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Covenant with the Vampire (The Diaries of the Family Dracul #1) by Jeanne Kalogridis

“Arkady Tsepesh has returned home, to Transylvania, due to his father’s declining health. His very pregnant wife, Mary has accompanied him and is curious to learn about the side of her Husband she’s never seen, the family Dracul. What I thought would perhaps be an origin story of Dracula, was instead a very complex and rather uncomfortable tale of complicated and rather disturbing family dynamics. The big reveal came far too late and the ending just dragged.”

⭐⭐

Pros: A truly unique Vampire Story

Cons: The “Indignant British Gentleman” feel of the vast majority of the book and then the complete 180 was the end was really jarring/The ending went on for far too long, actually had me dozing at parts.

Full Review: 

Arkady Tsepesh is returning to Transylvania after receiving a telegram from his sister, Zsuzsanna that their Father is dying. He brings his young wife, Mary and their as of yet, unborn child with him. Unfortunately, he arrives too late and his father has already passed. Distraught, he sits vigil by his Father's coffin and is visited by his mysterious, Great Uncle Vlad. The next day, they hold the Pomona, a traditional Roumanian feast to honor the dead.

While sitting together at the Pomona, they discuss the possibility of Arkady and his family staying in Transylvania, to take his father's place and help manage Vlad's estate, since he is a wealthy Prince after all. It's also mentioned that, perhaps, once Arkady and Mary's child is born, they'll all travel to England together, since Vlad has been interested in purchasing property there. That's when Zsuzsanna pitches a fit and says that they can't all leave her here alone, she'll die. Mary, ever the perceptive, intelligent, British woman realizes two things then, with startling clarity. 

1. There's something definitely off, unsettling even about Great Uncle Vlad. 

2. Zsuzsanna is utterly in love with her Uncle and it's not the paternal kind of love. 

Thus, the catalyst is put on the table that will unravel the whole, complicated, intricate threads of the Covenant that exists between Vlad and the villagers, as well as his family. 

Though the idea of the Covenant, Arkady's mission to uncover the truth of the strange happenings in the Castle and Mary's determination to figure out what is going on with Zsuzsanna and Vlad had promise and moved along well, it was about 80% of the way through the book when it all just fell apart. Yes, there were big reveals but they were disturbing and frankly, unnecessary. Also, the mysterious appearance of a stranger at the end of the book was hilariously well timed. Though the book really did have promise and kept me reading the real 180 pivot that it took was just unsettling and weird. 

I know there are more books to this series but I'll not be reading them. 

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