters didn’t expect love and first became friends. The story shows the power of women and love and that in combination was absolutely amazing to see. This is exactly the type of reimagining I love, and I just adored this book. The only thing I have to say is that sometimes there were some lengthy and slow moments.   Overall, if you like vampire stories, this is a must-read. 4,5 stars.   (Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)