Rating: 
Summary: My least favorite of Elrod's books
Review: Having enjoyed a somewhat chance reading of "I Strahd", I heard about this book before its release and much anticipated it. When I got it, however, I was in for a disappointment.I have tremendous esteem for Bram Stoker's original "Dracula" novel, in particular the character of Abraham Van Helsing (my favorite literary character, in fact). I enjoy reading about noble vampire hunters as much as "good" vampires. So, though I was satisfied alright with earlier sections of "Quincey Morris, Vampire", I was very much displeased with the portrayal of Van Helsing as an unreasoning zealot. Given the characterizations in "Dracula", I don't think there was any more grounds for attributing such behavior to him than to any of the other original vampire hunters. And I don't like it, at least within the framework of this story. Quincey's romancing of Arthur's sister (watch that one coming from a mile away!) wasn't really great with me, either. A bit too convenient, maybe? I've since discovered Elrod's "Vampire Files" series, which have become numbered among my favorite books. I enjoy her writing tremendously and admire her skill. But in this case, I'd just as rather she didn't devote her time to a sequel. Her own characters suit her far better.
Rating: 
Summary: Elrod's "Sequel" to Dracula, featuring an Elrod type vampire
Review: I have to admit that the idea of one of turning one of the "hero" character in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" into a vampire is interesting on some level. But then the type of vampire Quincey Morris becomes in this novel by P. N. Elrod is not the same sort of vampire as Dracula or any other "traditional" vampire. This is more the "good guy" vampire which appears in Elrod's other vampire novels. So the rest of the crew of vampire hunters have to contend not only with the fact their friend from Texas is now one of the walking undead, but, to recall a line from "The Fearless Vampire Killers," he is not "that kind" of a vampire. However, I do enjoy the way Elrod takes down the high and might Abraham Van Helsing, the original know it all of the vampire universe. Do not ask me to explain why I like that so much, but I do.
Rating:
Summary: Elrod's "Sequel" to Dracula, featuring an Elrod type vampire
Review: I have to admit that the idea of one of turning one of the "hero" character in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" into a vampire is interesting on some level. But then the type of vampire Quincey Morris becomes in this novel by P. N. Elrod is not the same sort of vampire as Dracula or any other "traditional" vampire. This is more the "good guy" vampire which appears in Elrod's other vampire novels. So the rest of the crew of vampire hunters have to contend not only with the fact their friend from Texas is now one of the walking undead, but, to recall a line from "The Fearless Vampire Killers," he is not "that kind" of a vampire. However, I do enjoy the way Elrod takes down the high and might Abraham Van Helsing, the original know it all of the vampire universe. Do not ask me to explain why I like that so much, but I do.
Rating: 
Summary: Another delicious book from PN Elrod!
Review: I loved this book. There aren't many that can drag me through from beginning to end like this one did. The characters are always distinct and individual. I find more development of the characters in general than I've read in other series, be they non vampire or not. This, and all her other books, read easy, but in no way insults the reader's intelligence. The figures in the book feel like they're people you'd meet on the street, in a bar, or the local Starbucks. Granted, some of them don't drink. Coffee or liquor, that is. I highly recommend this, and any of her books to anyone. Even those who find the vampire lores gory will have their minds changed after a first read of Quincey Morris, Vampire. How many books are out there that one can truly say you wished never ended, even though one wanted to know the ending?
Rating:
Summary: Welcome back, Quincey.
Review: I've read Dracula. A few times. And every time I read it, I become angry at the death of Quincey Morris, the only American. It seems such a shame that so excellent a character had to pay the ultimate price to destroy Dracula. However, it was not until a few years ago that I was introduced to the notion that he might not be dead. It was a short story called "The Wind Breathes Cold." It's author was P. N. Elrod. I admit to being something of a fan of hers. After all, this was the author who brought the vampire world Jack Fleming, a detective/vampire who was one of the best, if not the earliest, supposed "Good guy vampires." I fully believe she's done more for Vampire fiction than some other authors who are more interrested in blood and guts. Now she's allowed Quincey Morris to tell his story, so to speak, picking up right after his own death. And she does it with the traditional Elrod humor, and quite a suspenseful moments. From finding himself a vampire in the forests of Transylvania to returning to his friends, who may think he is now damned and want to "Save" his soul with a stake through the heart. It is well worth the time spent on it. If you're a vampire fan, and wonder if Dracula really does end the story, pick this book up for your answer. I promise you, it will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Quincey Morris, Vampire
Review: If you want to really feel like your with the characters this book will do it. We all grew up with scary stories like Dracula, this shows a different side of the vamp.
