April 25, 2022
In the meandering, miserable latest from three-time Bram Stoker Award winner Kiste (The Rust Maidens), vampire Lucy Westenra of Dracula, and a mysteriously undead “Bee,” Bertha Mason of Jane Eyre, live together in 1967 L.A.—until an offensively mischaracterized Jane Eyre, here cowed, beaten down, and in cahoots with evil men, arrives at their doorstep and frees Dracula’s remains from the urns in which Lucy has been imprisoning him. Jane then returns to San Francisco and Mr. Rochester, reenvisioned as a cross between Hugh Hefner and Charles Manson, who keeps a harem of barefoot women and forces Jane to join in erotic cult-worship of a revived Dracula. Lucy and Bertha conveniently fall in with a group of hippies as they work to rescue Jane and take down both evil men. The novel attempts to condemn misogynist abuse but delights in and eroticizes its depictions of female victimization, making it feel less daring and nuanced in its depictions of female resistance to gendered cruelty than the 19th-century novels that inspired it. Devotees of Dracula and Jane Eyre will be baffled by Kiste’s unrecognizable updates of the characters. For those unfamiliar with the originals, there may be some pleasure in exploring the unrelentingly grim atmosphere Kiste brings to 1960s San Francisco, but others can safely skip this.
June 1, 2022
1969. Sunset. The Hollywood sign. A beautiful young woman, Lucy, is fighting to bury an urn containing Dracula's ashes, her roommate, Bee by her side. These women live in the shadows and yet are known to all, cursed victims of the evil men whom history has rehabilitated into romantic heroes. Nearly a century later, Lucy recounts how their nights are spent: controlling Dracula, keeping the rot at bay, resisting Rochester's pull, battling PTSD, and going to the drive-in. Their routine, while stressful, was working, until Jane Eyre shows up, begging Bee for help. This fast-paced and fun adventure honors its beloved source material and manages to insert something unique into the conversation. An ode to forgotten women everywhere, a tale where every detail satisfyingly matters as readers rush to the emotional conclusion. VERDICT Kiste's (Boneset & Feathers) first book from a major publishing house brings her award-winning, feminism-fueled horror to more readers. Those eager for new Dracula- or Jane Eyre--framed stories will eagerly request, but do not pigeon-hole the appeal, as fans of titles such as Tananarive Due's "Immortals" series or Kristi DeMeester's Such a Pretty Smile will also be pleased.
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July 1, 2022
Dust and decay, ashes and disembodied voices. Following Boneset & Feathers (2020), the award-winning Kiste delves into the never-changing existence of two misunderstood, undead survivors of intimidation and violence. Because of their unfortunate relationships with two manipulative, self-centered men--Dracula and Edward Rochester--Lucy and Bee are literally and figuratively cursed with immortality. Relegated to secondary-character status in classic literature, they are the victims vilified in print and film. Both would say the stories in which they are recorded are hardly true recollections of events and are blatant misconceptions of what they suffered. For seventy years, Lucy has been guarding the ashes of Dracula, keeping them in separate urns and helping Bee deal with the cruel aftereffects of the captivity imposed by her husband. In 1967, they live in a run-down house in Hollywood, getting by with a barely working automobile and the last of the money from Lucy's pawned dowry jewels. Nevertheless, everything is fine until Jane Eyre shows up on their doorstep. Fans of Gothic horror with a literary twist will be delighted.
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