Clara

This book is perfect and exactly what my heart needed.

I've started the year with a hyper-fixation on gothic stories/vampires thanks to the release of Nosferatu, and thought it was about time I read Dracula. This classic is surprisingly easy to read and I enjoyed it so much more than I expected! Nothing was super scary to me but there were some genuinely creepy things that I couldn't stop thinking about after reading the book. 

• I think this needs a reread for me to fully appreciate the ending because on first read, it felt like a fizzle after a strong start. My initial reaction was: Dracula is monster, cunning and ruthless and with such means that he's survived for centuries (and is able to migrate from country to country!). You're telling me he doesn't even put up a fight and our boy band just kills him in his sleep?? But it IS more logical than the idea of a conscious Dracula being defeated by the group. It makes sense that the true climax was the group's race against the sun and the fight with the Romani group, even though my conditioned brain was expecting more of an action movie Dracula vs Van Helsing & co. 
•  I know this was written in 1897 (therefore, sexism) but still couldn't hold in some of the eyerolls while reading this. That said, I loved the two women and the book's reflections on sexuality and gender (in my head at least half the characters here are queer). Loved the portrayal of Mina as a powerful heroine and example of the New Woman, even if she didn't consider herself so. She was a key player and the main reason they were able to defeat Dracula. Thank goodness for her ‘man brain'.
  
  

• Dracula throwing a tantrum after losing his cool when Jonathan cuts himself shaving. The transition from reaching for Jonathan's throat to reigning his fury in, to blaming the ‘wretched' shaving glass (‘“Away with it!” And opening the window with one wrench of his terrible hand, he flung out the glass,'). Bit dramatic.
• Jonathan describing this interaction as ‘very annoying' because he can't see himself shave now without the mirror. Diva.
• Jonathan's realisation that he was alone and there were no servants around after he catches Dracula making his bed. This weirdly made Dracula endearing to me and I couldn't shake this image of him as a lonely boy just wanting to play house, making the bed and scuttling off to make Jonathan's next meal. No wonder he got mad at the three brides for their attempts at Jonathan. It wasn't their turn yet!
  
  

vampires 🤝 female rage

A beautifully written gothic with some of my favourite things (vampires, sapphic relationships, beautiful people in old houses in scenic backdrops).

I only wished that Lenore spent more time taunting and wreaking havoc on Henry in the end. But still a satisfyingly violent and well-deserved end.

Loved this retelling of Carmilla and the clear nods to other works like Dracula. Keen to read other stories that inspired Kat Dunn, and come back to this with fresher eyes and a better appreciation of the story.

Pros

• Filipino and bisexual representation—always here for it.
• Loved the female rage and the FMC protecting her people and home
• Clearly a lot of research went into building a world reflective of Spanish-era Philippines. I especially appreciated the blend of Catholicism with native Filipino religions, which have been so overshadowed and erased by colonisation. I didn’t care much for most of the characters, but I’ll always root for people (bonus if led by matriarchs) taking vengeance on their oppressors.

Cons

• The use of Filipino words and phrases often felt off. I kept wondering if the author actually spoke Tagalog or had lived in the Philippines—not because you have to, but this is where more research would’ve helped. ‘Tabi-tabi po’ to a bakunawa/dragon? Huh? And ‘giving’ someone a ‘Mano po’ felt so awkward. It started to feel like cultural appropriation—using Filipino language without context or accuracy to give ‘Filipino vibes’ that might seem authentic to outsiders but fall flat for actual Filipinos. It fell flat for me anyway.
• I forgot Dante Basco was the male narrator, so hearing Prince Zuko’s voice was a pleasant surprise—but ultimately not the best execution. His Tagalog pronunciation was rough, which really pulled me out of some scenes. Alon’s “Punong puno na ako sa’yo!” was a bit cringe. I wanted to laugh in this scene but all I could think of was Dante struggling with the line.
• Loved the bi rep in this (weak) love triangle, but hated how the female love interest Cat was written compared to the male MC Alon. Alon gets all the depth and character and I actually found myself giggling at scenes with him and Lunurin (PS. that name? Booo). Meanwhile, Cat is just a flat, abusive ex who creates drama and establishes Alon’s brand as hot gentle boyfriend. Of course I wanted to see her fall, but it would’ve hit harder if she were actually complex and not another caricature like the Lakan and the Spanish villains.

I respect that the book didn’t shy away from the brutal stuff that happens to Inez early on—a real reflection of the violence Filipinos endured. But I honestly thought this was YA because of the cover and the writing style (why so many all-caps and exclamation marks??), so those dark scenes felt jarring and a bit out of place.

I do appreciate this book’s premise and some of the world-building. A lot of my issues might just come down to this being a debut, and I’m hopeful the next one will build on what did work in this book.