Rating: 
Summary: Traditional Vampire Novel
Review: I was surprised when I started to read this novel that the author choose a more traditional and mythological take on vampires. Like vampires are not harmed by sunlight, but are harmed by garlic, and can be shape shifters. I like the eerie and dreadful atmosphere of the novel. This is not an Anne Rice book where the vampire is confused about his identity or mesmerized by a painting. This is a novel about a family who slowly discover the truth about there kind and giving Uncle Vlad. At first I thought "Oh gee another Dracula novel . . .." It is a prequel to Stoker's work that takes place fifty years before the original novel. This novel tells of a pact between Dracula and his descendants. That as long as they obey him, i.e. bring him visitors to eat, he'll keep them from harm and provide them with all their needs. Only the eldest son knows what their "Uncle" is. But when the latest heir to the Covenant arrives from England with his expecting wife, the vampire's pact may end. This novel also gives hints on Dracula's plans on moving to England. I give it four stars because the middle of the book kind of drags. It is almost a reconstruction of the who Mina and Lucy relationship and the drama they endured during Lucy's illness. If you read the original you'll remember the whole illness that Lucy suffered at the hands of Dracula. We go through it again here with Mary and Zsuzsanna. Zsuzsanna is ill and bedridden. They hang garlic wreaths around the windows, as per peasant servants requests, and she gets better. But when the garlic is removed she gets sick again. So yeah that was boring because it was almost line per line from DRACULA. So the middle of the novel revolves mostly around Zsuzsanna's malady, Mary and her husband Arkady's doubts on there sanity. All that said I still enjoy the build up and the gloomy atmosphere. It kind of reminded me of Dark Shadows.
Rating:
Summary: Traditional Vampire Novel
Review: I was surprised when I started to read this novel that the author choose a more traditional and mythological take on vampires. Like vampires are not harmed by sunlight, but are harmed by garlic, and can be shape shifters. I like the eerie and dreadful atmosphere of the novel. This is not an Anne Rice book where the vampire is confused about his identity or mesmerized by a painting. This is a novel about a family who slowly discover the truth about there kind and giving Uncle Vlad. At first I thought "Oh gee another Dracula novel . . .." It is a prequel to Stoker's work that takes place fifty years before the original novel. This novel tells of a pact between Dracula and his descendants. That as long as they obey him, i.e. bring him visitors to eat, he'll keep them from harm and provide them with all their needs. Only the eldest son knows what their "Uncle" is. But when the latest heir to the Covenant arrives from England with his expecting wife, the vampire's pact may end. This novel also gives hints on Dracula's plans on moving to England. I give it four stars because the middle of the book kind of drags. It is almost a reconstruction of the who Mina and Lucy relationship and the drama they endured during Lucy's illness. If you read the original you'll remember the whole illness that Lucy suffered at the hands of Dracula. We go through it again here with Mary and Zsuzsanna. Zsuzsanna is ill and bedridden. They hang garlic wreaths around the windows, as per peasant servants requests, and she gets better. But when the garlic is removed she gets sick again. So yeah that was boring because it was almost line per line from DRACULA. So the middle of the novel revolves mostly around Zsuzsanna's malady, Mary and her husband Arkady's doubts on there sanity. All that said I still enjoy the build up and the gloomy atmosphere. It kind of reminded me of Dark Shadows.
Rating:
Summary: What can I say besides wow?
Review: I'll admit the story starts a little slow in my opinion. How can I say that when the opening line is a bold statement of a death? Easy. Long-time horror book reader, but I digress. It quickly picks up though, and I found myself emerged in the world of the Dracul family. It's easy to get caught into the story as you progress further. You feel like you're that metaphorical fly on the wall, witnessing things you should not. The story is told much in the same style of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is the family's account of the events as told to their journals, but this story takes place 50 years before the events that occurred in Bram's novel. In this Covenant with the Vampire, Arkady Tsepesh has returned to his ancestral home of Transylvania, taking with him his pregnant wife, Mary. His father has died, and now he must continue the family tradition. The family is bound by a covenant to take care of Vlad Dracula, and in return, Dracula protects them. Arkady doesn't believe the rumors about his dear, eccentric uncle. For years, the villagers have held on to "silly superstitions" about the Tsepesh family, resulting in a hate-hate relationship between the villagers and the family. Strange occurrences begin to take place at the Tsepesh estate. The family scrambles to make sense of the things that are happening around them. They often question their sanity, even in the face of evidence. Education leaves no room for "irrational" beliefs. As they piece together the mystery, Arkady is horrified to find what is expected of him now, and what's even worse, the covenant has been broken. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I think most vampire lovers will. Jeannne Kalogridis has done a wonderful job of spinning a tale that leaves you wanting more. And you can tell that's she's definitely done her research for these book. This book provides chronological history for the vampire that started it all while being historically accurate. It has given us something new to ponder in the world of Dracula. Covenant with the Vampire is chilling and insightful, and from the descriptions she gives, one is able to visual everything with a glaring clarity. The story is laced with intrigue, mystery, and an air of seductive evil. As you progress through the novel, the urgency of the characters become more and more apparent as they try to discern between what is real and what is fake. The only complaint I had is that she seemed to fall into descriptive overload at some points (usually the dullest points), and you may find yourself skipping a few pages ahead to get to the good stuff. Otherwise, I think it a good book to add to any vampire collection. It draws from a classic. mortal_belleza
Rating: 
Summary: This book is by far the best tale of the family Dracul.
