Blurb:
A man impaled by a sharp wooden stake.
A young chambermaid drained of all her blood.
They say it’s Prince Dracula, arisen from the dead.
I say it’s the living – not the dead – we should fear the most.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Side Notes:
- Genre: Historical Fiction & Biographical Fiction
- Highly recommend for 14 years and above
- Empowering female protagonist
- The second book in the Stalking Jack The Ripper series
- TW: Gore, Hallucinations, Lesbophobia (mentioned), Paranormal creatures, Sexism/Misogyny
Book Quotes:
- “For there are no limits to the stars; their numbers are infinite. Which is precisely why I measure my love for you by them. An amount too boundless to count.”
- “You are not mine to take.” He brushed his lips against mine. Softly, so softly I might have imagined them there. My eyes fluttered shut. He could persuade me to build a steamship to the moon when he kissed me. We could orbit the stars together. “You are yours to give.”
- “Catch me if I fall, all right?” A smile curved his lips in a most delightful manner. “I’ve already fallen hard, Wadsworth. Perhaps you should have warned me sooner.”
- “I will gladly accept any and all books, however. A person can never have too much reading material. Especially on a fall or winter evening. If you’re feeling extra generous, you may include tea. I love a unique blend.”
- “We were all here to learn. He was the one who had a problem, not I. Perhaps it was time for fathers to teach their sons how to behave around young women. They were not born superior, no matter how society falsely conditioned them. We were all equals here.”
- “Monsters are only as real as the stories that grant them life. And they only live for as long as we tell those tales.”
- “The world is vicious.’ Thomas brushed a lock of hair back from my face, his gaze thoughtful. ‘The world is neither kind nor is it cruel. It simply exists. We have the ability to view it however we choose.”
- “I refuse to believe you’ve misinterpreted my affections. I am wholly in love with you. And it is permanent.”
- “Monsters were in the eye of the beholder. And no one wanted to discover their hero was the true villain of the story.”
- “Humans were the true monsters and villains, more real than any novel or fantasy could invent.”
- “You’re dressed for sneaking about Dracula’s castle. Be still my thawing, dark heart. You certainly know how to make a young man feel alive, Wadsworth.”
- “Mr. Thomas Cresswell might not truly hold the title of prince, but the was perfectly fine. To me, he’d always be the king of my heart.”
- “Love strangles intelligence, even in the best of us.”
- “There’s something powerful in that kind of love, something that deserves to be kindled and tended to, even when its embers are flickering dangerously close to darkness.”
- “Antique pages were a scent that should be bottled up and sold to those who adored the aroma.”
- “Hearts were beautifully fierce yet fragile things.”
- “Monsters could wear the smiles of friends while secreting away the rotten soul of the Devil in the darkest crevices of themselves.”
- “You would miss me terribly and know it. Just as I would miss you in ways I cannot fathom, should we ever part.”
- “What if” were the two most tragic words in existence when paired together.”
- “Society at large is staggeringly obtuse. If one simply looks to others for their opinions, they lose the ability to think critically for themselves. Progress would never be made if everyone appeared and thought and loved in the same manner.”
- “Everyone makes mistakes, Wadsworth. There’s no shame in that. It’s how you go about mending them that truly counts.”
- “Mistakes were a learning experience, not the end of the universe.”
- “I adore her in every possible way. Have you ever looked upon someone and felt a spark within your core? She makes me want to accomplish grand things. That’s the beauty of love, though, isn’t it? It brings out the very best within yourself.”
- “Curiosity was a disease that plagued me, and I’d yet to find a cure.”
- “If we weren’t about to face another terrible passageway filled with life-threatening danger, I’d take you in my arms this instant.”
- “Do not turn your back on a love that could jump the barrier between life and death.”
- “You’ve stared Fear in its nasty face and made it tremble. You will make it through this, Wadsworth. We will mange it through this. That is a fact more tangling than any dream or nightmare. I promised I’d never lie to you. I intend to honor my word.”
- “However, grieving or being affected by something doesn’t make you weak, Wadsworth. Sometimes strength is knowing when to tend to yourself for a bit.”
- “Focus on how handsome I am. How much you want to press your lips against mine. And definitely do not panic, Wadsworth. If you scream, I’m going to join you, and then we’re both in trouble.”
- “I wondered how I could appear so whole and serene on the outside when inside I was thrashing with turbulence.”