Review--Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Bone white. Blood red. Along this path, you’ll soon be dead.

Following the horrifying revelation of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth flees her home in Victorian London to enroll as the only female student in Europe’s most prestigious forensics school. But it’s impossible to find peace in the dark, unsettling Romanian castle that houses the school—and was also once home to the depraved Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Prince Dracula.

When a series of troubling deaths brings whispers of Vlad’s bloodthirsty return from the grave, Audrey Rose and her sharp-witted companion, Thomas Cresswell, must unravel the cryptic clues that will lead them to the shadowlike killer—living or dead.

If I hadn’t already been hooked into Kerri Maniscalco’s world with Stalking Jack the Ripper, I was positively ensnared with Hunting Prince Dracula! The title alone hints to vampires, which we all know were my first love from the paranormal world! Knowing this was a historical YA fiction though had me positively enamored with the book before I even picked it up!

The events of Stalking Jack the Ripper have shaken Audrey Rose, undoubtedly and she’s not quite on her feet yet, but going to the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science with Thomas is sure to provide the distraction that she needs. Of course though, their trip is bombarded upon with a murder before they even make it to the school. It definitely sets the course for Audrey Rose and Thomas for the next few weeks. The Academy is the school where she can truly learn her craft in the finest of details. Naturally, though, Audrey Rose is the only female student in attendance and the boys aren’t too fond of having a girl in their class either.

Audrey Rose and Thomas soon learn that their semester at the school will actually be spent trying to earn their place in the school. Out of a dozen or so applicants, only two students will be allowed to enroll. The pressure is definitely on. But it seems to take a backseat to the true danger that is happening at the school. More bodies keep showing up. Some appearing as if a vampire had drained them of all their blood, others appear as if they were staked to death, like a vampire themselves. It’s hard to get a grasp on things as the clues are harder to find and the suspect list is pretty big considering there are students, teachers, servants and of course there’s the village nearby. Who exactly is killing the students in such grisly ways? Our favorite detectives will have to work together once again to solve this case.

I truly, truly loved this book so much! It was astounding from the very first page and held me entranced to its very end! Not to mention I am a pretty big vampire fan. While my history of Vlad Dracula is pretty sparse, and a bit corrupted with recent movies too, let’s face it, Hollywood can muddle the mind sometimes! And then there’s always trying to figure out what’s actually historical fact in the book itself, luckily Kerri gives some notes on that at the end of the story much like she did with her first book. I was naturally in awe of the liberties she took and what she did with history and turned it into this completely amazing story!

This book was far creepier than I expected too! Be aware that it’s not a story for the faint of heart! Truly creeping, crawly (hint, hint) moments and bloody ones too! It’s a book that gave me chills on more than one occasion! But I love a book that can creep me out so thoroughly!

Romance, because we have to talk about this tension between Audrey Rose and Thomas! Yes, they shared a kiss last time around and that oh-so-delightful romantic tension that was so strong in the first book continues on here as well! It gets better too, folks! Thomas continues to amuse me! He’s so comical, I love his sense of humor and snark! I love even more that Audrey Rose can toss it right back at him at times. She doesn’t simper away, though let’s face it, Thomas can leave one speechless no matter one’s own snark repartee.

The mystery to this one was good! Very good! Once again, I didn’t quite see the whodunit coming. I mean I made some speculations as I went, but when the reveal came I was shocked! Though I was sort of guessing it, literally, moments before it happened! So, I kind of got it? Lol! But yes, very shocking indeed and yeah, still pretty creepy! I loved it!

While we don’t know exactly what’s in store next for Audrey Rose and Thomas in terms of their nemesis, we do know where they are headed. So naturally, I am trying to scour my knowledge and come up with a nemesis! I can’t wait to see who it is!

Hunting Prince Dracula was a most stunning read indeed! It’s got mystery, creep factors, characters with great snark and personality, plus a heart-warming, toe-curling romance to boot! This is a read that will delight readers all over! It’s nothing short of amazing and I am soooo desperately looking forward to Kerri’s next book!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars