Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard [Book Review]

Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard, is the first in over a decade in the Anno Dracula series, so I’m sure fans of the series are extremely anxious to check this one out, and while I sadly can’t compare this one to the earlier novels, I will definitely give you guys my two cents.

In previous installments it questioned just what would have happened if Dracula had survived his encounters with Bram Stoker’s Dr. John Seward and indeed enslaved the British Empire? While his run was nothing short of greatness, the new novel gives birth to a new vampire boy, and this guy has his sights set on the U.S. deep within the 1980′s.

With Dracula now a thing of the past, the novel follows the young vampire Johnny Alucard, as he ventures into America stalking the streets of the glitzy side and indeed the underworld. Throughout his journey we are greeted to an alternate universe where we see Alucard crossing paths with Frances Ford Coppola as he is directing his feature film Dracula (not Apocalypse Now) and it makes you actually question, well, what if he did?

Among his journey we are treated to more popular culture as he haunts Sid and Nancy and even gets in with Andy Warhol. It twists certain aspects but it’s just so much fun. It was totally unexpected, like I said, I’ve never read any of the previous installments, but infusing popular culture in such a way it just made it so right. And I can totally get the whole Interview With a Vampire connection.

Even with all the popular culture and the many famous names being dropped here and there and being put into different scenarios, the vampire lore pretty much remains the same and Newman certainly knows a thing or too when it comes to these bloodsuckers.

As with many books or films that I review, I really do not want to go into too much detail as I would hate to ruin the surprise, so instead I just urge you to check this one out when it hits this September 17th from Titan Books. I’ve never read any of the previous installments and I really do not think you need to as this one carves its own story, simply in that universe Newman carved out.

The book is a lot of fun, and I think you will enjoy seeing many of the various famous names popping up here and there and of course the many film references. So, give this one a shot and be sure to let us know if you liked or disliked it.