Review: It is filled with the most vivid accounts of seduction and betrayl. Vlad demonstrates the most vile character, yet his intentions are understanding and sympathetic to the reader!
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Look At The Begining of Stoker's Dracula
Review: Kalogridis is AMAZING! She pulls the reader into her novels and traps them with her tales of the time before Dracula. Along the way she explains the pact with the dark one that gives Dracula his immortality. Kalogridis IS the new wave in vampire fiction!!
Rating:
Summary: Very captivating and intense book!!!
Review: Loved it from beginning to end - I've read many vampire novels and this is definitely one of the best (right up there with my other favorite - The Keep). A compelling story told in diary-1st person format that kept me turning pages as quickly as I could read them. Love Vlad and would like to learn more about his past and how he actually became Dracul. I will now buy the next book in the series!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!!
Review: Not knowing much of the background behind Stoker's Dracula, I found this an excellent novel to fill in the gaps. She blends history (fictional or otherwise) with storytelling and creates a book I just couldn't put down! The characters are deep, the scenery so vivid you can see it, and the tale will sweep you away.
Rating: 
Summary: Drained my will to live
Review: Okay, so I did read the whole thing. I found the content slow, ill-written, and shamelessly two-dimensional. The only reason I gave it two stars was I can't possibly think that any book would deserve just one. Ms. Kalogridis attempts to mimic Stoker's style (the fact the book is written diary-like) but it would have been just as well to write in third person. Stoker's was believable, this one is just boring. The only excitement occurs in the last chapter and it's really a dismal attempt to "shock" the reader. It fails. The book helped kill time, but so would reading an encyclopedia. Overall, just a bad book.
Rating: 
Summary: VLAD TEPID
Review: Shortly into this book, I realized what I had stepped into -- vampire lore is a genre ripe for conversion into romantic, gothic silliness, and that is all this foray amounts to. There is no horror here. In "Dracula", Bram Stoker created a cold, dark world of encroaching menace that still holds its power today. This author borrows that icon of devilry, and plops him into a contrived "prequel" that is insipid and stupid. Misusing Stoker's diary style, Kalogridis burdens every sentence of every entry with such overwrought melodrama that reading this material becomes nerve racking. I forced myself to finish this thing, and my reward was an insulting finale. When our frazzled husband and wife protagonists are trapped in Drac's castle, with the Mrs. in labor, a stranger conveniently appears, arrived just that moment to kill Drac for a past indiscretion. Not only is this stranger willing to take the soon-to-be-arrived baby to safety, thereby thwarting the DracMan, but (oh, he forgot to mention) he is also a Doctor, and can perform the delivery himself posthaste. Unfortunately for Dracula, he is to be drug through two more entries in this saga. He has my sympathy. Personally, I think a stake through the heart would be more merciful.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece in mythological Vampiric Literature
Review: The Diaries of the Family Dracul. This series is a priceless collection that should grace every Vampire's collection. Ms. Kalogridis seems to attain the sublime gift of literary omniscience. All the journals are masterfully written, full with prismic expression sublime. These books are a gateway to the Gothic World of the strigoi, wherer we become intimately acquainted with the Tsepesh {sic} Family, & all those around them. The text is highly addictive, for it is the most crystallized Vampire novel I have ever read. It is a masterpiece. There is passion, violence, blood, sensitivity, romance, tragedy, sensuality, cruelty, fear, & debauchery. All emotions are stimulated. The scenery, the sounds, the textures, the tastes, the emotions, are all dramatically tangable. Wolves, superstitious peasants, Vampires, storms, are all present here, all guided by the nefarious hand of Vlad Dracul, who are all powerless in His infernal game of pleasure & pain. The whole tale is an inspirational opus, depicting the World of Darkness to its most splenderous. This is the stuff beautiful nightmares are made from. Reading Covenant With The Vampire by candlelight is most appropriate, sipping on a glass of slivovitz to arm the bones on a cold rainy night, for it is always as such within... In the dark of the night, may the hypnotizing emerald eyes of Vlad watch over you. But whatever you do, do not break the covenant...
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