Rating:
Summary: A Texas vampire in London, at turn of the century
Review: In my opinion, Elrod does much better at 20th century, or very-near-it (this book is in the 1890's) than she does at older periods in history. I didn't find her series set in American Revolutionary times to be nearly as believable as her series set in 1930's Chicago. This book is is closer to the Chicago series in tone, and has the added advantage of taking off based on Stoker's Dracula. The combination is quite good. Quincy Morris, the Texan in Van Helsing's party, gets killed by wolves and discovers that the vampire hunters haven't killed Dracula after all, in that order. More than that about the bones of the plot, I leave you to discover in the reading. Let me mention some of the themes, instead of plot details: The growing independence of women at the turn of the century, and the painfulness of the restrictions that were still on them; The comparison of newer, brasher, "American" manners to the stiltedness of the Old World; The disdain in which the acting profession was held during the Victorian era; The clumsiness of baggage/cargo handlers even before there were airlines. Some of BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide: Major genre: thriller; is it part of a series? If so it's the first one, but Elrod has been known to tie one series to another in the course of several books. Are there other types of supernatural beings? Yes, werewolves, apparently. What powers does the vampire have? According to Dracula, there are different kinds of vampires; Quincy's kind has far fewer powers than Dracula's, but basically he has the same powers as Elrod has given in her other series, to turn invisible, slip through walls, and hypnotize people. (Drunks and the insane can't be hypnotized; this becomes important in the course of the plot!) Does the vampire drink blood? Animal blood for sustenance, small amounts of human blood during sex. Is there a lot of sex? No, this isn't one of the sort of book where everything vampires do is a metaphor for sex or carries some inuendo; in Elrod's books, sex is sex and is not a major plot element. Is the story "deadly serious"? No, there are elements of humor in it; Elrod has a light touch. The details of late Victorian life are interesting - in the 1890's, telephones and train travel are already quite common, so there's a 20th century feel, but at the same time, everybody still has horses to get around, and there are no supermarkets, so it's definitely not modern times. If you enjoy the parts of the story discussing the attitudes toward and of women at this period, and enjoy the London of the time, in reading this book, may I recommend another series as well? Anne Perry's series about Thomas Pitt, police Inspector, and his wife, Charlotte, are also set in the 1890's. They are strictly murder mysteries- no supernatural elements, no vampires. So if you are reading "Quincy Morris" only because it's a vampire story, ignore this recommendation. Otherwise, though, I think you'd enjoy the Inspector Pitt stories - the police are struggling with the increasing modernization of things, and trying to adopt scientific methods; medicine is beginning to be scientific as well; there are many of the same issues regarding women's independence, and the character of Charlotte Pitt is as strong as Lady Godalming. In addition, later in the Pitt series, Charlotte's mother marries an actor -who's a Jew! - so we get a treatment of the same themes of Victorian attitudes toward acting and toward minorities as Elrod gives us in "Quincy Morris."
Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Pleasure
Review: Looking at this book in the bookstore made me grimace. Like any dime-store horror novel, it had the tell-tale handsom vampire and the bleeding, half-naked heroine with her head thrown back for some reason or another. Oh, and the foreboding castle didn't help either. But since it was Elrod, I gave it a second chance, and since I didn't find anything better that day, I bought it. Having read both Bram Stoker's Dracula and Fred Saberhagen's Dracula novels (The Dracula Tapes, Old Friend of the Family, etc.) I've already seen a different view on the character of Dracula, but this examination of Quincey Morris was rather interesting. I liked the book. It was fun exploring the "ever after" of the story, and while I found the little "vampire breed difference" thing to be a little bit of a leap so that the author could work with her favorite twist on the myth, I still liked it (though that Nora has sure been AROUND!) and found that Quincey himself was different enough from her other characters (Jack Fleming and Jonathon Barrett) to be very interesting. I felt that the characters were played very true to themeselves in this book. Many people might want to point out the attitude of good Dr. Van Helsing as being too much of a zealot, but I feel that he was played just right, and that the doctor's stubborn nature in the original novel lead to this insane stubborness in this book. I especially enjoyed when John told him, to paraphrase "I understand how you feel, but your arguement makes absolutely no sense." Reminded me of Saberhagen's own comments about the good doctor. (don't mind me if I root for the vampires...) All in all, I liked the book, but I won't give it a 5 since I reserve that for her best stuff: Jack Fleming and Jonathon Barrett. I love those series. Oh, and if you're looking for perhaps another little "ever after" story in the area of DVDs, may I suggest "Hellsing", one of the best new series coming out this July. You can find it here on amazon.com and I seriously suggest you check it out. Great series!
Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Pleasure
Review: Looking at this book in the bookstore made me grimace. Like any dime-store horror novel, it had the tell-tale handsom vampire and the bleeding, half-naked heroine with her head thrown back for some reason or another. Oh, and the foreboding castle didn't help either. But since it was Elrod, I gave it a second chance, and since I didn't find anything better that day, I bought it. Having read both Bram Stoker's Dracula and Fred Saberhagen's Dracula novels (The Dracula Tapes, Old Friend of the Family, etc.) I've already seen a different view on the character of Dracula, but this examination of Quincey Morris was rather interesting. I liked the book. It was fun exploring the "ever after" of the story, and while I found the little "vampire breed difference" thing to be a little bit of a leap so that the author could work with her favorite twist on the myth, I still liked it (though that Nora has sure been AROUND!) and found that Quincey himself was different enough from her other characters (Jack Fleming and Jonathon Barrett) to be very interesting. I felt that the characters were played very true to themeselves in this book. Many people might want to point out the attitude of good Dr. Van Helsing as being too much of a zealot, but I feel that he was played just right, and that the doctor's stubborn nature in the original novel lead to this insane stubborness in this book. I especially enjoyed when John told him, to paraphrase "I understand how you feel, but your arguement makes absolutely no sense." Reminded me of Saberhagen's own comments about the good doctor. (don't mind me if I root for the vampires...) All in all, I liked the book, but I won't give it a 5 since I reserve that for her best stuff: Jack Fleming and Jonathon Barrett. I love those series. Oh, and if you're looking for perhaps another little "ever after" story in the area of DVDs, may I suggest "Hellsing", one of the best new series coming out this July. You can find it here on amazon.com and I seriously suggest you check it out. Great series!
Rating:
Summary: Cracking good read!
Review: Once again P.N. Elrod shows that vampires are human, too. Despite his changes, Quincey Morris remains a man of integrity - almost frustratingly so at times, but that's what makes him believeable. The only problem with this book is that I didn't get any sleep - a real page turner!
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